2023 LINCOLN AVIATOR belt

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2. After positioning the child restraint in the
proper seating position, pull down on the
shoulder belt and then grasp the
shoulder belt and lap belt together
behind the belt tongue.
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3. While holding the shoulder and lap belt
portions together, route the tongue
through the child restraint according to
the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions. Make sure you do not twist
the belt webbing.
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4. Insert the belt tongue into the proper
buckle (the buckle closest to the direction
the tongue is coming from) for that
seating position until you hear a snap and
feel the latch engage. Make sure you
securely latch the tongue by pulling on
it.
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Child Safety

5. To put the retractor in the automatic
locking mode, grasp the shoulder portion
of the belt and pull downward until you
pull all of the belt out.
Note:The automatic locking mode is
available on the front passenger and rear
seats.
6. Allow the belt to retract to remove slack.
The belt clicks as it retracts to indicate it
is in the automatic locking mode.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 did not lock, unbuckle the belt
and repeat Steps 5 and 6.
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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 as you pull
up on the shoulder belt to force slack
from the belt. This is necessary to remove
the remaining slack that exists once youadd 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 provides extra help to
remove remaining slack from the belt.
9. If the child restraint has a tether strap,
attach it.E142534
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Child Safety

10. Before placing the child in the seat,
forcibly move the seat forward and back
to make sure you have the seat
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 for
proper installation.
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 Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren (LATCH)
WARNING: Do not attach two child
safety restraints to the same anchor. In a
crash, one anchor may not be strong
enough to hold two child safety restraint
attachments and may break, causing
serious injury or death.
WARNING: Depending on where you
secure a child restraint, and depending on
the child restraint design, you may block
access to certain seatbelt buckle
assemblies and LATCH lower anchors,
rendering those features potentially
unusable. To avoid risk of injury, make sure
occupants only use seating positions
where they are able to be properly
restrained.
The LATCH system has three vehicle anchor
points: two lower anchors where the seat
backrest and seat cushion meet (called the
seat bight) and one top tether anchor behind
that seating position.
LATCH compatible child restraints have two
rigid or webbing mounted attachments that
connect to the two lower anchors at the
LATCH equipped seating positions in your
vehicle. This type of attachment method
eliminates the need to use seatbelts to attachthe child restraint. However, you can still use
the seatbelt to attach the child restraint. For
forward-facing child restraints, you must also
attach the top tether strap to the proper top
tether anchor if one came with your child
restraint.
Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for
child restraint installation at the seating
positions marked with the child restraint
symbol.
Second Row Bucket Seats and Third Row
Seats
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33
Child Safety

Second Row Bench Seats and Third Row
Seats
E31888969969969996996969699696969696996996969969969969969969696996969699969966969699699696996669699999999699996669
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The LATCH anchors are at the rear section
of the rear seat between the cushion and
seat backrest below the symbols as shown.
Follow the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions to properly install a child restraint
with LATCH attachments.
Follow the instructions on attaching child
restraints with tether straps. See Using
Tether Straps later in this chapter.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child
restraint only to the anchors shown.
Use of Inboard Lower Anchors from the
Outermost Seating Positions (Center
Seating Use)
WARNING: The standardized spacing
for LATCH lower anchors is 11 in (280 mm)
center to center. Do not use LATCH lower
anchors for the center seating position
unless the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions permit and specify using
anchors spaced at least as far apart as
those in this vehicle.The lower anchors at the center of the
second row bench seat are spaced 20.5 in
(52 cm) apart. The standardized spacing for
LATCH lower anchors is 11 in (28 cm) center
to center. You cannot install a child restraint
with rigid LATCH attachments at the center
seating position. You can only use LATCH
compatible child restraints with attachments
on belt webbing at this seating position
provided that the child restraint
manufacturer’s instructions permit use with
the anchor spacing stated. Do not attach a
child restraint to any lower anchor if you have
an adjacent child restraint attached to that
anchor.
Each time you use the child restraint, check
that the seat is properly attached to the lower
anchors and tether anchor, if applicable. Tug
the child restraint from side to side and
forward and back where you secured it to
your vehicle. The child restraint should move
less than 1 in (2.5 cm) if you properly installed
it.
If you do not properly anchor the child
restraint, the risk of injury to a child greatly
increases in a crash.
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Child Safety

Combining Seatbelt and LATCH Lower
Anchors for Attaching Child Restraints
When used in combination, you can attach
either the seatbelt or the LATCH lower
anchors first, provided a proper installation
is achieved. Attach the tether strap afterward,
if included with the child restraint.
Using Tether Straps
E141E141128128Many forward-facing child
restraints include a tether strap
which extends from the back of the
child restraint and hooks to an anchoring
point called the top tether anchor. Tether
straps are available as an accessory for many
older child restraints.
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 child restraint does
not reach the appropriate top tether anchor
in your vehicle.Once you install the child restraint 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
Seats
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Second Row Bench Seats and Third Row
Seats
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Perform the following steps to install a child
restraint 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.
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Child Safety

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.
Use a belt-positioning booster seat for
children who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a child safety restraint
(generally children who are less than 57 in
(1.45 m) tall, are greater than age 4 and less
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 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:
• 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
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• 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.
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Child Safety

E70710
• 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. Thefollowing 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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Child Safety

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: 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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Child Safety