2016 Ram 3500 Chassis Cab child restraint

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 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 re-
straint. 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.
98 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR 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
Retractor (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. Refer to the “Automatic Locking
Mode” description under “Occupant Restraints” for ad-
ditional information on ALR. 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.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing Child
Restraints In This Vehicle
Regular Cab
•ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
• Cinch = Cinching Latch Plate
•
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol 2
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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 isallowed, if the child restraint
manufacturer also allows contact.
Can the head restraints be re- moved? No
Head restraints may not be re-
moved.
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 re- tractor.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 101

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. 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 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.
102 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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. 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.”
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. 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 103

6. 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.
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, disconnect
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
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 ap-
proved 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.
104 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Regular Trucks:
In the regular cab truck, the top tether anchorages are
located behind the center and right passenger seats.
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 thetether strap so that it will reach over the seat back,
under the head restraint and to the tether anchor
directly behind the seat.
1 — Tether Strap Hook
2 — Tether Strap to Child Restraint
3 — Tether Anchor
Regular Cab Tether Anchorages
2
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2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct pathbetween 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.
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. Crew Cab Trucks:
The top tether anchorages 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.
106 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE