child restraint DODGE NITRO 2010 1.G User Guide

•Vehicle speed
•Engine RPM
•Brake switch status
•Pedal position
•And other parameters depending on vehicle
configuration
Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time including babies and children. Every state in the
United States and all Canadian provinces require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years and younger should ride properly
buckled up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats rather than in the front.There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner’s Manual to ensure you have the right seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby,
can become a projectile inside the vehicle. The force
required to hold even an infant on your lap can
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child’s
size.
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Infants and Child Restraints
•
Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year oldandweigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg). Two types
of child restraints can be used: rearward-facing infant
carriers and “convertible” child seats.
•The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs (9 kg). “Convertible” child seats often
have a higher weight limit in the rearward-facing
direction than infant carriers do, so they can be used
rearward-facing by children who weigh more than
20 lbs (9 kg) but are less than one year old. Both types
of child restraints are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH child restraint an-
chorage system (Refer to LATCH — Child Seat An-
chorage System.)
•Rearward-facing child seats must NEVERbe used in
the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger
airbag unless the airbag is turned off. An airbag
deployment could cause severe injury or death to
infants in this position.
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 infant restraint should only be
used in a rear seat. A rearward-facing infant 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.
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Here are some tips for 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
you try a child restraint in the vehicle seats 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.
•Except for the second row center seating position, all
passenger seat belts are equipped with “automatic
locking retractors.” The second row center position
has a cinching latch plate. Both types of seat belts aredesigned 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 may loosen
with time, so check the belt occasionally and pull it
tight if necessary. For the second row seat belts with
the automatic locking retractors, pull the belt from the
retractor until there is enough to allow it to pass
through the child restraint and slide the latch plate
into the buckle. Then, pull the belt until it is fully
extracted from the retractor. Allow the belt to return to
the retractor, pulling on the excess webbing to tighten
the lap portion around the child restraint. For addi-
tional information, refer to
Automatic Locking
Mode.
•In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the
78 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 belt
several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate into
the buckle with the release button facing out.
•If the belt still cannot be tightened, or if pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect
the latch plate from the buckle, turn the buckle
around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle
again. If you still cannot make the child restraint
secure, try a different seating position.
•Buckle the child into the restraint exactly as the
manufacturer’s instructions tell you.
•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
collision, it could strike the occupants or seatbacks and
cause serious personal injury.NOTE:
For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK. Canadian
residents, should refer to Transport Canada’s website for
additional information.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/safedrivers/childsafety/index.htm
Older Children and Child Restraints
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 (refer to LATCH — Child Seat
Anchorage System.)
The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weighing
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
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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.
•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.
LATCH — Child Seat Anchorage System (Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren)
Your vehicle’s rear seat is equipped with the child
restraint 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
also have features for installation using the vehicle’s seat
80 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

belts. Child restraints having tether straps and hooks for
connection to the top tether anchorages, have been
available for some time. For some older child restraints,
many child restraint manufacturers offer add-on tether
strap kits or retro-fit kits. You are urged to take advantage
of all the available attachments provided with your child
restraint in any vehicle.
All three rear seating positions have lower anchorages
that are capable of accommodating LATCH-compatible
child seats having flexible webbing mounted attach-
ments. Child seats with fixed lower attachments must be
installed in the outboard seating positions only. The
center seating position will accommodate LATCH-
compatible lower anchorages with flexible webbing
mounted attachments only. Regardless of the specific
type of lower attachment,NEVERinstall LATCH-
compatible child seats so that two seats share a common
lower anchorage. If you are installing LATCH-compatible child restraints
in adjacent rear seating positions, you can use the
LATCH anchors or the vehicle’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 install the child restraints using
the vehicle’s seat belts. Please refer to “Installing the
LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint System” for typical
installation instructions.
Installing the LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint
System
We urge you to carefully follow the directions of the
manufacturer when installing your child restraint. Not all
child restraint systems will be installed as described here.
Again, carefully follow the installation instructions that
were provided with the child restraint system.
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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 on the back of the seat.
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
Latch Anchorages
Tether Strap Mounting
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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 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
anchorage bars, pushing aside the seat cover material.
Then, locate the tether anchorage 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 to provide the most direct path between the
anchor and the child restraint. For the outboard seating
positions, route the tether underneath the head rest and
attach the hook to the tether anchor located on the back
of the seat. Finally, tighten all three straps as you push thechild restraint rearward and downward into the seat,
removing slack in the straps according to the child
restraint manufacturer’s instructions.
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 passenger seat belts are equipped with either cinch-
ing latch plates or automatic locking retractors, 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
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 83

belt. However, any seat belt system may loosen with
time, so check the belt occasionally and pull it tight if
necessary.
Pull the belt from the retractor until there is enough to
allow it to pass through the child restraint and slide the
latch plate into the buckle. Then, pull the belt until it is
completely extracted from the retractor. Allow the belt to
return to the retractor, pulling on the excess webbing to
tighten the lap portion around the child restraint. Refer to
“Automatic Locking Mode”.
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 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 pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, you may need
to do something more. Disconnect the latch plate from
the buckle, turn the buckle 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.
To attach a child restraint tether strap:
Route the tether strap over the seatback and attach the
hook to the tether anchor located on the back of the seat.
For the outboard seating positions, route the tether under
the head rests, and attach the hook to the tether anchor
located on the back of the seat.
84 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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
Airbags 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.
Tether Strap Mounting
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