2002 Mercury Mercury Cougar belt

The best fit can be obtained with a
child safety seat that has a base
wide enough to span the depression
of the rear seat so that it rests on
the highest part of the seat cushion.
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.
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.
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.
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107

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 strapsin this chapter.
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.
Installing child safety seats in combination lap and shoulder belt
seating positions
Ford recommends that you
properly secure children in
the rear seat whenever possible. If
you must use a forward-facing
child seat in the front seat, move
the passenger seat as far back
from the instrument panel as
possible. Never secure rear-facing
infant seats in the front seat.
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.
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108

2. Pull down on the shoulder belt
and then grasp the shoulder belt
and lap belt together.
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.
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109

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.
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. To check
this, grab the seat at the belt path
and attempt to move it side to side
and forward and back. There should
be no more than one inch of
movement for proper installation.
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.
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110

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 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.
Remove the cargo cover over the
luggage area from the vehicle. For
vehicles with moveable head
restraints, route the tether strap
under the head restraint posts if you
can. Otherwise, route the tether
strap over the top of the seatback.
3. Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position as shown
previously.
4. Clip the tether strap to the anchor.
5. Refer toInstalling child safety seats in combination lap and
shoulder beltsection of this chapter for further instructions to secure
the child safety seat.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child
being injured in a collision greatly increases.
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111

If you smell exhaust fumes inside your vehicle, have your dealer
inspect your vehicle immediately. Do not drive if you smell
exhaust fumes.
Important safety precautions
A computer system controls the engine's idle revolutions per minute
(RPM). When the engine starts, the idle RPM runs faster to warm the
engine. If the engine idle speed does not slow down automatically, have
the vehicle checked. Do not allow the vehicle to idle for more than 10
minutes at the higher RPM.
Before starting the vehicle:
1. Make sure all vehicle occupants have buckled their safety belts. For
more information on safety belts and their proper usage, refer to the
Seating and safety restraintschapter.
2. Make sure the headlamps and vehicle accessories are off.
3. Make sure the parking brake is
set.
If starting a vehicle with an
automatic transaxle:
²Make sure the gearshift is in P
(Park).
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113

²If the driver's safety belt is fastened, thelight may not illuminate.
Starting the engine
Note:Whenever you start your vehicle, release the key as soon as the
engine starts. Excessive cranking could damage the starter.
1. Turn the key to 4 (START)
without pressing the accelerator
pedal and release as soon as the
engine starts. The key will return to
3 (ON).
2. If the temperature is above ±12É
C (10É F) and the engine does not
start within five seconds on the first
try, turn the key to OFF, wait 10
seconds and try again.
3. If the temperature is below -12É C (10É F) and the engine does not
start in 15 seconds on the first try, turn the key OFF and wait 10
seconds and try again. If the engine does not start in two attempts, Press
the accelerator pedal all the way to floor and hold. Turn the key to
START position.
4. When the engine starts, release the key, then release the accelerator
pedal gradually as the engine speeds up.
5. After idling for a few seconds, apply the brake, shift into gear and
drive.
Using the engine block heater (if equipped)
An engine block heater warms the engine coolant, which improves
starting, warms up the engine faster and allows the heater-defroster
system to respond quickly. Use of an engine block heater is strongly
recommended if you live in a region where temperatures reach -23É C
(-10É F) or below.
For best results, plug the heater in at least three hours before starting
the vehicle. Using the heater for longer than three hours will not harm
the engine, so the heater can be plugged in the night before starting the
vehicle.
To prevent electrical shock, do not use your heater with
ungrounded electrical systems or two-pronged (cheater)
adapters.
Driving
115

Fuse/Relay
LocationFuse Amp
RatingPassenger Compartment Fuse
Panel Description
30 7.5A Engine management, Locking
system, Instrument cluster
31 7.5A Panel dimmer, License plate
lamps, Glove box lamp, Belt
minder module
32 Ð Not used
33 7.5A Left-side lamps
34 7.5A Power mirrors, Clock, Interior
lamps
35 7.5A Right-side lamps
36 15A Radio
37 30A Heater blower
38 7.5A Air bags
R12 Ð Courtesy lamps
R13 Ð Rear window defrost
R14 Ð Blower motor
R15 Ð Front wiper
R16 Ð Ignition
D2 Ð Reverse voltage protection
*Have these fuses replaced by your dealer or qualified technician.
Power distribution box
The power distribution box is located in the engine compartment. The
power distribution box contains high-current fuses that protect your
vehicle's main electrical systems from overloads.
Always disconnect the battery before servicing high current
fuses.
Always replace the cover to the power distribution box before
reconnecting the battery or refilling fluid reservoirs
If the battery has been disconnected and reconnected, refer to the
Batterysection of theMaintenance and specificationschapter.
Roadside Emergencies
139