Ram 1500 2011 Manual PDF

•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 seat
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.
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.htmWARNING!
•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 infant restraint in the front seat
may be struck by a deploying a passenger airbag
which may cause severe or fatal injury to the
infant.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 69

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.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 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.
•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
70 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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, 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.
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.
•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 occu-
pants or seatbacks and cause serious personal
injury.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71

Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)
Each 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, instead securing the child
restraint using lower anchorages and upper tether straps
from the child restraint to the vehicle structure. LATCH
child restraint anchorage systems are installed in the
Quad Cab, Mega Caband Crew Cab rear seat outboard
positions. LATCH equipped seating positions feature
both lower anchor bars, located at the back of the seat
cushion, and tether strap anchorages, located behind the
seat back (refer to “Child Restraint Tether Anchor”). Child restraint systems having attachments designed to
connect to the lower anchorages are now available. Child
restraints having tether straps and hooks for connection
to the seat back tether anchorage have been available for
Quad Cab/Mega Cab/Crew Cab Rear Outboard Seats
Driver Side
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some time. In fact, many child restraint manufacturers
will provide add-on tether strap kits for some of their
older products.
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.
•If your child restraint seat is not LATCH-compatible,
install the restraint using the vehicle seat belting.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73

Installing The Child Restraint System
WARNING!
Do not install child restraint systems equipped with
LATCH mechanisms in the center position of a Quad
Cabrear seat, or Crew Cab model with a bench rear
seat. A child may be placed in the rear center seating
position of a Quad Cab, or Crew Cab bench model
using the seat belt and child tether anchorage. The
LATCH anchorages in the rear seat are designed for
the two outboard seating positions for Quad Cab ,
Crew Cab with a full bench rear seat, and all three
positions for Mega Cab and Crew Cabwith a split
bench rear seat. Failure to follow this may result in
serious or fatal injury. We urge you to 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
rearward-facing infant restraints will also be equipped
with a tether strap, a hook and means for adjusting the
tension in the strap.
In general, you will first loosen the child seat adjusters on
the lower straps and tether straps so that you can more
easily attach the hook or connector to the lower anchor-
ages and tether anchorages. 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.
74 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR 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 andthen allow the belt to retract into the retractor. For
additional information on ALR, refer to “Automatic
Locking Mode”.
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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 75

Child Restraint Tether Anchor
Child restraints having tether straps and hooks for con-
nection to tether anchors have been available for some
time. In fact, many child restraint manufacturers will
provide add-on tether strap kits for their older products.
Regular Cab models have two tether anchorages, one
each behind the front center and right seats. Quad Cab,
Mega Caband Crew Cab models have three anchor-
ages, one behind each of the rear seats.WARNING!
An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
seat failure and injury to the child. In a collision, the
seat could come loose and allow the child to crash
into the inside of the vehicle or other passengers, or
even be thrown from the vehicle. Use only the anchor
positions directly behind the child seat to secure a
child restraint top tether strap. Follow the instruc-
tions below. See your authorized dealer for help if
necessary.
76 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Tether Anchorage Points at the Right and Center
Front Seat (Regular Cab - All Seats)
1. Place the child restraint on the seat and adjust the
tether strap so that it will reach over the seat back under
the head restraint to the tether anchor directly behind the
seat.
2. Lift the cover (if so equipped), and attach the hook to
the square opening in the sheet metal.
3. Install the child restraint and remove the slack in the
tether strap according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Regular Cab Tether Strap Mounting
1 — Tether Strap Hook
2 — Tether Strap to Child Restraint
3 — Tether Anchor
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 77

Multiple Child Restraint Installation Sequence
(Quad Cab/Crew Cab/Mega Cab- Rear Seats)
Mega Cab
1. Place a child restraint on each outboard rear seat and
adjust the tether strap so that it will reach under the head
restraint to the tether anchor directly behind the seat and
then to the anchor directly behind the center rear seat.
2. Lift the cover, and attach the hook to the square
opening in the sheet metal.
3. Install the child restraint and remove the slack in the
tether strap according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Mega CabTether Strap Mounting
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