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 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 passenger seat? Yes
Contact between the front passenger
seat and the child restraint is al-
lowed, if the child restraint manufac- turer also allows contact.
Can the head restraints be removed? YesCenter Only may be removed.
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 retrac- tor.
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 directions
exactly when installing an infant or child restraint.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71
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 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 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.
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.
72 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
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. Rotate or lift the cover to access the anchor directly behind the seat where you are placing the child re-
straint.
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 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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73
4. Attach the tether strap hook of the child restraint to thetop tether anchorage as shown in the diagram.
5. Remove slack in the tether strap according to the child 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 be-
hind 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.
Center Tether Attachment
1. Lower the adjustable center head restraint to the full
down position.
2. Route the tether strap over the seatback and head restraint.
3. Attach the tether strap hook of the child restraint to the center tether anchorage located in the panel between the
rear seatback and the rear window.
4. Remove slack in the tether strap according to the child restraint manufacturer ’s instructions.
Tether Strap Mounting
1 — Cover A — Tether Strap Hook
3 — Attaching Strap B — Tether Anchor
74 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
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 harnesses or
pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine and
drivetrain (transmission and axle) in your vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km). After
the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or 55 mph (80
or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration within the
limits of local traffic laws contributes to a good break-in.
Wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detri-
mental and should be avoided.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high-quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil changes
should be consistent with anticipated climate conditions
under which vehicle operations will occur. For the recom-
mended viscosity and quality grades, refer to “Mainte-
nance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your Vehicle.”
CAUTION!
Never use Non-Detergent Oil or Straight Mineral Oil
in the engine or damage may result.
NOTE: A new engine may consume some oil during its
first few thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This
should be considered a normal part of the break-in and not
interpreted as a problem. Please check your oil level with
the engine oil indicator often during the break in period.
Add oil as required.
SAFETY TIPS
Transporting Passengers
NOTE: Never transport passengers in the cargo area.
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.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 75
NOTE:You may experience deformation in the seat cush-
ion from the seat belt buckles if the seats are left folded for
an extended period of time. This is normal and by simply
opening the seats to the open position, over time the seat
cushion will return to its normal shape.
When the seatback is folded to the upright position, make
sure it is latched by strongly pulling on the top of the
seatback above the seat 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 stabil-
ity for child seats and/or passengers. An improperly
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.
DRIVER MEMORY SEAT — IF EQUIPPED
This feature allows the driver to store up to two different
memory profiles for easy recall through a memory switch.
Each memory profile contains desired position settings for
the driver seat, side mirrors, and power tilt and telescopic
steering column (if equipped) and a set of desired radio
station presets. Your remote keyless entry key fob can also
be programmed to recall the same positions when the
unlock button is pushed.
Folded Rear Seatback
112 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
WARNING!
•Never leave children unattended in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Never leave the key
fob in or near the vehicle, or in a location accessible
to children. Do not leave the ignition of a vehicle
equipped with Keyless Enter-N-Go in the ACC or
ON/RUN mode. Occupants, particularly unattended
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
children, can become entrapped by the power sun-
roof while operating the power sunroof switch. Such
entrapment may result in serious injury or death.
• In a collision, there is a greater risk of being thrown
from a vehicle with an open sunroof. You could also
be seriously injured or killed. Always fasten your
seat belt properly and make sure all passengers are
also properly secured.
• Do not allow small children to operate the sunroof.
Never allow your fingers, other body parts, or any
object, to project through the sunroof opening. In-
jury may result.
Opening Sunroof — Express
Push the switch rearward and release it within one-half
second. The sunroof and sunshade will open automatically
and stop when the full open position is reached. This is
called “Express Open.” During Express Open operation,
any other actuation of the sunroof switch will stop the
sunroof.
CommandView Sunroof And Power Shade Switches
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 185
Rear Seat Armrest Storage — If Equipped
For rear passengers there is a storage bin located in the
armrest. Lift upward on the latch to open the storage
compartment.
Cargo Area — Vehicles Equipped With 60/40
Split-Folding Rear Seat
The 60/40 split-folding rear seat provides cargo-carrying
versatility. The seatbacks fold down easily by pulling nylon
tabs between the seatbacks and the bolsters. When the seats
are folded down, they provide a continuous, nearly-flat
extension of the load floor.When the seatback is folded to the upright position, make
sure it is latched by strongly pulling on the top of the
seatback above the seat 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 stabil-
ity for child seats and/or passengers. An improperly
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.
• To help protect against personal injury, passengers
should not be seated in the rear cargo area. The rear
cargo space is intended for load carrying purposes
only, not for passengers, who should sit in seats and
use seat belts.
(Continued)
Rear Armrest Storage
196 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE