SITTING IN THE CORRECT
POSITION
WARNINGS
Sitting improperly, out of position or
with the seatback reclined too far
can take weight off the seat cushion
and affect the decision of the passenger
sensing system, resulting in serious injury
or death in the event of a crash. Always sit
upright against your seat back, with your
feet on the floor. Do not recline the seatback as this
can cause the occupant to slide
under the safety belt, resulting in
serious injury in the event of a crash. Do not place objects higher than the
seatback to reduce the risk of serious
injury in the event of a crash or during
heavy braking. When you use them properly, the seat,
head restraint, safety belt and airbags will
provide optimum protection in the event
of a crash. We recommend that you follow these
guidelines:
•
Sit in an upright position with the base
of your spine as far back as possible.
• Do not recline the seatback more than
30 degrees.
• Adjust the head restraint so that the
top of it is level with the top of your
head and as far forward as possible.
Make sure that you remain
comfortable.
• Keep sufficient distance between
yourself and the steering wheel. We
recommend a minimum of 10 in
(25 cm) between your breastbone and
the airbag cover.
• Hold the steering wheel with your arms
slightly bent.
• Bend your legs slightly so that you can
press the pedals fully.
• Position the shoulder strap of the
safety belt over the center of your
shoulder and position the lap strap
tightly across your hips.
Make sure that your driving position is
comfortable and that you can maintain full
control of your vehicle.
HEAD RESTRAINTS WARNINGS
To minimize the risk of neck injury in
the event of a crash, the driver and
passenger occupants should not sit
in or operate the vehicle, until the head
restraint is placed in its proper position.
The driver should never adjust the head
restraint while the vehicle is in motion.
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WARNINGS
The adjustable head restraint is a
safety device. Whenever possible it
should be installed and properly
adjusted when the seat is occupied. An
improperly adjusted head restraint may
provide reduced protection to an occupant
during certain rear impacts. Install the head restraint properly to
help minimize the risk of neck injury
in the event of a crash.
Note:
Adjust the seatback to an upright
driving position before adjusting the head
restraint. Adjust the head restraint so that
the top of it is level with the top of your head
and as far forward as possible. Make sure
that you remain comfortable. If you are
extremely tall, adjust the head restraint to
its highest position.
Front seat head restraints The head restraints consist of:
An energy absorbing head
restraint.
A
Two steel stems.
B
Guide sleeve adjust and release
button.
C
Guide sleeve unlock and remove
button.
D Adjusting the Head Restraint
Raising the Head Restraint
Pull the head restraint up.
Lowering the Head Restraint
1. Press and hold button C.
2. Push the head restraint down.
Removing the Head Restraint
1. Pull the head restraint up until it
reaches its highest position.
2. Insert a tool, such as a large paper clip,
into the pin hole located on the side of
the guide sleeve adjust and release
button (D).
3. Press and hold buttons C and D.
4. Pull the head restraint up.
Installing the Head Restraint
Align the steel stems into the guide sleeves
and push the head restraint down until in
locks.
Tilting Head Restraints (If Equipped)
The front head restraints tilt for extra
comfort. To tilt the head restraint, do the
following:
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1. Adjust the seatback to an upright
driving or riding position.
2. Pivot the head restraint forward toward
your head to the desired position.
After the head restraint reaches the
forward-most tilt position, pivoting it
forward again will then release it to the
rearward, un-tilted position.
MANUAL SEATS (If Equipped)
Moving the Seat Backward and
Forward WARNINGS
Do not adjust the driver seat or
seatback when your vehicle is
moving.
Rock the seat backward and forward
after releasing the lever to make sure
that it is fully engaged. Recline Adjustment
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 make sure that it has fully
latched. An unlatched seat may become
dangerous in the event of a sudden stop
or crash. 92
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Lumbar Adjustment (If Equipped)
POWER SEATS
(If Equipped)
WARNINGS
Do not adjust the driver seat or
seatback when your vehicle is
moving. Adjusting your seatback
while your vehicle is in motion may cause
loss of control of your vehicle. Do not place cargo or any objects
behind the seatback before returning
it to the original position.
The control is located on the outboard side
of the seat. Move the switch in the direction
of the arrow to raise or lower the seat
cushion or to move the seat forward,
backward, up or down. REAR SEATS WARNINGS
Always drive and ride with your
seatback upright and the lap belt
snug and low across the hips.
Reclining the seatback can cause an
occupant to slide under the seat’
s
safety belt, resulting in severe
personal injuries in the event of a crash. Lift the handle to adjust the seatback
rearward or forward. The seatback can
also fold forward until it is flat.
Fold-flat Seatback
(If Equipped)
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 make sure that it has fully
latched. An unlatched seat may become
dangerous in the event of a sudden stop
or crash. 93
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Lift the handle and fold the seatback
forward until it is flat.
Note:
For the bench seats, make sure the
center safety belt is unbuckled before
folding the seatback. Lift the seatback toward the rear of the
vehicle until you hear a click.
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNINGS
Vehicle modifications involving
braking system, aftermarket roof
racks, suspension, steering system,
tire construction and wheel and tire size
may change the handling characteristics
of your vehicle and may adversely affect
the performance of the electronic stability
control system. In addition, installing any
stereo loudspeakers may interfere with
and adversely affect the electronic stability
control system. Install any aftermarket
stereo loudspeaker as far as possible from
the front center console, the tunnel, and
the front seats in order to minimize the risk
of interfering with the electronic stability
control sensors. Reducing the
effectiveness of the electronic stability
control system could lead to an increased
risk of loss of vehicle control, vehicle
rollover, personal injury and death. Remember that even advanced
technology cannot defy the laws of
physics. It’
s always possible to lose
control of a vehicle due to inappropriate
driver input for the conditions. Aggressive
driving on any road condition can cause
you to lose control of your vehicle
increasing the risk of personal injury or
property damage. Activation of the
electronic stability control system is an
indication that at least some of the tires
have exceeded their ability to grip the road;
this could reduce the operator ’s ability to
control the vehicle potentially resulting in
a loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover,
personal injury and death. If your electronic
stability control system activates, SLOW
DOWN. The system automatically turns on each
time you switch the ignition on. If a driving condition activates either the
stability control or the traction control
system you may experience the following
conditions:
•
The stability and traction control light
flashes.
• Your vehicle slows down.
• Reduced engine power.
• A vibration in the brake pedal.
• The brake pedal is stiffer than usual.
• If the driving condition is severe and
your foot is not on the brake, the brake
pedal may move as the systems
applies higher brake forces.
The stability control system has several
features built into it to help you maintain
control of your vehicle:
Electronic Stability Control
The system enhances your vehicle ’s ability
to prevent skids or lateral slides by
applying brakes to one or more of the
wheels individually and, if necessary,
reducing engine power.
Roll Stability Control
The system enhances your vehicle ’s ability
to prevent rollovers by detecting your
vehicle ’s roll motion and the rate at which
it changes by applying the brakes to one
or more wheels individually.
Traction Control
The system enhances your vehicle ’s ability
to maintain traction of the wheels by
detecting and controlling wheel spin. See
Using Traction Control (page 121).
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•
Never wash or rinse any ignition coil,
spark plug wire or spark plug well, or
the area in and around these locations.
• Cover the battery, power distribution
box, and air filter assembly to prevent
water damage when cleaning the
engine.
CLEANING THE WINDOWS AND
WIPER BLADES
Car wash chemicals and environmental
fallout can result in windshield and wiper
blade contamination. Dirty windshield and
wipers will result in poor windshield wiper
operation. Keep the windshield and wiper
blades clean to maintain windshield wiper
performance.
To clean the windshield and wiper blades:
• Clean the windshield with a
non-abrasive glass cleaner. When
cleaning the interior of the windshield,
avoid getting any glass cleaner on the
instrument panel or door panels. Wipe
any glass cleaner off these surfaces
immediately.
• For windshields contaminated with
tree sap, chemicals, wax or bugs, clean
the entire windshield using steel wool
(no greater than 0000 grade) in a
circular motion and rinse with water.
• Clean the wiper blades with isopropyl
rubbing alcohol or windshield washer
concentrate.
Note: Do not use razor blades or other
sharp objects to clean or remove decals
from the inside of the heated rear window.
The vehicle warranty does not cover
damage caused to the heated rear window
grid lines. CLEANING THE INTERIOR WARNINGS
Do not use cleaning solvents, bleach
or dye on the vehicle
’s safety belts,
as these actions may weaken the
belt webbing. On vehicles equipped with
seat-mounted airbags, do not use
chemical solvents or strong
detergents. Such products could
contaminate the side airbag system and
affect performance of the side airbag in a
collision. For fabric, carpets, cloth seats, safety belts
and seats equipped with side airbags:
•
Remove dust and loose dirt with a
vacuum cleaner.
• Remove light stains and soil with
Motorcraft Professional Strength
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner.
• If grease or tar is present on the
material, spot-clean the area first with
Motorcraft Spot and Stain Remover. In
Canada, use Motorcraft Multi-Purpose
Cleaner.
• If a ring forms on the fabric after spot
cleaning, clean the entire area
immediately (but do not oversaturate)
or the ring will set.
• Do not use household cleaning
products or glass cleaners, which can
stain and discolor the fabric and affect
the flame retardant abilities of the seat
materials.
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CLEANING THE INSTRUMENT
PANEL AND INSTRUMENT
CLUSTER LENS
WARNING
Do not use chemical solvents or
strong detergents when cleaning the
steering wheel or instrument panel
to avoid contamination of the airbag
system. Note:
Follow the same procedure as
cleaning leather seats for cleaning leather
instrument panels and leather interior trim
surfaces. See Cleaning Leather Seats
(page 201).
Clean the instrument panel and cluster
lens with a clean, damp and soft cloth,
then use a clean, dry and soft cloth to dry
these areas.
• Avoid cleaners or polishes that increase
the gloss of the upper portion of the
instrument panel. The dull finish in this
area helps protect you from
undesirable windshield reflection.
• Do not use any household cleaning
products or glass cleaners as these
may damage the finish of the
instrument panel, interior trim and
cluster lens.
• Wash or wipe your hands clean if you
have been in contact with certain
products such as insect repellent and
suntan lotion to avoid possible damage
to the interior painted surfaces.
• Do not allow air fresheners and hand
sanitizers to spill onto interior surfaces.
If a spill occurs, wipe off immediately.
Your warranty may not cover these
damages.
If a staining liquid like coffee or juice has
been spilled on the instrument panel or on
interior trim surfaces: 1. Wipe up spilled liquid using a clean,
soft cloth as quickly as possible.
2. Use Motorcraft Premium Leather and Vinyl Cleaner or a commercially
available leather cleaning product for
automotive interiors. Test any cleaner
or stain remover on an inconspicuous
area.
3. Alternatively, wipe the surface with a clean, soft cloth and a mild soap and
water solution. Dry the area with a
clean, soft cloth.
4. If necessary, apply more soap and water solution or cleaning product to
a clean, soft cloth and press it onto the
soiled area. Allow this to set at room
temperature for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the soaked cloth, then with a clean, damp cloth, use a rubbing
motion for 60 seconds on the soiled
area.
6. Dry the area with a clean, soft cloth.
CLEANING LEATHER SEATS
(If
Equipped)
Note: Follow the same procedure as
cleaning leather seats for cleaning leather
instrument panels and leather interior trim
surfaces.
For routine cleaning, wipe the surface with
a soft, damp cloth and a mild soap and
water solution. Dry the area with a clean,
soft cloth.
For cleaning and removing stains such as
dye transfer, use Motorcraft Premium
Leather and Vinyl Cleaner or a
commercially available leather cleaning
product for automotive interiors.
Note: Test any cleaner or stain remover on
an inconspicuous area.
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