2008 FORD SUPER DUTY lock

This mode should be usedany timea child safety seat is installed
except a booster in a front or rear outboard passenger seating position
(if equipped). 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.
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
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 your authorized dealer 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.
2008 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
161

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 theWorkshop Manual. Failure to
replace the belt and retractor assembly could increase the risk of
injury in collisions.
Energy Management Feature
•This vehicle has a seat belt system with an energy management
feature at the front outboard seating positions to help further reduce
the risk of injury in the event of a head-on collision.
•The front outboard seat belt systems have 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.
Safety belt pretensioner
Your vehicle is equipped with safety belt retractor pretensioners at the
driver and front outboard passenger seating positions.
The driver and front outboard passenger safety belt pretensioners are
designed to activate only during certain frontal or near-frontal collisions
with sufficient longitudinal deceleration. A safety belt pretensioner is a
device which tightens the webbing of the lap and shoulder belts during
some collisions in such a way that they fit more snugly against the body.
The driver and front outboard passenger safety belt system (including
retractors, buckles and height adjusters) must be replaced if the vehicle
is involved in a collision that results in the activation of the safety belt
pretensioners. Refer to theSafety belt maintenancesection in this
chapter.
Failure to replace the safety belt assembly under the above
conditions could result in severe personal injuries in the event of
a collision.
Front safety belt height adjustment
The front outboard seating positions are equipped with safety belt height
adjusters.
Adjust the height of the shoulder belt so the belt rests across the middle
of your shoulder.
2008 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
162

Position the safety belt height adjusters so that the belt rests
across the middle of your shoulder. Failure to adjust the safety
belt properly could reduce the effectiveness of the seat belt and
increase the risk of injury in a collision.
To adjust the shoulder belt height,
push the button and slide the height
adjuster up or down. Release the
button and pull down on the height
adjuster to make sure it is locked in
place.
Center lap and shoulder belt (Regular Cab center seating
position/Super Cab and Crew Cab rear center seating positions)
Always use both the lap and shoulder safety belt in the Regular
Cab center seating position or in the Super Cab/Crew Cab rear
center seating positions.
Regular Cabs with a center 20% seat or Crew Cabs with a rear
60/40 split bench
If you carry large cargo behind the seat or items that might damage or
soil the belt, detach the belt from the seat:
1. Release the mini-buckle by
inserting a key or safety belt tongue
into the slot.
2008 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
163

longer. The cinch tongue is designed to slip during a crash, so always
wear the shoulder belt properly and don’t allow any slack in either the
lap or shoulder portions.
Before you can reach and latch a combination lap and shoulder belt
having a cinch tongue into the buckle, you may have to lengthen the lap
belt portion of it.
1. To lengthen the lap belt, pull
some webbing out of the shoulder
belt retractor.
2. While holding the webbing below
the tongue, grasp the tip (metal
portion) of the tongue so that it is
parallel to the webbing and slide the
tongue upward.
3. Provide enough lap belt length so that the tongue can reach the
buckle.
How to fasten the cinch tongue (Regular Cab center seating
positions and Super Cab/Crew Cab rear center seating positions)
1. 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.
2. Be sure the belt is not twisted. If the belt is twisted, remove the twist.
3. Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle for your seating position
until you hear a snap and feel it latch.
4. 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.
While you are fastened in the safety belt, the combination lap/shoulder
belt with a cinch tongue adjusts to your movement. However, if you
brake hard, turn hard, or if 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.
2008 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
165

Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the airbag
supplemental restraint systems or its fuses. See your authorized
dealer.
The front passenger air bag is not designed to offer protection to
an occupant in the center front seating position.
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 airbag system, increasing the
risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the vehicle.
Additional equipment such as snowplow equipment may effect
the performance of the airbag sensors increasing the risk of
injury. Please refer to theFord Truck Body Builders Layout Bookfor
instructions about the appropriate installation of additional equipment.
Removing the blocker beam without installing snow plow
attachment hardware may effect airbag deployment in a crash.
Do not operate the truck unless either the blocker beam or snow plow
attachment hardware is installed on the vehicle.
Children and airbags
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.
An infant in a rear-facing seat faces a high risk of serious or fatal
injuries from a deploying passenger airbag. Rear facing infant
seats should NEVER be placed in the front seats, unless the passenger
airbag is turned off. SeePassenger airbag ON/OFF switch.
2008 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
173

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.
When installing a child safety seat:
•Review and follow the information
presented in theAirbag
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.
2008 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
184

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 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. 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.
2008 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
187

•F-Series Crew Cab
Tether strap attachment
1. Position the child safety seat on the seat cushion.
2. Route the child safety seat tether strap over the back of the seat.
3. Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position.
4. You may need to pull the seatback forward to access the tether
anchors. Make sure the seat is locked in the upright position before
installing the child seat. Refer to theRear folding seat system with load
floorsection in this chapter for information on how to operate the rear
seats.
5. Remove tether cover.
6. Clip the tether strap to the anchor as shown.
•Front seats (Regular Cab)
2008 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
189