2006 FORD RANGER deactivate airbag

Reasons given... Consider...
“I was in a hurry”Prime time for an accident.
BeltMinderreminds 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 by
60% 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 airbag” Airbags 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 are
ejected 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
BeltMinderchime. Sitting on the safety belt will increase the
risk of injury in an accident. To disable (one-time) or deactivate the
BeltMinderfeature please follow the directions stated below.
2006 Ranger(ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
75

While the system is designed to help reduce serious injuries, it may also
cause minor abrasions, swelling or temporary hearing loss. Because
airbags 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 airbag
deployment. Thus, it is extremely important that occupants be properly
restrained as far away from the airbag module as possible while
maintaining vehicle control.
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 airbag modules (which include the inflators and
airbags),
•one or more impact and safing sensors, passenger airbag deactivation
switch and diagnostic monitor (RCM)
•a readiness light and tone,
•and the electrical wiring which connects the components.
•Safety belt pretensioners
The RCM (restraints control module) monitors its own internal circuits
and the supplemental airbag electrical system wiring (including the
passenger airbag deactivation switch, the impact sensors, the system
wiring, the airbag system readiness light, the airbag back up power and
the airbag ignitors).
Determining if the system is operational
The SRS uses readiness lights in the instrument cluster and the
passenger airbag deactivate switch or a tone to indicate the condition of
the system. Refer to theAirbag readinesssection in theInstrument
clusterchapter orPassenger airbag on/off switchsection in this
chapter. Routine maintenance of the airbag is not required.
2006 Ranger(ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
82

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
airbag is deactivated.
If the light fails to illuminate when the passenger airbag switch is
in the OFF position and the ignition switch is in the On position,
have the passenger airbag switch serviced at an authorized dealer
immediately.
In order to avoid inadvertent activation of the switch, always
remove the ignition key from the passenger air bag ON/OFF
switch.
Turning the passenger airbag back on
The passenger airbag 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 airbag is operational.
If the OFF light is illuminated when the passenger airbag
ON/OFF switch is in the ON position and the ignition switch is
ON, have the passenger airbag ON/OFF switch serviced at an
authorized dealer immediately.
ON
OFF
OFF
PASSENGER AIRBAG
ON
OFF
OFF
PASSENGER AIRBAG
2006 Ranger(ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
84

The safety belts for the driver and right front passenger seating
positions have been specifically designed to function together
with the airbags in certain types of crashes. When you turn OFF your
airbag, you not only lose the protection of the airbag, you also may
reduce the effectiveness of your safety belt system, which was
designed to work with the airbag. If you are not a person who meets
the requirements stated in the NHTSA/Transport Canada deactivation
criteria turning OFF the airbag can increase the risk of serious injury
or death in a collision.
Always use safety belts and child restraints properly. If a child in
a rear facing infant seat must be transported in front, the
passenger airbagmustbe turned OFF. This is because the back of the
infant seat is too close to the inflating airbag and the risk of a fatal
injury to the infant when the airbag inflates is substantial.
The vast majority of drivers and passengers are much safer with an
airbag than without. To do their job and reduce the risk of life
threatening injuries, airbags 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 airbag 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 airbags to provide the
additional protection they were designed to provide. If you choose to
deactivate your airbag, you are losing the very significant risk reducing
benefits of the airbag 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 airbags.
Read all airbag Warning labels in the vehicle as well as the other
important airbag instructions and Warnings in this Owner’s Guide.
The passenger side airbag should always be ON (the airbag 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.
2006 Ranger(ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
85