2013 FORD EXPLORER Owners Manual

PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
WARNING:Airbags DO NOT inflate slowly or gently, and the risk
of injury from a deploying airbag is the greatest close to the trim
covering the airbag module.
WARNING:All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver,
should always properly wear their safety belts, even when an
airbag supplemental restraint system is provided.
WARNING:Always transport children 12 years old and under in
the back seat and always properly use appropriate child
restraints.
WARNING:Never place your arm over the airbag module as a
deploying airbag can result in serious arm fractures or other
injuries.
WARNING:Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
NEVER place 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.
WARNING:Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the
airbag supplemental restraint systems or its fuses. Contact your
authorized dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING:Several airbag system components get hot after
inflation. Do not touch them after inflation.
WARNING:If the airbag has deployed, the airbag will not
function again and must be replaced immediately. If the airbag is
not replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of injury in a
collision.
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WARNING:All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver,
should always properly wear their safety belts, even when an air
bag supplemental restraint system is provided.
The airbags are a supplemental restraint system and are designed to
work with the safety belts 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.
Note:You will hear a loud bang and see a cloud of harmless powdery
residue if an airbag deploys. This is normal.
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 or swelling. Temporary hearing loss is also a possibility as a
result of the noise associated with a deploying airbag. 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.
Routine maintenance of the airbags is not required.
SOS POST-CRASH ALERT SYSTEM™
The system flashes the turn signal lamps and sounds the horn
(intermittently) in the event of a serious impact that deploys an airbag
(front, side, side curtain or Safety Canopy) or the safety belt
pretensioners.
The horn and lamps will turn off when:
•the hazard control button is pressed
•the panic button is pressed on the remote entry transmitter, or
•the vehicle runs out of power.
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DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS
WARNING:Never place your arm or any objects over an airbag
module. Placing your arm over a deploying airbag can result in
serious arm fractures or other injuries. Objects placed 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.
WARNING:Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
Never place 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.
The driver and front passenger
airbags will deploy during significant
frontal and near frontal collisions.
The driver and passenger front airbag system consists of:
•Driver and passenger airbag modules
•Crash sensors and monitoring system with readiness
indicator. Refer toCrash Sensors and Airbag Indicator
later in this chapter.
•Front passenger sensing system.
Proper Driver and Front Passenger Seating Adjustment
WARNING:National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) recommends a minimum distance of at least 10 in.
(25 cm) between an occupant’s chest and the driver airbag module.
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.
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•Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees) from the upright
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.
Children and Airbags
WARNING:Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
NEVER place 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.
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.
Knee airbag system (passenger’s side only)
The knee airbag is located under the instrument panel. The system
works along with the passenger’s front airbag to help reduce injury to the
legs. When the passenger’s airbag activates in a collision, the knee airbag
deploys from under the instrument panel.
As with front and side airbags, it is important to be properly seated and
restrained to reduce the risk of death or serious injury.
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FRONT PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM
WARNING:Even with Advanced Restraints Systems, children 12
and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating
position.
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.
WARNING:Any alteration/modification to the front passenger
seat may affect the performance of the front passenger sensing
system.
This system works with sensors that are part of the front passenger’s
seat and safety belt to detect the presence of a properly-seated occupant
and determine if the front passenger’s frontal airbag should be enabled
(may inflate) or not.
The front passenger sensing system
uses a passenger airbag status
indicator which will illuminate
indicating that the front passenger
frontal airbag is either ON (enabled)
or OFF (disabled). The indicator
lamp is located in the center stack
of the instrument panel.
Note:The passenger airbag status indicator OFF and ON lamps will
illuminate for a short period of time when the ignition is first turned on
to confirm it is functional.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to disable (will not
inflate) the front passenger’s frontal airbag when the front passenger seat
is unoccupied, or a rear facing infant seat, a forward-facing child
restraint, or a booster seat is detected.
•When the front passenger sensing system disables (will not inflate) the
front passenger frontal airbag, the passenger airbag status indicator
will illuminate the OFF lamp and stay lit to remind you that the front
passenger frontal airbag is disabled.
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•If the child restraint has been installed and the passenger airbag status
indicator illuminates the ON lamp, then turn the vehicle off, remove
the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the restraint following
the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to enable (may inflate)
the front passenger’s frontal airbag anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting properly in the front passenger seat.
•When the front passenger sensing system enables the front passenger
frontal airbag (may inflate), the passenger airbag status indicator will
illuminate the ON lamp and remain illuminated.
If a person of adult size is sitting in the front passenger’s seat, but the
passenger airbag status indicator OFF lamp is lit, it is possible that the
person isn’t sitting properly in the seat. If this happens:
•Turn the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback in the
full upright position.
•Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion,
with the person’s legs comfortably extended.
•Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for
about two minutes. This will allow the system to detect that person
and enable the passenger’s frontal airbag.
•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.
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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.
To know if the front passenger sensing system is operating
properly, refer toCrash sensors and Airbag Indicatorlater in
this chapter.
DO NOT attempt to repair or service the system; take your vehicle
immediately to an authorized dealer.
If it is necessary to modify an advanced front airbag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, contact the Ford Customer
Relationship Center at the phone number shown in theGetting the
services you needsection of theCustomer Assistancechapter, or see
your authorized dealer.
SIDE AIRBAGS
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, its fuses or the seat cover on a seat containing an airbag.
Contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible.
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WARNING:If the side airbag has deployed,the airbag will not
function again. The side airbag system (including the seat)
must be inspected and serviced by an authorized dealer.If the
airbag is not replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of
injury in a 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 system consists of the following:
•A label or embossed side panel indicating
that side airbags are fitted to your vehicle.
•Side airbags located inside the seatback of
the driver and front passenger seatbacks.
•Crash sensors and monitoring system with readiness
indicator. Refer toCrash sensors and Airbag Indicatorlater
in this chapter.
•Front passenger sensing system
Note:The passenger sensing system will deactivate the passenger
seat-mounted side airbag if it detects an empty, unbuckled passenger
seat.
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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