child restraint FORD F150 2009 12.G Owner's Guide

If you install a child seat with rigid LATCH attachments, do not tighten
the tether strap enough to lift the child seat off the vehicle seat cushion
when the child is seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug without
lifting the front of the child seat. Keeping the child seat just touching the
vehicle seat gives the best protection in a severe crash.
Each time you use the safety seat, check that the seat is properly
attached to the lower anchors and tether anchor, if applicable. Tug the
child seat from side to side and forward and back where it is secured to
the vehicle. The seat should move less than one inch when you do this
for a proper installation.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a crash greatly increases.
Combining safety belt and LATCH lower anchors for attaching
child safety seats
When used in combination, either the safety belt or the LATCH lower
anchors may be attached first, provided a proper installation is achieved.
Attach the tether strap afterward, if included with the child seat. Refer
toRecommendations for attaching safety restraints for childrenin
this chapter.
Attaching child safety seats with tether straps
Many forward-facing child safety seats include a tether strap which
extends from the back of the child safety seat and hooks to an anchoring
point called the top tether anchor. Tether straps are available as an
accessory for many older safety seats. Contact the manufacturer of your
child seat for information about ordering a tether strap, or to obtain a
longer tether strap if the tether strap on your safety seat does not reach
the appropriate top tether anchor in the vehicle.
The passenger seats of your vehicle are equipped with built-in tether
strap anchors located behind the seats as described below.
The tether anchors in your vehicle may be loops of webbing above the
seatback or an anchor bracket behind the seat on the rear edge of the
seat cushion.
The rear seat in the SuperCab and SuperCrew has three straps along the
top of the seatback that function as both routing loops for the tether
straps and anchor loops.
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The tether strap anchors in your vehicle are in the following positions
(shown from top view):
•F150 Regular Cab
•F150 CrewCab and SuperCab
Attach the tether strap only to the appropriate tether anchor as shown.
The tether strap may not work properly if attached somewhere other
than the correct tether anchor.
Once the child safety seat has been installed using either the safety belt,
the lower anchors of the LATCH system, or both, you can attach the top
tether strap.
Front seat tether strap attachment
1. Route the child safety seat tether strap over the back of the seat and
under the head restraint.
For vehicles with adjustable head restraints, route the tether strap under
the head restraint and between the head restraint posts, otherwise route
the tether strap over the top of the seatback.
2. Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position.
•You may need to pull the seatback forward to access the tether
anchors. Make sure the seatback is locked in the upright position
before installing the child seat.
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3. Clip the tether strap to the anchor as shown.
•Regular Cab passenger and center
seats (located on back panel)
If the tether strap is clipped
incorrectly, the child safety seat may
not be retained properly in the
event of a collision.
4. Tighten the child safety seat
tether strap according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.
If the safety seat is not anchored
properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision greatly
increases.
Rear seat tether strap attachment
There are three loops of webbing
just above the back of the rear seat
(along the bottom edge of the rear
window) in the SuperCab and
SuperCrew. These loops are to be
used as both routing loops and
anchor loops for up to three child
safety seat tether straps. For
example, the center loop can be
used as a routing loop for a child
safety seat in the center rear seat
and as an anchoring loop for child seats installed in the outboard rear
seats.
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Many tether straps cannot be tightened if the tether strap is hooked to
the loop directly behind the child seat. To provide a tight tether strap:
1. Route the tether strap under the
head restraint and through the loop
directly behind the child seat.
2. Route the tether strap behind the
head restraint supports to a loop
behind an adjacent seating position,
and hook the strap hook onto the
loop. If using the driver’s side, pass
the strap behind the shoulder belt
mounting for the center seat.
•Always put the tether strap
through the routing loop. The
head restraint support post will
hold the child seat tightly, but the head restraint post is not strong
enough to hold the child seat during a collision.
3. Tighten the tether strap
according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision greatly increases.
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Child booster seats
The belt-positioning booster (booster seat) is used to improve the fit of
the vehicle safety belt. Children outgrow a typical child seat (e.g,
convertible or toddler seat) when they weigh about 40 lb (18 kg) and are
around four (4) years of age. Consult your child safety seat owner guide
for the weight, height, and age limits specific to your child safety seat.
Keep your child in the child safety seat if it properly fits the child,
remains appropriate for their weight, height and age AND if properly
secured to the vehicle.
Although the lap/shoulder belt will provide some protection, children
who have outgrown a typical child seat are still too small for lap/shoulder
belts to fit properly, and wearing an improperly fitted vehicle safety belt
could increase the risk of serious injury in a crash. To improve the fit of
both the lap and shoulder belt on children who have outgrown child
safety seats, Ford Motor Company recommends use of a belt-positioning
booster.
Booster seats position a child so that vehicle lap/shoulder safety belts fit
better. They lift the child up so that the lap belt rests low across the hips
and the knees bend comfortably at the edge of the cushion, while
minimizing slouching. Booster seats may also make the shoulder belt fit
better and more comfortably. Try to keep the belt near the middle of the
shoulder and across the center of the chest. Moving the child closer (a
few centimeters or inches) to the center of the vehicle, but remaining in
the same seating position, may help provide a good shoulder belt fit.
When children should use booster seats
Children need to use booster seats from the time they outgrow the
toddler seat until they are big enough for the vehicle seat and
lap/shoulder belt to fit properly. Generally this is when they reach a
height of at least 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 meters) tall (around age eight to
age twelve and between 40 lb (18 kg) and 80 lb (36 kg) or upward to
100 lb (45 kg) if recommended by your child restraint manufacturer).
Many state and provincial laws require that children use approved
booster seats until they reach age eight, a height of 4 feet 9 inches
(1.45 meters) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg).
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Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these
questions when seated without a booster seat:
•Can the child sit all the way back
against the vehicle seat back with
knees bent comfortably at the
edge of the seat cushion?
•Can the child sit without
slouching?
•Does the lap belt rest low across
the hips?
•Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
•Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
Types of booster seats
There are generally two types of belt-positioning booster seats: backless
and high back. Always use booster seats in conjunction with the vehicle
lap/shoulder belt.
•Backless booster seats
If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the
shield. If a vehicle seating position
has a low seat back or no head
restraint, a backless booster seat
may place your child’s head (as
measured at the tops of the ears)
above the top of the seat. In this
case, move the backless booster
to another seating position with a higher seat back or head restraint
and lap/shoulder belts, or consider using a high back booster seat.
•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.
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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 drawings below 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 below
also show how the lap belt should be low and snug across the child’s
hips.
If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat, 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.
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The importance of shoulder belts
Using a booster without a shoulder belt increases the risk of a child’s
head hitting a hard surface in a collision. For this reason, you should
never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. It is generally best to use a
booster seat with lap/shoulder belts in the back seat.
Move a child to a different seating location if the shoulder belt does not
stay positioned on the shoulder during use.
Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the booster seat.
WARNING:Never place, or allow a child to place, the shoulder
belt under a child’s arm or behind the back because it reduces
the protection for the upper part of the body and may increase the risk
of injury or death in a collision.
Child restraint and safety belt maintenance
Inspect the vehicle safety belts and child safety seat systems periodically
to make sure they work properly and are not damaged. Inspect the
vehicle and child seat safety belts to make sure there are no nicks, tears
or cuts. Replace if necessary. All vehicle safety belt assemblies, including
retractors, buckles, front safety belt buckle assemblies, buckle support
assemblies (slide bar-if equipped), shoulder belt height adjusters (if
equipped), shoulder belt guide on seatback (if equipped), child safety
seat LATCH and tether anchors, and attaching hardware, should be
inspected after a collision. Refer to the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions for additional inspection and maintenance information
specific to the child restraint. Ford Motor Company recommends that all
safety belt assemblies in use in vehicles involved in a collision be
replaced. However, if the collision 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. Safety belt assemblies not in
use during a collision should also be inspected and replaced if either
damage or improper operation is noted.
For proper care of soiled safety belts, refer toInteriorin theCleaning
chapter.
WARNING:Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the safety
belt assembly or child restraint system under the above conditions
could result in severe personal injuries in the event of a collision.
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NOTICE TO UTILITY VEHICLE AND TRUCK OWNERS
Utility vehicles and trucks handle
differently than passenger cars in
the various driving conditions that
are encountered on streets,
highways and off-road. Utility
vehicles and trucks are not designed
for cornering at speeds as high as
passenger cars any more than
low-slung sports cars are designed
to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions.
WARNING:Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover
rate than other types of vehicles. To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death from a rollover or other crash you must:
•Avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers;
•Drive at safe speeds for the conditions;
•Keep tires properly inflated;
•Never overload or improperly load your vehicle; and
•Make sure every passenger is properly restrained.
WARNING:In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
All occupants must wear seat belts and children/infants must use
appropriate restraints to minimize the risk of injury or ejection.
Study yourOwner’s Guideand any supplements for specific information
about equipment features, instructions for safe driving and additional
precautions to reduce the risk of an accident or serious injury.
VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS
4WD and AWD Systems (if equipped)
A vehicle equipped with AWD or 4WD (when selected) has the ability to
use all four wheels to power itself. This increases traction which may
enable you to safely drive over terrain and road conditions that a
conventional two-wheel drive vehicle cannot.
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A
Accessory delay ..........................74
AdvanceTrac ..............................271
Air cleaner filter ...............386, 389
Air conditioning ........41, 44, 46, 49
manual heating and air
conditioning system .................41
Airbag supplemental restraint
system ................178–179, 186, 189
and child safety seats ............180
description ..............179, 186, 189
disposal ....................................192
driver airbag ....179, 181, 187, 190
indicator light .........182, 188, 191
operation .........179, 181, 187, 190
passenger
airbag ...............179, 181, 187, 190
side airbag ...............................186
Ambulance packages ....................7
AM/FM .........................................24
Antifreeze
(see Engine coolant) ................362
Anti-lock brake system
(see Brakes) ..............................269
Anti-theft system ......................140
arming the system ..................141
Armrests ....................................147
Audio system (see Radio) ...22, 24
Automatic transmission
driving an automatic
overdrive .........................283, 286
fluid, adding ....................383, 385
fluid, checking ................383, 385
fluid, refill capacities ..............390
fluid, specification ..................390
Auxiliary input jack (Line in) ....32Axle
lubricant specifications ..........390
refill capacities ........................390
B
Battery .......................................360
acid, treating emergencies .....360
jumping a disabled battery ....328
maintenance-free ....................360
replacement, specifications ...389
servicing ..................................360
Belt-Minder.............................173
deactivating/activating the
Belt-Minder...........................176
Booster seats .............................210
Brakes ........................................269
anti-lock ...................................269
anti-lock brake system (ABS)
warning light ...........................270
fluid, checking and adding ....382
fluid, refill capacities ..............390
fluid, specifications .................390
lubricant specifications ..........390
parking ....................................270
shift interlock ..................278, 281
trailer .......................................254
Bulbs ............................................59
C
Capacities for refilling fluids ....390
Cargo management system ......119
CD ................................................24
Cell phone use ..............................8
Changing a tire .........................319
Child safety seats ......................196
attaching with tether straps ..206
in front seat ....................197, 203
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Index
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