seats FORD ESCORT 1998 7.G Owners Manual

ducts. It can be used to clear ice
or fog from the windshield.
Operating tips
²In humid weather, select
before driving. This will
help to prevent your windshield
from fogging. After a few
minutes, select any desired
position.
²To prevent humidity buildup
inside the vehicle, don't drive
with the climate control system
in the OFF position.
²Don't put objects under the
front seat that will interfere with
the airflow to the back seats.
²Remove any snow, ice or leaves
from the air intake area (at the
bottom of the windshield under
the hood).
²When placing objects on top of
your instrument panel, be
careful to not place them over
the defroster outlets. These
objects can block airflow and
reduce your ability to see
through your windshield. Also,
avoid placing small objects on
top of your instrument panel.
These objects can fall down into
the defroster outlets and block
airflow and possibly damage
your climate control system.
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20

²-Distributes outside air
through the windshield defroster
ducts. It can be used to clear ice
or fog from the windshield. If
the temperature is about 10ÉC
(50ÉF) or higher, the air
conditioner will automatically
dehumidify the air to prevent
fogging.
Operating tips
²In humid weather, select
before driving. This will
prevent your windshield from
fogging. After a few minutes,
select any desired position.
²To prevent humidity buildup
inside the vehicle, don't drive
with the climate control system
in the OFF position.
²Don't put objects under the
front seat that will interfere with
the airflow to the back seats.
²Remove any snow, ice or leaves
from the air intake area (at the
bottom of the windshield under
the hood).
²If your vehicle has been parked
with the windows closed during
hot weather, the air conditioner
will do a much faster job of
cooling if you drive for two or
three minutes with the windows
open. This will force most of the
hot, stale air out of the vehicle.
Controls and features
24

INTERIOR LAMPS
Dome lamp (if equipped)
The dome lamp is located
overhead between the driver and
passenger seats.
The dome lamp will stay on if the
control is moved to the ON
position. When the control is
moved to the DOOR position, the
lamp will only come on if a door is
opened. If the control is moved to
the OFF position, the lamp will not
come on at all.
Map lamps (if equipped)
The map lamps and controls are
located on the dome lamp. Press
the controls on either side of the
dome lamp to activate the map
lamps.
If equipped with a moon roof, the
map lamps are located on the
moon roof control panel. Press the
control next to the map lamp to
illuminate the lamp.
OFF DOOR ON
OPEN
Controls and features
36

SEATING
Adjustable head restraints
(if equipped)
The head restraints can be moved
up and down.
Push control to lower head
restraint.
Front seats
Never adjust the driver's
seat or seatback when the
vehicle is moving.
Do not pile cargo higher
than the seatbacks to
avoid injuring people in a
collision or sudden stop.
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47

Folding rear seats (if equipped)
Folding down the rear seats
If your vehicle is equipped with a
built-in child seat, the seatback
cannot be folded down unless the
built-in child seat is fully stowed.
SeeBuilt-in child seatsin this
chapter for more information.
To fold the seatback down:
²Press the latch control
downward or pull up on strap
and
²Push the seatback down.
Returning the seat to the
upright position
Check to see that the seat
and seatback is 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.
To return the seat to the
upright/normal seating position:
²Rotate seat upward and latch.
The full rear bench seat is shown.
The split-folding rear seat (if
equipped) operates in a similar
manner.
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50

SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Safety restraints precautions
Always drive and ride with
your seatback upright and
the lap belt snug and low across
the hips.
To prevent the risk of
injury, make sure children
sit where they can be properly
restrained.
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.
All occupants of the
vehicle, including the
driver, should always wear their
safety belts.
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
51

2. To unfasten, push the red
release button and remove the
tongue from the buckle.
The front and rear outboard safety
restraints in the vehicle are
combination lap and shoulder
belts. The front and rear seat
passenger outboard safety belts
have two types of locking modes
described below:
Automatic locking mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt is
automatically pre-locked. The belt
will still retract to remove any
slack in the shoulder belt.
The automatic locking mode is not
available on the driver safety belt.
When to use the automatic
locking mode
²When a tight lap/shoulder fit is
desired.
²Anytimea child safety seat is
installed in the vehicle. Refer to
Safety Restraints for Children
orSafety Seats for Children
later in this chapter.
Seating and safety restraints
53

them in safety seats made
especially for children. Check your
local and state or provincial laws
for specific requirements regarding
the safety of children in your
vehicle.
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.
Always follow the instructions and
warnings that come with any infant
or child restraint you might use.
When possible, place children in
the rear seat of your vehicle.
Accident statistics suggest that
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating
position.
Children and safety belts
Children who are too large for
child safety seats (as specified by
your child safety seat
manufacturer) should always wear
safety belts.
Follow all the important safety
restraint and air bag precautions
that apply to adult passengers in
your vehicle.
If the shoulder belt portion of a
combination lap and shoulder belt
can be positioned so it does not
cross or rest in front of the child's
face or neck, the child should wear
the lap and shoulder belt. Moving
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64

the child closer to the center of
the vehicle may help provide a
good shoulder belt fit.
If the shoulder belt cannot be
properly positioned:
²move the child to one of the
seats with a lap belt only (if
equipped)
OR
²if the child is the proper size,
restrain the child in a safety
seat.
Do not leave children,
unreliable adults, or pets
unattended in your vehicle.
To improve the fit of lap and
shoulder belts on children who
have outgrown child safety seats,
Ford recommends use of a
belt-positioning booster seat that is
labelled as conforming to all
Federal motor vehicle safety
standards. Belt-positioning booster
seats raise the child and provide a
shorter, firmer seating cushion that
encourages safer seating posture
and better fit of lap and shoulder
belts on the child. A
belt-positioning booster should be
used if the shoulder belt rests in
front of the child's face or neck, or
if the lap belt does not fit snugly
on both thighs, or if the thighs are
too short to let the child sit all the
way back on the seat cushion
when the lower legs hang over the
edge of the seat cushion. You may
wish to discuss the special needs
Seating and safety restraints
65

of your child with your
pediatrician.
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.
When installing a child safety seat:
²Use the correct safety belt
buckle for that seating position.
²Make sure the tongue is
securely fastened in the buckle.
²Keep the buckle release button
pointing up and away from the
safety seat, with the tongue
between the child seat and the
release button, to prevent
accidental unbuckling.
²Place seat back in upright
position.
²Put the safety belt in the
automatic locking mode. Refer
toAutomatic locking mode.
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, refer to
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66