child restraint CHRYSLER PT CRUISER 2008 1.G User Guide

weight limit in the rearward-facing direction than
infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing
by children who weigh more than 9 kg (20 lbs) but are
less than one year old.
•
Rearward-facing child seats mustNEVERbe used in
the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger
airbag. An airbag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in this position.
•
Children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) and who
are older than one year can ride forward-facing in the
vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible
child seats used in the forward-facing direction are for
children who weigh 20 to 40 lbs (9 to 18 kg) and who
are older than one year. These child seats are also held
in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH
child restraint anchorage system.
•
The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weigh-
ing more than 40 lbs (18 kg), but who are still too small
to fit the vehicle’s seat belts properly. If the child
cannot sit with knees bent over the vehicle’s cushion
while the child’s back is against the seat back; they
should use a Belt Positioning Booster Seat. The child
and booster seat are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt. (Some booster seats are equipped with a
front shield and are held in the vehicle by the lap
portion.)
NOTE: For additional information refer to
www.nhtsa.gov or www.seatcheck.org.
74 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•
Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
•
A rearward facing child restraint should only be
used in a rear seat. A rearward facing child re-
straint in the front seat may be struck by a deploy-
ing passenger airbag which may cause severe or
fatal injury to the infant.
Here are some tips on getting the most out of your child
restraint:
•
Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. We also recommend that you make sure that you can install the child restraint in the vehicle
where you will use it, before you buy it.
•
The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
•
Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
The passenger seat belts are equipped with either
cinching latch plates or seat belt retractors that can be
switched to an automatic locking mode, which are
designed to keep the lap portion tight around the child
restraint so that it is not necessary to use a locking clip.
If the seat belt has a cinching latch plate, pulling up on
the shoulder portion of the lap/shoulder belt will
tighten the belt. The cinching latch plate will keep the
belt tight, however, any seat belt system will loosen
with time, so check the belt occasionally and pull it
tight if necessary.THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 75
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If the seat belt has a switchable retractor, please refer to
Automatic-Locking Retractor (ALR) in this section.•
In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the
buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt path
opening on the restraint. Disconnect the latch plate
from the buckle and twist the short buckle end of the
belt several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate
into the buckle with the release button facing out.
•
If the belt still can’t be tightened, or if by pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect
the latch plate from the buckle, turn the latch plate
around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle
again. If you still can’t make the child restraint secure,
try a different seating position.
•
Buckle the child into the seat according to the child
restraint manufacturer’s directions.
•
When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the
vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle.
Don’t leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or
collision, it could strike the occupants or seat backs
and cause serious personal injury.
Automatic-Locking Retractor (ALR)To operate the switchable retractor, pull the belt from the
retractor until there is enough to allow you to pass
through the child restraint and slide the latch plate into
the buckle. Then pull on the belt until it is all removed
from the retractor. Allow the belt to return into the
retractor, pulling on the excess webbing to tighten the lap
portion about the child restraint. Follow the instructions
of the child restraint manufacture.
NOTE:To reset this feature you must let all of the belt
webbing return into the retractor. You will not be able to
pull out more webbing until all of the webbing has been
returned back into the retractor.
76 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchor-
age system called LATCH, which stands for Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren. The LATCH system
provides for the installation of the child restraint without
using the vehicle seat belt. All three rear seating positions
have lower and tether anchorages that are capable of
accommodating LATCH-compatible child seats having
flexible, webbing-mounted lower attachments. Child
seats with fixed lower attachments must be installed in
the outboard positions only. Regardless of the specific
type of lower attachment,NEVERinstall LATCH-
compatible child seats such that two seats share a com-
mon lower anchorage. If you are installing LATCH-
compatible child restraints in adjacent rear seating
positions, you can use the LATCH anchors or the vehi-
cle’s seat belt for the outboard position, but you must use
the vehicle’s seat belt at the center position. If your child restraints are not LATCH-compatible, you can only in-
stall the child restraints using the vehicle’s seat belts.
Please refer to, Installing the Child Restraint System for
typical installation instructions.
Latch Anchors
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 77
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Child restraints systems having attachments designed to
connect to the lower anchorages are now available. Child
restraints having tether straps and hooks for connection
to the top tether anchorage have been available for some
time. In fact, many child restraint manufacturers will
provide add-on tether strap kits for some of their older
products. Tether anchorage kits are also available for
most older vehicles.
Because the lower anchorages are to be introduced to
passenger carrying vehicles over a period of years, child
restraint systems having attachments for those anchor-
ages will continue to have features for installation in
vehicles using the lap or lap/shoulder belt. They will also
have tether straps, and you are urged to take advantage
of all of the available attachments provided with your
child restraint in any vehicle.
NOTE:When using the LATCH attaching system to
install a child restraint, please ensure that all seat belts not being used for occupant restraints are stowed and out
of reach of children. It is recommended that before
installing the child restraint, buckle the seat belt so the
seat belt is tucked behind the child restraint and out of
reach. If the buckled seat belt interferes with the child
restraint installation, instead of tucking the seat belt
behind the child restraint, route the seat belt through the
child restraint belt path and then buckle it. This should
stow the seat belt out of the reach of an inquisitive child.
Remind all children in the vehicle that the seat belts are
not toys and should not be played with, and never leave
your child unattended in the vehicle.
Installing the Child Restraint SystemWe urge that you carefully follow the directions of the
manufacturer when installing your child restraint. Many,
but not all, restraint systems will be equipped with
separate straps on each side, with each having a hook or
connector and a means for adjusting the tension in the
strap. Forward-facing toddler restraints and some
78 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

rearward-facing infant restraints will also be equipped
with a tether strap with a hook and means for adjusting
the tension in the strap.
In general, you will first loosen the adjusters on the lower
and tether straps so that you can more easily attach the
hook or connector to the lower and tether anchorages.
The tether strap should be routed under the center of the
head restraint and attached to the tether anchor on the
rear of the seat back. Then tighten all three straps as you
push the child restraint rearward and downward into the
seat.Not all child restraint systems will be installed as we
have described here. Again, carefully follow the instruc-
tions that come with the child restraint system.
NOTE:If your child restraint seat is not LATCH com-
patible, install the restraint using the vehicle seat belts.
Tether Strap Mounting
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 79
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WARNING!
An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
increased head motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchor position directly behind
the child seat to secure a child restraint top tether
strap.Children Too Large For Booster SeatsChildren who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seat back, should use the lap/shoulder belt in a rear seat.•
Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
•
The lap portion should be low on the hips and as snug
as possible.
•
Check belt fit periodically. A child’s squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position.
•
If the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck, move the
child closer to the center of the vehicle. Never allow a
child to put the shoulder belt under an arm or behind
their back.
Transporting PetsAirbags 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.
80 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS (CONVERTIBLE)Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include:•
Front and rear seat belts for all passengers
•
Front airbags for both the driver and front passenger
•
Pretensioning and load-limiting retractors for the front
seat belts.
•
Knee Blocker panels for front seat occupants.
•
Supplemental front seat mounted side Head/Thorax
airbags for both the driver and front passenger (if
equipped).
•
Front seat belt retractors that incorporate pretension-
ers to enhance occupant protection by managing oc-
cupant energy during an impact event.If you will be carrying children too small for adult-size
seat belts, your seat belts or the LATCH feature also, can
be used to hold infant and child restraint systems.
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.
WARNING!
In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buckled
up. You can strike the interior of your vehicle or other
passengers, or you can be thrown out of the vehicle.
Always be sure you and others in your vehicle are
buckled up properly.THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 81
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LAP/SHOULDER SEAT BELT UNTWISTING
PROCEDUREUse the following procedure to untwist a twisted lap/
shoulder belt.
1. Position the latch plate as close as possible to the
anchor point.
2. At about six to twelve inches (15 to 30 cm) above the
latch plate, grasp and twist the belt webbing 180° to
create a fold that begins immediately above the latch
plate.
3. Slide the latch plate upward over the folded webbing.
The folded webbing must enter the slot at the top of the
latch plate.
4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it clears the
folded webbing.
SEAT BELT PRETENSIONERSThe seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt in the event of a collision.
These devices improve the performance of the seat belt
by assuring that the belt is tight about the occupant early
in a collision. Pretensioners work for all size occupants,
including those in child restraints.
NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the front airbag con-
trol module (see Airbag Section). Like the front airbags,
the pretensioners are single use items. After a collision
that is severe enough to deploy the airbags and preten-
sioners, both must be replaced.
88 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

empty or is occupied by someone that is classified in the
“child” category. This could be a child, a teenager, or
even a small adult.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1.Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
Infants in rear facing child restraints should NEVERride
in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger front airbag.
An airbag deployment can cause severe injury or death to
infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt (see Section on Child Restraints) should
be secured in the rear seat in child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats. Older children who do not use
child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats should ride properly buckled up in the rear seat. Never allow
children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under
their arm.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2. All occupants should wear their lap and shoulder belts
properly.
3. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the front airbags room to
inflate.
4. If your vehicle has side airbags, do not lean against the
door, airbags will inflate forcefully into the space be-
tween you and the door.
5. If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be
modified to accommodate a disabled person, contact the
Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided under
If
You Need Assistance in Section 9 of this manual.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 93
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