2015 JEEP COMPASS User Guide

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
information:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-index-53.htm
LATCH – Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren
• Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchorage system called LATCH,
which stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren.
• The rear outboard seating positions have lower anchors and top tether anchors.
The rear center seating position has a top tether anchor only.
LATCH System Weight Limit
You may use the LATCH anchorage sys-
tem until the combined weight of the
child and the child restraint 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).
Lower Anchors
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Locating the LATCH Lower Anchorages
The lower anchorages are round bars that are found at the rear of the seat
cushion where it meets 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
the gap between the seatback and seat cushion.
Locating the Tether Anchorages
In addition, there are tether strap anchorages behind each rear seating position
located on the back of the seat.
Center Seat LATCH
Do not install child restraints with rigid
lower attachments in the center seating
position. Only install this type of child
restraint in the outboard seating posi-
tions. Child restraints with flexible, web-
bing mounted lower attachments can be
installed in any rear seating position. In
the center position, the inner anchorages
are 15.5 inches (390 mm) apart.
Lower Anchorages
Tether Anchors
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Installing The Child Restraint Using The LATCH Lower Anchors
NOTE:
Never“share” a LATCH anchorage with two or more child restraints.
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. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child restraint to the lower anchorages
in the selected seating position.
3. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the top tether anchorage. See
below for directions to attach a tether anchor.
4. 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.
5. 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 The Child Restraint Using The Vehicle Seat Belts
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are equipped with a Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) that is designed to keep the lap portion of the
seat belt tight around the child restraint. Any seat belt system will loosen with time,
so check the belt occasionally, and pull it tight if necessary.
Tether Weight Limit
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.
To Install A Child Seat Using An ALR:
1. 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.
2. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
3. Pull on the webbing to make the lap portion tight against the child seat.
4. 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.
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5. 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 the last step.
6. Finally, pull up on any extra webbing to tighten the lap portion around the child
restraint while you push the child restraint rearward and downward into the
vehicle seat.
7. 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 below for directions to attach a tether anchor.
8. 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 The Top Tether Strap (With Either Lower Anchors Or Vehicle Seat Belt):
When installing a forward-facing child restraint, always secure the top tether strap,
up to the tether anchor weight limit, whether the child restraint is installed with the
lower anchors or the vehicle seat belt.
Tether Anchorage Installation
1. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path for the strap between the
anchor and the child seat, routing it over the center of the head restraint.
2. Attach the tether strap hook of the child restraint to the top tether anchorage and
remove slack in the tether strap according to the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions.
Tether Strap Installation
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WARNING!
• In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby, can become a projectile
inside the vehicle. The force required to hold even an infant on your lap could
become so great that you could not hold the child, no matter how strong you
are. The child and others could be severely injured or killed. Any child riding in
your vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child's size.
• Rearward-facing child seats must never be used in the front seat of a vehicle
with a front passenger air bag. An air bag deployment could cause severe injury
or death to infants in this position.
• Only use a rearward-facing child restraint in a vehicle with a rear seat.
• Improper installation of a child restraint to the LATCH anchorages can lead to
failure of an infant or child restraint. The child could be severely injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly when installing an infant or
child restraint.
• An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to increased head motion and
possible injury to the child. Use only the anchor positions directly behind the
child seat to secure a child restraint top tether strap.
• 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.
HEAD RESTRAINTS
Head restraints are designed to reduce the risk of injury by restricting head
movement in the event of a rear impact. Head restraints should be adjusted so that
the top of the head restraint is located above the top of your ear.
WARNING!
The head restraints for all occupants must be properly adjusted prior to operating
the vehicle or occupying a seat. Head restraints should never be adjusted while the
vehicle is in motion. Driving a vehicle with the head restraints improperly adjusted
or removed could cause serious injury or death in the event of a collision.
Front Head Restraints
To raise the head restraint, pull upward on the head restraint. To lower the head
restraint, press the adjustment button, located on the base of the head restraint, and
push downward on the head restraint.
Rear Head Restraints
The rear seat is equipped with nonadjustable head restraints.
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FRONT SEATS
Power Seats
The power seat switch is located on the
outboard side of the seat near the floor.
Use the switch to move the seat up,
down, forward, rearward, or to tilt the
seat.
Manual Seat Adjustment
Forward/Rearward
• Lift up on the adjusting bar located at the front of the seat near the floor and
release it when the seat is at the desired position. Then, using body pressure, move
forward and backward on the seat to be sure that the seat adjusters have latched.
Power Seat Switch
Seat Adjusting Bar
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Recliner
• Lift the recliner handle located on the outboard side of the seat, lean back and
release at the desired position.
Driver’s Seat Height Adjustment
• The height adjustment lever is located
on the outboard side of the seat. Raise
the lever to raise the seat. Lower the
lever to lower the seat.
Lumbar Support
• The lumbar lever is on the inboard side of the seatback. Rotate the lumbar lever
downward to increase the lumbar support or upward to decrease the lumbar
support as desired.
Seat Height Adjustment/Recliner/Lumbar
1 — Height Adjustment2 — Recliner
Lumbar Support Lever
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REAR SEATS
Folding Rear Seatback
• To fold each rear seatback, pull the strap forward to move the seatback forward
and flat.
Reclining Rear Seatback
• To recline each rear seatback, pull the
strap forward just enough to release
the seatback latch. Then push the
seatback to a reclined position, ap-
proximately 35 degrees maximum, and
release the strap.
WARNING!
Be certain that the seatback is securely locked into position. If the seatback is not
securely locked into position, the seat will not provide the proper stability for child
seats and/or passengers. An improperly latched seat could cause serious injury.
Rear Seatback Pull Straps
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