2017 RAM CHASSIS CAB Owners Manual

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 withstand
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.
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. (Continued) WARNING! (Continued)• Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s directions
exactly when installing an infant or child restraint.
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 in “Switchable Automatic Locking Retractors
(ALR)” under “Occupant Restraint Systems” for additional
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.
Please see the table below and the following sections for
more information. 2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 79

Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing Child
Restraints In This Vehicle
Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With Seat Belts
What is the weight limit (child’s weight +
weight of the child restraint) 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 forward facing child re-
straint, up to the recommended weight limit
of the child restraint.Regular Cab Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations
• ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
• Top Tether Anchorage Symbol Crew Cab Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations
• Cinch = Cinching Latch Plate
• ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
• Top Tether Anchorage Symbol80 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With Seat Belts
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 allowed, if the child re-
straint manufacturer also allows contact.
Can the head restraints be removed? No Head restraints may not be removed.
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 retractor.
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. 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. 2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 81

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. Installing A Child Restraint With A Cinching Latch
Plate (CINCH) — If Equipped:
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.
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.82 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
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.
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. 2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 83

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. Regular Cab 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 the tether
strap so that it will reach over the seat back, under the head
restraint and to the tether anchor directly behind the seat.
Regular Cab Tether Anchorages1 — Tether Strap Hook
2 — Tether Strap to Child Restraint
3 — Tether Anchor84 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path
between the anchorage and the child seat. The tether
strap should go between the head restraint posts under-
neath 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 between 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 instruc-
tions.
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.
Head Restraint In Raised Position 2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 85

2. Place a child restraint on the seat and adjust the tether
strap so that it will reach over the seat back, under the
head restraint, through the tether strap loop behind the
seat and over to the tether strap loop behind the center
seat. 3. Pass the tether strap hook under the head restraint
behind the child seat, though the tether strap loop
behind the seat and over to the center tether strap loop.
Tether Strap Loop With Center Head Restraint In Raised
Position
Tether Strap Through Outboard Tether Strap Loop86 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE