2014 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY ECO mode

Installing Child Restraints
Children 12 years or younger should ride properly buckled
up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seats
rather than in the front.
Every state in the United States and all Canadian provinces
require that small children ride in proper restraint systems.
This is the law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
NOTE:
For additional information, refer towww.seatcheck.org
or call 1-866-SEATCHECK. Canadian residents should
refer to Transport Canada’s website for additional infor-
mation: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/
safedrivers-childsafety-index-53.htm
Rear-Facing Car Seats And Air Bags
WARNING!
•Never place a rear-facing child restraint 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 rear-facing
child restraint.
•Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle with
a rear seat.
Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren (LATCH)
Restraint System
Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchorage
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 an-
chorages are used to install LATCH-equipped child seats
without using the vehicle’s seat belts. Some seating posi-
tions may have a top tether anchorage but no lower anchor-
ages. In these seating positions, the seat belt must be used
with the top tether anchorage to install the child restraint.
NOTE:The LATCH system was phased into vehicles during
the 2000–2002 model years. Certain 2000 and 2001 model
year vehicles did not feature lower anchorages. These
vehicles had tether anchorages only. See the section
“LATCH and Tethers in Your Vehicle” for more information.
Locating The LATCH And Tether Anchorages
The lower anchorages are round bars that are found at the
rear of the seat cushion where it meets the seat-
back. If the bars are not readily visible, they are
located below the anchorage symbols on the seat-
back (if equipped). You will easily feel them if you
run your finger along the gap between the seat-
back and seat cushion.
There are tether strap anchorages behind the rear
seating positions located on the back of the seat or
near the floor. See the section “LATCH and Teth-
ers in Your Vehicle” for more information about
finding tethers in your vehicle, as not all seating positions
have a tether anchorage and some may be hidden behind a
panel or cover.
Always follow the directions of the child restraint manufac-
turer when installing your child restraint. Not all child
restraint systems will be installed as described here.
Installing Child Restraints Using The LATCH Lower
Anchorages
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
“Seat Belt Systems in Your Vehicle” to check what type of
seat belt each seating position has.
2. Loosen the adjusters on the lower straps and on the
tether 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. If the rear seat can be moved
forward and rearward in the vehicle, you may wish to
move it to its rear-most position to make room for the
child seat. You may also move the front seat forward to
allow more room for the child seat.
4. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child re-
straint to the lower anchorages in the selected seating
position.
5. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the
top tether anchorage. See the section “LATCH and Teth-
ers in Your Vehicle” for directions 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 manufacturer ’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.
INSTALLING CHILD RESTRAINTS 5

How To Stow An Unused ALR Seat Belt
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 seat belt 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 installa-
tion, instead of buckling it behind the child restraint, route
the seat belt through the child restraint belt path and then
buckle it. Do not lock the seat belt. 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 restraint.
The child could be badly injured or killed. Follow the
child restraint manufacturer ’s directions exactly when
installing an infant or child restraint.
•Child restraint anchorages are designed to withstand
only those loads imposed by correctly-fitted child
restraints. Under no circumstances are they to be used
for adult seat belts, harnesses, or for attaching other
items or equipment to the vehicle.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat
Belt
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with either a Switchable Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) or a cinching latch plate or both. Both types of
seat belts are designed to keep the lap portion of the 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 section “Seat Belt Systems in Your Vehicle.” The
cinching latch plate is designed to hold the lap portion of the
seat belt tight when webbing is pulled tight and straight
through a child restraint’s belt path.
When installing a forward-facing child restraint, always use
the tether anchor up to the maximum weight allowed. See
the section “LATCH and Tethers in Your Vehicle” for more
information about LATCH weight limits.
Installing A Child Restraint With A Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) — 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. If
the rear seat can be moved forward and rearward in thevehicle, you may wish to move it to its rear-most position
to make room for the child seat. You may also move the
front seat forward to allow more room for the child seat.
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 webbing. If the
retractor isnotlocked, 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. See
the section “LATCH and Tethers in Your Vehicle” for
directions to attach a tether anchor.
9. 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.
Any seat belt system will loosen with time, so check the belt
occasionally, and pull it tight if necessary.
WARNING!
Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode to restrain
occupants who are wearing the seat belt or children who
are using booster seats. The locked mode is only used to
install rear-facing or forward-facing child restraints that
have a harness for restraining the child.
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. If
the rear seat can be moved forward and rearward in the
vehicle, you may wish to move it to its rear-most position
to make room for the child seat. You may also move the
front seat forward to allow more room for the child seat.
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.”
6 INSTALLING CHILD RESTRAINTS