1999 Mercury Sable lock

If the programming procedure was successful, the
new SecuriLockykey(s) will start the vehicle's
engine. The theft indicator (located on the
instrument cluster) will light for three seconds and
then go out.
If the programming procedure was not successful,
the new SecuriLockykey(s) will not operate the
vehicle's engine. The theft indicator will flash on and
off. Wait at least one minute and then repeat the
procedure from step 1. If failure repeats, bring your
vehicle to your dealership to have the spare
SecuriLockykey(s) programmed.
Controls and features
69

3rd seat (wagon only)
The third seat faces the rear of the vehicle. For
height and weight limits, see the label on the seat
cushion. When the seat is down, the back of your
wagon has a flat surface for carrying cargo.
To open up the seat:
1. Unlock the floor
panel with the key,
then use the handle to
fold the floor panel
toward the front of the
car.
2. Remove the cargo
cover. The cargo cover
must be removed or
the seatback will not
latch in the upright
position.
3. Lift the remote latch
release on the left side
of the compartment
and fold the remaining
floor panel until it
latches. Make sure the
seatback is locked in
the upright position.
To close the seat, make sure the safety belts are
properly stowed, then lift the remote latch release
and push the seat down until it latches. Pull up on
the handle and push the floor panel into place.
Seating and safety restraints
73

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 the safety belt
around your neck over the inside shoulder. 3)
Never use a single belt for more than one person.
Combination lap and shoulder belts
1. Insert the belt
tongue into the proper
buckle (the buckle
closest to the direction
the tongue is coming
from) until you hear a
snap and feel it latch.
Make sure the tongue
is securely fastened in
the buckle.
2. To unfasten, push
the release button and
remove the tongue
from the buckle.
The front and rear outboard safety restraints in the
vehicle are combination lap and shoulder belts. The
front and rear seat passenger outboard safety belts
have two types of locking modes described below:
Vehicle sensitive mode
The vehicle sensitive mode is the normal retractor
mode, allowing free shoulder belt length adjustment
to your movements and locking in response to
vehicle movement. For example, if the driver brakes
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75

suddenly or turns a corner sharply, or the vehicle
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 toSafety Restraints for Children
orSafety Seats for Childrenlater in this chapter.
How to use the automatic locking mode
²Buckle the
combination lap and
shoulder belt.
²Grasp the shoulder
portion and pull
downward until the
entire belt is
extracted.
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76

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.
²This vehicle has a seat belt system with an energy
management feature at the front seating positions
to help further reduce the risk of injury in the
event of a head-on collision.
²This seat belt system has a retractor assembly
that is designed to pay out webbing in a
controlled manner. This feature is designed to
help reduce the belt force acting on the
occupant's chest.
After any vehicle collision, the seat belt
system at all outboard seating positions
(except driver, which has no ªautomatic locking
retractorº feature) must be checked by a qualified
technician to verify that the ªautomatic locking
retractorº feature for child seats is still functioning
properly, in addition to other checks for proper
seat belt system function.
BELT AND RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MUST
BE REPLACED if the seat belt assembly
ªautomatic locking retractorº feature or any other
seat belt function is not operating properly when
checked according to the procedures in Workshop
Manual.
Seating and safety restraints
77

Failure to replace the Belt and Retractor
assembly could increase the risk of injury in
collisions.
Front safety belt height adjustment
Your vehicle has safety
belt height adjustments
for the driver and front
passenger. Adjust the
height of the shoulder
belt so the belt rests
across the middle of
your shoulder.
To lower the shoulder belt height, push the button
and slide the height control down. To raise the
height of the shoulder belt, slide the height adjuster
up. Pull down on the height adjustment assembly to
make sure it is locked in place.
Position the shoulder belt height adjuster so
that the belt rests across the middle of your
shoulder. Failure to adjust the safety belt properly
could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt
and increase the risk of injury in a collision.
Center rear lap belt (sedan)
The safety belt in the center rear seating position
has a detachable shoulder belt and does not contain
the automatic locking mode (ALR).
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78

Shorten and fasten the
belt when not in use.
Safety belts for rear-facing occupants
(wagon only)
Never use child safety seats in the third seat
of a wagon.
Your vehicle is equipped with safety belts containing
an adjust tongue at the rear-facing seating positions.
When the adjust tongue of the lap/shoulder
combination seat belt is latched into the buckle, the
tongue will allow the lap portion to become shorter,
but locks the webbing in place to restrict it from
becoming longer.
Before you reach and latch a combination lap and
shoulder belt having an adjust tongue into the
buckle, you may have to lengthen the lap belt
portion of it. To lengthen the lap belt, pull some
webbing out of the shoulder belt retractor. While
holding the webbing below the tongue, grasp the
tongue so that it is parallel to the webbing and slide
the tongue upward. Provide enough length so that
the tongue can reach the buckle.
To fasten the belt, pull the combination lap and
shoulder belt from the retractor so that the shoulder
belt portion of the safety belt crosses your shoulder
and chest. Be sure the belt is not twisted. If the belt
is twisted, remove the twist. Insert the tongue into
the proper buckle for your seating position until you
hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue
is securely fastened to the buckle by pulling on the
tongue.
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80

The lap belts should fit snugly and as low as
possible around the hips, not around the
waist.
Front and rear seat occupants, including
pregnant women, should wear safety belts
for optimum protection in an accident.
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 the safety belt
around your neck over the inside shoulder. 3)
Never use a single belt for more than one person.
Due to folding rear seats, sometimes the buckles and
tongues toward the center of the vehicle may be
hidden by the rear edge of the seat cushion. Pull
them out so they will be accessible.
While you are fastened in the seat belt, the shoulder
belt adjusts to your movement. However, if you
brake hard, turn hard or your vehicle receives an
impact of 8 km/h (5 mph) or more, the safety belt
will become locked and help reduce your forward
movement.
To unfasten the belt, push the red release button on
the end of the buckle. This allows the tongue to
unlatch from the buckle. While the belt retracts,
guide the tongue to its original position to prevent it
from striking you or the vehicle.
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81