1998 FORD CONTOUR ECU

Seating and safety restraints
701. Make sure that the seatback is
securely latched in place.
2. Grasp the child seat cushion and
pull the top forward to release the
latch. Continue to unfold the child
seat until it rests on the seat in the
fully open position.
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 safety restraint system.
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Seating and safety restraints
74
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.
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 see Attaching safety seats
with tether strapsin this chapter.
When installing a child safety seat:
•Use the correct safety belt buckle
for that seating postion.
•Make sure the tongue is securely
fastened in the buckle.
•Keep 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.
•Put the safety belt in the
automatic locking mode. Refer to
Using automatic locking mode
in this chapter. Child safety seats
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Seating and safety restraints
75
2. Pull down on the shoulder belt
and then grasp the shoulder belt
and lap belt together.
3. While holding the shoulder and
lap belt portions together, route
the tongue through the child seat
according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. Be
sure the belt webbing is not
twisted.
AIRBAG
Installing child safety seats in
combination lap and shoulder
belt seat positions
1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
When using forward-facing
child seats move the
passenger seat as far back from
the instrument panel as possible.
Never secure rear-facing infant
seats in the front seat.
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Seating and safety restraints
765. 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.
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.
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 your knee
on the child seat.
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Seating and safety restraints
77 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 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 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 their tether
strap as an accessory. Contact the
manufacturer of your child safety
seat for information about ordering
a tether strap.
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Seating and safety restraints
78To install a tether from a child
safety seat in the front seat, route
the tether strap under the vehicle
seat head restraint and hook the
tether hook into the hole in the
tongue of the center rear lap belt.
After the hook is in the hole, pull
on the loose end of the lap belt
webbing to shorten the belt and
tighten the tether strap.
To install a tethered child safety
seat in the rear seat, you will need
tether anchor hardware.
Tether anchor hardware
Tether anchor hardware kits (part
number 613D74), including
instructions, may be obtained at no
charge from any Ford or Lincoln-
Mercury dealer. All vehicles built
for sale in Canada include a tether
anchor hardware kit.
Tighten the anchor
according to specifications.
Otherwise, the safety seat may not
be properly secured and the child
may be injured in a sudden stop or
collision.
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Driving
89 Parking brake
To engage the parking brake:
Pull the handle upward.
To release the parking brake:
1. Press and hold the release
button.
2. Pull the handle upward to
disengage the brake.
3. Push handle downward to the off
position.
Always set the parking brake
fully and make sure that the
gearshift is securely latched in P
(Park) (automatic transaxle) or in
1 (first) (manual transaxle).
To prevent personal injury,
do not release the parking
brake while outside the vehicle.
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Driving
92The console-mounted gearshift will
lock when you turn the key to the
lock position. When the gearshift is
in any position except P (Park),
the ignition key cannot be turned
to lock or removed from the
steering column. To remove the
key, the gearshift lever must be in
P (Park).
Once the gearshift is secure in the
desired position, release the brake
pedal and use the accelerator as
necessary.
Driving
Never leave a vehicle
unattended while it is
running.
•P(Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park). This
locks the transaxle and prevents
the front wheels from rotating.
•R(Reverse)
The vehicle only moves backward.
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting in or out of R
(Reverse).P=Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
R=Reverse. . . . . . . . . . .
N=Neutral. . . . . . . . . . . .
D=Drive: Gear 1 to 4
with overdrive. . . . . .
Gear 1 to 3
with overdrive
cancelled. . . . . . . . . .
2=Gear 2. . . . . . . . . . . .
1=Gear 1. . . . . . . . . . . .
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