tow LINCOLN AVIATOR 2003 Owner's Manual

The head restraints can be raised by
lifting. If the head restraint is fully
lowered, press the release button to
raise it. To raise or lower the head
restraint, press the release button
located on the side of the metal bar.
If the head restraint becomes detached, replace the notched bar into the
holes while holding the release button.
Folding down the 40/20/40 or bucket rear seats
Ensure that the headrest is in the down position and no objects such as
books, purses or briefcases are on the floor in front of the second row
seats before folding them down.
Move front passenger seat forward so that the second row seat headrest
clears the front seat.
For assistance, refer to the label located on the plastic side shield.
1. Locate handle on the side of the
seat cushion by the door.
2. Pull the handle down and the
seatback will fall toward the front of
the vehicle.
3. Press down on the topoutboard
area of the seatback until a click is
heard.
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To return the seat to the upright
position:
1. Pull the handle down to release
the lock position and lift the
seatback toward the rear of the
vehicle.
2. Rotate the seatback until you
hear a click, locking it in the upright
position.
Adjusting the second row recline
The second row seat reclines for additional comfort. To adjust the
second row recline pull the handle forward and push the seat back
rearward.
Reclining the seatback can cause an occupant to slide under the
seat’s safety belt, resulting in severe personal injuries in the
event of a collision.
Adjusting the 2nd row seat for E-Z Entry
The E-Z Entry seat allows for easier entry and exit to and from the 3rd
row seat.
To enter the 3rd row seat:
1. Fold down the 2nd row seat.
2. Pull the handle all the way down
until the seat releases from the floor
and folds away.
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3. To return the seat to a seating
position, flip the seat into the
upright position.
4. Make sure the seat is latched to
the floor.
If the seat is not firmly latched
to the floor, the seat back will
not lock in the upright position.
To adjust, you must unlatch the
seat from the floor and retry.
To exit the 3rd row seat, pull the
red access control lever upreleasing
the seat from the floor and rotate
the seat uptowards the front seat.
Always latch the vehicle seat to the floor, whether the seat is
occupied or empty. If not latched, the seat may cause injury
during a sudden stop.
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Folding the middle 2nd row seat (If equipped)
1. Locate the lever on the topof the
seatback.
2. Pull the lever upand push the
seatback toward the front of the
vehicle.
3. Press down on the topoutboard
area of the seatback until a click is
heard.
To return the seatback to the
upright position:
1. Pull the lever and lift the
seatback toward the rear of the
vehicle.
2. Rotate the seatback until you
hear a click, locking it in the upright
position.
3rd row stow feature
The 3rd row seat has a tip/stow feature to increase cargo space without
removing the seat from the vehicle.
Lower the head restraints before putting the seat in the stowed position.
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To put seat in stowed position:
1. Pull the seat release lever located
on topof the seatback while
pushing the seatback down onto the
seat cushion.
2. The seatback will latch into place.
3. Push the closeout panel forward
over the space between the seats.
To put seat in upright position:
1. Pull back the slider panel on the
seatback to release the closeout
panel.
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Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the air bag
supplemental restraint systems or its fuses. See your Ford or
Lincoln Mercury dealer.
Modifying or adding equipment to the front end of the vehicle
(including frame, bumper, front end body structure and tow
hooks) may affect the performance of the air bag system, increasing
the risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the vehicle.
Additional equipment may affect the performance of the air bag
sensors increasing the risk of injury. Please refer to the Body
Builders Layout Book for instructions about the appropriate installation
of additional equipment.
Children and air bags
Children must always be properly
restrained. Accident statistics
suggest that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front
seating position. Failure to follow
these instructions may increase the
risk of injury in a collision.
Air bags can kill or injure a
child in a child seat.
NEVERplace a rear-facing child
seat in front of an active air bag. If
you must use a forward-facing
child seat in the front seat, move
the seat all the way back.
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Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the
booster seat.
Never put the shoulder belt under a child’s arm or behind the
back because it eliminates the protection for the upper part of
the body and may increase the risk of injury or death in a collision.
Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a child. They can
slide around and increase the likelihood of injury or death in a
collision.
SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
Child and infant or child safety seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the
child. Carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions with the
safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install and use the
safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden stop or
collision.
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6. Allow the belt to retract. The belt will click as it retracts to indicate it
is in the automatic locking mode.
7. Pull the lapbelt portion across
the child seat toward the buckle and
pull up on the shoulder belt while
pushing down with your knee on the
child seat.
8. Allow the safety belt to retract to
remove any slack in the belt.
9. 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. There should be no
more than one inch of movement for
proper installation.
10. 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
two through nine.
Check to make sure the child seat is properly secured before each use.
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AdvanceTracenhances your vehicle’s stability during maneuvers that
require all available tire traction, like in wet/snowy/icy road conditions
and/or when performing emergency maneuvers. In an emergency
lane-change, the driver will experience better overall vehicle traction,
and have better control of the vehicle.
The AdvanceTracsystem helps the driver maintain steering control if
the vehicle begins to slide excessively left or right or spin out.
AdvanceTracwill attempt to correct the sliding motion by applying
brake force at individual tires and, if necessary, by reducing engine
power.
Driving conditions which may activate AdvanceTracinclude:
•Taking a turn too fast
•Maneuvering quickly to avoid an accident, pedestrian or obstacle
•Hitting a patch of ice
•Changing lanes on a snow-rutted road
•Entering a snow-free road from a snow-covered side street, or vice
versa
•Entering a paved road from a gravel road, or vice versa
•Hitting a curb while turning
•Driving on slick surfaces
•Cornering while towing a heavily loaded trailer (refer toTrailer
Towingin this chapter)
The AdvanceTracsystem automatically turns on when the engine is
started. However, the system does not function when the vehicle is
traveling in R (Reverse). In R (Reverse), ABS and the traction
enhancement feature will continue to function.
The AdvanceTracbutton allows
the driver to control the availability
of the AdvanceTracsystem.
AdvanceTracsystem status is
indicated by a warning indicator
light with a “sliding car” icon in the instrument cluster that will flash
when the system is active and an indicator light in the control button
that will illuminate when the system is turned off. In vehicles with a
message center, the message “ADVANCETRAC OFF” will be displayed.
If a failure is detected in the AdvanceTracsystem, the warning
indicator light in the instrument cluster will stay on. If the warning
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3. Using the screwdriver (or
equivalent), push the white plastic
override mechanism (located behind
the bracket) toward the roof of the
vehicle as shown in the illustration.
4. Move the gearshift lever back to N (Neutral) (two places from P
[Park]).
5. Start the vehicle and release the parking brake.
If it is necessary to use the above procedure to move the gearshift lever,
it is possible that a fuse has blown or the vehicle’s brakelamps are not
operating properly. Refer toFuses and relaysin theRoadside
emergencieschapter.
Do not drive your vehicle until you verify that the brakelamps
are working.
Always set the parking brake fully and make sure the gearshift is
latched in P (Park). Turn the ignition to the LOCK position and
remove the key whenever you leave your vehicle.
If the parking brake is fully released, but the brake warning lamp
remains illuminated, the brakes may not be working properly.
See your dealer or a qualified service technician.
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