Mercury Tracer (1998 year). Instruction — part 4

SAFETY RESTRAINTS

Safety restraints precautions

Always drive and ride with
your seatback upright and

the lap belt snug and low across
the hips.

To prevent the risk of
injury, make sure children

sit where they can be properly
restrained.

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.

All occupants of the
vehicle, including the

driver, should always wear their
safety belts.

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.

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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. To fasten, insert the tongue into
the slot in the buckle.

2. To unfasten, push the red
release button and remove the
tongue from the buckle.

The front and rear outboard safety
restraints in the vehicle are

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50

combination lap and shoulder
belts. The front and rear seat
passenger outboard safety belts
have two types of locking modes
described below:

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

• When a tight lap/shoulder fit is

desired.

• Anytime a child safety seat is

installed in the vehicle. Refer to
Safety Restraints for Children
or Safety Seats for Children
later in this chapter.

How to use the automatic
locking mode

• Buckle the combination lap and

shoulder belt.

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51

• Grasp the shoulder portion and

pull downward until the entire
belt is extracted.

• Allow the belt to retract. As the

belt retracts, you will hear a
clicking sound. This indicates
the safety belt is now in the
automatic locking mode.

How to disengage the automatic
locking mode

Disconnect the combination
lap/shoulder belt and allow it to
retract completely to disengage the
automatic locking mode and
activate the vehicle sensitive
(emergency) locking mode.

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.

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52

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.

Lap belts

Adjusting the lap belt

The lap belt does not adjust
automatically. Adjust to fit snugly
and as low as possible around your
hips. Do not wear the lap belt
around your 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.

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Shorten and fasten the belt when
not in use.

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.

Safety belt warning light and
indicator chime

The seat belt warning light
illuminates in the instrument
cluster and a chime sounds to
remind the occupants to fasten
their safety belts.

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Conditions of operation

If...

Then...

The driver’s safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition key
is turned to ON...

The safety belt warning light
illuminates for one to two minutes and
the warning chime sounds for four to
eight seconds.

The driver’s safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding...

The safety belt warning light turns off.

The driver’s safety belt is
buckled before the ignition key
is turned to ON...

The safety belt warning light remains
off.

Safety belt maintenance

Check the safety belt systems
periodically to make sure they
work properly and are not
damaged. Check the safety belts to
make sure there are no nicks,
wears or cuts. All safety belt
assemblies, including retractors,
buckles, front seat belt buckle
assemblies (slide bar)(if
equipped), shoulder belt height
adjusters (if equipped), child
safety seat tether bracket
assemblies (if equipped), and
attaching hardware, should be
inspected after a 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.

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55

Safety belt assemblies not in use
during a collision should also be
inspected and replaced if either
damage or improper operation is
noted.

Failure to replace the
safety belt assembly under

the above conditions could result
in severe personal injuries in the
event of a collision.

Refer to Cleaning and
maintaining the safety belts in
the Maintenance and care
section.

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56

AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)

Important supplemental
restraint system (SRS)
precautions

The supplemental restraint system
is designed to:
• work with the safety belt to

protect the driver and right
front passenger

• reduce certain upper body

injuries

Failure to follow these
instructions will affect the

performance of the safety belts
and increase the risk of personal
injury.

The right front passenger
air bag is not designed to

restrain occupants in the center
front seating position.

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57

All occupants of the
vehicle including the driver

should always wear their safety
belts even when air bag SRS is
provided.

Do not place objects or
mount equipment on or

near the air bag cover on the
steering wheel or in front seat
areas that may come into contact
with a deploying air bag. Failure
to follow this instruction may
increase the risk of personal
injury in the event of a collision.

Do not attempt to service,
repair, or modify the Air

Bag Supplemental Restraint
System or its fuses. See your
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.

Children and air bags

For additional important safety
information, read all information
on safety restraints in this guide.

Children should always wear their
safety belts. Failure to follow these
instructions may increase the risk
of injury in a collision.

Air bag can kill or injure a
child in a child seat. If you

must use a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat, move seat
all the way back.

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How does the air bag
supplemental restraint system
work?

The SRS is designed to activate
when the vehicle sustains
sufficient longitudinal deceleration.

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.

The air bags inflate and deflate
rapidly upon activation.

After air bag deployment, it is
normal to notice a smoke-like,
powdery residue or smell the burnt
propellant. This may consist of
cornstarch, talcum powder (to
lubricate the bag) or sodium
compounds (e.g., baking soda) that
result from the combustion process
that inflates the air bag. Small
amounts of sodium hydroxide may
be present which may irritate the
skin and eyes, but none of the
residue is toxic.

Several air bag system
components get hot after

inflation. Do not touch them
after inflation.

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If the air bag is inflated,
the air bag will not

function again and must be
replaced immediately. If the
air bag is not replaced, the
unrepaired area will increase the
risk of injury in a collision.

The SRS consists of:
• driver and passenger air bag

modules (which include the
inflators and air bags),

• one or more impact and safing

sensors,

• a readiness light and tone
• and the electrical wiring which

connects the components.

The diagnostic module monitors its
own internal circuits and the
supplemental air bag electrical
system warning (including the
impact sensors), the system wiring,
the air bag system readiness light,
the air bag back up power and the
air bag ignitors.

Determining if the system is
operational

The SRS uses a readiness light in
the instrument cluster or a tone to
indicate the condition of the
system. Refer to the Air bag
readiness section in the
Instrumentation chapter. Routine
maintenance of the air bag is not
required.

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60

A difficulty with the system is
indicated by one or more of the
following:
• The readiness light will either

flash or stay lit.

• The readiness light will not

illuminate immediately after
ignition is turned on.

• A series of five beeps will be

heard. The tone pattern will
repeat periodically until the
problem and light are repaired.

If any of these things happen, even
intermittently, have the SRS
serviced at your dealership or by a
qualified technician immediately.
Unless serviced, the system may
not function properly in the event
of a collision.

Disposal of air bags and air bag
equipped vehicles

For disposal of air bags or air bag
equipped vehicles, see your local
dealership or qualified technician.
Air bags MUST BE disposed of by
qualified personnel.

SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR
CHILDREN

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

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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

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

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62

the vehicle may help provide a
good shoulder belt fit.

If the shoulder belt cannot be
properly positioned:
• move the child to one of the

seats with a lap belt only (if
equipped)

OR
• if the child is the proper size,

restrain the child in a safety
seat.

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

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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.

When installing a child safety seat:
• Use the correct safety belt

buckle for that seating position.

• 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.

• Place seat back in upright

position.

• Put the safety belt in the

automatic locking mode. Refer
to Automatic locking mode.

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 to

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