Chrysler Patriot Owner's Manual page 47

WARNING! (Continued)
• A rearward-facing child restraint should
only be used in a rear seat. A rearward-
facing child restraint in the front seat may
be struck by a deploying passenger airbag,
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. We also
recommend 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.
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• Buckle the child into the seat according to
the child restraint manufacturer's directions.
• When your child restraint is not in use, se-
cure 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 in-
jury.
Installing Child Restraints Using the
Vehicle Seat Belts
The seat belts in the passenger seating posi-
tions are equipped with either an Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR) or a cinching latch
plate or both. Both types of seatbelts are de-
signed 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 informa-
tion 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
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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 web-
bing to tighten the lap portion around the child
restraint. Any seat belt system will loosen with
time, so check the belt occasionally, and pull it
tight if necessary.
In the rear seat, you may have trouble tighten-
ing 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. Discon-
nect 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. Discon-
nect 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.
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