2000 FORD WINDSTAR child seat

The following warning may be required by California law:
CALIFORNIA Proposition 65 Warning
Engine exhaust, some if its constituents, and certain vehicle
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer, or 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.
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

lever is located in the inside of the sliding door, on the front edge of the
door. Lift the control up to engage the child lock.
If you have the optional power sliding door, disable the power sliding
door by pushing the ON/OFF control in the overhead console to the OFF
position. The power sliding door cannot be opened from the rear seat
when both this feature and the child lock are engaged.
If you want to open the sliding door when the child safety lock is on:
²Unlock the sliding door and open the door from the outside.
²If you have the optional power sliding door, press the right or left
hand control on the overhead console to open the door.
CENTER CONSOLE (IF EQUIPPED)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a variety of console features. These
include:
²Utility compartment
²Compact disc changer (if equipped)
Rear seat entertainment system (if equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a Rear Seat Entertainment System.
This system offers the rear passengers a VHS video cassette player, a
6.4º LCD video screen, video game inputs and is integrated into the
vehicle audio system. Refer to the Rear Seat Entertainment User Manual
for operating instructions or call 1-800-367-3333 for product assistance.
POSITIVE RETENTION FLOOR MAT (IF EQUIPPED)
To install floor mats that have a retention post:
Position the floor mat so that the
eyelet is over the pointed end of the
retention post and rotate forward to
lock in. Make sure that the mat does
not interfere with the operation of
the accelerator or the brake pedal.
To remove the floor mat, reverse the
installation procedure.
Controls and features
104

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
130

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 and rear seat passenger
outboard safety belts have locking cinch tongues described below:
Safety belts with locking cinch tongue
The locking cinch tongue will slide up and down the belt webbing when
the belt is in the stowed position or while putting seat belts on. When
the locking cinch tongue of the lap/shoulder combination seat belt is
latched into the buckle, the cinch tongue will allow the lap portion to
become shorter, but locks the webbing in place to restrict it from
becoming longer.
Seating and safety restraints
131

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.
Do not sit on top of a buckled safety belt to avoid the Belt
Minder chime. Sitting on the safety belt will increase risk of
injury in an accident. To disable (one-time) or deactivate the Belt
Minder feature please follow the directions stated below.
Seating and safety restraints
137

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), 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,
except as described in theReplacing the second row bench seat belt
assemblies after a collisionsection of this chapter. 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.
Refer toCleaning and maintaining the safety beltsin the
Maintenance and caresection.
Seating and safety restraints
139

Important supplemental restraint system (SRS) precautions
The supplemental restraint system
is designed to work with the safety
belt to help protect the driver and
right front passenger from certain
upper body injuries.
Air bags DO NOT inflate slowly or
gently and the risk of injury from a
deploying air bag is greatest close to
the trim covering the air bag
module.
All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when an air bag SRS is
provided.
Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back
seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
recommends a minimum distance of at least 25 cm (10 inches)
between an occupant's chest and the driver air bag module.
Never place your arm over the air bag module as a deploying air
bag can result in serious arm fractures or other injuries.
Steps you can take to properly position yourself away from the air bag:
²Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
²Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees) from the upright
position.
Seating and safety restraints
141