2003 Mercury Marauder child restraint

When installing a child safety seat:
²Review and follow the information
presented in theAir bag
supplemental restraint system
(SRS) 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) section in this chapter.
Ford recommends the use of a child safety seat having a top tether
strap. Install the child safety seat in a seating position with a tether
anchor. For more information on top tether straps, refer toAttaching
child 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.
Rear-facing child seats or infant carriers should never be placed
in the front seats.
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115

Installing child safety seats with combination lap and shoulder
belts
Air bags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.NEVERplace a
rear-facing child seat in front of an active air bag. If you must
use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the seat all the
way back.
Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in the rear
seat whenever possible.
1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
2. Pull down on the shoulder belt
and then grasp the shoulder belt
and lap belt together.
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116

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
pulled out 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.
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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 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.
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 rear seats of your vehicle are equipped with built-in tether strap
anchors located behind the seats as described below.
The tether anchors in your vehicle are located under a cover marked
with the tether anchor symbol (shown with title).
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118

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.
For vehicles with adjustable head restraints, route the tether strap under
the head restraint and between the head restraint posts, otherwise route
the tether strap over the top of the seatback.
3. Locate the correct anchor for the
selected seating position.
4. Open the tether anchor cover.
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119

5. Clip the tether strap to the
anchor as shown.
If the tether strap is clipped
incorrectly, the child safety
seat may not be retained properly
in the event of a collision.
6. Refer to theInstalling child safety seats with combination lap and
shoulder beltssection of this chapter for further instructions to secure
the child safety seat.
7. Tighten the child safety seat tether strap according to the
manufacturer's instructions.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child
being injured in a collision greatly increases.
Attaching safety seats with LATCH
(Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) attachments
Some child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted attachments
that connect to two anchors at certain seating positions in your vehicle.
This type of child seat eliminates the need to use seat belts to attach the
child seat. For forward-facing child seats, the tether strap must also be
attached to the proper tether anchor. SeeAttaching safety seats with
tether strapsin this chapter.
Your vehicle has LATCH anchors for child seat installation at the seating
positions marked with the child seat symbol.
The anchors on both sides of the
center of the rear seat are provided
for child seats at the outboard seats,
and are further apart than the pairs
of lower anchors for child seat
installation at other seats. DO NOT
install child seats with LATCH
attachments (rigid or mounted on
belt webbing) to the lower anchors
at the center rear seat. If you install a child seat at the center rear
position, use the vehicle belt and the top tether anchor.
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120

Never attach two LATCH child safety seats to the same anchor.
In a crash, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two
child safety seat attachments and may break, causing serious injury or
death.
The lower anchors for child seat
installation are located at the rear
section of the rear seat between the
cushion and seat back. The LATCH
anchors are below the locator
symbols on the seat back.
Follow the child seat manufacturer's
instructions to properly install a
child seat with LATCH attachments.
Two plastic LATCH guides can be
obtained at no charge from any
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
They snap onto the LATCH lower
anchors in the seat to help attach a
child seat with rigid attachments. The guides hold the seat trim away to
expose the anchor and make it easier to attach some child seats.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child seat only to the
anchors shown.
If you install a child seat with rigid LATCH attachments, do not tighten
the tether strap enough to lift the child seat off the vehicle seat cushion
when the child is seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug without
lifting the front of the child seat. Keeping the child seat just touching the
vehicle seat gives the best protection in a severe crash.
Each time you use the safety seat, check that the seat is properly
attached to the lower anchors and tether anchor. Try to tilt the child
seat from side to side. Also try to tug the seat forward. Check to see if
the anchors hold the seat in place.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child
being injured in a crash greatly increases.
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121

A
ABS (see Brakes) .....................126
Air bag supplemental
restraint system ................104, 108
and child safety seats ............106
description ......................104, 108
disposal ....................................111
driver air bag ..................106, 109
indicator light ...........12, 108, 110
operation .........................106, 109
passenger air bag ...........106, 109
side air bag ..............................108
Air cleaner filter ...............206, 211
Air conditioning ..........................33
Air suspension ...........................130
description ..............................130
warning light .............................13
Antifreeze
(see Engine coolant) ................188
Anti-lock brake system
(see Brakes) ......................126±127
Audio system
(see Radio) ..................................19
Automatic transmission
driving an automatic
overdrive .................................132
fluid, adding ............................204
fluid, checking ........................204
fluid, refill capacities ..............211
fluid, specification ..................214
Auxiliary power point .................59
Axle
lubricant
specifications ..................212, 214
refill capacities ........................211B
Battery .......................................186
acid, treating emergencies .....186
charging system warning
light ............................................12
jumping a disabled battery ....156
maintenance-free ....................186
replacement, specifications ...211
servicing ..................................186
voltage gauge ............................16
BeltMinder ...................................99
Brakes ........................................126
anti-lock ...........................126±127
anti-lock brake system (ABS)
warning light .....................12, 127
brake warning light ..................11
fluid, checking and adding ....204
fluid, refill capacities ..............211
fluid, specifications .........212, 214
lubricant
specifications ..................212, 214
shift interlock ..........................131
Bulbs ............................................43
C
Capacities for refilling fluids ....211
CD changer .................................28
CD-single premium .....................19
Cell phone use ............................73
Certification Label ....................216
Changing a tire .........................151
Child safety restraints ..............111
child safety belts ....................111
Index
221