2004 FORD F150 child restraint

Additional equipment may affect the performance of the air bag
sensors increasing the risk of injury. Please refer to the Body
Builders Layout Book for instructions about the appropriate installation
of additional equipment.
Children and air bags
For additional important safety
information, read all information on
safety restraints in this guide.
Children must always be properly
restrained. Failure to follow these
instructions may increase the risk of
injury in a collision.
An infant in a rear-facing
seat faces a high risk of
serious or fatal injuries from a
deploying passenger air bag. Rear
facing infant seats should NEVER
be placed in the front seats,
unless the passenger air bag is
turned off (if equipped with an air
bag On/Off switch). See
Passenger air bag ON/OFF
switch.
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²the 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:
²the vehicle has no rear seat;
²although 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
²the 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:
²causes the passenger air bag to pose a special risk for the passenger;
and
²makes the potential harm from the passenger air bag in a crash
greater than the potential harm from turning OFF the air bag and
allowing the passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard or
windshield in a crash.
Transport Canada deactivation criteria (Canada Only)
1.Infant:An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat
because:
²my vehicle has no rear seat;
²the rear seat in my vehicle cannot accommodate a rear-facing infant
seat; or
²the infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant's
physician, makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can monitor the infant's condition.
2.Child age 12 or under:A child age 12 or under must ride in the
front seat because:
²my vehicle has no rear seat;
²although children age 12 and under ride in the rear seat whenever
possible, children age 12 and under have no option but to sometimes
ride in the front seat because rear seat space is insufficient; or
²the child has a medical condition that, according to the child's
physician, makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can monitor the child's condition.
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3.Medical condition:A passenger has a medical condition that,
according to his or her physician:
²poses a special risk for the passenger if the air bag deploys; and
²makes the potential harm from the passenger air bag deployment
greater than the potential harm from turning OFF the air bag and
experiencing a crash without the protection offered by the air bag
Front passenger sensing system
The front passenger sensing system will turn off the front passenger's
frontal air bag under certain conditions. The driver's air bag is not part of
the front passenger sensing system. The front passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part of the front passenger's seat and safety
belt. The sensors are designed to detect the presence of a
properly-seated occupant and determine if the front passenger's frontal
air bag should be enabled (may inflate) or not.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to meet the regulatory
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208
and is designed to turn off the front passenger's frontal air bag if:
²the front passenger seat is unoccupied,
²the system determines that an infant is present in a rear-facing infant
seat that is properly installed according to the manufacturer's
instructions,
²the system determines that a small child is present in a forward-facing
child restraint that is properly installed according to the
manufacturer's instructions,
²the system determines that a small child is present in a booster seat,
²a front passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of
time,
²a smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown child restraints or
a very small person, occupies the front passenger seat.
Even with Advanced Restraints Systems, children 12 and under
should be properly restrained in the back seat.
When the front passenger seat is
occupied and the sensing system
has turned off the passenger's
frontal air bag, the9passenger air
bag off9or9pass air bag off9indicator will light and stay lit to remind you
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that the front passenger frontal air bag is off. When the front passenger
seat is not occupied (empty seat) or in the event that the front passenger
frontal air bag is enabled (may inflate), the indicator light will be unlit.
The indicator light is located in the center stack of the instrument panel
just above the radio.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the front
passenger's frontal air bag when a rear facing infant seat, a
forward-facing child restraint, or a booster seat is detected. If the child
restraint has been installed and the indicator is not lit, then turn the
vehicle off, remove the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the
restraint following the child restraint manufacturer's directions.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to enable (may inflate)
the right front passenger's frontal air bag anytime the system senses that
a person of adult size is sitting properly in the front passenger seat,
unless the air bag on/off switch (if equipped) is turned to the Off
position. When the passenger sensing system has allowed the air bag to
be enabled, the indicator will be unlit and stay unlit to remind you that
the air bag is enabled (may inflate).
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the front passenger's seat, but the
ªpassenger air bag offº or ªpass air bag offº indicator is lit, it could be
that the person isn't sitting properly in the seat , or that the air bag
on/off switch (if equipped) is in the Off position. If this happens, turn
the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback in the full
upright position, then sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with the person's legs comfortably extended. Restart the vehicle
and have the person remain in this position for about two minutes. This
will allow the system to detect that person and then enable the
passenger's air bag. If the indicator lamp remains lit even after this, then
the occupant should be advised to ride in the back seat.
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on seat belts, it's
very important that they continue to sit upright, with their back against
the seatback, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor while the
vehicle is still in motion. Sitting improperly can increase the chance of
injury in a crash event. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down,
turns sideways, sits forward, leans forward or sideways, or puts one or
both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash is greatly increased.
Sitting improperly out of position or with the seatback reclined too
far can take off weight from the seat cushion and affect the decision
of the passenger sensing system, resulting in serious injury or death in a
crash. Always sit upright against your seatback, with your feet on the floor.
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If the vehicle is equipped with an Air
Bag On/Off switch, it will override the
decision from the passenger sensing
system when in the OFF mode. In case
of securing child seats (with or without
a latch system) on the front passenger
seat for vehicles that do not have a
rear seat, the air bag On/Off switch
should be turned to the OFF mode to
suppress the air bag in the presence of
a child seat. In the same way, if there
is an adult on the passenger seat, the
air bag On/Off switch should be turned
to the ON mode to enable the air bag.
Again this in ONLY recommended for
vehicles that do not have a rear seat,
otherwise all children 12 and under
and frail adults should be properly
restrained in the rear seat.
In case there is a problem with the
passenger sensing system, the air bag
readiness light in the instrument
cluster will stay lit. Do NOT attempt to
repair or service the system; take your vehicle immediately to the dealer.
The front passenger air bag is not designed to offer protection to
an occupant in the center front seating position.
An out of position front center occupant could affect the
decision of the front passenger sensing system.
If it is necessary to modify an advanced front air bag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, contact the Ford Customer
Relationship Center at the phone number shown in the Customer
Assistance Section of this Owner's Guide.
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
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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. When
possible, always place children under age 12 in the rear seat of your
vehicle. Accident statistics suggest that children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating position.
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.
Child booster seats
Children outgrow a typical convertible or toddler seat when they weigh
40 pounds and are around 4 years of age. Although the lap/shoulder belt
will provide some protection, these children are still too small for
lap/shoulder belts to fit properly, which could increase the risk of serious
injury.
To improve the fit of both the lap and shoulder belt on children who
have outgrown child safety seats, Ford Motor Company recommends use
of a belt-positioning booster.
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Booster seats position a child so that safety belts fit better. They lift the
child up so that the lap belt rests low across the hips and the knees
bend comfortably. Booster seats also make the shoulder belt fit better
and more comfortably for growing children.
When children should use booster seats
Children need to use booster seats from the time they outgrow the
toddler seat until they are big enough for the vehicle seat and
lap/shoulder belt to fit properly. Generally this is when they weigh about
80 lbs (about 8 to 12 years old).
Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these
questions:
²Can the child sit all the way back
against the vehicle seat back with
knees bent comfortably at the
edge of the seat without
slouching?
²Does the lap belt rest low across the hips?
²Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
²Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
Types of booster seats
There are two types of belt-positioning booster seats:
²Those that are backless.
If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the
shield and use the lap/shoulder
belt. If a seating position has a
low seat back and no head
restraint, a backless booster seat
may place your child's head (top
of ear level) above the top of the
seat. In this case, move the
backless booster to another
seating position with a higher seat back and lap/shoulder belts.
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²Those with a high back.
If, with a backless booster seat,
you cannot find a seating position
that adequately supports your
child's head, a high back booster
seat would be a better choice.
Both can be used in any vehicle in a seating position equipped with
lap/shoulder belts if your child is over 40 lbs.
The shoulder belt should cross the chest, resting snugly on the center of
the shoulder. The lap belt should rest low and snug across the hips,
never up high across the stomach.
If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat, placing a rubberized mesh
sold as shelf or carpet liner under the booster seat may improve this
condition.
The importance of shoulder belts
Using a booster without a shoulder belt increases the risk of a child's
head hitting a hard surface in a collision. For this reason, you should
never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. It is best to use a booster
seat with lap/shoulder belts in the back seat- the safest place for children
to ride.
Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the
booster seat.
Never put the shoulder belt under a child's arm or behind the
back because it eliminates the protection for the upper part of
the body and may increase the risk of injury or death in a collision.
Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a child. They can
slide around and increase the likelihood of injury or death in a
collision.
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