airbag FORD FREESTAR 2004 1.G Owners Manual

Reasons given... Consider...
“I have an air bag” Air bags 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”.
Do not sit on top of a buckled safety belt to avoid the Belt
Minder chime. Sitting on the safety belt will increase the risk of
injury in an accident. To disable (one-time) or deactivate the Belt
Minder feature please follow the directions stated below.
One time disable
If at any time the driver/front passenger quickly buckles then unbuckles
the BeltMinder feature for that seating position, the BeltMinder is
disabled for the current ignition cycle. The BeltMinder feature will
re-enable during the same ignition cycle if the occupant buckles and
remains buckled for approximately 30 seconds. Confirmation is not given
for the one time disable.
Deactivating/activating the BeltMinder feature
The driver and front passenger BeltMinder are
deactivated/activated independently. When deactivating/activating
one seating position, do not buckle the other position as this will
terminate the process.
Read steps1-4thoroughly before proceeding with the
deactivation/activation programming procedure.
The driver and front passenger BeltMinder features can be
deactivated/activated by performing the following procedure:
Before following the procedure, make sure that:
•The parking brake is set
•The gearshift is in P (Park) (automatic transmission)
•The ignition switch is in the OFF position
•The driver and front passenger safety belts are unbuckled
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To reduce the risk of injury, do not deactivate/activate the Belt
Minder feature 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)
•Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.
3. For the seating position being disabled, 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.)
•After 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, buckle then unbuckle the
safety belt.
•This will disable the BeltMinder feature 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.
•This will enable the BeltMinder feature 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 extension assembly
If the safety belt is too short when fully extended, a 23 cm (9 inch) or
31 cm (12 inch) safety belt extension assembly can be added (part
numbers 611C22–A and 611C22–B respectively). These assemblies can
be obtained from your dealer at no cost.
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.
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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, replacing if necessary. All safety belt
assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front seat belt buckle
assemblies, buckle support assemblies (slide bar-if equipped), shoulder
belt height adjusters (if equipped), child safety seat tether bracket
assemblies (if equipped), LATCH child seat tether anchors and lower
anchors (if equipped), and attaching hardware, should be inspected after
a collision. Ford recommends that all safety belt assemblies in use in
vehicles involved in a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was
minor and a qualified technician finds that the belts do not show damage
and continue to operate properly, they do not need to be replaced,
except as described in theReplacing the front seat belt assemblies
after a collisionsection of this chapter. 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.
Refer toInteriorin theCleaningchapter.
Replacing the front seat belt assemblies after a collision
The front outboard safety belt assemblies have a special energy
management retractors designed to further reduce the risk of injury in
the event of a head-on collision. These retractors should be replaced if
they were used in any accident in which the front airbags deploy. If the
safety belt assemblies are not replaced, there may be increased risk of
injury in the event of a subsequent collision.
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.
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For larger children and very small adults, the passenger sensing system
may leave the air bag system enabled, or turn it OFF. The occupant’s
seating position may determine whether or not the air bag is enabled.
Even with Advanced Restraint Systems, children 12 and under
should be properly restrained in the back seat.
When the front passenger seat is
occupied and the sensing system
has turned off the passenger’s
frontal air bag, thepassenger airbag
offorpass airbag offindicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that
the front passenger frontal air bag is
off. When the front passenger seat is
not occupied (empty seat) or in the
event that the front passenger
frontal air bag is enabled (may
inflate), the indicator light will be unlit.
The indicator light is located in the center stack of the instrument panel
to the right of the radio.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the front
passenger’s frontal air bag when a rear facing infant seat, a
forward-facing child restraint, or a booster seat is detected. If the child
restraint has been installed and the indicator 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 directions.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to enable (may inflate)
the right front passenger’s frontal air bag anytime the system senses that
a person of adult size is sitting properly in the front passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing system has allowed the air bag to be
enabled, the indicator will be unlit and stay unlit to remind you that the
air bag is enabled (may inflate).
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the front passenger’s seat, but the
passenger air bag offorpass air bag offindicator is lit, it could be
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, then 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 then enable the passenger’s air bag. If
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the indicator lamp remains lit even after this, then the occupant should
be advised to ride in the back seat.
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on seatbelts, it’s
very important that they continue to sit upright, with their back against
the seatback, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor while the
vehicle is still in motion. 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 passenger sensing system, resulting in serious injury or
death in a crash. Always sit upright against your seatback, with your
feet on the floor.
In case there is a problem with the passenger sensing system, the airbag
readiness light in the instrument cluster will stay lit. Do NOT attempt to
repair or service the system; take your vehicle immediately to the dealer.
If it is necessary to modify an advanced front air bag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, contact the Ford Customer
Relationship Center at the phone number shown in the Customer
Assistance section of this Owner’s Guide.
Side air bag system (if equipped)
Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the air bag
cover on the side of the seatbacks of the front seats or in front
seat areas that may come into contact with a deploying air bag. 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 air bags and
increase the risk of injury in an accident.
Do not lean your head on the door. The side air bag 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 air bag SRS, its
fuses or the seat cover on a seat containing an air bag. See your
Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealer.
All occupants of the vehicle should always wear their safety belts
even when an air bag SRS is provided.
How does the side air bag system work?
The side air bag system consists of
the following:
•An inflatable nylon bag (air bag)
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 air
bags.
•Two crash sensors located under
the outboard side of the front
seats, attached to the floor.
Side air bags, in combination with seat belts, can help reduce the risk of
severe injuries in the event of a significant side impact collision.
The side air bags are fitted on the outboard side of the seatbacks of the
front seats. In certain lateral collisions, the air bag on the side affected
by the collision will be inflated, even if the respective seat is not
occupied. The air bag was designed to inflate between the door panel
and occupant to further enhance the protection provided occupants in
side impact collisions.
The air bag SRS is designed to activate when the vehicle sustains lateral
deceleration sufficient to cause the sensors to close an electrical circuit
that initiates air bag inflation.
The fact that the air bags did not inflate in a collision does not mean that
something is wrong with the system. Rather, it means the forces were
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All occupants of the vehicle including the driver should always
wear their safety belts even when an air bag SRS and Safety
Canopy
system is provided.
To reduce risk of injury, do not obstruct or place objects in the
deployment path of the inflatable Safety Canopy
.
How does the Safety Canopysystem work?
The design and development of the
Safety Canopy
system included
recommended testing procedures
that were developed by a group of
automotive safety experts known as
the Side Air Bag Technical Working
Group. These recommended testing
procedures help reduce the risk of
injuries related to the deployment of
side airbags (including the Safety
Canopy
).
The Safety Canopy
system
consists of the following:
•An inflatable nylon curtain with a
gas generator concealed behind
the headliner and above the doors
(one on each side of vehicle).
•A headliner designed to flex open above the side doors to allow Safety
Canopy
deployment.
•The same warning light, electronic control and diagnostic unit as used
for the front airbags.
•Two crash sensors mounted under the front seats (one on each side).
•Two crash sensors located at the c-pillar behind the rear doors (one
on each side).
•Rollover sensor in the restraints control module (RCM).
The Safety Canopy
system, in combination with seat belts, can help
reduce the risk of severe injuries in the event of a significant side impact
collision or rollover event.
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Lifestyle
Bike racks
Cargo organization and management
Engine block heaters and blankets
Rear seat entertainment systems - DVD
Towing mirrors
Trailer hitches, wiring harnesses and accessories
Peace of mind
Airbag anti-theft locks
First aid and safety kits
Full vehicle covers
Locking gas cap
Remote start
Vehicle security systems
For maximum vehicle performance, keep the following information in
mind when adding accessories or equipment to your vehicle:
•When adding accessories, equipment, passengers and luggage to your
vehicle, do not exceed the total weight capacity of the vehicle or of
the front or rear axle (GVWR or GAWR as indicated on the Safety
Compliance Certification label). Consult your dealer for specific weight
information.
•The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Canadian Radio
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regulate the use of mobile
communications systems — such as two-way radios, telephones and
theft alarms - that are equipped with radio transmitters. Any such
equipment installed in your vehicle should comply with FCC or CRTC
regulations and should be installed only by a qualified service
technician.
•Mobile communications systems may harm the operation of your
vehicle, particularly if they are not properly designed for automotive
use.
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Accessories
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