2023 FORD E SERIES Owners Manual

INSTALLING CHILD
RESTRAINTS
Child Seats
Use a child restraint (sometimes called aninfant carrier, convertible seat, or toddlerseat) for infants, toddlers, or childrenweighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less (generallyage four or younger).
Using Lap and Shoulder Belts
WARNING: Do not place arearward facing child restraint in front ofan active airbag. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injuryor death.
WARNING: Properly securechildren 12 years old and under in a rearseating position whenever possible. Ifyou are unable to properly secure allchildren in a rear seating position,properly secure the largest child on thefront seat. If you must use a forwardfacing child restraint on the front seat,move the seat as far back as possible.Failure to follow these instructions couldresult in personal injury or death.
WARNING: Depending on whereyou secure a child restraint, anddepending on the child restraint design,you may block access to certain seatbeltbuckle assemblies and LATCH loweranchors, rendering those featurespotentially unusable. To avoid risk ofinjury, make sure occupants only useseating positions where they are able tobe properly restrained.
When installing a child restraint withcombination lap and shoulder belts:
•Use the correct seatbelt buckle for thatseating position.
•Insert the belt tongue into the properbuckle until you hear a snap and feel itlatch. Make sure the tongue is securelyfastened in the buckle.
•Keep the buckle release buttonpointing up and away from the childrestraint, with the tongue between thechild restraint and the release button,to prevent accidental unbuckling.
•Place the vehicle seat in the uprightposition before you install the childrestraint.
•Put the seatbelt in the automaticlocking mode. See Step 5. This vehicledoes not require the use of a lockingclip.
Perform the following steps wheninstalling the child restraint withcombination lap and shoulder belts:
Note:Although the child restraintillustrated is a forward facing child restraint,the steps are the same for installing a rearfacing child restraint.
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1.Position the child restraint in a seatwith a combination lap and shoulderbelt.
2.Pull down on the shoulder belt andthen grasp the shoulder belt and lapbelt together.
3.While holding the shoulder and lap beltportions together, route the tonguethrough the child restraint accordingto the child restraint manufacturer'sinstructions. Make sure that you did nottwist the belt webbing.
4.Insert the belt tongue into the properbuckle (the buckle closest to thedirection the tongue is coming from)for that seating position until you heara snap and feel the latch engage. Makesure the tongue is latched securely bypulling on it.
5.To put the retractor in the automaticlocking mode, grasp the shoulderportion of the belt and pull downwarduntil you pull all of the belt out.
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6.Allow the belt to retract to removeslack. The belt clicks as it retracts toindicate it is in the automatic lockingmode.
7.Try to pull the belt out of the retractorto make sure the retractor is in theautomatic locking mode. You shouldnot be able to pull more belt out. If theretractor is not locked, unbuckle thebelt and repeat Steps 5 and 6.
8.Remove remaining slack from the belt.Force the seat down with extra weight,for example, by pressing down orkneeling on the child restraint whilepulling up on the shoulder belt in orderto force slack from the belt. This isnecessary to remove the remainingslack that exists once you add the extraweight of the child to the child restraint.It also helps to achieve the propersnugness of the child restraint to yourvehicle. Sometimes, a slight leantoward the buckle will help to removeremaining slack from the belt.
9.If the child restraint has a tether strap,attach it.
10.Before placing the child in the seat,forcibly move the seat forward andback to make sure the seat is securelyheld in place.
To check this, grab the seat at the belt pathand attempt to move it side to side andforward and back. There should be nomore than 1 in (2.5 cm) of movement forproper installation.
We recommend checking with a NHTSACertified Child Passenger SafetyTechnician to make certain the childrestraint is properly installed. In Canada,check with Transport Canada for referralto a Child Car Seat Clinic.
Using Tether Straps
Many forward-facing child restraintsinclude a tether strap which extends fromthe back of the child restraint and hooksto an anchoring point called the top tetheranchor. Tether straps are available as anaccessory for many older child restraints.Contact the manufacturer of your childrestraint for information about ordering atether strap, or to obtain a longer tetherstrap if the tether strap on your childrestraint does not reach the appropriatetop tether anchor in the vehicle.
Attach the tether strap only to the tetheranchor as shown. The tether strap may notwork properly if attached somewhere otherthan the correct tether anchor.
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Note:Do not tighten the tether strapenough to lift the child restraint off thevehicle seat cushion when the child isseated in it. Keep the tether strap just snugwithout lifting the front of the child restraint.Keeping the child restraint just touching thevehicle seat gives the best protection in asevere crash.
Perform the following steps to install achild restraint with tether anchors:
You can attach the tether directly to therear of the front seat.
1.Adjust the front passenger seat fullyforward.
2.Route the child restraint tether strapover the back of the front passengerseat as shown.
3.Clip the tether strap hook to the seatpedestal at the location shown. If thetether strap is clipped incorrectly, thechild restraint may not be retainedproperly in the event of a crash.
4.Adjust the front passenger seat to thefull rearward position.
5.Tighten the child restraint tether strapaccording to the manufacturer’sinstructions.
If you do not properly anchor the childrestraint, the risk of a child being injured ina crash greatly increases.
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BOOSTER SEATS
WARNING: Do not put the shouldersection of the seatbelt or allow the childto put the shoulder section of theseatbelt under their arm or behind theirback. Failure to follow this instructioncould reduce the effectiveness of theseatbelt and increase the risk of injury ordeath in a crash.
Use a belt-positioning booster seat forchildren who have outgrown or no longerproperly fit in a child safety restraint(generally children who are less than 57 in(1.45 m) tall, are greater than age 4 andless than age 12, and between 40 lb (18 kg)and 80 lb (36 kg) and upward to 100 lb(45 kg) if recommended by your childrestraint manufacturer). Many state andprovincial laws require that children useapproved booster seats until they reachage eight, a height of 57 in (1.45 m) tall, or80 lb (36 kg).
Booster seats should be used until you cananswer YES to ALL of these questionswhen seated without a booster seat:
•Can the child sit all the way backagainst their vehicle seat backrest withknees bent comfortably at the edge ofthe seat cushion?
•Can the child sit without slouching?
•Does the lap belt rest low across thehips?
•Is the shoulder belt centered on theshoulder and chest?
•Can the child stay seated like this forthe whole trip?
Always use booster seats in conjunctionwith your vehicle lap and shoulder belt.
Types of Booster Seats
•Backless booster seats
If your backless booster seat has aremovable shield, remove the shield. If avehicle seating position has a low seatbackrest or no head restraint, a backlessbooster 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 anotherseating position with a higher seat backrestor head restraint and lap and shoulderbelts, or consider using a high back boosterseat.
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•High back booster seats
If, with a backless booster seat, you cannotfind a seating position that adequatelysupports your child's head, a high backbooster seat would be a better choice.
Children and booster seats vary in size andshape. Choose a booster that keeps thelap belt low and snug across the hips,never up across the stomach, and lets youadjust the shoulder belt to cross the chestand rest snugly near the center of theshoulder. The following drawings comparethe ideal fit (center) to a shoulder beltuncomfortably close to the neck and ashoulder belt that could slip off theshoulder. The drawings also show how thelap belt should be low and snug across thechild's hips.
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If the booster seat slides on the vehicleseat upon which it is being used, placing arubberized mesh sold as shelf or carpetliner under the booster seat may improvethis condition. Do not introduce any itemthicker than this under the booster seat.Check with the booster seatmanufacturer's instructions.
CHILD RESTRAINT
POSITIONING
WARNING: Do not place arearward facing child restraint in front ofan active airbag. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injuryor death.
WARNING: Properly securechildren 12 years old and under in a rearseating position whenever possible. Ifyou are unable to properly secure allchildren in a rear seating position,properly secure the largest child on thefront seat. If you must use a forwardfacing child restraint on the front seat,move the seat as far back as possible.Failure to follow these instructions couldresult in personal injury or death.
WARNING: Always carefully followthe instructions and warnings providedby the manufacturer of any childrestraint to determine if the restraintdevice is appropriate for your child's size,height, weight, or age. Follow the childrestraint manufacturer's instructions andwarnings provided for installation anduse in conjunction with the instructions
and warnings provided by your vehiclemanufacturer. A safety seat that isimproperly installed or utilized, isinappropriate for your child's height, age,or weight or does not properly fit thechild may increase the risk of seriousinjury or death.
WARNING: Do not allow apassenger to hold a child on their lapwhen your vehicle is moving. Failure tofollow this instruction could result inpersonal injury or death in the event of asudden stop or crash.
WARNING: Do not use pillows,books or towels to boost your child'sheight. Failure to follow this instructioncould result in personal injury or death.
WARNING: Properly secure childrestraints or booster seats when they arenot in use. They could become projectilesin a sudden stop or crash. Failure tofollow this instruction could result inpersonal injury or death.
WARNING: Do not put the shouldersection of the seatbelt or allow the childto put the shoulder section of theseatbelt under their arm or behind theirback. Failure to follow this instructioncould reduce the effectiveness of theseatbelt and increase the risk of injury ordeath in a crash.
WARNING: Do not leave childrenor pets unattended in your vehicle.Failure to follow this instruction couldresult in personal injury or death.
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Recommendations for Attaching Child Restraints
Use Any Attachment Method as Indicated Below by X.
Restraint TypeSeatbelt OnlySeatbelt and TopTether Anchor
Combined Weight ofChild and ChildRestraint
XUp to 65 lb (29.5 kg)Rear-facingchild restraint
XOver 65 lb (29.5 kg)Rear-facingchild restraint
X1XUp to 65 lb (29.5 kg)Forward-facingchild restraint
X1XOver 65 lb (29.5 kg)Forward-facingchild restraint
1 We recommend using a top tether if the child restraint has one, and the child restraintmanufacturer recommends its use.
Note:The child restraint must rest tightlyagainst the vehicle seat upon which it isinstalled. It may be necessary to lift orremove the head restraint. See HeadRestraints (page 77).
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