belt FORD TAURUS 2002 4.G Owner's Manual

²the ignition switch is in the OFF position
²all vehicle doors are closed
²the driver's safety belt is unbuckled
²the parklamps/headlamps are in OFF position (If vehicle is equipped
with Autolamps, this will not affect the procedure.)
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±2
minutes)
²Steps 3±5 must be completed within 60 seconds or the procedure will
have to be repeated.
3. Buckle then unbuckle the safety belt three times, ending with the
safety belt unbuckled. This can be done before or during BeltMinder
warning activation.
4. Turn on the parklamps/headlamps, turn off the parklamps/headlamps.
5. Buckle then unbuckle the safety belt three times, ending with the
safety belt unbuckled.
²After step 5 the safety belt warning light will be turned on for three
seconds.
6. Within seven seconds of the safety belt warning light turning off,
buckle then unbuckle the safety belt.
²This will disable BeltMinder if it is currently enabled, or enable
BeltMinder if it is currently disabled.
7. Confirmation of disabling BeltMinder is provided by flashing the safety
belt warning light four times per second for three seconds.
8. Confirmation of enabling BeltMinder is provided by flashing the safety
belt warning light four times per second for three seconds, followed by
three seconds with the safety belt warning light off, then followed by
flashing the safety belt warning light four times per second for three
seconds again.
9. After receiving confirmation, the deactivation/activation procedure is
complete.
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119

Safety belt extension assembly
If the safety belt is too short when fully extended, there is a 20 cm
(8 inch) safety belt extension assembly that can be added (part number
611C22). This assembly 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.
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 seat 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 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 Motor
Company recommends that all safety belt assemblies used 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. 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 toCleaning and maintaining the safety beltsin theCleaning
chapter.
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120

AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and diagnostic module
which records information about the air bag and sensor systems. In the
event of a collision this module may save information related to the
collision including information about the air bag system and impact
severity. This information will assist Ford in the servicing of your vehicle
and may help Ford better understand real world collisions and further
improve the safety of future vehicles.
The air bag supplemental restraint system is designed to work in
conjunction with the safety belts to help protect the driver and front
outboard passenger from certain upper body injuries. The term
ªsupplemental restraintº means the air bags are intended as a
supplement to the safety belts. Air bags alone cannot protect as well as
air bags plus safety belts in impacts for which the air bags are designed
to deploy, and air bags do not offer any protection in crashes for which
they do not deploy.
HOW DO THE AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINTS WORK?
The air bag supplemental restraint system consists of:
²driver and passenger dual stage air bag modules (which include the
inflators and air bags).
²side air bags (if equipped). Refer toSide air bag systemlater in this
chapter.
²one or more impact and safing sensors.
²the same indicator light, RCM (restraints control module) and
diagnostic unit used for the Personal safety system.
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121

The air bag supplemental restraints are an intergral part of the Personal
Safety System. They are designed to be deployed in cases where the
Personal Safety System has determined the occupant conditions and
crash severity are appropriate to activate these devices. Refer to the
Personal Safety Systemsection in this chapter.
Important supplemental restraint system precautions
Air bags DO NOT inflate slowly or
gently and the risk of injury from a
deploying air bag is greatest close to
the trim covering the air bag
module.
All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when an air bag (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 25 cm (10 inches)
between an occupant's chest and the driver air bag module.
Never place your arm over the air bag module as a deploying air
bag can result in serious arm fractures or other injuries.
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122

A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
²The readiness light (same light
for front and side air bag system)
will either flash or stay lit.
²The readiness light will not
illuminate immediately after ignition is turned on.
²A 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 your dealership or by a qualified technician
immediately. Unless serviced, the system may not function properly in
the event of a collision.
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.
Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the air bag
supplemental restraint system, 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 including the driver should always
wear their safety belts even when an air bag SRS is provided.
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126

How does the side air bag system work?
The side air bag system consists of
the following:
²An inflatable nylon bag (air bag)
with a gas generator concealed
behind the outboard bolster of
the driver and front passenger
seatbacks.
²A special seat cover designed to
allow airbag deployment.
²The same warning light,
electronic control and diagnostic
unit as used for the front air
bags.
²Two 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
not of the type sufficient to cause activation. Side air bags are designed
to inflate in side-impact collisions, not roll-over, rear-impact, frontal or
near-frontal collisions, unless the collision causes sufficient lateral
deceleration.
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127

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.
Always follow the instructions and warnings that come with any infant or
child restraint you might use.
When possible, always place children under age 12 in the rear seat of
your vehicle. Accident statistics suggest that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating
position.
Children and safety belts
If the child is the proper size, restrain the child in a safety seat.
Children who are too large for child safety seats (as specified by your
child safety seat manufacturer) should always wear safety belts.
Follow all the important safety restraint and air bag precautions that
apply to adult passengers in your vehicle.
If the shoulder belt portion of a combination lap and shoulder belt can
be positioned so it does not cross or rest in front of the child's face or
neck, the child should wear the lap and shoulder belt. Moving the child
closer to the center of the vehicle may help provide a good shoulder belt
fit.
Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets unattended in
your vehicle.
To improve the fit of lap and shoulder belts on children who have
outgrown child safety seats, Ford recommends use of a belt-positioning
booster seat that is labelled as conforming to all applicable Federal motor
vehicle safety standards. Belt-positioning booster seats raise the child
and provide a shorter, firmer seating cushion that encourages safer
seating posture and better fit of lap and shoulder belts on the child.
A belt-positioning booster seat should be used if the shoulder belt rests
in front of the child's face or neck, or if the lap belt does not fit snugly
on both thighs, or if the thighs are too short to let the child sit all the
way back on the seat cushion when the lower legs hang over the edge of
the seat cushion. You may wish to discuss the special needs of your child
with your pediatrician.
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129

SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
Child and infant or child safety seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the
child. Carefully follow all of the manufacturer's instructions with the
safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install and use the
safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden stop or
collision.
When installing a child safety seat:
²Review and follow the information
presented in theAir Bag
Supplemental Restraint System
section in this chapter.
²Use the correct safety belt buckle
for that seating position.
²Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle until you hear a
snap and feel it latch. Make sure
the tongue is securely fastened in
the buckle.
²Keep the buckle release button
pointing up and away from the
safety seat, with the tongue
between the child seat and the
release button, to prevent
accidental unbuckling.
²Place seat back in upright position.
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130

²Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer toAutomatic
locking mode.
Ford recommends the use of a child safety seat having a top tether
strap. Install the child safety seat in a seating position which is capable
of providing a tether anchorage. For more information on top tether
straps, refer toAttaching safety seats with tether strapsin this chapter.
Carefully follow all of the manufacturer's instructions included
with the safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install
and use the safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden
stop or collision.
Installing child safety seats in combination lap and shoulder belt
seating positions
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.
1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in the rear
seat whenever possible.
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2. Pull down on the shoulder belt
and then grasp the shoulder belt
and lap belt together.
3. While holding the shoulder and
lap belt portions together, route the
tongue through the child seat
according to the child seat
manufacturer's instructions. Be sure
the belt webbing is not twisted.
4. Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle (the buckle closest to
the direction the tongue is coming
from) for that seating position until
you hear a snap and feel the latch
engage. Make sure the tongue is
latched securely by pulling on it.
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