1997 FORD F150 Owners Manual

with a safety belt extension
assembly (part # 611C22). Safety
belt extensions are available at no
cost from your Ford or
Lincoln/Mercury dealer.
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 extension to
change the fit of the shoulder belt
across the torso.
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM (SRS)
Important supplemental
restraint system (SRS)
precautions
The supplemental restraint system
is designed to:
²work with the safety belt to
protect the driver and right
front passenger
²reduce certain upper body
injuries
Failure to follow these
instructions will affect the
performance of the safety belts
and increase the risk of personal
injury.
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The right front passenger
air bag is not designed to
restrain occupants in the front
seating position.
Do not place objects or
mount equipment on or
near the air bag covers that may
come into contact with an
inflating air bag.
Do not attempt to service,
repair, or modify the Air
Bag Supplemental Restraint
System or its fuses. See your
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
Children and air bags
For additional important safety
information, read all information
on safety restraints in this guide.
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Children should always wear their
safety belts. Failure to follow these
instructions may increase the risk
of injury in a collision.
Rear-facing child seats or
infant carriers should
never be placed in the front
seats.
How does the air bag
supplemental restraint system
work?
The SRS is designed to activate
when the vehicle sustains
sufficient longitudinal deceleration,
similar to hitting a fixed barrier
head on at 12±24 km/h (8±14
mph).
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
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were not of the type sufficient to
cause activation.
The air bags inflate and deflate
rapidly upon activation.
After air bag deployment, it is
normal to notice a smoke-like,
powdery residue or smell the burnt
propellant. This may consist of
cornstarch, talcum powder (to
lubricate the bag) or sodium
compounds (e.g., baking soda) that
result from the combustion process
that inflates the air bag. Small
amounts of sodium hydroxide may
be present which may irritate the
skin and eyes, but none of the
residue is toxic.
Several air bag system
components get hot after
inflation. Do not touch them
after inflation.
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69

If the air bag is inflated,
the air bag will not
function again and must be
replaced immediately.Ifthe
air bag is not replaced, the
unrepaired area will increase the
risk of injury in a collision.
The SRS consists of:
²driver and passenger air bag
modules (which include the
inflators and air bags),
²one or more impact and safing
sensors,
²a readiness light and tone
²and the electrical wiring which
connects the components.
The diagnostic module monitors its
own internal circuits and the
supplemental air bag electrical
system readiness (including the
impact sensors), the system wiring,
the air bag system readiness light,
the air bag back up power and the
air bag ignitors.
Determining if the system is
operational
The SRS uses a readiness light in
the instrument cluster or a tone to
indicate the condition of the
system. Refer to theAir bag
readinesssection in the
Instrumentationchapter. Routine
maintenance of the air bag is not
required.
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A difficulty with the system is
indicated by one or more of the
following:
²The readiness light will either
flash or stay lit.
²The readiness light will not
illuminate immediately after
ignition is turned on.
²A group of five beeps will be
heard. The tone pattern will
repeat periodically until the
problem and light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even
intermittently, have the SRS
serviced at your dealership or by a
qualified technician immediately.
Unless serviced, the system may
not function properly in the event
of a collision.
Passenger air bag deactivate
switch
Your vehicle has a passenger air
bag deactivate switch. This switch
MUST be used to activate or
deactivate the passenger air bag
whenever a rear-facing infant seat
is used in the right front or center
front passenger seat position.
PASSENGER AIRBAG
ON
OFF OFF
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Keep the passenger air bag
turned on unless there is a
rear-facing infant seat installed in
the front seat. When the
passenger air bag switch is
turned off, the passenger air bag
will not inflate in a collision.
If the passenger air bag switch is
turned off, it increases the
likelihood of injury to forward
facing occupants in the passenger
seat.
Turning the passenger air bag
off
1. Insert the ignition key, turn the
switch to OFF and remove the key.
2. The OFF light illuminates when
the key is inserted in the ignition
and turned to On. This indicates
that the passenger air bag is
deactivated.
If the light fails to
illuminate when the
passenger air bag switch is in the
OFF position and the ignition
switch is in ON, have the
passenger air bag switch serviced
at your Ford or Lincoln-Mercury
dealer immediately.
PASSENGER AIRBAG
ON
OFF OFF
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In order to avoid
inadvertent deployment of
the passenger air bag, always
remove the ignition key from the
passenger air bag deactivate
switch.
Turning the passenger air bag
back on
The passenger air bag remains off
until you turn it back on.
1. Insert the ignition key and turn
the switch to ON.
2. The OFF light will not illuminate
when the ignition is turned to On.
If the light is illuminated
when the passenger air
bag switch is in the ON position
and the ignition switch is in ON,
have the passenger air bag
switch serviced at your Ford or
Lincoln-Mercury dealer
immediately.
PASSENGER AIRBAG
ON
OFF OFF
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