LINCOLN MKS 2015 Owner's Guide

The safety belt pretensioners at the front
seating positions are designed to tighten the
safety belts when activated. In frontal and
near-frontal crashes, the safety belt
pretensioners may be activated alone or, if
the crash is of sufficient severity, together
with the front airbags. The pretensioners may
also activate when a side curtain airbag is
deployed.
FASTENING THE SAFETY BELTS
The front outboard and rear safety restraints
in the vehicle are 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. 2.
To unfasten, press the release button and
remove the tongue from the buckle. When in use, the rear safety belts should be
placed in the belt guides on the outboard
seatbacks.
Using Safety Belts During Pregnancy
WARNING
Always ride and drive with your
seatback upright and the safety belt
properly fastened. The lap portion of
the safety belt should fit snug and be
positioned low across the hips. The shoulder
portion of the safety belt should be
positioned across the chest. Pregnant women
should also follow this practice. See the
following figure. 28
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Pregnant women should always wear their
safety belt. The lap belt portion of a
combination lap and shoulder belt should be
positioned low across the hips below the
belly and worn as tight as comfort will allow.
The shoulder belt should be positioned to
cross the middle of the shoulder and the
center of the chest.
Safety Belt Locking Modes
WARNINGS
After any vehicle crash, the safety belt
system at all passenger seating
positions must be checked by an
authorized dealer to verify that the automatic
locking retractor feature for child seats is still
functioning properly. In addition, all safety
belts should be checked for proper function. WARNINGS
The belt and retractor assembly must
be replaced if the safety belt assembly
automatic locking retractor feature or
any other safety belt function is not operating
properly when checked by an authorized
dealer. Failure to replace the belt and
retractor assembly could increase the risk of
injury in crashes. All safety restraints in the vehicle are
combination lap and shoulder belts. The
driver safety belt has the first type of locking
mode, and the front outboard passenger and
rear seat safety belts 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 safety belts will lock to help
reduce forward movement of the driver and
passengers.In addition, the retractor is designed to lock
if the webbing is pulled out too quickly. If this
occurs, let the belt retract slightly and pull
webbing out again in a slow and controlled
manner.
Automatic Locking Mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt is
automatically pre-locked. The belt will still
retract to remove any slack in the shoulder
belt. The automatic locking mode is not
available on the driver safety belt.
When to Use the Automatic Locking Mode
This mode should be used any time a child
safety seat, except a booster, is installed in
passenger front or rear seating positions.
Children 12 years old and under should be
properly restrained in a rear seating position
whenever possible. See Child Safety (page
14).
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How to Use the Automatic Locking Mode
1.
Buckle the combination lap and shoulder
belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until the entire belt is pulled
out.
Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts,
you will hear a clicking sound. This indicates
the safety belt is now in the automatic
locking mode. How to Disengage the Automatic Locking
Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap and shoulder
belt and allow it to retract completely to
disengage the automatic locking mode and
turn on the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode.
Safety Belt Extension Assembly WARNING
Do not use extensions to change the fit
of the shoulder belt across the torso.
If the safety belt is too short when fully
extended, you can obtain a safety belt
extension assembly from an authorized
dealer.
Use only extensions manufactured by the
same supplier as the safety belt.
Manufacturer identification is on a label
located either at the end of the webbing or
on the retractor behind the trim. Also, use the
safety belt extension only if the safety belt is
too short for you when fully extended.SAFETY BELT HEIGHT
ADJUSTMENT WARNING
Position the safety belt height adjusters
so that the belt rests across the middle
of your shoulder. Failure to adjust the
safety belt properly could reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt and increase
the risk of injury in a crash. Adjust the height of the shoulder belt so the
belt rests across the middle of your shoulder.
To adjust the shoulder belt height:
1. Press the button and slide the height
adjuster up or down.
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2.
Release the button and pull down on the
height adjuster to make sure it is locked
in place. SAFETY BELT WARNING LAMP
AND INDICATOR CHIME This lamp illuminates and an
audible warning will sound if the
driver's safety belt has not been
fastened when the vehicle's ignition is turned
on.
Conditions of operation Then...
If...
The safety belt warning light illuminates 1-2 minutes and the warningchime sounds 4-8 seconds.
The driver's safety belt is not buckled before the ignition switch is
turned to the on position...
The safety belt warning light and warning chime turn off.
The driver's safety belt is buckled while the indicator light is illuminated
and the warning chime is sounding...
The safety belt warning light and indicator chime remain off.
The driver's safety belt is buckled before the ignition switch is turned
to the on position...
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SAFETY BELT MINDER
Belt-Minder™
This feature supplements the safety belt
warning function by providing additional
reminders that intermittently sound a tone
and illuminate the safety belt warning light
when you are in the driver seat or you have a
front seat passenger and a safety belt is
unbuckled.
The system uses information from the front
passenger sensing system to determine if a
front seat passenger is present and therefore
potentially in need of a warning. To avoid
activating the Belt-Minder feature for objects
you place in the front passenger seat, only
the front seat passengers receive warnings
as determined by the front passenger sensing
system.If the Belt-Minder warnings expire (warnings
for about five minutes) for one passenger
(driver or front passenger), the other
passenger can still cause the Belt-Minder
feature to turn on. Then...
If...
The Belt-Minder feature will not activate.
You and the front seat passenger buckle your safety belts before you
switch the ignition on or less than 1-2 minutes elapse after you switch the ignition on...
The Belt-Minder feature activates, the safety belt warning light illumin-ates and a warning tone sounds for 6 seconds every 25 seconds,
repeating for about 5 minutes or until you and the front seat passenger buckle your safety belts.
You or the front seat passenger do not buckle your safety belts before
your vehicle reaches at least 6 mph (9.7 km/h) and 1-2 minutes elapse
after you switch the ignition on...
The Belt-Minder feature activates, the safety belt warning light illumin-ates and a warning tone sounds for 6 seconds every 25 seconds,
repeating for about 5 minutes or until you and the front seat passenger buckle your safety belts.
The safety belt for the driver or front passenger is unbuckled for about
1 minute while the vehicle is traveling at least 6 mph (9.7 km/h) and more than 1-2 minutes elapse after you switch the ignition on...
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Deactivating and Activating the
Belt-Minder Feature
WARNING
While the system allows you to
deactivate it, this system is designed
to improve your chances of being safely
belted and surviving an accident. We
recommend you leave the system activated
for yourself and others who may use the
vehicle. 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 will terminate the process.
Read Steps 1 - 4 thoroughly before
proceeding with the programming procedure.
Before following the procedure, make sure
that:
• The parking brake is set.
• The transmission is in park (P) or neutral
(N).
• The ignition is off.
• The driver and front passenger safety
belts are unbuckled. 1. Switch the ignition on. Do not start the
vehicle.
2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off (about one minute). After Step
2, wait an additional 5 seconds before
proceeding with Step 3. Once you start
Step 3, you must complete the procedure
within 30 seconds.
3. For the seating position you are switching
off, buckle then unbuckle the safety belt
three times at a moderate speed, ending
in the unbuckled state. After Step 3, the
safety belt warning light turns on.
4. While the safety belt warning light is on, buckle and then unbuckle the safety belt.
After Step 4, the safety belt warning light
flashes for confirmation.
• This will switch the feature off for that
seating position if it is currently on.
• This will switch the feature on for that
seating position if it is currently off. 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 seat back (if
equipped), rear inflatable safety belts (if
equipped), child safety seat LATCH and
tether anchors, and attaching hardware,
should be inspected after a collision. Read
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.
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Properly care for safety belts. See Vehicle
Care (page 257).
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The Personal Safety System provides an
improved overall level of frontal crash
protection to front seat occupants and is
designed to help further reduce the risk of
airbag-related injuries. The system is able to
analyze different occupant conditions and
crash severity before activating the
appropriate safety devices to help better
protect a range of occupants in a variety of
frontal crash situations.
The Vehicle Personal Safety System consists
of:
•
Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag
supplemental restraints.
• Front seat outboard safety belts with
pretensioners, energy management
retractors and safety belt usage sensors.
• Driver seat position sensor.
• Front passenger sensing system.
• Passenger airbag off and on indicator
lamp.
• Front crash severity sensors.
• Restraints control module with impact
and safing sensors. •
Restraint system warning light and
backup tone.
• The electrical wiring for the airbags, crash
sensors, safety belt pretensioners, front
safety belt usage sensors, driver seat
position sensor, front passenger sensing
system and indicator lights.
How Does the Personal Safety
System Work?
The Personal Safety System can adapt the
deployment strategy of the safety devices
according to crash severity and occupant
conditions. A collection of crash and
occupant sensors provides information to
the restraints control module. During a crash,
the restraints control module may deploy the
safety belt pretensioners, one or both stages
of the dual-stage airbags based on crash
severity and occupant conditions.
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNINGS
Airbags do not inflate slowly or gently,
and the risk of injury from a deploying
airbag is the greatest close to the trim
covering the airbag module. All occupants of your vehicle, including
the driver, should always properly wear
their safety belts, even when an airbag
supplemental restraint system is provided.
Failure to properly wear your safety belt could
seriously increase the risk of injury or death. Always transport children 12 years old
and under in the back seat and always
properly use appropriate child
restraints. Failure to follow this could
seriously increase the risk of injury or death. Never place your arm over the airbag
module as a deploying airbag can result
in serious arm fractures or other injuries.
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 seat upon which the
child seat is installed all the way back. WARNINGS
Do not attempt to service, repair, or
modify the airbag supplemental
restraint systems or its fuses as you
could be seriously injured or killed. Contact
your authorized dealer as soon as possible. Several airbag system components get
hot after inflation. To reduce the risk of
injury, do not touch them after inflation.
If the airbag has deployed, the airbag
will not function again and must be
replaced immediately. If the airbag is
not replaced, the unrepaired area will
increase the risk of injury in a crash. The airbags are a supplemental restraint
system and are designed to work with the
safety belts to help protect the driver and
right front passenger from certain upper body
injuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly; there
is a risk of injury from a deploying airbag.
Note:
You will hear a loud bang and see a
cloud of harmless powdery residue if an airbag
deploys. This is normal. The airbags inflate and deflate rapidly upon
activation. After airbag deployment, it is
normal to notice a smoke-like, powdery
residue or smell the burnt propellant. This
may consist of cornstarch, talcum powder
(to lubricate the bag) or sodium compounds
(for example, baking soda) that result from
the combustion process that inflates the
airbag. Small amounts of sodium hydroxide
may be present which may irritate the skin
and eyes, but none of the residue is toxic.
While the system is designed to help reduce
serious injuries, contact with a deploying
airbag may also cause abrasions or swelling.
Temporary hearing loss is also a possibility
as a result of the noise associated with a
deploying airbag. Because airbags must
inflate rapidly and with considerable force,
there is the risk of death or serious injuries
such as fractures, facial and eye injuries or
internal injuries, particularly to occupants
who are not properly restrained or are
otherwise out of position at the time of airbag
deployment. Thus, it is extremely important
that occupants be properly restrained as far
away from the airbag module as possible
while maintaining vehicle control.
Routine maintenance of the airbags is not
required.
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DRIVER AND PASSENGER
AIRBAGS
WARNINGS
Never place your arm or any objects
over an airbag module. Placing your
arm over a deploying airbag can result
in serious arm fractures or other injuries.
Objects placed on or over the airbag inflation
area may cause those objects to be propelled
by the airbag into your face and torso causing
serious injury. 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 seat upon which the
child seat is installed all the way back. The driver and front passenger airbags will
deploy during significant frontal and near
frontal crashes.
The driver and passenger front airbag system
consists of:
•
Driver and passenger airbag modules.
• Front passenger sensing system. · Crash sensors and monitoring
system with readiness indicator.
See Crash Sensors and Airbag
Indicator (page 43). Proper Driver and Front Passenger
Seating Adjustment WARNING
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) recommends
a minimum distance of at least 10
inches (25 centimeters) between an
occupant’ s chest and the driver airbag
module. To properly position yourself away from the
airbag:
•
Move your seat to the rear as far as you
can while still reaching the pedals
comfortably.
• Recline the seat slightly (one or two
degrees) from the upright position.
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
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