2020 Ram 1500 seats

270 SAFETY
Recommendations For Attaching Child Restraints
Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren (LATCH)
Restraint System LATCH Label 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 anchor
-
ages are used to install LATCH-equipped child seats without
using the vehicle’s seat belts. Some seating positions may
Restraint Type
Combined Weight
of the Child +
Child Restraint Use Any Attachment Method Shown With An “X” Below
LATCH – Lower Anchors Only Seat Belt OnlyLATCH – Lower
Anchors + Top Tether Anchor Seat Belt + Top
Tether Anchor
Rear-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
X
Rear-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
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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
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? NoDo 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 a child seat be installed in the
center position using the inner LATCH
lower anchorages from the outboard
seating positions? NoQuad Cab or Crew with Full bench rear
seat: Use the seat belt and tether anchor
to install a child seat in the center
seating position
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Locating The LATCH Anchorages The lower anchorages are round bars that are found
at the rear of the seat cushion where it meets the seat -
back, 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.
Rear Outboard Seats Driver Side (Example Shown) Locating The Upper Tether Anchorages
There are tether strap anchorages located behind
each of the rear seats.
Outboard Tether Anchorage
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Center Tether Anchorage Over Head Rest
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
All Quad Cabs Or Crew Cab Full Bench Rear Seat: No
Lower Center LATCH Anchorages Available
Crew Cab Split Bench Rear Seat: Center LATCH Anchor
-
ages Available
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 posi -
tion blocks the outboard LATCH anchors or seat belt, do not
install a child seat in that outboard position.
WARNING!
• Do not install a child restraint in the center position using the LATCH system. This position is not approved
for installing child seats using the LATCH attachments.
You must use the seat belt and tether anchor to install a
child seat in the center seating position.
• 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.
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276 SAFETY
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.
1. Loosen 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 (if
adjustable) 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 manufacturer’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 acci -
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
installation instructions.
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dentally 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 installa-
tion, instead of buckling it behind the child restraint, 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. 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.
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.
WARNING!
• Improper installation of a child restraint to the LATCH anchorages 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.
• 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.
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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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.
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 (if adjustable) to get a
better fit. If the rear seat can be moved forward and rear -
ward 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. Refer
to “Installing Child Restraints Using the Top Tether
Anchorage” in this section for directions to attach a tether
anchor.
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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9. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by pullingback 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 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. Reach between the rear seat and rear glass to access the
tether strap loop.
2. Place a child restraint on the seat and adjust the tether strap so that it will reach over the seat back, through the
space between the head restraint and the seat back,
through the tether strap loop behind the seat and over to
the tether strap loop behind the center seat.
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.


WARNING!
Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of an air
bag. A deploying Passenger 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.
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