2002 FORD EXPLORER Owners Manual

Folding down the second row seats
Ensure that the headrest is in the down position and no objects such as
books, purses or briefcases are on the floor in front of the second row
seats before folding them down.
Move front passenger seat forward so that the second row seat head rest
clears the front seat.
For assistance, refer to the label located on the lower position of the
opening.
1. Locate handle on the side of the
seat cushion by the door (40/20/40
seats are shown).
2. Pull the handle down and push
the seatback toward the front of the
vehicle.
3. Press down on the top outboard
area of the seatback until a click is
heard.
To return the seat to the upright
position:
1. Pull the handle down and lift the
seatback toward the rear of the
vehicle.
2. Rotate the seatback until you
hear a click, locking it in the upright
position.
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Adjusting the 2nd row seat for E-Z Entry
The E-Z Entry seat allows for easier entry and exit to and from the 3rd
row seat.
To enter the 3rd row seat:
1. Fold down the 2nd row seat.
2. Pull the handle up to release the
seat from the floor.
3. To return the seat to a seating
position, flip the seat into the
upright position.
4. Make sure the seat is latched to
the floor.
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To exit the 3rd row seat:
1. Fold down the 2nd row seat.
2. Pull the red access control lever
up releasing the seat from the floor
and rotate the seat up towards the
front seat.
Always latch the vehicle seat to the floor, whether the seat is
occupied or empty. If not latched, the seat may cause injury
during a sudden stop.
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Folding the middle 2nd row seat (If equipped)
1. Locate the lever on the side of
the seatback.
2. Pull the lever up and push the
seatback toward the front of the
vehicle.
3. Press down on the top outboard
area of the seatback until a click is
heard.
To return the seatback to the
upright position:
1. Pull the lever and lift the
seatback toward the rear of the
vehicle.
2. Rotate the seatback until you
hear a click, locking it in the upright
position.
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Third row seat (if equipped)
3rd row stow feature
The 3rd row seat has a tip/stow feature to increase cargo space without
removing the seat from the vehicle.
To put seat in stowed position:
1. Pull the seat release lever located
on top of the seatback while
pushing the seatback down onto the
seat cushion.
2. The seatback will latch into place.
3. Push the closeout panel forward
over the space between the seats.
To put seat in upright position:
1. Pull back the slider panel on the
seatback to release the closeout
panel.
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2. Pull the seat release lever located
on top of the seatback while lifting
the seatback into the upright
position.
3. The seatback will latch into place.
4. Return the 2nd row seats to the
upright position.
The third row seat is equipped with combination lap and shoulder belts
in both seating positions. For information on the proper operation of the
safety restraints, refer toSafety Restraintsin this chapter.
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.
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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.
Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back
seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints.
Energy Management Feature
The front outboard and rear safety restraints in the vehicle are
combination lap and shoulder belts. The front passenger and rear seat
safety belts have two types of locking modes.
²This vehicle has a seat belt system with an energy management
feature at the front outboard seating positions to help further reduce
the risk of injury in the event of a head-on collision.
²This 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 passenger
seating positions 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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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.
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.
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