2009 Dodge Nitro Owner Manual - Page 75

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73 child restraint rearward and downward into the seat, removing slack in the straps according to the child restraint manufacturer's instructions. belt. However, any seat belt system may 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 it to pass through the child restraint and slide the latch plate into the buckle. Then, pull the belt until it is completely 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. Refer to "Automatic Locking Mode" earlier in this section. 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 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. 2 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 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 is not 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