2023 LINCOLN AVIATOR Owners Manual

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.
When installing a child restraint with
combination lap and shoulder belts:
• Use the correct seatbelt buckle for that
seating position.
• Insert the belt tongue into the proper
buckle until you hear a snap and feel it
latch. Make sure the tongue is securely
fastened in the buckle.
• Keep the buckle release button pointing
up and away from the child restraint, with
the tongue between the child restraint
and the release button, to prevent
accidental unbuckling.• Place the vehicle seat in the upright
position before you install the child
restraint.
• For second row seating positions, adjust
the recliner slightly to improve child
restraint fit. If needed, remove the head
restraints.
• For third row seating positions, stow the
head restraints to improve child restraint
fit. See Head Restraints (page 177).
• Put the seatbelt in the automatic locking
mode. See Step 5. This vehicle does not
require the use of a locking clip.
Perform the following steps when installing
the child restraint with combination lap and
shoulder belts:
Note:Although the child restraint illustrated
is a forward facing child restraint, the steps
are the same for installing a rear facing child
restraint.Note:Follow all instructions provided by the
manufacturer of the child restraint regarding
the necessary and proper use of the lock-off
device. In some instances these devices
have been provided only for use in vehicles
with seatbelt systems that would otherwise
require a locking clip.
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1. Position the child restraint in a seat with
a combination lap and shoulder belt.
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Child Safety

E142529
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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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
E319055
Second Row Bench Seats and Third Row
Seats
E319047
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

For second row outermost seating positions,
route the child restraint 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 restraint or tether strap.
For the second row center seating position,
route the child restraint tether strap over the
top of the head restraint. If needed, remove
the head restraint to improve the fit of the
child restraint or tether strap. See Head
Restraints (page 177).
For third row seating positions, route the
child restraint 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 restraint or tether strap. See
Head Restraints (page 177).
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 you clip
the tether strap incorrectly, the child
restraint may not be retained properly in
the event of a crash.
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4. Tighten the child restraint tether strap
according to the manufacturer's
instructions.
If the child restraint is not anchored properly,
the risk of injury to a child greatly increases
in a crash.
If your child restraint system has a tether
strap, and the child restraint manufacturer
recommends its use, we also recommend its
use.
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Child Safety

Second Row Bucket Seats
E251594
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Child Safety