1998 FORD EXPLORER Owners Manual

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.
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.
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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.
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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
A tethered seat can be installed in the front seat. Put the tether strap
over the seatback and attach it to a anchor bracket.
An anchor bracket can be installed on the rear edge of the front seat
cushion.
The provision (attaching hole) is provided in the rear edge of the front
passenger seat cushion frame. The anchorbracket must be installed using
the instructions provided with the kit.
Tether anchorage hardware kits (part number 613D74) including
instructions, may be obtained at no charge from any Ford or
Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
Tighten the anchor according to specifications. Otherwise, the
safety seat may not be properly secured and the child may be
injured in a sudden stop or collision.
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 standard. Read the labels
located on the child seat cushion and shoulder belt for information on
the built-in child seat.
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Use the built-in child seatonlyif the child is at least 9 months old,
weighs 9±29 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.
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.
The second row seatback must be fully locked before operating
the child restraint system. Check the position of the seatback
release lever.
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.
1. Grasp the strap and pull toward
you approximately 25 mm (1 inch),
then slide hand under the head
restraint and slide upwards to the
full position.
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2. Pull both Velcrotstraps to
release the child seat cushion.
3. Lower the child seat cushion.
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4. Unfold the cushion protector flap
onto adult seat cushion
5. If connected, disconnect the chest clip and buckles.
6. Place the child in the seat and
position the left shoulder belt over
the child's left shoulder first, then
place the right shoulder belt over
the child's right shoulder.
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7. Insert the left and right safety
belt tongues into the left and right
slots of the crotch buckle. Verify
that the indicator window on each
tongue is green to ensure proper
safety belt connections.
If both tongues do not latch in the buckle, do not use the child
seat. See your dealer for repairs.
8. Fasten the right and left chest
clip halves together and adjust the
clip to comfortably hold the
shoulder belts in place over the
child's chest.
The chest clip is designed to easily
pull apart in a collision. The clip
helps to keep belts snug on a
sleeping or squirming child.
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9. Pull on the safety belt tongues to
ensure that they are both securely
latched. If they are not properly
latched, repeat steps seven and
eight.
If necessary, the shoulder belt may be put in automatic locking mode
(ALR) to limit the child's movement in the seat. The ALR mode should
be used if the child is sleeping or attempting to get out of the seat.
If not placed in ALR mode, the child seat shoulder belts are in vehicle
sensitive (emergency locking) mode, which allow some movement of the
shoulder belts (like adult shoulder belts).
In emergency locking mode, the shoulder belts of the child seat will lock
in response to hard braking, hard cornering or if your vehicle is involved
in a collision with an impact of 8 km/h (5 m.p.h.) or more.
Activating the automatic locking mode (ALR) on the built-in child
safety seat
1. Fully extend the right shoulder belt.
2. Allow the belts to tighten snugly against the child's shoulders.
Deactivating the automatic locking mode (ALR) on the built-in
child safety seat
1. Disconnect the chest clip and remove the left and right safety belt
tongues from the crotch buckle.
2. Allow the shoulder belts to fully retract.
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