1998 FORD CONTOUR Owners Manual

Seating and safety restraints
57 Care of safety belts
Periodically check the belts for
damage or fraying. Check the
security of the anchorage points
and the locking action of the inertia
reels by giving each belt a sharp
tug.
Belts subjected to strain, as in the
result of an accident, should be
replaced and the anchorages
checked by your dealer or a
qualified technician.
Failure to follow these
instructions will affect the
performance of the safety belts
and increase the risk of personal
injury.
Safety belt warning label
A warning label has been placed on
the buckle of each of your vehicle’s
front seat safety belts.
In a collision of sufficient severity
while the safety belt is in use, the
safety belt buckle will pull out of
the sleeve so that all or part of the
orange portion of the label is
visible.
Whenever the orange
portion of the label is visible,
the safety belt must be replaced.
WARNING Replace buckle
assembly if this vehicle is in a collision
or if any orange portion of this label
is visible. (See Owner Guide). Failure
to replace this buckle assembly under
the above conditions could result in
severe personal injuries in the event
of collision.
AVERTISSEMENT Remplacer
l'ensemble de boucle de ceinture en
cas de collision avec ce véhicule, ou si
la partie orange de cette étiquette
est visible (Voir le Guide du
proprietare). Faute de remplacer cet
ensemble de boucle, des blessures
graves pourraient être encourues en
cas de collision.
REPLACE BUCKLE/REMPLACER BOUCLE
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Seating and safety restraints
58Important supplemental
restraint system (SRS)
precautions
The supplemental restraint system
is designed to:
•work with the safety belt to
protect the driver and right front
passenger.
•reduce certain upper body
injuries.
AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
MIRRORS
HM:
I0 20
OFF LOPNL/FLR
PANEL
A/CFLOOR
DEF FLR
DEF
MAX
A/C HI/
POWERAUDIOAM/FM
SCAN
SEEK 312645ANSSIDE1-2EJECTVOLUME
000123000010 20 3040506070
80
90
100
110
120
130MPH20 406055
80120 100
140
160
180
200EF 1
/
2UNLEADED FUEL ONLY12
03x 1000
4
5
6
7
8
NORMALBRAKE
CHECK
ENGINE TRACTION
CONTROLO/D
OFF
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Seating and safety restraints
59
Do not attempt to service,
repair, or modify the air bag
Supplemental Restraint System or
its fuses. See your Ford or
Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
AIRBAG
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.
Children and air bags
For additional important safety
information, read all information on
safety restraints in this guide.
Children should always wear safety
belts. Failure to follow these
instructions may increase the risk
of injury in a collision.
Do not place objects or
mount equipment on or near
the air bag covers that may come
into contact with an inflating air
bag.
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Seating and safety restraints
60
How does the air bag
supplemental restraint system
(SRS) work?
The SRS is designed to activate
when the vehicle is in a collision,
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
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
burned 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.
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Seating and safety restraints
61
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, the unrepaired area will
increase the risk of injury in a
collision.
The SRS consists of the following:
•driver and passenger air bag
modules (which include the
inflators and air bags),
•one or more impact and safing
sensors,
•a readiness light and tone,
•and the electrical wiring and
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.
Several air bag system
components get hot after
inflation. Do not touch them after
inflation.
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Seating and safety restraints
62Determining if the system is
operational
The SRS uses a readiness light in
the instrument cluster or a chime
to indicate the condition of the
system. Refer to the Air bag
readinesssection in the
Instrumentationchapter. Routine
maintenance of the air bag is not
required.
A difficulty with the system is
indicated by one or more of the
following:
•The readiness light will either
flash or stay lit.
•The readiness light will not
illuminate after ignition is turned
on.
•A 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.
000123
000010 20 3040506070
80
90
110
120
130
MPH
20 4060
55
80120 100
140
160
180
200100
EF 1
/
2
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY
BRAKE
CHECK
ENGINE
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Seating and safety restraints
63 Disposal of air bags and air bag
equipped vehicles
For disposal of air bags or air bag
equipped vehicles, see your local
dealership or a qualified technician.
Air bags MUST BEdisposed of by
qualified personnel.
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Seating and safety restraints
64
Safety belts and seats can
become hot in a vehicle that
has been closed up in sunny
weather; they could burn a small
child. Check seat covers and
buckles before you place a child
anywhere near them.
Do not leave children,
unreliable adults, or pets
unattended in your vehicle.
To prevent the risk of injury,
make sure children sit where
they can be properly restrained.
CHILDREN AND SAFETY
RESTRAINTS
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.
Whenever possible, put
children in one of the rear
seats in your vehicle. Accident
statistics indicate that children are
safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats than in the front
seats.
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