2013 Ram 2500 Owner's Manual

Quad Cab®/Crew Cab
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-
straint
Always use the tether anchor when using the
seat belt to install a forward facing child
restraint, up to the recommended weight limit
of the child restraint.
Can the rear-facing child restraint touch the
back of the front passenger seat? Yes
Contact between the front passenger seat and
the child restraint is allowed, if the child
restraint manufacturer also allows contact.
Can the head restraints be removed? No
Can the buckle stalk be twisted to tighten the
seat belt against the belt path of the child
restraint? Yes
In positions with cinching latch plates
(CINCH), the buckle stalk may be twisted up
to 3 full turns. Do not twist the buckle stalk in
a seating position with an ALR retractor.2
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Mega Cab®/Standard Cab
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?65 lbs (29.5 kg) The Tether Anchor can be used with the seat
belt until the combined weight of the child
and the child restraint is 65 lbs (29.5 kg). Use
the seat belt without the Tether Anchor once
the combined weight is more than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg).
Can the rear-facing child restraint touch the
back of the front passenger seat? Yes
Contact between the front passenger seat and
the child restraint is allowed, if the child
restraint manufacturer also allows contact.
Can the head restraints be removed? No
Can the buckle stalk be twisted to tighten the
seat belt against the belt path of the child
restraint? Yes
In positions with cinching latch plates
(CINCH), the buckle stalk may be twisted up
to 3 full turns. Do not twist the buckle stalk in
a seating position with an ALR retractor.
104 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Installing A Child Restraint with a Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
1. Place the child seat in the center of the seatingposition. For some second row seats, you may need to
recline the seat and/or raise the head restraint to get a
better fit.
2. Pull enough of the seat belt webbing from the retractor to pass it through the belt path of the child restraint.
Do not twist the belt webbing in the belt path.
3. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
4. Pull on the webbing to make the lap portion tight against the child seat.
5. To lock the seat belt, pull down on the shoulder part of the belt until you have pulled all the seat belt webbing
out of the retractor. Then, allow the webbing to retract back into the retractor. As the webbing retracts, you
will hear a clicking sound. This means the seat belt is
now in the Automatic Locking mode.
6. Try to pull the webbing out of the retractor. If it is locked, you should not be able to pull out any web-
bing. If the retractor is not locked, repeat step 5.
7. Finally, pull up on any excess webbing to tighten the lap portion around the child restraint while you push
the child restraint rearward and downward into the
vehicle seat.
8. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the seating position has a top tether anchorage, connect
the tether strap to the anchorage and tighten the tether
strap. Refer to “Lower Anchors and Tethers for Chil-
dren (LATCH) Restraint System” for directions to
attach a tether anchor.2
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9. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly bypulling 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.
Any seat belt system will loosen with time, so check the
belt occasionally, and pull it tight if necessary.
Installing A Child Restraint With A Cinching
Latch Plate (CINCH) — If Equipped
1. Place the child seat in the center of the 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.
2. Next, pull enough of the seat belt webbing from the retractor to pass it through the belt path of the child
restraint. Do not twist the belt webbing in the belt
path. 3. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a
“click.”
4. Finally, pull up on any excess webbing to tighten the lap portion around the child restraint while you push
the child restraint rearward and downward into the
vehicle seat.
5. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the seating position has a top tether anchorage, connect
the tether strap to the anchorage and tighten the tether
strap. Refer to “Lower Anchors and Tethers for Chil-
dren (LATCH) Restraint System” for directions to
attach a tether anchor.
6. 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.
106 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Any seat belt system will loosen with time, so check the
belt occasionally, and pull it tight if necessary.
If the buckle or the cinching latch plate is too close to the
belt path opening of the child restraint, you may have
trouble tightening the seat belt. If this happens, discon-
nect the latch plate from the buckle and twist the short
buckle-end belt up to three full turns to shorten it. Insert
the latch plate into the buckle with the release button
facing out, away from the child restraint. Repeat steps 4
to 6, above, to complete the installation of the child
restraint.
If the belt still cannot be tightened after you shorten the
buckle, disconnect the latch plate from the buckle, turn
the buckle around one half turn, and insert the latch plate
into the buckle again. If you still cannot make the child
restraint installation tight, try a different seating position.Installing Child Restraints Using The Top Tether
Anchorage
Regular and Mega Cab® Trucks:In the regular cab truck,
the top tether anchorages are located behind the center
and right passenger seats. In the mega cab truck, the top
tether anchorages are located behind each rear seating
position. There is a plastic cover over each anchorage. To
attach the tether strap of the child restraint:
1. Place the child restraint on the seat and adjust the tether strap so that it will reach over the seat back,
under the head restraint and to the tether anchor
directly behind the seat.2
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1 — Tether Strap Hook
2 — Tether Strap to Child Restraint
3 — Tether Anchor2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path
between the anchorage and the child seat. The tether
strap should go between the head restraint posts
underneath the head restraint. You may need to adjust
the head restraint to the upward position to pass the
tether strap underneath the head restraint and be-
tween its posts.
3. Lift the cover (if so equipped), and attach the hook to the square opening in the sheet metal. Tighten the
tether strap according to the child seat manufacturer ’s
instructions.
Regular Cab Tether Strap Mounting
108 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Never place a rear facing infant seat in front of an air
bag. A deploying passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
can cause death or serious injury to a child 12 years or
younger, including a child in a rearward facing infant
seat.
Quad Cab® or Crew Cab Trucks: The top tether anchor-
ages in this vehicle are tether strap loops located between
the rear glass and the back of the rear seat. There is a
tether strap loop located behind each seating position.
Follow the steps below to attach the tether strap of the
child restraint.
Right or Left Outboard Seats:
1. Raise the head restraint and reach between the rear seat and rear glass to access the tether strap loop.
Mega Cab® Tether Strap Mounting
2
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2. Place a child restraint on the seat and adjust the tetherstrap so that it will reach over the seat back, under the
head restraint, through the tether strap loop behind
the seat and over to the tether strap loop behind the
center seat.
Head Restraint In Raised PositionTether Strap Loop With Center Head Restraint In Raised
Position
110 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE