2005 Dodge Dakota Owner Manual - Page 66

66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat Belt The passenger seat belts are equipped with either cinching latch plates or automatic locking retractors, which are designed to keep the lap portion tight around the child restraint so that it should not be 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 will loosen with time, so check the belt occasionally and pull it tight if necessary. If the seat belt has an automatic locking retractor, it will have a distinctive label. Pull the belt from the retractor until there is enough to allow you to pass through the child restraint and slide the latch plate into the buckle. Then, pull the belt until it is all extracted from the retractor. Allow the belt to return to the retractor, pulling on the excess webbing to tighten the lap portion about the child restraint. For automatic locking retractor seat belts, refer to ЉAutomatic Locking ModeЉ earlier in this section. If you 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, follow these steps. If the buckle is webbing mounted, disconnect the latch plate from the buckle and twist the short buckle-end belt to shorten it. Insert the latch plate into the buckle with the release button facing out. If the belt still can't be tightened, the buckle is not webbing mounted, or if by 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 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 or use the locking clip provided with your child restraint. See the section ЉChild Restraint Tether AnchorЉ to complete the child seat installation.