1998 FORD EXPEDITION Owners Manual

Reclining the seatback
Locate the lever at the bottom of
the seatback marked ª1º. Pull the
lever upwards to recline the
seatback.
Third row seat (if equipped)
The third row seat is equipped
with combination lap and shoulder
belts in the outboard seating
positions and a manual adjust
tongue lap belt in the center
seating position. For information
on the proper operation of the
safety restraints, refer toSafety
Restraintsin this chapter.
The third row seat may be
removed from the vehicle for
additional cargo space.
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65

Accessing the third row seat
Your vehicle is equipped with an
easy entry second row seat feature
which allows ready access to the
third row seat. You may enter the
third row seat:
²through the passenger side rear
door if your vehicle has a
second row bench seat
²through either rear door if your
vehicle has second row bucket
seats
Ensure that the second row seat is
in the upright position in order to
achieve optimum access to the
third row.
To minimize the risk of personal
injury, the third row seat should
not be left in the forward, stowed
position while the vehicle is in
motion. Please ensure that the seat
is in the upright, fully latched
position before putting the vehicle
in motion.
1. Locate the lever at the bottom
of the seatback marked ª1º.
2. Press down on the front of lever
ª1º while pressing the seatback
down onto the cushion.
3. Locate and lift the lever marked
ª2º while rotating the seat toward
the front row seat.
4. After entering the seat, reverse
this procedure; ensure that the
latch tub and surrounding areas
are clear.
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66

Removing the third row seat
From the rear of the vehicle, with
the liftgate open:
1. Disengage the lap/shoulder belt
from the floor by inserting a key or
small screwdriver through the hole
in the boot of the detachable
anchor. Then, press the release
button to separate the detachable
anchor from the anchor tongue.
2. Before removing the seat, be
sure that the detachable anchor
tongue is stowed flat into the
vehicle floor.
3. Use the black plastic clip
(located just above the detachable
anchor) to stow the loose seat
belt.
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67

²Pull the seat release lever
located on the lower right side
of the seatback while pushing
the seatback down into the seat
cushion.
²The seatback will latch onto the
cushion.
4. Lift the seat release bar located
at the center of the seat near the
floor to release the floor latches.
5. While pulling up on the release
bar, lift the seat up and out of the
floor tubs.
6. With assistance, lift the seat out
of the vehicle.
Installing the third row seat
Always latch the vehicle
seat to the floor, whether
the seat is occupied or empty. If
not latched, the seat may cause
injury during a sudden stop.
When reinstalling a rear
seat in your vehicle it must
be placed in its original position.
Improper installation of the seat
will prevent correct use of the
safety belts and could increase
the risk of injury. Refer to the
warning label on the seat belt.
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68

Before installing your third row
seat, ensure that the detachable
anchor tongues are stowed into the
floor and the loose belts are stored
out of the way. For proper
latching, ensure that the floor tubs
are clear of debris.
From the rear of the vehicle, with
the liftgate open:
1. With assistance, lift the seat into
the rear of the vehicle and guide
the seat positioners over the front
pins of the floor tubs.
2. Guide the positioners around
each pin and lower the seat.
²When the rear of the seat is
10±13 cm (4±5 in) above the
rear pins, let the seat drop. This
will ensure that the seat will
properly latch into the floor.
3. Locate the seat belt anchor
tongue in the plastic housing on
the floor.
4. Disconnect the detachable
anchor from its stowage location
and connect it to the anchor
tongue (making sure that the label
on the detachable anchor is
pointing toward the outside of the
vehicle (left side) and that the
belts are not twisted or jammed).
5. Insert the seat detachable
anchor into detachable anchor
tongue until you hear a ªclickº and
feel the latch engage.
6. Push up on the seat to verify
that it is latched into the floor.
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69

7. Verify that the safety belts can
move freely on either side of the
seat.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Safety restraints precautions
Always drive and ride with
your seatback upright and
the lap belt snug and low across
the hips.
To prevent the risk of
injury, make sure children
sit where they can be properly
restrained.
Never let a passenger hold
a child on his or her lap
while the vehicle is moving. The
passenger cannot protect the
child from injury in a collision.
All occupants of the
vehicle, including the
driver, should always wear their
safety belts.
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70

It is extremely dangerous
to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In
a collision, people riding in these
areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area
of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your
vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt 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. 1) Use the
shoulder belt on the outside
shoulder only. Never wear the
shoulder belt under the arm. 2)
Never swing it around your neck
over the inside shoulder. 3)
Never use a single belt for more
than one person.
Combination lap and shoulder
belts
1. To fasten, insert the tongue into
the slot in the buckle.
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71

2. To unfasten, push the red
release button and remove the
tongue from the buckle.
The front and rear outboard safety
restraints in the vehicle are
combination lap and shoulder
belts. The front and rear seat
passenger outboard safety belts
have two types of locking modes
described below:
Vehicle sensitive mode
The vehicle sensitive mode is the
normal retractor mode, allowing
free shoulder belt length
adjustment to your movements and
locking in response to vehicle
movement. For example, if the
driver brakes suddenly or turns a
corner sharply, or the vehicle
receives an impact of 8 km/h
(5 mph) or more, the combination
safety belts will lock to help
reduce forward movement of the
driver and passengers.
Automatic locking mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt is
automatically pre-locked. The belt
will still retract to remove any
slack in the shoulder belt.
The automatic locking mode is not
available on the driver safety belt.
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72