1998 Mercury Villager seats

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

The automatic locking mode is activated whenever all of the belt
webbing is pulled out of the retractor.
While in this mode, the belt will retract or tighten but cannot be
pulled back out to obtain more length. To disengage the
automatic locking mode, unbuckle the belt and allow the webbing
to retract fully.
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.
All vehicles built for sale in Canada include tether anchor
hardware for use with Canadian child safety seats. The tether
anchor hardware is located in the tire changing tool kit. Additional
tether anchor hardware can be obtained at no charge from any
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
Vehicles built for sale in the USAdo notinclude tether anchor
hardware, but it can be obtained at no charge from any Ford or
Lincoln-Mercury dealer (Part number F3XY-12613D20-A).
160

Tethering to floor anchor
Ford recommends placing tethered safety seats in a rear seating
position with the tether strap attached to the tether anchor bolt as
shown in the following illustration.
To gain access to the anchoring bolt, cut through the plastic
along the U-shaped tether location outlines on the carpet of the
luggage area. Remove the bolt that is currently in the anchor
location. The tether anchor hardware has been preassembled.
To attach it, orient the tab in the bracket toward the front of the
vehicle and securely tighten the bolt. Follow the child safety
seat directions for attaching the tether strap to the anchor bracket.
Tether anchor point locations
162

Safety Belts for Children
Children who are too large for child safety seats should always
wear safety belts. (See instructions with your child seat, or contact
its manufacturer, to determine maximum size of a child that
will fit safely in the safety seat.)
WARNING
If safety belts are not properly worn and adjusted as
described, the risk of serious injury to the child in a
collision will be much greater.
166

WARNING
If the shoulder belt portion of one of the lap/shoulder
belts can be positioned so that it does not cross or rest in
front of the child's face or neck, the child should wear
the lap/shoulder belt. Moving the child closer to the center
of the vehicle may help provide a good shoulder belt
fit.
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 specific
needs of your child with your pediatrician.
WARNING
Do not use a belt-positioning booster with a lap-only belt.
WARNING
The lap belt portion of combination lap/shoulder belts
should always be worn snugly and below the hips, touching
the child's thighs.
Seating and Safety Restraints
167

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