2015 FORD EXPLORER Owners Manual

FASTENING THE SAFETY BELTS
The front outboard and rear safety restraints in your vehicle are
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.
2. To unfasten, press the release
button and remove the tongue from
the buckle.
Using Safety Belts During Pregnancy
WARNING:Always ride and drive with your seatback upright
and the safety belt properly fastened. The lap portion of the
safety belt should fit snug and be positioned low across the hips. The
shoulder portion of the safety belt should be positioned across the
chest. Pregnant women should also follow this practice. See the
following figure.
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Pregnant women should always
wear their safety belts. The lap belt
portion of a combination lap and
shoulder belt should be positioned
low across the hips below the belly
and worn as tight as comfort will
allow. The shoulder belt should be
positioned to cross the middle of
the shoulder and the center of the
chest.
Safety Belt Locking Modes
WARNING:After any vehicle crash, the safety belt system at all
passenger seating positions must be checked by an authorized
dealer to verify that the automatic locking retractor feature for child
seats is still functioning properly. In addition, all safety belts should be
checked for proper function.
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 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 or lap 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(s) 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.
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Automatic Locking Mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt or lap belt is automatically pre-locked.
The belt will still retract to remove any slack in the shoulder or lap 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.
How to use the automatic locking mode
Non-inflatable safety belts
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder
belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion of the belt and
pull downward until the entire belt is pulled
out.
3. 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.
Rear outboard inflatable safety belts (second row only–if equipped)
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder
belt.
2. Grasp the lap portion of the belt and pull
upward until the entire belt is pulled out.
3. 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
Unbuckle the combination lap and shoulder belt and allow it to retract
completely to disengage the automatic locking mode and activate the
vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode.
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Safety Belt Extension Assembly
WARNING:Do not use extensions to change the fit of the
shoulder belt across the torso.
WARNING:Do not use extensions with an inflatable safety belt.
Safety belt extensions are vehicle-specific. See an authorized dealer to
make sure you obtain the proper safety belt extension for your vehicle.
Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the safety
belt. A safety belt extension is not available for the inflatable safety belt.
Also, use the safety belt extension only if the safety belt is too short for
you when fully extended.
SAFETY BELT HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT
WARNING: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 safety belt
and increase the risk of injury in a crash.
1. Adjust the height of the shoulder
belt so the belt rests across the
middle of your shoulder.
2. Slide the adjuster up to raise the
belt and push the button and slide it
down to lower the belt.
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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 BELT-MINDER™
This feature supplements the safety belt warning function by providing
additional reminders that intermittently sound a tone and illuminate the
safety belt warning light when you are in the driver seat or you have a
front seat passenger and a 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...
You and the front seat passenger
buckle your safety belts before
you switch the ignition on or less
than 1-2 minutes elapse after you
switch the ignition on...The Belt-Minder feature will not
activate.
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If... Then...
You or the front seat passenger do
not buckle your safety belts before
your vehicle reaches at least
6 mph (9.7 km/h) and 1-2 minutes
elapse after you switch the
ignition...The Belt-Minder feature activates, the
safety belt warning light illuminates
and a warning tone sounds for
6 seconds every 25 seconds, repeating
for about 5 minutes or until you and
the front seat passenger buckle your
safety belts.
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 elapse after you
switch the ignition on...The Belt-Minder feature activates, the
safety belt warning light illuminates
and a warning tone sounds for
6 seconds every 25 seconds, repeating
for about 5 minutes or until you and
the front seat passenger buckle your
safety belts.
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 one minute).
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3. Wait 10 seconds after the safety belt warning light turns off.
•Step 4 must be completed within 20 seconds after the completion of
Step 3.
4. 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 4, the safety belt warning light will be turned on for three
seconds.
5. Within about seven seconds of the light turning off, buckle then
unbuckle the safety belt.
•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.
REAR INFLATABLE SAFETY BELT (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING:Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the rear
inflatable safety belt as you could be seriously injured or killed.
Note:The rear inflatable safety belts are compatible with most infant
and child safety car seats and belt positioning booster seats when
properly installed. This is because they are designed to fill with a cool
gas at a lower pressure and at a slower rate than traditional airbags.
After inflation, the shoulder portion of the safety belt remains cool to the
touch.
The rear inflatable safety belts are located in the shoulder portion of the
safety belts of the second-row outboard seating positions.
The rear inflatable safety belt consists of the following:
•An inflatable bag located in the shoulder safety belt webbing.
•Lap safety belt webbing with automatic locking mode.
•Crash sensors and monitoring system with readiness
indicator.
SeeCrash Sensors and Airbag Indicatorin theSupplemental
Restraint Systemchapter.
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How Does the Rear Inflatable Safety Belt System Work?
WARNING:If the rear inflatable safety belt has deployed, it will
not function again. The rear inflatable safety belt system must be
replaced by an authorized dealer.
•The rear inflatable safety belts will function like standard restraints in
everyday usage.
•During a crash of sufficient force, the inflatable
belt will inflate from inside the webbing.
•The fully inflated belt’s increased diameter more
effectively holds the occupant in the appropriate
seating position, and spreads crash forces over more
area of the body than regular safety belts. This
helps reduce pressure on the chest and helps
control head and neck motion for passengers.
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