2018 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL Owners Manual

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 able toanalyze different occupant conditions andcrash severity before activating theappropriate safety devices to help betterprotect a range of occupants in a variety offrontal crash situations.
The Vehicle Personal Safety System consistsof:
•Driver and passenger dual-stage airbagsupplemental restraints.
•Front seat outermost seatbelts withpretensioners, energy managementretractors and seatbelt usage sensors.
•Driver seat position sensor.
•Passenger seat position sensor.
•Front passenger sensing system.
•Passenger airbag off and on indicators.
•Front crash severity sensors.
•Restraints control module with impactand safing sensors.
•Restraint system warning lamp and tone.
•The electrical wiring for the airbags, crashsensors, seatbelt pretensioners, frontseatbelt usage sensors, driver seatposition sensor, front passenger sensingsystem and indicators.
How Does the Personal Safety SystemWork?
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 a crash,the restraints control module may deploy theseatbelt pretensioners, one or both stagesof the dual-stage airbags based on crashseverity and occupant conditions.
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Personal Safety System™

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNING: Airbags do not inflateslowly or gently, and the risk of injury from adeploying airbag is the greatest close to thetrim covering the airbag module.
WARNING: All occupants of yourvehicle, including the driver, should alwaysproperly wear their seatbelts, even when anairbag supplemental restraint system isprovided. Failure to properly wear yourseatbelt could seriously increase the risk ofinjury or death.
WARNING: Even with advancedrestraints systems, properly restrain children12 and under in a rear seating position.Failure to follow this could seriously increasethe risk of injury or death.
WARNING: Do not place your arms onthe airbag cover or through the steeringwheel. Failure to follow this instruction couldresult in personal injury.
WARNING: Keep the areas in front ofthe airbags free from obstruction. Do not affixanything to or over the airbag covers.Objects could become projectiles duringairbag deployment or in a sudden stop.Failure to follow this instruction could resultin personal injury or death.
WARNING: Airbags can kill or injure achild in a child restraint. Never place arear-facing child restraint in front of an activeairbag. If you must use a forward-facing childrestraint in the front seat, move the seat uponwhich the child restraint is installed all theway back.
WARNING: Do not attempt to service,repair, or modify the supplementary restraintsystem or associated components. Failureto follow this instruction could result inpersonal injury or death.
WARNING: Several airbag systemcomponents get hot after inflation. To reducethe risk of injury, do not touch them afterinflation.
WARNING: If a supplementary restraintsystem component has deployed, it will notfunction again. Have the system andassociated components inspected as soonas possible. Failure to follow this instructioncould result in personal injury or death.
The airbags are a supplemental restraintsystem and are designed to work with theseatbelts to help protect the driver and rightfront passenger from certain upper bodyinjuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly; thereis a risk of injury from a deploying airbag.
Note:You will hear a loud bang and see acloud of harmless powdery residue if anairbag deploys. This is normal.
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The airbags inflate and deflate rapidly uponactivation. After airbag deployment, it isnormal to notice a smoke-like, powderyresidue or smell the burnt propellant. Thismay consist of cornstarch, talcum powder (tolubricate the bag) or sodium compounds (forexample, baking soda) that result from thecombustion process that inflates the airbag. Small amounts of sodium hydroxide may bepresent which may irritate the skin and eyes,but none of the residue is toxic.
While the system is designed to help reduceserious injuries, contact with a deployingairbag may also cause abrasions or swelling.Temporary hearing loss is also a possibilityas a result of the noise associated with adeploying airbag. Because airbags mustinflate rapidly and with considerable force,there is the risk of death or serious injuriessuch as fractures, facial and eye injuries orinternal injuries, particularly to occupantswho are not properly restrained or areotherwise out of position at the time of airbagdeployment. Thus, it is extremely importantthat occupants be properly restrained as faraway from the airbag module as possiblewhile maintaining vehicle control.
Routine maintenance of the airbags is notrequired.
DRIVER AND PASSENGER
AIRBAGS
WARNING: Do not place your arms onthe airbag cover or through the steeringwheel. Failure to follow this instruction couldresult in personal injury.
WARNING: Keep the areas in front ofthe airbags free from obstruction. Do not affixanything to or over the airbag covers.Objects could become projectiles duringairbag deployment or in a sudden stop.Failure to follow this instruction could resultin personal injury or death.
WARNING: Airbags can kill or injure achild in a child restraint. Never place arear-facing child restraint in front of an activeairbag. If you must use a forward-facing childrestraint in the front seat, move the seat uponwhich the child restraint is installed all theway back.
The driver and front passenger airbags willdeploy during significant frontal and nearfrontal crashes.
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The driver and passenger front airbag systemconsists of:
•Driver and passenger airbag modules.
•Front passenger sensing system.
· Crash sensors and monitoringsystem with readiness indicator.See Crash Sensors and AirbagIndicator (page 55).
Proper Driver and Front PassengerSeating Adjustment
WARNING: National Highway TrafficSafety Administration (NHTSA) recommendsa minimum distance of at least 10 in (25 cm)between an occupant's chest and the driverairbag module.
To properly position yourself away from theairbag:
•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 their seatsand put on seatbelts, it is very important thatthey continue to sit properly. A properlyseated occupant sits upright, leaning againstthe seatback, and centered on the seatcushion, with their feet comfortably extendedon the floor. Sitting improperly can increasethe chance of injury in a crash event. Forexample, if an occupant slouches, lies down,turns sideways, sits forward, leans forwardor sideways, or puts one or both feet up, thechance of injury during a crash is greatlyincreased.
Children and Airbags
WARNING: Airbags can kill or injure achild in a child restraint. Never place arear-facing child restraint in front of an activeairbag. If you must use a forward-facing childrestraint in the front seat, move the seat uponwhich the child restraint is installed all theway back.
Children must always be properly restrained.Accident statistics suggest that children aresafer when properly restrained in the rearseating positions than in the front seatingposition. Failure to follow these instructionsmay increase the risk of injury in a crash.
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FRONT PASSENGER SENSING
SYSTEM
WARNING: Even with advancedrestraints systems, properly restrain children12 and under in a rear seating position.Failure to follow this could seriously increasethe risk of injury or death.
WARNING: Sitting improperly, out ofposition or with the seatback reclined too farcan take weight off the seat cushion andaffect the decision of the passenger sensingsystem, resulting in serious injury or deathin the event of a crash. Always sit uprightagainst your seat back, with your feet on thefloor.
WARNING: Any alteration ormodification to the front passenger seat mayaffect the performance of the front passengersensing system. This could seriously increasethe risk of injury or death.
The front passenger sensing system uses apassenger airbag status indicator whichilluminates indicating that the frontpassenger frontal airbag is either on(enabled) or off (disabled).
The indicator lamp is in the center stack ofthe instrument panel.
Note:When you first switch the ignition on,the passenger airbag status indicator off andon lamps illuminate for a short period toconfirm it is functional.
The front passenger sensing system isdesigned to disable (will not inflate) the frontpassenger frontal airbag under certainconditions:
•The front passenger seat is unoccupied.
•The system determines an infant ispresent in a child restraint.
•A passenger takes their weight off of theseat for a period of time.
•If there is a problem with the airbagsystem or the passenger sensing system.
Even with this technology, parents arestrongly encouraged to always properlyrestrain children in the rear seat.
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•When the front passenger sensingsystem disables (will not inflate) the frontpassenger frontal airbag, the passengerairbag status indicator illuminates the offlamp and stays lit to remind you that thefront passenger frontal airbag is disabled.
•If you have installed the child restraintand the passenger airbag status indicatorilluminates the on lamp, then switch yourvehicle off, remove the child restraintfrom your vehicle and reinstall therestraint following the child restraintmanufacturer's instructions.
The front passenger sensing system workswith sensors that are part of the frontpassenger seat and seatbelt. The sensorsare designed to detect the presence of aproperly seated occupant and determine ifthe front passenger frontal airbag should beenabled.
•When the front passenger sensingsystem enables the front passengerfrontal airbag (may inflate), the passengerairbag status indicator illuminates the onlamp and remains illuminated.
If a person of adult size is sitting in the frontpassenger seat, but the passenger airbagstatus indicator off lamp is lit, it is possiblethat the person is not sitting properly in theseat. If this happens:
•Switch your vehicle off and ask theperson to place the seat backrest in anupright position.
•Have the person sit upright in the seat,centered on the seat cushion, with theperson's legs comfortably extended.
•Restart your vehicle and have the personremain in this position for about twominutes. This allows the system to detectthat person and enable the passengerfrontal airbag.
•If the indicator off lamp remains lit evenafter this, you should advise the personto ride in the rear seat.
After all occupants have adjusted their seatsand put on seatbelts, it is very important thatthey continue to sit properly. A properlyseated occupant sits upright, leaning againstthe seatback, and centered on the seatcushion, with their feet comfortably extendedon the floor. Sitting improperly can increase
the chance of injury in a crash event. Forexample, if an occupant slouches, lies down,turns sideways, sits forward, leans forwardor sideways, or puts one or both feet up, thechance of injury during a crash is greatlyincreased.
If you think that the state of the passengerairbag status indicator lamp is incorrect,check for the following:
•Objects lodged underneath the seat.
•Objects between the seat cushion andthe center console.
•Objects hanging off the seat backrest.
•Objects stowed in the seat backrest 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.
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The conditions listed above may cause theweight of a properly seated occupant to beincorrectly interpreted by the front passengersensing system. The person in the frontpassenger seat may appear heavier or lighterdue to the conditions described in theprevious list.
Make sure the front passengersensing system is operatingproperly. See Crash Sensors andAirbag Indicator (page 55).
If the airbag readiness light is lit, do thefollowing:
The driver and adult passengers shouldcheck for objects lodged underneath thefront passenger seat or cargo interfering withthe seat.
If objects are lodged or cargo is interferingwith the seat, please take the following stepsto remove the obstruction:
•Pull your vehicle over.
•Switch your vehicle off.
•Driver or adult passengers should checkfor any objects lodged underneath thefront passenger seat or cargo interferingwith the seat.
•Remove the obstruction(s) (if found).
•Restart your vehicle.
•Wait at least two minutes and verify thatthe airbag readiness light in theinstrument cluster is no longerilluminated.
•If the airbag readiness light in theinstrument cluster remains illuminated,this may or may not be a problem due tothe front passenger sensing system.
Do not attempt to repair or service thesystem. Take your vehicle immediately to anauthorized dealer.
If it is necessary to modify an advanced frontairbag system to accommodate a personwith disabilities, contact the Ford CustomerRelationship Center.
SIDE AIRBAGS
WARNING: Do not place objects ormount equipment on or near the airbagcover, on the side of the seatbacks (of thefront seats), or in front seat areas that maycome into contact with a deploying airbag.Failure to follow these instructions mayincrease the risk of personal injury in theevent of a crash.
WARNING: Do not use accessory seatcovers. The use of accessory seat coversmay prevent the deployment of the sideairbags and increase the risk of injury in anaccident.
WARNING: Do not lean your head onthe door. The side airbag could injure youas it deploys from the side of the seatback.
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WARNING: Do not attempt to service,repair, or modify the seat airbagsupplemental restraint systems, its fuses orthe seat cover on a vehicle containing seatairbags as you could be seriously injured orkilled. Contact your authorized dealer assoon as possible.
WARNING: If the side airbag hasdeployed, the airbag will not function again.The side airbag system (including the seat)must be inspected as soon as possible. If theairbag is not replaced, the unrepaired areawill increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The side airbags are on the outboard sideof the seatbacks of the front seats. Theairbag was designed to inflate between thedoor panel and occupant to further enhancethe protection provided to occupants incertain side impact crashes.
The system consists of the following:
•A label or embossed side panelindicating that side airbags are fitted toyour vehicle.
•Side airbags inside the driver and frontpassenger seatbacks.
•Front passenger sensing system.
Crash sensors and monitoringsystem with readiness indicator.See Crash Sensors and AirbagIndicator (page 55).
The design and development of the sideairbag system included recommendedtesting procedures that were developed bya group of automotive safety experts knownas the Side Airbag Technical Working Group.These recommended testing procedureshelp reduce the risk of injuries related to thedeployment of side airbags.
DRIVER AND PASSENGER KNEE
AIRBAGS
Driver and passenger knee airbags arelocated under or within the instrument panel.During a crash, the restraints control modulemay activate the driver and passenger kneeairbags (individually or both) based on crashseverity and respective occupant conditions.Under certain crash and occupant conditions,the driver and passenger knee airbags maydeploy (individually or both) but thecorresponding front airbag may not activate.As with front and side airbags, it is importantto be properly seated and restrained toreduce the risk of death or serious injury.
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