Ram 1500 2013 Owner's Manual

8. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and theseating position has a top tether anchorage, connect
the tether strap to the anchorage and tighten the tether
strap. Refer to “Lower Anchors and Tethers for Chil-
dren (LATCH) Restraint System” for directions to
attach a tether anchor.
9. 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.
Any seat belt system will loosen with time, so check the
belt occasionally, and pull it tight if necessary.Installing A Child Restraint With A Cinching
Latch Plate (CINCH) — If Equipped
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 to get
a better fit.
2. Next, 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. 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.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 109

5. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and theseating position has a top tether anchorage, connect
the tether strap to the anchorage and tighten the tether
strap. Refer to “Lower Anchors and Tethers for Chil-
dren (LATCH) Restraint System” for directions to
attach a tether anchor.
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.
Any seat belt system will loosen with time, so check the
belt occasionally, and pull it tight if necessary.
If the buckle or the cinching latch plate is too close to the
belt path opening of the child restraint, you may have trouble tightening the seat belt. If this happens, discon-
nect the latch plate from the buckle and twist the short
buckle-end belt up to three full turns to shorten it. Insert
the latch plate into the buckle with the release button
facing out, away from the child restraint. Repeat steps 4
to 6, above, to complete the installation of the child
restraint.
If the belt still cannot be tightened after you shorten the
buckle, disconnect the latch plate from the buckle, turn
the buckle around one half turn, and insert the latch plate
into the buckle again. If you still cannot make the child
restraint installation tight, try a different seating position.
110 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Installing Child Restraints Using The Top Tether
Anchorage
Regular and Mega Cab® Trucks:In the regular cab
truck, the top tether anchorages are located behind the
center and right passenger seats. In the mega cab truck,
the top tether anchorages are located behind each rear
seating position. There is a plastic cover over each an-
chorage. To attach the tether strap of the child restraint:
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 and to the tether anchor
directly behind the seat.
1 — Tether Strap Hook
2 — Tether Strap to Child Restraint
3 — Tether Anchor
Regular Cab Tether Strap Mounting
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 111

2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct pathbetween the anchorage and the child seat. The tether
strap should go between the head restraint posts
underneath the head restraint. You may need to adjust
the head restraint to the upward position to pass the
tether strap underneath the head restraint and be-
tween its posts.
3. Lift the cover (if so equipped), and attach the hook to the square opening in the sheet metal. Tighten the
tether strap according to the child seat manufacturer ’s
instructions.
WARNING!
Never place a rear facing infant seat in front of an air
bag. A deploying passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
can cause death or serious injury to a child 12 years or
(Continued)
Mega Cab® Tether Strap Mounting
112 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!(Continued)
younger, including a child in a rearward facing infant
seat.
Quad Cab® or Crew Cab Trucks: The top tether an-
chorages 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. Raise the head restraint and reach between the rear seat and rear glass to access the tether strap loop.
Head Restraint In Raised Position
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 113

2. Place a child restraint on the seat and adjust the tetherstrap so that it will reach over the seat back, under the
head restraint, through the tether strap loop behind
the seat and over to the tether strap loop behind the
center seat. 3. Pass the tether strap hook under the head restraint
behind the child seat, though the tether strap loop
behind the seat and over to the center tether strap
loop.
Tether Strap Loop With Center Head Restraint In Raised
Position
Tether Strap Through Outboard Tether Strap Loop
114 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

4. Attach the hook to the center tether strap loop (seediagram). Tighten the tether strap according to the
child seat manufacturer ’s instructions. NOTE:
If there are child seats in both of the outboard (left
and right) seating positions, the tether strap hooks of
both child seats should be connected to the center tether
strap loop. This is the correct way to tether two outboard
child seats.
Tether Strap Through Outboard Tether Strap Loop And
Attached To Center Tether Strap Loop
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 115

Center Seat:
1. Raise the head restraint and reach between the rearseat 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, under the
head restraint, through the tether strap loop behind
the seat and over to the tether strap loop behind either
the right or left outboard seat.
3. Pass the tether strap hook under the head restraint behind the child seat, though the tether strap loop
behind the seat and over to the right or left outboard
tether strap loop.
Tether Strap Loop With Head Restraint In Raised
Position
116 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

4. Attach the hook to the outboard tether strap loop (seediagram). Tighten the tether strap according to the
child seat manufacturer ’s instructions. Installing Three Child Restraints:
1. Place a child restraint on each outboard rear seat.
Route the tether straps following the directions for
right and left seating positions, above.
Tether Strap Through Center Tether Strap LoopTether Strap Through Center Tether Strap Loop And
Attached To Outboard Tether Strap Loop
2
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2. Attach both hooks to the center tether strap loop, butdo not tighten the straps yet.
3. Place a child restraint on the center rear seat. Route the tether strap following the directions for the center
seating position, above.
4. Attach the hook to the outboard tether strap loop.
5. Tighten the tether straps according to the child seat manufacturer ’s instructions, tightening the right and
left tether straps before the center tether strap.
Left Outboard And Center Seating Position Shown
118 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE