OPERATING TIPS
•To reduce fog build up on the windshield during humid weather, place
the air flow selector in the
position.
•To reduce humidity build up inside the vehicle: do not drive with the
air flow selector in the OFF or MAX A/C position.
•Under normal weather conditions, do not leave the air flow selector in
MAX A/C or OFF when the vehicle is parked. This allows the vehicle
to“breathe”using the outside air inlet vents.
•Do not put objects under the front seats that will interfere with the
airflow to the back seats.
•Remove any snow, ice or leaves from the air intake area at the base of
the windshield.
To aid in side window defogging/demisting in cold weather:
1. Select
2. Select A/C
3. Modulate the temperature control to maintain comfort.
4. Set the fan speed to HI
5. Direct the outer instrument panel vents towards the side windows
To increase airflow to the outer instrument panel vents, close the vents
located in the middle of the instrument panel.
Do not place objects on top of the instrument panel as these
objects may become projectiles in a collision or sudden stop.
Climate Controls
25
OPERATING TIPS
•To reduce fog build up on the windshield during humid weather, place
the air flow selector in the
position.
•To reduce humidity build up inside the vehicle: do not drive with the
air flow selector in the OFF or MAX A/C position.
•Under normal weather conditions, do not leave the air flow selector in
MAX A/C or OFF when the vehicle is parked. This allows the vehicle
to“breathe”using the outside air inlet vents.
•Do not put objects under the front seats that will interfere with the
airflow to the back seats.
•Remove any snow, ice or leaves from the air intake area at the base of
the windshield.
To aid in side window defogging/demisting in cold weather:
1. Select
2. Select A/C
3. Modulate the temperature control to maintain comfort.
4. Set the fan speed to HI
5. Direct the outer instrument panel vents towards the side windows
To increase airflow to the outer instrument panel vents, close the vents
located in the middle of the instrument panel.
Do not place objects on top of the instrument panel as these
objects may become projectiles in a collision or sudden stop.
REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER
The rear defroster control is located
on the instrument panel.
Press the rear defroster control to
clear the rear window of thin ice
and fog.
•A small LED will illuminate when
the rear defroster is activated.
R
Climate Controls
28
2. To unfasten, push the release
button and remove the tongue from
the buckle.
Energy management retractors
Your vehicle has a seat belt system equipped with energy management
retractors at the driver and front outboard passenger seating positions.
An energy management retractor is a device which pays out webbing in a
controlled manner. This feature is designed to help further reduce the
risk of force-related injuries to the occupant.
Seat belt systems equipped with an energy management retractor must
be replaced if they were in use during a frontal collision which resulted
in deployment of the frontal air bags. Refer to theSafety belt
maintenancesection in this chapter.
Vehicle sensitive mode
This is the normal retractor mode, which allows free shoulder belt length
adjustment to your movements and locking in response to vehicle
movement. For example, if the driver brakes 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.
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.
This mode should be usedany timea child safety seat is installed in the
vehicle. Children 12 years old and under should be properly restrained in
the rear seat whenever possible. Refer toSafety restraints for children
orSafety seats for childrenlater in this chapter.
Seating and Safety Restraints
83
To fasten the belt, pull the combination lap and shoulder belt from the
retractor so that the shoulder belt portion of the safety belt crosses your
shoulder and chest. Be sure the belt is not twisted. If the belt is twisted,
remove the twist. Insert the tongue into the proper buckle for your
seating position until you hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the
tongue is securely fastened to the buckle by pulling on the tongue.
The lap belt should fit snugly and as low as possible around the
hips, not across the waist.
Front and rear seat occupants, including pregnant women,
should wear safety belts for optimum protection in an accident.
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.
Due to folding rear seats, sometimes the buckles and tongues toward the
center of the vehicle may be hidden by the rear edge of the seat cushion.
Pull them out so they will be accessible.
While you are fastened in the seat belt, the shoulder belt adjusts to your
movement. However, if you brake hard, turn hard or your vehicle
receives an impact of 8 km/h (5 mph) or more, the safety belt will
become locked and help reduce your forward movement.
To unfasten the belt, push the red release button on the end of the
buckle. This allows the tongue to unlatch from the buckle. While the belt
retracts, guide the tongue to its original position to prevent it from
striking you or the vehicle.
Safety belt warning light and indicator chime
The safety belt warning light illuminates in the instrument cluster and a
chime sounds to remind the occupants to fasten their safety belts.
Seating and Safety Restraints
88
Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these
questions:
•Can the child sit all the way back
against the vehicle seat back with
knees bent comfortably at the
edge of the seat without
slouching?
•Does the lap belt rest low across the hips?
•Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
•Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
Types of booster seats
There are two types of belt-positioning booster seats:
•Those that are backless.
If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the
shield and use the lap/shoulder
belt. If a seating position has a
low seat back and no head
restraint, a backless booster seat
may place your child’s head (top
of ear level) above the top of the
seat. In this case, move the
backless booster to another
seating position with a higher seat back and lap/shoulder belts.
•Those with a high back.
If, with a backless booster seat,
you cannot find a seating position
that adequately supports your
child’s head, a high back booster
seat would be a better choice.
Both can be used in any vehicle in a seating position equipped with
lap/shoulder belts if your child is over 40 lbs.
Seating and Safety Restraints
102
8. Allow the safety belt to retract to
remove any slack in the belt.
9. Before placing the child in the
seat, forcibly move 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. 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.
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.
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
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.
Seating and Safety Restraints
107
Passenger compartment fuse panel
The fuse panel is located below and to the left of the steering wheel by
the brake pedal. Remove the panel cover to access the fuses.
To remove a fuse use the fuse puller tool provided on the fuse panel
cover.
The fuses are coded as follows.
Fuse/relay
locationFuse amp
ratingPassenger compartment fuse
panel description
1—Accessory delay relay
2—Driver one touch down relay
3—Blower motor relay
4—Flasher relay
5—Not used
6—Not used
7 40A Rear defrost grid feed (wagon
only)/Rear defrost relay coil feed
(sedan only)
8 40A Blower motor
9—Rear defrost relay
10 30A Circuit breaker: Power seats,
Delayed accessory, Adjustable
pedals
12
34
56
78
9
10
11 1213 14
15
16 1718
19 2021 22
2324
2526
27 2829
30
32 33
35
3637
38
39 40
41
42
PULL TAB
TO RELEASE SEE OWNERS MANUAL
CONSULTER LA GUIDE
Roadside Emergencies
133
WINDOWS AND WIPER BLADES
The windshield, rear window and wiper blades should be cleaned
regularly. If the wiper does not wipe properly, substances on the
windshield, rear window or the wiper blades may be the cause. These
may include hot wax treatments used by commercial car washes, tree
sap, or other organic contamination. To clean these items, please follow
these tips:
•The windshield or rear window may be cleaned with a non-abrasive
cleaner such as Motorcraft Ultra Clear Spray Glass Cleaner (ZC-23),
available from your dealer.
•Do not use abrasives, as they may cause scratches.
•Do not use fuel, kerosene, or paint thinner to clean any parts.
•Wiper blades can be cleaned with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol or
windshield washer solution. Be sure to replace wiper blades when they
appear worn or do not function properly.
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CLUSTER LENS
Clean the instrument panel with a damp cloth, then dry with a dry cloth.
•Avoid cleaners or polish that increase the gloss of the upper portion of
the instrument panel. The dull finish in this area helps protect the
driver from undesirable windshield reflection.
Do not use chemical solvents or strong detergents when cleaning
the steering wheel or instrument panel to avoid contamination of
the air bag system.
•Be certain to wash or wipe your hands clean if you have been in
contact with certain products such as insect repellent and suntan
lotion in order to avoid possible damage to the painted surfaces.
CLEANING SEATS EQUIPPED WITH SIDE AIR BAGS
Remove dust and loose dirt with a vacuum cleaner. In order to remove
stains and soil, clean with Extra Strength Upholstery Cleaner
(E8AZ-19523–AA).
Never saturate the seat covers with any cleaning solution.
Do not use chemical solvents or strong detergents when cleaning
the seat where the side air bag is mounted. Such products could
contaminate the side air bag system and affect performance of the side
air bag in a collision. The air bag may not function correctly and not
provide injury reduction benefits.
Cleaning
162