Mercury Mountaineer (2010 year). Manual — part 14

If the child is the proper height, age, and weight (as specified by your
child safety seat or booster manufacturer), fits the restraint and can be
restrained properly, then restrain the child in the child safety seat or
with the belt-positioning booster. Remember that child seats and
belt-positioning boosters vary and may be designed to fit children of
different heights, ages and weights. Children who are too large for child
safety seats or belt-positioning boosters (as specified by your child safety
seat manufacturer) should always properly wear safety belts.

SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN

Infant and/or toddler seats

Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the
child.

When installing a child safety seat:
• Review and follow the information

presented in the Airbag
supplemental restraint system
(SRS) section in 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.

Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat. NEVER place 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 vehicle seat all the
way back.

Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating
position whenever possible. If all children cannot be seated and
restrained properly in a rear seating position, properly restrain the
largest child in the front seat.

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Installing child safety seats with combination lap and shoulder
belts

If needed, when installing some high back child restraints, the head
restraints of the second row seating positions can be removed. Insert a
thin pointed object, such as a paper clip or pushpin, into the hole of
each head restraint guide and while lifting up remove the head restraint.
Store the head restraint in a secure location in the vehicle, such as on
the floor against the rear of the front seats. To re-install the head
restraint, line the posts up in the holes on the seat back with the head
restraint strap facing the outside of the vehicle and push down until the
head restraint locks into place. Lift gently to ensure it is locked into
place.

WARNING: If the head restraint has been removed from a
seating position to accommodate a high back child restraint, the

head restraint must be re-installed prior to use of the seat by any other
occupant in order to reduce the risk of personal injury in the event of
a collision.

Check to make sure the child seat is properly secured before each use.
Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating
position whenever possible. If all children cannot be seated and
restrained properly in a rear seating position, properly restrain the
largest child in the front seat.

When installing a child safety seat with combination lap/shoulder belts:
• 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.

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• 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 help prevent accidental unbuckling.

• Place vehicle seat back in upright position.
• Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer to step 5

below. This vehicle does not require the use of a locking clip.

WARNING: Depending on where you secure a child restraint,
and depending on the child restraint design, you may block

access to certain safety belt buckle assemblies and/or LATCH lower
anchors, rendering those features potentially unusable. To avoid risk of
injury, occupants should only use seating positions where they are able
to be properly restrained.

Perform the following steps when installing the child seat with
combination lap/shoulder belts:

Note: Although the child seat illustrated is a forward facing child seat,
the steps are the same for installing a rear facing child seat.

1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.

2. Pull down on the shoulder belt
and then grasp the shoulder belt
and lap belt together.

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3. While holding the shoulder and
lap belt portions together, route the
tongue through the child seat
according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. Be sure
the belt webbing is not twisted.

4. Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle (the buckle closest to
the direction the tongue is coming
from) for that seating position until
you hear a snap and feel the latch
engage. Make sure the tongue is
latched securely by pulling on it.

5. To put the retractor in the
automatic locking mode, grasp the
shoulder portion of the belt and pull
downward until all of the belt is
pulled out.

6. Allow the belt to retract to remove slack. The belt will click as it
retracts to indicate it is in the automatic locking mode.

7. 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, repeat Steps 5 and 6.

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8. Remove remaining slack from the
belt. Force the seat down with extra
weight, e.g., by pressing down or
kneeling on the child restraint while
pulling up on the shoulder belt in
order to force slack from the belt.
This is necessary to remove the
remaining slack that will exist once
the additional weight of the child is
added to the child restraint. It also
helps to achieve the proper
snugness of the child seat to the vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean
towards the buckle will additionally help to remove remaining slack from
the belt.

9. Attach the tether strap (if the child seat is equipped). Refer to
Attaching child safety seats with tether straps later in this chapter.

10. 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 and back. There should
be no more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) of
movement for proper installation.

11. Ford recommends checking with a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger
Safety Technician (CPST) to make certain the child restraint is properly
installed.

Attaching child safety seats with LATCH
(Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) attachments

The LATCH system is composed of three vehicle anchor points: two (2)
lower anchors located where the vehicle seat back and seat cushion meet
(called the “seat bight”) and one (1) top tether anchor located behind
that seating position.

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LATCH compatible child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted
attachments that connect to the two lower anchors at the LATCH
equipped seating positions in your vehicle. This type of attachment
method eliminates the need to use safety belts to attach the child seat,
however the safety belt can still be used to attach the child seat. For
forward-facing child seats, the top tether strap must also be attached to
the proper top tether anchor, if a top tether strap has been provided
with your child seat.See Attaching child safety seats with tether straps
and Recommendations for attaching safety restraints for children in
this chapter for more information.

Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for child seat installation at the
following seating positions. In addition, six passenger and seven
passenger LATCH lower anchor positions are marked with the child seat
symbol.

• Second row bench seats (applicable to five and seven-passenger

vehicles)

• Second row bucket seats (applicable to six-passenger vehicles)

WARNING: 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.

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The LATCH anchors for child seat
installation are located at the rear
section of the second row seat
between the cushion and seatback.
The LATCH anchors are below the
locator symbols on the seat back on
6 and 7 passenger vehicles. The 5
passenger vehicle does not require
the symbol, however, the anchor
itself is located in the same area.
Follow the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions to properly install a
child seat with LATCH attachments.

Follow the instructions on attaching child safety seats with tether straps.
Refer to Attaching child safety seats with tether straps later in this
chapter.

Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child seat only to the anchors
shown.

Plastic LATCH guides can be obtained from an authorized dealer. They
snap onto the LATCH lower anchors in the seat to help attach a child
seat with rigid attachments. The guides hold the seat trim away to
expose the anchor and make it easier to attach some child seats.

WARNING: Never attach two 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.

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WARNING: Depending on where you secure a child restraint,
and depending on the child restraint design, you may block

access to certain safety belt buckle assemblies and/or LATCH lower
anchors, rendering those features potentially unusable. To avoid risk of
injury, occupants should only use seating positions where they are able
to be properly restrained.

Use of inboard lower anchors from the outboard seating positions
(center seating use)

The lower anchors at the center of the second row rear seat are spaced
592 mm (23 inches) apart. The standardized spacing for LATCH lower
anchors is 280 mm (11 inches) center to center. A child seat with rigid
LATCH attachments cannot be installed at the center seating position.
LATCH compatible child seats (with attachments on belt webbing) can
only be used at this seating position provided that the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions permit use with the anchor spacing stated.
Do not attach a child seat to any lower anchor if an adjacent child seat is
attached to that anchor.

WARNING: The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors
is 280 mm (11 inches) center to center. Do not use LATCH

lower anchors for the center seating position unless the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions permit and specify using anchors spaced at
least as far apart as those in this vehicle.

If you install a child seat with rigid LATCH attachments, and have
attached the top tether strap to the proper top tether anchor, do not
tighten the tether strap enough to lift the child seat off the vehicle seat
cushion when the child is seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug
without lifting the front of the child seat. Keeping the child seat just
touching the vehicle seat gives the best protection in a severe crash.

Each time you use the safety seat, check that the seat is properly
attached to the lower anchors and tether anchor, if applicable. Tug the
child seat from side to side and forward and back where it is secured to
the vehicle. The seat should move less than one inch when you do this
for a proper installation.

If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a crash greatly increases.

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Attaching child safety seats with tether straps
Many forward-facing child safety seats include a tether strap which
extends from the back of the child safety seat and hooks to an anchoring
point called the top tether anchor. 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, or to obtain a
longer tether strap if the tether strap on your safety seat does not reach
the appropriate top tether anchor in the vehicle.
The rear seats of your vehicle are equipped with built-in tether strap
anchors located behind the seats as described below.
The tether strap anchors in your vehicle are in the following positions
(shown from top view):
• 5 passenger vehicle

For the center seat, use either of
the two tether anchors/cargo
tie-downs in the scuff plate along
the back edge of the floor.

• 6 passenger vehicle

• 7 passenger vehicle

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.
Once the child safety seat has been installed using either the safety belt
or the lower anchors of the LATCH system, you can attach the top tether
strap.

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Perform the following steps to install a child safety seat with tether
anchors:

1. Route the tether strap under the head restraint and between the head
restraint posts.

For vehicles with adjustable head restraints, route the tether strap under
the head restraint and between the head restraint posts, otherwise route
the tether strap over the top of the seatback.

2. Locate the correct anchor for the selected rear seating position.

When placing a child safety seat in the 2nd row center seating position
of the 5 passenger vehicle, the tether straps may be attached to either of
the tether anchors located at the rear of the cargo area.
• Behind 2nd row seat

• At the rear of the cargo area

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3. Clip the tether strap to the
anchor as shown.

If the tether strap is clipped
incorrectly, the child safety seat may
not be retained properly in the
event of a collision.

4. Tighten the child safety seat tether strap according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.

If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision greatly increases.

If your child restraint system is equipped with a tether strap, and the
child restraint manufacturer recommends its use, Ford also recommends
its use.

Child booster seats

The belt-positioning booster (booster seat) is used to improve the fit of
the vehicle safety belt. Children outgrow a typical child seat (e.g.,
convertible or toddler seat) when they weigh about 40 lb (18 kg) and are
around four (4) years of age. Consult your child safety seat owner guide
for the weight, height, and age limits specific to your child safety seat.
Keep your child in the child safety seat if it properly fits the child,
remains appropriate for their weight, height and age AND if properly
secured to the vehicle.

Although the lap/shoulder belt will provide some protection, children
who have outgrown a typical child seat are still too small for lap/shoulder
belts to fit properly, and wearing an improperly fitted vehicle safety belt
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.

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Booster seats position a child so that vehicle lap/shoulder safety belts fit
better. They lift the child up so that the lap belt rests low across the hips
and the knees bend comfortably at the edge of the cushion, while
minimizing slouching. Booster seats may also make the shoulder belt fit
better and more comfortably. Try to keep the belt near the middle of the
shoulder and across the center of the chest. Moving the child closer (a
few centimeters or inches) to the center of the vehicle, but remaining in
the same seating position, may help provide a good shoulder belt fit.

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 reach a
height of at least 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 meters) tall (around age eight to
age twelve and between 40 lb (18 kg) and 80 lb (36 kg) or upward to
100 lb (45 kg) if recommended by your child restraint manufacturer).
Many state and provincial laws require that children use approved
booster seats until they reach age eight, a height of 4 feet 9 inches
(1.45 meters) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg).

Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these
questions when seated without a booster seat:
• Can the child sit all the way back

against the vehicle seat back with
knees bent comfortably at the
edge of the seat cushion?

• Can the child sit 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?

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Types of booster seats

There are generally two types of belt-positioning booster seats: backless
and high back. Always use booster seats in conjunction with the vehicle
lap/shoulder belt.
• Backless booster seats

If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the
shield. If a vehicle seating position
has a low seat back or no head
restraint, a backless booster seat
may place your child’s head (as
measured at the tops of the ears)
above the top of the seat. In this
case, move the backless booster
to another seating position with a
higher seat back or head restraint and lap/shoulder belts, or consider
using a high back booster seat.

• High back booster seats

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.

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Children and booster seats vary 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. The drawings below
also show how the lap belt should be low and snug across the child’s
hips.

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. Do not introduce any item thicker than this under the booster
seat. Check with the booster seat manufacturer’s instructions.

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 generally best to use a
booster seat with lap/shoulder belts in the back seat.

Move a child to a different seating location if the shoulder belt does not
stay positioned on the shoulder during use.

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Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the booster seat.

WARNING: Never place, or allow a child to place, the shoulder
belt under a child’s arm or behind the back because it reduces

the protection for the upper part of the body and may increase the risk
of injury or death in a collision.

Child restraint and safety belt maintenance

Inspect the vehicle safety belts and child safety seat systems periodically
to make sure they work properly and are not damaged. Inspect the
vehicle and child seat safety belts to make sure there are no nicks, tears
or cuts. Replace if necessary. All vehicle safety belt assemblies, including
retractors, buckles, front safety belt buckle assemblies, buckle support
assemblies (slide bar-if equipped), shoulder belt height adjusters (if
equipped), shoulder belt guide on seatback (if equipped), child safety
seat LATCH and tether anchors, and attaching hardware, should be
inspected after a collision. Refer to the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions for additional inspection and maintenance information
specific to the child restraint. Ford Motor Company recommends that all
safety belt assemblies in use in vehicles involved in a collision be
replaced. However, if the collision was minor and an authorized dealer
finds that the belts do not show damage and continue to operate
properly, they do not need to be replaced. Safety belt assemblies not in
use during a collision should also be inspected and replaced if either
damage or improper operation is noted.

For proper care of soiled safety belts, refer to Interior in the Cleaning
chapter.

WARNING: Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the
safety belt assembly or child restraint system under the above

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

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NOTICE TO UTILITY VEHICLE AND TRUCK OWNERS

Utility vehicles and trucks handle
differently than passenger cars in
the various driving conditions that
are encountered on streets,
highways and off-road. Utility
vehicles and trucks are not designed
for cornering at speeds as high as
passenger cars any more than
low-slung sports cars are designed
to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions.

WARNING: Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover
rate than other types of vehicles. To reduce the risk of serious

injury or death from a rollover or other crash you must:
• Avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers;
• Drive at safe speeds for the conditions;
• Keep tires properly inflated;
• Never overload or improperly load your vehicle; and
• Make sure every passenger is properly restrained.

WARNING: In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt.

All occupants must wear seat belts and children/infants must use
appropriate restraints to minimize the risk of injury or ejection.

Study your owner’s guide and any supplements for specific information
about equipment features, instructions for safe driving and additional
precautions to reduce the risk of an accident or serious injury.

VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS

4WD and AWD Systems (if equipped)

A vehicle equipped with AWD or 4WD (when selected) has the ability to
use all four wheels to power itself. This increases traction which may
enable you to safely drive over terrain and road conditions that a
conventional two-wheel drive vehicle cannot.

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