2013 FIAT 500E Owners Manual

Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
Restraint SystemYour vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchor-
age system called LATCH, which stands for Lower
Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. The LATCH system
has three vehicle anchor points for installing LATCH-
equipped child seats. There are two lower anchorages
located at the back of the seat cushion where it meets the
seatback and one top tether anchorage located behind the
seating position. These anchorages are used to install
LATCH-equipped child seats without using the vehicle’s
seat belts. Some seating positions may have a top tether
anchorage but no lower anchorages. In these seating
positions, the seat belt must be used with the top tether
anchorage to install the child restraint. Please see the
following table for more information.
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LATCH Positions For Installing Child Restraints In
This Vehicle•Lower Anchorage Symbol 2 anchorages per seat-
ing position
•
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
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What is the weight limit (child’s weight + weight
of the child restraint) for using the LATCH
anchorage system to attach the child restraint?65 lbs
(29.5 kg)Use the LATCH anchorage system until the
combined weight of the child and the child re- straint is 65 lbs (29.5 kg). Use the seat belt and
tether anchor instead of the LATCH system once the combined weight is more than 65 lbs (29.5 kg).
Can the LATCH anchorages and the seat beltbe used together to attach a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint? No Do not use the seat belt when you use the
LATCH anchorage system to attach a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint.
Can a child seat be installed in the center posi-
tion using the inner LATCH lower anchorages? N/A
Can two child restraints be attached using a common lower LATCH anchorage? No
Never “share” a LATCH anchorage with two or
more child restraints. If the center position does not have dedicated LATCH lower anchorages,
use the seat belt to install a child seat in the cen- ter position next to a child seat using the
LATCH anchorages in an outboard position.
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Can the rear-facing child restraint touch theback of the front passenger seat? Yes The child seat may touch the back of the front
passenger seat if the child restraint manufac-turer also allows contact. See your child re-
straint owner ’s manual for more information.
Can the head restraints be removed? Yes, all.
Locating The LATCH Anchorages
The lower anchorages are round bars that are
found at the rear of the seat cushion where it
meets the seatback, below the anchorage sym-
bols on the seatback. They are just visible when
you lean into the rear seat to install the child restraint.
You will easily feel them if you run your finger along gap
between the seatback and seat cushion.
LATCH Anchorages
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Locating The LATCH Anchorages
In addition, there are tether strap anchorages
behind each rear seating position located on
the back of the seat.
LATCH-compatible child restraint systems will be
equipped with a rigid bar or a flexible strap on each side.
Each will have a hook or connector to attach to the lower
anchorage and a way to tighten the connection to the
anchorage. Forward-facing child restraints and some
rear-facing infant restraints will also be equipped with a
tether strap. The tether strap will have a hook at the end
to attach to the top tether anchorage and a way to tighten
the strap after it is attached to the anchorage.
Center Seat LATCH
WARNING!
This vehicle does not have a center seating position.
Do not use the center lower LATCH anchorages to
install a child seat in the center of the back seat.
Always follow the directions of the child restraint manu-
facturer when installing your child restraint. Not all child
restraint systems will be installed as described here.
To Install A LATCH-compatible Child Restraint
1. If the selected seating position has a Switchable Auto- matic Locking Retractor (ALR) seat belt, stow the seat
belt, following the instructions below. See the section
“Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat
Belt” to check what type of seat belt each seating
position has.
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2. Loosen the adjusters on the lower straps and on thetether strap of the child seat so that you can more
easily attach the hooks or connectors to the vehicle
anchorages.
3. Place the child seat between the lower anchorages for that seating position. For some second row seats, you
may need to recline the seat and / or raise the head
restraint to get a better fit.
4. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child restraint to the lower anchorages in the selected seat-
ing position.
5. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the top tether anchorage. See the section “Installing Child
Restraints Using the Top Tether Anchorage” for direc-
tions to attach a tether anchor. 6. Tighten all of the straps as you push the child restraint
rearward and downward into the seat. Remove slack
in the straps according to the child restraint manufac-
turer ’s instructions.
7. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by pulling back and forth on the child seat at the belt
path. It should not move more than 1 inch (25.4 mm)
in any direction.
How To Stow An Unused ALR Seatbelt
When using the LATCH attaching system to install a
child restraint, stow all ALR seat belts that are not being
used by other occupants or being used to secure child
restraints. An unused belt could injure a child if they play
with it and accidentally lock the seatbelt retractor. Before
installing a child restraint using the LATCH system,
buckle the seat belt behind the child restraint and out of
the child’s reach. If the buckled seat belt interferes with
the child restraint installation, instead of buckling it
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behind the child restraint, route the seat belt through the
child restraint belt path and then buckle it. Do not lock
the seatbelt. Remind all children in the vehicle that the
seat belts are not toys and that they should not play with
them.
WARNING!
Improper installation of a child restraint to the
LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of the re-
straint. The child could be badly injured or killed.
Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s directions
exactly when installing an infant or child restraint.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat
Belt
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with either a Switchable Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) or a cinching latch plate or both. Both
types of seat belts are designed to keep the lap portion ofthe seat belt tight around the child restraint so that it is
not necessary to use a locking clip. The ALR retractor can
be “switched” into a locked mode by pulling all of the
webbing out of the retractor and then letting the webbing
retract back into the retractor. If it is locked, the ALR will
make a clicking noise while the webbing is pulled back
into the retractor. For additional information on ALR,
refer to the “Automatic Locking Mode” description un-
der “Occupant Restraints.” The cinching latch plate is
designed to hold the lap portion of the seatbelt tight
when webbing is pulled tight and straight through a
child restraint’s belt path. Please see the table below and
the following sections for more information about both
types of seat belts.
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Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems for Installing Child Restraints in this Vehicle
What is the weight limit (child’s weight + weight
of the child restraint) for using the Tether Anchor
with the seat belt to attach a forward facing child
restraint?Weight
limit of the
Child Re-
straintAlways use the tether anchor when using the
seat belt to install a forward facing child re-
straint, up to the recommended weight limit of
the child restraint.
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