CHILD SAFETY LOCKS
The childproof locks are located on the rear edge of each rear door and
must be set separately for each door.
When these locks are set, the rear
doors cannot be opened from the
inside.
•Insert the key and turn to the
lock position (key horizontal) to
engage the childproof locks.
•Insert the key and turn to the
unlock position (key vertical) to
disengage the childproof locks.
32Child Safety
2014 MKX(mkx)
Owners Guide gf, 2nd Printing, March 2014
USA(fus)
WARNING:The 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 crashes.
All safety restraints in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder
belts. The driver safety belt has the first type of locking mode. The front
outboard passenger and rear seat safety belts have both types of locking
modes described as follows:
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 about 5 mph (8 km/h) or
more, the combination safety belts will lock to help reduce forward
movement of the driver and passengers.
In addition, the retractor is designed to lock if the webbing is pulled out
too quickly. If this occurs, let the belt retract slightly and pull webbing
out again in a slow and controlled manner.
Automatic Locking Mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-locked. The belt will
still retract to remove any slack in the shoulder belt. The automatic
locking mode is not available on the driver safety belt.
When to Use the Automatic Locking Mode
This mode should be used any time a child safety seat, except a booster,
is installed in passenger front or rear seating positions. Children 12 years
old and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating position
whenever possible. See theChild Safetychapter.
Safety Belts37
2014 MKX(mkx)
Owners Guide gf, 2nd Printing, March 2014
USA(fus)
Adjust the height of the shoulder belt so the
belt rests across the middle of your shoulder.
To adjust the shoulder belt height:
1. Pull on the center button and slide the height adjuster up or down.
2. Release the button and pull down on the height adjuster to make sure
it is locked in place.
SAFETY BELT WARNING LIGHT AND INDICATOR CHIME
This lamp illuminates and an audible warning will sound if the
driver’s safety belt has not been fastened when the vehicle’s
ignition is turned on.
Conditions of Operation
If... Then...
The driver safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the on
position...The safety belt warning light
illuminates 1-2 minutes and the
warning chime sounds 4-8 seconds.
The driver safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding...The safety belt warning light and
warning chime turn off.
The driver safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the on
position...The safety belt warning light and
indicator chime remain off.
Safety Belts39
2014 MKX(mkx)
Owners Guide gf, 2nd Printing, March 2014
USA(fus)
SAFETY BELT-MINDER™
This feature supplements the safety belt warning function by providing
additional reminders by intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating
the safety belt warning light when the driver or front passenger seat is
occupied and the safety belt is unbuckled.
The system uses information from the front passenger sensing system to
determine if a front seat passenger is present and therefore potentially in
need of a warning. To avoid activating the Belt-Minder feature for objects
placed in the front passenger seat, warnings will only be given to front
seat occupants as determined by the front passenger sensing system.
If the Belt-Minder warnings have expired (warnings for about five
minutes) for one occupant (driver or front passenger), the other
occupant can still activate the Belt-Minder feature.
If... Then...
The driver and front passenger
safety belts are buckled before
the ignition switch is turned to
the on position or less than
1-2 minutes have elapsed since
the ignition switch has been
turned to on...The Belt-Minder feature will not
activate.
The driver or front passenger
safety belt is not buckled when
the vehicle has reached at least
6 mph (9.7 km/h) and
1-2 minutes have elapsed since
the ignition switch has been
turned to on...The Belt-Minder feature is activated -
the safety belt warning light
illuminates and the warning chime
sounds for six seconds every
25 seconds, repeating for about five
minutes or until the safety belts are
buckled.
The driver or front passenger
safety belt becomes unbuckled
for about one minute while the
vehicle is traveling at least
6 mph (9.7 km/h) and more
than 1-2 minutes have elapsed
since the ignition switch has
been turned to on...The Belt-Minder feature is activated -
the safety belt warning light
illuminates and the warning chime
sounds for six seconds every
25 seconds, repeating for about five
minutes or until the safety belts are
buckled.
40Safety Belts
2014 MKX(mkx)
Owners Guide gf, 2nd Printing, March 2014
USA(fus)
Deactivating and Activating the Belt-Minder™ Feature
WARNING:While the system allows you to deactivate it, this
system is designed to improve your chances of being safely
belted and surviving an accident. We recommend you leave the system
activated for yourself and others who may use the vehicle. To reduce
the risk of injury, do not deactivate or activate the system while driving
the vehicle.
Note:The driver and front passenger warning are deactivated and
activated independently. When deactivating or activating one seating
position, do not buckle the other position as this will terminate the
process.
Read Steps1-4thoroughly before proceeding with the programming
procedure.
Before following the procedure, make sure that:
•The parking brake is set.
•The transmission is in park (P).
•The ignition is off.
•The driver and front passenger safety belts are unbuckled.
1. Turn the ignition on. Do not start the engine.
2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off (about 1–2 minutes).
•Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.
3. For the seating position being disabled, buckle then unbuckle the
safety belt three times at a moderate speed, ending in the unbuckled
state.
•After Step 3, the safety belt warning light will be turned on for three
seconds.
4. Within about seven seconds of the light turning off, buckle then
unbuckle the safety belt. The safety belt warning light will flash for
confirmation.
•This will disable the feature for that seating position if it is currently
enabled.
•This will enable the feature for that seating position if it is currently
disabled.
Safety Belts41
2014 MKX(mkx)
Owners Guide gf, 2nd Printing, March 2014
USA(fus)
WARNING:If the airbag has deployed, the airbag will not function
again and must be replaced immediately. If the airbag is not
replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The airbags are a supplemental restraint system and are designed to
work with the safety belts to help protect the driver and right front
passenger from certain upper body injuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly;
there is a risk of injury from a deploying airbag.
Note:You will hear a loud bang and see a cloud of harmless powdery
residue if an airbag deploys. This is normal.
The airbags inflate and deflate rapidly upon activation. After airbag
deployment, it is normal to notice a smoke-like, powdery residue or smell
the burnt propellant. This may consist of cornstarch, talcum powder (to
lubricate the bag) or sodium compounds (for example, baking soda) that
result from the combustion process that inflates the airbag. Small
amounts of sodium hydroxide may be present which may irritate the skin
and eyes, but none of the residue is toxic.
While the system is designed to help reduce serious injuries, contact
with a deploying airbag may also cause abrasions or swelling. Temporary
hearing loss is also a possibility as a result of the noise associated with a
deploying airbag. Because airbags must inflate rapidly and with
considerable force, there is the risk of death or serious injuries, such as
fractures, facial and eye injuries or internal injuries, particularly to
occupants who are not properly restrained or are otherwise out of
position at the time of airbag deployment. Thus, it is extremely
important that occupants be properly restrained as far away from the
airbag module as possible while maintaining vehicle control.
Routine maintenance of the airbags is not required.
SOS POST-CRASH ALERT SYSTEM™
The system flashes the turn signal lamps and sounds the horn
(intermittently) in the event of a serious impact that deploys an airbag
equipped on your vehicle, such as front, side, side curtain or Safety
Canopy.
The horn and lamps will turn off when:
•You press the hazard control button.
•You press the panic button (if equipped) on the remote entry
transmitter.
•Your vehicle runs out of power.
Supplementary Restraints System45
2014 MKX(mkx)
Owners Guide gf, 2nd Printing, March 2014
USA(fus)
Proper Driver and Front Passenger Seating Adjustment
WARNING:The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
recommends a minimum distance of at least 10 inches (25
centimeters) between an occupant’s chest and the driver airbag
module. Failure to follow this could seriously increase the risk of injury
or death.
To properly position yourself away from the airbag:
•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.
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on safety belts, it is
very important that they continue to sit properly. Properly seated
occupants sit upright, lean against the seat back, and center themselves
on the seat cushion, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor.
Sitting improperly can increase the chance of injury in a crash event. For
example, if an occupant slouches, lies down, turns sideways, sits forward,
leans forward or sideways, or puts one or both feet up, the chance of
injury during a crash is greatly increased.
Children and Airbags
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.
Children must always be properly
restrained. Accident statistics
suggest that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front
seating position. Failure to follow
these instructions may increase the
risk of injury in a crash.
Supplementary Restraints System47
2014 MKX(mkx)
Owners Guide gf, 2nd Printing, March 2014
USA(fus)
The front passenger sensing system
uses a passenger airbag status
indicator which will illuminate
indicating that the front passenger
frontal airbag is either ON
(enabled) or OFF (disabled). The
indicator lamp is located in the
center stack of the instrument
panel.
Note:When the ignition is first turned on, the passenger airbag status
indicator OFF and ON lamps will illuminate for a short period of time to
confirm it is functional.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to disable (will not
inflate) the front passenger’s frontal airbag when the front passenger
seat is unoccupied, or a rear facing infant seat, a forward-facing child
restraint, or a booster seat is detected. Even with this technology,
parents arestronglyencouraged to always properly restrain children in
the rear seat. The front passenger sensing system also turns off the
passenger front airbag and seat-mounted side airbag when the passenger
seat is empty.
•When the front passenger sensing system disables (will not inflate)
the front passenger frontal airbag, the passenger airbag status
indicator will illuminate the OFF lamp and stay lit to remind you that
the front passenger frontal airbag is disabled.
•If the child restraint has been installed and the passenger airbag
status indicator illuminates the ON lamp, then turn the vehicle off,
remove the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the restraint
following the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to enable (may inflate)
the front passenger frontal airbag anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting properly in the front passenger seat.
•When the front passenger sensing system enables the front passenger
frontal airbag (may inflate), the passenger airbag status indicator will
illuminate the ON lamp and remain illuminated.
If a person of adult size is sitting in the front passenger seat, but the
passenger airbag status indicator OFF lamp is lit, it is possible that the
person is not sitting properly in the seat. If this happens:
•Turn the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seat back in the
full upright position.
•Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion,
with the person’s legs comfortably extended.
Supplementary Restraints System49
2014 MKX(mkx)
Owners Guide gf, 2nd Printing, March 2014
USA(fus)