2002 Mercury Mountaineer instrument cluster

common, moderate-severity impacts. A higher energy level is used for
the most severe impacts. Refer toAir bag Supplemental Restraints
section in this chapter.
Front crash severity sensor
The front crash severity sensor enhances the ability to detect the
severity of an impact. Positioned up front, it provides valuable
information early in the crash event on the severity of the impact. This
allows your Personal Safety System to distinguish between different
levels of crash severity and modify the deployment strategy of the
dual-stage air bags and safety belt pretensioners.
Driver’s seat position sensor
The driver’s seat position sensor allows your Personal Safety System to
tailor the deployment level of the driver dual-stage air bag based on seat
position. The system is designed to help protect smaller drivers sitting
close to the driver air bag by providing a lower air bag output level.
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 air bag deployment and
safety belt pretensioner activation depending upon safety belt usage.
Refer toSafety Beltsection in this chapter.
Front safety belt pretensioners
The safety belt pretensioners are designed to tighten the safety belts
firmly against the occupant’s body during a collision. This maximizes the
effectiveness of the safety belts and helps properly position the occupant
relative to the air bag to improve protection. The safety belt
pretensioners can be either activated alone or, if the collision is of
sufficient severity, together with the air bags.
Front safety belt energy management retractors
The front 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 toSafety Beltsection in this chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety System is 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
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to theWarning Lightsection in theInstrument Clusterchapter.
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 air bag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt buckle sensors, and the driver
seat position sensor. 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 the 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 your dealership or by a qualified technician
immediately. Unless serviced, the system may not function properly in
the event of a collision.
Safety restraints precautions
Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap
belt snug and low across the hips.
To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit where they
can be properly restrained.
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.
All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when an air bag (SRS) is
provided.
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.
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135

Do not use extensions to change the fit of the shoulder belt across the
torso.
Safety belt warning light and indicator chime
The seat belt warning light illuminates in the instrument cluster and a
chime sounds to remind the occupants to fasten their safety belts.
Conditions of operation
If... Then...
The driver’s safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The safety belt warning light
illuminates 1-2 minutes and the
warning chime sounds 4-8 seconds.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding...The safety belt warning light and
warning chime turn off.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The safety belt warning light and
indicator chime remain off.
BeltMinder
The BeltMinder feature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt
warning function. This feature provides additional reminders to the
driver that the driver’s safety belt is unbuckled by intermittently
sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning lamp in the
instrument cluster.
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143

If... Then...
The driver’s safety belt is not
buckled before the vehicle has
reached at least 5 km/h (3
mph) and 1-2 minutes have
elapsed since the ignition
switch has been turned to
ON...The BeltMinder feature is activated -
the safety belt warning light
illuminates and the warning chime
sounds for 6 seconds every 30
seconds, repeating for approximately
5 minutes or until safety belt is
buckled.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled while the safety belt
indicator light is illuminated
and the safety belt warning
chime is sounding...The BeltMinder feature will not
activate.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The BeltMinder feature will not
activate.
The BeltMinder feature is a supplemental warning to the seat belt
warning function. This feature provides additional reminders to the
driver that the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled by intermittently sounding
a chime and illuminating the seat belt warning lamp in the instrument
cluster.
If... Then...
The driver’s seat belt is not
buckled before the vehicle has
reached at least 5 km/h (3
mph) and 1-2 minutes have
elapsed since the ignition
switch has been turned to
ON...The BeltMinder feature is activated -
the seat belt warning light illuminates
and the warning chime sounds for 6
seconds every 30 seconds, repeating
for approximately 5 minutes or until
seat belt is buckled.
The driver’s seat belt is
buckled while the seat belt
indicator light is illuminated
and the seat belt warning
chime is sounding...The BeltMinder feature will not
activate.
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144

•diagnostic module.
•and the electrical wiring which connects the components.
The diagnostic module monitors its own internal circuits and the
supplemental air bag electrical system warning (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 toAir bag readinesssection
in theInstrument clusterchapter. 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 immediately after
ignition is turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and/or 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.
Safety Canopy
system (if equipped)
Do not place objects or
mount equipment on or
near the headliner at the siderail
that may come into contact with a
deploying Safety Canopy. Failure
to follow these instructions may
increase the risk of personal injury
in the event of a collision.
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154

Several Safety Canopy
system components get hot
after inflation. Do not touch them
after inflation.
If the Safety Canopysystem has deployed,the Safety
Canopywill not function again. The Safety Canopy
system (including the A, B and C pillar trim) must be inspected
and serviced by a qualified technician in accordance with the
vehicle service manual.If the Safety Canopyis not replaced, the
unrepaired area will increase the risk of injury in a collision.
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 readiness
section in theInstrumentationchapter. 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 (same light as for front air bag system) will either
flash or stay lit.
•The readiness 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 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
or rollover event.
Disposal of air bags and air bag equipped vehicles
(including pretensioners)
For disposal of air bags or air bag equipped vehicles, see your local
dealership or qualified technician. Air bags MUST BE disposed of by
qualified personnel.
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The ABS operates by detecting the
onset of wheel lockup during brake
applications and compensates for
this tendency. The wheels are
prevented from locking even when
the brakes are firmly applied. The
accompanying illustration depicts
the advantage of an ABS equipped
vehicle (on bottom) to a non-ABS
equipped vehicle (on top) during hard braking with loss of front braking
traction.
ABS warning lamp
ABS
TheABSwarning lamp in the instrument cluster momentarily illuminates
when the ignition is turned to the ON position. If the light does not
illuminate momentarily at start up, remains on or continues to flash, the
ABS needs to be serviced.
With the ABS light on, the anti-lock
brake system is disabled and normal
braking is still effective unless the
brake warning light also remains
illuminated with parking brake released. (If your brake warning lamp
illuminates, have your vehicle serviced immediately.)
Using ABS
•In an emergency or when maximum efficiency from the four-wheel
ABS is required, apply continuous force on the brake. The four wheel
ABS will be activated immediately, thus allowing you to retain full
steering control of your vehicle and, providing there is sufficient
space, will enable you to avoid obstacles and bring the vehicle to a
controlled stop.
•The anti-lock system does not reduce stopping distance. Always leave
enough room between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to
stop.
•We recommend that you familiarize yourself with this braking
technique. However, avoid taking any unnecessary risks.
Brake Assist (if equipped as part of the AdvanceTrac
system)
The Brake Assist system provides full braking force during panic braking
situations. It detects a rapid application of the brake pedal and
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maximizesthe amount of brake booster assist, helping the driver to
achieve maximum braking pressure. Once a panic brake application is
detected, the system will remain activated as long as the brake pedal is
depressed. The system is deactivated by releasing the brake pedal.
When the system activates, the brake pedal will travel with very little
effort; this is normal.
Parking brake
Apply the parking brake whenever
the vehicle is parked. To set the
parking brake, press the parking
brake pedal down until the pedal
stops.
The BRAKE warning lamp in the
instrument cluster illuminates and
remains illuminated (when the
ignition is turned ON) until the
parking brake is released.
Always set the parking brake fully and make sure that the
gearshift is securely latched in P (Park).
The parking brake is not recommended to stop a moving vehicle.
However, if the normal brakes fail, the parking brake can be used to stop
your vehicle in an emergency. Since the parking brake applies only the
rear brakes, the vehicle’s stopping distance will increase greatly and the
handling of your vehicle will be adversely affected.
!
BRAKE
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