seats Mercury Villager 1998 s User Guide

Children and Air Bags
NOTE: For additional important safety information on the
proper use of seat belts, child seats, and infant seats,
please read the entire Safety Restraints chapter in this
owner guide.
WARNING
Children should always wear their safety belts.
How Does the Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System
Work?
The Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System is designed to
activate when the vehicle is in a collision. The fact that the air
bags did not inflate in a collision does not mean that something is
wrong with the system. Rather, it means the forces were not of
the type sufficient to cause activation.
If the vehicle is in a moderate or severe frontal collision, the
system is activated and the air bags inflate rapidly. After the air
bag inflates, it will quickly deflate. After the air bag
deployment, you may notice a smoke-like, powdery residue or
smell the burnt propellant. This is normal. The residue may consist
of cornstarch or talcum powder (which is used to lubricate the
air bag) or sodium compounds, such as sodium carbonates (e.g.
baking soda) that result from the combustion process that
inflates the air bag. Small amounts of sodium hydroxide may be
present which may irritate the skin and eyes, but none of the
residue is toxic. The Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System will
reduce, but not eliminate all injuries in an accident.
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Safety Restraints for Children
In the U.S. and Canada, you are required by law to use safety
restraints for children. If small children ride in your vehicle Ð this
generally includes children who are four years old or younger
and who weigh 40 pounds (18 kg) or less Ð you must put them
in safety seats that are made specially for children. Safety
belts alone do not provide maximum protection for these children.
Check your local and state laws for specific requirements.
WARNING
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.
WARNING
To prevent the risk of injury, make sure children sit where
they can be properly restrained.
WARNING
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.
Seating and Safety Restraints
151

WARNING
Whenever possible, put children in one of the rear seats
in your vehicle. Accident statistics indicate that children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear seats than in
the front seats.
WARNING
Carefully follow all of the manufacturer's instructions
included 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.
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
Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets
unattended in your vehicle.
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Safety Seats for Children
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of
the child. Always follow the safety seat manufacturer's
instructions when installing and using the safety seat.
Ford recommends the use of a child safety seat having a top
tether strap. Install the child safety seat in a seating position which
is capable of providing a tether anchorage. For more
information on top tether straps seeAttaching Safety Seats With
Tether Strapsin this chapter.
When installing a child safety seat, be sure to use the correct
safety belt buckle for that seating position, make sure the tongue
is securely fastened in the buckle and there is tension in the
belt. For a shoulder/lap belt combination with a sliding tongue,
make sure the retractor is in the automatic locking mode. For
more information, seeUsing the Automatic Locking Mode Retractor
to Secure a Child Safety Seatlater in this chapter.
All child restraint systems are designed to be secured in vehicle
seats by lap belts or by the lap portion of a lap-shoulder belt.
Seating and Safety Restraints
153

WARNING
Rear-facing child seats or infant carriers should never be
placed in the front seats.
WARNING
If you do not properly secure the safety seat, the child
occupying the seat may be injured during a collision or
sudden stop. An unsecured safety seat could also injure
other passengers.
The passenger side quick-release second row captain seat is
adjustable along a track and may be adjusted very close to the
front passenger seat to allow easier entry and exit to third row seats.
WARNING
The quick-release seat must be adjusted to the rearmost
position when using an untethered forward-facing child
safety seat.
WARNING
The third row seat must be adjusted to the rearmost
position when using an untethered forward facing child
safety seat.
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WARNING
Always keep the buckle release button pointing upward
and away from the child seat, with the tongue between the
child seat and the release button as shown in the
following illustration.
WARNING
Failure to follow all instructions on the proper use of
child seats or the vehicle restraint systems can result in
serious injury or death in the event of a sudden stop or
collision.
Safety belt buckle placement for child seats
Seating and Safety Restraints
155

Using the Automatic Locking Mode Retractor to Secure
a Child Safety Seat
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual locking mode retractor on
the shoulder belt portion of the combination lap/shoulder safety
belt for the front passenger seat and rear outer seats. The
automatic locking modemust be usedwhen installing a child
seat or infant carrier in the front passenger seat or rear outer seats.
To install a child safety seat or infant carrier, follow these steps:
1. Position the child seat or infant carrier in the vehicle seat. If you
are using the moveable third row seat in the third row
position, the passenger side second row bucket seat, or the
front passenger seat, slide the seat to the rearmost position.
2. Follow the child seat or infant carrier manufacturer's
instructions. Route the safety belt through the child seat or
infant carrier and insert the safety belt tongue into the buckle
until you hear and feel the latch engage. Be sure to follow
the child safety seat manufacturer's instructions for belt
routing. When using the seating position near the sliding door
on the two-passenger bench seat, be sure that the single
window tongue is attached to the auxillary buckle on the side
of the seat.
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The automatic locking mode is activated whenever all of the belt
webbing is pulled out of the retractor.
While in this mode, the belt will retract or tighten but cannot be
pulled back out to obtain more length. To disengage the
automatic locking mode, unbuckle the belt and allow the webbing
to retract fully.
Attaching Safety Seats With Tether Straps
Some manufacturers make safety seats that include a tether strap
that goes over the back of the vehicle seat and attaches to an
anchoring point. Other manufacturers offer the tether strap as an
accessory. Contact the manufacturer of your child safety seat
for information about ordering a tether strap.
All vehicles built for sale in Canada include tether anchor
hardware for use with Canadian child safety seats. The tether
anchor hardware is located in the tire changing tool kit. Additional
tether anchor hardware can be obtained at no charge from any
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
Vehicles built for sale in the USAdo notinclude tether anchor
hardware, but it can be obtained at no charge from any Ford or
Lincoln-Mercury dealer (Part number F3XY-12613D20-A).
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Tethering to floor anchor
Ford recommends placing tethered safety seats in a rear seating
position with the tether strap attached to the tether anchor bolt as
shown in the following illustration.
To gain access to the anchoring bolt, cut through the plastic
along the U-shaped tether location outlines on the carpet of the
luggage area. Remove the bolt that is currently in the anchor
location. The tether anchor hardware has been preassembled.
To attach it, orient the tab in the bracket toward the front of the
vehicle and securely tighten the bolt. Follow the child safety
seat directions for attaching the tether strap to the anchor bracket.
Tether anchor point locations
162

Safety Belts for Children
Children who are too large for child safety seats should always
wear safety belts. (See instructions with your child seat, or contact
its manufacturer, to determine maximum size of a child that
will fit safely in the safety seat.)
WARNING
If safety belts are not properly worn and adjusted as
described, the risk of serious injury to the child in a
collision will be much greater.
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