warning FORD TAURUS X 2009 1.G Workshop Manual

Adjusting second row bucket and bench seat back
Lift the handle to adjust seatback.
Using same control will fold the
seatback flat.
WARNING:Reclining the seatback can cause an occupant to
slide under the seat’s safety belt, resulting in severe personal
injuries in the event of a collision.
Adjusting second row seats (if equipped)
Lift the control to adjust the seat
forward or backward.
Accessing the third row seats
Fold and tumble the second row seat to access the third row. Remove
items from the second row seat and ensure that no bulky objects such as
purses or briefcases are on the floor in front of the second row seats
before tumbling them.
Note:You may have to move the front row seat forward to allow the 2nd
row seat to be fully tumbled. Stow the head restraint by pushing the
head restraint release button while sliding the head restraint fully down.
2009 Taurus X(219)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
162

To return the seatback to the
upright position
•Lift the seatback toward the rear
of the vehicle, and
•Rotate the seatback until you
hear a click, locking it in the
upright position.
Note:The seatback will not raise if
the rear latch hooks are not
properly engaged to the floor
striker.
•Pull the head restraint back up to its normal adjusted position.
WARNING: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.
2nd row auto-fold seat (if equipped)
WARNING:Ensure that the seat is unoccupied when folding it
down. Folding the seat while occupied could result in occupant
injury or damage to the seat.
Press the control one time to fold
the seat back down and tumble the
seat forward for access to the 3rd
row.
2009 Taurus X(219)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
164

WARNING: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.
Ensure that the rear latch hooks are
properly engaged with the floor
striker.
Note: Ensure that the seat and
seatback are latched securely in
position. Keep floor area free of
objects that would prevent proper
seat engagement. Do not adjust or
release the seat floor latch while
vehicle is in motion. Do not operate
the vehicle with seats in tumbled position.
WARNING:Always latch the vehicle seat to the floor, whether
the seat is occupied or empty. If not latched, the seat may cause
injury during a sudden stop.
Rear heated seats (if equipped)
WARNING:Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes, spinal cord
injury, medication, alcohol use, exhaustion, or other physical
conditions, must exercise care when using the seat heater. The seat
heater may cause burns even at low temperatures, especially if used
for long periods of time. Do not place anything on the seat that
insulates against heat, such as a blanket or cushion, because this may
cause the seat heater to overheat. Do not puncture the seat with pins,
needles, or other pointed objects because this may damage the heating
element which may cause the seat heater to overheat. An overheated
seat may cause serious personal injury.
2009 Taurus X(219)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
166

2. From the rear of the vehicle, fold seatback by pulling and holding the
number 1 strap while pushing the seatback forward. Release strap once
seatback starts rotating forward.
3. Release the cushion latches by pulling the number 2 strap while
pulling on the strap located at the top of the seatback to tumble the seat
toward you all the way into the tub in the floor.
WARNING:Do not use the seat anchors as cargo tie downs.
Note:Do not use the third row seatback as a load floor when the
seatback is folded.
Unstowing the third row seat
Note:Ensure that there are no objects such as books, purses or brief
cases on the load floor before unstowing the seat. Failure to remove all
objects from the top of the load floor prior to unstowing it may cause
damage to the seat.
Note:Ensure the area under the load floor is free of objects before
unstowing it.
2009 Taurus X(219)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
168

1. Unlatch and lift the seat out of the tub in the floor by squeezing and
pulling up on the handle. Once the seat is at a vertical position, push the
seat over, letting it fall onto the latches.
2. To return the seatback to upright
position, pull the number 1 strap,
then while holding the number 1
strap, pull the long strap located on
the seatback to raise the seatback.
3. Pull the head restraints up to
their normal adjusted positions.
WARNING:Ensure seat is latched to vehicle floor by
pushing/pulling on seat. If not latched, the seat may cause injury
during a sudden stop.
WARNING: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.
2009 Taurus X(219)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
169

WARNING:The third row
seat is NOT designed to be
used in tailgate mode. Placing the
seat in this position could result in
damage to the seat, surrounding
components, or injury.
WARNING:The tailgate
position is not a position
suitable for driving. Do not drive
the vehicle with the seat in the
tailgate position. The safety belts
are not functional when the seat is
in the tailgate position.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Personal Safety System
The Personal Safety System
provides 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 System
consists of:
•Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints.
•Front outboard safety belts with pretensioners, energy management
retractors (first row only), and safety belt usage sensors.
•Driver’s seat position sensor.
•Front passenger sensing system
•“Passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp
•Front crash severity sensor.
•Restraints Control Module (RCM) with impact and safing sensors.
•Restraint system warning light and back-up tone.
2009 Taurus X(219)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
170

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
safety 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.
WARNING: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.
WARNING:When possible, all children 12 years old and under
should be properly restrained in a rear seating position.
The front passenger sensing system can automatically turn off the
passenger front airbag. The system is designed to help protect small
(child size) occupants from airbag deployments when they are
improperly seated or restrained in the front passenger seat contrary to
proper child-seating or restraint usage recommendations. Even with this
technology, parents areSTRONGLYencouraged to always properly
restrain children in the rear seat. The sensor also turns off the passenger
front airbag and seat-mounted side airbag when the passenger seat is
empty to prevent unnecessary replacement of airbag(s) after a collision.
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 System
to tailor the airbag deployment and
safety belt pretensioner activation depending upon safety belt usage.
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. This helps
increase the effectiveness of the safety belts. In frontal collisions, the
2009 Taurus X(219)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
172

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 toEnergy management
feature- front outboardsection in this chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety Systemis operational
The Personal Safety System
uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to theWarning lights and chimessection in theInstrument Cluster
chapter. Routine maintenance of the Personal Safety System
is not
required.
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, driver seat
position sensor, and front passenger sensing system. 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
WARNING:Always drive and ride with your seatback upright
and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.
WARNING:To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit
where they can be properly restrained.
2009 Taurus X(219)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
173

WARNING: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.
WARNING: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.
WARNING: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.
WARNING:In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
WARNING:Each seating position in your vehicle has a specific
safety belt assembly which is made up of one buckle and one
tongue that are designed to be used as a pair. 1) Use the shoulder belt
on the outside shoulder only. Never wear the shoulder belt under the
arm. 2) Never swing the safety belt around your neck over the inside
shoulder. 3) Never use a single belt for more than one person.
WARNING:When possible, all children 12 years old and under
should be properly restrained in a rear seating position.
WARNING:Front and rear seat occupants, including pregnant
women, should wear safety belts for optimum protection in an
accident.
2009 Taurus X(219)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
174

Combination lap and shoulder belts
1. Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle (the buckle closest to
the direction the tongue is coming
from) until you hear a snap and feel
it latch. Make sure the tongue is
securely fastened in the buckle.
2. To unfasten, push the release
button and remove the tongue from
the buckle.
All restraints in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder belts.
While you are fastened in the safety belt, the combination lap/shoulder
belt adjusts to your movement. However, if you brake hard, turn hard, or
if your vehicle receives an impact of 5 mph (8 km/h) or more, the safety
belt will become locked and help reduce your forward movement.
Energy management feature — front outboard
•This vehicle has a safety belt system with an energy management
feature at the front seats to help further reduce the risk of injury in
the event of a head-on collision.
•The energy management feature has a retractor assembly that is
designed to extend the safety belt webbing in a controlled manner.
This helps reduce the belt force acting on the user’s chest.
WARNING:Failure to inspect and replace if necessary the belt
and retractor assembly after an accident could increase the risk
of injury in a collision.
2009 Taurus X(219)
Owners Guide, 2nd Printing
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
175