Volkswagen Tiguan Owners Manual: Installing child restraints with a safety belt

Read and follow the introductory information and safety information first⇒Introduction to the subject 

Safety belts for the rear seats and the front passenger seat must be locked with the switchable locking feature to properly secure child restraints.

Child restraints are designed to be secured to the vehicle with the lap belt portion of the 3 point lap and shoulder belt installed for the passenger seats. The outboard rear seating positions also have special fixtures for child restraints that can be used with LATCH/UCRA lower universal anchorages.

Regardless of the kind of child restraint that you use, always make sure that the child restraint is properly secured in the vehicle; otherwise the child could be seriously injured in a crash. Always follow legal requirements regarding the installation of child restraints.

Whenever a child restraint (except a booster seat) is installed with a safety belt, the safety belt must be locked so that the safety belt webbing cannot unreel. The switchable locking feature lets you lock the belt so that a child restraint can be properly installed and, for example, so that it cannot tip to the side when the vehicle goes around a corner.

Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably on a rear seat⇒ .

Installing the child restraint on a rear seat

Always carefully follow the child seat manufacturer's instructions when installing a child restraint in your vehicle ⇒ .

• Route the safety belt around or through the child restraint using the proper path for the safety belt as specified by the child restraint manufacturer.

• Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that seating position.

• Make sure that the red release button faces away from the child restraint so that it can be unbuckled quickly.

• Remove all slack from the lap belt portion of the safety belt and hold it tightly against the child restraint.

• Push the child restraint down with your full weight to make sure that the child restraint will be properly installed with the safety belt really tight.

• Activate the belt's switchable locking feature ⇒ Activating the switchable locking feature .

• Pull on the safety belt to make sure the safety belt is properly fastened and tight.

• Check the child seat for proper installation by pulling on the child restraint at the place where the vehicle's safety belt goes into the child restraint. The child seat should not move forward or sideways by more than about 1 inch (2.5 cm).

Special instructions for installing child restraints if the child restraint must be installed on the front seat

Always carefully follow the child seat manufacturer's instructions when installing a child restraint in your vehicle ⇒ .

Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably on a rear seat⇒ . If in exceptional circumstances you must install the child restraint on the front seat, be sure to follow the special instructions and heed the WARNINGS below.

• Make sure the front seat backrest is in the upright position.

• Move the front passenger seat to the rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the airbag as possible.

• Set the front passenger's safety belt height adjuster so that available safety belt length is sufficient to properly install the child restraint.

• Route the safety belt around or through the child restraint using the proper path for the safety belt as specified by the child restraint manufacturer.

• Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that seating position.

• Make sure that the red release button faces away from the child restraint so that it can be unbuckled quickly.

• Remove all slack from the lap belt portion of the safety belt and hold it tightly against the child restraint.

• Push the child restraint down with your full weight to make sure that the child restraint will be properly installed with the safety belt really tight.

• Make sure that the safety belt is not so tight that it causes the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on the seat.

• Activate the belt's switchable locking feature ⇒ Activating the switchable locking feature .

• Pull on the safety belt to make sure the safety belt is properly fastened and tight.

• Check the child seat for proper installation by pulling on the child restraint at the place where the vehicle's safety belt goes into the child restraint. The child seat should not move forward or sideways by more than about 1 inch (2.5 cm).

• After checking to make sure that the child restraint is properly installed, make certain that the child restraint is correctly recognized by the weight-sensing mat inside the front passenger seat so that front passenger airbag status is always correctly signaled by the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light. Please be sure to read the additional important information and heed the WARNINGS about the Advanced Airbag System and the function of the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in this Manual.

Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag System, all children, especially those 12 years and younger, must always ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and size.

Activating the switchable locking feature

• Slowly pull the shoulder belt portion of the safety belt all the way out of the retractor.

• While keeping your weight on the child restraint, guide the shoulder belt portion of the safety belt back into the retractor until the belt lies flat and is tightened against the child restraint.

• You should hear a clicking noise as the belt winds back into the inertia reel of the safety belt retractor. Test the switchable locking feature by pulling on the belt. You should no longer be able to pull the belt out of the retractor. The switchable locking feature is now active.

• Pull on the safety belt to make sure the safety belt is properly fastened and tight.

• Check the child seat for proper installation by pulling on the child restraint at the place where the vehicle's safety belt goes into the child restraint. The child seat should not move forward or sideways by more than about 1 inch (2.5 cm).

• After checking to make sure that the child restraint is properly installed make certain that the child restraint is correctly recognized by the weight-sensing mat inside the front passenger seat, so that the front passenger airbag status is always correctly signaled by the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 9 light. Please be sure to read the additional important information and heed the WARNINGS about the Advanced Airbag System and the function of the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 9 light in this Manual. Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag System, all children, especially those 12 years and younger, must always ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and size.

Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag System, all children, especially those 12 years and younger, must always ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and size.

Deactivating the switchable locking feature

The switchable locking feature for child restraints will be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all the way back into the retractor.

• Press the red button on the safety belt buckle. The belt tongue will pop out of the buckle.

• Guide the safety belt back by hand so that it rolls easily onto the retractor and the trim around the retractor will not be damaged.

Always let the safety belt retract completely into its stowed position. The safety belt can now be used as an ordinary safety belt without the switchable locking feature for child restraints.

If the switchable locking feature should be activated inadvertently, the safety belt must be unfastened and guided completely back into its stowed position to deactivate this feature. If the switchable locking feature is not deactivated, the safety belt will gradually become tighter and uncomfortable to wear.

Warning

Using the wrong child restraint or an improperly installed child restraint can cause serious personal injury or death in an accident.

• Always make sure that the safety belt retractor is locked when installing a child seat, except a booster seat. An unlocked safety belt retractor cannot hold the child seat in place during normal driving or in a crash.

• Always buckle the child restraint firmly in place even if a child is not sitting in it. A loose child restraint can fly around during a sudden stop or in a collision.

• Always make sure the seat backrest to which the child restraint is installed is in an upright position and securely latched into place and cannot fold forward. Otherwise, the seat backrest with the child restraint attached to it could fly forward in a collision or other emergency situation.

• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child restraint in a vehicle ⇒ Child safety and child restraints . Special precautions apply when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat ⇒ Child restraints and the Advanced front airbag system .

Warning

Improperly installed child restraints increase the risk of serious personal injury and death in a collision.

• Never unfasten the safety belt to deactivate the switchable locking feature for child restraints while the vehicle is moving. You would not be restrained and could be seriously injured in an accident.

Note

When installing a child restraint, be careful not to get the belt caught in the structure of the child seat and become damaged, especially when the switchable locking feature has been activated.