2014 FORD FLEX seats

Types of Booster Seats
•Backless booster seats
If your backless booster seat has a removable shield, remove the shield.
If a vehicle seating position has a low seat back or no head restraint, a
backless booster seat may place your child’s head (as measured at the
tops of the ears) above the top of the seat. In this case, move the
backless booster to another seating position with a higher seat back or
head restraint and lap and shoulder belts, or consider using a high back
booster seat.
•High back booster seats
If, with a backless booster seat, you cannot find a seating position that
adequately supports your child’s head, a high back booster seat would be
a better choice.
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Children and booster seats vary in size and shape. Choose a booster that
keeps the lap belt low and snug across the hips, never up across the
stomach, and lets you adjust the shoulder belt to cross the chest and
rest snugly near the center of the shoulder. The following drawings
compare the ideal fit (center) to a shoulder belt uncomfortably close to
the neck and a shoulder belt that could slip off the shoulder. The
drawings also show how the lap belt should be low and snug across the
child’s hips.
If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat upon which it is being used,
placing a rubberized mesh sold as shelf or carpet liner under the booster
seat may improve this condition. Do not introduce any item thicker than
this under the booster seat. Check with the booster seat manufacturer’s
instructions.
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INSTALLING CHILD SEATS
Child Seats
Use a child safety seat (sometimes
called an infant carrier, convertible
seat, or toddler seat) for infants,
toddlers or children weighing
40 pounds (18 kilograms) or less
(generally age four or younger).
Using Lap and Shoulder Belts
WARNING:Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
Never place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag. If
you must use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the
seat all the way back.
WARNING:Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in the rear
seat whenever possible.
WARNING:Depending on where you secure a child restraint,
and depending on the child restraint design, you may block
access to certain safety belt buckle assemblies or LATCH lower
anchors, rendering those features potentially unusable. To avoid risk of
injury, occupants should only use seating positions where they are able
to be properly restrained.
When installing a child safety seat with combination lap and shoulder
belts:
•Use the correct safety belt buckle for that seating position.
•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.
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•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 the vehicle seat upon which the child seat will be installed in
the upright position.
•For second-row seating positions, the recliner may be adjusted slightly
to improve child seat fit. If needed, the head restraints may be
removed.
•For third-row seating positions, the head restraints may be stowed to
improve child seat fit. See theSeatschapter for information on folding
the head restraints.
•Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode. See Step 5 below.
This vehicle does not require the use of a locking clip.
Perform the following steps when installing the child seat with
combination lap and shoulder belts:
Note:Although the child seat illustrated is a forward-facing child seat,
the steps are the same for installing a rear-facing child seat.
Note:The lock-off device on some child restraints may not
accommodate the shoulder portion of the inflatable safety belt. Follow all
instructions provided by the manufacturer of the child restraint
regarding the necessary and proper use of the lock-off device. In some
instances these devices have been provided only for use in vehicles with
safety belt systems that would otherwise require a locking clip.
1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
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Using Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH)
WARNING:Never attach two child safety seats to the same
anchor. In a crash, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold
two child safety seat attachments and may break, causing serious injury
or death.
WARNING:Depending on where you secure a child restraint,
and depending on the child restraint design, you may block
access to certain safety belt buckle assemblies or LATCH lower
anchors, rendering those features potentially unusable. To avoid risk of
injury, occupants should only use seating positions where they are able
to be properly restrained.
The LATCH system is composed of three vehicle anchor points: two
lower anchors located where seat back and seat cushion meet (called the
seat bight) and one top tether anchor located behind that seating
position.
LATCH compatible child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted
attachments that connect to the two lower anchors at the LATCH
equipped seating positions in your vehicle. This type of attachment
method eliminates the need to use safety belts to attach the child seat,
however the safety belt can still be used to attach the child seat. For
forward-facing child seats, the top tether strap must also be attached to
the proper top tether anchor, if a top tether strap has been provided
with your child seat.
Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for child seat installation at the
seating positions marked with the child seat symbol.
•Second-row bucket seats and
third-row passenger side
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•Second-row bench seats and
third-row passenger side
The LATCH anchors are located at
the rear section of the rear seat
between the cushion and seat back
below the symbols as shown. Follow
the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions to properly install a
child seat with LATCH attachments.
Follow the instructions on attaching child safety seats with tether straps.
SeeUsing Tether Strapslater in this chapter.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child seat only to the anchors
shown.
Using Inboard Lower Anchors From the Outboard Seating
Positions (Center Seating Use)
WARNING:The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors
is 11 inches (280 millimeters) center to center. Do not use
LATCH lower anchors for the center seating position unless the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions permit and specify using anchors
spaced at least as far apart as those in this vehicle.
The lower anchors at the center of the second row rear seat are spaced
20.5 inches (520 millimeters apart). The standardized spacing for LATCH
lower anchors is 11 inches (280 millimeters) center to center. A child
seat with rigid LATCH attachments cannot be installed at the center
seating position. LATCH compatible child seats (with attachments on belt
webbing) can only be used at this seating position provided that the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions permit use with the anchor spacing
stated. Do not attach a child seat to any lower anchor if an adjacent
child seat is attached to that anchor.
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Each time you use the safety seat, check that the seat is properly
attached to the lower anchors and tether anchor, if applicable. Tug the
child seat from side to side and forward and back where it is secured to
the vehicle. The seat should move less than one inch when you do this
for a proper installation.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a crash greatly increases.
Combining Safety Belt and LATCH Lower Anchors for Attaching
Child Safety Seats
When used in combination, either the safety belt or the LATCH lower
anchors may be attached first, provided a proper installation is achieved.
Attach the tether strap afterward, if included with the child seat.
Using Tether Straps
Many forward-facing child safety seats include a tether strap
which extends from the back of the child safety seat and hooks
to an anchoring point called the top tether anchor. 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, or to obtain a longer tether strap if the tether
strap on your safety seat does not reach the appropriate top tether
anchor in your vehicle.
Once the child safety seat has been installed using either the safety belt,
the lower anchors of the LATCH system, or both, you can attach the top
tether strap.
The tether strap anchors in your vehicle are in the following positions
(shown from top view):
•Second row bucket seats and
third-row passenger side
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•Second row bench seats and
third-row passenger side
Perform the following steps to install a child safety seat with tether
anchors:
Note:If you install a child seat with rigid LATCH attachments, do not
tighten the tether strap enough to lift the child seat off your vehicle seat
cushion when the child is seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug
without lifting the front of the child seat. Keeping the child seat just
touching your vehicle seat gives the best protection in a severe crash.
1. Route the tether strap.
•Second-row outboard seat positions: Route the child safety seat tether
strap over the seat back, under the head restraint and between the
head restraint posts. If needed, remove the head restraint to improve
the fit of the child safety seat or tether strap.
•Second-row center seat positions: Route the child safety seat tether
strap over the top of the head restraint. If needed, remove the head
restraint to improve the fit of the child safety seat or tether strap. See
Rear Seatsin this chapter for head restraint information.
•Third-row seat position: Route the child safety seat tether strap over
the seat back, under the head restraint and between the head
restraint posts. If needed, fold the head restraint down to improve the
fit of the child safety seat or tether strap. SeeRear seatsin theSeats
chapter for head restraint information.
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