child seat DODGE CHALLENGER 2012 3.G User Guide

held in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the
LATCH child restraint anchor system. Refer to “Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)”.
WARNING!
Rearward-facing child seats must never be used in
the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger air
bag. An air bag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in this position.
Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have outgrown
their rear-facing convertible child seat can ride forward-
facing in the vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and
convertible child seats used in the forward-facing direc-
tion are for children who are over two years old or who
have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit of
their rear-facing convertible child seat. Children should
remain in a forward-facing child seat with a harness foras long as possible, up to the highest weight or height
allowed by the child seat. These child seats are also held
in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH
child restraint anchorage system. Refer to “Lower An-
chors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)”.
All children whose weight or height is above the
forward-facing limit for the child seat should use a
belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belts
fit properly. If the child cannot sit with knees bent over
the vehicle’s seat cushion while the child’s back is against
the seatback, they should use a belt-positioning booster
seat. The child and belt-positioning booster seat are held
in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children 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
seatback should use the lap/shoulder belt in a rear seat.
70 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•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.
NOTE: For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK. Cana-
dian residents should refer to Transport Canada’s web-
site for additional information: http://www.tc.gc.ca/
roadsafety/safedrivers/childsafety/index.htm
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 air bag, 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. Chrysler Group LLC also recommends that
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71

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.
•Buckle the child into the seat according to the child
restraint manufacturer’s directions.
WARNING!
When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the
vehicle. Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a
sudden stop or accident, it could strike the occupants
or seatbacks and cause serious personal injury.
Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)
Your vehicle’s rear seat is equipped with the child re-
straint anchorage system called LATCH. The LATCH
system provides for the installation of the child restraint
without using the vehicle’s seat belts, instead securing the
child restraint using lower anchorages and upper tether
straps from the child restraint to the vehicle structure.
LATCH-compatible child restraint systems are now avail-
able. However, because the lower anchorages are to be
introduced over a period of years, child restraint systems
having attachments for those anchorages will continue to
have features for installation using the vehicle’s seat
belts. Child restraints having tether straps and hooks for
connection to the top tether anchorages have been avail-
able for some time. For some older child restraints, many
child restraint manufacturers offer add-on tether strap
kits or retrofit kits. You are urged to take advantage of all
the available attachments provided with your child re-
straint in any vehicle.
72 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

All three rear-seating positions have lower anchorages that
are capable of accommodating LATCH-compatible child
seats. You should never install LATCH-compatible child
seats so that two seats share a common lower anchorage.
If installing child seats in adjacent rear-seating positions,
or if your child restraints are not LATCH-compatible,
install the restraints using the vehicle’s seat belts.Installing The LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint
System
We urge you to follow the manufacturer’s directions
carefully when installing your child restraint. Not all
child restraint systems will be installed as described here.
Again, carefully follow the installation instructions that
are provided with the child restraint system.The rear seat lower anchorages are round bars
located at the rear of the seat cushion where it
meets the seatback and 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 intersection of the seatback and seat cushion
surfaces.
In addition, there are tether strap anchorages
behind each rear seating position located in the
panel between the rear seatback and the rear
LATCH Anchorages
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73

window. These tether strap anchorages are under a
plastic cover with this symbol on it.
Many, but not all, restraint systems will be equipped with
separate straps on each side, with each having a hook or
connector for attachment to the lower anchorage and a
means of adjusting the tension in the strap. Forward-
facing toddler restraints and some rear-facing infant
restraints will also be equipped with a tether strap, a
hook for attachment to the tether strap anchorage and a
means of adjusting the tension of the strap.
You will first loosen the child seat adjusters on the lower
straps and on the tether strap so that you can more easily
attach the hooks or connectors to the vehicle anchorages.
Next, attach the lower hooks or connectors over the top
of the seatcover material. Then, rotate the tether anchor-
age cover directly behind the seat where you are placing
the child restraint and attach the tether strap to the
anchorage, being careful to route the tether strap toprovide the most direct path between the anchor and the
child restraint. Finally, tighten all three straps as you
push the child restraint rearward and downward into the
seat, removing slack in the straps according to the child
restraint manufacturer’s instructions.
NOTE:
•Ensure that the tether strap does not slip into the
opening between the seatbacks as you remove slack in
the strap.
•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
74 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
WARNING!
Improper installation of a child restraint to the
LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of an infant or
child restraint. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly
when installing an infant or child restraint.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat
Belt
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with either an 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 will make a ratcheting
noise if you extract the entire belt from the retractor and
then allow the belt to retract into the retractor. For
additional information on ALR, refer to “Automatic
Locking Mode”.
Driver Center Passenger
CRS Lock CRS Lock CRS Lock
First Row N/A N/A ALR
Second Row ALR ALR ALR
•N/A — Not Applicable
•ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 75

To install a child restraint, first, pull enough of the seat
belt webbing from the retractor to route it through the
belt path of the child restraint and slide the latch plate
into the buckle. Next, extract all the seat belt webbing out
of the retractor and then allow the belt to retract into the
retractor. Finally, pull on any excess webbing to tighten
the lap portion around the child restraint. Any seat belt
system will loosen with time, so check the belt occasion-
ally, and pull it tight if necessary.
To attach a child restraint tether strap:
1. Rotate the cover over the anchor directly behind the
seat where you are placing the child restraint.2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path
for the strap between the anchor and the child seat.
Tether Strap Mounting
1 — CoverA — Tether Strap Hook
3 — Attaching Strap B — Tether Anchor
76 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

3. Attach the tether strap hook (A) of the child restraint to
the anchor (B) and remove slack in the tether strap
according to the child restraint manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
NOTE:Ensure that the tether strap does not slip into the
opening between the seatbacks as you remove slack in
the strap.
WARNING!
An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
increased head motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchor positions directly behind
the child seat to secure a child restraint top tether
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 drivetrain
(engine, transmission, clutch, and rear axle) in your new
vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 500 miles (800 km).
After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or
55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 77

When the seatback is folded to the upright position, make
sure it is latched by strongly pulling on the top of the
seatback above the seat strap.
WARNING!
•Be certain that the seatback is securely locked into
position. If the seatback is not securely locked into
position, the seat will not provide the proper
stability for child seats and/or passengers. An
improperly latched seat could cause serious injury.
•The cargo area in the rear of the vehicle (with the
rear seatbacks in the locked-up or folded down
position) should not be used as a play area by
children when the vehicle is in motion. They could
be seriously injured in a collision. Children
should be seated and using the proper restraint
system.
Folded Rear Seat
136 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

POWER SUNROOF — IF EQUIPPED
The power sunroof switch is located between the sun
visors on the overhead console.WARNING!
•Never leave children in a vehicle with the key in
the ignition switch (or with the ignition in the
Accessory or Run position, for vehicles equipped
with Keyless Enter-N-Go). Occupants, particularly
unattended children, can become entrapped by the
power sunroof while operating the power sunroof
switch. Such entrapment may result in serious
injury or death.
•In a collision, there is a greater risk of being
thrown from a vehicle with an open sunroof. You
could also be seriously injured or killed. Always
fasten your seat belt properly and make sure all
passengers are also properly secured.
Power Sunroof Switch
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