1996 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL Customer Assistance Guide

Figure I - The shoulder belt height adjusterFigure 2 - The shoulder belt height adjuster
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/!\ WARNINGPosition the shoulder belt height adjusterso that the belt rests across the middle ofyour shoulder. Be sure the shoulder beltis properly positioned on your shouldereach time you use the belt. If theshoulder belt is off your shoulder, on yourupper arm or neck, there is a greater riskof severe injury in a collision.Right Front or Rear Seating Positions
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual locking
mode retractor on the shoulder belt portion of
the combination lap/shoulder safety belt for the
front seat passenger and rear seat passengers.14Dual locking mode refractors operate in two
ways:
Vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode
In this operating mode, the shoulder belt retractor
will allow the occupant freedom of movement,
locking tight only on hard braking, hard cornering
or impacts of approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) or
more. The retractor can also be made to lock by
pulling on the belt.
Automatic locking mode
In this operating mode, the shoulder belt retractor
will be automatically locked and will remain locked
when the combination lap/shoulder safety belt is
buckled, and does not allow the occupant freedom
of movement. This mode provides the following: A tight lap/shoulder belt on the occupant. Child seat installation restraint.

/!\ WARNINGRear facing infant seats should never beplaced in the front seat.This mode must be used when installing a child
seat on the front passenger seat and rear seats
where dual locking refractors are provided. To
switch the retractor from the emergency locking
mode to the automatic locking mode, perform
the following steps:
1.Buckle the lap/shoulder combination belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion of the belt and
pull downward until all of the belt is
extracted and a click is heard. At this time,
the retractor is in the automatic locking
mode (child restraint mode).3.A clicking sound will contnue to be heard as
the belt is allowed to retract.
NOTE:When the combination
lap/shoulder belt is unbuckled and allowed to
retract completely, the retractor will switch to
the vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode.
See the detailed instructions under Safety Seats
for Children in this chapter.
Lap Belts
The lap belt in the center of the front seat does
not adjust automatically. You must adjust it to
fit snugly and as low as possible around your
hips. Do not wear it around your waist.
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Unfastening the lap belts in the center front
seating position
NOTE:Be sure to read and understand
Important Safety Belt Information at the
beginning of this chapter.
Pull the belt across your hips and insert the
tongue into the correct buckle on your seat until
you hear a snap and feel it lock. Make sure the
buckle is securely fastened.
16If you need to lengthen the belt, unfasten it and tip the
belt tongue at a right angle to the belt. Pull the belt
tongue over your lap until it reaches the buckle.
If you need to shorten the belt, pull on the loose end of
the webbing until the belt fits snugly.
To unfasten the belt, push the release button on the
buckle. This allows the tongue to unlatch from the
buckle.
Safety Belt Extension Assembly
For some people, the safety belt may be too short even
when it is extended. You can add about eight inches
(20 cm) to the belt length with a safety belt extension
assembly (part number 611 C22). Safety belt
extensions are available at no cost from your dealer.

on the label. Also, use the safety belt extension
only if the safety belt is too short for you when
fully extended. Do not use extension to change the
fit of the shoulder belt across the torso./!\ WARNINGFailure to follow these instructions will affectthe performance of the safety belts andincrease the risk of personal injury.Safety Belt Maintenance
Check the safety belt systems periodically to make
sure that they work properly and are not damaged.
All safety belt assemblies, including refractors,
buckles, front seat belt buckle support assemblies
(slide bar) (if equipped), child safety seat tether
bracket assemblies (if equipped), and attaching
hardware, should be inspected after any collision.
Ford recommends that all safety belt assemblies used
in vehicles involved in a collision be replaced.However, if the collision was minor and a qualified
technician finds that the belts do not show damage
and continue to operate properly, they do not need to
be replaced. Safety belt assemblies not in use during
a collision should also be inspected and replaced if
either damage or improper operation is noted.
Cleaning the Safety Belts
Clean the safety belts with any mild soap solution that
is recommended for cleaning upholstery or carpets.
Do not bleach or dye the belt webbing because this
may weaken it.
Air Bag Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS)
The driver and right front passenger air bags are
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS), provided at
these seating positions in addition to the
lap/shoulder belt, and are designed to supplement the
protection provided to properly belted occupants
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in moderate to severe frontal collisions. The
supplemental air bag system does not provide
restraint to the lower body./!\WARNINGThe supplemental air bags are not designedto protect occupants in the front centerseating position.The Importance of Wearing Safety Belts/!\WARNINGSafety belts must be worn by all vehicleoccupants to be properly restrained andhelp reduce the risk of injury in a collision.18/!\ WARNINGAll occupants of the vehicle, including thedriver, should always wear their safetybelts, even when an air bag SupplementalRestraint System is provided.There are four very important reasons to use
safety belts even with an air bag system. Use
your safety belts to: help keep you in the proper position (away
from the air bag) when it inflates reduce the risk of harm in rollover, side or
rear impact collisions, because an air bag is
not designed to inflate in such situations reduce the risk of harm in frontal colflsions
that are not severe enough to activate the
supplemental air bag reduce the risk of being thrown from your
vehicle

The Importance of Being Properly
Seated
In a collision, the air bag must inflate extremely
fast to help provide additional protection for
you. In order to do this, the air bag must inflate
with considerable force. If you are not seated in
a normal riding position with your back against
the seatback, the air bag may not protect you
properly and could possibly hurt you as it
inflates./!\ WARNINGIf a passenger is not properly seated andrestrained, an inflating air bag couldcause serious injury.In rear-facing infant seats, the infant's head is closer
to the air bag. The force of the rapidly inflating air
bag could push the top of the rear-facing seat
against the vehicle seatback or center armrests (if so
equipped), or center console (if so equipped).
Children weighing less than 40 lbs. (18 kg.) should
use child or infant seats. Forward facing child seats
must have the passenger seat moved as far back
from the instrument panel as possible.
Your vehicle is equipped with a right front
passenger air bag. Front passengers, especially
children and small adults, should never sit on the
edge of the seat, stand near the glove compartment
of the instrument panel, or lean over with their
faces near the glove compartment when the vehicle
is moving. All occupants should sit with their backs
against the seatback and use the safety belts.
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/!\ WARNINGREAR-FACING INFANT SEATSSHOULD NEVER BE USED IN THEFRONT SEAT. REAR-FACINGINFANT SEATS MUST ALWAYS BEPLACED IN THE REAR SEAT. Failureto follow these instructions could result inserious injury./!\ WARNINGDo not place objects or mount equipmenton or near the air bag cover on thesteering wheel or in front seat areas thatmay come in contact with a deploying airbag. Failure to follow this instructionmay increase the risk of personal injury inthe event of a collision.20For further information about the proper mounting
of equipment in the front seat of this vehicle, please
refer to Ford's brochure entitled Some Important
Information About Air Bag Supplemental Restraint
System which can be obtained by calling Helm Inc.
at 1-800-782-4356. Ask for brochure FPS-8602.
For additional important safety information on the
proper use of seat belts, child seats, and infant seats,
please read the other sections of this part of the
Owner Guide, especially sections entitled Safety
Belts for Children and Safety Seats for Children.
How the Air Bag Supplemental Restraint
System Operates
The Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System
consists of the Driver and Passenger air bags,
impact sensors, a system diagnostic module, a
readiness light and tone, and the electrical wiring
which connects the components.