1997 Ford Contour Owner's Manual - Page 92

6 Seating and Safety Restraints Dual Locking Mode Lap/Shoulder Belt Retractor The front passenger seat and the rear outer seat combination lap and shoulder belts are equipped with a dual locking mode retractor on the shoulder belt portion of the lap/shoulder belt. This retractor can be switched from vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode to automatic locking mode by pulling the belt webbing all of the way out of the retractor. The retractor modes function as follows. 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 5 mph (8 km/h) or more. Automatic locking mode This mode must be used when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat and rear 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: RWARNING Rear-facing child seats or infant carriers should never be placed in the front seats. 1. Buckle the lap/shoulder combination belt. 2. Grasp the shoulder portion of the belt and pull downward until all of the belt is extracted and a click is heard. At this time, the retractor is in the automatic locking mode (child restraint mode). 3. Allow the belt to retract. A clicking sound will be heard as the belt retracts. This indicates that the retractor is in the automatic locking mode. 91