ESP FORD THUNDERBIRD 2004 11.G Owners Manual

SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION
Warning symbols in this guide
How can you reduce the risk of personal injury and prevent possible
damage to others, your vehicle and its equipment? In this guide, answers
to such questions are contained in comments highlighted by the warning
triangle symbol. These comments should be read and observed.
Warning symbols on your vehicle
When you see this symbol, it is
imperative that you consult the
relevant section of this guide before
touching or attempting adjustment
of any kind.
Protecting the environment
We must all play our part in
protecting the environment. Correct
vehicle usage and the authorized
disposal of waste cleaning and
lubrication materials are significant
steps towards this aim. Information in this respect is highlighted in this
guide with the tree symbol.
BREAKING-IN YOUR VEHICLE
Your vehicle does not need an extensive break-in. Try not to drive
continuously at the same speed for the first 1,600 km (1,000 miles) of
new vehicle operation. Vary your speed to allow parts to adjust
themselves to other parts.
Do not add friction modifier compounds or special break-in oils during
the first few thousand kilometers (miles) of operation, since these
additives may prevent piston ring seating. See Engine oilin the
Maintenance and specifications chapter for more information on oil
usage.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Introduction
5

WARNING LIGHTS AND CHIMES
Warning lights and gauges can alert you to a vehicle condition that may
become serious enough to cause expensive repairs. A warning light may
illuminate when a problem exists with one of your vehicle’s functions.
Many lights will illuminate when you start your vehicle to make sure the
bulb works. If any light remains on after starting the vehicle, have the
respective system inspected immediately.
Emission system/Check engine:
The Check Engine indicator light
illuminates when the ignition is first
turned to the ON position to check
the bulb. Solid illumination after the engine is started indicates the On
Board Diagnostics System (OBD-II) has detected a malfunction. Refer to
On board diagnostics (OBD-II) in theMaintenance and Specifications
chapter. If the light is blinking, engine misfire is occurring which could
damage your catalytic converter. Drive in a moderate fashion (avoid
heavy acceleration and deceleration) and have your vehicle serviced
immediately.
Under engine misfire conditions, excessive exhaust temperatures
could damage the catalytic converter, the fuel system, interior
floor coverings or other vehicle components, possibly causing a fire.
Check fuel cap: Illuminates when
the fuel cap may not be properly
installed. Continued driving with
this light on may cause the Emission
system/Check engine warning light
to come on. Refer to Fuel Filler Capin theMaintenance and
Specifications chapter.
CHECK
FUELCAP
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Instrument Cluster
Instrument Cluster
10

CELL PHONE USE
The use of Mobile Communications Equipment has become increasingly
important in the conduct of business and personal affairs. However,
drivers must not compromise their own or others’safety when using
such equipment. Mobile Communications can enhance personal safety
and security when appropriately used, particularly in emergency
situations. Safety must be paramount when using mobile communications
equipment to avoid negating these benefits.
Mobile Communication Equipment includes, but is not limited to cellular
phones, pagers, portable email devices, in vehicle communications
systems, telematics devices and portable two-way radios.
A driver ’s first responsibility is the safe operation of the vehicle.
The most important thing you can do to prevent a crash is to
avoid distractions and pay attention to the road. Wait until it is safe to
operate Mobile Communications Equipment.
CENTER CONSOLE
Your vehicle may be equipped with a variety of console features. These
include:
• Utility compartment
• Cupholders
• Ash tray
Use only soft cups in the cupholder. Hard objects can injure you
in a collision.
POSITIVE RETENTION FLOOR MAT
Position the driver floor mat so that
the eyelet is over the pointed end of
the retention post and rotate
forward to lock in. Make sure that
the mat does not interfere with the
operation of the accelerator or the
brake pedal. To remove the floor
mat, reverse the installation
procedure.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driver Controls
60

Keep vehicle doors and
luggage compartment
locked and keep keys and remote
transmitters out of a child ’s reach.
Unsupervised children could lock
themselves in the trunk and risk
injury. Children should be taught
not to play in vehicles.
On hot days, the temperature in the trunk or vehicle interior can
rise very quickly. Exposure of people or animals to these high
temperatures for even a short time can cause death or serious
heat-related injuries, including brain damage. Small children are
particularly at risk.
REMOTE ENTRY SYSTEM
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules and with RS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device
must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user ’s authority to
operate the equipment.
The remote entry system allows you to:
• unlock the vehicle doors without
a key.
• lock all the vehicle doors without
a key.
• open the trunk without a key.
• activate the personal alarm.
• arm and disarm the perimeter
anti-theft system.
• operate the illuminated entry
feature.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Locks and Security
63

PERIMETER ALARM SYSTEM
The perimeter anti-theft system will warn you in the event of an
unauthorized entry to your vehicle.
If there is any potential perimeter anti-theft problem with your vehicle,
ensureALL remote entry transmitters are taken to the dealership to
aid in troubleshooting.
Arming the system
When armed, this system will respond if unauthorized entry is
attempted. When unauthorized entry occurs, the system will flash the
turn signal lamps and will sound the horn.
The system is ready to arm whenever the key is removed from the
ignition. Either of the following actions will prearm the alarm system:
• Press the
control on the remote entry transmitter.
• Press the driver or passenger door lock control while the door is open.
Disarming the system
You can disarm the system by any of the following actions:
• Unlock the doors by pressing the
control on your remote entry
transmitter.
• Unlock the doors with a key. Turn the key full travel (toward the front
of the vehicle) to ensure the alarm disarms.
Triggering the anti-theft system
The armed system will be triggered if any door, the trunk or the hood is
opened without using the key or the remote entry transmitter.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Locks and Security
72

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.
Energy Management Feature
The safety belts in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder belts.
•This vehicle has a seat belt system with an energy management
feature at the front outboard seating positions to help further reduce
the risk of injury in the event of a head-on collision.
• This seat belt system has a retractor assembly that is designed to pay
out webbing in a controlled manner. This feature is designed to help
reduce the belt force acting on the occupant ’s chest.
The safety restraints in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder
belts. The safety belts have two types of locking modes described below.
Vehicle sensitive mode
The vehicle sensitive mode is the normal retractor mode, allowing free
shoulder belt length adjustment to your movements and locking in
response to vehicle movement. For example, if the driver brakes
suddenly or turns a corner sharply, or the vehicle receives an impact of
approximately 8 km/h (5 mph) or more, the combination safety belts will
lock to help reduce forward movement of the driver and passengers.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
78

The vast majority of drivers and passengers are much safer with an air
bag than without. To do their job and reduce the risk of life threatening
injuries, air bags must open with great force, and this force can pose a
potentially deadly risk in some situations, particularly when a front seat
occupant is not properly buckled up. The most effective way to reduce
the risk of unnecessary air bag injuries, without reducing the overall
safety of the vehicle, is to make sure all occupants are properly
restrained in the vehicle, especially in the front seat. This provides the
protection of safety belts and permits the air bags to provide the
additional protection they were designed to provide. If you choose to
deactivate your air bag, you are losing the very significant risk reducing
benefits of the air bag and you are also reducing the effectiveness of the
safety belts, because safety belts in modern vehicles are designed to
work as a safety system with the air bags.
Read all air bag Warning labels in the vehicle as well as the other
important air bag instructions and Warnings in this Owner’s Guide.
NHTSA deactivation criteria (excluding Canada)
1. Infant. An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat
because:
• the vehicle has no rear seat, or
• the vehicle has a rear seat too small to accommodate a rear-facing
infant seat, or
• the infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant ’s
physician, makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front so that
the driver can constantly monitor the child ’s condition.
2. Child age 1 to 12. A child age 1 to 12 must ride in the front seat
because:
• the vehicle has no rear seat, or
• although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear seat(s) whenever
possible, children ages 1 to 12 sometimes must ride in the front
because no space is available in the rear seat(s) of the vehicle, or
• the child has a medical condition which, according to the child ’s
physician, makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can constantly monitor the child ’s condition.
3. Medical condition. A passenger has a medical condition which,
according to his or her physician:
• causes the passenger air bag to pose a special risk for the passenger
and
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
92

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 air bag 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 near 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.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
95

Disposal of air bags and air bag equipped vehicles (including
pretensioners)
See your local dealership or qualified technician. Air bags MUST BE
disposed of by qualified personnel.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR CHILDREN
See the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety
restraints for children. Also seeAir bag supplemental restraint system
(SRS) in this chapter for special instructions about using air bags.
Important child restraint precautions
You are required by law to use safety restraints for children in the U.S.
and Canada. If small children (generally children who are four years old
or younger and who weigh 18 kg [40 lbs] or less) ride in your vehicle,
you must put them in safety seats made especially for children. Many
states require that children use approved booster seats until they are
eight years old. Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific
requirements regarding the safety of children in your vehicle.
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.
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.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
97

•Turn the key to 4 (ON) without
turning the key to 5 (START).
Make sure the corresponding lights illuminate or illuminate briefly. If a
light fails to illuminate, have the vehicle serviced.
• If the driver ’s safety belt is fastened, the
light may not illuminate.
Starting the engine
1. Turn the key to 4 (ON) without
turning the key to 5 (START).
2. Turn the key to 5 (START), then
release the key as soon as the
engine starts. Excessive cranking
could damage the starter.
Note: If the engine does not start within five seconds on the first try,
turn the key to OFF, wait 10 seconds and try again. If the engine still
fails to start, press the accelerator to the floor and try again; this will
allow the engine to crank with the fuel shut off in case the engine is
flooded with fuel.
23 1
4
5
2
3
4
5
1
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driving
111