child restraint LINCOLN AVIATOR 2023 User Guide

Combining Seatbelt and LATCH Lower
Anchors for Attaching Child Restraints
When used in combination, you can attach
either the seatbelt or the LATCH lower
anchors first, provided a proper installation
is achieved. Attach the tether strap afterward,
if included with the child restraint.
Using Tether Straps
E141E141128128Many forward-facing child
restraints include a tether strap
which extends from the back of the
child restraint and hooks to an anchoring
point called the top tether anchor. Tether
straps are available as an accessory for many
older child restraints.
Contact the manufacturer of your child
restraint for information about ordering a
tether strap, or to obtain a longer tether strap
if the tether strap on your child restraint does
not reach the appropriate top tether anchor
in your vehicle.Once you install the child restraint using
either the seatbelt, the lower anchors of the
LATCH system, or both, you can attach the
top tether strap.
The tether strap anchors in your vehicle are
in the following positions (shown from top
view):
Second Row Bucket Seats and Third Row
Seats
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Second Row Bench Seats and Third Row
Seats
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Perform the following steps to install a child
restraint with tether anchors:
Note:If you install a child restraint with rigid
LATCH attachments, do not tighten the
tether strap enough to lift the child restraint
off your vehicle seat cushion when the child
is seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug
without lifting the front of the child restraint.
Keeping the child restraint just touching your
vehicle seat gives the best protection in a
severe crash.
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Child Safety

For second row outermost seating positions,
route the child restraint tether strap over the
seat backrest, under the head restraint and
between the head restraint posts. If needed,
remove the head restraint to improve the fit
of the child restraint or tether strap.
For the second row center seating position,
route the child restraint tether strap over the
top of the head restraint. If needed, remove
the head restraint to improve the fit of the
child restraint or tether strap. See Head
Restraints (page 177).
For third row seating positions, route the
child restraint tether strap over the seat
backrest, under the head restraint and
between the head restraint posts. If needed,
fold the head restraint down to improve the
fit of the child restraint or tether strap. See
Head Restraints (page 177).
1. Route the tether strap.2. Locate the correct anchor for the
selected seating position.
3. Clip the tether strap to the anchor as
shown. The tether hook may be twisted
½ turn to improve installation. If you clip
the tether strap incorrectly, the child
restraint may not be retained properly in
the event of a crash.
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4. Tighten the child restraint tether strap
according to the manufacturer's
instructions.
If the child restraint is not anchored properly,
the risk of injury to a child greatly increases
in a crash.
If your child restraint system has a tether
strap, and the child restraint manufacturer
recommends its use, we also recommend its
use.
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Child Safety

BOOSTER SEATS
WARNING: Do not put the shoulder
section of the seatbelt or allow the child to
put the shoulder section of the seatbelt
under their arm or behind their back.
Failure to follow this instruction could
reduce the effectiveness of the seatbelt
and increase the risk of injury or death in
a crash.
Use a belt-positioning booster seat for
children who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a child safety restraint
(generally children who are less than 57 in
(1.45 m) tall, are greater than age 4 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). Many state and provincial
laws require that children use approved
booster seats until they reach age eight, a
height of 57 in (1.45 m) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg).
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
their vehicle seat backrest 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?
Always use booster seats in conjunction with
your vehicle lap and shoulder belt.
Types of Booster Seats
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• Backless booster seats
If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the shield. If a
vehicle seating position has a low seat
backrest 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 backrest or head restraint
and lap and shoulder belts, or consider using
a high back booster seat.
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Child Safety

E14259742597
If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat
upon which it is being used, 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.CHILD RESTRAINT POSITIONING
WARNING: Do not place a rearward
facing child restraint in front of an active
airbag. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury or death.
WARNING: Properly secure children
12 years old and under in a rear seating
position whenever possible. If you are
unable to properly secure all children in a
rear seating position, properly secure the
largest child on the front seat. If you must
use a forward facing child restraint on the
front seat, move the seat as far back as
possible. Failure to follow these
instructions could result in personal injury
or death.
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Child Safety

WARNING: 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.WARNING: Do not allow a passenger
to hold a child on their lap when your
vehicle is moving. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death in the event of a sudden stop or
crash.
WARNING: Do not use pillows, books
or towels to boost your child's height.
Failure to follow this instruction could result
in personal injury or death.
WARNING: Properly secure child
restraints or booster seats when they are
not in use. They could become projectiles
in a sudden stop or crash. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in personal
injury or death.
WARNING: Do not put the shoulder
section of the seatbelt or allow the child to
put the shoulder section of the seatbelt
under their arm or behind their back.
Failure to follow this instruction could
reduce the effectiveness of the seatbelt
and increase the risk of injury or death in
a crash.
WARNING: Do not leave children or
pets unattended in your vehicle. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death.
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Child Safety

Recommendations for Attaching Child Safety Restraints for Children
Use Any Attachment Method as Indicated Below by X
Combined Weight
of Child and Child
Restraint Restraint TypeSeatbelt Only Seatbelt and LATCH
(Lower Anchors and
Top Tether Anchor) Seatbelt and Top
Tether Anchor LATCH (Lower
Anchors Only) LATCH (Lower
Anchors and Top
Tether Anchor)
X X Up to 65 lb
(29.5 kg) Rear facing child
restraint
X Over 65 lb
(29.5 kg) Rear facing child
restraint
X X X Up to 65 lb
(29.5 kg) Forward facing
child restraint
X X Over 65 lb
(29.5 kg) Forward facing
child restraint
Note:The child restraint must rest tightly
against the vehicle seat upon which it is
installed. It may be necessary to lift or
remove the head restraint. See Seats (page
176).
CHILD SAFETY LOCKS
When the child safety locks are set, you
cannot open the rear doors from the inside.
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Child Safety

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNING: Always drive and ride
with your seatback upright and the lap belt
snug and low across the hips.
WARNING: Children must always be
properly restrained.
WARNING: Do not allow a passenger
to hold a child on their lap when your
vehicle is moving. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death in the event of a sudden stop or
crash.
WARNING: All occupants of your
vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their seatbelts, even when
an airbag supplemental restraint system is
provided. Failure to properly wear your
seatbelt could seriously increase the risk
of injury or death.
WARNING: It is extremely dangerous
to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of
a vehicle. In a crash, 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 seatbelts. Make
sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat
and properly using a seatbelt. Failure to
follow this warning could result in serious
personal injury or death.
WARNING: In a rollover crash, an
unbelted person is significantly more likely
to die than a person wearing a seatbelt.
WARNING: Each seating position in
your vehicle has a specific seatbelt
assembly made up of one buckle and one
tongue designed to be used as a pair. Use
the shoulder belt on the outside shoulder
only. Never wear the shoulder belt under
the arm. Never use a single seatbelt for
more than one person.
WARNING: Even with advanced
restraints systems, properly restrain
children 12 and under in a rear seating
position. Failure to follow this could
seriously increase the risk of injury or
death.
WARNING: Seatbelts and seats may
be hot in a vehicle that is in the sunshine.
The hot seatbelts or seats may burn a small
child. Check seat covers and buckles
before you place a child anywhere near
them.
All seating positions in your vehicle have lap
and shoulder seatbelts. All occupants of the
vehicle should always properly wear their
seatbelts, even when an airbag supplemental
restraint system is provided.
The seatbelt system consists of:
• Lap and shoulder seatbelts.
• Shoulder seatbelt with automatic locking
mode, (except driver seatbelt).
• Height adjuster at the front outermost
seating positions.
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Seatbelts

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Pregnant women should always wear their
seatbelt. Position the lap belt portion of a
combination lap and shoulder belt low across
the hips below the belly and worn as tight
as comfort allows. Position the shoulder belt
to cross the middle of the shoulder and the
center of the chest.
Seatbelt Locking Modes
WARNING: If your vehicle is involved
in a crash, have the seatbelts and
associated components inspected as soon
as possible. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury or death.All safety restraints in the vehicle are
combination lap and shoulder belts. The
driver seatbelt has the first type of locking
mode, and the front outboard passenger and
rear seat seatbelts have both types of locking
modes described as follows:
Vehicle Sensitive Mode
This is the normal retractor mode, which
allows free shoulder belt length adjustment
to your movements and locking in response
to vehicle movement. For example, if the
driver brakes suddenly or turns a corner
sharply, or the vehicle receives an impact of
about 5 mph (8 km/h) or more, the
combination seatbelts lock to help reduce
forward movement of the driver and
passengers.
In addition, the design of the retractor is to
lock if you pull the webbing out too quickly.
If the seatbelt retractor locks, slowly lower
the height adjuster to allow the seatbelt to
retract. If the retractor does not unlock, pull
the seatbelt out slowly then feed a smalllength of webbing back toward the stowed
position. For rear seatbelts, recline the rear
seat backrest or push the seat backrest
cushion away from the seatbelt. Feed a small
length of webbing back toward the stowed
position.
Automatic Locking Mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt automatically
pre-locks. The belt retracts to remove any
slack in the shoulder belt. The automatic
locking mode is not available on the driver
seatbelt.
When to Use the Automatic Locking Mode
Use this mode any time you install a child
safety seat, except a booster, in passenger
front or rear seating positions. Properly
restrain children 12 years old and under in a
rear seating position whenever possible.
See Child Safety (page 27).
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Seatbelts

Note:The driver and front passenger
warnings switch on and off independently.
When you perform this procedure for one
seating position, do not buckle the other
position as this terminates the process.
Read Steps 1 - 4 before starting the
procedure.
Make sure that:
• You set the parking brake.
• The transmission is in park (P).
• The ignition is off.
• You close all vehicle doors.
• You unbuckle the driver and front
passenger seatbelts.
1. Switch the ignition on. Do not start the
engine.
2. Wait until the seatbelt warning lamp turns
off (about one minute). After Step 2, wait
an additional five seconds before
proceeding with Step 3. Once you start
Step 3, you must complete the procedure
within 60 seconds.3. For the seating position you are switching
off, buckle then unbuckle the seatbelt
three times at a moderate speed, ending
in the unbuckled state. After Step 3, the
seatbelt warning lamp turns on.
4. When the seatbelt warning lamp is on,
buckle then unbuckle the seatbelt. After
Step 4, the seatbelt warning lamp flashes
for confirmation.
• This switches the feature off if it is
currently on.
• This switches the feature on if it is
currently off.
CHILD RESTRAINT AND SEATBELT
MAINTENANCE
Inspect the vehicle seatbelts and child safety
seat systems periodically to make sure they
work properly and are not damaged. Inspect
the vehicle and child restraint seatbelts to
make sure there are no nicks, tears or cuts.
Replace if necessary. All vehicle seatbelt
assemblies, including retractors, buckles,
front seatbelt buckle assemblies, buckle
support assemblies (slide bar-if equipped),shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped),
shoulder belt guide on seat backrest (if
equipped), child safety seat LATCH and
tether anchors, and attaching hardware,
should be inspected after a crash. Read the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions for
additional inspection and maintenance
information specific to the child restraint.
We recommend that all seatbelt assemblies
in use in vehicles involved in a crash be
replaced. However, if the crash 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. Seatbelt assemblies not in use
during a crash should also be inspected and
replaced if either damage or improper
operation is noted.
Properly care for seatbelts. See Vehicle
Care (page 421).
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Seatbelts

SEATBELT EXTENSIONS
WARNING: Persons who fit into the
vehicle's seatbelt should not use an
extension. Unnecessary use could result
in serious personal injury in the event of a
crash.
WARNING: Only use extensions
provided free of charge by our dealers.
The dealer will provide an extension
designed specifically for this vehicle, model
year and seating position. The use of an
extension intended for another vehicle,
model year or seating position may not
offer you the full protection of your
vehicle's seatbelt restraint system.
WARNING: Never use seatbelt
extensions to install child restraints.
WARNING: Do not use a seatbelt
extension with an inflatable seatbelt.
WARNING: Do not use extensions
to change the way the seatbelt fits across
the torso, over the lap or to make the
seatbelt buckle easier to reach.
If, because of body size or driving position,
it is not possible to properly fasten the
seatbelt over your lap and shoulder, an
extension that is compatible with the
seatbelts is available free of charge from our
dealers. Only use our seatbelt extensions
made by the original equipment seatbelt
manufacturer with our seatbelts. Ask your
authorized dealer if your extension is
compatible with your vehicle restraint system.
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Seatbelts