airbag FORD FUSION (AMERICAS) 2006 1.G User Guide

Reasons given... Consider...
“Belts are uncomfortable” We design our safety belts to enhance
comfort. If you are uncomfortable -
try different positions for the safety
belt upper anchorage and seatback
which should be as upright as
possible; this can improve comfort.
“I was in a hurry”Prime time for an accident.
BeltMinderreminds us to take a few
seconds to buckle up.
“Safety belts don’t work”Safety belts,when used properly,
reduce risk of deathto front seat
occupants by45% in cars,and by
60% in light trucks.
“Traffic is light”Nearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in
single-vehicle crashes,many when
no other vehicles are around.
“Belts wrinkle my clothes” Possibly, but a serious crash can do
much more than wrinkle your clothes,
particularly if you are unbelted.
“The people I’m with don’t
wear belts”Set the example, teen deaths occur
4 times more often in vehicles with
TWO or MORE people. Children and
younger brothers/sisters imitate
behavior they see.
“I have an airbag” Airbags offer greater protection when
used with safety belts. Frontal airbags
are not designed to inflate in rear and
side crashes or rollovers.
“I’d rather be thrown clear” Not a good idea.Peoplewho are
ejected are 40 times more likely
to DIE.Safety belts help prevent
ejection, WE CAN’T “PICK OUR
CRASH”.
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hardware, should be inspected after a collision. Ford Motor Company
recommends that all safety belt assemblies in use in vehicles involved in
a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was minor and an
authorized dealer 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
assembly under the above conditions could result in severe
personal injuries in the event of a collision.
For proper care of soiled safety belts, refer toInteriorin theCleaning
chapter.
AIRBAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
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Important supplemental restraint system precautions
Airbags DO NOT inflate slowly or
gently and the risk of injury from a
deploying airbag is greatest close to
the trim covering the airbag module.
All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when an air bag
supplemental restraint system (SRS) is provided.
Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back
seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
recommends a minimum distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between an occupant’s chest and the driver airbag module.
Never place your arm over the airbag module as a deploying
airbag can result in serious arm fractures or other injuries.
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
pedals comfortably.
•Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees) from the upright
position.
Do not put anything on or over the airbag module. Placing
objects on or over the airbag inflation area may cause those
objects to be propelled by the airbag into your face and torso causing
serious injury.
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Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the airbag
supplemental restraint system (SRS) or its fuses. See your
authorized dealer.
Modifying or adding equipment to the front end of the vehicle
(including frame, bumper, front end body structure and tow
hooks) may affect the performance of the airbag system, increasing the
risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the vehicle.
Children and airbags
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.
Airbags can kill or injure a
child in a child seat.
NEVERplace a rear-facing child
seat in front of an active airbag. If
you must use a forward-facing
child seat in the front seat, move
the seat all the way back.
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How does the safety belt pretensioner and airbag supplemental
restraint system work?
The safety belt pretensioner and
airbag SRS are designed to activate
when the vehicle sustains
longitudinal deceleration sufficient
to cause the sensors to close an
electrical circuit that initiates
pretensioner activation and airbag
inflation.
The fact that the pretensioners and
airbags did not activate 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. Front airbags are designed to activate in
frontal and near-frontal collisions, not rollover, side-impact, or
rear-impacts unless the collision causes sufficient longitudinal
deceleration.
The airbags inflate and deflate
rapidly upon activation. After airbag
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
airbag. 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, contact with
a deploying airbag may also cause abrasions, swelling or temporary
hearing loss. Because airbags 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
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are not properly restrained or are otherwise out of position at the time
of airbag deployment. Thus, it is extremely important that occupants be
properly restrained as far away from the airbag module as possible while
maintaining vehicle control.
Several air bag system components get hot after inflation. Do not
touch them after inflation.
If the air bag has deployed,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.
The SRS consists of:
•driver and passenger airbag modules (which include the inflators and
airbags)
•seat-mounted side airbags (if equipped). Refer toSeat-mounted side
airbag systemlater in this chapter
•safety belt pretensioners
•one or more impact and safing sensors
•a readiness light and tone
•and the electrical wiring which connects the components
•Side curtain airbag system. Refer toSide curtain airbag systemlater
in this chapter.
•Front passenger sensing system. Refer toFront passenger sensing
system.later in this chapter.
•“Passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp. Refer to
Front passenger sensing system.later in this chapter.
The diagnostic module monitors its own internal circuits and the
supplemental airbag electrical system wiring (including the impact
sensors), the system wiring, the airbag system readiness light, the airbag
back up power, the airbag ignitors and safety belt pretensioners.
Front passenger sensing system
The front passenger sensing system is designed to meet the regulatory
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208
and is designed to disable (will not inflate) the front passenger’s frontal
airbag under certain conditions.
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The front passenger sensing system works with sensors that are part of
the front passenger’s seat and safety belt. The sensors are designed to
detect the presence of a properly seated occupant and determine if the
front passenger’s frontal airbag should be enabled (may inflate) or
disabled (will not inflate).
The front passenger sensing system will disable (will not inflate) the
front passenger’s frontal airbag if:
•the front passenger seat is unoccupied, or has small/medium objects in
the front seat,
•the system determines that an infant is present in a rear-facing infant
seat that is installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions,
•the system determines that a small child is present in a forward-facing
child restraint that is installed according to the manufacturer’s
instructions,
•the system determines that a small child is present in a booster seat,
•a front passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of
time,
For side airbag equipped vehicles, the front passenger sensing system
will turn off the passenger seat side airbag if:
•the seat is empty and safety belt is unbuckled.
•a child or a small person occupies the front passenger seat and the
child or small person is unbuckled.
The front passenger sensing system
uses apassenger airbag offor
pass airbag offindicator which will
illuminate and stay lit to remind you
that the front passenger frontal
airbag is disabled. The indicator
lamp is located in the center stack of the instrument panel above the
radio.
Note: The indicator lamp will illuminate for a short period of time when
the ignition is turned to the ON position to confirm it is functional.
When the front passenger seat is not occupied (empty seat) or in the
event that the front passenger frontal airbag is enabled (may inflate), the
indicator lamp will be unlit.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to disable (will not
inflate) the front passenger’s frontal airbag when a rear facing infant
seat, a forward-facing child restraint, or a booster seat is detected.
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•When the front passenger sensing system disables (will not inflate)
the front passenger frontal airbag, the indicator lamp will illuminate
and stay lit to remind you that the front passenger frontal airbag is
disabled.
•If the child restraint has been installed and the indicator lamp is not
lit, then turn the vehicle off, remove the child restraint from the
vehicle and reinstall the restraint following the child restraint
manufacturer’s instructions.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to enable (may inflate)
the front passenger’s frontal airbag anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting properly in the front passenger seat.
•When the front passenger sensing system enables the front passenger
frontal airbag (may inflate), the indicator lamp will be unlit and stay
unlit.
If a person of adult size is sitting in the front passenger’s seat, but the
passenger airbag offorpass airbag offindicator lamp is lit, it is
possible that the person isn’t sitting properly in the seat. If this happens:
•Turn the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback in the
full upright position.
•Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion,
with the person’s legs comfortably extended.
•Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for
about two minutes. This will allow the system to detect that person
and enable the passenger’s frontal airbag.
•If the indicator lamp remains lit even after this, the person should be
advised to ride in the rear seat.
OccupantPass Airbag Off
Indicator LampPassenger Airbag
Empty seat Unlit Disabled
Small child in child
safety seat or boosterLit Disabled
Small child with safety
belt buckled or
unbuckledLit Disabled
Adult Unlit Enabled
Even with Advanced Restraints Systems, children 12 and under
should be properly restrained in the back seat.
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After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on safety belts, it’s
very important that they continue to sit properly. A properly seated
occupant sits upright, leaning against the seat back, and centered on the
seat cushion, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor. Sitting
improperly can increase the chance of injury in a crash event. For
example, if an occupant slouches, lies down, turns sideways, sits forward,
leans forward or sideways, or puts one or both feet up, the chance of
injury during a crash is greatly increased.
Sitting improperly out of position or with the seat back reclined
too far can take off weight from the seat cushion and affect the
decision of the front passenger sensing system, resulting in serious
injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright against your seatback, with your feet on the floor.
The front passenger sensing system may detect small or medium objects
placed on the seat cushion. For most objects that are in the front
passenger seat, the passenger airbag will be disabled. Even though the
passenger airbag is disabled, thepass airbag offlamp may or may not
be illuminated according to the table below.
ObjectsPass Airbag Off
Indicator LampPassenger Airbag
Small (i.e. 3 ring
binder, small purse,
bottled water)Unlit Disabled
Medium (i.e. heavy
briefcase, fully packed
luggage)Lit Disabled
Empty seat, Small or
medium object with
safety belt buckledLit Disabled
If you think that the status of the passenger airbag off indicator lamp is
incorrect, check for the following:
•Objects lodged underneath the seat
•Objects between the seat cushion and the center console (if
equipped)
•Objects hanging off the seat back
•Objects stowed in the seatback map pocket (if equipped)
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•Objects placed on the occupant’s lap
•Cargo interference with the seat
•Other passengers pushing or pulling on the seat
•Rear passenger feet and knees resting or pushing on the seat
The conditions listed above may cause the weight of a properly seated
occupant to be incorrectly interpreted by the front passenger sensing
system. The person in the front passenger seat may appear heavier or
lighter due to the conditions described in the list above.
To reduce the risk of possible serious injury:
Do not stow objects in seat back map pocket (if equipped) or
hang objects off seat back if a child is in the front passenger seat.
Do not place objects underneath the front passenger seat or between
the seat and the center console (if equipped).
Check the “passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp for
proper airbag Status.
Failure to follow these instructions may interfere with the front
passenger seat sensing system.
In case there is a problem with the
front passenger sensing system, the
airbag readiness light in the
instrument cluster will stay lit.
If the airbag readiness light is lit, do the following:
The driver and/or adult passengers should check for any objects that
may be lodged underneath the front passenger seat or cargo interfering
with the seat.
If objects are lodged and/or cargo is interfering with the seat; please take
the following steps to remove the obstruction:
•Pull the vehicle over.
•Turn the vehicle off.
•Driver and/or adult passengers should check for any objects lodged
underneath the front passenger seat or cargo interfering with the seat.
•Remove the obstruction(s) (if found).
•Restart the vehicle.
•Wait at least 2 minutes and verify that the airbag readiness light is no
longer illuminated
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Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
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