1998 FORD CONTOUR Owners Manual

Seating and safety restraints
49
Folding rear seats (if equipped)
Pull the release knob located in the
luggage compartment. Fold down
the seat. The seatback cannot be
released while the built-in childseat
(if equipped) is open.
If you are carrying objects that
might damage the center rear
three-point safety belt, you can
unbuckle the end of the belt from
the small buckle on the seat
cushion and let the retractor reel it
up. Reconnect the belt tongue to
the buckle when you fold the seat
back up.
To raise the rear seatback, push the
seatback upward until it locks in
place. Make sure it is firmly latched
by pushing forward and back on it.
Check to see that the seat
and seatback are latched
securely in position. Keep luggage
area free of objects that would
prevent proper engagement.
CDW IIID Seat en C 5/15/97 8:47 PM Page 49

Seating and safety restraints
50
Important safety restraints
precautions
The use of safety belts helps to
restrain both driver and passenger
in case of a collision. In most states
and Canada, the law requires the
use of safety belts.
Always drive and ride with
your seatback upright and
the lap belt snug and low across
the hips.
Lock the doors of your
vehicle before driving to
lessen the risk of the door coming
open in a collision.
Cargo should always be
secured to prevent it from
shifting and causing damage to the
vehicle or harm to passengers.
To prevent the risk of injury,
make sure children sit where
they can be properly restrained.
SAFETYRESTRAINTS
Front and rear seat
occupants including
pregnant women, should wear
safety belts for optimum
protection in an accident.
CDW IIID Seat en C 5/15/97 8:48 PM Page 50

Seating and safety restraints
51
Combination lap and shoulder
belt
Insert the tongue into the slot in
the buckle to fasten.
Push the red release button and
remove the tongue from the slot to
unfasten.
The passenger safety restraints in
the vehicle are combination lap and
shoulder belts. The front and rear
seat passenger safety belts have
two types of locking modes.
Using safety restraints properly
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.
Use the shoulder belt on the
outside shoulder only. Never wear
the shoulder belt under the arm.
Never swing it around your neck
over the inside shoulder.
Never use a single belt for more
than one person.
CDW IIID Seat en C 5/15/97 8:48 PM Page 51

Seating and safety restraints
52
Automatic locking mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt is
automatically prelocked; however,
the belt will react to remove any
slack in the shoulder belt.
The automatic locking mode is not
available on the driver’s safety belt.
When to use the automatic
locking mode
•When a tight lap and shoulder
belt fit is desired.
•Any time a 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.
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, turns a
corner sharply or your vehicle
receives an impact of 8 km/h
(5mph) 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 sharply on the belt.
CDW IIID Seat en C 5/15/97 8:48 PM Page 52

Seating and safety restraints
53
Using automatic locking mode
The automatic locking mode must
be used when installing a child
safety seat in any 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.
CDW IIID Seat en C 5/15/97 8:48 PM Page 53

Seating and safety restraints
54
Front seat safety belt height
adjustment
To lower the height of the shoulder
belt:
1. Push the control down.
2. Slide down.
To raise the height of the shoulder
belt:
1. Slide up.
2. Pull down on the height adjuster
to make sure that it is locked in
place.
Position the shoulder belt
height adjuster so that the
belt rests across the middle of
your shoulder. Be sure the
shoulder belt is properly
positioned on your shoulder each
time you use the belt. If the
shoulder belt is off your shoulder,
on your upper arm or neck, there
is a greater risk of severe injury in
a collision.
CDW IIID Seat en C 5/15/97 8:48 PM Page 54

Seating and safety restraints
55 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.
Center position three-point
safety belts
If the lower end of the belt has
been unbuckled, pull the belt
steadily from the reel and insert
the small tongue into the small
buckle until a distinct “click” is
heard.
This buckle should be left buckled
except when the seatback is folded
down and cargo that might damage
the seatbelt or get it dirty is being
hauled.
Pull the seat belt across the hips
and insert the big (sliding) tongue
into the appropriate buckle until a
distinct “click” is heard.
Should the center rear belt need to
be unlatched from its anchorage, a
thin probe is required to be
inserted into the hole located on
the underside of the floor mounted
buckle. If the buckle and tongue
are not reconnected, then the belt
is not save to be used.
Alternative design
CDW IIID Seat en C 5/15/97 8:48 PM Page 55

Seating and safety restraints
56
Conditions of operation
If 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.
If 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 turn
off.
Safety belt extension assembly
The safety belt may be too short
even when fully extended.
Approximately 20 cm (8 inches)
may be added to the length of the
belt with a safety belt extension
(part number 611C22). Safety belt
extensions are available at no cost
from your dealer.
Only use extensions manufactured
by the same supplier as the safety
belt. Manufacturer identification is
on the label located at the end of
the webbing.
Do not use the extension to change
the fit of the shoulder belt across
the torso.
CDW IIID Seat en C 5/15/97 8:48 PM Page 56