belt LINCOLN TOWN CAR 2000 Owner's Manual

neck, the child should wear the lap and shoulder belt. Moving the child
closer to the center of the vehicle may help provide a good shoulder belt
fit.
Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets unattended in
your vehicle.
To improve the fit of lap and shoulder belts on children who have
outgrown child safety seats, Ford recommends use of a belt-positioning
booster seat that is labelled as conforming to all Federal motor vehicle
safety standards. Belt-positioning booster seats raise the child and
provide a shorter, firmer seating cushion that encourages safer seating
posture and better fit of lap and shoulder belts on the child.
A belt-positioning booster should be used if the shoulder belt rests in
front of the child's face or neck, or if the lap belt does not fit snugly on
both thighs, or if the thighs are too short to let the child sit all the way
back on the seat cushion when the lower legs hang over the edge of the
seat cushion. You may wish to discuss the special needs of your child
with your pediatrician.
SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
Child and infant or child safety seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the
child. Carefully follow all of the manufacturer's instructions with the
safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install and use the
safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden stop or
collision.
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When installing a child safety seat:
²Review and follow the information
presented in theAir Bag
Supplemental Restraint System
section in this chapter.
²Use the correct safety belt buckle
for that seating position.
²Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle until you hear a
snap and feel it latch. Make sure
the tongue is securely fastened in
the buckle.
²Keep the buckle release button pointing up and away from the safety
seat, with the tongue between the child seat and the release button,
to prevent accidental unbuckling.
²Place seat back in upright position.
²Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer toAutomatic
locking mode.
Ford recommends the use of a child safety seat having a top tether
strap. Install the child safety seat in a seating position which is capable
of providing a tether anchorage. For more information on top tether
straps, refer toAttaching safety seats with tether straps.
Carefully follow all of the manufacturer's instructions included
with the safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install
and use the safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden
stop or collision.
Seating and safety restraints
108

Installing child safety seats in combination lap and shoulder belt
seating positions
1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
An air bag can kill or injure a child in a child seat. If you must
use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move seat all
the way back.
Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in the rear
seat whenever possible.
2. Pull down on the shoulder belt
and then grasp the shoulder belt
and lap belt together.
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109

3. While holding the shoulder and
lap belt portions together, route the
tongue through the child seat
according to the child seat
manufacturer's instructions. Be sure
the belt webbing is not twisted.
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.
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
extracted and a click is heard.
6. Allow the belt to retract. The belt will click as it retracts to indicate it
is in the automatic locking mode.
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110

7. Pull the lap belt portion across
the child seat toward the buckle and
pull up on the shoulder belt while
pushing down with your knee on the
child seat.
8. Allow the safety belt to retract to
remove any slack in the belt.
9. Before placing the child in the
seat, forcibly tilt the seat forward
and back to make sure the seat is
securely held in place.
10. 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
two through nine.
Check to make sure the child seat is properly secured before each use.
Attaching child safety seats with tether straps
Most new forward-facing child safety seats include a tether strap which
goes over the back of the seat and hooks to an anchoring point. Tether
straps are available as an accessory for many older safety seats. Contact
the manufacturer of your child seat for information about ordering a
tether strap.
The rear seats of your vehicle are equipped with built-in tether strap
anchors located behind the seats as described below.
The tether anchors in your vehicle are either located under a cover
marked with the tether anchor symbol (shown with title) or are recessed
bars on the back side of the seatback.
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111

6. Refer to theInstalling child safety seats in combination lap and
shoulder belt seating positionssection of this chapter for further
instructions to secure the child safety seat.
7. 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.
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113

PREPARING TO START YOUR VEHICLE
Engine starting is controlled by the ignition system. This system meets
all Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment standard requirements
regulating the impulse electrical field strength of radio noise.
When starting a fuel-injected engine, avoid pressing the accelerator
before or during starting. Only use the accelerator when you have
difficulty starting the engine. For more information on starting the
vehicle, refer toStarting the enginein this chapter.
Extended idling at high engine speeds can produce very high
temperatures in the engine and exhaust system, creating the risk
of fire or other damage.
Do not park, idle, or drive your vehicle in dry grass or other dry
ground cover. The emission system heats up the engine
compartment and exhaust system, which can start a fire.
Do not start your vehicle in a closed garage or in other enclosed
areas. Exhaust fumes can be toxic. Always open the garage door
before you start the engine. SeeGuarding against exhaust fumesin
this chapter for more instructions.
If you smell exhaust fumes inside your vehicle, have your dealer
inspect your vehicle immediately. Do not drive if you smell
exhaust fumes.
Important safety precautions
A computer system controls the engine's idle revolutions per minute
(RPM). When the engine starts, the idle RPM runs faster to warm the
engine. If the engine idle speed does not slow down automatically, have
the vehicle checked. Do not allow the vehicle to idle for more than 10
minutes at the higher engine RPM.
Before starting the vehicle:
1. Make sure all vehicle occupants have buckled their safety belts. For
more information on safety belts and their proper usage, refer to the
Seating and safety restraintschapter.
Starting
114

Make sure the corresponding lights illuminate briefly. If a light fails to
illuminate, have the vehicle serviced.
²If the driver's safety belt is fastened, the
light may not illuminate.
STARTING THE ENGINE
1. Turn the key to 5 (START)
without pressing the accelerator
pedal and release as soon as the
engine starts. The key will return to
4 (ON).
2. If the temperature is above ±12ÉC (10ÉF) and the engine does not
start within five seconds on the first try, turn the key to OFF, wait 10
seconds and try again.
3. If the temperature is below -12É C (10É F) and the engine does not
start in 15 seconds on the first try, turn the key OFF and wait 10
seconds and try again. If the engine does not start in two attempts, Press
the accelerator pedal 1/3 to 1/2 of the way to floor and hold. Turn the
key to START position.
4. When the engine starts, release the key, then release the accelerator
pedal gradually as the engine speeds up.
5. After idling for a few seconds, apply the brake and release the parking
brake.
Using the engine block heater (if equipped)
An engine block heater warms the engine coolant, which improves
starting, warms up the engine faster and allows the heater-defroster
system to respond quickly. Use of an engine block heater is strongly
recommended if you live in a region where temperatures reach -23ÉC
(-10ÉF) or below.
For best results, plug the heater in at least three hours before starting
the vehicle. Using the heater for longer than three hours will not harm
the engine, so the heater can be plugged in the night before starting the
vehicle.
3
2
1
5
4
Starting
116

Do not connect the end of the second cable to the negative (-)
terminal of the battery to be jumped. A spark may cause an
explosion of the gases that surround the battery.
5. Ensure that the cables are clear of fan blades, belts, moving parts of
both engines, or any fuel delivery system parts.
Jump starting
1. Start the engine of the booster vehicle and run the engine at
moderately increased speed.
2. Start the engine of the disabled vehicle.
3. Once the disabled vehicle has been started, run both engines for an
additional three minutes before disconnecting the jumper cables.
Removing the jumper cables
Remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were
connected.
1. Remove the jumper cable from thegroundmetal surface.
+–+–
Roadside emergencies
147

After the disabled vehicle has been started and the jumper cables
removed, allow it to idle for several minutes so the engine computer can
relearnits idle conditions.
WRECKER TOWING
If you need to have your vehicle towed, contact a professional towing
service or, if you are a member, your roadside assistance center.
It is recommended that your vehicle be towed with a wheel lift or flatbed
equipment. Do not tow with a slingbelt. Ford Motor Company has not
approved a slingbelt towing procedure.
Before your vehicle can be towed, the air suspension control in the
luggage compartment must be turned to the OFF position (if equipped).
If the vehicle is towed by other means or incorrectly, vehicle
damage may occur.
Ford Motor Company provides a towing manual for all authorized tow
truck operators. Have your tow truck operator refer to this manual for
proper hook-up and towing procedures for your vehicle.
Roadside emergencies
149