Occupant Restraint System

WARNING: ALL OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING RETRACTORS, BUCKLES, FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE SUPPORT ASSEMBLIES (SLIDE BAR), IF SO EQUIPPED, CHILD SAFETY SEAT TETHER ATTACHMENTS, AND ATTACHING HARDWARE SHOULD BE INSPECTED AFTER ANY COLLISION. ALL BELT ASSEMBLIES SHOULD BE REPLACED UNLESS A QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN FINDS THAT THE BELTS SHOW NO DAMAGE AND OPERATE PROPERLY. BELT ASSEMBLIES NOT IN USE DURING A COLLISION SHOULD ALSO BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED IF EITHER DAMAGE OR IMPROPER OPERATION IS NOTED.

The occupant restraint system consists of a dual locking mode retractor on the shoulder belt portion of the combination lap/shoulder safety belt for front seat passenger and rear seat outboard passengers. The safety seat belts and shoulder belts are factory-installed in their proper locations. If the safety belts or shoulder belts are removed for any reason, they should be installed according to factory design specifications.

When replacing safety belts and/or retractor assemblies, use only the replacement parts specified in the Ford Parts and Service Division Master Parts and Accessories Catalogs for the vehicle being serviced.

Continuous-Loop System

The front outboard safety belt is a continuous-loop system. The outboard combination lap and shoulder belts use a common sliding tongue. To secure the belts, the tongue is inserted into the inboard buckle.

The webbing for the lap belt is anchored inboard to the floor pan or seat frame.

The shoulder safety belt retractor is designed to let the webbing freely move in or out at all times, except during hard braking, hard cornering or impacts of approximately 8 km/h (5 mph) or more, when it is automatically locked by a mechanically actuated inertia sensor. The front outboard safety belt retractors can be made to lock by pulling or jerking on the belt.

Lap/Shoulder Belt Retractor

WARNING: DO NOT INTRODUCE SLACK INTO THE SAFETY BELT SYSTEM BECAUSE THE BELT LOCKS UPON IMPACT WHERE IT IS POSITIONED. USE THE SHOULDER SAFETY BELT ON THE OUTSIDE SHOULDER ONLY. NEVER WEAR THE SHOULDER SAFETY BELT UNDER THE ARM. NEVER SWING IT AROUND THE NECK OVER THE INSIDE SHOULDER. NEVER USE A SINGLE BELT FOR MORE THAN ONE PERSON. ENSURE THE LAP PORTION OF THE BELT IS FITTED SNUGLY AND AS LOW AS POSSIBLE AROUND THE HIPS NOT ON THE WAIST. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE PRECAUTIONS COULD INCREASE THE CHANCE AND/OR SEVERITY OF INJURY IN A COLLISION.

CAUTION: After unbuckling the safety belt, it is recommended that care be taken during retraction to prevent it from striking other passengers, or hitting trim panels or painted door surfaces.

Dual Locking Mode Seat Belt Retractor

This vehicle is equipped with a dual locking mode retractor on the shoulder belt portion of the combination lap/shoulder safety belt for the front seat passenger and all rear outboard passengers. The retractor modes function in the following ways:

Vehicle Sensitive (Emergency) Locking Mode

In this operating mode, the lap/shoulder belt retractor will allow the occupant freedom of movement, locking tight only on hard braking, hard cornering or impacts of approximately 8 km/h (5 mph) or more. The front seat retractors, can be made to lock by pulling on the belt.

Automatic Locking Mode

In this operating mode, the lap/shoulder belt retractor will remain locked and does not allow the occupant freedom of movement. This mode provides the following:
- A tight lap/shoulder belt on the hips.
- Child seat restraint installation.

This mode must be used when installing a child seat or infant carrier on the front seat passenger side and rear outboard seats where dual locking retractors are provided. To switch the retractor from the emergency locking mode to the automatic locking mode, perform the following steps:

1. Buckle the lap/shoulder belt.

2. Grasp the shoulder portion of the belt and pull downward until all of the belt is extracted. When allowed to retract, a clicking sound will be heard. At that point, the belt retractor is in the automatic locking mode (child restraint mode).

3. A clicking sound will continue to be heard as the belt is allowed to retract. This indicates that the retractor is in the "automatic locking mode" (child restraint mode).

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.