weight FORD FUSION HYBRID 2014 Owners Manual

GENERAL INFORMATION See the following sections for directions
on how to properly use safety restraints
for children.
WARNINGS
Always make sure your child is
secured properly in a device that is
appropriate for their height, age and
weight. Child safety restraints must be
bought separately from your vehicle.
Failure to follow these instructions and
guidelines may result in an increased risk
of serious injury or death to your child.
All children are shaped differently.
The recommendations for safety
restraints are based on probable
child height, age and weight thresholds
from National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and other safety
organizations, or are the minimum WARNINGS
requirements of law. Ford recommends
checking with a NHTSA Certified Child
Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) and
consult your pediatrician to make sure your
child seat is appropriate for your child, and
is compatible with and properly installed
in your vehicle. To locate a child seat fitting
station and CPST, contact the NHTSA toll
free at 1-888-327-4236 or go to
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov. In Canada,
check with your local St. John Ambulance
office for referral to a CPST or for further
information, contact your provincial
ministry of transportation, locate your local
St. John Ambulance office by searching for
St. John Ambulance on the internet, or
Transport Canada at 1-800-333-0371
(http://www.tc.gc.ca). Failure to properly
restrain children in safety seats made
especially for their height, age, and weight
may result in an increased risk of serious
injury or death to your child.
13Child Safety

Recommendations for Safety Restraints for Children Recommended restraint
typeChild size, height, weight, or ageChild
Use a child safety seat
(sometimes called an
infant carrier, convertible
seat, or toddler seat).Children weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less
(generally age four or younger).Infants or
toddlers
Use a belt-positioning
booster seat.Children who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a child safety seat (gener-
ally children who are less than 4 ft. 9 in.
(1.45 m) tall, are greater than age four
and less than age 12, and between 40 lb
(18 kg) and 80 lb (36 kg) and upward to
100 lb (45 kg) if recommended by your
child restraint manufacturer).Small children
Use a vehicle safety belt
having the lap belt snug
and low across the hips,
shoulder belt centered
across the shoulder and
chest, and seat back
upright.Children who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a belt-positioning booster
seat (generally children who are at least
4 ft. 9 in. (1.45 m) tall or greater than 80
lb (36 kg) or 100 lb (45 kg) if recom-
mended by child restraint manufacturer).Larger children
• You are required by law to properly use
safety seats for infants and toddlers in
the United States and Canada.
• Many states and provinces require that
small children use approved booster
seats until they reach age eight, a
height of 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 meters)
tall, or 80 pounds (36 kilograms).
Check your local and state or provincial
laws for specific requirements about
the safety of children in your vehicle.
• When possible, always properly
restrain children 12 years of age and
under in a rear seating position of your
vehicle. Accident statistics suggest that
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating positions
than in a front seating position. See
Front Passenger Sensing System
(page 37). CHILD SEAT POSITIONING WARNINGS
Airbags can kill or injure a child in a
child seat. Never place a rear-facing
child seat in front of an active airbag.
If you must use a forward-facing child seat
in the front seat, move the vehicle seat
upon which the child seat is installed all
the way back. When possible, all children
age 12 and under should be properly
restrained in a rear seating position. If all
children cannot be seated and restrained
properly in a rear seating position, properly
restrain the largest child in the front seat.
14Child Safety

WARNINGS
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.
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. WARNINGS
Never use pillows, books, or towels
to boost a child. They can slide
around and increase the likelihood
of injury or death in a crash.
Always restrain an unoccupied child
seat or booster seat. These objects
may become projectiles in a crash or
sudden stop, which may increase the risk
of serious injury.
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 crash.
To avoid risk of injury, do not leave
children or pets unattended in your
vehicle.
Use any attachment method as indicated below by XCombined
child and
seat
weightRestraint
Type
Safety belt
onlySafety belt
and LATCH
(lower
anchors
and top
tether
anchor)Safety belt
and top
tether
anchorLATCH
(lower
anchors
only)LATCH
(lower
anchors
and top
tether
anchor)
XXUp to 65 lb
(29 kg)Rear facing
child seat
XOver 65 lb
(29 kg)Rear facing
child seat
XXXUp to 65 lb
(29 kg)Forward
facing
child seat
XXOver 65 lb
(29 kg)Forward
facing
child seat
15Child Safety

4. Insert the belt tongue into the proper
buckle (the buckle closest to the
direction the tongue is coming from)
for that seating position until you hear
a snap and feel the latch engage. Make
sure the tongue is latched securely by
pulling on it. E142875
5. To put the retractor in the automatic
locking mode, grasp the shoulder
portion of the belt and pull downward
until all of the belt is pulled out.
Note: The automatic locking mode is
available on the front passenger and rear
seats. This vehicle does not require the use
of a locking clip.
6. Allow the belt to retract to remove
slack. The belt will click as it retracts
to indicate it is in the automatic locking
mode.
7. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor
to make sure the retractor is in the
automatic locking mode (you should
not be able to pull more belt out). If the
retractor is not locked, unbuckle the
belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6. E142533
8. Remove remaining slack from the belt.
Force the seat down with extra weight,
for example, by pressing down or
kneeling on the child restraint while
pulling up on the shoulder belt in order
to force slack from the belt. This is
necessary to remove the remaining
slack that will exist once the extra
weight of the child is added to the child
restraint. It also helps to achieve the
proper snugness of the child seat to
your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean
toward the buckle will additionally help
to remove remaining slack from the
belt.
9. Attach the tether strap (if the child seat
is equipped).
E142534
20Child Safety

E142846
Children must always be properly
restrained. Accident statistics suggest that
children are safer when properly restrained
in the rear seating positions than in the
front seating position. Failure to follow
these instructions may increase the risk of
injury in a crash.
KNEE AIRBAG A driver’s and passenger’s knee airbag is
located under or within the instrument
panel. During a crash, the restraints control
module may activate the driver’s and
passenger’s knee airbag (individually or
both) based on crash severity and
respective occupant conditions. Under
certain crash and occupant conditions, the
driver’s and passenger’s knee airbag may
deploy (individually or both) but the
corresponding front airbag may not
activate. As with front and side airbags, it
is important to be properly seated and
restrained to reduce the risk of death or
serious injury.
Make sure the knee airbags are
operating properly. See Crash
Sensors and Airbag Indicator
(page 42). FRONT PASSENGER SENSING
SYSTEM WARNINGS
Even with Advanced Restraints
Systems, children 12 and under
should be properly restrained in a
rear seating position. Failure to follow this
could seriously increase the risk of injury or
death.
Sitting improperly out of position or
with the seat back reclined too far
can take off weight from the seat
cushion and affect the decision of the front
passenger sensing system, resulting in
serious injury or death in a crash.
To reduce the risk of possible serious
injury: Do not stow objects in seat
back map pocket or hang objects off
seat back if a child is in the front passenger
seat. Do not place objects underneath the
front passenger seat or between the seat
and the center console. Check the
passenger airbag off or pass airbag off
indicator lamp for proper airbag status.
Failure to follow these instructions may
interfere with the front passenger seat
sensing system.
Any alteration or modification to the
front passenger seat may affect the
performance of the front passenger
sensing system.
This system works with sensors that are
part of the front passenger’s seat and
safety belt to detect the presence of a
properly-seated occupant and determine
if the front passenger’s frontal airbag
should be enabled (may inflate) or not.
37Supplementary Restraints System

Passenger airbagPassenger airbag OFF indic-
atorOccupant
DisabledUnlitEmpty
DisabledLitChild
EnabledUnlitAdult
Note: When the passenger airbag off light
is illuminated, the passenger (seat
mounted) side airbag may be disabled to
avoid the risk of airbag deployment injuries.
After all occupants have adjusted their
seats and put on safety belts, it is very
important that they continue to sit
properly. A properly seated occupant sits
upright, leaning against the seat back, and
centered on the seat cushion, with their
feet comfortably extended on the floor.
Sitting improperly can increase the chance
of injury in a crash event. For example, if
an occupant slouches, lies down, turns
sideways, sits forward, leans forward or
sideways, or puts one or both feet up, the
chance of injury during a crash is greatly
increased.
If you think that the status of the passenger
airbag off indicator lamp is incorrect, check
for the following:
• Objects lodged underneath the seat
• Objects between the seat cushion and
the center console
• Objects hanging off the seat back
• Objects stowed in the seat back map
pocket
• Objects placed on the occupant's lap
• Cargo interference with the seat
• Other passengers pushing or pulling on
the seat
• Rear passenger feet and knees resting
or pushing on the seat The conditions listed above may cause the
weight of a properly seated occupant to
be incorrectly interpreted by the front
passenger sensing system. The person in
the front passenger seat may appear
heavier or lighter due to the conditions
described in the list above.
Make sure the front passenger
sensing system is operating
properly. See Crash Sensors
and Airbag Indicator (page 42).
If the airbag readiness light is lit, do the
following:
The driver and adult passengers should
check for objects lodged underneath the
front passenger seat, or cargo interfering
with the seat.
If there are lodged objects, or cargo is
interfering with the seat, take the following
steps to remove the obstruction:
• Pull the vehicle over.
• Turn the vehicle off.
• Driver and adult passengers should
check for any objects lodged
underneath the front passenger seat
or cargo interfering with the seat.
• Remove the obstruction(s) (if found).
• Restart the vehicle.
39Supplementary Restraints System

SITTING IN THE CORRECT
POSITION WARNINGS
Sitting improperly, out of position or
with the seat back reclined too far
can take weight off the seat cushion
and affect the decision of the passenger
sensing system, resulting in serious injury
or death in the event of a crash. Always sit
upright against your seat back, with your
feet on the floor.
Do not recline the seat back as this
can cause the occupant to slide
under the safety belt, resulting in
serious injury in the event of a crash.
Do not place objects higher than the
seat back to reduce the risk of
serious injury in the event of a crash
or during heavy braking.
E68595
When you use them properly, the seat,
head restraint, safety belt and air bags will
provide optimum protection in the event
of a crash. We recommend that you follow these
guidelines:
• Sit in an upright position with the base
of your spine as far back as possible.
• Do not recline the seat back more than
30 degrees.
• Adjust the head restraint so that the
top of it is level with the top of your
head and as far forward as possible.
Make sure that you remain
comfortable.
• Keep sufficient distance between
yourself and the steering wheel. We
recommend a minimum of 10 inches
(25 centimeters) between your
breastbone and the air bag cover.
• Hold the steering wheel with your arms
slightly bent.
• Bend your legs slightly so that you can
press the pedals fully.
• Position the shoulder strap of the
safety belt over the center of your
shoulder and position the lap strap
tightly across your hips.
Make sure that your driving position is
comfortable and that you can maintain full
control of your vehicle.
HEAD RESTRAINTS WARNINGS
Fully adjust the head restraint before
you sit in or operate your vehicle. This
will help minimize the risk of neck
injury in the event of a collision. Do not
adjust the head restraint when your vehicle
is moving.
The head restraint is a safety device.
Whenever possible it should be
installed and properly adjusted when
the seat is occupied.
121Seats

LOAD LIMIT
Vehicle Loading - with and
without a Trailer
This section will guide you in the
proper loading of your vehicle,
trailer or both, to keep your loaded
vehicle weight within its design
rating capability, with or without
a trailer. Properly loading your
vehicle will provide maximum
return of vehicle design
performance. Before loading your
vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for
determining your vehicle’s weight
ratings, with or without a trailer,
from the vehicle’s Tire Label or
Safety Compliance Certification
Label:
Base Curb Weight - is the weight
of the vehicle including a full tank
of fuel and all standard
equipment. It does not include
passengers, cargo, or optional
equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight - is the
weight of your new vehicle when
you picked it up from your
authorized dealer plus any
aftermarket equipment.E143816
PAYLOAD
Payload - is the combined weight
of cargo and passengers that the
vehicle is carrying. The maximum
payload for your vehicle can be
found on the Tire Label on the
B-Pillar or the edge of the driver
door (vehicles exported outside
the US and Canada may not have
a Tire Label). Look for “THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF
OCCUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX
kg OR XXX lb.” for maximum payload. The payload listed on the
Tire Label is the maximum
payload for the vehicle as built by
the assembly plant. If you install
any aftermarket or
authorized-dealer installed
equipment on the vehicle, you
must subtract the weight of the
equipment from the payload listed
on the Tire Label in order to
determine the new payload.
205Load Carrying

WARNING
The appropriate loading
capacity of your vehicle can
be limited either by volume
capacity (how much space is
available) or by payload capacity
(how much weight the vehicle
should carry). Once you have
reached the maximum payload of
your vehicle, do not add more
cargo, even if there is space
available. Overloading or
improperly loading your vehicle
can contribute to loss of vehicle
control and vehicle rollover. Example only:
E142516
206Load Carrying

E142517
E143817
CARGO
Cargo Weight - includes all
weight added to the Base Curb
Weight, including cargo and
optional equipment. When towing,
trailer tongue load or king pin
weight is also part of cargo weight.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight) - is
the total weight placed on each
axle (front and rear) including
vehicle curb weight and all
payload. GAWR (Gross Axle Weight
Rating) - is the maximum
allowable weight that can be
carried by a single axle (front or
rear). These numbers are shown
on the Safety Compliance
Certification Label. The label shall
be affixed to either the door hinge
pillar, door-latch post, or the door
edge that meets the door-latch
post, next to the driver's seating
position. The total load on each
axle must never exceed its
Gross Axle Weight Rating.
207Load Carrying