2001 FORD MUSTANG child restraint

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 to
Seating 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

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 safety 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.
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77

Always transport children 12 years old and
under in the back seat and always properly
use appropriate child restraints.
Energy Management Feature
²This vehicle has a safety belt system with an
energy management feature at the front
passenger seating position to help further reduce
the risk of injury in the event of a head-on
collision.
²This safety 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 safety 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 safety belts should be
checked for proper function.
BELT AND RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MUST
BE REPLACED if the safety belt assembly
ªautomatic locking retractorº feature or any other
safety 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.
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78

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 safety belt system can also be made to lock
manually by quickly pulling on the shoulder belt.
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.
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80

²Grasp the shoulder
portion and pull
downward until the
entire belt is
extracted.
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.
After any vehicle collision, the front
passenger outboard seat belt system 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.
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The following are reasons most often given for not
wearing safety belts: (All statistics based on U.S. data)
Reasons
given...Consider...
ªCrashes are
rare eventsº
36 700 crashes occur every day.The
more we drive, the more we are exposed
to ªrareº events, even for good drivers.1
in 4 of us will be seriously injured in
a crash during our lifetime.
ªI'm not going
farº3of4fatal crashes occur within25
miles of home.
ªBelts are
uncomfortableºFord 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.
ªI was in a
hurryºPrime time for an accident.Belt
Minder reminds us to take a few
seconds to buckle up.
ªSeat belts
don't workºSafety belts,when used properly,
reduce risk of deathto front seat
occupants by45% in cars,and by60%
in light trucks.
ªTraffic is
lightºNearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in
single-vehicle crashes,many when no
other vehicles are around.
ªBelts wrinkle
my clothesºPossibly, but a serious crash can do
much more than wrinkle your clothes,
particularly if you are unbelted.
ªThe people
I'm with don't
wear beltsº
Set 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.
ªI have an air
bagºAir bags offer greater protection when
used with safety belts. Frontal airbags
are not designed to inflate in rear and
side crashes or rollovers.
ªI'd rather be
thrown clearºNot a good idea.Peoplewho are
ejected are 40 times more likely to
DIE.Safety belts help prevent ejection,
WE CAN'T ªPICK OUR CRASHº.
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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, tears or cuts. Replace 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), LATCH child seat
tether anchors and lower anchors (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.
Refer toCleaning and maintaining the safety
beltsin theMaintenacne and Caresection.
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87

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.
Do not put anything on or over the air bag
module. Placing objects on or over the air
bag inflation area may cause those objects to be
propelled by the air bag into your face and torso
causing serious injury.
Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify
the Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System
or its fuses. See your Ford or Lincoln Mercury
dealer.
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