Page 43 of 216
3. Press the SET + control and
release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator
pedal.
5. The indicator
light on the
instrument cluster will turn on.
Note:
• Vehicle speed may vary momentarily when driving up and down a
steep hill.
• If the vehicle speed increases above the set speed on a downhill, you
may want to apply the brakes to reduce the speed.
• If the vehicle speed decreases more than 16 km/h (10 mph) below
your set speed on an uphill, your speed control will disengage.
Resuming a set speed
Press the RES control and release
it. This will automatically return the
vehicle to the previously set speed.
The RES control will not work if the
vehicle speed is not faster than
48 km/h (30 mph).
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driver Controls
43
Page 44 of 216

Increasing speed while using speed control
There are two ways to set a higher
speed:
•Press and hold the SET + control
until you get to the desired
speed, then release the control.
You can also use the SET +
control to operate the Tap-Up
function. Press and release this
control to increase the vehicle set
speed in small amounts by 1.6
km/h (1 mph).
• Use the accelerator pedal to get to the desired speed. When the
vehicle reaches that speed press and release the SET + control.
Reducing speed while using speed control
There are two ways to reduce a set
speed:
• Press and hold the SET - control
until you get to the desired
speed, then release the control.
You can also use the SET -
control to operate the Tap-Down
function. Press and release this
control to decrease the vehicle
set speed in small amounts by
1.6 km/h (1 mph).
• Depress the brake pedal or
CANCEL until the desired vehicle
speed is reached, press the SET
+ control.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driver Controls
44
Page 45 of 216
Turning off speed control
There are two ways to turn off the speed control:
•Depress the brake pedal or press
CANCEL. This will not erase your
vehicle ’s previously set speed.
• Press the speed control OFF
control.
Note: When you turn off the speed
control or the ignition, your speed
control set speed memory is erased.
STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS
These controls allow you to operate some audio control features.
Audio control features
Press MEDIA to select AM, FM1,
FM2, or CD.
In AM, FM1, or FM2 mode:
• Press or to select preset
stations within the selected radio
band.
In CD mode:
• Press or to select the next
selection on the CD.
O N
O
F
F
RES
SET
CANCEL
MUTE
VOL
MEDIA
MUTE
VOL
MEDIA
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driver Controls
45
Page 60 of 216

CELL PHONE USE
The use of Mobile Communications Equipment has become increasingly
important in the conduct of business and personal affairs. However,
drivers must not compromise their own or others’safety when using
such equipment. Mobile Communications can enhance personal safety
and security when appropriately used, particularly in emergency
situations. Safety must be paramount when using mobile communications
equipment to avoid negating these benefits.
Mobile Communication Equipment includes, but is not limited to cellular
phones, pagers, portable email devices, in vehicle communications
systems, telematics devices and portable two-way radios.
A driver ’s first responsibility is the safe operation of the vehicle.
The most important thing you can do to prevent a crash is to
avoid distractions and pay attention to the road. Wait until it is safe to
operate Mobile Communications Equipment.
CENTER CONSOLE
Your vehicle may be equipped with a variety of console features. These
include:
• Utility compartment
• Cupholders
• Ash tray
Use only soft cups in the cupholder. Hard objects can injure you
in a collision.
POSITIVE RETENTION FLOOR MAT
Position the driver floor mat so that
the eyelet is over the pointed end of
the retention post and rotate
forward to lock in. Make sure that
the mat does not interfere with the
operation of the accelerator or the
brake pedal. To remove the floor
mat, reverse the installation
procedure.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driver Controls
60
Page 68 of 216

The inside lights will not turn off if:
•they have been turned on with the dimmer control, or
• any door is open.
The battery saver will shut off the interior lamps 30 minutes after the
ignition has been turned to the OFF position.
Autolock
The autolock feature will lock the vehicle ’s doors when:
• all the doors are closed,
• the ignition is in the RUN position, and
• you shift into forward or reverse, putting the vehicle in motion.
Relock
The autolock feature repeats when:
• either door is opened then closed while the ignition is in the RUN
position,
• you shift into forward or reverse, and
• you put the vehicle in motion by releasing the brake pedal.
Deactivating/activating autolock
Your vehicle comes with the autolock feature activated. There are two
methods to enable/disable this feature: One is through your dealer, and
the second is using a power door unlock/lock sequence.
Before following the activation or deactivation procedures, make sure
that the anti-theft system is not activated, ignition is off, and the vehicle
doors are closed.
Power door unlock/lock procedure
You must complete steps 1-5 within
30 seconds or the procedure will
have to be repeated.
1. Turn the ignition to the RUN
position.
2. Press the driver door unlock
control three times.
3. Turn the ignition key from RUN
to OFF.
4. Press the driver door unlock control three times.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Locks and Security
68
Page 78 of 216

1. Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle (the buckle closest to
the direction the tongue is coming
from) until you hear a snap and feel
it latch. Make sure the tongue is
securely fastened in the buckle.
2. To unfasten, push the release
button and remove the tongue from
the buckle.
Energy Management Feature
The safety belts in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder belts.
•This vehicle has a seat belt system with an energy management
feature at the front outboard seating positions to help further reduce
the risk of injury in the event of a head-on collision.
• This seat belt system has a retractor assembly that is designed to pay
out webbing in a controlled manner. This feature is designed to help
reduce the belt force acting on the occupant ’s chest.
The safety restraints in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder
belts. The safety belts have two types of locking modes described below.
Vehicle sensitive mode
The vehicle sensitive mode is the normal retractor mode, allowing free
shoulder belt length adjustment to your movements and locking in
response to vehicle movement. For example, if the driver brakes
suddenly or turns a corner sharply, or the vehicle receives an impact of
approximately 8 km/h (5 mph) or more, the combination safety belts will
lock to help reduce forward movement of the driver and passengers.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
78
Page 84 of 216

One time disable
Any time the safety belt is buckled and then unbuckled during an
ignition ON cycle, the BeltMinder will be disabled for that ignition cycle
only.
Deactivating/activating the BeltMinder feature
Read steps1-9thoroughly before proceeding with the
deactivation/activation programming procedure.
The BeltMinder feature can be deactivated/activated by performing the
following procedure:
Before following the procedure, make sure that:
• The parking brake is set.
• The gearshift is in P (Park).
• The ignition switch is in the OFF position.
• All vehicle doors are closed.
• The driver ’s safety belt is unbuckled.
• The parklamps are in OFF position.
To reduce the risk of injury, do not deactivate/activate the Belt
Minder feature while driving the vehicle.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the RUN (or ON) position. (DO NOT
START THE ENGINE.)
2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off. (Approximately 1 –2
minutes.)
• Steps 3 –5 must be completed within 60 seconds or the procedure will
have to be repeated.
3. Buckle then unbuckle the safety belt three times, ending with the
safety belt unbuckled. This can be done before or during BeltMinder
warning activation.
4. Turn on the parklamps, turn off the parklamps.
5. Buckle then unbuckle the safety belt three times, ending with the
safety belt unbuckled.
• After step 5 the safety belt warning light will be turned on for three
seconds.
6. Within seven seconds of the safety belt warning light turning off,
buckle then unbuckle the safety belt.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
84
Page 109 of 216

STARTING
Positions of the ignition
1. LOCK, locks the gearshift lever
and allows key removal. (The
steering wheel will not lock after
key removal.)
2. OFF, shuts off the engine and all
accessories except the radio,
convertible top control and the
power windows if accessory delay is
active. This position also allows the
automatic transmission shift lever to be moved from the P (Park)
position without the brake pedal being depressed.
When the key is in the ignition and in the OFF position, the
automatic transmission shift lever can be moved from the P
(Park) position without the brake pedal depressed. To avoid unwanted
vehicle movement, always set the parking brake.
3. ACCESSORY, allows the electrical accessories such as the radio to
operate while the engine is not running.
4. RUN, all electrical circuits operational. Warning lights illuminated. Key
position when driving.
5. 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 engine in this chapter.
2
3
4
5
1
2004 Thunderbird(tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driving
Driving
109