2005 FORD FREESTAR Owners Manual

If... Then...
The driver’s and front passenger’s
safety belts are buckled before the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position or less than 1-2 minutes
have elapsed since the ignition
switch has been turned ON...The BeltMinder feature will not
activate.
The driver’s or front passenger’s
safety belt is not buckled when the
vehicle has reached at least 3 mph
(5 km/h) and 1-2 minutes have
elapsed since the ignition switch
has been turned to ON...The BeltMinder feature is
activated - the safety belt warning
light illuminates and the warning
chime sounds for 6 seconds every
30 seconds, repeating for
approximately 5 minutes or until
the safety belts are buckled.
The driver’s or front passenger’s
safety belt becomes unbuckled for
approximately 1 minute while the
vehicle is traveling at least 3 mph
(5 km/h) and more than 1-2
minutes have elapsed since the
ignition switch has been turned to
ON...The BeltMinder feature is
activated - the safety belt warning
light illuminates and the warning
chime sounds for 6 seconds every
30 seconds, repeating for
approximately 5 minutes or until
the safety belts are buckled.
The following are reasons most often given for not wearing safety belts:
(All statistics based on U.S. data)
Reasons given... Consider...
“Crashes are rare
events”36700 crashes occur every day.The more we
drive, the more we are exposed to“rare”events,
even for good drivers.1 in 4 of us will be
seriously injured in a crash during our
lifetime.
“I’m not going far”3of4fatal crashes occur within25miles (40 km)
of home.
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Reasons given... Consider...
“Belts are
uncomfortable”We design our safety belts to enhance comfort. If
you are uncomfortable - try different positions for
the safety belt upper anchorage and seatback
which should be as upright as possible; this can
improve comfort.
“I was in a hurry”Prime time for an accident.BeltMinder reminds
us to take a few seconds to buckle up.
“Safety belts don’t
work”Safety belts,when used properly,reduce risk of
deathto front seat occupants by45% in cars,
and by60% in light trucks.
“Traffic is light”Nearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in single-vehicle
crashes,many when no other vehicles are around.
“Belts wrinkle my
clothes”Possibly, but a serious crash can do much more
than wrinkle your clothes, particularly if you are
unbelted.
“The people I’m
with don’t wear
belts”Set the example, teen deaths occur 4 times more
often in vehicles with TWO or MORE people.
Children and younger brothers/sisters imitate
behavior they see.
“I have an air bag”Air bags offer greater protection when used with
safety belts. Frontal airbags are not designed to
inflate in rear and side crashes or rollovers.
“I’d rather be
thrown clear”Not a good idea.Peoplewho areejected are 40
times more likely to DIE.Safety belts help
prevent ejection, WE CAN’T“PICK OUR CRASH”.
Do not sit on top of a buckled safety belt to avoid the Belt
Minder chime. Sitting on the safety belt will increase the risk of
injury in an accident. To disable (one-time) or deactivate the Belt
Minder feature please follow the directions stated below.
One time disable
If at any time the driver/front passenger quickly buckles then unbuckles
the BeltMinder feature for that seating position, the BeltMinder is
disabled for the current ignition cycle. The BeltMinder feature will
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re-enable during the same ignition cycle if the occupant buckles and
remains buckled for approximately 30 seconds. Confirmation is not given
for the one time disable.
Deactivating/activating the BeltMinder feature
The driver and front passenger BeltMinder are
deactivated/activated independently. When deactivating/activating
one seating position, do not buckle the other position as this will
terminate the process.
Read steps1-4thoroughly before proceeding with the
deactivation/activation programming procedure.
The driver and front passenger BeltMinder features 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) (automatic transmission)
•The ignition switch is in the OFF position
•The driver and front passenger safety belts are unbuckled
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
minute)
•Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.
3. For the seating position being disabled, buckle then unbuckle the
safety belt 9 times, ending in the unbuckled state. (Step 3 must be
completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt warning light turns
off.)
•After step 3, the restraint system warning light (airbag light) will be
turned on for three seconds.
4. Within 10 seconds of the light turning on, buckle then unbuckle the
safety belt.
•This will disable the BeltMinder feature for that seating position if it is
currently enabled. As confirmation, the restraint system warning light
will flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds.
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•This will enable the BeltMinder feature for that seating position if it is
currently disabled. As confirmation, the restraint system warning light
will flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds, followed by 3 seconds with
the light off, then followed by the restraint system warning light
flashing 4 times per second for 3 seconds again.
Safety belt extension assembly
If the safety belt is too short when fully extended, a 9 inch (23 cm) or
12 inch (31 cm) safety belt extension assembly can be added (part
numbers 611C22–A and 611C22–B respectively). These assemblies can
be obtained from your dealer at no cost.
Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the safety
belt. Manufacturer identification is located at the end of the webbing on
the label. Also, use the safety belt extension only if the safety belt is too
short for you when fully extended.
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, replacing 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), child safety seat tether bracket
assemblies (if equipped), LATCH child seat tether anchors and lower
anchors (if equipped), and attaching hardware, should be inspected after
a collision. Ford 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,
except as described in theReplacing the front seat belt assemblies
after a collisionsection of this chapter. 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.
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Refer toInteriorin theCleaningchapter.
Replacing the front seat belt assemblies after a collision
The front outboard safety belt assemblies have a special energy
management retractors designed to further reduce the risk of injury in
the event of a head-on collision. These retractors should be replaced if
they were used in any accident in which the front airbags deploy. If the
safety belt assemblies are not replaced, there may be increased risk of
injury in the event of a subsequent collision.
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.
AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
The air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) is designed to work in
conjunction with the safety belts to help protect the driver and front
outboard passenger from certain upper body injuries. The term
“supplemental restraint”means the air bags are intended as a
supplement to the safety belts. Air bags alone cannot protect as well as
air bags plus safety belts in impacts for which the air bags are designed
to deploy, and air bags do not offer any protection in crashes for which
they do not deploy.
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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.
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.
Children and air bags
Children must always be properly
restrained. Accident statistics
suggest that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front
seating position. Failure to follow
these instructions may increase the
risk of injury in a collision.
Air bags can kill or injure a
child in a child seat.
NEVERplace a rear-facing child
seat in front of an active air bag. If
you must use a forward-facing
child seat in the front seat, move
the seat all the way back.
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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
longitudinal deceleration sufficient
to cause the sensors to close an
electrical circuit that initiates air
bag inflation. 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.
Front air bags are designed to
inflate in frontal and near-frontal collisions, not rollover, side-impact, or
rear-impacts unless the collision causes sufficient longitudinal
deceleration.
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, contact with
a deploying air bag may also cause 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.
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