1996 Ford Windstar Owner's Manual - Page 161

Features Make certain that you close the liftgate door before driving your vehicle. Possible damage may occur to the liftgate door lift cylinders and attaching hardware if the liftgate door is not closed prior to driving. RWARNING Make sure that the liftgate door is closed to prevent exhaust fumes from being drawn into the vehicle. This will also prevent passengers and cargo from falling out. If you must drive with the liftgate door open, keep the vents open so outside air comes into the vehicle. Liftgate closing procedure 1. To make the liftgate swing downward, reach up and pull the lower edge of the liftgate (or the loop handle on the inner trim panel of vehicles with this option) and pull downward. 2. When you have pulled down the liftgate enough so that you can reach the license plate light shield, push the shield down and forward to close the latch and liftgate. At this point, the latch is not locked. 3. You can lock the liftgate latch by pushing down the night-lock button (located on the inside of the liftgate at the bottom of the window) before you pull down and close the liftgate. You can also lock the liftgate latch by inserting your vehicle's door key and turning it counterclockwise after you have closed the liftgate, or by using the power door locks on the front doors or the power lock switch in the cargo area. The liftgate area is only intended for cargo, not passengers. You can open and close the liftgate from outside the vehicle. It cannot be opened from inside the cargo area. 159