1998 FORD ESCORT lock

Front safety belt height
adjustment
Your vehicle has safety belt height
adjustments for the driver and
front passenger. Adjust the height
of the shoulder belt so the belt
rests across the middle of your
shoulder.
To lower the shoulder belt height,
push the button and slide the
height control down. To raise the
height of the shoulder belt, slide
the height adjuster up. Pull down
on the height adjustment assembly
to make sure it is locked in place.
Position the shoulder belt
height adjuster so that the
belt rests across the middle of
your shoulder. Failure to adjust
the safety belt properly could
reduce the effectiveness of the
safety belt and increase the risk
of injury in a collision.
Lap belts
Adjusting the lap belt
The lap belt does not adjust
automatically. Adjust to fit snugly
and as low as possible around your
hips. Do not wear the lap belt
around your waist.
Seating and safety restraints
55

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 to
Seating and safety restraints
66

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.
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
Seating and safety restraints
69

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
(Coupe)
Attachment holes (at each rear
outboard seating position) have
been provided in your vehicle to
attach anchor hardware, if
required. Tether anchorage
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.
Be sure to follow the child safety
seat manufacturer's instructions.
Seating and safety restraints
70

BUILT-IN CHILD SEATS
Built-in child safety seat
(if equipped)
The rear seat may include a
built-in child seat. This child seat
conforms to all Federal and local
motor vehicle safety standards.
Read the labels located on the
child seat cushion and shoulder
belt for information on the built-in
child seat.
Use the built-in child seatonlyif
the child is at least 9 months old,
weighs 9±27 kg (20±60 lb) and the
child's shoulders (top) are below
the shoulder harness slots in the
built-in child seat.
Children not meeting these
requirements should be secured in
an approved aftermarket seat.
Refer toChildren and infant or
child safety seatsin this chapter.
Built-in child seat retractors
The belts on built-in child seats
are equipped with a retractor that
locks when both tongues are
latched into the crotch safety belt
buckle. The retractor will
automatically snug the belts
around the child. If the belts do
not remain snug, take the vehicle
to the dealer for child seat repair.
The belts will not snug during a
collision.
Seating and safety restraints
73

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 child seat at the top
of the seatback and pull the top
forward to release the latch.
2. Continue to unfold the child
seat until it rests on the seat.
Seating and safety restraints
74

7. Fasten both halves of the chest
clip below the child's shoulders
and adjust it to comfortably hold
the shoulder belts in place on the
child's chest. The color green must
appear in the indicator window
when fastened.
8. Pull the shoulder belts toward
you to make sure the crotch safety
belt buckle is properly fastened
and the retractor is locked.
9. If the belts become too tight,
unbuckle the crotch safety belt
buckle to unlock the retractors,
then reinsert both belt tongues.
Seating and safety restraints
77

3. Slide the shoulder belts off the
child's shoulders and remove the
child.
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.
Inspecting the built-in child seat
after a collision
Inspect all built-in child restraints,
including seats, buckles, retractors,
seat latches. Interlocks and
attaching hardware should be
inspected by 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.
Seating and safety restraints
79