
Installing child safety seats in combination lap and shoulder belt
seating positions
Air bags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.NEVERplace 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.
1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in the rear
seat whenever possible.
2. Pull down on the shoulder belt
and then grasp the shoulder belt
and lap belt together.
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129

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 (the buckle closest to
the direction the tongue is coming
from) for that seating position until
you hear a snap 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.
6. Allow the belt to retract. The belt will click as it retracts to indicate it
is in the automatic locking mode.
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130

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 the 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.
Installing child safety seats in the lap belt seating positions
1. Lengthen the lap belt. To lengthen the belt, hold the tongue so that its
bottom is perpendicular to the direction of webbing while sliding the
tongue up the webbing.
2. Place the child safety seat in the center seating position.
3. Route the tongue and webbing through the child seat according to the
child seat manufacturer's instructions.
4. Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle for the center seating
position until you hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is
securely fastened to the buckle by pulling on tongue.
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131

5. Push down on the child seat while pulling on the loose end of the lap
belt webbing to tighten the belt.
6. Before placing the child into the child seat, forcibly tilt the child seat
from side to side and in forward direction to make sure that the seat is
held securely in place. If the child seat moves excessively, repeat steps 5
through 6, or properly install the child seat in a different position.
Attaching child safety seats with tether straps
Most new forward-facing child safety seats include a tether strap which
goes over the back of the seat and hooks to an anchoring point. Tether
straps are available as an accessory for many older safety seats. Contact
the manufacturer of your child seat for information about ordering a
tether strap.
The rear seats of your vehicle are equipped with built-in tether strap
anchors located behind the seats as described below.
The tether anchors in your vehicle are located under a cover marked
with the tether anchor symbol (shown with title).
The tether strap anchors in your
vehicle are in the following positions
(shown from top view):
Attach the tether strap only to the appropriate tether anchor as
shown. The tether strap may not work properly if attached
somewhere other than the correct tether anchor.
1. Position the child safety seat on the seat cushion.
2. Route the child safety seat tether strap over the back of the seat.
For vehicles with adjustable head restraints, route the tether strap under
the head restraint and between the head restraint posts, otherwise route
the tether strap over the top of the seatback.
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132

3. Locate the correct anchor for the
selected seating position.
4. Open the tether anchor cover.
5. Clip the tether strap to the
anchor as shown.
If the tether strap is clipped
incorrectly, the child safety
seat may not be retained properly
in the event of a collision.
6. Refer to theInstalling child
safety seats in combination lap and shoulder belt seating positions
section of this chapter for further instructions to secure the child safety
seat.
7. Tighten the child safety seat tether strap according to the
manufacturer's instructions.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child
being injured in a collision greatly increases.
Seating and safety restraints
133

A
Air bag supplemental restraint
system ........................................121
and child safety seats ............123
description ..............................121
disposal ....................................125
driver air bag ..........................123
indicator light ...................10, 125
operation .................................123
passenger air bag ...................123
Air cleaner filter ...............192, 220
Air conditioning ..........................29
automatic temperature
control system ..........................32
Air suspension ...........................142
description ..............................142
warning light .............................13
Antifreeze (see Engine
coolant) .....................................179
Anti-lock brake system
(see Brakes) ......................138±139
Audio system (see Radio) .........38
Automatic transmission
driving an automatic
overdrive .................................144
fluid, adding ............................187
fluid, checking ........................187
fluid, refill capacities ..............221
fluid, specification ..................224
Auxiliary power point ...........72, 88
Axle
lubricant specifications ..223±224
refill capacities ........................221
traction lok ..............................147B
Battery .......................................190
acid, treating emergencies .....190
charging system
warning light .............................13
jumping a disabled battery ....165
maintenance-free ....................190
replacement, specifications ...220
servicing ..................................190
voltage gauge ............................21
Belt minder ...............................117
Brakes ........................................138
anti-lock ...........................138±139
anti-lock brake system
(ABS) warning light .........12, 139
brake warning light ..................12
fluid, checking and adding ....178
fluid, refill capacities ..............221
fluid, specifications .........223±224
lubricant specifications ..223±224
pedals (see Power adjustable
foot pedals) ...............................71
shift interlock ..........................143
Break-in period .............................3
C
Capacities for refilling fluids ....221
Cassette tape player ...................57
CD changer .................................67
Certification Label ....................226
Child safety restraints ..............126
child safety belts ....................126
Child safety seats ......................127
attaching with tether straps ..132
in front seat ............................129
in rear seat ......................129, 131
Index
241

traction control active ..............14
turn signal indicator .................12
Load limits .................................147
GAWR ......................................147
GVWR ......................................147
trailer towing ..........................147
Locks
autolock .....................................91
childproof ..................................88
doors ..........................................87
Lubricant specifications ...223±224
Lumbar support, seats .............107
M
Message center ...........................22
reset button ..............................23
select button .............................23
Mirrors
automatic dimming rearview
mirror ........................................83
cleaning ...................................216
side view mirrors (power) .......88
Motorcraft parts ................203, 220
O
Octane rating ............................202
Odometer .....................................19
Oil (see Engine oil) ..................175
Overdrive .............................74, 145
P
Panic alarm feature, remote
entry system ................................93
Parking brake ............................139Parts (see Motorcraft parts) ....220
Passenger Occupant
Classification Sensor .................109
Pedals (see Power adjustable
foot pedals) .................................71
Power distribution box
(see Fuses) ...............................159
Power door locks ..................87, 91
Power steering ..........................142
fluid, checking and adding ....187
fluid, refill capacity ................221
fluid, specifications .........223±224
R
Radio ............................................38
Rear window defroster ...............38
Relays ................................156, 161
Remote entry system ...........89, 93
illuminated entry ......................93
locking/unlocking doors ...........90
opening the trunk .....................92
panic alarm ...............................93
replacement/additional
transmitters ...............................94
replacing the batteries .............93
S
Safety belts (see Safety
restraints) ............16, 107, 111±115
Safety defects, reporting ..........240
Safety restraints ........107, 111±115
belt minder .............................117
cleaning the safety belts .......120,
219
extension assembly ................116
for adults .........................112±114
Index
245

for children .....................125±126
lap belt ....................................115
Occupant Classification
Sensor ......................................109
warning light and
chime ...................11, 16, 116±117
Safety seats for children ..........127
Seat belts (see Safety
restraints) ..................................107
Seats ..........................................103
child safety seats ....................127
cleaning ...................................219
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ....................................95±97
Servicing your vehicle ..............172
Spark plugs,
specifications .............220, 224±225
Special notice ................................3
Specification chart,
lubricants ...........................223±224
Speed control ..............................75
Speedometer ...............................18
Starting your vehicle ........134, 136
jump starting ..........................165
Steering
speed sensitive .......................142
Steering wheel
tilting .........................................74
T
Tires ...........................161, 194±196
changing ..........................161±162
checking the pressure ............196
replacing ..................................197rotating ....................................196
snow tires and chains ............198
tire grades ...............................195
treadwear ................................195
Towing .......................................149
recreational towing .................151
trailer towing ..........................149
wrecker ....................................171
Traction control ..................72, 140
off light ......................................14
Traction-lok rear axle ...............147
Transmission .............................143
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................187
fluid, refill capacities ..............221
lubricant specifications ..223±224
Trip odometer .............................20
Trunk .........................................101
remote release ....................86, 92
Turn signal ............................12, 72
V
Vehicle dimensions ...................225
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................227
Vehicle loading ..........................147
Ventilating your vehicle ...........137
W
Warning chimes ...........................16
Warning lights (see Lights) .........8
Washer fluid ..............................179
Water, Driving through .............152
Index
246