warning FORD WINDSTAR 1998 1.G Owner's Guide

Seating and Safety Restraints
157
[SS11000(ALL)04/96]
Safety Belts
[SS11100(ALL)04/96]
The use of safety belts helps to restrain you and your
passengers in case of a collision. In most states and in Canada,
the law requires their use. We strongly recommend that you use
them every time you travel in your vehicle.
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[SS11200(ALL)02/96]
Safety belts provide best restraint when:
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[SS11300(ALL)02/96]
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the seatback is upright
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the occupant is sitting upright (not slouched)
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the lap belt is snug and low on the hips
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the shoulder belt is snug against the chest
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the knees are straight forward
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[SS11800(ALL)02/96]
See the following sections in this chapter for directions on how
to properly use these safety belts. Also seeSafety Restraints for
Childrenin this chapter for special instructions about using
safety belts for children.
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[SS11900(ALL)12/95]
RWARNING
Make sure that you and your passengers, including
pregnant women, wear safety belts. Be sure that the lap
belt portion of your safety belt fits snugly and as low as
possible around the hips.
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[SS12000(ALL)05/96]
RWARNING
Cargo should always be secured to prevent it from
shifting and causing damage to the vehicle or harm to
passengers.
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[SS12100(ALL)07/96]
RWARNING
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 it
around your neck over the inside shoulder. 3) Never use
a single belt for more than one person.
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[SS12200(ALL)02/96]
RWARNING
Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and
the lap belt snug and low across the hips.
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[SS12300(ALL)05/96]
RWARNING
Children should always ride with the seatback in the
fully upright position.
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[SS12400(ALL)05/96]
RWARNING
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.
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[SS12600(ALL)02/96]
RWARNING
Lock the doors of your vehicle before driving to lessen
the risk of the door coming open in a collision.
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164
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[SS15000(ALL)01/96]
RWARNING
When reinstalling a rear seat in your vehicle it must be
placed in its original position. Improper installation of
the seat will prevent correct use of the safety belts and
could increase the risk of injury. Refer to the warning
label on the seat belt.
[SS15100(ALL)12/95]
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual locking mode retractor on
the shoulder belt portion of the combination lap/shoulder safety
belt for front passenger and rear seat window passengers.
[SS15200(ALL)12/95]
Dual locking mode retractors operate in two ways:
[SS15300(ALL)12/95]
Vehicle Sensitive (Emergency) Locking Mode
[SS15400(ALL)12/95]
In this operating mode, the shoulder belt retractor will allow the
occupant freedom of movement, locking tight only on hard
braking, hard cornering or impacts of approximately five mph
(8 km/h) or more.
[SS15500(ALL)12/95]
Automatic Locking Mode
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[SS15600(ALL)08/95]
In this operating mode, the shoulder belt retractor will be
automatically locked and remain locked when the combination
lap/shoulder safety belt is buckled, and does not allow the
occupant freedom of movement. This mode provides the
following:
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A tight lap/shoulder belt fit on occupant
[SS15800(ALL)12/95]
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Child seat or infant carrier restraint
[SS15900(ALL)12/95]
Rear-facing infant seats should never be placed in the front seat.
[SS16000(ALL)12/95]
This modemust be usedwhen installing a child seat on the
front passenger seat and rear window seats where dual locking
retractors are provided.
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Seating and Safety Restraints
167
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RWARNING
Failure to follow these instructions will affect the
performance of the safety belts and increase the risk of
personal injury.
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Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS)
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[SS18100(ALL)05/96]
The driver and right front passenger air bags are Supplemental
Restraint Systems (SRS), provided at these seating positions in
addition to the lap/shoulder belt, and are designed to
supplement the protection provided to properly belted
occupants in moderate to severe frontal collisions. The
supplemental air bag system does not provide restraint to the
lower body.
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[SS18200(ALL)05/96]
The Importance of Wearing Safety Belts
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RWARNING
All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should
always wear their safety belts, even when an air bag
Supplemental Restraint System is provided.
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There are four very important reasons to use safety belts even
with an air bag system. Use your safety belts to:
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help keep you in the proper position (away from the air bag)
when it inflates
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reduce the risk of harm in rollover, side or rear impact
collisions, because an air bag is not designed to inflate in
such situations
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reduce the risk of harm in frontal collisions that are not
severe enough to activate the supplemental air bag
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reduce the risk of being thrown from your vehicle
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168
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The Importance of Being Properly Seated
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[SS19100(ALL)05/96]
In a collision, the air bag must inflate extremely fast to help
provide additional protection for you. In order to do this, the
air bag must inflate with considerable force. If you are not
seated in a normal riding position with your back against the
seatback, the air bag may not protect you properly and could
possibly hurt you as it inflates.
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[SS19200(ALL)05/96]
Your vehicle is equipped with a right front passenger air bag.
Air bags deploy with great force, faster than the blink of an eye.
Front passengers, especially children and small adults, must
never sit on the front edge of the seat, stand near the glove
compartment of the instrument panel, or lean over near the air
bag cover when the vehicle is moving. All occupants should sit
with their backs against the seatback, move the seat to the most
rearward position if possible and use the safety belts. Children
weighing less than 40 lbs. (18 kg) always should use child or
infant seats.
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[SS19300(ALL)07/96]
RWARNING
When installing forward-facing child seats in the front
seat, always move the passenger seat as far back from the
instrument panel as possible. Never install rear-facing
child seats or rear-facing infant seats in the front seat.
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[SS19400(ALL)05/96]
The force of the rapidly inflating passenger air bag could push
the top of the rear-facing seat against the vehicle seatback,
armrests or console. Rear-facing infant seats must always be
secured in the rear seat.
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Seating and Safety Restraints
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RWARNING
Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the
air bag cover that may come in contact with an inflating
air bag. Failure to follow this instruction may increase
the risk of personal injury in the event of a collision.
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[SS19600(ALL)05/96]
For further information about the proper mounting of
equipment in the front seat of this vehicle, please refer to Ford's
brochure entitledSome Important Information About Air Bag
Supplemental Restraint Systemwhich can be obtained by calling
Helm Inc. at 1-800-782-4356. Ask for brochure FPS-8602.
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[SS19700(ALL)05/96]
For additional important safety information on the proper use of
seat belts, child seats, and infant seats, please read the other
sections of this chapter of the Owner Guide, especially sections
entitledSafety Belts for ChildrenandSafety Seats for Children.
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[SS19800(ALL)05/96]
How Does the Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System
Work?
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The Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System consists of the
driver and passenger air bags, impact sensors, a system
diagnostic module, a readiness light and tone, and the electrical
wiring which connects the components.
[SS20000(ALL)04/96]
The driver air bag is in the center of the steering wheel and is
indicated by the letters ªSRS.º The right front passenger seat air
bag is in the upper right-hand section of the instrument panel
ledge above the glove compartment. The letters ªSRSº appear
there. Both air bags are designed to stay out of sight until they
are activated.
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RWARNING
Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the Air Bag
Supplemental Restraint System or its fuses. See your
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
[SS20200(ALL)04/96]
If a collision occurs, the sensors sense the severity of the impact
and activates the air bags if necessary. The air bag system is
designed to deploy in frontal and front-angled collisions more
severe than hitting a parked vehicle (of similar size and weight)
head-on at about 28 mph (45 km/h). Because the system senses
the crash severity rather than vehicle speed, some frontal
collisions at speeds above 28 mph (45 km/h) will not inflate the
air bag.
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[SS20300(ALL)05/96]
When the sensors activate the system, the air bags inflate
rapidly, filling with non-toxic nitrogen gas in a fraction of a
second. Immediately after inflation, the air bags deflate by
releasing the nitrogen gas through vent holes. The whole
process takes place in a matter of seconds.
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[SS20400(ALL)07/96]
RWARNING
Several air bag system components get hot after inflation.
Do not touch them after inflation.
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17-1/2 pica
art:0050088-A
Inflated passenger-side air bag
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[SS20700(ALL)05/96]
RWARNING
The air bag will inflate only once. The system is
designed to function on a one-time-only basis. If the air
bag is inflated, THE AIR BAG WILL NOT FUNCTION
AGAIN AND MUST BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. If
the air bag is not replaced, this will increase the risk of
injury in a subsequent collision.
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Seating and Safety Restraints
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To ensure that the air bag system will operate as intended in a
crash, the system is equipped with a diagnostic module, which
controls a readiness lamp and a warning tone. The diagnostic
module monitors its own circuits, the air bag electrical system,
the air bag readiness light, the air bag power and the air bag
inflators.
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[SS20900(ALL)03/96]
The air bag supplemental restraint system uses a readiness light
and a tone to indicate the condition of the system. The
readiness light is in the instrument cluster. When you turn the
ignition key to ON, this light will illuminate for approximately
six (6) seconds and then turn off. This indicates that the system
is operating normally.NOTE:Maintenance of the air bag system
is not required.
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[SS21000(ALL)05/96]
A problem with the system is indicated by one or more of the
following:
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the readiness light will either flash or stay illuminated,
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or it will not illuminate immediately after ignition is turned
on,
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a group of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will
repeat periodically until the problem and light are repaired.
[SS21400(ALL)12/95]
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the air
bag system serviced at your Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer
immediately.
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[SS21500(ALL)05/96]
Disposal of air bags and air bag equipped vehicles
[SS21600(ALL)12/95]
For disposal of air bags or air bag equipped vehicles, see your
local Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer. Air bags MUST be
disposed of by qualified personnel.
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Safety Restraints for Children
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[SS21800(ALL)01/96]
In the U.S. and Canada, you are required by law to use safety
restraints for children. If small children ride in your vehicle Ð
this generally includes children who are four years old or
younger and who weigh 40 pounds (18 kg) or less Ð you must
put them in safety seats that are made specially for children.
Safety belts alone do not provide maximum protection for these
children. Check your local and state laws for specific
requirements.
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[SS21900(ALL)05/96]
RWARNING
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.
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[SS22000(ALL)05/96]
RWARNING
Cargo should always be secured to prevent it from
shifting and causing damage to the vehicle or harm to
passengers.
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[SS22100(ALL)05/96]
RWARNING
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.
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