1998 Mercury Mountaineer seats

hot and full cold positions, the
air distributed through the floor
ducts will be slightly warmer
than the air sent to the
windshield defroster ducts. If
the temperature is about 10ÉC
(50ÉF) or higher, the air
conditioner will automatically
dehumidify the air to prevent
fogging.
²
-Distributes outside air
through the windshield defroster
ducts. It can be used to clear ice
or fog from the windshield. If
the temperature is about 10ÉC
(50ÉF) or higher, the air
conditioner will automatically
dehumidify the air to prevent
fogging.
Operating tips
²In humid weather, select
before driving. This will
prevent your windshield from
fogging. After a few minutes,
select any desired position.
²To prevent humidity buildup
inside the vehicle, don't drive
with the climate control system
in the OFF position.
²Don't put objects under the
front seat that will interfere with
the airflow to the back seats.
Controls and features
21

SEATING
Head restraints
Push or pull the head rests to the
desired position.
Front seats
Never adjust the driver's
seat or seatback when the
vehicle is moving.
Do not pile cargo higher
than the seatbacks to
avoid injuring people in a
collision or sudden stop.
Always drive and ride with
your seatback upright and
the lap belt snug and low across
the hips.
Seating and safety restraints
62

REAR SEATS
Head restraints
Push or pull the head rests to the
desired position.
Folding rear seats (if equipped)
If your vehicle is equipped with a
built-in child seat, the seatback
cannot be folded down unless the
built-in child seat is fully stowed.
1. Press the lower release control
downward to unlatch the seatback.
2. Rotate the seatback downward
into the load floor position.
3. Press down on the top outboard
area of the seatback until a click is
heard. The seat is now latched in
the floor position.
PUSH
PUSH
Seating and safety restraints
65

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.
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.
Seating and safety restraints
67

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.
When to use the automatic
locking mode
²When a tight lap/shoulder fit is
desired.
²Anytimea child safety seat is
installed in the vehicle. Refer to
Safety Restraints for Children
orSafety Seats for Children
later in this chapter.
How to use the automatic
locking mode
²Buckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt.
Seating and safety restraints
69

younger and who weigh 18 kg
[40 lbs] or less), you must put
them in safety seats made
especially for children. Check your
local and state or provincial laws
for specific requirements regarding
the safety of children in your
vehicle.
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.
Always follow the instructions and
warnings that come with any infant
or child restraint you might use.
When possible, place children in
the rear seat of your vehicle.
Accident statistics suggest that
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating
position.
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
Seating and safety restraints
79

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. 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
Seating and safety restraints
80

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
Seating and safety restraints
81