child restraint FORD F650 2000 10.G Owners Manual

The following warning may be required by California law:
CALIFORNIA Proposition 65 Warning
Engine exhaust, some if its constituents, and certain vehicle
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer, or birth defects or other reproductive harm.
ICONS
Indicates a safety alert. Read the
following section onWarnings.
Indicates vehicle information related
to recycling and other
environmental concerns will follow.
Correct vehicle usage and the
authorized disposal of waste
cleaning and lubrication materials are significant steps towards
protecting the environment.
Indicates a message regarding child
safety restraints. Refer toSeating
and safety restraintsfor more
information.
Indicates that this Owner Guide
contains information on this subject.
Please refer to the Index to locate
the appropriate section which will
provide you more information.
WARNINGS
Warnings provide information which may reduce the risk of personal
injury and prevent possible damage to others, your vehicle and its
equipment.
Introduction
2

3. Locate the strap below the
seatback.
4. Pull downward on the strap to
release the seatback.
5. Rotate the seatback forward.
Returning the seat to upright
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.
1. Lift/rotate the seatback toward the rear of the vehicle and make sure
it latches securely.
2. Lift/rotate the lower seat cushion to its seating position.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Safety restraints precautions
Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap
belt snug and low across the hips.
To reduce 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.
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All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when an air bag SRS is
provided.
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.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely
to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
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.
Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back
seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints.
Combination lap and shoulder belts
1. Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle (the buckle closest to
the direction the tongue is coming
from) until you hear a snap and feel
it latch. Make sure the tongue is
securely fastened in the buckle.
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The following are reasons most often given for not wearing safety belts:
(All statistics based on U.S. data)
Reasons given... Consider...
Crashes are rare
events
36 700 crashes occur every day.The more we
drive, the more we are exposed torareevents,
even for good drivers.1 in 4 of us will be seriously
injured in a crash during our lifetime.
I’m not going far3of4fatal crashes occur within25miles of home.
Belts are
uncomfortableFord designs its safety belts to enhance comfort. If
you are uncomfortable - try different positions for
the safety belt upper anchorage and seatback
which should be as upright as possible; this can
improve comfort.
I was in a hurryPrime time for an accident.Belt Minder reminds
us to take a few seconds to buckle up.
Seat belts don’t
workSafety belts,when used properly,reduce risk of
deathto front seat occupants by45% in cars,
and by60% in light trucks.
Traffic is lightNearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in single-vehicle
crashes,many when no other vehicles are around.
Belts wrinkle my
clothesPossibly, but a serious crash can do much more
than wrinkle your clothes, particularly if you are
unbelted.
The people I’m
with don’t wear
beltsSet the example, teen deaths occur 4 times more
often in vehicles with TWO or MORE people.
Children and younger brothers/sisters imitate
behavior they see.
I have an air bagAir bags offer greater protection when used with
safety belts. Frontal airbags are not designed to
inflate in rear and side crashes or rollovers.
I’d rather be
thrown clearNot a good idea,peoplewho areejected are 40
times more likely to DIE.Safety belts help
prevent ejection, WE CAN’TPICK OUR CRASH.
Do not sit on top of a buckled safety belt to avoid the Belt
Minder chime. Sitting on the safety belt will increase risk of
injury in an accident. To disable (one-time) or deactivate the Belt
Minder feature please follow the directions stated below.
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6. Within seven seconds of the safety belt warning light turning off,
buckle then unbuckle the safety belt.
•This will disable Belt Minder if it is currently enabled, or enable Belt
Minder if it is currently disabled.
7. Confirmation of disabling Belt Minder is provided by flashing the
safety belt warning light four times per second for three seconds.
8. Confirmation of enabling Belt Minder is provided by flashing the safety
belt warning light four times per second for three seconds, followed by
three seconds with the safety belt warning light off, then followed by
flashing the safety belt warning light four times per second for three
seconds again.
9. After receiving confirmation, the deactivation/activation procedure is
complete.
Safety belt maintenance
Inspect the safety belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged. Inspect the safety belts to make sure
there are no nicks, wears or cuts, replacing if necessary. All safety belt
assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front seat 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 tether bracket assemblies (if equipped), and
attaching hardware, should be inspected after a collision. Ford
recommends that all safety belt assemblies used in vehicles involved in a
collision be replaced. However, if the collision was minor and a qualified
technician 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.
Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the safety belt
assembly under the above conditions could result in severe
personal injuries in the event of a collision.
Refer toCleaning and maintaining the safety beltsin the
Maintenance and caresection.
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70

SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR CHILDREN
Important child restraint precautions
You are required by law to use safety restraints for children in the U.S.
and Canada. If small children ride in your vehicle (generally children who
are four years old or younger and who weigh 18 kg [40 lbs] or less), you
must put 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, always place children under age 12 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
If the child is the proper size, restrain the child in a safety seat.
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71

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 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 the child
closer to the center of the vehicle may help provide a good shoulder belt
fit.
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 portion of the 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 of
your child with your pediatrician.
SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
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72

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:
•Use the correct safety belt buckle
for that seating position.
•Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle until you hear a
snap and feel it latch. Make sure
the tongue is securely fastened in
the buckle.
•Keep 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.
•Place seat back in upright position.
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 toAttaching safety seats with tether straps.
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.
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Installing child safety seats in combination lap and shoulder belt
seating positions
1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
Children should always be restrained in the rear seat when
possible.
2. While holding the shoulder and
lap belt portions together, route the
tongue through the child seat
according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. Be sure
the belt webbing is not twisted.
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3. Buckle the seat belt. Push down
on the childseat and pull on the
shoulder portion of the belt to snug
the lap belt. Hold the lap and
shoulder belts next to the tongue
and unbuckle the belt.
4. Install a locking clip over both lap
and shoulder belt portions next to
the sliding tongue. Rebuckle the
belt. Obtain the locking clip kit
(Part Number FO3Z-5461248–A) at
no charge from an authorized Ford
or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
5. Before placing the child in the seat, forcibly tilt the seat forward and
back to make sure the seat is securely held in place. If the child seat is
not tight enough, unbuckle the seat belt, move the tongue and locking
clip to shorten the lap portion and push down hard on the childseat
while you rebuckle the belt.
Check to make sure the child seat is properly secured before each use.
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.
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