airbag off FORD EXPLORER 2006 4.G Owners Manual

Seating and Safety Restraints 114
Seating 114
Safety restraints 126
Airbags 141
Child restraints 155
Tires, Wheels and Loading 170
Tire Information 172
Tire Inflation 175
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) 186
Vehicle loading 192
Trailer towing 199
Recreational towing 205
Driving 207
Starting 207
Brakes 210
Traction control/AdvanceTrac 212
Transmission operation 217
Roadside Emergencies 235
Getting roadside assistance 235
Hazard flasher switch 237
Fuel pump shut-off switch 237
Fuses and relays 238
Changing tires 246
Lug Nut Torque 255
Jump starting 256
Wrecker towing 261
Customer Assistance 262
Reporting safety defects (U.S. only) 268
Table of Contents
2

To reduce the risk of possible serious injury: Do not hang objects
off seat back or stow objects in the seatback map pocket (if
equipped) when 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 ªpassenger airbag offº or
ªpass airbag offº indicator lamp for proper airbag status. Refer toFront
passenger sensing systemsection for additional details. Failure to
follow these instructions may interfere with the front passenger seat
sensing system.
The control is located on the outboard side of the seat cushion.
Press front to raise or lower the
front portion of the seat cushion.
Press rear to raise or lower the rear
portion of the seat cushion.
Press the control to move the seat
forward, backward, up or down.
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Before returning the seatback to its original position, make sure
that cargo or any objects are not trapped behind the seatback.
After returning the seatback to its original position, pull on the
seatback to ensure that it has fully latched. An unlatched seat may
become dangerous in the event of a sudden stop or collision.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Personal Safety SystemY
The Personal Safety Systemyprovides an improved overall level of
frontal crash protection to front seat occupants and is designed to help
further reduce the risk of airbag-related injuries. The system is able to
analyze different occupant conditions and crash severity before activating
the appropriate safety devices to help better protect a range of
occupants in a variety of frontal crash situations.
Your vehicle's Personal Safety Systemyconsists of:
²Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints.
²Front safety belts with pretensioners, energy management retractors,
and safety belt usage sensors.
²Driver's seat position sensor.
²Front passenger sensing system
²ªPassenger airbag offº or ªpass airbag offº indicator lamp
²Front crash severity sensor.
²Restraints Control Module (RCM).
²Restraint system warning light and back-up tone.
²The electrical wiring for the airbags, crash sensor(s), safety belt
pretensioners, front safety belt usage sensors, driver seat position
sensor, front passenger sensing system, and indicator lights.
How does the Personal Safety SystemYwork?
The Personal Safety Systemycan adapt the deployment strategy of your
vehicle's safety devices according to crash severity and occupant
conditions. A collection of crash and occupant sensors provides
information to the Restraints Control Module (RCM). During a crash, the
RCM activates the safety belt pretensioners and/or either one or both
stages of the dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints based on crash
severity and occupant conditions.
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The fact that the pretensioners or airbags did not activate for both front
seat occupants in a collision does not mean that something is wrong with
the system. Rather, it means the Personal Safety Systemydetermined
the accident conditions (crash severity, belt usage, etc.) were not
appropriate to activate these safety devices. Front airbags are designed
to activate only in frontal and near-frontal collisions, not rollovers,
side-impacts, or rear-impacts unless the collision causes sufficient
longitudinal deceleration.
Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints
The dual-stage airbags offer the capability to tailor the level of airbag
inflation energy. A lower, less forceful energy level is provided for more
common, moderate-severity impacts. A higher energy level is used for
the most severe impacts. Refer toAirbag supplemental restraints
section in this chapter.
Front crash severity sensor
The front crash severity sensor enhances the ability to detect the
severity of an impact. Positioned up front, it provides valuable
information early in the crash event on the severity of the impact. This
allows your Personal Safety Systemyto distinguish between different
levels of crash severity and modify the deployment strategy of the
dual-stage airbags and safety belt pretensioners.
Driver's seat position sensor
The driver's seat position sensor allows your Personal Safety Systemyto
tailor the deployment level of the driver dual-stage airbag based on seat
position. The system is designed to help protect smaller drivers sitting
close to the driver airbag by providing a lower airbag output level.
Front passenger sensing system
For airbags to do their job they must inflate with great force, and this
force can pose a potentially deadly risk to occupants that are very close
to the airbag when it begins to inflate. For some occupants, this occurs
because they are initially sitting very close to the airbag. For other
occupants, this occurs when the occupant is not properly restrained by
seat belts or child safety seats and they move forward during pre-crash
braking. The most effective way to reduce the risk of unnecessary
injuries is to make sure all occupants are properly restrained. Accident
statistics suggest that children are much safer when properly restrained
in the rear seating positions than in the front.
Seating and Safety Restraints
127

Air bags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.NEVERplace a
rear-facing child seat in front of an active air bag. If you must
use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the seat all the
way back.
Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back
seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints.
The front passenger sensing system can automatically turn off the front
passenger airbag and passenger seat-mounted side airbag. The system is
designed to help protect small (child size) occupants from frontal airbag
deployments when they are seated or restrained in the front passenger
seat contrary to proper child-seating or restraint usage
recommendations. Even with this technology, parents areSTRONGLY
encouraged to always properly restrain children in the rear seat. The
sensor also turns off the passenger front airbag and passenger
seat-mounted side airbag (if equipped) when the passenger seat is empty
and the safety belt is unbuckled, or when a child or a small person
occupies the front passenger seat and the safety belt is unbuckled.
Front safety belt usage sensors
The front safety belt usage sensors detect whether or not the driver and
front outboard passenger safety belts are fastened. This information
allows your Personal Safety Systemyto tailor the airbag deployment and
safety belt pretensioner activation depending upon safety belt usage.
Refer toSafety restraintssection in this chapter.
Front safety belt pretensioners
The safety belt pretensioners at the front outboard seating positions are
designed to tighten the safety belts firmly against the occupant's body
during frontal collisions, and in side collisions and rollovers when the
vehicle is equipped with the optional Safety Canopyysystem. This
maximizes the effectiveness of the safety belts. In frontal collisions, the
safety belt pretensioners can be activated alone or, if the collision is of
sufficient severity, together with the front airbags.
Front safety belt energy management retractors
The front outboard safety belt energy management retractors allow webbing
to be pulled out of the retractor in a gradual and controlled manner in
response to the occupant's forward momentum. This helps reduce the risk
of force-related injuries to the occupant's chest by limiting the load on the
occupant. Refer toSafety restraintssection in this chapter.
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The following are reasons most often given for not wearing safety belts
(All statistics based on U.S. data):
Reasons given... Consider...
ªCrashes are rare eventsº36700 crashes occur every day.The
more we drive, the more we are exposed
to ªrareº events, even for good drivers.1
in 4 of us will be seriously injured in a
crash during our lifetime.
ªI'm not going farº3of4fatal crashes occur within25miles
(40 km) of home.
ªBelts are uncomfortableº 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.
ªI was in a hurryºPrime time for an accident.
BeltMinderyreminds us to take a few
seconds to buckle up.
ªSafety belts don't workºSafety belts,when used properly,
reduce risk of deathto front seat
occupants by45% in cars,and by60%
in light trucks.
ªTraffic is lightºNearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in
single-vehicle crashes,many when no
other vehicles are around.
ªBelts wrinkle my clothesº Possibly, but a serious crash can do much
more than wrinkle your clothes,
particularly if you are unbelted.
ªThe people I'm with don't
wear beltsºSet 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.
ªI have an airbagº Airbags offer greater protection when
used with safety belts. Frontal airbags are
not designed to inflate in rear and side
crashes or rollovers.
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To reduce the risk of injury, do not deactivate/activate the
BeltMinderyfeature while driving the vehicle.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the RUN (or ON) position. (DO NOT
START THE ENGINE)
2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off. (Approximately 1
minute)
²Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.
3. For the seating position being disabled, at a moderate speed, buckle
then unbuckle the safety belt 9 times, ending in the unbuckled state.
(Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.)
²After Step 3, the restraint system warning light (airbag light) will be
turned on for three seconds.
4. Within 10 seconds of the light turning on, at a moderate speed, buckle
then unbuckle the safety belt.
²This will disable the BeltMinderyfeature for that seating position if it
is currently enabled. As confirmation, the restraint system warning
light will flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds.
²This will enable the BeltMinderyfeature for that seating position if it
is currently disabled. As confirmation, the restraint system warning
light will flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds, followed by 3
seconds with the light off, then followed by the restraint system
warning light flashing 4 times per second for 3 seconds again.
Safety belt maintenance
Inspect the safety belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged. Inspect the safety belts to make sure
there are no nicks, tears or cuts. Replace if necessary. All safety belt
assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front safety belt buckle
assemblies, buckle support assemblies (slide bar-if equipped), shoulder
belt height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder belt guide on seatback (if
equipped), child safety seat LATCH and tether anchors, and attaching
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
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140

²one or more impact and safing sensors.
²a readiness light and tone.
²diagnostic module.
²and the electrical wiring which connects the components.
²Front passenger sensing system. Refer toFront passenger sensing
system.later in this chapter.
²ªPassenger airbag offº or ªpass airbag offº indicator lamp. Refer to
Front passenger sensing systemlater 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 and the airbag ignitors.
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
air bag under certain conditions.
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 air bag 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 air bag if:
²the front passenger seat is unoccupied, or has small/medium objects in
the front seat,
²the system determines that an infant is present in a rear-facing infant
seat that is installed according to the manufacturer's instructions,
²the system determines that a small child is present in a forward-facing
child restraint that is installed according to the manufacturer's
instructions,
²the system determines that a small child is present in a booster seat,
²a front passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of
time,
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145

For side airbag equipped vehicles, the front passenger sensing system
will turn off the passenger seat side airbag if:
²the seat is empty and safety belt is unbuckled.
²a child or small person occupies the front passenger seat and the child
or small person is unbuckled.
The front passenger sensing system
uses a9passenger airbag off9or
9pass airbag off9indicator 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.
²When 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.
²If 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.
²When the front passenger sensing system enables the front passenger
frontal airbag (may inflate), the indicator will be unlit and stay unlit.
If a person of adult size is sitting in the front passenger's seat, but the
9passenger airbag off9or9pass airbag off9indicator lamp is lit, it is
possible that the person isn't sitting properly in the seat. If this happens:
²Turn the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback in the
full upright position.
²Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion,
with the person's legs comfortably extended.
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²Restart 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 air bag.
²If 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.
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.
Seating and Safety Restraints
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