2000 FORD EXCURSION child seat

The following warning may be required by California law:
CALIFORNIA Proposition 65 Warning
WARNING:Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and
certain vehicle components contain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. In addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or emit chemicals known
to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
ICONS
Indicates a safety alert. Read the
following section onWarnings.
Indicates vehicle information related
to recycling and other
environmental concerns will follow.
Correct vehicle usage and the
authorized disposal of waste
cleaning and lubrication materials are significant steps towards
protecting the environment.
Indicates a message regarding child
safety restraints. Refer toSeating
and safety restraintsfor more
information.
Indicates that this Owner Guide
contains information on this subject.
Please refer to the Index to locate
the appropriate section which will
provide you more information.
WARNINGS
Warnings provide information which may reduce the risk of personal
injury and prevent possible damage to others, your vehicle and its
equipment.
Introduction
2

These are some of the symbols you may see on your vehicle.
Vehicle Symbol Glossary
Safety Alert
See Owner's Guide
Fasten Safety BeltAir Bag-Front
Air Bag-SideChild Seat
Child Seat Installation
WarningChild Seat Tether
Anchorage
Brake SystemAnti-Lock Brake System
Brake Fluid -
Non-Petroleum BasedTraction Control
Master Lighting SwitchHazard Warning Flasher
Fog Lamps-FrontFuse Compartment
Fuel Pump ResetWindshield Wash/Wipe
Windshield
Defrost/DemistRear Window
Defrost/Demist
Power Windows
Front/RearPower Window Lockout
Introduction
4

2. Push up on the seat to verify that it is latched into the floor.
3. Verify that the safety belts can move freely on either side of the seat.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Safety restraints precautions
Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap
belt snug and low across the hips.
To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit where they
can be properly restrained.
Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from
injury in a collision.
All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when an air bag SRS is
provided.
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and
safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely
to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
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.
Seating and safety restraints
84

Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back
seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints.
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 passenger and rear seat
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
suddenly or turns a corner sharply, or the vehicle receives an impact of
approximately 8 km/h (5 mph) or more, the combination safety belts will
lock to help reduce forward movement of the driver and passengers.
The seat belt system can also be made to lock manually by quickly
pulling on the shoulder belt.
Seating and safety restraints
85

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
²Anytimea child safety seat is installed in a passenger front or
outboard rear seating position (if equipped). Children 12 years old and
under should be properly restrained in the rear seat whenever
possible. Refer toSafety Restraints for ChildrenorSafety 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.
Seating and safety restraints
86

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
Ford recommends that all safety belt assemblies and attaching
hardware should be inspected by a qualified technician after any
collision. Safety belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also
be inspected and replaced if either damage or improper operation is
noted.
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.
Energy Management Feature
²This vehicle has a seat belt system with an energy management
feature at the front outboard seating position to help further reduce
the risk of injury in the event of a head-on collision.
²The front outboard 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, all seat belts should be checked for
proper 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.
Failure to replace the Belt and Retractor assembly could
increase the risk of injury in collisions.
Seating and safety restraints
87

The purpose of the Belt Minder is to remind occasional wearers to wear
safety belts all of the time.
The following are reasons most often given for not wearing safety belts:
(All statistics based on U.S. data)
Reasons given... Consider...
9Crashes are rare
events936 700 crashes occur every day.The more we
drive, the more we are exposed to9rare9events,
even for good drivers.1 in 4 of us will be
seriously injured in a crash during our
lifetime.
9I'm not going far93of4fatal crashes occur within25miles of home.
9Belts are
uncomfortable9Ford designs its safety belts to enhance comfort. If
you are uncomfortable - try different positions for
the safety belt upper anchorage and seatback
which should be as upright as possible; this can
improve comfort.
9I was in a hurry9Prime time for an accident.Belt Minder reminds
us to take a few seconds to buckle up.
9Seat belts don't
work9Safety belts,when used properly,reduce risk of
deathto front seat occupants by45% in cars,
and by60% in light trucks.
9Traffic is light9Nearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in single-vehicle
crashes,many when no other vehicles are around.
9Belts wrinkle my
clothes9Possibly, but a serious crash can do much more
than wrinkle your clothes, particularly if you are
unbelted.
9The people I'm
with don't wear
belts9Set the example, teen deaths occur 4 times more
often in vehicles with TWO or MORE people.
Children and younger brothers/sisters imitate
behavior they see.
9I have an air bag9Air bags offer greater protection when used with
safety belts. Frontal airbags are not designed to
inflate in rear and side crashes or rollovers.
9I'd rather be
thrown clear9Not a good idea.Peoplewho areejected are 40
times more likely to DIE.Safety belts help
prevent ejection, WE CAN'T9PICK OUR CRASH9.
Seating and safety restraints
92

5. Buckle then unbuckle the safety belt three times, ending with the
safety belt unbuckled.
²After step 5 the safety belt warning light will be turned on for three
seconds.
6. Within seven seconds of the safety belt warning light turning off,
buckle then unbuckle the safety belt.
²This will disable Belt Minder if it is currently enabled, or enable Belt
Minder if it is currently disabled.
7. Confirmation of disabling Belt Minder is provided by flashing the
safety belt warning light four times per second for three seconds.
8. Confirmation of enabling Belt Minder is provided by flashing the safety
belt warning light four times per second for three seconds, followed by
three seconds with the safety belt warning light off, then followed by
flashing the safety belt warning light four times per second for three
seconds again.
9. After receiving confirmation, the deactivation/activation procedure is
complete.
Safety belt maintenance
Inspect the safety belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged. Inspect the safety belts to make sure
there are no nicks, wears or cuts, replacing if necessary. All safety belt
assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front seat belt buckle
assemblies, buckle support assemblies (slide bar-if equipped), shoulder
belt height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder belt guide on seatback (if
equipped), child safety seat tether bracket assemblies (if equipped), and
attaching hardware, should be inspected after a collision. Ford
recommends that all safety belt assemblies used in vehicles involved in a
collision be replaced. However, if the collision was minor and a qualified
technician finds that the belts do not show damage and continue to
operate properly, they do not need to be replaced. Safety belt assemblies
not in use during a collision should also be inspected and replaced if
either damage or improper operation is noted.
Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the safety belt
assembly under the above conditions could result in severe
personal injuries in the event of a collision.
Seating and safety restraints
94