1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII lock

²Grasp the shoulder portion and
pull downward until the entire
belt is extracted.
²Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will hear a clicking
sound. This indicates the safety belt is now in the automatic locking
mode.
How to disengage the automatic locking mode
Disconnect the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it to retract
completely to disengage the automatic locking mode and activate the
vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode.
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.
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74

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.
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.
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82

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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85

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.
Installing a child safety seat in the center seating position with
adjustable lap belt
1. Lengthen the lap belt. To lengthen the belt, hold the tongue so that its
bottom is perpendicular to the direction of webbing while sliding the
tongue up the webbing.
2. Place the child safety seat in the center seating position.
3. Route the tongue and webbing through the child seat according to the
child seat manufacturer's instructions.
4. Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle for the center seating
position until you hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is
securely fastened to the buckle by pulling on tongue.
5. Push down on the child seat while pulling on the loose end of the lap
belt webbing to tighten the belt.
6. Before placing the child into the child seat, forcibly tilt the child seat
from side to side and in forward direction to make sure that the seat is
held securely in place. If the child seat moves excessively, repeat steps
5 through 6, or properly install the child seat in a different position.
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.
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86

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. They are 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.
1
3
2
4
5
Starting
91

BRAKES
Your brakes are self-adjusting. Refer to the ªService Guideº for scheduled
maintenance.
Occasional brake noise is normal and often does not indicate a
performance concern with the vehicle's brake system. In normal
operation, automotive brake systems may emit occasional or intermittent
squeal or groan noises when the brakes are applied. Such noises are
usually heard during the first few brake applications in the morning;
however, they may be heard at any time while braking and can be
aggravated by environmental conditions such as cold, heat, moisture,
road dust, salt or mud. If a ªmetal-to-metal,º ªcontinuous grindingº or
ªcontinuous squealº sound is present while braking, the brake linings
may be worn-out and should be inspected by a qualified service
technician.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
On vehicles equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), a noise
from the hydraulic pump motor and pulsation in the pedal may be
observed during ABS braking events. Pedal pulsation coupled with noise
while braking under panic conditions or on loose gravel, bumps, wet or
snowy roads is normal and indicates proper functioning of the vehicle's
anti-lock brake system. If the vehicle has continuous vibration or shudder
while braking, felt mainly in the steering wheel, the vehicle most likely
needs service.
The ABS operates by detecting the
onset of wheel lock up during brake
applications and compensating for
this tendency. The front wheels are
prevented from locking even when
the brakes are firmly applied. The
accompanying illustration depicts
the advantage of an ABS equipped
vehicle (on bottom) to a non-ABS
equipped vehicle (on top) during
hard braking.
Driving
93

TRACTION CONTROLY
Your vehicle is equipped with the Traction Controlysystem. This system
helps maintain the stability and steerability of your vehicle. It is
especially useful on slippery and/or hilly road surfaces. The system
operates at all speeds by detecting and controlling wheel spin. The
system borrows many of the electronic and mechanical elements already
present in the anti-lock braking system (ABS).
Wheel-speed sensors allow excess rear wheel spin to be detected by the
Traction Controlyportion of the ABS computer. Any excessive wheel
spin is controlled by automatically applying and releasing the rear brakes
in conjunction with engine torque reductions. Engine torque reduction is
realized via the fully electronic spark and fuel injection systems. This
process is very sensitive to driving conditions and very fast acting. The
rear wheels ªsearchº for optimum traction several times a second and
adjustments are made accordingly.
The Traction Controlysystem will allow your vehicle to make better use
of available traction on slippery surfaces. The system is a driver aid
which makes your vehicle easier to handle primarily on snow and ice
covered roads. This is especially evident if wheel spin-up should occur
while turning.
During Traction Controlyoperation you may hear an electric motor type
of sound coming from the engine compartment and the engine will not
ªrev-upº when you push further on the accelerator. This is normal
system behavior.
If you should become stuck in snow or on a very slippery road surface,
try switching the Traction Controlysystem off. This may allow excess
wheel spin to ªdigº the vehicle out or enable a successful ªrockingº
maneuver. Refer toMessage centerin theInstrumentationchapter.
If the Traction Controlysystem is cycled excessively, the brake portion
of the system will shut down to prevent the rear brakes from
overheating. A limited Traction Controlyfunction using only engine
torque reduction will still control wheels from over-spinning. When the
rear brakes have cooled down, the system will again function normally.
Anti-lock braking is not affected by this condition and will function
normally during the cool down period.
If the engine coolant temperature is below þ23ÉC (þ10ÉF) the engine
torque reduction portion of the Traction Controlysystem isNOTactive.
The system will operate normally when the engine coolant warms up.
Driving
96

AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
The air suspension system is designed to improve ride, handling and
general vehicle performance during:
²certain road conditions
²steering maneuvers
²braking
²accelerations
This system maintains the vehicle height at a constant level by
automatically adding air or releasing air from the air springs to offset
changes in vehicle loads.
The air suspension shut-off switch is
located in the trunk. If this switch is
in the OFF position, the automatic
leveling system will not operate.
On vehicles equipped with
Air Suspension, turn OFF
the Air Suspension switch prior to
jacking, hoisting or towing your
vehicle.
Normal vehicle operation does not
require any action by the driver.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OPERATION
Brake-shift interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a brake-shift interlock feature that prevents
the gearshift from being moved from P (Park) unless the brake pedal is
pressed.
If you cannot move the gearshift out of P (Park) with the brake pedal
depressed:
OFF
Driving
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