Once the child safety seat has been installed, using either the safety belt,
the lower anchors of the LATCH system, or both, you can attach the top
tether strap.
If you install a child seat with rigid LATCH attachments, 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.
Perform the following steps to attach a child safety seat to the tether
anchor:
1. Route the tether strap:
•
Second row outboard seat positions:
route the child safety seat
tether strap over the seatback, under the head restraint and between
the head restraint posts. If needed the head restraint can be removed
to improve the fit of the child safety seat or tether strap.
•
Second row center seat positions:
lift the head restraint to the full
up position. Route the child safety seat tether strap over the seatback,
under the head restraint and between the head restraint posts. If
needed the head restraint can be removed to improve the fit of the
child safety seat or tether strap. See
Rear seats
in this chapter for
head restraint information.
•
Third row seat position:
route the child safety seat tether strap
over the seatback, under the head restraint and between the head
restraint posts. If needed, the head restraint may be folded down to
improve the fit of the child safety seat or tether strap. See
Rear seats
in this chapter for head restraint information.
Seating and Safety Restraints
223
2011 Explorer
(exp)
Owners Guide, 4th Printing
USA
(fus)