2000 FORD CONTOUR ECU

Seating and safety restraints
98
Child seat interlock safety
feature
The interlock ensures that a child
is not placed in the integrated child
seat when the folding seatback is
not securely latched.
It prevents the seatback from being
unlatched while the child seat is in
use. When the child seat is
deployed, the seatback cannot be
released.
Built-in child seat retractors
The belts on built-in child seats are
equipped with a retractor. The
retractor will automatically snug
the belts around the child. If the
belts do not remain snug, take the
vehicle to your dealer or a qualified
technician for child seat repair. The
belts will not remain snug during a
collision if the retractor is not
functioning properly.
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Seating and safety restraints
99
1. Make sure that the seatback is
securely latched in place.
2. Grasp the child seat cushion and
pull the top forward to release the
latch. Continue to unfold the child
seat until it rests on the seat in the
fully open position.
Placing your child in the built-in
child seat
Failure to follow all of the
instructions on the use of
this child restraint system can
result in your child striking the
vehicleÕs interior during a sudden
stop or crash.
Never use the built-in child
seat as a booster cushion
with the adult safety belts. A child
using the adult belts could slide
forward and out from under the
safety belts.
The rear seatback must be
fully locked before operating
the child safety restraint system.
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Seating and safety restraints
103
Carefully follow all of the
manufacturer’s instructions
included with the safety seat you
put in your vehicle. If you do not
install and use the safety seat
properly, the child may be injured
in a sudden stop or collision.
Ford recommends the use of a
child safety seat having a top tether
strap. Install the child safety seat in
a seating position which is capable
of providing a tether anchorage.
For more information on top tether
straps see Child safety seat tether
belt anchorin this chapter.
When installing a child safety seat:
• Use the correct safety belt
buckle for that seating postion.
• Make sure the tongue is securely
fastened in the buckle.
• Keep the buckle release button
pointing up and away from the
safety seat, with the tongue
between the child seat and the
release button, to prevent
accidental unbuckling.
• Put the safety belt in the
automatic locking mode. Refer to
Using automatic locking modein
this chapter. Child safety seats
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Seating and safety restraints
104Child safety seat tether belt
anchor
All vehicles include a tether
anchorage hardware kit for use
with child safety seats. Some
manufacturers make child safety
seats with a tether strap that goes
over the back of the vehicle seat
and attaches to an anchoring point
behind the vehicle seat.
Attachment holes (at each rear
seating position) have been
provided in your vehicle to attach
the anchorage hardware, if
required. Additional kits can be
obtained at no charge from any
authorized Ford dealer.
(Installations instructions are
included in the kit.)
2. Pull down on the shoulder belt
and then grasp the shoulder belt
and lap belt together. Installing 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.
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.
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Seating and safety restraints
105 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.
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.
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.
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Seating and safety restraints
1066. 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.
8. 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.
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Driving
118Parking brake
To engage the parking brake:
Pull the handle upward.
To release the parking brake:
1. Press and hold the release
button.
2. Push handle downward to the off
position.
Always set the parking brake
fully and make sure that the
gearshift is securely latched in P
(Park) (automatic transaxle) or in
1 (first) (manual transaxle).
To prevent personal injury,
do not release the parking
brake while outside the vehicle.
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Driving
122
Overriding the brake-shift
interlock feature
If it is necessary to use this
procedure to move the gearshift
lever, it is possible that a fuse has
blown and the vehicle’s brakelamps
may not be working. Refer to
Fuses
and relaysin the Roadside
emergencieschapter.
If you cannot move the gearshift
lever from P (Park) with the brake
pedal depressed:
1. Turn the ignition off and remove
the ignition key.
2. Apply the parking brake and the
brake pedal.
3. Insert a screwdriver or similar
item about 5 cm (2 inches) into the
square opening to the right of the
gearshift at the base of the console.
4. Rotate the screwdriver point
rearward.
5. Push and hold the thumb button
and move the gearshift.
6. Remove the screwdriver when
the gearshift moves from the P
(Park) position.
The console-mounted gearshift will
lock when you turn the key to the
lock position. When the gearshift is
in any position except P (Park),
the ignition key cannot be turned
to lock or removed from the
steering column. To remove the
key, the gearshift lever must be in
P (Park).Once the gearshift is secure in the
desired position, release the brake
pedal and use the accelerator as
necessary.
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