2004 FORD FREESTAR child seat

Several air bag system components get hot after inflation. Do not
touch them after inflation.
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).
•side air bags (if equipped). Refer toSide air bag systemlater in this
chapter.
•one or more impact and safing sensors.
•a readiness light and tone.
•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.
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 and side air
bag are 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:
•the front passenger seat is unoccupied,
•an infant or small child weighing less than 50 pounds (23 kg) is in the
front seat, either in a child restraint, in a booster seat, or sitting
directly on the vehicle seat,
•a front passenger takes his/her weight off the seat for a period of time
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For larger children and very small adults, the passenger sensing system
may leave the air bag system enabled, or turn it OFF. The occupant’s
seating position may determine whether or not the air bag is enabled.
Even with Advanced Restraint 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, thepassenger airbag
offorpass airbag offindicator will
light and stay lit to remind you 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
to the right of 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.
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
passenger air bag offorpass air bag offindicator is lit, it could be
that the person isn’t sitting properly in the seat. 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
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Children 12 years old and under should always be properly restrained in
the second or third row seats. The Safety Canopy
will not interfere
with children restrained using a properly installed child or booster seat
because it is designed to inflate downward from the headliner above the
doors along the side window opening.
The Safety Canopy
system is designed to activate when the vehicle
sustains lateral deceleration sufficient to cause the side crash sensor to
close an electrical circuit that initiates Safety Canopy
inflation or when
a certain likelihood of a rollover event is detected by the rollover sensor.
The Safety Canopy
is mounted to roof side-rail sheet metal, behind the
headliner, along the entire side of the vehicle. In certain lateral collisions
or rollover events, the Safety Canopy
system will be activated,
regardless of which seats are occupied. In certain rollover events, the
Safety Canopy
on both sides of the vehicle will be inflated, regardless
of which seats are occupied. The Safety Canopy
is designed to inflate
between the side window area and occupants to further enhance
protection provided in side impact collisions and rollover events.
The fact that the Safety Canopy
did not activate 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 Safety
Canopy
is designed to inflate in certain side impact collisions or
rollover events, not in rear impact, frontal or near-frontal collisions,
unless the collision causes sufficient lateral deceleration or rollover
likelihood.
Several Safety Canopy

system components get hot
after inflation. Do not touch them
after inflation.
If the Safety Canopy
system has deployed,the Safety
Canopy
will not function again unless replaced. The
Safety Canopy
system (including the A, B, C, and D pillar
trim) must be inspected and serviced by a qualified technician
in accordance with the vehicle service manual.If the Safety
Canopy
is not replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of
injury in a collision.
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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 theInstrument Clusterchapter. Routine maintenance of the
air bag is not required.
Any 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)
See your local dealership or qualified technician. Air bags MUST BE
disposed of by qualified personnel.
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
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.
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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.
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).
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Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these
questions:
•Can the child sit all the way back
against the vehicle seat back with
knees bent comfortably at the
edge of the seat without
slouching?
•Does the lap belt rest low across the hips?
•Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
•Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
Types of booster seats
There are two types of belt-positioning booster seats:
•Those 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.
•Those 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.
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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.
SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
Child and infant or child safety seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the
child. Carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions with the
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safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install and use the
safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden stop or
collision.
When installing a child safety seat:
•Review and follow the information
presented in theAir Bag
Supplemental Restraint System
section in this chapter.
•Use the correct safety belt buckle
for that seating position.
•Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle until you hear a
snap and feel it latch. Make sure
the tongue is securely fastened in
the buckle.
•Keep the buckle release button
pointing up and away from the
safety seat, with the tongue
between the child seat and the
release button, to prevent
accidental unbuckling.
•Place seat back in upright position.
•LATCH lower anchors are recommended for use by children up to 22
kg (48 pounds) in a child restraint. Top tether anchors can be used
for children up to 27 kg (60 pounds) in a child restraint, and to
provide upper torso restraint for children up to 36 kg (80 pounds)
using an upper torso harness and a belt-positioning booster.
Ford recommends the use of a child safety seat having a top tether
strap. Install the child safety seat in a seating position with LATCH and
tether anchors. For more information on top tether straps and anchors,
refer toAttaching safety seats with tether strapsin this chapter. For
more information of LATCH anchors refer toAttaching safety seats with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) attachmentsin this
chapter.
Carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions included
with the safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install
and use the safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden
stop or collision.
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