2009 FORD EXPLORER lock

If needed, when installing some high back child restraints, the head
restraints of the second row seating positions can be removed. Insert a
thin pointed object, such as a paper clip or pushpin, into the hole of
each head restraint guide and while lifting up remove the head restraint.
Store the head restraint in a secure location in the vehicle. To re-install
the head restraint, line the posts up in the holes on the seat back with
the head restraint strap facing the outside of the vehicle and push down
until the head restraint locks into place. Lift gently to ensure it is locked
into place.
Refer toSafety seats for childrenlater in this chapter.
WARNING:If the head restraint has been removed from a
seating position to accommodate a high back child restraint, the
head restraint must be re-installed prior to use of the seat by any other
occupant in order to reduce the risk of personal injury in the event of
a collision.
Folding down the 2nd row 60/40 seats and bucket seats
Ensure that the head restraint is in the down position and no objects
such as books, purses or briefcases are on the floor in front of the
second row seats before folding them down.
2009 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
180

1. Lower the head restraints by
pulling on the strap.
2. Locate the recline handle situated
on the side of the seat cushion by
the door.
3. Pull up on the handle and push
the seatback forward toward the
front of the vehicle.
To return the seat to the upright position (seats not equipped
with E-Z entry):
1. Pull up on the handle, and rotate
the seatback until you hear a click,
locking it in the upright position.
2009 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
181

2. Lift up on the head restraint until
it locks into its original position.
To return the seat to the upright position (E-Z entry equipped
seats):
1. Lift the seatback toward the rear
of the vehicle.
2. Rotate the seatback until you
hear a click, locking it in the upright
position.
3. If the seat is to be occupied, lift
up on the head restraint until it
locks into its original position.
WARNING:Before returning the seatback to its original position,
make sure that cargo or any objects are not trapped behind the
seatback. After returning the seatback to its original position, pull on the
seatback to ensure that it has fully latched. An unlatched seat may
become dangerous in the event of a sudden stop or collision.
2009 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
182

Note:When folding down the seat, lift the handle only once. When the
seatback releases and folds, the handle should be released. Any further
turning of the handle while the seatback releases, may damage the
handle. Once the seatback is folded, a second lifting of the handle will
detach the seat rear leg locking mechanism from the floor allowing the
seat to tumble forward.
2. Pull the handle up again until the
seat releases from the floor.
3. Push the seat upward and fold it
away from the third row.
WARNING:Always return the seat to the fully latched position
before operating the vehicle.
Returning the seat to the upright position
Note: To return the seat from its tumbled position to its upright
position, its rear legs should first be latched to the floor by dumping the
seat down into position. The interlock mechanism will not allow the
release of the seatback until the seat’s rear legs are fully latched to the
floor. Once the rear legs are fully latched, the interlock will release the
seatback, and it can then be returned to the upright position.
To return the seat to a seating position:
1. Push the seat down and latch to
the floor with a moderate amount of
effort and speed.
2. Make sure the seat is latched to
the floor.
3. Bring the seat back to an upright
position. The seatback should lock
into position.
2009 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
184

Note: If the seat back will not return to the upright position, tumble the
seat again and re-latch it to the floor. Be sure that cargo or other objects
are not trapped underneath the seatback.
4. Lift up on the head restraint until
it locks into its original position.
WARNING:Before returning the seatback to its original
position, make sure that cargo or any objects are not trapped
behind the seatback. After returning the seatback to its original
position, pull on the seatback to ensure that it has fully latched. An
unlatched seat may become dangerous in the event of a sudden stop or
collision.
Note: In vehicles equipped with 3rd row seats, the 2nd row
recline/unlatch handle on the outboard sides of both 60% and 40% seats
should not be used as a grab handle to raise the entire seat up from
cargo mode (kneeling position), or to lower it from its tumbled position.
This handle is there only to recline the seat back and to unlatch the rear
seat/floor attachment, in order to tumble the seat in the forward
direction. To raise the seat up from the cargo mode (kneeling position),
the entire seat should be lifted up using the seat back or the seat
cushion area as a grabbing surface.
2009 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
185

Push the top of the control button
to return the seatback to its original
position.
The power fold down seats will operate for 30 minutes after the
ignition switch is in the 1 (off) position. The transmission must
be in P (Park), and the liftgate or liftgate glass must be open.
Similar to the battery saver feature, the power 3rd row seat will
be disabled 30 minutes after turning the vehicle off. If the power
3rd row seat is disabled after 30 minutes, the seat can be enabled
by opening any door, pressing the unlock control on the remote
entry transmitter, pressing any keyless keypad button (if
equipped), or turning the ignition key.
WARNING:Before returning the seatback to its original
position, make sure that cargo or any objects are not trapped
behind the seatback. After returning the seatback to its original
position, pull on the seatback to ensure that it has fully latched. An
unlatched seat may become dangerous in the event of a sudden stop or
collision.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Personal Safety System
The Personal Safety System
provides an improved overall level of
frontal crash protection to front seat occupants and is designed to help
further reduce the risk of airbag-related injuries. The system is able to
analyze different occupant conditions and crash severity before activating
the appropriate safety devices to help better protect a range of
occupants in a variety of frontal crash situations.
Your vehicle’s Personal Safety System
consists of:
•Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints.
•Front safety belts with pretensioners, energy management retractors,
and safety belt usage sensors.
2009 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
188

WARNING:Safety belts and seats can become hot in a vehicle
that has been closed up in sunny weather; they could burn a
small child. Check seat covers and buckles before you place a child
anywhere near them.
WARNING:Front and rear seat occupants, including pregnant
women, should wear safety belts for optimum protection in an
accident.
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
extend the safety belt webbing in a controlled manner. This helps
reduce the belt force acting on the user’s chest.
WARNING: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 by an authorized dealer. Failure to replace the
Belt and Retractor assembly could increase the risk of injury in
collisions.
Combination lap and shoulder belts
1. Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle (the buckle closest to
the direction the tongue is coming from) until you hear a snap and feel it
latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened in the buckle.
2009 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
193

•Front and rear seats
2. To unfasten, push the release button and remove the tongue from the
buckle.
•Front and rear seats
All safety restraints in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder
belts. All of the passenger combination lap and shoulder belts have three
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 5 mph
(8 km/h) or more, the combination safety belts will lock to help reduce
forward movement of the driver and passengers.
Webbing extraction sensitive mode
The webbing sensitive locking mode locks the webbing and prevents
more belt from being pulled out if the belt is pulled out too quickly. The
belt will unlock when you stop pulling on it.
2009 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
194