seats Mercury Sable 1998 Owner's Manuals

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.
²Remove any snow,
ice or leaves from
the air intake area
(at the bottom of
the windshield under
the hood).
²If the air conditioner works well in MAX A/C, but
not in A/C, this may indicate that the cabin air
filter (if equipped) needs to be replaced.
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 your 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
20

²F- DEF-Distributes outside air through the
windshield defroster ducts. It can be used to clear
ice or fog from the windshield. If the outside air
temperature is about 10ÉC (50ÉF) or higher, the
air conditioner will automatically dehumidify the
air to prevent fogging.
²OFF-Outside air is shut out and the fan will not
operate. For short periods of time only, use this
mode to prevent undesirable odors from entering
the vehicle.
Displaying outside temperature
Press OUTSIDE TEMP
to display the outside
air temperature. It will
be displayed until
OUTSIDE TEMP is
pressed again or until
any other control is
pressed. When the
EATC system is off and OUTSIDE TEMP is pressed,
the outside temperature will only be displayed for
four seconds.
The outside temperature reading is most accurate
when the vehicle is moving. Higher readings may be
obtained when the vehicle is not moving. The
readings that you get may not agree with
temperatures given on the radio due to differences
in vehicle and station locations.
Operating tips
²In humid weather, select F-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.
OFFAUTO
TEMPOUT
SIDE
A/C MAX
VENT
Controls and features
26

ILLUMINATED VISOR MIRROR (IF EQUIPPED)
To turn on the visor
mirror lamps, lift the
mirror cover. Adjust
the amount of light by
sliding the control.
MOON ROOF (IF EQUIPPED)
Press SLIDE to open
and close the moon
roof. Press AUTO and
release to open
completely with one
touch.
Press UP or DN on the
TILT control to tilt the
moon roof when closed.
Dome lamps and map lamps
The front dome lamp is located overhead between
the driver and passenger seats. If the vehicle is
equipped with a moon roof, the dome lamp is
located behind the moon roof.
The dome lamp will
stay on if the control is
moved to the ON
position. When the
control is in the DOOR
position, the lamp will
only come on when a
door is opened. If the
control is moved to the
OFF position, the lamp will not come on at all.
The dome lamp will illuminate whenever a front
door is opened. If either front door has been opened
from the outside, the lamp will remain on for 25
seconds after the door is shut. If any other door has
been opened from the inside, the lamp will shut off
immediately after the door is closed.
TILT
UP
LIGHTLIGHT
AUTO
DNSLIDE
OFF DOOR ON
Controls and features
34

Pull lever up to adjust
seatback.
Adjusting the power seats (if equipped)
Never adjust the driver's seat or seatback
when the vehicle is moving.
Press to move front or
rear of seat up and
down.
Press to raise or lower
the seat, or to move
the seat forward or
backward.
Using the power lumbar support (if equipped)
The power lumbar
control is located on
the outboard side of
the seat.
Press one side of the
control to adjust
firmness.
Seating and safety restraints
55

Press the other side of the control to adjust
softness.
REAR SEATS
2nd seat/Split-folding rear seat (if equipped)
One or both rear seatbacks can be folded down to
provide additional cargo space.
To lower the
seatback(s) from inside
the vehicle, pull tab to
release seat back and
then fold seatback
down.
When raising the seatback(s), make sure you hear
the seat latch into place.
3rd seat (wagon only)
The third seat faces the rear of the vehicle. For
height and weight limits, see the label on the seat
cushion. When the seat is down, the back of your
wagon has a flat surface for carrying cargo.
To open up the seat:
1. Unlock the floor
panel with the key,
then use the handle to
fold the floor panel
toward the front of the
car.
2. Remove the cargo
cover. The cargo cover
must be removed or
the seatback will not
latch in the upright
position.
Seating and safety restraints
56

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 it 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 until you hear a
snap and feel it latch.
Make sure the tongue
is securely fastened in
the buckle.
Seating and safety restraints
58

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 the
vehicle. Refer toSafety Restraints for Children
orSafety Seats for Childrenlater in this chapter.
Seating and safety restraints
59

Lap belts
Adjusting the lap belt
The lap belt does not adjust automatically.
The lap belts should fit snugly and as low as
possible around the hips, not around the
waist.
Insert the tongue into
the correct buckle. To
lengthen the belt, turn
the tongue at a right
angle to the belt and
pull across your lap
until it reaches the
buckle. To tighten the
belt, pull the loose end
of the belt through the
tongue until it fits
snugly across the hips.
Shorten and fasten the
belt when not in use.
Safety belts for rear-facing occupants (wagon
only)
Never use child safety seats in the third seat
of a wagon.
Your vehicle is equipped with safety belts containing
an adjust tongue at the rear-facing seating positions.
Seating and safety restraints
62

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 it around your
neck over the inside shoulder. 3) Never use a
single belt for more than one person.
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.
While you are fastened in the seat belt, the shoulder
belt adjusts to your movement. However, if you
brake hard, turn hard or your vehicle receives an
impact of 8 km/h (5 mph) or more, the safety belt
will become locked and help reduce your forward
movement.
To unfasten the belt, push the red release button on
the end of the buckle. This allows the tongue to
unlatch from the buckle. While the belt retracts,
guide the tongue to its original position to prevent it
from striking you or the vehicle.
Safety belt extension assembly
If the safety belt assembly is too short, even when
fully extended, 20 cm (8 inches) can be added to
the safety belt assembly by adding a safety belt
extension assembly (part number 611C22). Safety
belt extension assemblies can be obtained from your
dealer at no cost.
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 extensions to change the fit of
the shoulder belt across the torso.
Seating and safety restraints
64

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
73