Page 50 of 144
Install forward-facing convertible safety seats only in vehicle seating
positions equipped with lap-shoulder belts. Forward facing convertible
safety seats can be used in the center of the three-passenger second row
bench seat only if a top tether strap is used. Ford recommends placing
forward-facing safety seats in the second row and using safety seats with
top tether straps for added protection. For more information on top
tether straps, seeAttaching safety seats with tether strapsin this
section.
Any booster seat that places the vehicle's lap belt or shoulder belt
around a shield above and ahead of the child's hips should not be used in
this vehicle.
Do notuse a forward±facing safety seat or an infant seat in the
last row of a 12± or 15±passenger Club Wagon.
Children and safety belts
Children who are too large for child safety seats (as specified by your
child safety seat manufacturer) should always wear safety belts.
Follow all the important safety restraint and air bag precautions that
apply to adult passengers in your vehicle.
If the shoulder belt portion of a combination lap and shoulder belt can
be positioned so it does not cross or rest in front of the child's face or
neck, the child should wear the lap and shoulder belt. Moving the child
closer to the center of the vehicle may help provide a good shoulder belt
fit.
If the shoulder belt cannot be properly positioned:
²move the child to one of the seats with a lap belt only (if equipped) or
²if the child is the proper size, restrain the child in a safety seat.
Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets unattended in
your vehicle.
To improve the fit of lap and shoulder belts on children who have
outgrown child safety seats, Ford recommends use of a belt-positioning
booster seat that is labelled as conforming to all Federal motor vehicle
safety standards. Belt-positioning booster seats raise the child and
provide a shorter, firmer seating cushion that encourages safer seating
posture and better fit of lap and shoulder belts on the child.
Seating and safety restraints
50
Page 51 of 144
A belt-positioning booster should be used if the shoulder belt rests in
front of the child's face or neck, or if the lap belt does not fit snugly on
both thighs, or if the thighs are too short to let the child sit all the way
back on the seat cushion when the lower legs hang over the edge of the
seat cushion. You may wish to discuss the special needs of your child
with your pediatrician.
SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
Child and infant or child safety seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the
child. Carefully follow all of the manufacturer's instructions 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.
When installing a child safety seat:
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 seat back in upright position.
²Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer toAutomatic
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.
Seating and safety restraints
51
Page 52 of 144
1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
Air bag can kill or injure a child in a child seat. If you must use a
forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move seat all the way
back.
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.
Seating and safety restraints
52
Page 53 of 144
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 your knee on the
child seat.
PRESS
Seating and safety restraints
53
Page 54 of 144
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 (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.
Tether anchorage hardware
Children should be placed in the rear in an appropriate child
safety seat that is properly secured to the vehicle.
Rear-facing infant seats must always be secured in the rear seat.
In vehicles without a rear seat, a rear-facing infant seat should
be secured in the front seat only if your vehicle does not have a
passenger side air bag or your vehicle is equipped with a passenger air
bag deactivate switch and the switch is turned to ªOFF.º
When using forward-facing child safety seats in vehicles with
only two seating positions so the forward-facing child safety seat
cannot be placed in the rear of the vehicle, move the passenger seat as
far back from the instrument panel as possible.
Seating and safety restraints
54
Page 57 of 144
If the tether strap is clipped
incorrectly (as shown) the child
safety seat may not be retained
properly in the event of a
collision.
7. Rotate the tether strap clip as
shown.
8. Adjust the front right-hand
passenger seat to the full rearward
position.
9. Refer to the instructions in this
section underInstalling child
safety seats in combination lap
and shoulder belt seating
positionsto secure the child safety
seat.
10. Tighten the child safety seat
tether strap according to the
manufacturer's instructions.
For additional important safety information on the proper use of
seatbelts, child seats and infant seats, please read the entireSeating
and safety restraintschapter in this owner's guide.
Rear seating positions
Attachment holes have been provided in your vehicle to attach anchor
hardware, if required. Tether anchor hardware kits (Part No. 613D74)
Seating and safety restraints
57
Page 59 of 144
PREPARING TO START YOUR VEHICLE
Engine starting is controlled by the ignition system. This system meets
all Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment standard requirements
regulating the impulse electrical field strength of radio noise.
When starting a fuel-injected engine, avoid pressing the accelerator
before or during starting. Only use the accelerator when you have
difficulty starting the engine. For more information on starting the
vehicle, refer toStarting the enginein this chapter.
Extended idling at high engine speeds can produce very high
temperatures in the engine and exhaust system, creating the risk
of fire or other damage.
Do not park, idle, or drive your vehicle in dry grass or other dry
ground cover. The emission system heats up the engine
compartment and exhaust system, which can start a fire.
Do not start your vehicle in a closed garage or in other enclosed
areas. Exhaust fumes can be toxic. Always open the garage door
before you start the engine. SeeGuarding against exhaust fumesin
this chapter for more instructions.
If you smell exhaust fumes inside your vehicle, have your dealer
inspect your vehicle immediately. Do not drive if you smell
exhaust fumes.
Important safety precautions
A computer system controls the engine's idle revolutions per minute
(RPM). When the engine starts, the idle RPM runs faster to warm the
engine. If the engine idle speed does not slow down automatically, have
the vehicle checked. Do not allow the vehicle to idle for more than ten
minutes.
Before starting the vehicle:
1. Make sure all vehicle occupants have buckled their safety belts. For
more information on safety belts and their proper usage, refer to the
Seating and safety restraintschapter.
Starting
59
Page 61 of 144
Make sure the corresponding lights illuminate briefly. If a light fails to
illuminate, have the vehicle serviced.
²If the driver's safety belt is fastened, the light (
) will not illuminate.
STARTING THE ENGINE
1. Turn the key to 5 (START)
without pressing the accelerator
pedal and release as soon as the
engine starts. The key will return to
4 (ON).
2. If the engine does not start within five seconds, wait ten seconds and
try again.
3. If the engine does not start in two attempts or if the temperature is
below -12ÉC (10ÉF), depress the accelerator and start the engine while
holding the accelerator down. Release the accelerator when the engine
starts.
4. After idling for a few seconds, apply the brake and release the parking
brake.
Using 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. Use of an engine block heater is strongly
recommended if you live in a region where temperatures reach -23ÉC
(-10ÉF) or below.
For best results, plug the heater in at least three hours before starting
the vehicle. Using the heater for longer 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.
3
2
1
5
4
Starting
61
