2-46
BEFORE DRIVING
80J21-03E
Front Passenger Sensing SystemThe front passenger sensing system will
turn off the front passenger’s front air bag
and seat belt pretensioner under certain
conditions. This system works using a sen-
sor mat that is part of the front passenger’s
seat. The front passenger sensing system
is designed to detect whether an occupant
is present in the seat and, if an occupant is
present, to determine whether the front
passenger’s front air bag and seat belt pre-
tensioner should be enabled or disabled
(turned off).
NOTE:
The front passenger’s side air bag and the
side curtain air bag are not controlled by
the front passenger sensing system.
80J024
When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the “PASS AIR BAG OFF”
indicator comes on for several seconds tolet you know the system is working. When
the front passenger sensing system has
turned off the front passenger’s front air
bag including the seat belt pretensioner,
the “PASS AIR BAG OFF” indicator will
come on and stay on to remind you that
the front passenger’s front air bag is off.
The front passenger sensing system uses
front seat pressure measurements and
pressure locations to determine whether to
activate or deactivate the front passenger’s
front air bag. The front passenger sensing
system may or may not turn off the front air
bag, depending on the front passenger’s
seating posture and body build. The air
bag should be turned off in the following
situations:
There is no occupant in the front pas-
senger seat.
The occupant of the front passenger
seat lifts his or her weight off of the seat
for a period of time.
The occupant of the front passenger
seat is an infant or small child in a child
restraint system or a small child in a
booster seat.
A smaller person, such as a child who
has outgrown child restraints or a very
small adolescent is seated in the front
passenger seat.
NOTE:
If the front passenger seat is unoccupied,
the “PASS AIR BAG OFF” indicator will not
come on but the front passenger’s front airbag will not deploy and the seat belt pre-
tensioner will not operate.
If you have secured a child in the front pas-
senger seat in a forward-facing child
restraint system or booster seat and the
“PASS AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is not
on, turn the vehicle off, remove the child
restraint or booster seat from the vehicle
and reinstall it following the child restraint
or booster seat manufacturer’s directions.
Also refer to “Seat Belts and Child
Restraint Systems” in this section. If, after
reinstalling the child restraint and restart-
ing the vehicle, the “PASS AIR BAG OFF”
indicator is still not lit, check to make sure
that the vehicle’s seatback is not pressing
the child restraint into the seat cushion. If
this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s
seatback and adjust the seat cushion if
possible. Also make sure the child restraint
is not trapped under the vehicle head
restraint. If this happens, adjust the head
restraint. If the “PASS AIR BAG OFF” indi-
cator is still not on, secure the child in the
child restraint or booster seat in a rear seat
position in the vehicle and check with your
dealer.
