Conditions of operation
Then...If...
The safety belt warning light illuminates 1-2 minutes and the warning chime sounds4-8 seconds.
The driver's safety belt is not buckledbefore the ignition switch is turned to theon position...
The safety belt warning light and warningchime turn off.The driver's safety belt is buckled while theindicator light is illuminated and thewarning chime is sounding...
The safety belt warning light and indicatorchime remain off.The driver's safety belt is buckled beforethe ignition switch is turned to the on posi-tion...
SEATBELT REMINDER
Belt-Minder™
This feature supplements the safety beltwarning function by providing additionalreminders that intermittently sound a toneand illuminate the safety belt warning lightwhen you are in the driver seat or you havea front seat passenger and a safety belt isunbuckled.
The system uses information from thefront passenger sensing system todetermine if a front seat passenger ispresent and therefore potentially in needof a warning. To avoid activating theBelt-Minder feature for objects you placein the front passenger seat, only the frontseat passengers receive warnings asdetermined by the front passenger sensingsystem.
If the Belt-Minder warnings expire(warnings for about five minutes) for onepassenger (driver or front passenger), theother passenger can still cause theBelt-Minder feature to turn on.
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Seatbelts
Then...If...
The Belt-Minder feature will not activate.You and the front seat passenger buckleyour safety belts before you switch theignition on or less than 1-2 minutes elapseafter you switch the ignition on...
The Belt-Minder feature activates, thesafety belt warning light illuminates and awarning tone sounds for 6 seconds every25 seconds, repeating for about 5 minutesor until you and the front seat passengerbuckle your safety belts.
You or the front seat passenger do notbuckle your safety belts before your vehiclereaches at least 6 mph (9.7 km/h) and 1-2minutes elapse after you switch the ignitionon...
The Belt-Minder feature activates, thesafety belt warning light illuminates and awarning tone sounds for 6 seconds every25 seconds, repeating for about 5 minutesor until you and the front seat passengerbuckle your safety belts.
The safety belt for the driver or frontpassenger is unbuckled for about 1 minutewhile the vehicle is traveling at least 6 mph(9.7 km/h) and more than 1-2 minuteselapse after you switch the ignition on...
Deactivating and Activating theBelt-Minder Feature
WARNING
While the system allows you todeactivate it, this system is designedto improve your chances of beingsafely belted and surviving an accident.We recommend you leave the systemactivated for yourself and others who mayuse the vehicle.
Note:The driver and front passengerwarnings switch on and off independently.When you perform this procedure for oneseating position, do not buckle the otherposition as this will terminate the process.
Read Steps 1 - 4 thoroughly beforeproceeding with the programmingprocedure.
Before following the procedure, make surethat:
•The parking brake is set.
•The transmission is in park (P).
•The ignition is off.
•The driver and front passenger safetybelts are unbuckled.
1.Switch the ignition on. Do not start thevehicle.
2. Wait until the safety belt warning lightturns off (about one minute). AfterStep 2, wait an additional five secondsbefore proceeding with Step 3. Onceyou start Step 3, you must completethe procedure within 60 seconds.
3.For the seating position being disabled,buckle then unbuckle the safety beltthree times at a moderate speed,ending in the unbuckled state. AfterStep 3, the safety belt warning lightturns on.
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Seatbelts
4. While the safety belt warning light ison, buckle and then unbuckle thesafety belt. After Step 4, the safety beltwarning light flashes for confirmation.
•This will switch the feature off for thatseating position if it is currently on.
•This will switch the feature on for thatseating position if it is currently off.
CHILD RESTRAINT AND
SEATBELT MAINTENANCE
Inspect the vehicle safety belts and childsafety seat systems periodically to makesure they work properly and are notdamaged. Inspect the vehicle and childseat safety belts to make sure there are nonicks, tears or cuts. Replace if necessary.All vehicle safety belt assemblies, includingretractors, buckles, front safety belt buckleassemblies, buckle support assemblies(slide bar-if equipped), shoulder beltheight adjusters (if equipped), shoulderbelt guide on seat back (if equipped), childsafety seat LATCH and tether anchors, andattaching hardware, should be inspectedafter a crash. Read the child restraintmanufacturer's instructions for additionalinspection and maintenance informationspecific to the child restraint.
Ford Motor Company recommends thatall safety belt assemblies in use in vehiclesinvolved in a crash be replaced. However,if the crash was minor and an authorizeddealer finds that the belts do not showdamage and continue to operate properly,they do not need to be replaced. Safetybelt assemblies not in use during a crashshould also be inspected and replaced ifeither damage or improper operation isnoted.
Properly care for safety belts. See VehicleCare (page 247).
SEATBELT EXTENSION
WARNINGS
Persons who fit into the vehicle'sseatbelt should not use an extension.Unnecessary use could result inserious personal injury in the event of acrash.
Only use extensions provided free ofcharge by Ford Motor Companydealers. The dealer will provide anextension designed specifically for thisvehicle, model year and seating position.The use of an extension intended foranother vehicle, model year or seatingposition may not offer you the fullprotection of your vehicle’s seatbeltrestraint system.
Never use seatbelt extensions toinstall child restraints.
Do not use a seatbelt extension withan inflatable seatbelt.
Do not use extensions to change thefit of the belt across the torso, overthe lap or to make the seatbeltbuckle easier to reach.
If, because of body size or driving position,it is not possible to properly fasten theseatbelt over your lap and shoulder, anextension that is compatible with theseatbelts is available free of charge fromFord Motor Company dealers. Only Fordseatbelt extensions made by the originalequipment seatbelts manufacturer shouldbe used with Ford seatbelts. Ask yourauthorized dealer if your extension iscompatible with your Ford vehicle restraintsystem.
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Seatbelts
The Personal Safety System provides animproved overall level of frontal crashprotection to front seat occupants and isdesigned to help further reduce the risk ofairbag-related injuries. The system is ableto analyze different occupant conditionsand crash severity before activating theappropriate safety devices to help betterprotect a range of occupants in a varietyof frontal crash situations.
The Vehicle Personal Safety Systemconsists of:
•Driver and passenger dual-stage airbagsupplemental restraints.
•Front seat outboard safety belts withpretensioners, energy managementretractors and safety belt usagesensors.
•Driver seat position sensor.
•Front passenger sensing system.
•Passenger airbag off and on indicatorlamp.
•Front crash severity sensors.
•Restraints control module with impactand safing sensors.
•Restraint system warning light andbackup tone.
•The electrical wiring for the airbags,crash sensors, safety beltpretensioners, front safety belt usagesensors, driver seat position sensor,front passenger sensing system andindicator lights.
How Does the Personal SafetySystem Work?
The Personal Safety System can adapt thedeployment strategy of the safety devicesaccording to crash severity and occupantconditions. A collection of crash andoccupant sensors provides information tothe restraints control module. During acrash, the restraints control module maydeploy the safety belt pretensioners, oneor both stages of the dual-stage airbagsbased on crash severity and occupantconditions.
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Personal Safety System™
DRIVER AND PASSENGER
AIRBAGS
WARNINGS
Never place your arm or any objectsover an airbag module. Placing yourarm over a deploying airbag canresult in serious arm fractures or otherinjuries. Objects placed on or over theairbag inflation area may cause thoseobjects to be propelled by the airbag intoyour face and torso causing serious injury.
Airbags can kill or injure a child in achild seat. Never place a rear-facingchild seat in front of an active airbag.If you must use a forward-facing child seatin the front seat, move the seat upon whichthe child seat is installed all the way back.
The driver and front passenger airbags willdeploy during significant frontal and nearfrontal crashes.
The driver and passenger front airbagsystem consists of:
•Driver and passenger airbag modules.
•Front passenger sensing system.
· Crash sensors and monitoringsystem with readiness indicator.See Crash Sensors and AirbagIndicator (page 45).
Proper Driver and Front PassengerSeating Adjustment
WARNING
National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA)recommends a minimum distanceof at least 10 inches (25 centimeters)between an occupant’s chest and thedriver airbag module.
To properly position yourself away fromthe airbag:
•Move your seat to the rear as far as youcan while still reaching the pedalscomfortably.
•Recline the seat slightly (one or twodegrees) from the upright position.
After all occupants have adjusted theirseats and put on safety belts, it is veryimportant that they continue to sitproperly. A properly seated occupant sitsupright, leaning against the seat back, andcentered on the seat cushion, with theirfeet comfortably extended on the floor.Sitting improperly can increase the chanceof injury in a crash event. For example, ifan occupant slouches, lies down, turnssideways, sits forward, leans forward orsideways, or puts one or both feet up, thechance of injury during a crash is greatlyincreased.
Children and Airbags
WARNING
Airbags can kill or injure a child in achild seat. Never place a rear-facingchild seat in front of an active airbag.If you must use a forward-facing child seatin the front seat, move the seat upon whichthe child seat is installed all the way back.
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Supplementary Restraints SystemE151127 E67017
Children must always be properlyrestrained. Accident statistics suggest thatchildren are safer when properly restrainedin the rear seating positions than in thefront seating position. Failure to followthese instructions may increase the risk ofinjury in a crash.
FRONT PASSENGER SENSING
SYSTEM
WARNINGS
Even with Advanced RestraintsSystems, children 12 and undershould be properly restrained in arear seating position. Failure to follow thiscould seriously increase the risk of injury ordeath.
Sitting improperly out of position orwith the seatback reclined too farcan take off weight from the seatcushion and affect the decision of the frontpassenger sensing system, resulting inserious injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright against yourseatback, with your feet on the floor.
Any alteration or modification to thefront passenger seat may affect theperformance of the front passengersensing system which could seriouslyincrease the risk of injury or death.
This system works with sensors that arepart of the front passenger seat and safetybelt to detect the presence of aproperly–seated occupant and determineif the front passenger frontal airbag shouldbe enabled (may inflate) or not.
The front passenger sensing system usesa passenger airbag off indicator which willilluminate and stay lit to remind you thatthe front passenger frontal airbag isdisabled. The indicator lamp is located inthe center stack of the instrument panel.
Note:When the ignition is first turned on,the passenger airbag off light will illuminatefor a short period of time to confirm it isfunctional.
The front passenger sensing system isdesigned to disable (will not inflate) thefront passenger frontal airbag when thefront passenger seat is unoccupied, or arear facing infant seat, a forward-facingchild restraint, or a booster seat isdetected. Even with this technology,parents are strongly encouraged toalways properly restrain children in the rearseat. The sensor also turns off thepassenger front airbag and seat-mountedside airbag when the passenger seat isempty.
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Supplementary Restraints SystemE142846 E183107
If you think that the status of the passengerairbag off indicator lamp is incorrect, checkfor the following:
•Objects lodged underneath the seat.
•Objects between the seat cushion andthe center console.
•Objects hanging off the seatback.
•Objects stowed in the seatback mappocket.
•Objects placed on the occupant's lap.
•Cargo interference with the seat
•Other passengers pushing or pulling onthe seat.
•Rear passenger feet and knees restingor pushing on the seat.
The conditions listed above may cause theweight of a properly seated occupant tobe incorrectly interpreted by the passengersensing system. The person in the frontpassenger seat may appear heavier orlighter due to the conditions described inthe list above.
Make sure the front passengersensing system is operatingproperly. See Crash Sensorsand Airbag Indicator (page 45).
If the airbag readiness lamp is lit, dothe following:
The driver or adult passengers shouldcheck for objects that lodged underneaththe front passenger seat, or cargointerfering with the seat.
If there are lodged objects, or cargo isinterfering with the seat, take the followingsteps to remove the obstruction:
•Pull the vehicle over.
•Turn the vehicle off.
•Driver or adult passengers shouldcheck for any objects lodgedunderneath the front passenger seator cargo interfering with the seat.
•Remove the obstruction(s) (if found).
•Restart the vehicle.
•Wait at least two minutes and verifythat the airbag readiness lamp is nolonger illuminated.
•If the airbag readiness lamp remainsilluminated, this may or may not be aproblem due to the front passengersensing system.
Do not attempt to repair or service thesystem. Take your vehicle immediately toan authorized dealer.
If it is necessary to modify an advancedfront airbag system to accommodate aperson with disabilities, contact yourauthorized dealer.
SIDE AIRBAGS
WARNINGS
Do not place objects or mountequipment on or near the airbagcover, on the side of the seatbacks(of the front seats), or in front seat areasthat may come into contact with adeploying airbag. Failure to follow theseinstructions may increase the risk ofpersonal injury in the event of a crash.
Do not use accessory seat covers.The use of accessory seat coversmay prevent the deployment of theside airbags and increase the risk of injuryin an accident.
Do not lean your head on the door.The side airbag could injure you as itdeploys from the side of theseatback.
Do not attempt to service, repair, ormodify the airbag, its fuses or theseat cover on a seat containing anairbag as you could be seriously injured orkilled. Contact your authorized dealer assoon as possible.
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Supplementary Restraints SystemE67017
CRASH SENSORS AND
AIRBAG INDICATOR
WARNING
Modifying or adding equipment tothe front end of your vehicle(including hood, bumper system,frame, front end body structure, tow hooksand hood pins) may affect theperformance of the airbag system,increasing the risk of injury. Do not modifyor add equipment to the front end of yourvehicle.
Your vehicle has a collection of crash andoccupant sensors which provideinformation to the restraints controlmodule which deploys (activates) thefront seatbelt pretensioners, driver airbag,passenger airbag, knee airbag(s), seatmounted side airbags, and the SafetyCanopy. Based on the type of accident(frontal impact, side impact or rollover)the restraints control module will deploythe appropriate safety devices.
The restraints control module alsomonitors the readiness of the above safetydevices plus the crash and occupantsensors. A warning indicator light in theinstrument cluster indicates the readinessof the safety system. If this warningindicator light is not functioning and thereis another fault within the system, themessage cluster could display an airbagfailure warning. You could hear five tonesthat repeat periodically until you repair theproblem, the warning indicator light couldilluminate or both. Routine maintenanceof the airbag is not required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated byone or more of the following:
The indicator light will notilluminate immediately after theignition is turned on.
•The indicator light either flashes orstays illuminated.
•You could hear five tones that repeatperiodically until you repair theproblem.
If any of these things happen, evenintermittently, have the supplementalrestraint system serviced at an authorizeddealer immediately. Unless serviced, thesystem may not function properly in theevent of a crash.
The seatbelt pretensioners and the airbagsupplemental restraint system aredesigned to activate when your vehiclesustains frontal or sideways decelerationsufficient to cause the restraints controlmodule to deploy a safety device or whena certain likelihood of a rollover event isdetected by the rollover sensor.
The fact that the seatbelt pretensionersor airbags did not activate for both frontseat occupants in a crash does not meanthat something is wrong with the system.Rather, it means the restraints controlmodule determined the accidentconditions (for example, crash severity,belt usage) were not appropriate toactivate these safety devices.
•The design of the front airbags is toactivate only in frontal and near-frontalcrashes (not rollovers, side impacts orrear impacts) unless the crash causessufficient frontal deceleration.
•The seatbelt pretensioners aredesigned to activate in frontal,near-frontal, side and rollover crashes.
•The design of the side airbags is toinflate in certain side crashes. Sideairbags could activate in other types ofcrashes if the vehicle experiencessufficient sideways motion ordeformation.
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