1998 FORD CONTOUR lock

Seating and safety restraints
73
To stow the built-in child seat
Return the child seat cushion to
the upright position, then press
firmly in the center and top of the
child seat.
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.
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 your dealer or a
qualified technician after any
collision. If the child seat was in
use during a collision, Ford
recommends replacing it. Built-in
child restraints not in use during a
collision should be inspected and
replaced if either damage or
improper operation is noted.
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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
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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Starting
86USING THE ENGINE BLOCK
HEATER(if equipped)
An engine block heater warms the
engine coolant, which improves
starting, warms up the engine
faster and allows the heater-
defroster system to respond
quickly. It is strongly recommended
if you live in a region where
temperatures reach –23°C (–10°F)
or below.
For best results, plug the heater in
at least three hours before starting
the vehicle. Using the heater for
more than three hours will not
harm the engine, so the heater can
be plugged in the night before
starting the vehicle.
To prevent electrical shock,
do not use your heater with
ungrounded electrical systems or
two-pronged (cheater) adapters.
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87
Driving
BRAKES
Your brakes are self-adjusting.
Refer to the “Service Guide” for
maintenance intervals.
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
(if equipped)
The ABS operates by detecting the
onset of wheel lock up during
brake applications and
compensating for this tendency.
The wheels are prevented from
locking even when the brakes are
firmly applied, helping to ensure
that the vehicle can be steered and
the driver can avoid obstacles.
Operation of the anti-lock
braking system
The anti-lock braking system is not
employed during normal braking. It
becomes operational only when it
senses differences in the rotational
speed of the road wheels,
indicating that they are about to
lock up. Its operation is indicated
by a pulsing of the brake pedal.
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88
Two important
rules when
braking in
emergencies with
ABS:
1.
Apply full force
on both brake
and clutch pedal
(if equipped).
Braking with ABS
•In an emergency, apply full force
on the brake pedal. In vehicles
with manual transaxles, you must
also depress the clutch pedal.
The anti-lock braking system will
be activated immediately,
allowing you to retain full
steering control of your vehicle
and, providing there is sufficient
space, will enable you to avoid
obstacles.
•We recommend that you
familiarize yourself with this
braking technique. However,
avoid taking any unnecessary
risks.
2.
Steer around the
obstacle. No matter
how hard you brake,
steering control is
maintained.
Driving
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Driving
90Automatic transaxle
(if equipped)
Vehicles equipped with an
automatic transaxle are equipped
with a brake-shift interlock feature
that prevents the gearshift lever
from being moved from the P
(Park) position unless the brake
pedal is depressed.
TRANSAXLE OPERATION
Putting your vehicle in gear
You must push the thumb button to
move the gearshift to the position
you choose.
To operate:
1. Start the engine.
2. Depress and hold the brake
pedal.
3. Move the gearshift lever out of P
(Park).
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