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Follow all the important safety restraint and air bag precautions that
apply to adult passengers in your vehicle.
If the shoulder belt portion of a combination lap and shoulder belt can be
positioned so it does not cross or rest in front of the child's face or neck,
the child should wear the lap and shoulder belt. Moving the child closer to
the center of the vehicle may help provide a good shoulder belt fit.
Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets unattended in
your vehicle.
To improve the fit of lap and shoulder belts on children who have
outgrown child safety seats, Ford recommends use of a belt-positioning
booster seat that is labelled as conforming to all applicable Federal motor
vehicle safety standards. Belt-positioning booster seats raise the child
and provide a shorter, firmer seating cushion that encourages safer
seating posture and better fit of lap and shoulder belts on the child.
A belt-positioning booster should be used if the shoulder belt rests in
front of the child's face or neck, or if the lap belt does not fit snugly on
both thighs, or if the thighs are too short to let the child sit all the way
back on the seat cushion when the lower legs hang over the edge of the
seat cushion. You may wish to discuss the special needs of your child
with your pediatrician.
SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
Child and infant or child safety seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the child.
Carefully follow all of the manufacturer's instructions 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.
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When installing a child safety seat:
²Review and follow the information
presented in theAir Bag
Supplemental Restraint System
section in this chapter.
²Use the correct safety belt buckle
for that seating position (the
buckle closest to the direction the
tongue is coming from).
²Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle until you hear a
snap and feel it latch. Make sure
the tongue is securely fastened in
the buckle.
²Keep 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.
²Place seat back in upright position.
²Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer toAutomatic
locking mode(passenger side front and outboard rear seating
positions) (if equipped).
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, refer toAttaching safety seats with tether straps.
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.
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Installing child safety seats in combination lap and shoulder belt
seating positions
1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
An air bag can kill or injure a child in a child seat. If you must
use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move seat all
the way back.
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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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.
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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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.
Tether anchorage hardware
Children should be placed in the rear in an appropriate child
safety seat that is properly secured to the vehicle.
When using forward-facing child safety seats in vehicles with
only two seating positions so the forward-facing child safety seat
cannot be placed in the rear of the vehicle, move the passenger seat as
far back from the instrument panel as possible.
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Rear-facing child seats or infant carriers should never be placed
in the front seats.
Front passenger seating position
The tether can be attached directly to the rear of the front seat.
1. Position the child safety seat on
the front right-hand passenger seat.
2. Adjust the front right-hand
passenger seat full forward.
3. Route the child safety seat tether
strap over the back of the front
right-hand passenger seat as shown.
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4. Clip the tether strap hook to the
seat pedestal to the location shown.
5. Adjust the front right hand
passenger seat to the full rearward
position.
6. Refer to the instructions in this section underInstalling child safety
seats in combination lap and shoulder belt seating positionsto
secure the child safety seat.
7. Tighten the child safety seat
tether strap according to the
manufacturer's instructions.
Second row bucket seats (Chateau Quads)
The tether strap can be attached
directly to the tether bracket
provided at the rear of the second
row left hand and right hand bucket
seats.
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1. Position the child safety seat on
the second row left hand or right
hand bucket seat.
2. Route the child safety tether
strap over the back of the left hand
or right hand second row bucket
seat as shown.
3. Clip the tether strap hook to the
seat pedestal at the location shown.
4. Refer to the instructions in this section underInstalling child safety
seats in combination lap and shoulder belt seating positionsto
secure the child safety seat.
5. Tighten the child safety seat tether strap according to the
manufacturer's instructions.
Second, Third and Fourth row three passenger bench seats
The tether strap can be attached
directly to the tether bracket
provided on rear rail of seat cushion
frame.
1. For second row 3±Passenger bench seat, place the child safety seat on
the left hand outboard position, the center position, or the right hand
outboard position as desired.
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