warning light FORD FOCUS 2008 2.G User Guide

The Restraints Control Module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt buckle sensors, front
passenger sensing system, and the driver seat position sensor. In
addition, the RCM also monitors the restraints warning light in the
instrument cluster. A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or
more of the following.
•The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
•The warning light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is
turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and warning light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the Personal
Safety System™ serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
Safety belt precautions
Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap
belt snug and low across the hips.
To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit where they
can be properly restrained.
Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from
injury in a collision.
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.
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and
safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
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Safety belt extension assembly
If the safety belt is too short when fully extended, there is a 8 inch
(20 cm) safety belt extension assembly that can be added (part number
611C22). This assembly can be obtained from an authorized dealer.
Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the safety
belt. Manufacturer identification is located at the end of the webbing on
the label. Also, use the safety belt extension only if the safety belt is too
short for you when fully extended.
Do not use extensions to change the fit of the shoulder belt
across the torso.
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
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.
Safety belt warning light and indicator chime
The safety belt warning light illuminates in the instrument cluster and a
chime sounds to remind the occupants to fasten their safety belts.
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Conditions of operation
If... Then...
The driver’s safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The safety belt warning light
illuminates 1-2 minutes and the
warning chime sounds 4-8 seconds.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding...The safety belt warning light and
warning chime turn off.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The safety belt warning light and
indicator chime remain off.
Belt-Minder
The Belt-Minderfeature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt
warning function. This feature provides additional reminders by
intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning
light in the instrument cluster when the driver’s and front passenger’s
safety belt is unbuckled.
The Belt-Minderfeature uses information from the front passenger
sensing system to determine if a front seat passenger is present and
therefore potentially in need of a warning. To avoid activating the
Belt-Minderfeature for objects placed in the front passenger seat,
warnings will only be given to large front seat occupants as determined
by the front passenger sensing system.
Both the driver’s and passenger’s safety belt usages are monitored and
either may activate the Belt-Minderfeature. The warnings are the same
for the driver and the front passenger. If the Belt-Minderwarnings have
expired (warnings for approximately 5 minutes) for one occupant (driver
or front passenger), the other occupant can still activate the
Belt-Minderfeature.
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If... Then...
The driver’s and front passenger’s
safety belts are buckled before the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position or less than 1-2 minutes
have elapsed since the ignition
switch has been turned ON...The Belt-Minderfeature will not
activate.
The driver’s or front passenger’s
safety belt is not buckled when the
vehicle has reached at least 3 mph
(5 km/h) and 1-2 minutes have
elapsed since the ignition switch
has been turned to ON...The Belt-Minderfeature is
activated - the safety belt warning
light illuminates and the warning
chime sounds for 6 seconds every
30 seconds, repeating for
approximately 5 minutes or until
the safety belts are buckled.
The driver’s or front passenger’s
safety belt becomes unbuckled for
approximately 1 minute while the
vehicle is traveling at least 3 mph
(5 km/h) and more than
1-2 minutes have elapsed since the
ignition switch has been turned to
ON...The Belt-Minderfeature is
activated - the safety belt warning
light illuminates and the warning
chime sounds for 6 seconds every
30 seconds, repeating for
approximately 5 minutes or until
the safety belts are buckled.
The following are reasons most often given for not wearing safety belts
(All statistics based on U.S. data):
Reasons given... Consider...
“Crashes are rare events”36700 crashes occur every day.The
more we drive, the more we are
exposed to “rare” events, even for
good drivers.1 in 4 of us will be
seriously injured in a crash during
our lifetime.
“I’m not going far”3of4fatal crashes occur within
25miles (40 km) of home.
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2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off (Approximately 1
minute).
•Step 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 nine times, ending in the unbuckled state.
Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.
•After Step 3, the safety belt warning light will be turned on for three
seconds.
4. Within approximately seven seconds of the light turning off, buckle
then unbuckle the safety belt.
•This will disable the Belt-Minderfeature for that seating position if it
is currently enabled. As confirmation, the safety belt warning light will
flash one time per second for three seconds.
•This will enable the Belt-Minderfeature for that seating position if it
is currently disabled. As confirmation, the safety belt warning light will
flash four times per second for three seconds, followed by three
seconds with the light off, then followed by the safety belt warning
light flashing one time per second for three seconds again.
AIRBAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
The supplemental restraint system is designed to work with the safety
belt to help protect the driver and right front passenger from certain
upper body injuries.
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Any alteration/modification to the front passenger seat may
affect the performance of the front passenger sensing system.
Determining if the system is operational
The supplemental restraint system uses a warning indicator light in the
instrument cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the
system. Refer to theWarning lights and chimessection in the
Instrument Clusterchapter. Routine maintenance of the airbag is not
required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
•The readiness light (same light
for front and side airbag system)
will either flash or stay lit.
•The readiness light will not
illuminate immediately after ignition is turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and/or light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the supplemental
restraint system serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
Seat-mounted side airbag system
Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the airbag
cover on the side of the seatbacks of the front seats or in front
seat areas that may come into contact with a deploying airbag. Failure
to follow these instructions may increase the risk of personal injury in
the event of a collision.
Do not use accessory seat covers. The use of accessory seat
covers may prevent the deployment of the side airbags and
increase the risk of injury in an accident.
Do not lean your head on the door. The side airbag could injure
you as it deploys from the side of the seatback.
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Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the airbag SRS, its
fuses or the seat cover on a seat containing an airbag. See your
authorized dealer.
All occupants of the vehicle should always wear their safety belts
even when an airbag SRS is provided.
How does the side airbag system work?
The design and development of the
side airbag system included
recommended testing procedures
that were developed by a group of
automotive safety experts known as
the Side Airbag Technical Working
Group. These recommended testing
procedures help reduce the risk of
injuries related to the deployment of
side airbags.
The side airbag system consists of
the following:
•An inflatable nylon bag (airbag)
with a gas generator concealed
behind the outboard bolster of
the driver and front passenger
seatbacks.
•A special seat cover designed to allow airbag deployment.
•The same warning light, electronic control and diagnostic unit as used
for the front airbags.
•Two pressure sensors located in the front doors.
•Two crash sensors located between the “A” and “B” pillars.
Side airbags, in combination with safety belts, can help reduce the risk of
severe injuries in the event of a significant side impact collision.
The side airbags are fitted on the outboard side of the seatbacks of the
front seats. In certain lateral collisions, the airbag on the side affected by
the collision will be inflated. The front passenger sensing system will
turn off the passenger seat side airbag if the seat is empty (unless for
some reason the safety belt is properly buckled). If the front passenger
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How does the side air curtain system work?
The design and development of the
side air curtain system included
recommended testing procedures
that were developed by a group of
automotive safety experts known as
the Side Airbag Technical Working
Group. These recommended testing
procedures help reduce the risk of
injuries related to the deployment of
side airbags (including side air
curtain systems).
The side air curtain system consists
of the following:
•An inflatable nylon curtain with a
gas generator concealed behind
the headliner and above the
doors.
•The headliner will flex to open
above the side doors to allow air curtain deployment.
•The same warning light, electronic control and diagnostic unit as used
for the front airbags.
•Two crash sensors located under the outboard side of the front seats,
attached near the floor.
•Two crash sensors located at the base of the “C” pillars above the
wheel house.
Side air curtains and side airbags, in combination with safety belts, can
help reduce the risk of severe injuries in the event of a significant side
impact collision.
Children 12 years old and under should always be properly restrained in
the rear seats. The side air curtain will not interfere with children
restrained using a properly installed child or booster seat because it is
designed to inflate downward from the headliner above the doors along
the side window openings.
The side air curtains are mounted to the sheet metal above the first and
second row seats. In certain lateral collisions, the air curtain and
seat-mounted side airbag on the side affected by the collision will be
inflated, except that the passenger sensing system will deactivate the
passenger seat-mounted side airbag if it detects an empty unbuckled
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Changing tires with TPMS
Each road tire is equipped with
a tire pressure sensor fastened
to the inside rim of the wheel.
The pressure sensor is covered
by the tire and is not visible
unless the tire is removed. The
pressure sensor is located
opposite (180 degrees) from the
valve stem. Care must be taken
when changing the tire to avoid
damaging the sensor.It is
recommended that you always have
your tires serviced by an authorized
dealer.
The tire pressure should be checked
periodically (at least monthly) using
an accurate tire gauge, refer to
Inflating your tiresin this chapter.
Understanding your Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System measures pressure in your four
road tires and sends the tire pressure readings to your vehicle. The Low
Tire Pressure Warning Lamp will turn ON if the tire pressure is
significantly low. Once the light is illuminated, your tires are under
inflated and need to be inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended tire
pressure. Even if the light turns ON and a short time later turns OFF,
your tire pressure still needs to be checked. Visit www.checkmytires.org
for additional information.
When your temporary spare tire is installed
When one of your road tires needs to be replaced with the temporary
spare, the TPMS system will continue to identify an issue to remind you
that the damaged road wheel/tire needs to be repaired and put back on
your vehicle.
To restore the full functionality of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System,
have the damaged road wheel/tire repaired and remounted on your
vehicle. For additional information, refer toChanging tires with TPMS
in this section.
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When you believe your system is not operating properly
The main function of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System is to warn you
when your tires need air. It can also warn you in the event the system is
no longer capable of functioning as intended. Please refer to the
following chart for information concerning your Tire Pressure Monitoring
System:
Low Tire
Pressure
Warning LightPossible
causeCustomer Action Required
Solid Warning
LightTire(s)
under-inflated1. Check your tire pressure to
ensure tires are properly inflated;
refer toInflating your tiresin
this chapter.
2. After inflating your tires to the
manufacturer’s recommended
inflation pressure as shown on the
Tire Label (located on the edge of
driver’s door or the B-Pillar), the
vehicle must be driven for at least
two minutes over 20 mph (32 km/h)
before the light will turn OFF.
Spare tire in
useYour temporary spare tire is in
use. Repair the damaged road
wheel/tire and reinstall it on the
vehicle to restore system
functionality. For a description on
how the system functions, refer to
When your temporary spare tire
is installedin this section.
TPMS
malfunctionIf your tires are properly inflated
and your spare tire is not in use
and the light remains ON, have the
system inspected by your
authorized dealer.
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