seats Mercury Montego 2007 s Owner's Guide

must put them in safety seats made especially for children. Many states
require that children use approved booster seats until they are eight
years old. Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific
requirements regarding the safety of children in your vehicle. When
possible, always place children under age 12 in the rear seat of your
vehicle. Accident statistics suggest that children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating position.
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.
Always follow the instructions and warnings that come with any infant or
child restraint you might use.
Children and safety belts
If the child is the proper size, restrain the child in a safety seat. Children
who are too large for child safety seats (as specified by your child safety
seat manufacturer) should always wear safety belts.
Follow all the important safety restraint and airbag precautions that
apply to adult passengers in your vehicle.
If the shoulder belt portion of a combination lap and shoulder belt can
be positioned so it does not cross or rest in front of the child’s face or
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.
Child booster seats
Children outgrow a typical convertible or toddler seat when they weigh
40 lb. (18 kg) and are around 4 years of age. Although the lap/shoulder
belt will provide some protection, these children are still too small for
lap/shoulder belts to fit properly, which could increase the risk of serious
injury in a crash.
To improve the fit of both the lap and shoulder belt on children who
have outgrown child safety seats, Ford Motor Company recommends use
of a belt-positioning booster.
Booster seats position a child so that safety belts fit better. They lift the
child up so that the lap belt rests low across the hips and the knees
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
142

bend comfortably. Booster seats may also make the shoulder belt fit
better and more comfortably. Try to keep the belt near the middle of the
shoulder.
When children should use booster seats
Children need to use booster seats from the time they outgrow the
toddler seat until they are big enough for the vehicle seat and
lap/shoulder belt to fit properly. Generally this is when they weigh about
80 lb. (36 kg) (about 8 to 12 years old).
Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these
questions:
•Can the child sit all the way back
against the vehicle seat back with
knees bent comfortably at the
edge of the seat 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?
Types of booster seats
There are two types of belt-positioning booster seats:
•Those that are backless.
If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the
shield and use the lap/shoulder
belt. If a seating position has a
low seat back and no head
restraint, a backless booster seat
may place your child’s head (top
of ear level) above the top of the
seat. In this case, move the
backless booster to another
seating position with a higher seat back and lap/shoulder belts.
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
143

•Those with a high back.
If, 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.
Either type can be used at any seating position equipped with
lap/shoulder belts if your child is over 40 lb. (18 kg).
Children and booster seats vary widely 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 drawings
below compare the ideal fit (center) to a shoulder belt uncomfortably
close to the neck and a shoulder belt that could slip off the shoulder.
If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat, placing a rubberized mesh
sold as shelf or carpet liner under the booster seat may improve this
condition.
The importance of shoulder belts
Using a booster without a shoulder belt increases the risk of a child’s
head hitting a hard surface in a collision. For this reason, you should
never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. It is best to use a booster
seat with lap/shoulder belts in the back seat- the safest place for children
to ride.
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
144

Move a child to a different seating location if the shoulder belt
does not stay positioned on the shoulder during use.
Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the
booster seat.
Never put the shoulder belt under a child’s arm or behind the
back because it eliminates the protection for the upper part of
the body and may increase the risk of injury or death in a collision.
Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a child. They can
slide around and increase the likelihood of injury or death in a
collision.
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.
When installing a child safety seat:
•Review and follow the information
presented in theAirbag
Supplemental Restraint System
section in this chapter.
•Use the correct safety belt buckle
for that seating position.
•Insert 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.
•Keep 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.
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
145

•Place seat back in upright position.
•Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer toAutomatic
locking mode.
•LATCH lower anchors are recommended for use by children up to 48
lb (22 kg) in a child restraint. Top tether anchors can be used for
children up to 60 lb (27 kg) in a child restraint, and to provide upper
torso restraint for children up to 80 lb (36 kg) using an upper torso
harness and a belt-positioning booster.
Ford Motor Company recommends the use of a child safety seat having a
top tether strap. Install the child safety seat in a seating position with
LATCH and tether anchors. For more information on top tether straps
and anchors, refer toAttaching safety seats with tether strapsin this
chapter. For more information of LATCH anchors refer toAttaching
safety seats with LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children)
attachmentsin this chapter.
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.
Rear-facing child seats or infant carriers should never be placed
in front of an active passenger airbag.
Installing child safety seats with combination lap and shoulder
belts
Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.NEVERplace 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 all the way
back.
Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in the rear
seat whenever possible.
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
146

8. Allow the safety belt to retract to
remove any slack in the belt.
9. Before placing the child in the
seat, forcibly move the seat forward
and back to make sure the seat is
securely held in place. To check
this, grab the seat at the belt path
and attempt to move it side to side
and forward. There should be no
more than one inch of movement for
proper installation.
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 2
through 9.
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 located under a cover marked
with the tether anchor symbol (shown with title).
The tether strap anchors in your
vehicle are in the following positions
(shown from top view):
Attach the tether strap only to the appropriate tether anchor as
shown. The tether strap may not work properly if attached
somewhere other than the correct tether anchor.
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
149

Attaching safety seats with LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children) attachments for child seat anchors
Some child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted attachments
that connect to two anchors at certain seating positions in your vehicle.
This type of child seat eliminates the need to use safety belts to attach
the child seat. For forward-facing child seats, the tether strap must also
be attached to the proper tether anchor. SeeAttaching safety seats with
tether strapsin this chapter.
Your vehicle has LATCH anchors for child seat installation at the seating
positions marked with the child seat symbol.
All the LATCH lower anchors are
equally spaced, so that a single
LATCH child seat can be installed at
any rear seating position.If two
child safety seats are installed
using the LATCH lower anchors,
they must be placed in the
outboard seating positions only.
If three child safety seats are installed, use the LATCH lower
anchors for the center child safety seat; however, you must use
child safety seats with lap/shoulder belts and tether anchors for
the outboard child seats.
Never attach two LATCH child safety seats to the same anchor.
In a crash, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two
child safety seat attachments and may break, causing serious injury or
death.
The lower anchors for child seat
installation are located at the rear
section of the rear seat between the
cushion and seat back. The LATCH
anchors are below the locator
symbols on the seat back.
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
151

•Be certain to wash or wipe your hands clean if you have been in
contact with certain products such as insect repellent and suntan
lotion in order to avoid possible damage to the interior painted
surfaces.
INTERIOR TRIM
•Clean the interior trim areas with a damp cloth, then with a clean, dry
cloth; you may also use Motorcraft Dash & Vinyl Cleaner (ZC-38-A).
•Do not use household or glass cleaners as these may damage the
finish.
INTERIOR
For fabric, carpets, cloth seats, safety belts and seats equipped with side
airbags:
•Remove dust and loose dirt with a vacuum cleaner.
•Remove light stains and soil with Motorcraft Professional Strength
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner (ZC-54).
•If grease or tar is present on the material, spot-clean the area first
with Motorcraft Spot and Stain Remover (ZC-14).
•If a ring forms on the fabric after spot cleaning, clean the entire area
immediately (but do not oversaturate) or the ring will set.
•Do not use household cleaning products or glass cleaners, which can
stain and discolor the fabric and affect the flame retardant abilities of
the seat materials.
Do not use cleaning solvents, bleach or dye on the vehicle’s
safety belts, as these actions may weaken the belt webbing.
Do not use chemical solvents or strong detergents when cleaning
the seat-mounted side airbag (if equipped). Such products could
contaminate the side airbag system and affect performance of the side
airbag in a collision.
LEATHER SEATS (IF EQUIPPED)
Your leather seating surfaces have a clear, protective coating over the
leather.
•To clean, use a soft cloth with Motorcraft Deluxe Leather and Vinyl
Cleaner (ZC-11–A). Dry the area with a soft cloth.
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Cleaning
232

A
Accessory delay ..........................67
Air cleaner filter .......................265
Air conditioning ....................46, 48
Airbag supplemental restraint
system ........................127, 136, 138
and child safety seats ............129
description ..............127, 136, 138
disposal ....................................141
driver airbag ............129, 137, 139
indicator light .................135, 141
operation .................129, 137, 139
passenger airbag .....129, 137, 139
side airbag ...............................136
All Wheel Drive (AWD),
driving off road .........................190
Antifreeze
(see Engine coolant) ................245
Anti-lock brake system
(see Brakes) ......................180–181
Anti-theft system ..............100, 104
arming the system ..................104
disarming a triggered
system .....................................105
triggering .................................105
Audio system
(see Radio) ............................16, 21
Automatic transaxle
fluid, adding ....................262–263
fluid, checking ................262–263
fluid, refill capacities ..............266
fluid, specification ..................266
Automatic transmission
driving an automatic
overdrive .........................185, 187
B
Battery .......................................243acid, treating emergencies .....243
jumping a disabled battery ....213
maintenance-free ....................243
replacement, specifications ...265
servicing ..................................243
BeltMinder
...............................123
Brakes ........................................180
anti-lock ...........................180–181
anti-lock brake system (ABS)
warning light ...........................181
fluid, checking and adding ....262
fluid, refill capacities ..............266
fluid, specifications .................266
lubricant specifications ..........266
parking ....................................181
shift interlock ..........................184
Bulbs ............................................56
C
Capacities for refilling fluids ....266
Cargo net .....................................87
Cassette tape player ...................16
Cell phone use ..............................7
Changing a tire .........................206
Child safety restraints ..............142
child safety belts ....................142
Child safety seats ......................145
attaching with tether straps ..149
in front seat ............................146
in rear seat ..............................146
Cleaning your vehicle
engine compartment ..............229
instrument panel ....................231
interior .....................................232
interior trim ............................232
plastic parts ............................230
washing ....................................228
waxing .....................................228
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
273

Foglamps .....................................53
Four-Wheel Drive vehicles
driving off road .......................190
Fuel ............................................251
calculating fuel
economy ............................79, 256
cap ...........................................253
capacity ...................................266
choosing the right fuel ...........254
comparisons with EPA fuel
economy estimates .................259
detergent in fuel .....................255
filling your vehicle with
fuel ...........................251, 253, 256
filter, specifications ........251, 265
fuel pump shut-off switch .....199
improving fuel economy ........256
octane rating ...................254, 268
quality ......................................255
running out of fuel .................255
safety information relating to
automotive fuels .....................251
Fuel pump shut-off switch .......199
Fuses ..........................................200
G
Gas cap (see Fuel cap) ............253
Gas mileage
(see Fuel economy) .................256
Gauges .........................................14
H
Hazard flashers .........................199
Head restraints .........106, 111–112
Headlamps ...................................52
aiming ........................................54
autolamp system .......................52
bulb specifications ....................57daytime running lights .............54
flash to pass ..............................53
high beam .................................53
replacing bulbs .........................57
turning on and off ....................52
Heating
heating and air conditioning
system .................................46, 48
Homelink wireless control
system ..........................................74
Hood ..........................................236
I
Ignition ...............................177, 268
Illuminated visor mirror .............62
Infant seats
(see Safety seats) .....................145
Inspection/maintenance (I/M)
testing ........................................261
Instrument panel ........................63
cleaning ...................................231
cluster ........................................10
lighting up panel and
interior .......................................54
J
Jack ............................................206
positioning ...............................206
storage .....................................206
Jump-starting your vehicle ......213
K
Keyless entry system .................99
autolock .....................................88
keypad .......................................99
locking and unlocking doors ..100
programming entry code .........99
2007 Montego(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
275