child seat RAM CHASSIS CAB 2016 Owner's Guide

Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat
Belt
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with either a Switchable 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 retractor can
be “switched” into a locked mode by pulling all of the webbing out of the retractor and then letting the webbing
retract back into the retractor. If it is locked, the ALR will
make a clicking noise while the webbing is pulled back
into the retractor. Refer to the “Automatic Locking
Mode” description under “Occupant Restraints” for ad-
ditional information on ALR. The cinching latch plate is
designed to hold the lap portion of the seat belt tight
when webbing is pulled tight and straight through a
child restraint’s belt path. 2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 101

Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With Seat Belts
What is the weight limit (child’s
weight + weight of the child re-
straint) for using the Tether Anchor
with the seat belt to attach a for-
ward facing child restraint? Weight limit of the Child Restraint Always use the tether anchor when
using the seat belt to install a for-
ward facing child restraint, up to
the recommended weight limit of
the child restraint.
Can the rear-facing child restraint
touch the back of the front passen-
ger seat? Yes Contact between the front passen-
ger seat and the child restraint is
allowed, if the child restraint
manufacturer also allows contact.
Can the head restraints be re-
moved? No Head restraints may not be re-
moved.
Can the buckle stalk be twisted to
tighten the seat belt against the belt
path of the child restraint? Yes In positions with cinching latch
plates (CINCH), the buckle stalk
may be twisted up to 3 full turns.
Do not twist the buckle stalk in a
seating position with an ALR re-
tractor. 2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 103

Installing A Child Restraint With A Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
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. If the rear seat can be moved forward and
rearward in the vehicle, you may wish to move it to its
rear-most position to make room for the child seat.
You may also move the front seat forward to allow
more room for the child seat.
2. 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. Pull on the webbing to make the lap portion tight
against the child seat. 5. To lock the seat belt, pull down on the shoulder part of
the belt until you have pulled all the seat belt webbing
out of the retractor. Then, allow the webbing to retract
back into the retractor. As the webbing retracts, you
will hear a clicking sound. This means the seat belt is
now in the Automatic Locking mode.
6. Try to pull the webbing out of the retractor. If it is
locked, you should not be able to pull out any web-
bing. If the retractor is not locked, repeat step 5.
7. 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.
8. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the
seating position has a top tether anchorage, connect
the tether strap to the anchorage and tighten the tether104 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

strap. See the section “Installing Child Restraints
Using the Top Tether Anchorage” 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. If the rear seat can be moved forward and
rearward in the vehicle, you may wish to move it to its rear-most position to make room for the child seat.
You may also move the front seat forward to allow
more room for the child seat.
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.
5. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the
seating position has a top tether anchorage, connect
the tether strap to the anchorage and tighten the tether 2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 105

strap. See the section “Installing Child Restraints
Using the Top Tether Anchorage” 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.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Top Tether
Anchorage
WARNING!Do not attach a tether strap for a rear-facing car seat
to any location in front of the car seat, including the
seat frame or a tether anchorage. Only attach the
tether strap of a rear-facing car seat to the tether
anchorage that is approved for that seating position,
located behind the top of the vehicle seat. See the
section “Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (Continued)106 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)(LATCH) Restraint System” for the location of ap-
proved tether anchorages in your vehicle.
Regular Trucks:
In the regular cab truck, the top tether anchorages are
located behind the center and right passenger seats.
There is a plastic cover over each anchorage. 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. 2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 107

1 — Tether Strap Hook
2 — Tether Strap to Child Restraint
3 — Tether Anchor 2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path
between 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 child restraint 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 younger, including a child in a rear-facing
child restraint.Regular Cab Tether Anchorages108 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Crew Cab Trucks:
The top tether anchorages 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 2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 109

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 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 Loop110 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

4. Attach the hook to the center tether strap loop (see
diagram). 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.
Center Seat:
1. Raise the head restraint and reach between the rear
seat and rear glass to access the tether strap loop.
Tether Strap Through Outboard Tether Strap Loop And
Attached To Center Tether Strap Loop 2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 111