warning Mercury Mercury Cougar 1996 Owner's Manuals

2
*
[IN01100( ALL)04/95]
Things to Know About Using
This Guide
*
[IN01200( ALL)04/95]
Congratulations on the purchase of your new
vehicle. This guide has information about the
equipment and the options for your new vehicle.
You may not have bought all of the options
available to you. If you do not know which
information applies to your vehicle, talk to your
dealer.
*
[IN01300( ALL)04/95]
This guide describes equipment and gives
specifications for equipment that was in effect
when this guide was approved for printing. Ford
may discontinue models or change specifications
or design without any notice and without
incurring obligation.
*
[IN01400( ALL)05/95]
NOTES and WARNINGS
*
[IN01420( ALL)05/95]
NOTESgive you additional information about
the subject matter you are referencing.
*
[IN01440( ALL)05/95]
WARNINGSremind you to be especially careful
in those areas where carelessness can cause
damage to your vehicle or personal injury to
yourself, your passengers or other people. Please
read allWARNINGScarefully.
*
[IN01460( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
*
[IN01500( ALL)04/95]
Finding Information in This Guide
*
[IN01600( ALL)04/95]
After you have read this guide once, you will
probably return to it when you have a specific
question or need additional information. To help
you find specific information quickly, you can
use the Quick Index or the Index.
File:rcinc.ex
Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:59 1995

7
Safety Restraints
%*
[SR00500( ALL)04/95]
Important Safety Belt Information
*
[SR00600( ALL)03/95]
The use of safety belts helps to restrain you and
your passengers in case of a collision. In most
states and in Canada the law requires their use.
*
[SR00800( ALL)01/95]
Safety belts provide best restraint when:
*
[SR00900( ALL)01/95]
q
the seatback is upright
*
[SR01000( ALL)01/95]
q
the occupant is sitting upright (not slouched)
*
[SR01100( ALL)01/95]
q
the lap belt is snug and low on the hips
*
[SR01200( ALL)01/95]
q
the shoulder belt is snug against the chest
*
[SR01300( ALL)01/95]
q
the knees are straight forward
*
[SR02100( ALL)05/95]
To help you remember to fasten your safety belt,
a warning light may come on and a chime may
sound. SeeSafety Belt Warning Light and Chimein
theWarning Lights and Gaugeschapter.
*
[SR02500( ALL)01/95]
See the following sections in this chapter for
directions on how to properly use these safety
belts. Also seeSafety Restraints for Childrenin this
chapter for special instructions about using
safety belts for children.
%*
[SR02600( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
Make sure that you and your passengers
wear safety belts. Always drive and ride
with your seatback upright and the lap
belt snug and low across the hips.
File:rcsrc.ex
Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:53 1995

8
*
[SR02700( ALL)03/95]
RWARNING
Never wear the shoulder belt under the
arm. Never swing it around the neck over
the inside shoulder. Never use a single
belt for more than one person or across
more than one seating position. 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.
Failure to follow these precautions could
increase the risk and/or severity of injury
in a collision.
*
[SR02801( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
Ford recommends that all safety belt
assemblies and attaching hardware should
be inspected by a qualified technician
after any collision. Safety belt assemblies
not in use during a collision should also
be inspected and replaced if either
damage or improper operation is noted.
*
[SR02901( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury in a
collision, children should always ride with
the seatback upright.
*
[SR03001( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
Never let a passenger hold a child on his
or her lap while the vehicle is moving.
The passenger cannot protect the child
from injury in a collision.
*
[SR03200( ALL)05/95]
Lock the doors of your vehicle before driving to
lessen the risk of the door coming open in a
collision.
File:rcsrc.ex
Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:53 1995

11
safety belt is buckled, and does not allow the
occupant freedom of movement. This mode
provides the following:
[SR04687( ALL)03/95]
q
A tight lap/shoulder belt fit on the occupant.
[SR04688( ALL)03/95]
q
Child seat or infant carrier installation
restraint.
*
[SR04689( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
Never install a rear-facing child seat or
infant carrier in the right front passenger
seat.
*
[SR04690( ALL)03/95]
This modemust be usedwhen installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat and rear
outboard seats where dual locking retractors are
provided.
*
[SR04691( ALL)04/95]
To switch the retractor from the emergency
locking mode to the automatic locking mode,
perform the following steps:
*
[SR04692( ALL)03/95]
1. Buckle the lap/shoulder combination belt.
*
[SR04693( ALL)03/95]
2. Grasp the shoulder portion of the belt and
pull downward until all of the belt is
extracted, and when allowed to retract, a
clicking sound will be heard. At this time,
the belt retractor is in the automatic locking
mode (child restraint mode).
*
[SR04694( ALL)05/95]
3. A clicking sound will contnue to be heard as
the belt is allowed to retract.
[SR04695( ALL)03/95]
NOTE: When the combination lap/shoulder
belt is unbuckled and allowed to
retract completely, the retractor will
switch back to the vehicle sensitive
(emergency) locking mode. See the
detailed instructions underSafety Seats
for Childrenin this chapter.
File:rcsrc.ex
Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:53 1995

13 [SR05330( BC )05/95]
half page art:0011373-A
Adjusting the cinch tongue rear combination lap and
shoulder belt
*
[SR05335( BC )05/95]
To fasten a cinch tongue, pull the combination
lap and shoulder belt from the retractor so that
the shoulder belt portion of the safety belt
crosses your shoulder and chest. Be sure the belt
is not twisted. If the belt is twisted remove the
twist. Insert the belt tongue into the proper
buckle for your seating position until you hear a
snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is
securely fastened to the buckle by pulling on the
tongue.
*
[SR05400( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
The lap belts should fit snugly and as low
as possible around the hips, not around
the waist.
File:rcsrc.ex
Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:53 1995

14
*
[SR05500( BCGV)03/95]
RWARNING
All front and rear seat outboard
occupants (including pregnant women)
should wear lap and shoulder belts, for
optimum protection in a collision.
*
[SR05600( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
Failure to follow these precautions could
increase the risk and/or severity of injury
in a collision. 1) Use the shoulder belt on
the outside shoulder only. Never wear the
shoulder belt under the arm. 2) Never
swing it around your neck over the inside
shoulder. 3) Never use a single belt for
more than one person.
*
[SR05630( BC )03/95]
Due to folding rear seats, sometimes the buckles
and tongues toward the center of the vehicle
may be hidden by the rear edge of the seat
cushion. Pull them out so they will be accessible.
*
[SR05635( BC )03/95]
While you are fastened in the seat belt, the
combination lap/shoulder belt with a cinch
tongue adjusts to your movement. However, if
you brake hard, turn hard, or if your vehicle
receives an impact of 5 mph (8 km/h) or more,
the safety belt will become locked and help
reduce your forward movement.
File:rcsrc.ex
Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:53 1995

17 %
*
[SR17500( ALL)05/95]
Safety Belt Extension Assembly
*
[SR17600( ALL)05/95]
For some people, the safety belt may be too
short even when it is fully extended. You can
add about eight inches (20 cm) to the belt length
with a safety belt extension assembly (part
number 611C22). Safety belt extensions are
available at no cost from your dealer.
*
[SR17700( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
Failure to follow these instructions will
affect the performance of the safety belts
and increase the risk of personal injury.
*
[SR17705( ALL)05/95]
Use only extensions manufactured by the same
supplier as the safety belt. Manufacturer
identification is located at the end of the
webbing on the label. Also, use the safety belt
extension only if the safety belt is too short for
you when fully extended. Do not use extension
to change the fit of the shoulder belt across the
torso.
[SR17710( ALL)05/95]Safety Belt Maintenance
*
[SR17720(MBCG )05/95]
Check the safety belt systems periodically to
make sure that they work properly and are not
damaged.
%*
[SR17730( ALL)05/95]
All safety belt assemblies, including retractors,
buckles, front seat belt buckle support assemblies
(slide bar) (if equipped), child safety seat tether
bracket assemblies (if equipped), and attaching
hardware, should be inspected after any
collision. Ford recommends that all safety belt
assemblies used in vehicles involved in a
collision be replaced. However, if the collision
was minor and a qualified technician 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
File:rcsrc.ex
Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:53 1995

18during a collision should also be inspected and
replaced if either damage or improper operation
is noted.
%*
[SR17740( ALL)05/95]
Cleaning the Safety Belts
*
[SR17780( ALL)05/95]
Clean the safety belts with any mild soap
solution that is recommended for cleaning
upholstery or carpets. Do not bleach or dye the
belt webbing because this may weaken it.
*
[SR17800( ALL)04/95]
Air Bag Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS)
*
[SR18200( ALL)04/95]
The driver and right front passenger air bags are
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS), provided
at these seating positions in addition to the
lap/shoulder belt, and are designed to
supplement the protection provided to properly
belted occupants in moderate to severe frontal
collisions. The supplemental air bag system does
not provide restraint to the lower body.
*
[SR18400( ALL)02/95]
The Importance of Wearing Safety Belts
*
[SR18425( ALL)11/93]
RWARNING
Safety belts must be worn by all vehicle
occupants to be properly restrained and
help reduce the risk of injury in a
collision.
*
[SR18450( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
All occupants of the vehicle, including the
driver, should always wear their safety
belts, even when an air bag Supplemental
Restraint System is provided.
File:rcsrc.ex
Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:53 1995

19
*
[SR18500( ALL)01/95]
There are four very important reasons to use
safety belts even with an air bag system. Use
your safety belts to:
*
[SR18600( ALL)01/95]
q
help keep you in the proper position (away
from the air bag) when it inflates
*
[SR18700( ALL)01/95]
q
reduce the risk of harm in rollover, side or
rear impact collisions, because an air bag is
not designed to inflate in such situations
*
[SR18800( ALL)01/95]
q
reduce the risk of harm in frontal collisions
that are not severe enough to activate the
supplemental air bag
*
[SR18900( ALL)01/95]
q
reduce the risk of being thrown from your
vehicle
%*
[SR19100( ALL)01/95]
The Importance of Being Properly Seated
*
[SR19200( ALL)05/95]
In a collision, the air bag must inflate extremely
fast to help provide additional protection for
you. In order to do this, the air bag must inflate
with considerable force. If you are not seated in
a normal riding position with your back against
the seatback, the air bag may not protect you
properly and could possibly hurt you as it
inflates.
*
[SR19230( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
If a passenger is not properly seated and
restrained, an inflating air bag could cause
serious injury.
*
[SR19235( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
Rear-facing infant seats should never be
placed in the front seat.
File:rcsrc.ex
Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:53 1995

20 [SR19240( ALL)06/09]In rear-facing infant seats, the infant's head is
closer to the air bag. The force of the rapidly
inflating air bag could push the top of the
rear-facing seat against the vehicle seatback,
center console (if so equipped), or center
armrests (if so equipped). REAR-FACING
INFANT SEATS MUST ALWAYS BE SECURED
IN THE REAR SEAT, and other child safety
seats and infant seats should be secured in the
rear seat whenever possible.
*
[SR19260( ALL)05/95]
Your vehicle is equipped with a right front
passenger air bag. Air bags deploy with great
force, faster than the blink of an eye. Front
passengers, especially children and small adults,
must never sit on the front edge of the seat,
stand near the glove compartment of the
instrument panel, or lean over near the air bag
cover when the vehicle is moving. All occupants
should sit with their backs against the seatback,
move the seat to the most rearward position if
possible and use the safety belts. Children
weighing less than 40 lbs. (18 kg) always should
use child or infant seats.
%*
[SR19300( ALL)05/95]
RWARNING
When using forward-facing child seats
move the passenger seat as far back from
the instrument panel as possible. NEVER
SECURE REAR-FACING INFANT SEATS
IN THE FRONT SEAT.
[SR19350(MBC )05/95]
THE FORCE OF THE RAPIDLY INFLATING
PASSENGER AIR BAG COULD PUSH THE TOP
OF THE REAR-FACING SEAT AGAINST THE
VEHICLE SEATBACK OR CENTER
CONSOLE/ARMRESTS. REAR-FACING
INFANT SEATS MUST ALWAYS BE PLACED
IN THE REAR SEAT.
File:rcsrc.ex
Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:53 1995