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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 upon which the child seat is installed 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.
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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.
•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, if needed, the recliner may be
adjusted slightly to improve child seat fit. If needed, the head
restraints may be removed.
•Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode. See Step 5.
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: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. This vehicle does not require the use of a locking clip.
1. Position the child safety seat in
a seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
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2. After positioning the child safety seat in the proper seating position,
do the following:
Pull down on the shoulder belt and
then grasp the shoulder belt and lap
belt together behind the belt
tongue.
3. While holding the shoulder and
lap belt portions together, route
the tongue through the child seat
according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. Be sure
the belt webbing is not twisted.
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.
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5. To put the retractor in the automatic locking mode, do the following;
Grasp the shoulder portion of the
belt and pull downward until all of
the belt is pulled out.
6. Allow the belt to retract to remove slack. The belt will click as it
retracts to indicate it is in the automatic locking mode.
7. 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, repeat Steps 5 and 6.
8. Remove remaining slack from the
belt. Force the seat down with extra
weight, for example, by pressing
down or kneeling on the child
restraint while pulling up on the
shoulder belt in order to force slack
from the belt. This is necessary to
remove the remaining slack that will
exist once the extra weight of the
child is added to the child restraint.
It also helps to achieve the proper
snugness of the child seat to your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean
toward the buckle will provide extra help to remove remaining slack
from the belt.
9. Attach the tether strap (if the child seat is equipped). SeeUsing
Tether Strapslater in this chapter.
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10. 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 and back. There
should be no more than 1 inch
(2.5 centimeters) of movement for
proper installation.
Ford recommends checking with a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger
Safety Technician to make certain the child restraint is properly installed.
In Canada, check with your local St. John Ambulance office for referral
to a Child Passenger Safety Technician.
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.
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Your vehicle has LATCH lower
anchors for child seat installation at
the seating positions marked with
the child seat symbol.
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.
Use of inboard lower anchors from the outboard seating positions
(center seating use) (sedan vehicles)
WARNING:The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors
is 11 inches (28 centimeters) 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 seats are spaced
24 inches (61 centimeters) apart. The standardized spacing for LATCH
lower anchors is 11 inches (28 centimeters) 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
your 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.
Use of inboard lower anchors from the outboard seating positions
(center seating use) (utility vehicles)
WARNING:The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors
is 11 inches (28 centimeters) 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 bench seats are
spaced 20.5 inches (52 centimeters) apart. The standardized spacing
for LATCH lower anchors is 11 inches (28 centimeters) 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.
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
your 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.
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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 seats
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.
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