seats Mercury Mountaineer 1999 Owner's Manuals

²(Panel and floor)-Distributes outside air through the instrument
panel registers and the floor ducts. Heating and air conditioning
capabilities are provided in this mode. For added customer comfort,
when the temperature control knob is anywhere in between the full
hot and full cold positions, the air distributed through the floor ducts
will be slightly warmer than the air sent to the instrument panel
registers.
²
(Floor)-Allows for maximum heating by distributing outside air
through the floor ducts. However, the air will not be cooled below the
outside temperature because the air conditioning does not operate in
this mode.
²
(Floor and defrost)-Distributes outside air through the
windshield defroster ducts and the floor ducts. Heating and air
conditioning capabilities are provided in this mode. For added
customer comfort, when the temperature control knob is anywhere in
between the full hot and full cold positions, the air distributed through
the floor ducts will be slightly warmer than the air sent to the
instrument panel registers. For added customer comfort, when the
temperature control knob is anywhere in between the full hot and full
cold positions, the air distributed through the floor ducts will be
slightly warmer than the air sent to the windshield defroster ducts. If
the temperature is about 10ÉC (50ÉF) or higher, the air conditioner
will automatically dehumidify the air to prevent fogging.
²
-Distributes outside air through the windshield defroster ducts.
It can be used to clear ice or fog from the windshield. If the
temperature is about 10ÉC (50ÉF) or higher, the air conditioner will
automatically dehumidify the air to prevent fogging.
Operating tips
²In humid weather, selectbefore driving. This will prevent your
windshield from fogging. After a few minutes, select any desired
position.
²To prevent humidity buildup inside the vehicle, don't drive with the
climate control system in the OFF position.
²Don't put objects under the front seat that will interfere with the
airflow to the back seats.
Controls and features
23

The EATC display window will indicate REAR FAN OFF.
The rear console fan will remain off until REAR FAN OFF is pressed
again.
Operating tips
²In humid weather, select DEFbefore driving. This will prevent
your windshield from fogging. After a few minutes, select any desired
position.
²To prevent humidity buildup inside the vehicle, don't drive with the
climate control system in the OFF position.
²Don't put objects under the front seat that will interfere with the
airflow to the back seats.
²Remove any snow, ice or leaves
from the air intake area (at the
bottom of the windshield).
²If your vehicle has been parked with the windows closed during hot
weather, the air conditioner will do a much faster job of cooling if you
drive for two or three minutes with the windows open. This will force
most of the hot, stale air out of the vehicle. Then operate the air
conditioner as you would normally.
²When placing objects on top of your instrument panel, be careful to
not place them over the defroster outlets. These objects can block
airflow and reduce your ability to see through your windshield. Also,
avoid placing small objects on top of your instrument panel. These
objects can fall down into the defroster outlets and block airflow and
possibly damage your climate control system.
Controls and features
29

REAR SEATS
Folding rear seats (if equipped)
If your vehicle is equipped with a
built-in child seat, the seatback
cannot be folded down unless the
built-in child seat is fully stowed.
1. Press the lower release control
downward to unlatch the seatback.
2. Rotate the seatback downward
into the load floor position.
3. Press down on the top outboard
area of the seatback until a click is
heard. The seat is now latched in
the floor position.
PUSH
PUSH
Seating and safety restraints
118

All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when an air bag SRS is
provided.
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision, 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.
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.
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.
Seating and safety restraints
120

2. To unfasten, push the release
button and remove the tongue from
the buckle.
The front and rear outboard safety restraints in the vehicle are
combination lap and shoulder belts. The front and rear seat passenger
outboard safety belts have two types of locking modes described below:
Vehicle sensitive mode
The vehicle sensitive mode is the normal retractor mode, allowing 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 8
km/h (5 mph) or more, the combination safety belts will lock to help
reduce forward movement of the driver and passengers.
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
²When a tight lap/shoulder fit is desired.
²Anytimea child safety seat is installed in a passenger front or
outboard rear seating position (if equipped). Refer toSafety
Restraints for ChildrenorSafety Seats for Childrenlater in this
chapter.
Seating and safety restraints
121

²This seat belt system has a retractor assembly that is designed to pay
out webbing in a controlled manner. This feature is designed to help
reduce the belt force acting on the occupant's chest.
After any vehicle collision, the seat belt system at all outboard
seating positions (except driver, which has no ªautomatic locking
retractorº feature) must be checked by a qualified technician to verify
that the ªautomatic locking retractorº feature for child seats is still
functioning properly, in addition to other checks for proper seat belt
system function.
BELT AND RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MUST BE REPLACED if
the seat belt assembly ªautomatic locking retractorº feature or
any other seat belt function is not operating properly when checked
according to the procedures in Workshop Manual.
Failure to replace the Belt and Retractor assembly could
increase the risk of injury in collisions.
Front safety belt height adjustment
Your vehicle has safety belt height
adjustments for the driver and front
passenger. Adjust the height of the
shoulder belt so the belt rests
across the middle of your shoulder.
To lower the shoulder belt height,
push the button and slide the height
control down. To raise the height of
the shoulder belt, slide the height
adjuster up. Pull down on the height
adjustment assembly to make sure it
is locked in place.
Position the shoulder belt height adjuster 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 collision.
Seating and safety restraints
123

All occupants of the vehicle including the driver should always
wear their safety belts even when an air bag SRS is provided.
How does the side air bag system work?
The side air bag system consists of
the following:
²An inflatable nylon bag (air bag)
with a gas generator concealed
behind the outboard bolster of
the driver and front passenger
seatbacks.
²A special seat cover designed to
allow airbag deployment.
²The same warning light,
electronic control and diagnostic
unit as used for the front air
bags.
²Two crash sensors located under
the outboard side of the front
seats, attached to the floor.
Side air bags, in combination with
seat belts, can help reduce the risk
of severe injuries in the event of a
significant side impact collision.
The side air bags are fitted on the outboard side of the seatbacks of the
front seats. In certain lateral collisions, the air bag on the side affected
by the collision will be inflated, even if the respective seat is not
occupied. The air bag was designed to inflate between the door panel
and occupant to further enhance the protection provided occupants in
side impact collisions.
The air bag SRS is designed to activate when the vehicle sustains
sufficient lateral deceleration sufficient to cause the sensors to close an
electrical circuit that initiates air bag inflation.
The fact that the air bags did not inflate in a collision does not mean that
something is wrong with the system. Rather, it means the forces were
not of the type sufficient to cause activation. Side air bags are designed
to inflate in side-impact collisions, not roll-over, rear-impact, frontal or
Seating and safety restraints
130

SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR CHILDREN
See the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety
restraints for children. Also seeAir Bag Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS)in this chapter for special instructions about using air
bags.
Important child restraint precautions
You are required by law to use safety restraints for children in the U.S.
and Canada. If small children ride in your vehicle (generally children who
are four years old or younger and who weigh 18 kg [40 lbs] or less), you
must put them in safety seats made especially for children. Check your
local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements regarding the
safety of children in your vehicle.
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.
When possible, place children 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.
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 air bag 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.
Seating and safety restraints
132

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.
Seating and safety restraints
133

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(passenger side front and outboard rear seating
positions)(if equipped).
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
134