2000 FORD CONTOUR child seat

Introduction
4Vehicle symbol glossary
These are some of the symbols you
may have on your vehicle.
Safety Alert
Fasten Safety Belt
Airbag - Side
Child Seat Installation
Warning
Brake System
Brake Fluid -
Non-Petroleum Based
Master Lighting Switch
Fog Lamps - Front
Fuel Pump Reset
Windshield Defrost/Demist
Power Windows
Front/Rear
See Owner’s Guide
Airbag - Front
Child Seat
Child Seat Tether
Anchorage
Anti-Lock Brake System
Traction Control
Hazard Warning Flasher
Fuse Compartment
Windshield Wash/Wipe
Rear Window
Defrost/Demist
Power Window Lockout
11CIten 17.6.99 10:37 Uhr Seite 4

Controls and features
66
PULL
Remote luggage compartment
control
Pull the control located on the left
of the driver seat to open the
luggage compartment.
FLOOR MOUNTED CONTROLS
Parking brake
For information on the parking
brake, refer to Preparing to start
the vehicle in the Starting
chapter.
Interior luggage compartment
release
Your vehicle is equipped with a
mechanical interior luggage
compartment release handle that
provides a means of escape for
children and adults in the event
they become locked inside the
luggage compartment.
Adults are advised to familiarize
themselves with the operation and
location of the release handle.
To open the luggage compartment
door (lid) from the inside, pull the
illuminated “T” shaped handle. The
material the handle is made of will
glow for hours in the darkness of
the luggage compartment following
brief exposure to ambient light.
The “T” shaped handle will be
located either on the luggage
compartment door (lid) or inside
the luggage compartment near the
tail lamps.
13CCfen 17.6.99 10:53 Uhr Seite 66

Seating and safety restraints
76
Folding rear seats (if equipped)
Pull the release knob located in the
luggage compartment. Fold down
the seat. The seat back cannot be
released while the built-in child
seat (if equipped) is open.
If you are carrying objects that
might damage the center rear
three-point safety belt, you can
unbuckle the end of the belt from
the small buckle on the seat
cushion and let the retractor reel it
up. Reconnect the belt tongue to
the buckle when you fold the seat
back up. Refer to
Center position
three-point safety beltsin this
chapter.
To raise the rear seat back, push
the seat back upward until it locks
in place. Make sure it is firmly
latched by pushing forward and
back on it.
Check to see that the seat
and seat back are latched
securely in position. Keep luggage
area free of objects that would
prevent proper engagement.
14CSSen 17.6.99 10:59 Uhr Seite 76

Seating and safety restraints
77
Important safety restraints
precautions
The use of safety belts helps to
restrain both driver and passenger
in case of a collision. In most states
and Canada, the law requires the
use of safety belts.
Always drive and ride with
your seatback upright and
the lap belt snug and low across
the hips.
Lock the doors of your
vehicle before driving to
lessen the risk of the door coming
open in a collision.
Cargo should always be
secured to prevent it from
shifting and causing damage to the
vehicle or harm to passengers.
To prevent the risk of injury,
make sure children sit where
they can be properly restrained.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Front and rear seat
occupants including
pregnant women, should wear
safety belts for optimum
protection in an accident.
Always transport children 12
years old and under in the
back seat and always use
appropriate child restraints.
14CSSen 17.6.99 10:59 Uhr Seite 77

Seating and safety restraints
79 Automatic locking mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt is
automatically prelocked; however,
the belt will react to remove any
slack in the shoulder belt.
The automatic locking mode is not
available on the driver’s safety belt.
When to use the automatic
locking mode
• When a tight lap and shoulder
belt fit is desired.
• Any time a child safety seat is
installed in the vehicle. For
information on the proper use of a
child safety seat, refer to Child
safety seatslater in this chapter.
Vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode
The vehicle sensitive mode is the
normal retractor mode which locks
the belts in response to vehicle
movement. For example, if the
driver brakes suddenly, turns a
corner sharply or your vehicle
receives an impact of 8 km/h
(5 mph) or more the combination
safety belts will lock to help reduce
the forward movement of the
driver and passengers.
The retractor can be made to lock
by pulling sharply on the belt.
14CSSen 17.6.99 10:59 Uhr Seite 79

Seating and safety restraints
80Using automatic locking mode
The automatic locking mode must
be used when installing a child
safety seat in any passenger seat.
1. Buckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder belt portion
and pull downward until the entire
belt is extracted.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the
belt retracts, you will hear a
clicking sound. This indicates that
the safety belt is now in the
automatic locking mode.
Canceling automatic locking
mode
Disconnect the combination lap
and shoulder belt and allow it to
completely retract. This will cancel
the automatic locking mode and
activate the vehicle sensitive
(emergency) locking mode.
14CSSen 17.6.99 10:59 Uhr Seite 80

Seating and safety restraints
87 Important supplemental
restraint system (SRS)
precautions
The supplemental restraint system
(SRS) is designed to work with the
safety belt to help protect the
driver and right front passenger
from certain upper body injuries.
AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
MIRRORS
OFF LO PNL/FLR
PANEL
A/CFLOOR
DEF FLR
DEF
MAX
A/C HI/
POWER AUDIO AM/FM
SCAN
SEEK 31245ANSSIDE 1-2EJECTVOLUME
000123000010 20 3040506070
80
90
10 0
110
120
13 0MPH20 406055
80120 10 0
14 0
160
18 0
200EF12
03x 1000
4
5
6
7
8BRAKE
CHECK
ENGINEO/D
OFF
CLOCK
TRACTION
TROLCH
Always transport children
12 years old and under in
the back seat and always use
appropriate child restraints.
All occupants of the vehicle
including the driver should
always properly wear their safety
belts even when air bag SRS is
provided.
NHTSA recommends a
minimum distance of at least
25 cm (ten [10] inches) between
an occupant’s chest and the air
bag module.
14CSSen 17.6.99 11:00 Uhr Seite 87

Seating and safety restraints
88
Do not attempt to service,
repair, or modify the air bag
Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) or its fuses. See your Ford
or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
Air bags can kill or injure a
child in a child seat.
NEVER
place a rear-facing child seat in
front of an active air bag. If you
must use a forward facing child
seat in the front seat, move the
seat all the way back.
Children and air bags
For additional important safety
information, read all information on
safety restraints in this guide.
Children should always wear safety
belts. Failure to follow these
instructions may increase the risk
of injury in a collision.
Do not put anything on or
over the air bag module.
Placing objects on or over the air
bag inflation area may cause those
objects to be propelled by the air
bag into your face and torso
causing serious injury.
Never place your arm over
the air bag module as a
deploying air bag can result in
serious arm fractures or other
injuries.
14CSSen 17.6.99 11:00 Uhr Seite 88