1997 FORD E SERIES belt

the buckle and remove the
tongue from the buckle.
²rear seating positions, push the
red release button on the side of
the buckle and remove the
tongue from the buckle.
The lap belts should fit
snugly and as low as
possible around the hips, not
around the waist.
The outboard safety restraints in
the vehicle are combination lap
and shoulder belts. The front
passenger and rear outboard
seating positions safety belts have
two types of locking modes.
PRESS
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46

Vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt will
allow freedom of movement,
locking tight only on hard braking,
hard cornering or impacts of
approximately 8 km/h (5 mph) or
more. The front seat belts can also
be made to lock by jerking on the
belt.
Automatic locking mode
In this mode, the safety belt is
locked in a certain position by the
occupant and remains locked until
the webbing is fully retracted.
The automatic locking mode is not
available on the driver belt.
When to use the automatic
locking mode
²When a tight lap/shoulder fit is
desired.
²Any timea child safety seat is
installed in the vehicle. Refer to
Children and infant or Child
safety seatslater in this section.
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47

Using the automatic locking
mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and
pull downward until the entire belt
is extracted.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the
belt retracts, you will hear a
clicking sound. This indicates the
safety belt is now in the automatic
locking mode.
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48

Canceling the automatic locking
mode
Disconnect the combination
lap/shoulder belt and allow it to
retract completely to cancel the
automatic locking mode and
activate the vehicle sensitive
(emergency) locking mode.
Front safety belt height
adjustment
Your vehicle has safety belt height
adjustments for the driver and
front passenger. Adjust the height
of the shoulder belt so the belt
rests across the middle of your
shoulder.
To lower the height of the shoulder
belt:
1. Push the button down
2. Slide down
To raise the height of the shoulder
belt:
1. Slide up
2. Pull down on the height
adjustment assembly to make sure
it is locked in place
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Lap belts
The lap belts in the center seating
position of the three-passenger
bench seat and both inboard seats
of the four-passenger bench seat
do not adjust automatically. You
must adjust them to fit snugly and
low as possible around your hips.
Do not wear the lap belt around
your waist.
Make sure you insert the tongue
into the correct buckle. If you
need to lengthen the belt, turn the
tongue at a right angle to the belt
and pull across your lap until it
reaches the buckle. If you need to
tighten the belt, pull the loose end
of the webbing until it is snug
across the hips. Shorten and fasten
the belt when not in use.
Safety belt extension assembly
If the safety belt assembly is too
short, even when fully extended,
20 cm (eight inches) can be added
to the safety belt assembly by
adding a safety belt extension
assembly. Safety belt extension
assemblies are available for front
or rear seating positions and are
not interchangeable.
²Front seating positions (part
number 611C22)
²Rear seating positions (part
number 611C22)
Safety belt extension assemblies
can be obtained from your dealer
at no cost.
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50

Use only extensions manufactured
by the same supplier as the safety
belt. Manufacturer identification is
located at the end of the webbing
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.
Safety belt indicator light and
warning chime
The seat belt warning light
illuminates in the instrument
cluster and a chime sounds to
remind the occupants to fasten
their safety belts.
Conditions of operation
If... Then...
The driver's safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition key
is turned to ON...The safety belt indicator illuminates
and the warning chime/buzzer
sounds for four to eight seconds.
The driver's side safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding...The safety belt warning chime turns
off.
The driver's safety belt is
buckled before the ignition key
is turned to ON...The safety belt indicator
chime/buzzer remains off.
Safety belt inspection after a
collision, maintenance and care
Check the safety belt system
periodically to make sure that it
works properly and is not
damaged. Check the safety belts to
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51

make sure there are no nicks,
wears or cuts.
All safety belt assemblies,
including retractors, buckles, front
seat belt buckle support assemblies
(slide bar) (if so equipped),
shoulder belt height adjusters (if
so equipped), child safety seat
tether bracket assemblies (if so
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.
AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
Important air bag precautions
and warnings
Your vehicle is equipped with a
supplemental restraint system
designed to work with the safety
belts to help protect you and your
right front passenger in the event
of certain collisions described in
the sectionHow does the air bag
supplemental restraint system
work?
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52

All occupants of the
vehicle, including the
driver, should always wear their
safety belts, failure to do so may
increase the risk of personal
injury in the event of a collision.
The right front passenger
air bag is not designed to
restrain occupants in the center
front seating position.
Do not place objects or
mount equipment on or
near the dashboard area,
steering wheel or in front of the
passenger that may come in
contact with a deploying air bag.
Failure to follow this instruction
may increase the risk of personal
injury in the event of a collision.
Do not attempt to service,
repair, or modify the Air
Bag Supplemental Restraint
System or its fuses. See your
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
If you are close to an
inflating air bag, it could
seriously injure you. Sit against
the seatback and position your
seat such that it is as far back
from the steering wheel as
possible but still allows you to
properly control the vehicle.
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