Using Lap and Shoulder Belts

When installing a child restraint with a combination lap and shoulder belt:

• Use the correct seat belt buckle for this seating position.
• Insert the belt tongue into the buckle until you hear a click and feel the latch engage. Make sure the tongue is securely latched in the buckle.
• Hold the buckle release button up and away from the child restraint, with the tongue between the child restraint and the release button, to prevent accidental unlatching.
• Set the vehicle seat to the upright position before installing the child restraint.
• Place the seat belt in automatic locking mode. Refer to Step 5. This vehicle does not require the use of a locking clip.

Perform the following steps when installing a child restraint with a combination lap and shoulder belt:

1. 1
   Install the child restraint on a seat with a combination lap and shoulder belt.

   

2. 2
   Pull down the shoulder belt, then grasp the shoulder belt and lap belt together.

   

3. 3
   While holding the shoulder and lap belt portions together, route the latch plate through the child restraint according to the child restraint manufacturer's instructions. Make sure the belt webbing is not twisted.

   

4. 4
   Insert the belt tongue into the buckle (the buckle closest to the direction from which the tongue comes) for that seating position until you hear a click and feel the latch engage. Make sure you have securely latched the tongue by pulling on it.

   

5. 5
   Set the retractor to Automatic Locking mode. Grasp the shoulder belt portion and pull down until the entire belt is extended.
6. 6
   Allow the belt to retract to remove the slack. The belt clicks as it retracts, indicating it is in Automatic Locking mode.
7. 7
   Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is in Automatic Locking mode. You should not be able to pull out any more belt. If the retractor did not lock, unbuckle the belt and repeat steps 5 and 6.

   

8. 8
   Remove the remaining belt slack. Compress the seat with additional weight, for example by pressing down or kneeling on the child restraint while pulling the shoulder belt in order to force out the belt slack. This is necessary to remove the remaining slack that exists once you add the additional weight of the child to the child restraint. This also helps achieve proper fit of the child restraint to the vehicle. Sometimes leaning slightly toward the buckle helps remove the remaining belt slack.
9. 9
   If the child restraint has a tether strap, attach it.

   

10. 10
    Before placing a child in the restraint, firmly move the seat forward and backward to make sure the seat is securely held in place. To check this, grasp the seat at the belt path and try to move it side to side and forward and backward. There should be no more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) of movement for a proper installation.

We recommend having your child restraint checked by a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician to make sure the child restraint is installed correctly. In Canada, contact Transport Canada for a referral to a child car seat inspection station.