2011 FORD EXPLORER seats

SAFETY BELT SYSTEM
Safety belt precautions
WARNING:Always drive and ride with your seatback upright
and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.
WARNING:To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit
where they can be properly restrained.
WARNING: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.
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.
WARNING: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.
WARNING:In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
WARNING: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.
WARNING:When possible, all children 12 years old and under
should be properly restrained in a rear seating position.
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Automatic locking mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt or lap belt is automatically pre-locked.
The belt will still retract to remove any slack in the shoulder or lap belt.
The automatic locking mode is not available on the driver safety belt.
When to use the automatic locking mode
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 a rear seating
position whenever possible. Refer toSafety restraints for childrenor
Safety seats for childrenlater in this chapter.
How to use the automatic locking mode
Non-inflatable safety belts
•Buckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt.
•Grasp the shoulder portion of the
belt and pull downward until the
entire belt is pulled out.
Rear outboard inflatable safety belts (second row only—if
equipped)
•Buckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt.
•Grasp the lap portion of the belt
and pull upward until the entire
belt is pulled out.
•Allow the belt to retract. As the
belt retracts, you will hear a
clicking sound. This indicates the
safety belt is now in the
automatic locking mode.
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How to disengage the automatic locking mode
WARNING:After any vehicle collision, the safety belt system at
all passenger seating positions 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.
Disconnect 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.
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Rear Inflatable Safety Belt (if equipped)
The rear inflatable safety belts are
fitted in the shoulder safety belts of
the second-row outboard seating
positions.
Note:The rear inflatable safety
belts are compatible with infant and
child safety car seats and belt
positioning booster seats.
The rear inflatable safety belt consists of the following:
•An inflatable bag located in the shoulder safety belt webbing.
•Lap safety belt webbing with automatic locking mode.
•Seat mounted buckles with gas generators concealed under the seat
cushions.
•The same warning light, electronic control and diagnostic unit as used
for the safety belts.
•Impact sensors located in various parts of the vehicle.
WARNING:Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the rear
inflatable safety belt.
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WARNING:If the rear inflatable safety belt has deployed,it
will not function again. The rear inflatable safety belt
system must be inspected and serviced by an authorized dealer.
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.
•The energy management feature 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.
WARNING:Failure to inspect and replace if necessary the belt
and retractor assembly after an accident could 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.
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, seat-mounted side airbags and Safety
CanopySystem and safety belt pretensioners.
Safety belt extension assembly
If the safety belt is too short when fully extended, there is an 8 inch
(20 cm) safety belt extension assembly that can be added (part number
611C22). This assembly can be obtained from an authorized dealer.
Safety belt extensions are vehicle specific. Please see an authorized
dealer to ensure you obtain the proper safety belt extension for your
vehicle. A safety belt extension is not available for the inflatable safety
belt. Also, use the safety belt extension only if the safety belt is too short
for you when fully extended.
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•If the passenger airbag status indicator OFF lamp remains lit even
after this, the person should be advised to ride in the rear seat.
OccupantPassenger Airbag
Status IndicatorPassenger Airbag
EmptyOFF: Lit
Disabled
ON: Unlit
ChildOFF: Lit
Disabled
ON: Unlit
AdultOFF: Unlit
Enabled
ON: Lit
Note:When the passenger airbag status indicator OFF lamp is
illuminated, the passenger side airbag (seat mounted) may be disabled to
avoid the risk of airbag deployment injuries.
WARNING:Even with Advanced Restraints Systems, children
12 and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating
position.
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.
WARNING: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.
If you think that the state of the passenger airbag status indicator lamp
is incorrect, check for the following:
•Objects lodged underneath the seat
•Objects between the seat cushion and the center console (if
equipped)
•Objects hanging off the seat back
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Seat-mounted side airbag system
WARNING: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.
WARNING: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.
WARNING:Do not lean your head on the door. The side airbag
could injure you as it deploys from the side of the seatback.
WARNING:Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the
airbag SRS, its fuses or the seat cover on a seat containing an
airbag. Contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING: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.
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The side airbag system consists of
the following:
•An inflatable bag (airbag) with a
gas generator concealed behind
the outboard bolster of the driver
and front passenger seatbacks.
•A special seat cover designed to
allow airbag deployment.
•The same warning light,
electronic control and diagnostic
unit as used for the front airbags.
•Two crash sensors mounted in the front doors (one on each side of
the vehicle).
•Crash sensors located on the C pillars (one sensor on each pillar on
each side of the vehicle).
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. 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
not of the type sufficient to cause activation. Side airbags are designed
to inflate in side-impact collisions, not roll-over, rear-impact, frontal or
near-frontal collisions, unless the collision causes sufficient lateral
deceleration.
WARNING:Several air bag system components get hot after
inflation. Do not touch them after inflation.
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