2008 FORD FOCUS airbag

The front passenger sensing system can automatically turn off the
passenger front airbag. The system is designed to help protect small
(child size) occupants from airbag deployments when they are
improperly seated or restrained in the front passenger seat contrary to
proper child-seating or restraint usage recommendations. Even with this
technology, parents areSTRONGLYencouraged to always properly
restrain children in the rear seat. The sensor also turns off the airbag
when the passenger seat is empty to prevent unnecessary replacement of
the airbag(s) after a collision.
When the front passenger seat is occupied and the sensing system has
turned off the passenger’s frontal airbag, the “pass airbag off” indicator
will light and stay lit to remind you that the front passenger frontal
airbag is off. SeeFront passenger sensing systemin the airbags section
of this chapter.
Front safety belt usage sensors
The front safety belt usage sensors detect whether or not the driver and
front outboard passenger safety belts are fastened. This information
allows your Personal Safety System™ to tailor the airbag deployment
and safety belt pretensioner activation depending upon safety belt usage.
Refer toSafety Beltsection in this chapter.
Front outboard safety belt pretensioners
The safety belt pretensioners at the front outboard seating positions are
designed to tighten the safety belts firmly against the occupant’s body
during frontal collisions, and in side collisions when the side air curtain
system activates. This helps increase the effectiveness of the safety belts.
In frontal collisions, the safety belt pretensioners can be activated alone
or, if the collision is of sufficient severity, together with the front airbags.
Front outboard safety belt energy management retractors
The front safety belt energy management retractors allow webbing to be
pulled out of the retractor in a gradual and controlled manner in
response to the occupant’s forward momentum. This helps reduce the
risk of force-related injuries to the occupant’s chest by limiting the load
on the occupant. Refer toSafety Beltsection in this chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety System™ is operational
The Personal Safety System™ uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to theWarning lightsection in theInstrument Clusterchapter.
Routine maintenance of the Personal Safety System™ is not required.
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The Restraints Control Module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt buckle sensors, front
passenger sensing system, and the driver seat position sensor. In
addition, the RCM also monitors the restraints warning light in the
instrument cluster. A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or
more of the following.
•The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
•The warning 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 warning light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the Personal
Safety System™ serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
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.
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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.
While you are fastened in the safety belt, the combination lap/shoulder
belt with a cinch tongue adjusts to your movement. However, if you
brake hard, turn hard, or if your vehicle receives an impact of 8 km/h
(5 mph) or more, the safety belt will become locked and help reduce
your forward movement.
Front safety belt height adjustment
Adjust the height of the shoulder
belt so the belt rests across the
middle of your shoulder.
To adjust the shoulder belt height,
squeeze the buttons and slide the
height adjuster up or down. Release
the button and pull down on the
height adjuster to make sure it is
locked in place.
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 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.
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, and safety belt
pretensioners.
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Reasons given... Consider...
“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.
“I was in a hurry”Prime time for an accident.
Belt-Minderreminds 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”.
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2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off (Approximately 1
minute).
•Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.
3. For the seating position being disabled, at a moderate speed, buckle
then unbuckle the safety belt nine times, ending in the unbuckled state.
Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.
•After Step 3, the safety belt warning light will be turned on for three
seconds.
4. Within approximately seven seconds of the light turning off, buckle
then unbuckle the safety belt.
•This will disable the Belt-Minderfeature for that seating position if it
is currently enabled. As confirmation, the safety belt warning light will
flash one time per second for three seconds.
•This will enable the Belt-Minderfeature 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 one time per second for three seconds again.
AIRBAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
The supplemental restraint system is designed to work with the safety
belt to help protect the driver and right front passenger from certain
upper body injuries.
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AirbagsDO NOTinflate slowly or gently, and the risk of injury
from a deploying airbag is the greatest close to the trim covering
the airbag module.
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.
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.
The 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.
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.
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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.
Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the airbag
supplemental restraint systems or its fuses. See your authorized
dealer.
Children and airbags
Children must always be properly
restrained. Accident statistics
suggest that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front
seating position. Failure to follow
these instructions may increase the
risk of injury in a collision.
Airbags can kill or injure a
child in a child seat.
NEVERplace a rear-facing child
seat in front of an active airbag. If
you must use a forward-facing
child seat in the front seat, move
the seat all the way back.
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How does the airbag supplemental restraint system work?
The airbag SRS is designed to
activate when the vehicle sustains
longitudinal 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. Front
airbags are designed to inflate in
frontal and near-frontal collisions, not rollover, side-impact, or
rear-impacts unless the collision causes sufficient longitudinal
deceleration.
The airbags inflate and deflate
rapidly upon activation. After airbag
deployment, it is normal to notice a
smoke-like, powdery residue or
smell the burnt propellant. This may
consist of cornstarch, talcum
powder (to lubricate the bag) or
sodium compounds (e.g., baking
soda) that result from the
combustion process that inflates the
airbag. Small amounts of sodium
hydroxide may be present which
may irritate the skin and eyes, but
none of the residue is toxic.
While the system is designed to help
reduce serious injuries, contact with
a deploying airbag may also cause 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.
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