2018 FORD EXPLORER seats

Combining Seatbelt and LATCH Lower
Anchors for Attaching Child Safety
Seats
When used in combination, either the
seatbelt 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
restraint.
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
restraint 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 you install the child safety seat using
either the seatbelt, 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 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 restraint with rigid
LATCH attachments, do not tighten the
tether strap enough to lift the child restraint
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 restraint.
Keeping the child restraint just touching your
vehicle seat gives the best protection in a
severe crash. 27
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Placement of the Tether Strap
•
Second row outboard seat positions:
Route the child safety seat tether strap
over the seat backrest, 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 Head Restraints
(page 144).
• Third row seat position: Route the child
safety seat tether strap over the seat
backrest, 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. See
Head
Restraints (page 144).
1. Route the tether strap.
2. Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position.
3. Clip the tether strap to the anchor as shown. The tether hook may be
twisted ½ turn to improve installation.
If the tether strap is clipped incorrectly,
the child safety seat may not be
retained properly in the event of a
crash. 4. Tighten the child safety seat tether
strap according to the manufacturer's
instructions.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly,
the risk of a child being injured in a crash
greatly increases.
If your child restraint system has a tether
strap, and the child restraint manufacturer
recommends its use, we also recommend
its use.
Second-Row Bucket Seats (40/40) 28
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Second-Row Bench Seats (60/40)
Third-Row Seats
Note:
The cargo tie downs at the rear edge
of the floor are not tether anchors.
BOOSTER SEATS WARNING: Do not put the shoulder
section of the seatbelt or allow the child
to put the shoulder section of the seatbelt
under their arm or behind their back. Failure
to follow this instruction could reduce the
effectiveness of the seatbelt and increase
the risk of injury or death in a crash. Note:
Some booster seat seatbelt guides
may not accommodate the shoulder portion
of the inflatable seatbelt.
Use a belt-positioning booster seat for
children who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a child safety seat (generally
children who are less than
57 in (1.45 m)
tall, are greater than age four (4) and less
than age twelve (12), and between
40 lb
(18 kg) and 80 lb (36 kg) and upward to
100 lb (45 kg) if recommended by your
child restraint manufacturer). Many state
and provincial laws require that children
use approved booster seats until they
reach age eight, a height of
57 in (1.45 m)
tall, or 80 lb (36 kg).
Booster seats should be used until you can
answer YES to ALL of these questions
when seated without a booster seat:
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•
Can the child sit all the way back
against their vehicle seat backrest with
knees bent comfortably at the edge of
the seat cushion?
• Can the child sit without slouching?
• Does the lap belt rest low across the
hips?
• Is the shoulder belt centered on the
shoulder and chest?
• Can the child stay seated like this for
the whole trip?
Always use booster seats in conjunction
with your vehicle lap and shoulder belt.
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
backrest 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 backrest
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.
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.
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manufacturer's instructions and warnings
provided for installation and use in
conjunction with the instructions and
warnings provided by your vehicle
manufacturer. A safety seat that is
improperly installed or utilized, is
inappropriate for your child's height, age,
or weight or does not properly fit the child
may increase the risk of serious injury or
death.
WARNING: Do not allow a
passenger to hold a child on their lap when
your vehicle is moving. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death in the event of a sudden stop or
crash. WARNING:
Do not use pillows,
books or towels to boost your child's
height. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury or death. WARNING:
Properly secure child
restraints or booster seats when they are
not in use. They could become projectiles
in a sudden stop or crash. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in personal
injury or death. WARNING:
Do not put the shoulder
section of the seatbelt or allow the child
to put the shoulder section of the seatbelt
under their arm or behind their back. Failure
to follow this instruction could reduce the
effectiveness of the seatbelt and increase
the risk of injury or death in a crash. WARNING: Do not leave children or
pets unattended in your vehicle. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death.
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Recommendations for Attaching Child Safety Restraints for Children
Use Any Attachment Method as Indicated Below by X
Combined Weight ofChild and Child
Restraint
Restraint
Type Seatbelt
Only
Seatbelt
and LATCH (Lower
Anchors and Top Tether
Anchor)
Seatbelt
and Top Tether
Anchor
LATCH
(Lower
Anchors Only)
LATCH
(Lower
Anchors and Top Tether
Anchor)
X
X
Up to 65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing
child
restraint
X
Over
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing
child
restraint
X
X
X
Up to
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward
facingchild
restraint
X
X
Over
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward
facingchild
restraint
Note: The child restraint must rest tightly
against the vehicle seat upon which it is
installed. It may be necessary to lift or
remove the head restraint. See Seats (page
144
).
CHILD SAFETY LOCKS
When these locks are set, the rear doors
cannot be opened from the inside.
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNING: Always drive and ride
with your seatback upright and the lap belt
snug and low across the hips. WARNING:
Children must always
be properly restrained. WARNING:
Never let a passenger
hold a child on his or her lap while the
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot
protect the child from injury in a crash. WARNING:
All occupants of your
vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their seatbelts, even when
an airbag supplemental restraint system
is provided. Failure to properly wear your
seatbelt could seriously increase the risk
of injury or death. WARNING: It is extremely dangerous
to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of
a vehicle. In a crash, people riding in these
areas are more likely to be seriously injured
or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any
area of your vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and seatbelts. Make sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
properly using a seatbelt. Failure to follow
this warning could result in serious
personal injury or death. WARNING:
In a rollover crash, an
unbelted person is significantly more likely
to die than a person wearing a seatbelt. WARNING:
Each seating position in
your vehicle has a specific seatbelt
assembly made up of one buckle and one
tongue designed to be used as a pair. Use
the shoulder belt on the outside shoulder
only. Never wear the shoulder belt under
the arm. Never use a single seatbelt for
more than one person. WARNING:
Even with advanced
restraints systems, properly restrain
children 12 and under in a rear seating
position. Failure to follow this could
seriously increase the risk of injury or death. WARNING: Seatbelts and seats may
be hot in a vehicle that is in the sunshine.
The hot seatbelts or seats may burn a
small child. Check seat covers and buckles
before you place a child anywhere near
them.
All seating positions in your vehicle have
lap and shoulder seatbelts. All occupants
of the vehicle should always properly wear
their seatbelts, even when an airbag
supplemental restraint system is provided.
The seatbelt system consists of:
• Lap and shoulder seatbelts.
• Shoulder seatbelt with automatic
locking mode, (except driver seatbelt
and rear inflatable seatbelt).
• Height adjuster at the front outboard
seating positions.
• Seatbelt pretensioner at the front
outboard seating positions.
• Belt tension sensor at the front
outboard passenger seating position. •
Seatbelt warning light and chime.
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2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull
downward until you pull the entire belt
out. As the belt retracts, you will hear
a clicking sound. This indicates the
seatbelt is now in the automatic
locking mode.
Rear Outermost Inflatable Seatbelts
(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 you pull the entire
belt out.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will hear a clicking sound.
This indicates the seatbelt 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. Rear Inflatable Seatbelt (If Equipped) WARNING:
Do not attempt to
service, repair, or modify the
supplementary restraint system or
associated components. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in personal
injury or death.
The rear inflatable seatbelts are in the
shoulder portion of the seatbelts of the
second-row outermost seating positions.
Note: The rear inflatable seatbelts are
compatible with most infant and child
safety car seats and belt positioning booster
seats when you properly install them. This
is because they are designed to fill with a
cooled gas at a lower pressure and at a
slower rate than traditional airbags. After
inflation, the shoulder portion of the
seatbelt remains cool to the touch.
The rear inflatable seatbelt consists of the
following:
• An inflatable bag in the shoulder
seatbelt webbing.
• Lap seatbelt webbing with automatic
locking mode.
• The same warning light, electronic
control and diagnostic unit as used for
the front seatbelts.
• Impact sensors in various parts of the
vehicle.
How does the rear inflatable seatbelt
system work? WARNING:
If a supplementary
restraint system component has deployed,
it will not function again. Have the system
and associated components inspected as
soon as possible. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death.
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