2018 FIAT 500C Owners Manual

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 positions may have a top tether anchorage but
no lower anchorages. In these seating positions, the seat
belt must be used 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 PositionsLower Anchorage Symbol (2 Anchorages Per Seating Position)
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol 5 SAFETY 143

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 an-
chorage system once the combined weight 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 using 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 an-
chorages, use the seat belt to install a child
seat in the center position next to a child seat
using the LATCH anchorages in an outboard
position.144 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? Yes Head restraints are removable in all seating
positions.
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 symbols 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 Lower Anchorages 5 SAFETY 145

Locating The Upper Tether Anchorages
There are tether strap anchorages behind each rear seating
position located on the back of the seat.
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
WARNING!This vehicle does not have a center seating position.
Do not use the center lower LATCH anchorages to
install a child seat in the center of the back seat.
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,
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.Rear Seat Tether Strap Mounting146 SAFETY

1. L oosen the adjusters on the lower straps and on the tether
strap of the child seat so that you can more easily attach
the hooks or connectors to the vehicle anchorages.
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 147

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.
• 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.148 SAFETY

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. Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing Child
Restraints In This Vehicle
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol 5 SAFETY 149

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.
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 rear head restraints be removed? Yes Head restraints are removable in all seating
positions if they interfere with the installa-
tion of the child restraint.
Refer to “Head Restraints” in “Getting To
Know Your Vehicle” for further information.
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.150 SAFETY