2008 FORD ECONOLINE airbag off

Seating and Safety Restraints 70
Seating 70
Safety restraints 77
Airbags 87
Child restraints 97
Tires, Wheels and Loading 113
Tire information 115
Tire inflation 117
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) 133
Vehicle loading 145
Trailer towing 151
Recreational towing 161
Driving 162
Starting 162
Brakes 167
Traction Control™ 169
Traction Control™/AdvanceTrac
170
Transmission operation 176
Reverse sensing system 185
Roadside Emergencies 189
Getting roadside assistance 189
Hazard flasher switch 190
Fuel pump shut-off switch 191
Fuses and relays 192
Changing tires 200
Wheel lug nut torque 209
Jump starting 210
Wrecker towing 216
Customer Assistance 218
Reporting safety defects (U.S. only) 224
Reporting safety defects (Canada only) 225
Table of Contents
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CALIFORNIA Proposition 65 Warning
WARNING:Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and
certain vehicle components contain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. In addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or emit chemicals known
to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
PERCHLORATE MATERIAL
Certain components of this vehicle such as airbag modules, seat belt
pretensioners, and button cell batteries may contain Perchlorate Material
– Special handling may apply for service or vehicle end of life disposal.
See www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations on acquiring your new Ford. Please take the time to get
well acquainted with your vehicle by reading this handbook. The more
you know and understand about your vehicle, the greater the safety and
pleasure you will derive from driving it.
For more information on Ford Motor Company and its products visit the
following website:
•In the United States: www.ford.com
•In Canada: www.ford.ca
•In Australia: www.ford.com.au
•In Mexico: www.ford.com.mx
Additional owner information is given in separate publications.
ThisOwner’s Guidedescribes every option and model variant available
and therefore some of the items covered may not apply to your
particular vehicle. Furthermore, due to printing cycles it may describe
options before they are generally available.
Remember to pass on thisOwner’s Guidewhen reselling the vehicle. It
is an integral part of the vehicle.
WARNING: Fuel pump shut-off switch:In the event of an
accident the safety switch will automatically cut off the fuel
supply to the engine. The switch can also be activated through sudden
vibration (e.g. collision when parking). To reset the switch, refer to the
Fuel pump shut-off switchin theRoadside Emergencieschapter.
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Introduction
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Anti-lock brake system:If the
ABS light stays illuminated or
continues to flash, a malfunction has
been detected, have the system
serviced immediately by your
authorized dealer. Normal braking is still functional unless the brake
warning light also is illuminated.
Airbag readiness:If this light fails
to illuminate when the ignition is
turned to ON, continues to flash or
remains on, have the system
serviced immediately by your authorized dealer. A chime will also sound
when a malfunction in the supplemental restraint system has been
detected.
Safety belt:Reminds you to fasten
your safety belt. A Belt-Minder

chime will also sound to remind you
to fasten your safety belt. Refer to
theSeating and Safety Restraints
chapter to activate/deactivate the Belt-Minder
chime feature.
Engine oil pressure:Illuminates
when the oil pressure falls below the
normal range, refer toEngine oilin
theMaintenance and
Specificationschapter.
Engine coolant temperature:
Illuminates when the engine coolant
temperature is high. Stop the
vehicle as soon as possible, switch off the engine and let cool. Refer to
Engine coolantin theMaintenance and Specificationschapter.
WARNING:Never remove the coolant reservoir cap while the
engine is running or hot.
ABS
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Instrument Cluster
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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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Passenger airbag ON/OFF switch (if equipped)
Note: The passenger airbag ON/OFF
switch (if equipped) may be on
vehicles with no rear seats and a
gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
greater than 8500 lb (3856 kg). See
Vehicle loading – with and
without a trailerin theTires,
Wheels and loadingchapter.
WARNING:An airbag
ON/OFF switch (if
equipped) may have been installed
in this vehicle. Before driving,
alwayslook at the face of the
switch to be sure the switch is in
the proper position in accordance
with these instructions and
warnings. Failure to put the
switch in a proper position can
increase the risk of serious injury
or death in a collision.
Turning the passenger airbag off
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.
WARNING:If the light fails to illuminate when the passenger air
bag switch is in the OFF position and the ignition switch is in
ON, have the passenger air bag switch serviced at your Ford or
Lincoln-Mercury dealer immediately.
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WARNING:In order to avoid inadvertent activation of the
switch, always remove the ignition key from the passenger air
bag ON/OFF switch.
WARNING:An infant in a rear-facing seat faces a high risk of
serious or fatal injuries from a deploying passenger airbag. Rear
facing infant seats should NEVER be placed in the front seats, unless
the passenger airbag is turned off.
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.
WARNING:If the OFF light is illuminated when the passenger
airbag switch is in the ON position and the ignition switch is in
ON, have the passenger airbag switch serviced at an authorized dealer
immediately.
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.
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WARNING: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.
WARNING:If your vehicle has rear seats, always transport
children who are 12 and younger in the rear seat. Always use
safety belts and child restraints properly. DO NOT place a child in a
rear facing infant seat in the front seat unless your vehicle is equipped
with an airbag ON/OFF switch and the passenger airbag is 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 thisOwner’s Guide.
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NHTSA deactivation criteria (excluding Canada)
1.Infant.An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat
because:
•the vehicle has no rear seat;
•the vehicle has a rear seat too small to accommodate a rear-facing
infant seat; or
•the infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant’s
physician, makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front so that
the driver can constantly monitor the child’s condition.
2.Child age 1 to 12.A child age 1 to 12 must ride in the front seat
because:
•the vehicle has no rear seat;
•although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear seat(s) whenever
possible, children ages 1 to 12 sometimes must ride in the front
because no space is available in the rear seat(s) of the vehicle; or
•the child has a medical condition which, according to the child’s
physician, makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can constantly monitor the child’s condition.
3.Medical condition.A passenger has a medical condition which,
according to his or her physician:
•causes the passenger airbag to pose a special risk for the passenger;
and
•makes the potential harm from the passenger airbag in a crash greater
than the potential harm from turning OFF the airbag and allowing the
passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard or windshield in a
crash.
WARNING:This vehicle has special energy management safety
belts for the driver and right front passenger. These particular
belts are specifically designed to work with airbags to help reduce the
risk of injury in a collision. The energy management safety belt is
designed to give or release additional belt webbing in some accidents
to reduce concentration of force on an occupant’s chest and reduce the
risk of certain bone fractures and injuries to underlying organs. In a
crash, if the airbag is turned OFF, this energy management safety belt
might permit the person wearing the belt to move forward enough to
incur a serious or fatal injury. The more severe the crash, and the
heavier the occupant, the greater the risk is. Be sure the airbag is
turned ON for any person who does not qualify under the NHTSA
deactivation criteria.
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