1998 Mercury Villager bench seat

Both tongues must be attached to their appropriate buckles
whenever someone is riding in that seating position, and when a
child safety seat has been installed.
When the two-passenger bench seat is removed from the vehicle,
you must detach the single window tongue from the auxiliary
buckle.
Third-row passengers must be very careful when exiting if the
auxiliary restraint system is being used by a second-row passenger.
It is important to step over the seat belt guide and belt
webbing to avoid tripping.
Unfastening the auxiliary safety restraint system
142

Using the Automatic Locking Mode Retractor to Secure
a Child Safety Seat
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual locking mode retractor on
the shoulder belt portion of the combination lap/shoulder safety
belt for the front passenger seat and rear outer seats. The
automatic locking modemust be usedwhen installing a child
seat or infant carrier in the front passenger seat or rear outer seats.
To install a child safety seat or infant carrier, follow these steps:
1. Position the child seat or infant carrier in the vehicle seat. If you
are using the moveable third row seat in the third row
position, the passenger side second row bucket seat, or the
front passenger seat, slide the seat to the rearmost position.
2. Follow the child seat or infant carrier manufacturer's
instructions. Route the safety belt through the child seat or
infant carrier and insert the safety belt tongue into the buckle
until you hear and feel the latch engage. Be sure to follow
the child safety seat manufacturer's instructions for belt
routing. When using the seating position near the sliding door
on the two-passenger bench seat, be sure that the single
window tongue is attached to the auxillary buckle on the side
of the seat.
156

Built-In Child Seats (If equipped)
The optional second row bench seat includes two built-in child
seats. These child restraints are to be used only by children who:
mare at least one year old
AND
mweigh between 10 and 27 kilograms (22 and 60 pounds)
AND
mwhose shoulders are below the shoulder harness slots
Children not meeting these requirements should be restrained
in an approved aftermarket child safety seat. Follow the specific
manufacturer's instructions for weight and height restrictions.
Children must be properly buckled before riding in the vehicle. It
is the law in every state and province. These child seats
conform to all Federal/Canadian motor vehicle safety standards.
168

WARNING
The second row seatback must be fully locked before
operating the child restraint system. Check the position of
the seatback release lever.
Second row bench built-in child seats
Seating and Safety Restraints
169

The removable and adjustable seats are a convenient feature of
your vehicle. Reading this chapter will help you learn about the
various ways the seats in your vehicle can be arranged to suit
your different needs.
Your vehicle is a five or seven-passenger vehicle. As a
seven-passenger vehicle, it will have either a two-passenger
bench seat or two second-row bucket seats and the sliding
three-passenger bench seat in the third row. Read the section that
describes the type of second-row seat in your vehicle. To make
your vehicle a five-passenger vehicle, remove the second-row seats.
NOTE: When adjusting or moving any of the seats in your
vehicle, do not use any of the buckles, tongues, or
safety belt webbing to carry or move the seats. Lifting
the seats by any of the safety restraint equipment
could decrease their effectiveness.
NOTE: Your vehicle has five different kinds of floor mats:
front seat mats, a cargo area mat, a sliding door area
mat, and second and third row passenger area mats.
Whenever you remove the mats to remove or adjust
any of the seats always remember that the mats must be
reinstalled before passengers ride in your vehicle.
The floor mats are specifically designed to keep objects
out of the seat tracks.
WARNING
It is important to replace the floor mats whenever they are
removed for any reason. The floor mats are intended to
help prevent the possibility that high-heeled shoes might
become stuck in the seat tracks. Failure to replace the
floor mats might result in personal injury.
Adjustable Rear Seating
177

NOTE: If your vehicle is equipped with the optional
two-passenger bench seat with built-in child seats, the
head restraints on the two-passenger bench seat are
not adjustable.
It is not necessary to remove the head restraints from the seats when
removing seats from the vehicle. However, you can remove the
head restraints by pressing the adjustment button at the base of the
head restraint and pulling the head restraint upward.
Remember to replace them when the seat is re-installed.
The adjustable head restraint
182

WARNING
The head restraints should be stored outside of the
vehicle (with the removed seat) to prevent them from
damaging the vehicle or injuring passengers in the case of
sudden braking or a collision.
Two-Passenger Bench Seat
NOTE: The two-passenger bench seat has a unique safety
restraint system. If your vehicle has the two-passenger
bench seat it is very important that the unique
safety belt system is used properly. Please read the
section in theSafety Restraintschapter that explains the
unique safety belt system and be sure you
understand it before anyone rides in the two-passenger
bench seat.
If your vehicle has the second row two-passenger bench seat, you
can remove it if you need extra cargo space. With the
second-row seat removed, the third-row bench seat can be moved
up to a second-row seating or storage position for additional
rear cargo area room.
To help prevent personal injury, at least two people are needed to
remove the seat.
Adjustable Rear Seating
183

Removing the Two-Passenger Bench Seat
1. Remove the floor mats. Lift the seatback release lever and fold
down the back of the seat to the fully folded position.
2. Detach the tongue from the auxiliary buckle on the sliding door
side of the seat.
3. Lift up on the floor latch levers near the front seat legs and
release the seat legs from each anchor position.
Seatback release lever location
184