2002 Lincoln LS Owner Guide 2nd Printing - Page 125

Seating and Safety Restraints • 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. 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 • Any time a child safety seat is installed in the vehicle. Children 12 years old and under should be properly restrained in the rear seat whenever possible. Refer to Safety restraints for children or Safety seats for children later in this chapter. How to disengage the automatic locking mode Unbuckle the combination lap and shoulder belt and allow it to retract completely to disengage the automatic locking mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode. After any vehicle collision, the combination lap and shoulder belt system at all passenger seating positions must be checked by a qualified technician to verify that the "automatic locking retractor" feature for child seats is still functioning properly, in addition to other checks for proper seat belt system function. BELT AND RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MUST BE REPLACED if the seat belt assembly "automatic locking retractor" feature or any other seat belt function is not operating properly. In addition, all seat belts should be checked for proper function. Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly could increase the risk of injury in collisions. 125