Safety belt precautions
Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap
belt snug and low across the hips.
To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit where they
can be properly restrained.
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.
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.
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and
safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely
to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
Each seating position in your vehicle has a specific safety belt
assembly which is made up of one buckle and one tongue that
are designed to be used as a pair. 1) Use the shoulder belt on the
outside shoulder only. Never wear the shoulder belt under the arm. 2)
Never swing the safety belt around your neck over the inside shoulder.
3) Never use a single belt for more than one person.
Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back
seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints.
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Combination lap and shoulder belts
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.
All restraints in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder belts.
While you are fastened in the safety belt, the combination lap/shoulder
belt adjusts to your movement. However, if you brake hard, turn hard, or
if your vehicle receives an impact of 5 mph (8 km/h) or more, the safety
belt will become locked and help reduce your forward movement.
Energy Management Feature — Front Outboard
•This vehicle has a safety belt system with an energy management
feature at the front seats to help further reduce the risk of injury in
the event of a head-on collision.
•This safety belt system has a retractor assembly that is designed to
extend the safety belt webbing in a controlled manner. This helps
reduce the belt force acting on the user’s chest.
Failure to inspect and replace if necessary the Belt and
Retractor assembly after an accident could increase the risk of
injury in a collision.
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When to use the automatic locking mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-locked. The belt will
still retract to remove any slack in the shoulder belt. The automatic
locking mode is not available on the driver safety belt.
This mode should be usedany timea child safety seat, except a
booster, is installed in passenger front or rear seating positions. Children
12 years old and under should be properly restrained in the rear seat
whenever possible. Refer toSafety restraints for childrenorSafety
seats for childrenlater in this chapter.
How to disengage the automatic locking mode
Ford Motor Company recommends that all passenger safety belt
assemblies and attaching hardware should be inspected by an
authorized dealer after any collision to verify that theautomatic
locking retractorfeature for child seats is still working properly. Safety
belt assemblies should be inspected by an authorized dealer and must
be replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted. Failure to
replace the belt and retractor assembly could increase the risk of
injury in a collision.
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it to retract
completely to disengage the automatic locking mode and activate the
vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode.
Safety belt pretensioner
Your vehicle is equipped with safety belt pretensioners at the driver and
front outboard passenger seating positions.
The safety belt pretensioner is a device which removes excess webbing
from the safety belt system. The safety belt pretensioner uses the same
crash sensor system as the front airbag supplemental restraint system
(SRS). When the safety belt pretensioner deploys, webbing from the lap
and shoulder belt is tightened. Refer to theSafety belt maintenance
section in this chapter.
The driver and front passenger safety belt system (including
retractors, buckles and height adjusters) must be replaced if the
vehicle is involved in a collision that results in deployment of front
airbags, seat-mounted side airbags and side air curtains (if equipped),
and safety belt pretensioners.
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If a person of adult size is sitting in the front passenger’s seat, but the
passenger airbag offorpass airbag offindicator lamp 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.
•Have the person 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 frontal airbag.
•If the indicator lamp remains lit even after this, the person should be
advised to ride in the rear seat.
OccupantPass Airbag Off
Indicator LampPassenger Airbag
Empty seat Unlit Disabled
Small child in child safety
seat or boosterLit Disabled
Small child with safety
belt buckled or unbuckledLit Disabled
Adult Unlit Enabled
Even with Advanced Restraints Systems, children 12 and under
should be properly restrained in the back seat.
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on safety belts, it’s
very important that they continue to sit properly. A properly seated
occupant sits upright, leaning against the seat back, and centered on the
seat cushion, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor. 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 front passenger sensing system, resulting in serious
injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright against your seatback, with your feet on the floor.
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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 light in the
instrument cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the
system. Refer to theWarning lights and chimessection in the
Instrument Clusterchapter. Routine maintenance of the airbag is not
required.
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 an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
Seat-mounted 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.
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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
authorized dealer.
All occupants of the vehicle should always wear their safety belts
even when an airbag SRS is provided.
How does the side airbag system work?
The design and development of the side airbag system included
recommended testing procedures that were developed by a group of
automotive safety experts known as the Side Airbag Technical Working
Group. These recommended testing procedures help reduce the risk of
injuries related to the deployment of side airbags (including side air
curtain systems).
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.
•The same warning light,
electronic control and diagnostic
unit as used for the front airbags.
•Two crash sensors located under the outboard side of the front seats,
attached near the floor.
Side airbags, in combination with safety 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
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Side air curtain 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 place objects or mount equipment on or near the
headliner at the siderail that may come into contact with a
deploying side air curtain. Failure to follow these instructions may
increase the risk of personal injury in the event of a collision.
Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the side air
curtain cover.
Do not lean your head on the door. The side airbag could injure
you as it deploys from the seat.
Do not lean your head on the door. The side air curtain could
injure you as it deploys from the headliner.
Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the side air curtain
system, its fuses, the A, B, or C pillar trim, or the headliner on a
vehicle containing a side air curtain. See your authorized dealer.
Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the airbag
supplemental restraint system, its fuses, or the seat cover on a
seat containing an airbag. See your authorized dealer.
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All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
wear their safety belts even when an inflatable curtain is
provided.
To reduce the risk of injury, do not obstruct or place objects in
the deployment of the inflatable curtain.
How does the side air curtain system work?
The design and development of the
side air curtain system included
recommended testing procedures
that were developed by a group of
automotive safety experts known as
the Side Airbag Technical Working
Group. These recommended testing
procedures help reduce the risk of
injuries related to the deployment of
side airbags (including side air
curtain systems).
The side air curtain system consists
of the following:
•An inflatable nylon curtain with a
gas generator concealed behind
the headliner and above the
doors.
•The headliner will flex to open
above the side doors to allow air curtain deployment.
•The same warning light, electronic control and diagnostic unit as used
for the front airbags.
•Two crash sensors located under the outboard side of the front seats,
attached near the floor.
•Two crash sensors located at the base of the “C” pillars above the
wheel house.
Side air curtains and side airbags, in combination with safety belts, can
help reduce the risk of severe injuries in the event of a significant side
impact collision.
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