FORD THUNDERBIRD 1997 10.G Owners Manual

99
Seating and Safety
Restraints
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Seats
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Head Restraints
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If you use them properly, head restraints will
help protect your head and neck in a collision.
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A head restraint helps protect you best if you
position it behind your head and not behind
your neck.
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Standard head restraints
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You can adjust the head restraints for your
comfort and protection.
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one third page art:0010048-C
Adjusting the head restraint
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100 % [SS01200(MBC )12/95]Adjusting Manual Seats
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In the front seats, you can move the whole seat
forward or backward or tilt the back of the seat
forward or backward.
[SS01500(MBC )12/95]
To move the seats forward or backward:
[SS01700( BCGV)12/95]
1. Find the adjustment bar underneath the front
part of the seat.
[SS01900( BCGV)12/95]
2. Lift the bar to unlatch the seat.
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3. Move the seat to the desired position.
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4. Release the bar to latch the seat in its new
position. Make sure the seat locks securely in
place.
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quarter page art:0010252-A
The front seat adjustment bar
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To recline the front manual seats:
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1. On the side of the seat, find the handle for
the recliner.
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2. Lift the handle up and hold it in place.
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3. Lean against the back of the seat and adjust
it to the position you want. You can tilt the
seat back or bring it forward.
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4. Release the handle to lock the seat in its new
position.
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101
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RWARNING
Never adjust the driver's seat or seatback
when the vehicle is moving.
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RWARNING
Always drive and ride with your seatback
upright and the lap belt snug and low
across the hips.
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Seatback Recline
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one third page art:0010256-A
Front seatback release levers
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It is not necessary to use the emergency seatback
release lever for rear seat entry or exit. The
seatback remains unlocked with normal usage
and locks only during emergency stopping, upon
impact, or on steep downhill grades. The inertia
seatback latch will allow the seatback to rotate
approximately 5Ê forward before it locks. The
release is provided only to unlock the seatback
when parked on steep downhill grades or after a
collision.
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102
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RWARNING
Check to see that the seat and seatback
are latched securely in position. Keep
floor area free of objects that would
prevent proper seat engagement. Never
attempt to adjust the seat while the
vehicle is in motion.
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[SS04500( BCGV)01/96]
Using the Power Seats (If equipped)
[SS04700( BC )12/95]
If your vehicle has power seats, you can adjust
them in several directions. The controls are on
the side of the seats.
[SS05000( BC )12/95]
half page art:0010258-F
The power controls on the driver's seat
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103 %
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Rear Seat Entry
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one third page art:0010264-A
Entering the rear seat
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The rotating boot on the lap belt is designed to
allow rear seat entry/exit. To enter the rear seat:
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1. Rotate the safety belt boot rearward.
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2. Enter the rear seat in front of the safety belt.
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3. Rotate the safety belt boot forward to allow
use by the front seat passengers.
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Important Safety Belt Information
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The use of safety belts helps to restrain you and
your passengers in case of a collision. In most
states and in Canada the law requires their use.
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Safety belts provide best restraint when:
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q
the seatback is upright
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q
the occupant is sitting upright (not slouched)
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q
the lap belt is snug and low on the hips
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q
the shoulder belt is snug against the chest
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q
the knees are straight forward
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104
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To help you remember to fasten your safety belt,
a warning light may come on and a chime may
sound. SeeSafety Belt Warning Light and Chimein
theInstrumentationchapter.
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See the following sections in this chapter for
directions on how to properly use these safety
belts. Also seeSafety Restraints for Childrenin this
chapter for special instructions about using
safety belts for children.
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RWARNING
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a
cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle.
In a collision, 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.
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RWARNING
Always drive and ride with your seatback
upright and the lap belt snug and low
across the hips.
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RWARNING
Ford recommends that all safety belt
assemblies and attaching hardware should
be inspected by a qualified technician
after any collision. Safety belt assemblies
not in use during a collision should also
be inspected and replaced if either
damage or improper operation is noted.
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105
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RWARNING
Children should always ride with the
seatback in the fully upright position.
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RWARNING
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 collision.
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RWARNING
Lock the doors of your vehicle before
driving to lessen the risk of the door
coming open in a collision.
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Combination Lap and Shoulder
Belts
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While your vehicle is in motion, the combination
lap and shoulder belt adjusts to your movement.
However, if you brake hard, corner hard or if
your vehicle receives an impact of 5 mph
(8 km/h) or more, the lap and shoulder belt
locks and helps reduce your forward movement.
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After you get into your vehicle, close the door
and lock it. Then adjust the seat to the position
that suits you best.
[SS12600( ALL)12/95]
To fasten the belt,pull the lap/shoulder belt
from the retractor so that the shoulder portion of
the belt crosses your shoulder and chest. Be sure
the belt is not twisted. If it is, remove the twist.
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.
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106
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quarter page art:0010018-B
Fastening the front seat combination lap and shoulder belt
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one third page art:0010502-A
Fastening the rear seat combination lap and shoulder belt
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NOTE: Be sure to read and understand
Important Safety Belt Informationin
this chapter.
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Safety Belts for the Front Passenger
Outboard Seating Positions
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Your vehicle is equipped with a dual locking
mode retractor on the shoulder belt portion of
the combination lap/shoulder safety belt for
front seat passengers and a locking ªcinch
tongueº for rear outboard passengers.
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107
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Dual locking mode retractors operate in two
ways:
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Vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode
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In this operating mode, the shoulder belt
retractor will allow the occupant freedom of
movement, locking tight only on hard braking,
hard cornering or impacts of approximately
5 mph (8 km/h) or more. The retractor can also
be made to lock by pulling/jerking on the belt.
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Automatic locking mode
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In this operating mode, the shoulder belt
retractor will be automatically locked and remain
locked when the combination lap/shoulder
safety belt is buckled, and does not allow the
occupant freedom of movement. This mode
provides the following:
[SS14400( ALL)04/96]
q
A tight lap/shoulder belt fit on the occupant.
[SS14500( ALL)04/96]
q
Child seat or infant carrier installation
restraint.
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RWARNING
Rear-facing child seats or infant carriers
should never be placed in the front seats.
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This modemust be usedwhen installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat and rear
outboard seats where dual locking retractors are
provided.
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108
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To switch the retractor from the emergency
locking mode to the automatic locking mode,
perform the following steps:
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1. Buckle the lap/shoulder combination belt.
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2. Grasp the shoulder portion of the belt and
pull downward until all of the belt is
extracted and, when allowed to retract, a
clicking sound is heard. At this time, the belt
retractor is in the automatic locking mode
(child restraint mode).
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3. A clicking sound will continue to be heard
as the belt is allowed to retract.
[SS15200( ALL)04/96]
NOTE: When the combination lap/shoulder
belt is unbuckled and allowed to
retract completely, the retractor will
switch back to the vehicle sensitive
(emergency) locking mode. See the
detailed instructions underSafety Seats
for Childrenin this chapter.
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Safety Belts with Locking Cinch Tongue
for Rear Outboard Seating Positions
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Your vehicle is equipped with safety seat belts
containing a cinch tongue at the rear outboard
seating positions.
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The locking cinch tongue will slide up and
down the belt webbing when the belt is in the
stowed position or while putting seat belts on.
When the locking cinch tongue of the
lap/shoulder combination seat belt is latched
into the buckle, the cinch tongue will allow the
lap portion to become shorter, but locks the
webbing in place to restrict it from becoming
longer.
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