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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 forward
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 may be re-
moved in the center seating posi-
tion only.
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.
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Installing A Child Restraint With A Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
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.
Pull enough of the seat belt webbing from the retractor to
pass it through the seat 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 seat 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. See the section “Installing Child Restraints
Using the Top Tether Anchorage” for directions to
attach a tether anchor.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 101
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9. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by
pulling back and forth on the child seat at the seat 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
seat belt occasionally, and pull it tight if necessary.
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
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
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 ap-
proved tether anchorages in your vehicle.
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1. Look behind the seating position where you plan to
install 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. To access the top tether strap anchorages behind the
rear seat, pull the carpeted floor panel away from the
seat back, this will expose the top tether strap anchor-
ages.
Pulling Down The Carpet Floor Panel To Access Top
Tether Strap Anchorage
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 103
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3. 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 possible,
route the tether strap under the head restraint andbetween the two posts. If not possible, lower the head
restraint and pass the tether strap around the outboard
side of the head restraint.
4. For the center seating position, route the tether strap
over the seatback and headrest then attach the hook to
the tether anchor located on the back of the seat.
5. Attach the tether strap hook of the child restraint to
the top tether anchorage as shown in the diagram.
Top Tether Strap Anchorage (Located on Seatback)
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6. Remove slack in the tether strap according to the child
restraint manufacturer ’s instructions.
WARNING!
•The top tether anchorages are not visible until the
gap panel is folded down. Do not use the visible
cargo tie down hooks, located on the floor behind
the seats, to attach a child restraint tether anchor.
•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.
•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.
Top Tether Strap Mounting
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 105
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WARNING!(Continued)
collision. Always make sure the outboard head re-
straints are in their upright positions when the seat is
to be occupied.
NOTE:For proper routing of a Child Seat Tether, refer to
“Occupant Restraints” in “Things to Know Before Start-
ing Your Vehicle” for further information.
60/40 Split Rear Seat
To Lower Rear Seat
Either side of the rear seat can be lowered to allow for
extended cargo space and still maintain some rear seating
room.
NOTE:Be sure that the front seats are fully upright and
positioned forward. This will allow the rear seatback to
fold down easily.1. Pull upward on the release lever to release the seat.
NOTE:
•Do not fold the 60% rear seat down with the left
outboard or rear center seat belt buckled.
•Do not fold the 40% rear seat down with the right
outboard seat belt buckled.
Rear Seat Release
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2. Fold the rear seat completely forward.
To Raise Rear Seat
Raise the rear seatback and lock it into place. If interfer-
ence from the cargo area prevents the seatback from fullylocking, you will have difficulty returning the seat to its
proper position.
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 stabil-
ity for child seats and/or passengers. An improp-
erly latched seat could cause serious injury.
•The cargo area in the rear of the vehicle (with the
rear seatbacks in the locked-up or folded down
position) should not be used as a play area by
children when the vehicle is in motion. They could
be seriously injured in a collision. Children should
be seated and using the proper restraint system.
Rear Seat Folded
3
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