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REAR SEATS
Use the seatback
release to fold the back
of the front seat
forward for rear seat
passenger entry or exit.
This release handle is
located on the lower
outboard back of the
seat. The seatback
locks automatically when returned to the normal
position.
The rotating boot on the front seat belt is designed
to allow rear seat entry/exit. To enter the rear seat:
1. Remove safety belt
from safety belt guide
on top of front seat.
2. Rotate the safety
belt boot rearward.
3. Enter the rear seat in front of the safety belt.
4. Rotate the safety belt boot forward and place the
belt in the belt guide on the seat back to allow use
by the front driver/passenger.
2nd seat/split-folding rear seat
One or both rear seatbacks can be folded down to
provide additional cargo space.
To lower the
seatback(s) from inside
the vehicle, pull tab to
release seat back and
then fold seatback
down.
When raising the seatback(s), make sure you hear
the seat latch into place.
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2. To unfasten, push
the release button and
remove the tongue
from the buckle.
Energy Management Feature
•This vehicle has a safety belt system with an
energy management feature at the front seating
positions to help further reduce the risk of injury
in the event of a head-on collision.
•This safety 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 safety belt
system at all outboard seating positions
(except driver, which has no“automatic locking
retractor”feature) must be checked by a qualified
technician to verify that the“automatic locking
retractor”feature for child seats is still functioning
properly. In addition, all safety belts should be
checked for proper function.
BELT AND RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MUST
BE REPLACED if the safety belt assembly
“automatic locking retractor”feature or any other
safety 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.
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The front and rear outboard safety restraints in the
vehicle are combination lap and shoulder belts. The
front passenger and rear seat outboard safety belts
have two types of locking modes described below:
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
The automatic locking mode is not available on the
driver safety belt.
When to use the 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 a passenger front or outboard
rear seating position. Children 12 years old and
under should be properly restrained in the rear seat
whenever possible. Refer toSafety restraints for
childrenorSafety seats for childrenlater in this
chapter.
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How to use the automatic locking mode
•Buckle the
combination lap and
shoulder belt.
•Grasp the shoulder
portion and pull
downward until the
entire belt is pulled
out.
•Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you
will hear a clicking sound. This indicates the
safety belt is now in the automatic locking mode.
How to disengage the automatic locking mode
Ford Motor Company recommends that all
safety belt assemblies and attaching
hardware should be inspected by a qualified
technician after any collision. Safety belt
assemblies not in use during a collision should also
be inspected and replaced if either damage or
improper operation is noted.
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Disconnect the combination lap/shoulder belt and
allow it to retract completely to disengage the
automatic locking mode and activate the vehicle
sensitive (emergency) locking mode.
After any vehicle collision, the front
passenger and rear outboard seat belt
systems must be checked by a qualified technician
to verify that the“automatic locking retractor”
feature for child seats is still functioning properly.
In addition, all seat belts should be checked for
proper function.
BELT AND RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MUST
BE REPLACED if the seat belt assembly
“automatic locking retractor”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.
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.
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•Review and follow
the information
presented in theAir
bag supplemental
restraint system
(SRS) section in this
chapter.
•Use the correct
safety belt buckle for that seating position (the
buckle closest to the direction the tongue is
coming from).
•Insert 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.
•Keep 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.
•Place seat back in upright position.
•Put 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.
•LATCH lower anchors are recommended for use
by children up to 22 kg (48 pounds) in a child
restraint. Top tether anchors can be used for
children up to 27 kg (60 pounds) in a child
restraint, and to provide upper torso restraint for
children up to 36 kg (80 pounds) using an upper
torso harness and a belt-positioning booster.
Ford recommends the use of a child safety seat
having a top tether strap. Install the child safety seat
in a seating position with LATCH and tether
anchors. For more information on top tether straps
and anchors, refer toAttaching safety seats with
tether strapsin this chapter. For more information
of LATCH anchors refer toAttaching safety seats
with LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children) attachmentsin this chapter.
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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
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.
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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 in
addition to the safety belt
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
on the package tray behind the speakers (coupe) or
on the lower backside of the seatback (convertible).
The tether anchors in your vehicle are either located
under a cover marked with the child tether anchor
symbol (shown with title) or are under a flap in the
convertible top boot.
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