2014 FIAT 500X Owners Manual

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!
•Do not install a child restraint in the center
position using the LATCH system. This position
is not approved for installing child seats using the
LATCH attachments. You must use the seat belt
and tether anchor to install a child seat in the
center seating position.
• Never use the same lower anchorage to attach
more than one child restraint. Please refer to
“Installing The LATCH-Compatible Child Re-
straint System” for typical installation instruc-
tions.
Always follow the directions of the child restraint
manufacturer when installing your child restraint. Not
all child restraint systems will be installed as described
here.
To Install A LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint
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.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child restraint to the lower anchorages in the selected
seating position.
4. 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 directions to attach a tether anchor.
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SAFETY 199

5. Tighten all of the straps as you push the childrestraint rearward and downward into the seat.
Remove slack in the straps according to the child
restraint manufacturer ’s instructions.
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.
How To Stow An Unused Switchable-ALR (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 installation, 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 with-
stand 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
Child restraint systems are designed to be secured in
vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a
lap/shoulder belt.
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WARNING!
•Improper installation or failure to properly secure
a child restraint can lead to failure of the restraint.
The child could be badly injured or killed.
• Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s direc-
tions exactly when installing an infant or child
restraint.
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with a Switchable Automatic Locking Retrac-
tor (ALR) that is 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 web-
bing 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. Refer to the “Automatic
Locking Mode” description in “Switchable Automatic
Locking Retractors (ALR)” under “Occupant Restraint
Systems” for additional information on ALR.
Please see the table below and the following sections for
more information.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing Child
Restraints In This Vehicle
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations
• ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
•
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol 6
SAFETY 201

Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With Seat Belts
What is the weight limit (child’s weight + weight of the child re-
straint) for using the Tether Anchor with the seat belt to attach a for- ward facing child restraint? Weight limit of the Child Restraint Always use the tether anchor when
using the seat belt to install a for-ward 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 passen- ger seat? Yes
Contact between the front passen-
ger seat and the child restraint is allowed, if the child restraint
manufacturer also allows contact.
Can the head restraints be re- moved? Yes
The head restraints can be removed
in every rear seating position.
Can the buckle stalk be twisted to
tighten the seat belt against the belt path of the child restraint? No
Do not twist the buckle stalk in a
seating position with an ALR re- tractor.
Installing A Child Restraint With A Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR):
Child restraint systems are designed to be secured in
vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a
lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING!
•Improper installation or failure to properly secure
a child restraint can lead to failure of the restraint.
The child could be badly injured or killed.
• Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s direc-
tions exactly when installing an infant or child
restraint.
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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. 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. 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 web-
bing 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 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. See the section “Installing Child Re-
straints Using the Top Tether Anchorage” for direc-
tions 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.
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SAFETY 203

Installing Child Restraints Using The Top Tether
Anchorage:
WARNING!
Do not attach a tether strap for a rear-facing car seat
to any location in front of the car seat, including the
seat frame or a tether anchorage. Only attach the
tether strap of a rear-facing car seat to the tether
anchorage that is approved for that seating position,
located behind the top of the vehicle seat. See the
section “Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren
(LATCH) Restraint System” for the location of
approved tether anchorages in your vehicle.
1. Look behind the seating position where you plan toinstall the child restraint to find the tether anchorage.
You may need to move the seat forward to provide
better access to the tether anchorage. If there is no
top tether anchorage for that seating position, move
the child restraint to another position in the vehicle if
one is available.
2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path for the strap between the anchor and the child seat. If
your vehicle is equipped with adjustable rear head
restraints, raise the head restraint, and where pos-
sible, route the tether strap under the head restraint
and between the two posts. If not possible, lower the
head restraint and pass the tether strap around the
outboard side of the head restraint.
3. Attach the tether strap hook of the child restraint to the top tether anchorage as shown in the diagram.
204 SAFETY

4. Remove slack in the tether strap according to thechild restraint manufacturer ’s instructions.
WARNING!
•An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
increased head motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchorage position directly
behind the child seat to secure a child restraint
top tether strap.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•If your vehicle is equipped with a split rear seat,
make sure the tether strap does not slip into the
opening between the seatbacks as you remove
slack in the strap.
Transporting Pets
Air Bags deploying in the front seat could harm your
pet. An unrestrained pet will be thrown about and
possibly injured, or injure a passenger during panic
braking or in a collision.
Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in pet har-
nesses or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
SAFETY TIPS
Transporting Passengers
NOTE: Never transport passengers in the cargo area.
Tether Anchorage Locations
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SAFETY 205

WARNING!
•Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build-up
may cause serious injury or death.
• It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed.
• Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
• Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
Exhaust Gas
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain
carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless and odor-
less. Breathing it can make you unconscious and
can eventually poison you. To avoid breathing
(CO), follow these safety tips:
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in
confined areas any longer than needed to move
your vehicle in or out of the area.
• If you are required to drive with the trunk/
liftgate/rear doors open, make sure that all win-
dows are closed and the climate control BLOWER
switch is set at high speed. DO NOT use the
recirculation mode.
• If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the
engine running, adjust your heating or cooling
controls to force outside air into the vehicle. Set
the blower at high speed.
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine ex-
haust system.
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the
exhaust system, when exhaust fumes can be detected
inside the vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the
vehicle is damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect
the complete exhaust system and adjacent body areas
for broken, damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned
parts. Open seams or loose connections could permit
exhaust fumes to seep into the passenger compartment.
206 SAFETY