2004 FORD F250 Owners Manual

Do not use extensions to change the fit of the shoulder belt
across the torso.
Safety belt maintenance
Inspect the safety belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged. Inspect the safety belts to make sure
there are no nicks, tears or cuts. Replace if necessary. All safety belt
assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front seat belt buckle
assemblies, buckle support assemblies (slide bar-if equipped), shoulder
belt height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder belt guide on seatback (if
equipped), child safety seat LATCH and tether anchors, and attaching
hardware, should be inspected after a collision. Ford Motor Company
recommends that all safety belt assemblies in use in vehicles involved in
a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was minor and a
qualified technician finds that the belts do not show damage and
continue to operate properly, they do not need to be replaced. Safety
belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also be inspected and
replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.
Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the safety belt
assembly under the above conditions could result in severe
personal injuries in the event of a collision.
Refer toInteriorin theCleaningchapter.
AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
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Important SRS precautions
The SRS is designed to work with
the safety belt to help protect the
driver and right front passenger
from certain upper body injuries. Air
bags DO NOT inflate slowly; there is
a risk of injury from a deploying air
bag.
All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when an air bag
supplemental restraint system (SRS) is provided.
Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back
seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
recommends a minimum distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between an occupant’s chest and the driver air bag module.
Never place your arm over the air bag module as a deploying air
bag can result in serious arm fractures or other injuries.
To properly position yourself away from the air bag:
•Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
•Recline the seat slightly one or two degrees from the upright position.
Do not put anything on or over the air bag module. Placing
objects on or over the air bag inflation area may cause those
objects to be propelled by the air bag into your face and torso causing
serious injury.
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Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the air bag
supplemental restraint systems or its fuses. See your Ford or
Lincoln Mercury dealer.
The front passenger air bag is not designed to offer protection to
an occupant in the center front seating position.
Modifying or adding equipment to the front end of the vehicle
(including frame, bumper, front end body structure and tow
hooks) may affect the performance of the air bag system, increasing
the risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the vehicle.
Additional equipment such as snowplow equipment may effect
the performance of the air bag sensors increasing the risk of
injury. Please refer to theBody Builders Layout Bookfor instructions
about the appropriate installation of additional equipment.
Removing the blocker beam without installing snow plow
attachment hardware may effect air bag deployment in a crash.
Do not operate the truck unless either the blocker beam or snow plow
attachment hardware is installed on the vehicle.
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. SeePassenger air bag ON/OFF switch.
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How does the air bag supplemental restraint system work?
The air bag SRS is designed to
activate when the vehicle sustains
sufficient longitudinal deceleration.
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. Air bags are
designed to inflate in frontal and
near-frontal collisions, not rollover,
side-impact, or rear-impacts.
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.
While the system is designed to help
reduce serious injuries, it may also
cause minor abrasions, swelling or temporary hearing loss. Because air
bags must inflate rapidly and with considerable force, there is the risk of
death or serious injuries such as fractures, facial and eye injuries or
internal injuries, particularly to occupants who are not properly
restrained or are otherwise out of position at the time of air bag
deployment. Thus, it is extremely important that occupants be properly
restrained as far away from the air bag module as possible while
maintaining vehicle control.
Several air bag system components get hot after inflation. Do not
touch them after inflation.
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If the air bag has deployed,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:
•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 which connects the components.
The diagnostic module monitors its own internal circuits and the
supplemental air bag electrical system wiring (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.
Disposal of air bags and air bag equipped vehicles (including
pretensioners)
See your local dealership or qualified technician. Air bags MUST BE
disposed of by qualified personnel.
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Passenger air bag ON/OFF switch (if equipped)
An air bag ON/OFF switch
has been installed in this
vehicle. Before driving,always
look at the face of the switch to
be sure the switch is in the proper
position in accordance with these
instructions and warnings. Failure
to put the switch in a proper
position can increase the risk of
serious injury or death in a
collision.
Turning the passenger air bag off
1. Insert the ignition key, turn the
switch to OFF position and hold in
OFF position while removing the
key.
2. When the ignition is turned to the
ON position the OFF light
illuminates briefly, momentarily
shuts off and then turns back 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.
In order to avoid inadvertent activation of the switch, always
remove the ignition key from the passenger air bag ON/OFF
switch.
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.
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
OFF ON
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
OFF ON
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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 briefly
illuminate when the ignition is
turned to On. This indicates that the
passenger air bag is operational.
If the OFF 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.
The passenger side air bag should always be ON (the air bag OFF light
shouldnotbe illuminated) unless the passenger is a person who meets
the requirements stated either in Category 1, 2 or 3 of the
NHTSA/Transport Canada deactivation criteria which follows.
The safety belts for the driver and right front passenger seating
positions have been specifically designed to function together
with the air bags in certain types of crashes. When you turn OFF your
air bag, you not only lose the protection of the air bag, you also may
reduce the effectiveness of your safety belt system, which was
designed to work with the air bag. If you are not a person who meets
the requirements stated in the NHTSA/Transport Canada deactivation
criteria turning OFF the air bag can increase the risk of serious injury
or death in a collision.
If your vehicle has rear seats, always transport children who are
12 and younger in the rear seat. Always use safety belts and
child restraints properly. If a child in a rear facing infant seat must be
transported in front, the passenger air bagmustbe turned OFF. This is
because the back of the infant seat is too close to the inflating air bag
and the risk of a fatal injury to the infant when the air bag inflates is
substantial.
The vast majority of drivers and passengers are much safer with an air
bag than without. To do their job and reduce the risk of life threatening
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
OFF ON
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injuries, air bags must open with great force, and this force can pose a
potentially deadly risk in some situations, particularly when a front seat
occupant is not properly buckled up. The most effective way to reduce
the risk of unnecessary air bag injuries without reducing the overall
safety of the vehicle is to make sure all occupants are properly
restrained in the vehicle, especially in the front seat. This provides the
protection of safety belts and permits the air bags to provide the
additional protection they were designed to provide. If you choose to
deactivate your air bag, you are losing the very significant risk reducing
benefits of the air bag and you are also reducing the effectiveness of the
safety belts, because safety belts in modern vehicles are designed to
work as a safety system with the air bags.
Read all air bag warning labels in the vehicle as well as the other
important air bag instructions and warnings in this Owner’s Guide.
NHTSA deactivation criteria (excluding Canada)
1.Infant.An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat
because:
•the vehicle has no rear seat;
•the vehicle has a rear seat too small to accommodate a rear-facing
infant seat; or
•the 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:
•the vehicle has no rear seat;
•although 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
•the 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:
•causes the passenger air bag to pose a special risk for the passenger;
and
•makes 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.
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