
Replacing the luggage compartment lamp
1. Make sure the headlamp control
is in the OFF position.
2. Carefully pry out the light
assembly from the holder with a
flathead screwdriver.
3. Pull the bulb straight out.
Install in reverse order.
Replacing interior lamps
1. Make sure the headlamp switch is
in the OFF position.
2. Switch off the interior lamps
(middle switch position).
3. Pry out the light assembly with a
flat screw driver at the side opposite
the switch.
Install in reverse order
Replacing reading bulbs
1. Open the reading lamp assembly.
2. Pull the bulb straight out and
replace it.
3. After the bulb has been replaced,
close the lamp assembly.
2004 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Lights
49

Folding the seat cushion and seatback forward
Pull the loop between the respective
seat cushion and seatback, and fold
the seat cushion on that side
forward.
Remove the head restraint(s) (if
equipped) of the rear seat, and fold
the seatback forward.
Stow the head restraint(s) in the
plastic retainers provided in the now
upright underside of the seat
cushion, as shown on the decal.
When returning the seats to their
original positions, make sure the
safety belts will function properly
and are positioned in front of the seatback.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Personal Safety System
The Personal Safety System provides an improved overall level of frontal
crash protection to front seat occupants and is designed to help further
reduce the risk of air bag-related injuries. The system is able to analyze
different occupant conditions and crash severity before activating the
appropriate safety devices to help better protect a range of occupants in
a variety of frontal crash situations.
Your vehicle’s Personal Safety System consists of:
•Driver and passenger dual-stage air bag supplemental restraints.
•Front safety belts with pretensioners, energy management retractors,
and safety belt usage sensors.
•Driver’s seat position sensor.
•Front crash severity sensor.
•Restraints Control Module (RCM) with impact and safing sensors.
•Restraint system warning light and back-up tone.
•The electrical wiring for the air bags, crash sensor(s), safety belt
pretensioners, front safety belt usage sensors, driver seat position
sensor, and indicator lights.
2004 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
76

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
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 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.
2004 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
78

•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 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 supplemental restraint system uses a warning indicator in the
instrument cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the
system. Refer to theWarning lightsection in theInstrument cluster
chapter. 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
for front and side 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/or light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the supplemental
restraint 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.
Side air bag system (if equipped)
Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the air bag
cover on the side of the seatbacks of the front seats or in front
seat areas that may come into contact with a deploying air bag. Failure
to follow these instructions may increase the risk of personal injury in
the event of a collision.
Do not use accessory seat covers. The use of accessory seat
covers may prevent the deployment of the side air bags and
increase the risk of injury in an accident.
2004 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
93

STARTING
Positions of the ignition
1. LOCK, locks the steering wheel,
automatic transaxle gearshift lever
and allows key removal.
2. OFF, shuts the engine and all
electrical accessories off without
locking the steering wheel. The
audio system will still function.
3. ON/RUN, all electrical circuits
operational. Warning lights illuminated. Key position when driving.
4. START, cranks the engine. Release the key as soon as the engine
starts.
Preparing to start your vehicle
Engine starting is controlled by the powertrain control system. This
system meets all Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment standard
requirements regulating the impulse electrical field strength of radio
noise.
When starting a fuel-injected engine, don’t press the accelerator before
or during starting. Only use the accelerator when you have difficulty
starting the engine. For more information on starting the vehicle, refer to
Starting the enginein this chapter.
Extended idling at high engine speeds can produce very high
temperatures in the engine and exhaust system, creating the risk
of fire or other damage.
Do not park, idle, or drive your vehicle in dry grass or other dry
ground cover. The emission system heats up the engine
compartment and exhaust system, which can start a fire.
Do not start your vehicle in a closed garage or in other enclosed
areas. Exhaust fumes can be toxic. Always open the garage door
before you start the engine. SeeGuarding against exhaust fumesin
this chapter for more instructions.
2004 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Driving
Driving
107

Make sure the corresponding lights illuminate or illuminate briefly. If a
light fails to illuminate, have the vehicle serviced.
•If the driver’s safety belt is fastened, the
light may not illuminate.
Starting the engine
1. Turn the key to 3 (ON/RUN)
without turning the key to 4
(START).
2. Turn the key to 4 (START), then
release the key as soon as the
engine starts. Excessive cranking
could damage the starter.
Note:If the engine does not start within five seconds on the first try,
turn the key to OFF, wait 10 seconds and try again. If the engine still
fails to start, press the accelerator to the floor and try again; this will
allow the engine to crank with the fuel shut off in case the engine is
flooded with fuel.
Using the engine block heater (if equipped)
An engine block heater warms the engine coolant which aids in starting
and heater/defroster performance. Use of an engine block heater is
strongly recommended if you live in a region where temperatures reach
-23°C (-10°F) or below. For best results, plug the heater in at least
three hours before starting the vehicle. The heater can be plugged in the
night before starting the vehicle.
To reduce the risk of electrical shock, do not use your heater
with ungrounded electrical systems or two-pronged (cheater)
adapters.
2004 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Driving
110

Preparing to tow
Use the proper equipment for towing a trailer and make sure it is
properly attached to your vehicle. See your dealer or a reliable trailer
dealer if you require assistance.
Hitches
Do not use hitches that clamp onto the vehicle bumper. Use a load
carrying hitch. You must distribute the load in your trailer so that
10–15% of the total weight of the trailer is on the tongue.
Safety chains
Always connect the trailer’s safety chains to the frame or hook retainers
of the vehicle hitch. To connect the trailer’s safety chains, cross the
chains under the trailer tongue and allow slack for turning corners.
If you use a rental trailer, follow the instructions that the rental agency
gives to you.
Do not attach safety chains to the bumper.
Trailer brakes
Electric brakes and manual, automatic or surge-type trailer brakes are safe
if installed properly and adjusted to the manufacturer’s specifications. The
trailer brakes must meet local and Federal regulations.
Do not connect a trailer’s hydraulic brake system directly to your
vehicle’s brake system. Your vehicle may not have enough
braking power and your chances of having a collision greatly increase.
The braking system of the tow vehicle is rated for operation at the
GVWR not GCWR.
Trailer lamps
Trailer lamps are required on most towed vehicles. Make sure all running
lights, brake lights, turn signals and hazard lights are working. See your
dealer or trailer rental agency for proper instructions and equipment for
hooking up trailer lamps.
Driving while you tow
When towing a trailer:
•Turn off the speed control. The speed control may shut off
automatically when you are towing on long, steep grades.
2004 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Driving
123

Fuse/Relay
LocationFuse Amp
RatingPassenger Compartment Fuse
Panel Description
33 20A Horn, Power seats (SVT only)
34 20A Power sunroof
35 7.5A Interior lamps, Power mirrors
36 7.5A A/C switch, Hazard flasher,
Instrument cluster
37 25A Decklid/Liftgate release
38—Not used
39—Not used
40 10A Backup lamps (automatic
transaxle)
41 7.5A Radio and cluster (accessory)
42 15A Stop lamps
43 15A Rear wiper
44 20A Fog lamps
45 7.5A Recirculated air, Air conditioning
46 7.5A Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
47 20A Cigar lighter, Rear power point
(SVT only)
48 10A Data link connector
49 25A Rear defroster
50 7.5A Heated mirror, Heated backlite
indicator
51—Not used
52 15A Heated seats
53 10A Backup lamps (manual transaxle)
54 25A Rear power windows
55 25A Front power windows
56 20A Front wipers
57 7.5A Position and side lights (right)
58 7.5A Position and side lights (left)
59 7.5A Light switch (headlamps)
60 7.5A Air bag module
2004 Focus(foc)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Roadside Emergencies
131