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Your vehicle is equipped with safety belts containing
an adjust tongue at the rear-facing seating positions.
When the adjust tongue of the lap/shoulder
combination seat belt is latched into the buckle, the
tongue will allow the lap portion to become shorter,
but locks the webbing in place to restrict it from
becoming longer.
Before you reach and latch a combination lap and
shoulder belt having an adjust tongue into the
buckle. you may have to lengthen the lap belt
portion of it. To lengthen the lap belt, pull some
webbing out of the shoulder belt retractor. While
holding the webbing below the tongue, grasp the
tongue so that it is parallel to the webbing and slide
the tongue upward. provide enough length so that
the tongue can reach the buckle.
To fasten the belt, pull the combination lap and
shoulder belt from the retractor so that the shoulder
belt portion of the safety belt crosses your shoulder
and chest. Be sure the belt is not twisted. If the belt
is twisted, remove the twist. Insert the tongue into
the proper buckle for your seating position until you
hear a snap and fell it latch. Make sure the tongue is
securely fastened to the buckle by pulling on the
tongue.
The lap belts should fit snugly and as low as
possible around the hips, not around the
waist.
Front and rear seat occupants, including
pregnant women, should wear safety belts
for optimum protection in an accident.
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Each seating position in your vehicle has a
specific safety belt assembly which is made
up of one buckle and one tongue that are designed
to be used as a pair. 1) Use the shoulder belt on
the outside shoulder only. Never wear the shoulder
belt under the arm. 2) Never swing it around your
neck over the inside shoulder. 3) Never use a
single belt for more than one person.
Due to folding rear seats, sometimes the buckles and
tongues toward the center of the vehicle may be
hidden by the rear edge of the seat cushion. Pull
them out so they will be accessible.
While you are fastened in the seat belt, the shoulder
belt adjusts to your movement. However, if you
brake hard, turn hard or your vehicle receives an
impact of 8 km/h (5 mph) or more, the safety belt
will become locked and help reduce your forward
movement.
To unfasten the belt, push the red release button on
the end of the buckle. This allows the tongue to
unlatch from the buckle. While the belt retracts,
guide the tongue to its original position to prevent it
from striking you or the vehicle.
Safety belt extension assembly
If the safety belt assembly is too short, even when
fully extended, eight inches can be added to the
safety belt assembly by adding a safety belt
extension assembly (part number 611C22). Safety
belt extension assemblies can be obtained from your
dealer at no cost. This assembly is not for use in the
wagon's rear-facing seat.
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
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²Use the correct
safety belt buckle
for that seating
position.
²Make sure the
tongue is securely
fastened in the
buckle.
²Keep the buckle release button pointing up and
away from the safety seat, with the tongue
between the child seat and the release button, to
prevent accidental unbuckling.
²Place seatback in upright position.
²Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode.
Refer toUsing the automatic locking mode.
Ford recommends the use of a child safety seat
having a top tether strap. Install the child safety seat
in a seating position which is capable of providing a
tether anchorage. For more information on top
tether straps, refer toAttaching safety seats with
tether straps.
Carefully follow all of the manufacturer's
instructions included with the safety seat
you put in your vehicle. If you do not install and
use the safety seat properly, the child may be
injured in a sudden stop or collision.
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4. Insert the belt
tongue into the proper
buckle for that seating
position until you hear
and feel the latch
engage. Make sure the
tongue is latched
securely by pulling on
it.
5. To put the retractor
in the automatic
locking mode, grasp
the shoulder portion of
the belt and pull
downward until all of
the belt is extracted
and a click is heard.
6. Allow the belt to retract. The belt will click as it
retracts to indicate it is in the automatic locking
mode.
7. Pull the lap belt
portion across the child
seat toward the buckle
and pull up on the
shoulder belt while
pushing down with
knee on the child seat.
8. Allow the safety belt
to retract to remove
any slack in the belt.
9. Before placing the
child in the seat,
forcibly tilt the seat
forward and back to
make sure the seat is
securely held in place.
10. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make
sure the retractor is in the automatic locking mode
PRESS
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(you should not be able to pull more belt out). If the
retractor is not locked, unbuckle the belt and repeat
steps two through nine.
Check to make sure the child seat is properly
secured before each use.
Attaching safety seats with tether straps
Some manufacturers make safety seats that include
a tether strap that goes over the back of the vehicle
seat and attaches to an anchoring point. Other
manufacturers offer the tether strap as an accessory.
Contact the manufacturer of your child safety seat
for information about ordering a tether strap.
Front seats
To install a tether from a child safety seat in the
front seat:
1. Buckle the lap/shoulder belt (in the seat behind
the front passenger seat in which the child safety
seat will be installed).
2. Pull all the stored belt out of the rear seat
retractor to switch the retractor to automatic locking
mode.
3. Let the retractor wind up the slack from the
lap/shoulder belt.
4. Install the child safety seat in the front seat. Refer
toInstalling child safety seats in combination lap
and shoulder belt seating positions. Hook the
tether strap hook around the webbing near the
center of the shoulder portion of the locked
lap/shoulder belt.
5. Tighten the tether strap.
Rear seats
If you must use a tethered safety seat on one of the
rear seats, you can anchor the strap to the
appropriate tether anchor directly behind that seat
position.
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BUILT-IN CHILD SEATS
Built-in child safety seat (wagon - if equipped)
The second row bench seat may include a built-in
child seat. This child seat conforms to all Federal
and local motor vehicle safety standards. Read the
labels located on the child seat cushion and shoulder
belt for information on the built-in child seat.
Use the built-in child seatonlyif the child is at least
one year old, weighs 10±27 kg (22±60 lbs.) and the
child's shoulders fit below the shoulder harness slots
on the built-in child seat.
Children not meeting these requirements should be
secured in an approved aftermarket seat. Refer to
Children and infant or child safety seatsin this
chapter.
Built-in child seat retractors
The belts on built-in child seats are equipped with a
retractor that locks when both tongues are latched
into the crotch safety belt buckle. The retractor will
automatically snug the belts around the child. If the
belts do not remain snug, take the vehicle to the
dealer for child seat repair. The belts will not snug
during a collision.
Placing your child in the built-in child seat
Failure to follow all of the instructions on
the use of this child restraint system can
result in your child striking the vehicle's interior
during a sudden stop or crash.
Never use the Built-In Child Seat as a
booster cushion with the adult safety belts.
A child using the adult belts could slide forward
and out from under the safety belts.
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The rear seatback must be fully locked
before operating the child restraint system.
1. Grasp the child seat
at the top of the
seatback and pull the
top forward to release
the latch.
2. Continue to unfold
the child seat until it
rests on the seat.
3. Read all information
and warnings on the
child seat cushion and
shoulder safety belt.
Make sure the child is
not too large for the
child seat.
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4. If connected, squeeze the top and the bottom of
the right half of the chest clip and pull to separate
both halves.
5. Place the child on the child seat and position the
shoulder belts over each shoulder.
6. Insert either the left
or the right safety belt
tongue into the single
opening of the crotch
safety belt buckle (it
doesn't matter which
tongue is inserted
first). Insert other
tongue. The color
green must appear in the indicator window on the
crotch safety belt buckle when buckled. Allow belts
to retract and fit snugly.
7. Fasten both halves
of the chest clip below
the child's shoulders
and adjust it to
comfortably hold the shoulder belts in place on the
child's chest. The color green must appear in the
indicator window when fastened.
8. Pull the shoulder belts toward you to make sure
the crotch safety belt buckle is properly fastened
and the retractor is locked.
9. If the belts become too tight, unbuckle the crotch
safety belt buckle to unlock the retractors, then
reinsert both belt tongues.
Removing your child from the built-in child seat
1. Squeeze the tabs on the top and the bottom of
the chest clip and pull the halves apart to open the
chest clip.
2. Press the release button on the crotch safety belt
buckle.
3. Slide the shoulder belts off the child's shoulders
and remove the child.
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