1997 FORD EXPEDITION Owners Manual

Vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode
The vehicle sensitive mode is the
normal retractor mode which locks
the belts in response to vehicle
movement. For example, if the
driver brakes suddenly or turns a
corner sharply or if the vehicle
receives an impact of
approximately 8 km/h (5 mph) or
more, the combination safety belts
will lock to help reduce the
forward movement of the driver
and passengers.
The retractor can be made to lock
by pulling on the belt.
Automatic locking mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt is
automatically prelocked; however,
the belt will retract to remove any
slack in the shoulder belt.
The automatic locking mode is not
available on the driver shoulder
belt.
When to use the automatic
locking mode
²When a tight lap and shoulder
belt fit is desired.
²Any timea child safety seat is
installed in the vehicle. For
information on the proper use of
a child safety seat, refer to
Child safety seatslater in this
chapter.
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Using automatic locking mode
The automatic locking mode must
be used when installing a child
safety seat in any outboard
passenger seat.
1. Buckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder belt 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 that
the safety belt is now in the
automatic locking mode.
Canceling automatic locking
mode
Disconnect the combination lap
and shoulder belt and allow it to
completely retract. This will cancel
the automatic locking mode and
activate the vehicle sensitive
(emergency) locking mode.
Adjusting the lap belt
A lap belt is located in the center
of the rear seat and third row seat
(if equipped).
Because the lap belt does not have
a retractor to automatically adjust
itself during vehicle movement, the
lap belt must be adjusted before
use.
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To shorten the belt:
²Buckle the belt.
²Pull the loose end of the belt
until snug.
To lengthen the belt:
²Tip and pull the tongue.
Do not wear the lap belt around
your waist, keep it low around
your hips.
Front seat safety belt height
adjustment
Adjust the height of the shoulder
belt so that the belt rests across
the middle of your shoulder.
To lower the height of the shoulder
belt:
²Push the button down.
²Slide down.
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To raise the height of the shoulder
belt:
²Slide up.
²Pull down on the height adjuster
to make sure that it is locked in
place.
Safety belt maintenance
Check the safety belt systems
periodically to make sure that they
work properly and are not
damaged. If your vehicle has been
involved in an accident, have all
the safety belts and child seat
anchoring brackets (if equipped)
examined by a qualified technician.
Refer toCleaning and caring for
your vehiclein theMaintenance
and carechapter for more
information on maintaining your
safety belts.
Failure to replace the
safety belt assembly
under the above conditions
could result in severe
personal injuries in the event
of a collision.
Safety belt extension assembly
For some people, the safety belt
may be too short even when it is
fully extended. You can add about
20 cm (8 in.) to the belt length
with a safety belt extension
assembly (part # 611C22). Safety
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belt extensions are available at no
cost from your Ford or
Lincoln/Mercury dealer.
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
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 for
1-2 minutes and the warning chime
sounds for 4- 8 seconds.
The driver's safety belt is
buckled while the indicator light
is illuminated and the reminder
chime is sounding...The safety belt indicator light and
reminder chime turn off.
The driver's safety belt is
buckled before the ignition key
is turned to On. . .The safety belt indicator light and
reminder chime remain off.
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SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM (SRS)
Important supplemental
restraint system (SRS)
precautions
The supplemental restraint system
is designed to:
²work with the safety belt to
protect the driver and right
front passenger
²reduce certain upper body
injuries
Failure to follow these
instructions will affect the
performance of the safety belts
and increase the risk of personal
injury.
The right front passenger
air bag is not designed to
restrain occupants in the front
seating position.
Do not place objects or
mount equipment on or
near the air bag covers that may
come into contact with an
inflating air bag.
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Do not attempt to service,
repair, or modify the Air
Bag Supplemental Restraint
System or its fuses. See your
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
Children and air bags
For additional important safety
information, read all information
on safety restraints in this guide.
Children should always wear their
safety belts. Failure to follow these
instructions may increase the risk
of injury in a collision.
Rear-facing child seats or
infant carriers should
never be placed in the front
seats.
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How does the air bag
supplemental restraint system
work?
The SRS is designed to activate
when the vehicle sustains
sufficient longitudinal deceleration,
similar to hitting a fixed barrier
head on at 12±24 km/h (8±14
mph).
The fact that the air bags did not
inflate in a collision does not mean
that something is wrong with the
system. Rather, it means the forces
were not of the type sufficient to
cause activation.
The air bags inflate and deflate
rapidly upon activation.
After air bag deployment, it is
normal to notice a smoke-like,
powdery residue or smell the burnt
propellant. This may consist of
cornstarch, talcum powder (to
lubricate the bag) or sodium
compounds (e.g., baking soda) that
result from the combustion process
that inflates the air bag. Small
amounts of sodium hydroxide may
be present which may irritate the
skin and eyes, but none of the
residue is toxic.
Several air bag system
components get hot after
inflation. Do not touch them
after inflation.
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