child restraint LINCOLN MKZ 2016 User Guide

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 and shoulder
belts, or consider using a high back booster
seat.
E70710
• High back booster seatsIf, 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
following drawings 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 also
show how the lap belt should be low and
snug across the child's hips.
E142596
28
Child Safety

E142597
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 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.
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.
29
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 seat
Restraint Type Safety belt only
Safety belt and
LATCH (lower
anchors and top tether anchor)
Safety belt 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
seat
X
Over 65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing child
seat
X
X
X
Up to 65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward facing
child seat
X
X
Over 65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward facing
child seat
Note: The child seat 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 140).
CHILD SAFETY LOCKS
When these locks are set, the rear doors
cannot be opened from the inside.
31
Child Safety

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNINGS
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 your vehicle is
moving. The passenger cannot protect the
child from injury in a crash.
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.
WARNINGS
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 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 safety 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.
WARNINGS
When possible, all children 12 years old
and under should be properly
restrained in a rear seating position. Failure
to follow this could seriously increase the
risk of injury or death.
Safety belts and seats can become hot
in a vehicle that has been closed up in
sunny weather; they could burn a small child.
Check seat covers and buckles before you
place a child anywhere near them.
Front and rear seat occupants,
including pregnant women, should
wear safety belts for optimum protection in
an accident.
All seating positions in your vehicle have lap
and shoulder safety belts. All occupants of
the vehicle should always properly wear their
safety belts, even when an airbag
supplemental restraint system is provided.
The safety belt system consists of:
• Lap and shoulder safety belts.
• Shoulder safety belt with automatic locking mode, (except driver safety belt).
33
Safety Belts

E142590
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.
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 vehicle sensitive
locking mode. The front outboard passenger
and rear seat safety belts have both the
vehicle sensitive locking mode and the
automatic locking mode. 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.
35
Safety Belts

Note:The rear inflatable safety belts are
compatible with most infant and child safety
car seats and belt positioning booster seats
when properly installed. This is because they
are designed to fill with a cooled gas at a
lower pressure and at a slower rate than
traditional airbags. After inflation, the
shoulder portion of the safety belt remains
cool to the touch.
The rear inflatable safety belt consists of the
following:
• An inflatable bag located in the shoulder safety belt webbing.
• Lap safety belt webbing with automatic locking mode.
• The same warning light, electronic control and diagnostic unit as used for
the front safety belts.
• Impact sensors located in various parts of the vehicle.
How does the rear inflatable safety belt
system work?
The rear inflatable safety belts will function
like standard restraints in everyday usage.
E146364
During a crash of sufficient force, the
inflatable belt will inflate from inside the
webbing.
E146365
The fully inflated belt's increased diameter
more effectively holds the occupant in the
appropriate seating position, and spreads
crash forces over more area of the body than
regular safety belts. This helps reduce
pressure on the chest and helps control head
and neck motion for passengers.
WARNING
If the rear inflatable safety belt has
deployed, it will not function again. The
rear inflatable safety belt system must be
replaced by an authorized dealer.
The rear inflatable safety belts are designed
to inflate in frontal or near-frontal crashes
and some side impact crashes. The fact that
the rear inflatable safety belt did not inflate
in a crash does not mean that something is
wrong with the system. Rather, it means the
forces were not of the type sufficient to
cause activation.
Safety Belt Extension Assembly
WARNINGS
Do not use extensions to change the
fit of the shoulder belt across the torso.
37
Safety Belts

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 crash. Read the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions for
additional inspection and maintenance
information specific to the child restraint.
41
Safety Belts

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.
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 seat upon which the
child seat is installed all the way back.
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.
44
Supplementary Restraints System

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.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.
E151127
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 52).
45
Supplementary Restraints System

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 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.
Children and Airbags
WARNING
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.
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.
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. Always sit upright against
your seat back, with your feet on the floor.
46
Supplementary Restraints System