2018 FORD TRANSIT Owners Manual

PRINCIPLE 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 your
vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their seatbelts, even when
an airbag supplemental restraint system
is provided. Failure to properly wear your
seatbelt could seriously increase the risk
of injury or death. WARNING:
Even with advanced
restraints systems, properly restrain
children 12 and under in a rear seating
position. Failure to follow this could
seriously increase the risk of injury or death. WARNING:
Do not place your arms
on the airbag cover or through the steering
wheel. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury. WARNING:
Keep the areas in front
of the airbags free from obstruction. Do
not affix anything to or over the airbag
covers. Objects could become projectiles
during airbag deployment or in a sudden
stop. Failure to follow this instruction could
result in personal injury or death. WARNING:
Airbags can kill or injure
a child in a child restraint. Never place a
rear-facing child restraint in front of an
active airbag. If you must use a
forward-facing child restraint in the front
seat, move the seat upon which the child
restraint is installed all the way back. WARNING:
Do not attempt to
service, repair, or modify the
supplementary restraint system or
associated components. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in personal
injury or death. WARNING:
Several airbag system
components get hot after inflation. To
reduce the risk of injury, do not touch them
after inflation. WARNING:
If a supplementary
restraint system component has deployed,
it will not function again. Have the system
and associated components inspected as
soon as possible. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death.
The airbags are a supplemental restraint
system and are designed to work with the
seatbelts 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 (for example, 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.
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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.
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
upon which the child seat is installed all
the way back. The driver and front passenger airbags will
deploy during significant frontal and near
frontal crashes.
The driver and passenger front airbag
system consists of:
•
Driver and passenger airbag modules.
• Crash sensors and monitoring system
with readiness indicator. See
Crash
Sensors and Airbag Indicator (page
55
). Passenger Airbag On and Off
Switch
(If Equipped)
WARNING:
Even with Restraints
Systems, children 12 and under should be
properly restrained in a rear seating
position. Failure to follow this could
seriously increase the risk of injury or death. WARNING:
The front passenger
airbag is not designed to offer protection
to an occupant in the center seating
position.
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WARNING: An airbag ON and OFF
switch may be installed in this vehicle.
Before driving, always look at the face of
the switch to be sure the switch is in the
proper position in accordance with these
instructions and warnings. Failure to put
the switch in a proper position can increase
the risk of serious injury or death in a crash. The front passenger airbag on and off
switch has indicators that will illuminate,
indicating that the front passenger frontal
airbag is either on or off. The indicator lamp
is located on the instrument panel.
Note:
The passenger airbag status indicator
OFF and ON lamps illuminate for a short
period of time when you switch the ignition
on to confirm it is functional. Passenger airbag
Passenger airbag status
indicator
Switch position
Disabled
OFF: Lit
Off
ON: Unlit Enabled
OFF: Unlit
On
ON: Lit
Turning the Passenger Airbag Off WARNING:
If the light fails to
illuminate when the passenger airbag
switch is off and the ignition is on, have the
passenger airbag switch serviced at your
authorized dealer immediately. WARNING:
In order to avoid
inadvertent activation of the switch,
always remove the ignition key from the
passenger airbag on and off switch. WARNING: An infant in a rear-facing
seat faces a high risk of serious or fatal
injuries from a deploying passenger airbag.
Rear facing infant seats should never be
placed in the front seats, unless the
passenger airbag is turned off.
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1. Insert the ignition key, turn the switch
to OFF and hold in OFF while removing
the key. 2.
When the ignition is turned on, the pass
airbag off light illuminates briefly,
momentarily shuts off and then turns
back on. This indicates that the
passenger airbag is deactivated.
Turning the Passenger Airbag Back On WARNING: The seatbelts for the
driver and right front passenger seating
positions have been specifically designed
to function together with the airbags in
certain types of crashes. When you turn off
your airbag, you not only lose the
protection of the airbag, you also may
reduce the effectiveness of your seatbelt
system, which was designed to work with
the airbag. If you are not a passenger who
meets the requirements stated in the
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration or Transport Canada
deactivation criteria turning off the airbag
can increase the risk of serious injury or
death in a crash. WARNING:
If your vehicle has rear
seats, always transport children who are
12 years and under in the rear seat. Always
use seatbelts and child restraints correctly.
Do not place a child in a rear facing infant
seat in the front seat unless your vehicle is
equipped with an airbag on and off switch
and the passenger airbag is turned off. This
is because the back of the infant seat is
too close to the inflating airbag and the
risk of a fatal injury to the infant when the
airbag inflates is substantial. WARNING:
If the pass airbag off
light is illuminated when the passenger
airbag switch is on and the ignition is on,
have the passenger airbag switch serviced
at your authorized dealer immediately.
The passenger airbag remains off until you
turn it back on.
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1. Insert the ignition key and turn the
switch to ON.
2. The pass airbag off light will briefly illuminate when the ignition is turned
to on. This indicates that the passenger
airbag is operational.
The passenger side airbag should always
be on (the pass airbag off light should not
be illuminated) unless the passenger
meets the requirements stated either in
Category 1, 2 or 3 of the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration or Transport
Canada deactivation criteria which follows.
The vast majority of drivers and passengers
are much safer with an airbag than
without. To do their job and reduce the risk
of life threatening injuries, airbags must
open with great force, and this force can
pose a potentially deadly risk in some
situations, particularly when a front seat
passenger is not using the seatbelt
correctly. The most effective way to reduce
the risk of unnecessary airbag injuries
without reducing the overall safety of your
vehicle is to make sure all passengers are
correctly restrained in the vehicle,
especially in the front seat. This provides
the protection of seatbelts and permits the
airbags to provide the additional protection
they were designed to provide. If you choose to deactivate your airbag, you are
losing the very significant risk reducing
benefits of the airbag and you are also
reducing the effectiveness of the seatbelts,
because seatbelts in modern vehicles are
designed to work as a safety system with
the airbags.
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration Deactivation Criteria
(Excluding Canada)
WARNING: This vehicle has special
energy management seatbelts for the
driver and right front passenger. These
particular belts are specifically designed
to work with airbags to help reduce the risk
of injury in a crash. The energy
management seatbelt is designed to give
or release additional belt webbing in some
accidents to reduce concentration of force
on an occupant's chest and reduce the risk
of certain bone fractures and injuries to
underlying organs. In a crash, if the airbag
is turned off, this energy management
seatbelt might permit the person wearing
the belt to move forward enough to incur
a serious or fatal injury. The more severe
the crash, and the heavier the occupant,
the greater the risk is. Be sure the airbag is
turned on for any person who does not
qualify under the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration deactivation criteria.
1. Infant.
An infant (less than 1 year old)
must ride in the front seat because:
• The vehicle has no rear seat;
• The vehicle has a rear seat too small
to accommodate a rear-facing infant
seat; or
• The infant has a medical condition
which, according to the infant's
physician, makes it necessary for the
infant to ride in the front so that the
driver can constantly monitor the
child's condition.
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2.
Child age 1 to 12. A child age 1 to 12 must
ride in the front seat because:
• The vehicle has no rear seat;
• Although children ages 1 to 12 ride in
the rear seat(s) whenever possible,
children ages 1 to 12 sometimes must
ride in the front because no space is
available in the rear seat(s) of the
vehicle; or
• The child has a medical condition
which, according to the child's
physician, makes it necessary for the
child to ride in the front seat so that the
driver can constantly monitor the
child's condition.
3. Medical condition. A passenger has a
medical condition which, according to his
or her physician:
• Causes the passenger airbag to pose
a special risk for the passenger;
• Makes the potential harm from the
passenger airbag in a crash greater
than the potential harm from turning
off the airbag and allowing the
passenger, even if belted, to hit the
dashboard or windshield in a crash.
Transport Canada Deactivation Criteria
(Canada Only) WARNING:
This vehicle has special
energy management seatbelts for the
driver and right front passenger. These
particular belts are specifically designed
to work with airbags to help reduce the risk
of injury in a crash. The energy
management seatbelt is designed to give
or release additional belt webbing in some
accidents to reduce concentration of force
on an occupant's chest and reduce the risk
of certain bone fractures and injuries to
underlying organs. In a crash, if the airbag
is turned off, this energy management
seatbelt might permit the person wearing the belt to move forward enough to incur
a serious or fatal injury. The more severe
the crash, and the heavier the occupant,
the greater the risk is. Be sure the airbag is
turned on for any person who does not
qualify under the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration deactivation criteria.
1.
Infant:
An infant (less than 1 year old)
must ride in the front seat because:
• My vehicle has no rear seat;
• The rear seat in my vehicle cannot
accommodate a rear-facing infant
seat;
• The infant has a medical condition
which, according to the infant's
physician, makes it necessary for the
infant to ride in the front seat so that
the driver can monitor the infant's
condition.
2. Child age 12 or under: A child age 12 or
under must ride in the front seat because:
• My vehicle has no rear seat;
• Athough children age 12 and under ride
in the rear seat whenever possible,
children age 12 and under have no
option but to sometimes ride in the
front seat because rear seat space is
insufficient;
• The child has a medical condition that,
according to the child's physician,
makes it necessary for the child to ride
in the front seat so that the driver can
monitor the child's condition.
3. Medical condition:
A passenger has a
medical condition that, according to his or
her physician:
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•
Poses a special risk for the passenger
if the airbag deploys; and
• Makes the potential harm from the
passenger airbag deployment greater
than the potential harm from turning
off the airbag and experiencing a crash
without the protection offered by the
airbag
Proper Driver and Front Passenger
Seating Adjustment WARNING: The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration recommends
a minimum distance of at least 10 inches
(25 centimeters) 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.
• Recline the seat slightly (one or two
degrees) from the upright position.
After all occupants have adjusted their
seats and put on seatbelts, it is very
important that they continue to sit
properly. Properly seated occupants sit
upright, lean against the seat back, and
center themselves 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
upon which the child seat is installed 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 crash.
SIDE AIRBAGS
(If Equipped)
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 crash.
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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 as you could be seriously injured
or killed. Contact your authorized dealer
as soon as possible. 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 crash.
The side airbags are located on the
outboard side of the seatbacks of the front
seats. In certain sideways crashes, the
airbag on the side affected by the crash
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 crashes. The system consists of the following:
•
A label or embossed side panel
indicating that side airbags are found
on your vehicle.
• Side airbags located inside the
seatback of the driver and front
passenger seats. ·Crash sensors and monitoring
system with readiness indicator.
See Crash Sensors and Airbag
Indicator
(page 55).
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.
SAFETY CANOPY™
(If Equipped) WARNING:
Do not place objects or
mount equipment on or near the headliner
at the siderail that may come into contact
with a deploying curtain airbag. Failure to
follow these instructions may increase the
risk of personal injury in the event of a
crash.
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