child seat FORD FLEX 2011 1.G Owner's Guide

Perform the following steps to attach a child safety seat to the tether
anchor:
1. Route the child safety seat tether
strap over the back of the seat.
Lift the head restraint to its full-up
position (refer toHead restraints
underRear seatsin this chapter).
Route the child safety seat tether
strap over the back of the seat,
under the head restraint, and
between the head restraint posts.
Leave the head restraint in the
full-up position.
2. Locate the correct anchor for the selected rear seating position.
•2nd row bucket (40/40)
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•2nd row bench (60/40)
•3rd row
Note: The cargo tie-downs at the
rear edge of the floor are not
tether anchors.
3. Clip the tether strap to the
anchor as shown.
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.
If your child restraint system is equipped with a tether strap, and the
child restraint manufacturer recommends its use, Ford also recommends
its use.
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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.
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•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 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.
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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.
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.
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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 CROSSOVER VEHICLE OWNERS
Crossover vehicles handle differently
than passenger cars in the various
driving conditions that are
encountered on streets, highways
and off-road. Crossover vehicles 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:Crossover 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 your Owner’s Guide 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
All-wheel drive (AWD) system (if equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a full-time all-wheel drive (AWD)
system. With the AWD option, power will be delivered to the front
wheels and distributed to the rear wheels as needed. This increases
traction which may enable you to safely drive over terrain and road
conditions that a conventional two-wheel drive vehicle cannot. The AWD
system is active all the time and requires no input from the operator.
Note:Your AWD vehicle is not intended for off-road use. The AWD
feature gives your vehicle some limited off-road capabilities in which
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A
Accessory delay ........................102
Active Park Assist .....................276
AdvanceTrac ..............................257
Air cleaner filter .......373–374, 377
Air conditioning ..............68, 71, 74
manual heating and air
conditioning system .................68
Airbag supplemental restraint
system ........................180, 189, 191
and child safety seats ............182
description ..............180, 189, 191
disposal ....................................194
driver airbag ............182, 190, 192
indicator light .................188, 194
operation .................182, 190, 192
passenger airbag .....182, 190, 192
side airbag ...............................189
All Wheel Drive (AWD),
driving off road .........................281
Ambient mood/lighting ...............86
AM/FM .........................................28
Antifreeze
(see Engine coolant) ................348
Anti-lock brake system
(see Brakes) ..............................255
Anti-theft system ..............137, 140
arming the system ..................140
disarming a triggered
system .....................................142
Audio system (see Radio) .........28
Automatic transaxle
fluid, refill capacities ..............378
fluid, specification ..................378Automatic transmission
driving an automatic
overdrive .........................267, 269
fluid, adding ............................369
fluid, checking ........................369
Selectshift (SST) ....................271
Auxiliary input jack (Line in) ....37
B
Battery .......................................346
acid, treating emergencies .....346
jumping a disabled battery ....315
maintenance-free ....................346
replacement, specifications ...377
servicing ..................................346
Belt-Minder.............................175
Booster seats .............................209
Brakes ........................................255
anti-lock ...................................255
anti-lock brake system (ABS)
warning light ...........................256
fluid, checking and adding ....368
fluid, refill capacities ..............378
fluid, specifications .................378
lubricant specifications ..........378
parking ....................................256
shift interlock ..........................265
Bulbs ............................................86
C
Capacities for refilling fluids ....378
Cargo net ...................................117
CD ................................................28
Cell phone use ..............................8
Changing a tire .........................298
Child safety seats ......................199
in front seat ............................199
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in rear seat ..............................199
LATCH .....................................203
recommendations ...................197
tether anchorage hardware ...206
Child safety seats - booster
seats ...........................................209
Cleaning your vehicle
engine compartment ..............328
instrument panel ....................331
interior .....................................332
plastic parts ............................330
washing ....................................327
waxing .....................................328
wheels ......................................328
wiper blades ............................330
Climate control
(see Air conditioning or
Heating) ...........................68, 71, 74
Clock ............................................94
Clock adjust
AM/FM .......................................29
Compass, electronic ....................94
calibration .................................95
set zone adjustment .................95
Console
overhead ....................................93
Controls
power seat ...............................147
steering column ......................106
Coolant
checking and adding ..............348
refill capacities ................351, 378
specifications ..........................378
Cooler ..........................................97
Cruise control
(see Speed control) ..................104
Customer Assistance ................288Ford Extended Service
Plan ..................................387, 390
Getting assistance outside the
U.S. and Canada .....................324
Getting roadside assistance ...288
Getting the service you
need .........................................320
Ordering additional owner’s
literature .................................325
Utilizing the
Mediation/Arbitration
Program ...................................323
D
Daytime running lamps
(see Lamps) ................................83
Defrost
rear window and rearview
mirrors .......................................74
windshield .................................74
Dipstick
automatic transmission
fluid ..........................................369
engine oil .................................342
Driving under special
conditions ..........................283, 285
sand .........................................284
snow and ice ...........................286
through water .................284, 287
DVD system .................................47
E
Electronic message center .........18
Emergencies, roadside
jump-starting ..........................315
running out of fuel .........314, 360
Emission control system ..........365
Engine ........................................381
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