1998 Mercury Mystique belt

Seating and safety restraints
72
AIRBAGInstalling child safety seats in
combination lap and shoulder
belt seat positions
1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
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.
When using forward-facing
child seats move the
passenger seat as far back from
the instrument panel as possible.
Never secure rear-facing infant
seats in the front seat.
CDW IIID Seat en MM 5/15/97 7:48 PM Page 72

Seating and safety restraints
73 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. 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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Seating and safety restraints
748. 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 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 their tether
strap as an accessory. Contact the
manufacturer of your child safety
seat for information about ordering
a tether strap.
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Seating and safety restraints
75 To install a tether from a child
safety seat in the front seat, route
the tether strap under the vehicle
seat head restraint and hook the
tether hook into the hole in the
tongue of the center rear lap belt.
After the hook is in the hole, pull
on the loose end of the lap belt
webbing to shorten the belt and
tighten the tether strap.
To install a tethered child safety
seat in the rear seat, you will need
tether anchor hardware.
Tether anchor hardware
Tether anchor 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.
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.
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Starting
79
PREPARING TO START THE
VEHICLE
Engine starting is controlled by the
spark ignition system. This system
meets all Canadian Interference-
Causing Equipment standard
requirements regulating the
impulse electrical field strength of
radio noise.
When starting a fuel-injected
engine, avoid pressing the
accelerator pedal before or during
starting. Only use the accelerator
pedal when you have difficulty
starting the engine. For more
information on starting the vehicle,
refer to Starting the enginein this
chapter.
Before starting the vehicle:
1. Make sure all vehicle occupants
have buckled their safety belts. For
more information on safety belts
and their proper usage, refer to the
Seating and safety restraints
chapter.
2. Make sure the headlamps and
vehicle accessories are off.
CDW IVA1_2 Starting en MM 5/15/97 7:50 PM Page 79

Starting
81 3. Turn the key to the onposition
(without turning the key to start).
Make sure the following lights
illuminate briefly. If a light fails to
illuminate, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer or a
qualified service technician.
•If the driver’s safety belt is
fastened the warning light does
not illuminate.
BRAKE
CHECK
ENGINE
CDW IVA1_2 Starting en MM 5/15/97 7:50 PM Page 81

Driving
99
It is extremly 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.
Driving with a heavy load
The total weight of the vehicle plus
the total weight of passengers and
cargo should never exceed the
GVWR.
The weight that the vehicle carries
over the front and rear axles
should never exceed the GAWR for
the respective axle.
The weight limits of your vehicle’s
tires affect the GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Using tires with higher
weight limits than the original tires
will not increase the GVWR or
GAWR of your vehicle; using tires
with lower weight limits may lower
the GVWR or GAWR of your
vehicle.
CDW IVB1-10Driving en MM 5/15/97 7:51 PM Page 99

Roadside emergencies
124If towing is necessary, it is
recommended that your vehicle be
towed with a wheel lift or flatbed
equipment. Do not tow with
slingbelt equipment. Ford Motor
Company has not developed or
approved a T-hook or slingbelt
towing procedure.
TOWING YOUR VEHICLE
BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE
Before you have your vehicle
towed:
•release the parking brake,
•move the gearshift to N
(Neutral),
•turn the ignition to the off
position and
•unlock the steering wheel.
Do not tow your vehicle at a speed
faster than 55 km/h (35 mph) or
for a distance greater than 80 km
(55 miles) unless the drive wheels
are placed on dollies. WRECKER TOWING
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