2008 FORD ECONOLINE Owners Manual

WARNING:After any vehicle collision, the safety belt systems
at all outboard seating positions (except the driver position,
which does not have this feature) must be checked by an authorized
dealer to verify that the automatic locking retractor feature for child
seats is still functioning properly. In addition, all safety belts should be
checked for proper function.
WARNING:BELT AND RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MUST BE
REPLACED if the safety belt assembly “automatic locking
retractor” feature or any other safety belt function is not operating
properly when checked by an authorized dealer. Failure to replace the
Belt and Retractor assembly could increase the risk of injury in
collisions.
Safety belt pretensioner
Your vehicle is equipped with safety belt pretensioners at the driver and
front outboard passenger seating positions.
The safety belt pretensioner tightens the safety belts firmly against the
occupant’s body at the start of the crash.
WARNING: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 and safety belt pretensioners.
Front safety belt height adjustment
The front seat and outboard
positions are equipped with a height
adjuster. Adjust the height of the
shoulder belt so the belt rests
across the middle of your shoulder.
To adjust the shoulder belt height,
push the button and slide the height
adjuster down. Release the button
and pull down on the height
adjuster to make sure it is locked in
place. To adjust the belt upward,
slide the adjuster up. Pull down on the height adjuster to make sure it is
locked in place.
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Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
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WARNING:Position the safety belt height adjusters so that the
belt rests across the middle of your shoulder. Failure to adjust
the safety belt properly could reduce the effectiveness of the seat belt
and increase the risk of injury in a collision.
Safety belt warning light and indicator chime
The safety belt warning light illuminates in the instrument cluster and a
chime sounds to remind the occupants to fasten their safety belts.
Conditions of operation
If... Then...
The driver’s safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The safety belt warning light
illuminates and the warning chime
sounds 4-8 seconds.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding...The safety belt warning light and
warning chime turn off.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The safety belt warning light and the
warning chime will remain off.
Belt-Minder
The Belt-Minder
feature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt
warning function. This feature provides additional reminders to the
driver that the driver’s safety belt is unbuckled by intermittently
sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning lamp in the
instrument cluster.
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If... Then...
The driver’s safety belt is not
buckled approximately
5 seconds after the safety belt
warning light has turned off...The Belt-Minder
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
safety belt is buckled.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled while the safety belt
indicator light is illuminated
and the safety belt warning
chime is sounding...The Belt-Minder
feature will not
activate.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The Belt-Minder
feature will not
activate.
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 within25
miles of home.
“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.
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Reasons given... Consider...
“I was in a hurry”Prime time for an accident.
Belt-Minder
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 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”Peoplewho areejected are 40
times more likely to DIE.Safety
belts help prevent ejection, WE CAN’T
“PICK OUR CRASH”.
WARNING:Do not sit on top of a buckled safety belt or insert a
latchplate into the buckle to avoid the Belt-Minder
chime. To
do so may adversely affect the performance of the vehicle’s air bag
system
One-time disable
Any time the safety belt is buckled and then unbuckled during an
ignition ON cycle, the Belt-Minder
will be disabled for that ignition
cycle only.
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Deactivating/activating the Belt-Minderfeature
Read Steps1-5thoroughly before proceeding with the
deactivation/activation programming procedure.
The Belt-Minder
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 and the hood are closed
•the driver’s safety belt is unbuckled
•the parklamps/headlamps are in the OFF position
WARNING:While the design allows you to deactivate your
Belt-Minder
, this system is designed to improve your chances of
being safely belted and surviving an accident. We recommend you
leave the Belt-Minder
system activated for yourself and others who
may use the vehicle. 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 ON position. DO NOT START THE
ENGINE.
2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off (Approximately one
minute).
•Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.
3. At a moderate speed, buckle then unbuckle the safety belt nine times,
ending with the safety belt in the unbuckled state.
•After Step 3 is complete, the safety belt warning light will be turned
on for three seconds.
•Belt-Minder
will automatically exit programming mode without
changing its enable status if Step 4 does not occur within 10 seconds
of the end of Step 3.
4. Within approximately seven seconds of the light turning off, buckle
then unbuckle the safety belt.
•This will disable the Belt-Minder
feature for that seating position if it
is currently enabled. As confirmation, the safety belt warning light will
flash four times per second for three seconds.
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•This will enable the Belt-Minder
feature for that seating position if it
is currently disabled. As confirmation, the safety belt warning light will
flash four times per second for three seconds, followed by three
seconds with the light off, then followed by the safety belt warning
light flashing four times per second for three seconds again.
5. After receiving confirmation, the deactivation/activation procedure is
complete.
Safety belt extension assembly
If the safety belt is too short when fully extended, there is a 9 inch
(23 cm) or 12 inch (31 cm) safety belt extension assembly that can be
added (part number 611C22). This assembly can be obtained from an
authorized dealer.
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.
Use the shortest extender assembly that will provide adequate fit.
WARNING: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. Replace if necessary. All safety belt
assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front safety belt buckle
assemblies, buckle support assemblies (slide bar-if equipped), shoulder
belt height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder belt guide on seatback (if
equipped), child safety seat LATCH and tether anchors, and attaching
hardware, should be inspected after a collision. Ford Motor Company
recommends that all safety belt assemblies in use in vehicles involved in
a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was minor and an
authorized dealer finds that the belts do not show damage and continue
to operate properly, they do not need to be replaced. Safety belt
assemblies not in use during a collision should also be inspected and
replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.
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WARNING: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.
For proper care of soiled safety belts, refer toInteriorin theCleaning
chapter.
AIRBAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
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.
Airbags DO NOT inflate slowly;
there is a risk of injury from a
deploying airbag.
WARNING: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.
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WARNING:Always transport children 12 years old and under in
the back seat and always properly use appropriate child
restraints. Never place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active
airbag. If you must transport a forward-facing child in the front seat,
move the seat all the way back and use appropriate restraints.
WARNING: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.
WARNING: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 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.
WARNING: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.
WARNING:Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the
airbag supplemental restraint systems or its fuses. See your
authorized dealer.
WARNING: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 airbag system,
increasing the risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the
vehicle.
WARNING:Additional equipment may affect the performance of
the airbag sensors increasing the risk of injury. Please refer to
theBody Builders Layout Bookfor instructions about the appropriate
installation of additional equipment.
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Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
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