2006 FORD TAURUS light

Important supplemental restraint system precautions
Airbags DO NOT inflate slowly or
gently and the risk of injury from a
deploying airbag is greatest close to
the trim covering the airbag module.
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.
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 airbag module.
Never place your arm over the airbag module as a deploying
airbag can result in serious arm fractures or other injuries.
Steps you can take to properly position yourself away from the airbag:
•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 airbag module. Placing
objects on or over the airbag inflation area may cause those
objects to be propelled by the airbag into your face and torso causing
serious injury.
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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 airbag 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 airbag if:
•the front passenger seat is unoccupied, or has small/medium objects in
the front seat,
•the system determines that an infant is present in a rear-facing infant
seat that is installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions,
•the system determines that a small child is present in a forward-facing
child restraint that is installed according to the manufacturer’s
instructions,
•the system determines that a small child is present in a booster seat,
•a front passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of
time,
Even with the front passenger sensing system, 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 airbag, thepassenger airbag
offorpass airbag offindicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that
the front passenger frontal airbag is off. When the front passenger seat is
not occupied (empty seat) or in the event that the front passenger
frontal airbag is enabled (may inflate), the indicator light will be unlit.
Thepass airbag offindicator light is located next to the climate
controls on the bottom right corner of the center stack of the instrument
panel. To confirm the indicator light is functional, it will momentarily
illuminate when the ignition is turned to the ON position.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the front
passenger’s frontal airbag 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.
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The front passenger sensing system is designed to enable (may inflate)
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag 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 airbag to be
enabled, the indicator will be unlit and stay unlit to remind you that the
airbag is enabled (may inflate).
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the front passenger’s seat, but the
passenger airbag offorpass airbag offindicator is lit, it is possible
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, 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 enable the passenger’s airbag. If the
indicator lamp remains lit even after this, the occupant should be advised
to ride in the rear seat.
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on safety belts, it’s
very important that they continue to sit upright with their back against
the seatback, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor while the
vehicle is still in motion. Sitting improperly can increase the chance of
injury in a crash event. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down,
turns sideways, sits forward, leans forward or sideways, or puts one or
both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash is greatly increased.
Sitting improperly out of position or with the seat back reclined
too far can take off weight from the seat cushion and affect the
decision of the passenger sensing system, resulting in serious injury or
death in a crash. Always sit upright against your seatback, with your
feet on the floor.
The front passenger sensing system may detect small or medium objects
placed on the seat cushion. For most objects that are in the front
passenger seat, the passenger airbag will be disabled. Even though the
passenger airbag is disabled, thepass airbag offlight may or may not
be illuminated according to the table below.
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ObjectsPass Airbag Off
Indicator LightPassenger
Airbag
Empty seat Unlit Disabled
Small (i.e. 3 ring binder, small
purse, bottled water)Unlit Disabled
Medium (i.e. heavy briefcase,
fully packed luggage)Lit Disabled
Empty seat, Small or medium
object with safety belt buckledLit Disabled
In case there is a problem with the
passenger sensing system, the
airbag readiness light in the
instrument cluster will stay lit. DO
NOT attempt to repair or service the system; take your vehicle
immediately to the dealer.
The front passenger airbag is not designed to offer protection to
an occupant in the center seating position.
An out of position front center occupant could affect the
decision of the front passenger sensing system.
If it is necessary to modify an advanced front airbag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, contact the Ford Customer
Relationship Center at the phone number shown in the Customer
Assistance section of this Owners Guide.
Any alteration/modification to the front passenger seat may
affect the performance of the front passenger sensing system.
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 lights and chimessection in theInstrument
Clusterchapter. Routine maintenance of the airbag is not required.
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A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
•The readiness light (same light
for front and side airbag 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 airbag system (if equipped)
Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the airbag
cover on the side of the seatbacks of the front seats or in front
seat areas that may come into contact with a deploying airbag. 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 airbags and
increase the risk of injury in an accident.
Do not lean your head on the door. The side airbag could injure
you as it deploys from the side of the seatback.
Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the airbag SRS, its
fuses or the seat cover on a seat containing an airbag. See your
Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealer.
All occupants of the vehicle should always wear their safety belts
even when an airbag SRS is provided.
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How does the side airbag system work?
The side airbag system consists of
the following:
•An inflatable nylon bag (airbag)
with a gas generator concealed
behind the outboard bolster of
the driver and front passenger
seatbacks.
•A special seat cover designed to
allow airbag deployment.
•The same warning light,
electronic control and diagnostic unit as used for the front airbags.
•Two crash sensors located on the pillars between the front and rear
doors (one on each side of the vehicle).
Side airbags, in combination with seat belts, can help reduce the risk of
severe injuries in the event of a significant side impact collision.
The side airbags are fitted on the outboard side of the seatbacks of the
front seats. In certain lateral collisions, the airbag on the side affected by
the collision will be inflated, even if the respective seat is not occupied.
The airbag was designed to inflate between the door panel and occupant
to further enhance the protection provided occupants in side impact
collisions.
The airbag SRS is designed to activate when the vehicle sustains lateral
deceleration sufficient to cause the sensors to close an electrical circuit
that initiates airbag inflation.
The fact that the airbags 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. Side airbags are designed
to inflate in side-impact collisions, not roll-over, rear-impact, frontal or
near-frontal collisions, unless the collision causes sufficient lateral
deceleration.
Several air bag system components get hot after inflation. Do not
touch them after inflation.
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Increasing the inflation pressure beyond this pressure will not increase
the tire’s load carrying capability.
•kPa:Kilopascal, a metric unit of air pressure.
•PSI:Pounds per square inch, a standard unit of air pressure.
•Cold inflation pressure:The tire pressure when the vehicle has
been stationary and out of direct sunlight for an hour or more and
prior to the vehicle being driven for 1 mile (1.6 km).
•Recommended inflation pressure:The cold inflation pressure found
on the Safety Compliance Certification Label located on the B-Pillar or
the edge of the driver’s door.
•B-pillar:The structural member at the side of the vehicle behind the
front door.
•Bead area of the tire:Area of the tire next to the rim.
•Sidewall of the tire:Area between the bead area and the tread.
•Tread area of the tire:Area of the perimeter of the tire that
contacts the road when mounted on the vehicle.
•Rim:The metal support (wheel) for a tire or a tire and tube assembly
upon which the tire beads are seated.
INSPECTING AND INFLATING YOUR TIRES
Safe operation of your vehicle requires that your tires are properly
inflated. Remember that a tire can lose up to half of its air pressure
without appearing flat.
Every day before you drive, check
your tires. If one looks lower than
the others, use a tire gauge to check
pressure of all tires and adjust if
required.
At least once a month and before
long trips, inspect each tire and
check the tire pressure with a tire
gauge (including spare, if equipped).
Inflate all tires to the inflation
pressure recommended by Ford
Motor Company.
Inspecting your tires
Periodically inspect the tire treads for uneven or excessive wear and
remove stones, nails, glass or other objects that may be wedged in the
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Information on “P” type tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of a
tire size, load index and speed
rating. The definitions of these
items are listed below. (Note that
the tire size, load index and speed
rating for your vehicle may be
different from this example.)
1.P:Indicates a tire, designated by
the Tire and Rim Association
(T&RA), that may be used for
service on cars, SUVs, minivans and
light trucks.
Note:If your tire size does not
begin with a letter this may mean it
is designated by either ETRTO
(European Tire and Rim Technical Organization) or JATMA (Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association).
2.215:Indicates the nominal width of the tire in millimeters from
sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the
wider the tire.
3.65:Indicates the aspect ratio which gives the tire’s ratio of height to
width.
4.R:Indicates a “radial” type tire.
5.15:Indicates the wheel or rim diameter in inches. If you change your
wheel size, you will have to purchase new tires to match the new wheel
diameter.
6.95:Indicates the tire’s load index. It is an index that relates to how
much weight a tire can carry. You may find this information in your
Owner’s Guide.If not, contact a local tire dealer.
Note:You may not find this information on all tires because it is not
required by federal law.
7.H:Indicates the tire’s speed rating. The speed rating denotes the
speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for extended periods of
time under a standard condition of load and inflation pressure. The tires
on your vehicle may operate at different conditions for load and inflation
pressure. These speed ratings may need to be adjusted for the difference
in conditions. The ratings range from 81 mph (130 km/h) to 186 mph
(299 km/h). These ratings are listed in the following chart.
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