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
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 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 additional
information on ALR.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing Child
Restraints In This Vehicle
•
ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
•
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
Passenger Vehicle
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59
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? YesSecond Row: The head restraints may
be removed from all positions.
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.
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
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 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.2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61
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. 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.
3. Attach the tether strap hook of the child restraint to the top tether anchorage as shown in the diagram.
4. Remove slack in the tether strap according to the child restraint manufacturer ’s instructions.
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
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.
Installing Child Restraints in Commercial Vehicles
This commercial vehicle is not designed for use as a family
vehicle and is not intended for carrying children in the
front passenger seat(s). Never install rearward-facing child
restraints in this vehicle. Although the seat belt can be
locked to secure a child restraint, there are no tether
anchorages to complete the proper installation of a
forward-facing child restraint. If you must carry a child in
a forward-facing child restraint, the passenger seat should
be moved to the full rearward position and the child must
be in a proper restraint system based on its age, size and
weight. Follow the instructions below to secure the child
restraint using the seat belt.
WARNING!
Rear-facing infant restraints must never be secured in
the passenger seat of a vehicle with a passenger Air
Bag. In a collision, a passenger Air Bag may deploy
causing severe injury or death to infants riding in
rear-facing infant restraints.
Tether Strap Mounting
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 63
Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat
Belt (Commercial Vehicle)
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 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.•
ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
Installing A Child Restraint with A Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR):
1. Place the child seat in the center of the seating position.
Move the vehicle seat as far rearward as possible to keep
the child as far from the advanced passenger air bag as
possible.
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.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Location
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
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.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Top Tether
Anchorage (Commercial Vehicle)
This vehicle is equipped with a tether strap anchorage
located behind the front passenger seatback, near the floor.
When installing a forward-facing child restraint, always
secure the top tether strap to the tether anchorage.
1. Look behind the front passenger seat to find the tether anchorage. You may need to move the seat forward to
provide better access to the tether anchorage.
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 head restraints, raise
the head restraint, and where possible, route the tether
strap under the head restraint and between the two
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65
posts. If not possible, lower the head restraint and pass
the tether strap around the outboard side of the head
restraint.
4. Attach the tether strap hook of the child restraint to the top tether anchorage as shown in the diagram.
5. Remove slack in the tether strap according to the child restraint manufacturer ’s instructions. NOTE:
•
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.
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.
Tether Strap Installation
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE