2004 FORD ESCAPE tow

Replacement keys
If your keys are lost or stolen and you don’t have an extra coded key,
you will need to have your vehicle towed to a dealership. The key codes
need to be erased from your vehicle and new coded keys will need to be
programmed.
Replacing coded keys can be very costly. Store an extra programmed key
away from the vehicle in a safe place to help prevent any
inconveniences. Please visit an authorized dealer to purchase additional
spare or replacement keys.
Programming spare keys
You can program your own coded keys to your vehicle.
Tips:
•A maximum of eight keys can be coded to your vehicle.
•Only use Securilock
keys.
•You must have two previously programmed coded keys (keys that
already operate your vehicle’s engine) and the new unprogrammed
key(s) readily accessible.
•If two previously programmed coded keys are not available, you must
take your vehicle to your dealer to have the spare key(s)
programmed.
Please read and understand the
entire procedure before you begin.
1. Insert the first previously
programmedcoded keyinto the
ignition.
2. Turn the ignition from the 1 (OFF) position to the 3 (ON) position.
Keep the ignition in the 3 (ON) position for at least three seconds, but
no more than 10 seconds.
3. Turn the ignition to the 1 (OFF) position and remove the firstcoded
keyfrom the ignition.
4. Within ten seconds of turning the ignition to the 1 (OFF) position,
insert the second previouslycoded keyinto the ignition.
2004 Escape(204)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Locks and Security
72

NOTE:The hood, each door and the liftgate arm individually, and if any
of them are open, they must be closed in order to be armed.
When you lock the vehicle using any of the three methods above:
•the park lamps will flash once to indicate the hood, each door and the
liftgate are closed.
•the park lamps willnotflash if the hood, any door or the liftgate are
open. Once all doors, hood and liftgate are closed, the park lamps will
flash to confirm the alarm has been set.
When you press the
control on the remote entry transmitter twice
within three seconds, the horn will chirp once to confirm the doors, hood
and liftgate are closed and locked and the alarm is set.
Disarming the system
When you disarm the system, the park lamps will flash twice to indicate
the system has been disarmed.
You can disarm the system by any of the following actions:
•Unlock the doors by pressing the
control on your remote entry
transmitter.
•Unlock the doors with a key. Turn the key full travel (toward the front
of the vehicle) to ensure the alarm disarms.
Triggering the anti-theft system
The armed system will be triggered if any door, liftgate or the hood is
opened without using the key or the remote entry transmitter.
2004 Escape(204)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Locks and Security
74

4. Flip seat forward.
5. Pull the seatback release strap
toward the front seat. Make sure the
seat belt buckle heads are fully
extended towards the front of the
vehicle and are away from the
seatback.
NOTE:When the seatback release
strap is pulled use your other hand
to guide the seatback.
6. Rotate seatback down into load
floor position.
Make sure seat belt buckle
heads are not trapped
underneath the seatback and that
the seat belt buckle heads are
fully extended towards the front
of the vehicle. Seat belt buckle
heads may break if they are
trapped underneath the seatback
as the seatback is rotated down.
2004 Escape(204)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
80

5. Pull the seatback release strap
toward the front seat. Make sure the
seat belt buckle heads are fully
extended towards the front of the
vehicle and are away from the
seatback.
6. Rotate seatback down into load
floor position.
NOTE:When the seatback release
strap is pulled use your other hand
to guide the seatback.
Returning the rear seats to upright position
1. Pull seatback up and into upright position making sure seatback locks
into place. While holding the seatback, pull the release and push
seatback backward into the desired position.
2. Rotate seat cushion down into the
seating position making sure that
the seat cushion is locked into place
and that the seat belt buckles are
exposed.
3. Remove the head restraint stored
under the front seat and return it to
the original position on the seat
back.
2004 Escape(204)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
84

Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the air bag
supplemental restraint systems or its fuses. See your Ford or
Lincoln Mercury dealer.
Modifications to the front end of the vehicle, including frame,
bumper, front end body structure, tow hooks and B-pillar
surrounding parts may affect the performance of the air bag sensors
increasing the risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the
vehicle.
Additional equipment may affect the performance of the air bag
sensors increasing the risk of injury. Please refer to the Body
Builders Layout Book for instructions about the appropriate installation
of additional equipment.
Children and air bags
Children must always be properly
restrained. Accident statistics
suggest that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front
seating position. Failure to follow
these instructions may increase the
risk of injury in a collision.
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.
2004 Escape(204)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
98

The shoulder belt should cross the chest, resting snugly on the center of
the shoulder. The lap belt should rest low and snug across the hips,
never up high across the stomach.
If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat, placing a rubberized mesh
sold as shelf or carpet liner under the booster seat may improve this
condition.
The importance of shoulder belts
Using a booster without a shoulder belt increases the risk of a child’s
head hitting a hard surface in a collision. For this reason, you should
never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. It is best to use a booster
seat with lap/shoulder belts in the back seat- the safest place for children
to ride.
Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the
booster seat.
Never put the shoulder belt under a child’s arm or behind the
back because it eliminates the protection for the upper part of
the body and may increase the risk of injury or death in a collision.
Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a child. They can
slide around and increase the likelihood of injury or death in a
collision.
SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
2004 Escape(204)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
106

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.
2004 Escape(204)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
110

4. Clip the tether strap to the
anchor as shown.
The arrow in the above graphic
points toward the front of the
vehicle.
If the tether strap is clipped
incorrectly, the child safety
seat may not be retained properly
in the event of a collision.
5. Refer to theInstalling child
safety seats in combination lap
and shoulder belt seating positionssection of this chapter for further
instructions to secure the child safety seat.
6. 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.
2004 Escape(204)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
112