7. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor
to make sure the retractor is in the
automatic locking mode. You should
not be able to pull more belt out. If the
retractor is not locked, unbuckle the
belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6.
E142533
8. Remove remaining slack from the belt.
Force the seat down with extra weight,
for example, by pressing down or
kneeling on the child restraint while
pulling up on the shoulder belt in order
to force slack from the belt. This is
necessary to remove the remaining
slack that exists once you add the extra
weight of the child to the child restraint.
It also helps to achieve the proper
snugness of the child restraint to your
vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean
toward the buckle helps to remove
remaining slack from the belt.
9. If the child restraint has a tether strap,
attach it.
E142534
10. Before placing the child in the seat,
forcibly move the seat forward and
back to make sure the seat is securely
held in place.
To check this, grab the seat at the belt path
and attempt to move it side to side and
forward and back. There should be no
more than 1 in (2.5 cm) of movement.
We recommend checking with a NHTSA
Certified Child Passenger Safety
Technician to make certain the child
restraint is properly installed. In Canada,
check with Transport Canada for referral
to a Child Car Seat Clinic.
Using Cinch Tongue Seatbelts
WARNING: Do not place a
rearward facing child restraint in front of
an active airbag. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death.
28
Child Safety
E14259742597
If the booster seat slides on the vehicle
seat upon which it is being used, placing a
rubberized mesh sold as shelf or carpet
liner under the booster seat may improve
this condition. Do not introduce any item
thicker than this under the booster seat.
Check with the booster seat
manufacturer's instructions.
CHILD RESTRAINT
POSITIONING
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
vehicle seat upon which the child seat is
installed all the way back. When
possible, all children age 12 and under
should be properly restrained in a rear
seating position. If all children cannot be
seated and restrained properly in a rear
seating position, properly restrain the
largest child in the front seat.
WARNING: Always carefully follow
the instructions and warnings provided
by the manufacturer of any child
restraint to determine if the restraint
device is appropriate for your child's size,
height, weight, or age. Follow the child
restraint 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: Never let a passenger
hold a child on his or her lap while your
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot
protect the child from injury in a crash,
which may result in serious injury or
death.
WARNING: Never use pillows,
books, or towels to boost a child. They
can slide around and increase the
likelihood of injury or death in a crash.
34
Child Safety
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNING: Always drive and ride
with the seat backrest upright and the
lap belt snug and low across the hips.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of
injury, make sure children sit where they
can be properly restrained.
WARNING: Never let a passenger
hold a child on his or her lap while your
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot
protect the child from injury in a crash
which may result in serious injury or
death.
WARNING: All occupants of the
vehicle, including the driver, should
always properly wear their safety belts,
even when an airbag supplemental
restraint system is provided. Failure to
properly wear your safety belt 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
safety belts. Be sure everyone in your
vehicle is in a seat and using a safety belt
properly.
WARNING: In a rollover crash, an
unbelted person is significantly more
likely to die than a person wearing a
safety belt.
WARNING: Each seating position
in your vehicle has a specific safety belt
assembly which is made up of one
buckle and one tongue that are designed
to be used as a pair. 1) Use the shoulder
belt on the outside shoulder only. Never
wear the shoulder belt under the arm. 2)
Never swing the safety belt around your
neck over the inside shoulder. 3) Never
use a single belt for more than one
person.
WARNING: When possible, all
children 12 years old and under should
be properly restrained in a rear seating
position. Failure to follow this could
seriously increase the risk of injury or
death.
WARNING: Safety belts and seats
can become hot in a vehicle that has
been closed up in sunny weather; they
could burn a small child. Check seat
covers and buckles before you place a
child anywhere near them.
WARNING: Front and rear seat
occupants, including pregnant women,
should wear safety belts for optimum
protection in an accident.
All seating positions in this vehicle have
lap and shoulder safety belts. All
occupants of the vehicle should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when
an airbag supplemental restraint system
is provided.
The safety belt system consists of:
• Lap and shoulder safety belts.
• Shoulder safety belt with automatic
locking mode, (except driver safety
belt).
37
Seatbelts
SITTING IN THE CORRECT
POSITION
WARNING: 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.
WARNING: 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.
E68595
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
WARNING: Fully adjust the head
restraint before you sit in or operate your
vehicle. This will help minimize the risk
of neck injury in the event of a crash. Do
not adjust the head restraint when your
vehicle is moving.
WARNING: The head restraint is a
safety device. Whenever possible it
should be installed and properly
adjusted when the seat is occupied.
Failure to adjust the head restraint
properly could reduce its effectiveness
during certain impacts.
WARNING: Adjust the head
restraints for all passengers before you
drive your vehicle. This will help minimize
the risk of neck injury in the event of a
crash. Do not adjust the head restraints
when your vehicle is moving.
88
Seats
III (start) - Cranks the engine.
STARTING A GASOLINE
ENGINE
When you start the engine, the idle speed
increases helping to warm up the engine.
If the engine idle speed does not slow
down, have your vehicle checked as soon
as possible.
Before starting the engine check the
following:
• Make sure all occupants fasten their
seatbelts.
• Make sure the headlamps and
electrical accessories are off.
• Make sure the parking brake is on.
• Make sure the transmission is in park
(P) or neutral (N).
• Turn the ignition key to the on position.
Note:Do not press the accelerator pedal.
1. Fully press the brake pedal.
2. Turn the key to the start position to
start the engine. Release the key when
the engine starts.
Note:The engine may continue cranking
for up to 15 seconds or until it starts.
Note:If you cannot start the engine on the
first try, wait for a short period and try again.
Failure to Start
If you cannot start the engine after three
attempts, wait 10 seconds and follow this
procedure:
1. Fully press the brake pedal.
2. Shift into park (P).
3. Fully press and hold the accelerator
pedal.
4. Attempt to start your vehicle and wait
until the engine stops cranking.5. Release the accelerator pedal.
6. Start the engine.
Stopping the Engine When Your
Vehicle is Stationary
1. Shift into park (P) or neutral (N).
2. Turn the key to the off position.
3. Apply the parking brake.
Stopping the Engine When Your
Vehicle is Moving
WARNING: Switching off the
engine when your vehicle is still moving
results in a significant decrease in
braking assistance. Higher effort is
required to apply the brakes and to stop
your vehicle. A significant decrease in
steering assistance could also occur. The
steering does not lock, but higher effort
could be required to steer your vehicle.
When you switch the ignition off, some
electrical circuits, for example airbags,
also turn off. If you unintentionally switch
the ignition off, shift into neutral (N) and
restart the engine.
1. Switch the ignition off to stop the
engine.
2. Put the transmission into neutral (N)
and use the brakes to bring your vehicle
to a safe stop.
3. When your vehicle has stopped, shift
into park (P).
4. Apply the parking brake.
101
Starting and Stopping the Engine
• Never wash or rinse the engine while it
is hot or running; water in the running
engine may cause internal damage.
• 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
WARNING: Do not use cleaning
solvents, bleach or dye on the vehicle's
seatbelts, as these actions may weaken
the belt webbing.
WARNING: 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 crash.
For fabric, carpets, cloth seats 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.
Mirrors
Do not clean the housing or glass of any
mirror with harsh abrasives, fuel or other
petroleum or ammonia-based cleaning
products.
265
Vehicle Care
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.
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.
REPAIRING MINOR PAINT
DAMAGE
Authorized dealers have touch-up paint to
match your vehicle’s color. Your vehicle
color code is printed on a sticker on the
front, left-hand side door jamb. Take your
color code to your authorized dealer to
make sure you get the correct color.
Before repairing minor paint damage, use
a cleaner to remove particles such as bird
droppings, tree sap, insect deposits, tar
spots, road salt and industrial fallout.
Read the instructions before using cleaning
products.
CLEANING THE WHEELS
1. Regularly clean them with a wheel
cleaner. We recommend that you use
Ford approved wheel cleaner if
available.
266
Vehicle Care
Check Every Month
Tires (including spare) for wear and proper pressure.
Windshield washer fluid level.
1Diesel engine only.
Check Every Six Months
Battery connections. Clean if necessary.
Body and door drain holes for obstructions. Clean if necessary.
Cooling system fluid level and coolant concentration (freeze-point protection).
Door weatherstrips for wear. Lubricate if necessary.
Hinges, latches and outside locks for proper operation. Lubricate if necessary.
Parking brake for proper operation.
Safety belts and seat latches for wear and function.
Safety warning lamps (brake, ABS, airbag and safety belt) for operation.
Washer spray and wiper operation. Clean or replace blades as necessary.
Tightening Lug Nuts
Tighten the lug nuts to the specified torque1 at 500 mi
(800 km) after any wheel disturbance (such as tire rota-
tion, changing a flat tire or wheel removal). Single rear wheels
Tighten the wheel lug nuts to the specified torque
1 at
100 mi (160 km), and again at 500 mi (800 km) of new
vehicle operation and after any wheel disturbance (such
as tire rotation, changing a flat tire or wheel removal). Dual rear wheels
1 See Technical Specifications (page 286).
322
Scheduled Maintenance