2018 DODGE CHALLENGER child restraint

Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren (LATCH)
Restraint System
Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchorage
system called LATCH, which stands for Lower Anchors
and Tethers for CHildren. The LATCH system has three
vehicle anchor points for installing LATCH-equipped child
seats. There are two lower anchorages located at the back
of the seat cushion where it meets the seatback and one top
tether anchorage located behind the seating position. These
anchorages are used to install LATCH-equipped child seats
without using the vehicle’s seat belts. Some seating posi-
tions may have a top tether anchorage but no lower
anchorages. In these seating positions, the seat belt must beused with the top tether anchorage to install the child
restraint. Please see the following table for more
information.
LATCH Positions For Installing Child Restraints In
This Vehicle
LATCH Label
LATCH Positions For Installing Child Restraints In This
Vehicle
Lower Anchorage Symbol (2 Anchorages Per Seating Position)Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
5
SAFETY 177

Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
What is the weight limit (child’s weight
+ weight of the child restraint) for using the LATCH anchorage system to attach the child restraint? 65 lbs (29.5 kg)
Use the LATCH anchorage system until
the combined weight of the child and
the child restraint is 65 lbs (29.5 kg). Use
the seat belt and tether anchor instead of the LATCH system once the combinedweight is more than 65 lbs (29.5 kg).
Can the LATCH anchorages and the seat belt be used together to attach a rear-
facing or forward-facing child restraint? No
Do not use the seat belt when you use the
LATCH anchorage system to attach a rear- facing or forward-facing child restraint.
Booster seats may be attached to the
LATCH anchorages if allowed by the booster seat manufacturer. See your booster seat owner ’s manual for more information.
Can two child restraints be attached us-
ing a common lower LATCH anchorage? No
Never “share” a LATCH anchorage with
two or more child restraints. If the center
position does not have dedicated LATCH lower anchorages, use the seat belt to in- stall a child seat in the center position
next to a child seat using the LATCH an- chorages in an outboard position.
178 SAFETY

Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
Can the rear-facing child restraint touch the back of the front passenger seat? Yes
The child seat may touch the back of the
front passenger seat if the child restraint manufacturer also allows contact. See
your child restraint owner ’s manual for more information.
Can the head restraints be removed? No
Locating The LATCH Anchorages
The lower anchorages are round bars that are
found at the rear of the seat cushion where it
meets the seatback, below the anchorage sym-
bols on the seatback. They are just visible when
you lean into the rear seat to install the child restraint. You
will easily feel them if you run your finger along the gap
between the seatback and seat cushion.
LATCH Anchorages
5
SAFETY 179

Locating The Upper Tether Anchorages
There are tether strap anchorages behind each
rear seating position located in the panel be-
tween the rear seatback and the rear window.
They are found under a plastic cover with the
tether anchorage symbol on it.
LATCH-compatible child restraint systems will be
equipped with a rigid bar or a flexible strap on each side.
Each will have a hook or connector to attach to the lower
anchorage and a way to tighten the connection to the
anchorage. Forward-facing child restraints and some rear-
facing child restraints will also be equipped with a tether strap. The tether strap will have a hook at the end to attach
to the top tether anchorage and a way to tighten the strap
after it is attached to the anchorage.
Center Seat LATCH
If a child restraint installed in the center position blocks the
seat belt webbing or buckle for the outboard position, do
not use that outboard position. If a child seat in the center
position blocks the outboard LATCH anchors or seat belt,
do not install a child seat in that outboard position.
WARNING!
Never use the same lower anchorage to attach more
than one child restraint. Please refer to “To Install A
LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint” for typical instal-
lation instructions.
Always follow the directions of the child restraint manu-
facturer when installing your child restraint. Not all child
restraint systems will be installed as described here.
To Install A LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint
If the selected seating position has a Switchable Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR) seat belt, stow the seat belt,
Tether Strap Anchorages
180 SAFETY

following the instructions below. See the section “Installing
Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat Belt” to check what
type of seat belt each seating position has.
1. Loosen the adjusters on the lower straps and on thetether strap of the child seat so that you can more easily
attach the hooks or connectors to the vehicle anchor-
ages.
2. Place the child seat between the lower anchorages for that 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.
3. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child restraint to the lower anchorages in the selected seating
position.
4. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the top tether anchorage. See the section “Installing Child
Restraints Using the Top Tether Anchorage” for direc-
tions to attach a tether anchor. 5. Tighten all of the straps as you push the child restraint
rearward and downward into the seat. Remove slack in
the straps according to the child restraint manufactur-
er ’s instructions.
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.
How To Stow An Unused Switchable-ALR (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 re-
straint, 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.
5
SAFETY 181

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 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 in “Switchable Automatic Locking Retractors
(ALR)” under “Occupant Restraint Systems” for additional
information on ALR.
Please see the table below and the following sections for
more information.
182 SAFETY

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 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.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations
ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking RetractorTop Tether Anchorage Symbol
5
SAFETY 183

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 al-
lowed, if the child restraint manufac- turer also allows contact.
Can the head restraints be removed? No
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 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.”
184 SAFETY