National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
recommends a minimum distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between an occupant ’s chest and the driver air bag module.
Never place your arm over the air bag module as a deploying air
bag can result in serious arm fractures or other injuries.
Steps you can take to properly position yourself away from the air bag:
• Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
• Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees) from the upright
position.
Do not put anything on or over the air bag module. Placing
objects on or over the air bag inflation area may cause those
objects to be propelled by the air bag into your face and torso causing
serious injury.
Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the air bag
supplemental restraint system (SRS) or its fuses. See your Ford
or Lincoln Mercury dealer.
Modifying or adding equipment to the front end of the vehicle
(including frame, bumper, front end body structure and tow
hooks) may affect the performance of the air bag system, increasing
the risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the vehicle.
Children and air bags
For additional important safety information, read all information on
safety restraints in this guide.
Children must always be properly restrained. 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 and turn the passenger air bag off. Refer to Passenger air
bag ON/OFF switch in this chapter of the owner ’s guide.
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Both can be used in any vehicle in a seating position equipped with
lap/shoulder belts if your child is over 40 lb. (18 kg).
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.
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
Child and infant or child safety seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the
child. 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.
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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 2
through 9.
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.
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•Drive carefully and avoid abrupt steering maneuvers.
• Periodically monitor tire inflation pressure in the affected tire; if the
tire is losing pressure, have the vehicle towed.
• Read the information in the Tips for use of the tire inflation kit
section to ensure safe operation of the tire inflation kit and your
vehicle.
Tips for use of the tire inflation kit
Read the following list of tips to ensure safe operation of the tire
inflation kit:
• Before operating the inflation kit, make sure your vehicle is safely off
the road and away from moving traffic.
• Always set the parking brake to ensure the vehicle doesn ’t move
unexpectedly.
• Do not remove any foreign objects, such as nails or screws, from the
tire.
• When using the inflation kit, leave the engine running (only if the
vehicle is outdoors or in a well-ventilated area) so the
compressor doesn ’t drain the vehicle ’s battery.
• Do not allow the compressor to operate continuously for more than 10
minutes; this will help prevent the compressor from overheating.
• Never leave the inflation kit unattended when it is operating.
• Keep the inflation kit away from children.
• Only use the inflation kit when the ambient temperature is above
–20 °F.
• Only use the inflation kit for sealing/inflating the tires on your vehicle.
Do not use the kit for inflating tires on motorcycles, bicycles or any
other type of tire.
• Only use the sealing compound before the expiration date. The
expiration date is labeled on the unit.
• Do not store the inflation kit inside the passenger compartment of the
vehicle as it may cause injury during a sudden stop or collision. Store
the kit in its proper location.
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Note:When the sealing compound
is first added into the tire, the air
pressure gauge reading (7) on the
compressor unit may increase up to
90 psi; this is normal and should be
no reason for concern. The pressure
will drop after about 30 seconds of
operation.
Do not stand next to the damaged tire while it is inflating. If you
notice any unusual bulges or deformations in the tire ’s sidewall
during inflation, stop the air compressor and deflate the tire using the
pressure release valve.
8. Inflate the tire for nine minutes or until the pressure reaches 22 psi,
then turn the air compressor off by pressing the “O ” side of the orange
button.
Note: If the damaged tire does not reach 22 psi within nine minutes, the
tire is too severely damaged and the car must not be driven. Call for
roadside assistance.
9. Once the tire pressure reaches 22 psi, quickly unscrew the hose from
the tire ’s air valve and reinstall the valve cap. Unplug the electrical plug
from the power point. Turn the sealing compound container back to its
original position and close the safety latch. Stow the inflation kit in an
easily accessible place since you will need it to check the tire ’s air
pressure again in the second stage of this operation.
10. Immediately, and cautiously, drive the vehicle a short distance
(approximately two miles) to activate the sealing compound within the
damaged tire. Do not exceed 50 mph.
Note: If you experience any unusual vibration, ride disturbance or noise
while driving, reduce your speed until you can safely pull off to the side
of the road to call for roadside assistance. Do not proceed to the
second stage of this operation.
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Note:Before driving any further, adjust the tire pressure to the
recommended pressure.
3. Turn the air compressor off by pressing the “O ” side of the orange
button, then unscrew the hose from the tire ’s air valve, reinstall the tire
valve cap, unplug the electrical plug from the power point and stow the
inflation kit in its proper place.
What to do after the tire has been sealed
After using the inflation kit to seal you tire, you will need to replace the
sealing compound and hose. Sealing compound and spare parts can be
obtained and replaced at an authorized Ford Motor Company dealership
or tire dealer. Empty sealing compound bottles may be disposed of at
home; however, liquid residue from the sealing compound should be
disposed by your local Ford Motor Company dealership or tire dealer, or
in accordance with local waste disposal regulations.
Note: After the sealing compound has been used, the maximum vehicle
speed is 50 mph and the maximum driving distance is 120 miles. The
sealed tire should be replaced immediately, or at least within the 120 miles.
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SNOW TIRES
The original equipment tires on your Ford GT are designed for maximum
performance in dry and wet conditions. They are not designed for winter
use on ice or snow and cannot be used with snow chains or other tire
mounted traction aid devices.
TRAILER TOWING
Your vehicle is not equipped to tow. No towing packages are available
through Ford or Lincoln/Mercury dealers.
VEHICLE LOADING
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
capability. Properly loading your vehicle will provide maximum return of
vehicle design performance. Before loading your vehicle, familiarize
yourself with the following terms for determining your vehicle’s weight
ratings from the vehicle ’s Safety Certification Label and Tire Label:
Base Curb Weight –is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight –is the weight of your new vehicle when you
picked it up from your dealer plus any aftermarket equipment.
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Exceeding the Safety Certification Label vehicle weight rating
limits could result in substandard vehicle handling or
performance, engine, transmission and/or structural damage, serious
damage to the vehicle, loss of control and personal injury.
Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the
certification label.
Do not use replacement tires with lower load carrying capacities
than the originals because they may lower the vehicle ’s GVWR
and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires with a higher limit than the
originals do not increase the GVWR and GAWR limitations.
Exceeding any vehicle weight rating limitation could result in
serious damage to the vehicle and/or personal injury.
Steps for determining the correct load limit:
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX pounds ”on your vehicle ’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX
kilograms or XXX pounds.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage
load capacity. For example, if the “XXX ”amount equals 1,400 lb. and
there will be five 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lb. (1400 –750 (5 x 150)
= 650 lb.).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
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