1998 Ford Crown Victoria Owners Manual

Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.

To adjust the front seatback using the manual recliner: • Lift and hold the handle located • Lean against the seatback to

on the side of the seat.

adjust it to your desired position. You can recline the seat back or bring it forward.

• Release the handle when the desired position has been reached. Adjusting the power front seats – door mounted controls The controls for the power seats are located on the inside of each front door.

Never adjust the driver’s seat or seatback when the vehicle is moving.

59

Seating and safety restraints

Do not pile cargo higher than the seatbacks to avoid injuring people in a collision or sudden stop.

Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.

Press the control to recline the seatback forward or backward (if equipped).

Press to move the seat forward or backward.

Press to move the front portion of the seat cushion up or down.

60

Seating and safety restraints

Press to move the rear portion of the seat cushion up or down.

Adjustingthepowerseats–seatmountedcontrols

Never adjust the driver’s seat or seatback when the vehicle is moving.

The power seat controls are located on the side of the driver’s seat. Press to raise or lower the seat, or to move the seat forward or backward.

Using the power lumbar support The power lumbar control is located on the outboard side of the seat. Press one side of the control to adjust firmness. Press the other side of the control to adjust softness.

SAFETY RESTRAINTS

Safety restraints precautions

Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.

61

Seating and safety restraints

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 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.

62

Seating and safety restraints

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. Whentousetheautomaticlockingmode • 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.

63

Seating and safety restraints

Howtousetheautomaticlockingmode • Buckle the combination lap and

shoulder belt.

• 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.

Howtodisengagetheautomaticlockingmode 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.

64

Seating and safety restraints

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.

Lap belts Adjustingthelapbelt 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.

65

Seating and safety restraints

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 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.

66

Seating and safety restraints

Conditions of operation

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

The driver’s safety belt is buckled while the indicator light is illuminated and the warning chime is sounding... The driver’s safety belt is buckled before the ignition switch is turned to the ON position...

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

The safety belt warning light and indicator chime remain off.

Safety belt maintenance Inspect the safety belt systems periodically to make sure they work properly and are not damaged. Inspect the safety belts to make sure there are no nicks, wears or cuts, replacing if necessary. 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. 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 inspect and if necessary replace the safety belt asembly 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.

67

Seating and safety restraints

AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)

OD OFF

60 70

100

120

50

80

80

140

90

100

160

180

110
120

200

MPH km/h P R N D 2 1

AIR SUSP

40

60

40

20

30
20
10

CHECK ENGINE

VOLTS

FUEL

< FUEL FILL DOOR

PANEL

DIM

AUTO LAMP

0FF

PUSH INTERIOR

R.DEF.

HI LO

OFF

ON

OFF

BRAKE

TEMP

OIL

RSM

SET ACC

COAST

BASS

TREB

FM1

10:35

ST

BAL

FADE

CLK

TAPE AMS

VOL - PUSH ON

AM FM

CD

SEEK

TUNE

SCAN

EJ

w DOLBY B NR

REW SIDE

FF 1-2

H M

OUTSIDE TEMP

AUTO

OFF

AUTOMATIC

MAX A/C

NORM A/C

VENT

FLOOR

FLR • DEF

DEF

HI

LO

Important supplemental restraint system (SRS) precautions The supplemental restraint system is designed to work with the safety belt to help protect the driver and right front passenger from certain upper body injuries. Air bags DO NOT inflate slowly or gently and the risk of injury from a deploying air bag is greatest close to the trim covering the air bag module.

All occupants of the vehicle including the driver should always properly wear their safety belts even when air bag SRS is

provided.

Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back seat and always use appropriate child restraints.

NHTSA recommends a minimum distance of at least 25.4 cm (ten [10] inches) between an occupant’s chest and the air bag

module.

68

Seating and safety restraints

pedals comfortably.

Steps you can take to properly position yourself away from the airbag: • Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the • Recline the seat one or two notches from the upright position. The right front passenger air bag is not designed to restrain occupants in the center front seating position.

Do not put anything on or over the air bag module. Placing objects on or over the air bag inflation area may cause those

objects to be propelled by the air bag into your face and torso causing serious injury.

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 must always be properly restrained. Accident statistics suggest that children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating position. Failure to follow these instructions may increase the risk of injury in a collision.

Air bags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.

NEVER place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active air bag. If you must use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the seat all the way back.

69

Seating and safety restraints

How does the air bag supplemental restraint system work? The air bag SRS is designed to activate when the vehicle sustains sufficient longitudinal 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. Air bags are designed to inflate in frontal and near-frontal collisions, not rollover, side-impact, or rear-impacts. 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. While the system is designed to help reduce serious injuries, it may also cause minor burns, abrasions, swelling or temporary hearing loss. Because air bags must inflate rapidly and with considerable force, there is the risk of death or serious injuries such as fractures, facial and eye injuries or internal injuries, particularly to occupants who are not properly restrained or are otherwise out of position at the time of air bag deployment. Thus, it is extremely important that occupants be properly restrained as far away from the air bag module as possible while maintaining vehicle control.

70

Seating and safety restraints

Several air bag system components get hot after inflation. Do not touch them after inflation.

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.

air bags),

The SRS consists of: • driver and passenger air bag modules (which include the inflators and • 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. A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following: • The readiness light will either • The readiness light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is turned on.

AIR BAG

• A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat

flash or stay lit.

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.

71

Seating and safety restraints

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 See the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety restraints for children. Also see Air 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.

72