1997 Mercury Mountaineer tow

7. Pull the lap belt portion across
the child seat toward the buckle
and pull up on the shoulder belt
while pushing down on the child
seat.
8. Allow the safety belt to retract
to remove any slack in the belt.
9. Before placing a 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 belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is in the automatic
locking mode (you should not be
able to pull more belt out). If the
retractor is not locked, unbuckle
the belt and repeat Steps 2
through 9.
Check to make sure the child seat
is properly secured before each
use.
Using a tether strap
Ford recommends using child
safety seats with a top tether
Seating and safety restraints
79

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.
The rear seatback must be
fully locked before
operating the child restraint
system.
1. Grasp the pull strap and pull
toward you approximately one
inch, then slide hand under head
restraint and slide upwards to full
position.
Seating and safety restraints
82

2. Allow the shoulder belts to fully
retract.
Removing your child from the
built-in child seat
1. Disconnect the chest clip by
squeezing the release tabs together
and pulling the two sides apart.
2. Press the release button on the
crotch buckle.
3. Slide the shoulder belts off the
child's shoulders and remove child.
If ALR is engaged, hold either left
or right shoulder belt fully out
while helping the child slide his
arms out of the belts.
4. Fold the cushion protector flap
onto the child seat cushion. Slide
the belt tongues up and out of the
way of the cushion, then return
the child seat cushion to the
stowed (upright) position.
5. Slide the Velcrotstraps through
the D-rings on the child seat
cushion and attach.
6. Slide head restraint down until
the top of the head restraint is
flush with the top of the adult seat
back.
Seating and safety restraints
87

7. Press firmly on the top center of
the built-in child seat head
restraint to ensure it is stowed
properly.
Inspecting the built-in child seat
after a collision
All built-in child restraints,
including seats, buckles,
retractors, seat latches,
interlocks, and attaching
hardware should be inspected by
a qualified dealer technician after
any collision. If the child seat
was in use during a collision,
Ford recommends replacing it.
However, if the collision was
minor and a qualified technician
finds that the child restraints do
not show damage and continue
to operate properly, they do not
need to be replaced. Built-in
child seats not in use during a
collision should also be inspected
and replaced if either damage or
improper operation is noted.
Seating and safety restraints
88

Pull release handle towards you to
release parking brake.
If the parking brake is fully
released, but the
warning light remains on,
have the brakes checked
immediately. They may not be
working properly.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
OPERATION (4R70W)
Hold the brake pedal down
while you move the
gearshift from position to
position. If you do not hold the
brake pedal down, your vehicle
may move unexpectedly and
injure someone.
Driving
98

Pull gearshift lever towards you
and downward to move the
automatic gearshift.
P - ParkAlways come to a
complete stop before shifting into
or out of P (Park).
Always set the parking
brake fully and make sure
that the gearshift is securely
latched in P (Park).
R - ReverseAlways come to a
complete stop before shifting into
or out of R (Reverse).
N - NeutralVehicle is free to roll.
Do not leave the vehicle
unattended with the
transfer case in the N (Neutral)
position. Always set the parking
brake fully and turn off the
ignition when leaving the vehicle.
P RND21
P RND21
Driving
99

D- OverdriveThe normal
driving position for the best fuel
economy. Transmission operates in
gears 1-4.
D(Overdrive) can be
disengaged by pressing the
transmission control switch on the
gearshift lever. The transmission
control indicator light on
instrument cluster will remain off.
D - DriveNot shown on the
display. Activate by pressing
transmission control switch.
O/D
OFFwill illuminate on the
instrument cluster. Transmission
operates in gears 1-3. Provides
more engine braking than
D(Overdrive) and is useful when
towing a trailer or heavy loads
through hilly areas.
To return to normal overdrive
mode, press the transmission
control switch again.
O/D
OFFwill turn
off.
When starting your vehicle, the
transmission will automatically
return to normal
D(Overdrive)
mode.
2 - SecondUse 2 (Second) to
start-up on slippery roads or to
provide additional engine braking
0P RND21
UNLEADED
FUEL ONLY
RPM x 100012345
6H
C
F
E
RSM
SET
ACC
COAST OFF ON
SRS
- +H
H
L L020
1030405060
70
80
90
110
120000000oooo
km/h100
20406080100
120
140
160
180
O/D
ON/OFF
Driving
100

²Payload: Combined maximum
allowable weight of cargo,
passengers and optional
equipment. The payload equals
gross vehicle weight rating
(GVWR) minus base curb
weight.
²GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight):
Base curb weight plus the
payload weight (including
passengers, cargo, and optional
equipment). Remember, the
GVW is not a limit or a
specification.
²GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating): Maximum total weight
of the base vehicle, passengers,
optional equipment and cargo.
The GVWR is specific to each
particular vehicle and is listed
on the Safety Compliance
Certification Label on the
driver's door pillar.
²GAWR (Gross Axle Weight
Rating): Carrying capacity for
each axle system (front and
rear). This amount is specific to
each particular vehicle and is
listed on the Safety Compliance
Certification Label on the
driver's door pillar.
²GCWR (Gross Combined Weight
Rating): Maximum combined
weight of the towing vehicle
(including passengers and
cargo) and the trailer. The
GCWR indicates the maximum
loaded weight that the vehicle is
allowed to tow.
Driving
108