child seat FORD E-450 2021 User Guide

•
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. The following 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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If the booster seat slides on the vehicle
seat upon which it is being used, placing a
rubberized mesh sold as shelf or carpet
liner under the booster seat may improve
this condition. Do not introduce any item
thicker than this under the booster seat.
Check with the booster seat
manufacturer's instructions.
CHILD RESTRAINT
POSITIONING
WARNING: Do not place a
rearward facing child restraint in front of
an active airbag. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death. WARNING:
Properly secure
children 12 years old and under in a rear
seating position whenever possible. If
you are unable to properly secure all
children in a rear seating position,
properly secure the largest child on the
front seat. If you must use a forward
facing child restraint on the front seat,
move the seat as far back as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions could
result in personal injury or death. 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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Recommendations for Attaching Child Restraints
Use Any Attachment Method as Indicated Below by X.
Restraint Type Seatbelt Only
Seatbelt and Top
Tether Anchor
Combined Weight of
Child and Child Restraint
X
Up to 65 lb (29.5 kg)
Rear-facing
child restraint
X
Over 65 lb (29.5 kg)
Rear-facing
child restraint
X1
X
Up to 65 lb (29.5 kg)
Forward-facing
child restraint
X1
X
Over
65 lb (29.5 kg)
Forward-facing
child restraint
1 We recommend using a top tether if the child restraint has one, and the child restraint
manufacturer recommends its use.
Note: The child restraint must rest tightly
against the vehicle seat upon which it is
installed. It may be necessary to lift or
remove the head restraint. See
Head
Restraints (page 73).
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNING: Always drive and ride
with the seat backrest upright and the
lap belt snug and low across the hips. WARNING:
To reduce the risk of
injury, make sure children sit where they
can be properly restrained. WARNING:
Never let a passenger
hold a child on his or her lap while your
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot
protect the child from injury in a crash
which may result in serious injury or
death. WARNING:
All occupants of the
vehicle, including the driver, should
always properly wear their safety belts,
even when an airbag supplemental
restraint system is provided. Failure to
properly wear your safety belt could
seriously increase the risk of injury or
death. WARNING:
It is extremely
dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside
or outside of a vehicle. In a crash, 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. WARNING:
In a rollover crash, an
unbelted person is significantly more
likely to die than a person wearing a
safety belt. WARNING:
Each seating position
in your vehicle has a specific safety belt
assembly which is made up of one
buckle and one tongue that are designed
to be used as a pair. 1) Use the shoulder
belt on the outside shoulder only. Never
wear the shoulder belt under the arm. 2)
Never swing the safety belt around your
neck over the inside shoulder. 3) Never
use a single belt for more than one
person. WARNING:
When possible, all
children 12 years old and under should
be properly restrained in a rear seating
position. Failure to follow this could
seriously increase the risk of injury or
death. 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:
Front and rear seat
occupants, including pregnant women,
should wear safety belts for optimum
protection in an accident.
All seating positions in this vehicle have
lap and shoulder safety belts. All
occupants of the vehicle should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when
an airbag supplemental restraint system
is provided.
The safety belt system consists of:
• Lap and shoulder safety belts.
• Shoulder safety belt with automatic
locking mode, (except driver safety
belt).
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Pregnant women should always wear their
seatbelt. Position the lap belt portion of a
combination lap and shoulder belt low
across the hips below the belly and worn
as tight as comfort allows. Position the
shoulder belt to cross the middle of the
shoulder and the center of the chest.
Seatbelt Locking Modes
WARNING: If your vehicle is
involved in a crash, have the seatbelts
and associated components inspected
as soon as possible. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death.
All safety restraints in the vehicle are
combination lap and shoulder belts. The
driver seatbelt has the first type of locking
mode. The front outboard passenger
seatbelt has both types of locking modes
described as follows:
Vehicle Sensitive Mode
This is the normal retractor mode, which
allows free shoulder belt length
adjustment to your movements and
locking in response to vehicle movement.
For example, if the driver brakes suddenly
or turns a corner sharply, or the vehicle
receives an impact of about
5 mph
(8 km/h) or more, the combination
seatbelts lock to help reduce forward
movement of the driver and passengers.
In addition, the retractor is designed to lock
if you pull the webbing out too quickly. If
the seatbelt retractor locks, slowly lower
the height adjuster to allow the seatbelt
to retract. If the retractor does not unlock,
pull the seatbelt out slowly then feed a small length of webbing back toward the
stowed position. For rear seatbelts, recline
the rear seat backrest or push the seat
backrest cushion away from the seatbelt.
Feed a small length of webbing back
toward the stowed position.
Automatic Locking Mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt
automatically pre-locks. The belt will still
retract to remove any slack in the shoulder
belt. The automatic locking mode is not
available on the driver seatbelt.
When to Use the Automatic Locking
Mode
Use this mode any time a child safety seat,
except a booster, is installed in the
passenger front seating position. See
Child Safety
(page 17).
How to Use the Automatic Locking
Mode 1. Buckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until the entire belt is pulled
out.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will hear a clicking sound.
This indicates the seatbelt is now in the
automatic locking mode.
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CHILD RESTRAINT AND
SEATBELT MAINTENANCE
Inspect the vehicle seatbelts and child
restraint systems periodically to make sure
they work properly and are not damaged.
Inspect the vehicle seatbelts to make sure
there are no nicks, tears or cuts. Replace if
necessary. All vehicle seatbelt assemblies,
including retractors, buckles, front seatbelt
buckle assemblies, buckle support
assemblies (slide bar-if equipped),
shoulder belt height adjusters (if
equipped), shoulder belt guide on seatback
(if equipped), rear inflatable seatbelts (if
equipped), child restraint LATCH and
tether anchors, and attaching hardware,
should be inspected after a crash. Read
the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions for additional inspection and
maintenance information specific to the
child restraint.
We recommend that all seatbelt
assemblies in use in vehicles involved in a
crash be replaced. However, if the crash
was minor and an authorized dealer finds
that the belts do not show damage and
continue to operate properly, they do not
need to be replaced. Seatbelt assemblies
not in use during a crash should also be
inspected and replaced if either damage
or improper operation is noted.
Properly care for seatbelts. See Cleaning
the Interior (page 183).
SEATBELT EXTENSIONS WARNING:
Persons who fit into
the vehicle's seatbelt should not use an
extension. Unnecessary use could result
in serious personal injury in the event of
a crash. WARNING:
Only use extensions
provided free of charge by our dealers.
The dealer will provide an extension
designed specifically for this vehicle,
model year and seating position. The use
of an extension intended for another
vehicle, model year or seating position
may not offer you the full protection of
your vehicle's seatbelt restraint system. WARNING:
Never use seatbelt
extensions to install child restraints. WARNING:
Do not use a seatbelt
extension with an inflatable seatbelt. WARNING:
Do not use extensions
to change the way the seatbelt fits
across the torso, over the lap or to make
the seatbelt buckle easier to reach.
If, because of body size or driving position,
it is not possible to properly fasten the
seatbelt over your lap and shoulder, an
extension that is compatible with the
seatbelts is available free of charge from
our dealers. Only use our seatbelt
extensions made by the original equipment
seatbelt manufacturer with our seatbelts.
Ask your authorized dealer if your extension
is compatible with your vehicle restraint
system.
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNING: Airbags do not inflate
slowly or gently, and the risk of injury
from a deploying airbag is the greatest
close to the trim covering the airbag
module. WARNING:
All occupants of your
vehicle, including the driver, should
always properly wear their seatbelts,
even when an airbag supplemental
restraint system is provided. Failure to
properly wear your seatbelt could
seriously increase the risk of injury or
death. WARNING:
Properly secure
children 12 years old and under in a rear
seating position whenever possible. If
you are unable to properly secure all
children in a rear seating position,
properly secure the largest child on the
front seat. If you must use a forward
facing child restraint on the front seat,
move the seat as far back as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions could
result in personal injury or death. WARNING:
Do not place your arms
on the airbag cover or through the
steering wheel. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury. WARNING:
Do not place a
rearward facing child restraint in front of
an active airbag. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death. WARNING:
Do not attempt to
service, repair, or modify the
supplementary restraint system or
associated components. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death. WARNING:
Several airbag system
components get hot after inflation. To
reduce the risk of injury, do not touch
them after inflation. WARNING:
If a supplementary
restraint system component has
deployed, it will not function again. Have
the system and associated components
inspected as soon as possible. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death.
The airbags are a supplemental restraint
system and are designed to work with the
seatbelts to help protect the driver and
right front passenger from certain upper
body injuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly;
there is a risk of injury from a deploying
airbag.
Note: You will hear a loud bang and see a
cloud of harmless powdery residue if an
airbag deploys. This is normal.
The airbags inflate and deflate rapidly
upon activation. After airbag deployment,
it is normal to notice a smoke-like, powdery
residue or smell the burnt propellant. This
may consist of cornstarch, talcum powder
(to lubricate the bag) or sodium
compounds (for example, baking soda)
that result from the combustion process
that inflates the airbag. Small amounts of
sodium hydroxide may be present which
may irritate the skin and eyes, but none of
the residue is toxic.
While the system is designed to help
reduce serious injuries, contact with a
deploying airbag may also cause abrasions
or swelling. Temporary hearing loss is also
a possibility as a result of the noise
associated with a deploying airbag.
Because airbags must inflate rapidly and
with considerable force, there is the risk of
death or serious injuries such as fractures,
facial and eye injuries or internal injuries,
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particularly to occupants who are not
properly restrained or are otherwise out of
position at the time of airbag deployment.
Thus, it is extremely important that
occupants be properly restrained as far
away from the airbag module as possible
while maintaining vehicle control.
Routine maintenance of the airbags is not
required.
DRIVER AND PASSENGER
AIRBAGS
WARNING: Do not place your arms
on the airbag cover or through the
steering wheel. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury. WARNING:
Do not place a
rearward facing child restraint in front of
an active airbag. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death. The driver and front passenger airbags
deploy during significant frontal and near
frontal crashes.
The driver and passenger front airbag
system consists of:
•
Driver and passenger airbag modules. · Crash sensors and monitoring
system with readiness indicator.
See Crash Sensors and Airbag
Indicator
(page 37).
Passenger Airbag On and Off
Switch
(If Equipped) WARNING:
Your vehicle may have
an airbag deactivation switch. Before
driving, always look at the switch to
make sure it is in the appropriate
position. Failure to put the switch in the
proper position can increase the risk of
serious injury or death in a crash.
Note: The passenger airbag on and off
switch may be on vehicles with no rear
seats.
Switching the Passenger Airbag Off WARNING:
If the light does not
illuminate when the passenger airbag
switch is off and you switch the ignition
on, have the passenger airbag switch
serviced immediately by a qualified
technician. WARNING:
To avoid switching on
the airbag, always remove the ignition
key with the switch in the off position. WARNING: NEVER use a rearward
facing child restraint on a seat protected
by an ACTIVE AIRBAG in front of it,
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the CHILD
can occur.
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1. Insert the ignition key into the
passenger airbag on and off switch,
turn the switch to off and hold it in off
while removing the key.
2. When you switch the ignition on and the passenger airbag switch is in the
off position, the off light illuminates
briefly, momentarily shuts off and then
turns back on. This indicates that the
passenger airbag is deactivated.
Switching the Passenger Airbag Back
On WARNING: The seatbelts for the
driver and right front passenger seating
positions are specifically designed to
operate together with the airbags in
certain types of crashes. When you
switch off your airbag, you not only lose
the protection of the airbag, you also
may reduce the effectiveness of your
seatbelt system. If the passenger does
not meet the requirements stated in the
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration or Transport Canada
deactivation criteria, switching off the
airbag can increase the risk of serious
injury or death in a crash. WARNING:
If your vehicle has rear
seats, always transport children who are
12 and younger in the rear seat. Always
use seatbelts and child restraints
properly. Do not place a child in a rear
facing infant seat in the front seat unless
your vehicle is equipped with an airbag
on and off switch and the passenger
airbag is turned off. This is because the
back of the infant seat is too close to the
inflating airbag and the risk of a fatal
injury to the infant when the airbag
inflates is substantial. WARNING:
If the passenger airbag
off light is illuminated when the
passenger airbag switch is on and the
ignition is on, have the passenger airbag
switch serviced immediately by a
qualified technician.
The passenger airbag remains off until you
switch it back on. 1. Insert the ignition key into the
passenger airbag on and off switch and
turn the switch to on.
2. The off light briefly illuminates when you switch the ignition on. This
indicates that the passenger airbag is
operational.
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The passenger side airbag should always
be on (the airbag off light should not be
illuminated) unless the passenger is a
person who meets the requirements stated
either in Category 1, 2 or 3 of the National
Highway Traffic Safety
Administration/Transport Canada
deactivation criteria which follows.
The vast majority of drivers and passengers
are much safer with an airbag than
without. To do their job and reduce the risk
of life threatening injuries, airbags must
open with great force, and this force can
pose a potentially deadly risk in some
situations, particularly when a front seat
occupant is not properly buckled up. The
most effective way to reduce the risk of
unnecessary airbag injuries without
reducing the overall safety of the vehicle
is to make sure all occupants are properly
restrained in the vehicle, especially in the
front seat. This provides the protection of
seatbelts and permits the airbags to
provide the additional protection they were
designed to provide. If you choose to
deactivate your airbag, you are losing the
very significant risk reducing benefits of
the airbag and you are also reducing the
effectiveness of the seatbelts, because
seatbelts in modern vehicles are designed
to work as a safety system with the
airbags.
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration Deactivation Criteria
(Excluding Canada)
WARNING: This vehicle has special
energy management seatbelts for the
driver and right front passenger. These
particular seatbelts are specifically
designed to work with airbags to help
reduce the risk of injury in a crash. The
energy management seatbelt gives or
releases additional seatbelt webbing in
some accidents to reduce the concentration of force on an occupant's
chest and to reduce the risk of certain
bone fractures and injuries to underlying
organs. In a crash, if the airbag is off, this
energy management seatbelt might
permit the passenger wearing the
seatbelt to move forward enough to
have a serious or fatal injury. The more
severe the crash, and the heavier the
occupant, the greater the risk. Make sure
the airbag is on for any passenger who
does not qualify under the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration
deactivation criteria.
1. Infant. An infant (less than 1 year old)
must ride in the front seat because:
• The vehicle has no rear seat.
• The vehicle has a rear seat too small
to accommodate a rear-facing infant
seat.
• The infant has a medical condition
which, according to the infant's
physician, makes it necessary for the
infant to ride in the front so that the
driver can constantly monitor the
child's condition.
2. Child age 1 to 12. A child age 1 to 12 must
ride in the front seat because:
• The vehicle has no rear seat.
• Although children ages 1 to 12 ride in
the rear seat(s) whenever possible,
children ages 1 to 12 sometimes must
ride in the front because no space is
available in the rear seat(s) of the
vehicle.
• The child has a medical condition
which, according to the child's
physician, makes it necessary for the
child to ride in the front seat so that the
driver can constantly monitor the
child's condition.
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