Principle of Operation
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.
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: 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. |
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.
- 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.
- 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. A properly seated occupant sits upright, leaning against the seatback, 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 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. |
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.
Front Passenger Sensing System
| 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: Sitting improperly, out of position or with the seatback reclined too far can take weight off the seat cushion and affect the decision of the passenger sensing system, resulting in serious injury or death in the event of a crash. Always sit upright against your seat back, with your feet on the floor. WARNING: Any alteration or modification to the front passenger seat may affect the performance of the front passenger sensing system. This could seriously increase the risk of injury or death. |
This system works with sensors that are part of the front passenger seat and seatbelt to detect the presence of a properly-seated occupant and determine if the front passenger frontal airbag should be enabled (may inflate) or not.
The front passenger sensing system uses a passenger airbag status indicator that illuminates indicating that the front passenger frontal airbag is either on (enabled) or off (disabled).
The indicators are on the overhead console.
Note: The indicators illuminate briefly when you first switch the ignition on to confirm they are functional.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to disable (will not inflate) the front passenger 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. Even with this technology, parents are strongly encouraged to always properly restrain children in the rear seat.
- When the front passenger sensing system disables (will not inflate) the front passenger frontal airbag, the airbag off indicator illuminates and stays lit to remind you that the front passenger frontal airbag is disabled.
- If you have installed the child restraint and the airbag on indicator illuminates, switch the vehicle off, remove the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the restraint according to the child restraint manufacturer's instructions.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to enable (may inflate) the front passenger 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 airbag on indicator illuminates and remains illuminated.
If a person of adult size is sitting in the front passenger seat, but the airbag off indicator is lit, it is possible that the person is not sitting properly in the seat. If this happens:
- Switch the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seat backrest in an 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 allows the system to detect that person and enables the passenger frontal airbag.
- If the airbag off indicator remains lit even after this, advise the person to ride in the rear seat.
| Occupant | Passenger Airbag Status Indicator | Passenger Airbag |
|---|---|---|
| Empty | OFF: Lit | Disabled |
| ON: Unlit | ||
| Child | OFF: Lit | Disabled |
| ON: Unlit | ||
| Adult | OFF: Unlit | Enabled |
| ON: Lit |
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on seatbelts, it is very important that they continue to sit properly. A properly seated occupant sits upright, leaning against the seat backrest, 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 greatly increases.
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 our Customer Relationship Center.
Side Airbags
| WARNING: Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the airbag cover, on the side of the front or rear seatbacks, or in 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. WARNING: Accessory seat covers not released by Ford Motor Company could prevent the deployment of the airbags and increase the risk of injuries in a crash. 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 supplementary restraint system or associated components. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death. 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 side airbags are on the outermost side of the front seat backrests. In certain sideways crashes or rollover events, the side airbags will be inflated. The airbag was designed to inflate between the door panel and occupant to further enhance the protection provided to occupants in side impact crashes.
- A label or embossed side panel indicating that your vehicle has side airbags.
- Side airbags inside the driver and front passenger seat backrests.
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.
Driver and Passenger Knee Airbags
Driver and passenger knee airbags are located under or within the instrument panel. During a crash, the restraints control module may activate the driver and passenger knee airbags (individually or both) based on crash severity and respective occupant conditions. Under certain crash and occupant conditions, the driver and passenger knee airbags may deploy (individually or both) but the corresponding front airbag may not activate. As with front and side airbags, it is important to be properly seated and restrained to reduce the risk of death or serious injury.
Safety Canopy
| 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. WARNING: Do not lean your head on the door. The curtain airbag could injure you as it deploys from the headliner. 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: 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: To reduce risk of injury, do not obstruct or place objects in the deployment path of the airbag. 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 Safety Canopy will deploy during significant side crashes or when a certain likelihood of a rollover event is detected by the rollover sensor. The Safety Canopy is mounted to the roof side-rail sheet metal, behind the headliner, above each row of seats. In certain sideways crashes or rollover events, the Safety Canopy will be activated, regardless of which seats are occupied. The Safety Canopy is designed to inflate between the side window area and occupants to further enhance protection provided in side impact crashes and rollover events.
- Safety canopy curtain airbags above the trim panels over the front and rear side windows identified by a label or wording on the headliner or roof-pillar trim.
- A flexible headliner which opens above the side doors to allow air curtain deployment
Always properly restrain children 12 years old and under in the rear seats. The Safety Canopy will not interfere with children restrained using a properly installed child or booster seat because it is designed to inflate downward from the headliner above the doors along the side window opening.
The design and development of the Safety Canopy 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 (including the Safety Canopy).
Crash Sensors and Airbag Indicator
| WARNING: Modifying or adding equipment to the front of your vehicle could affect the performance of the airbag system, increasing the risk of injury. This includes the hood, bumper system, frame, front body structure, tow hooks, hood pins, push bar and snowplows. |
Your vehicle has a collection of crash and occupant sensors which provide information to the restraints control module. The restraints control module deploys (activates) the seatbelt pretensioners, driver airbag, passenger airbag, knee airbag(s), seat mounted side airbags and the Safety Canopy. Based on the type of crash, the restraints control module deploys the appropriate safety devices.
The restraints control module also monitors the readiness of the above safety devices plus the crash and occupant sensors. The readiness of the safety system is indicated by a warning indicator light in the instrument cluster or by a backup tone if the warning light is not working. Routine maintenance of the airbag is not required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
- The readiness light will not illuminate immediately after you switch the ignition on.
- The readiness light either flashes or stays lit.
- A series of five beeps is heard. The tone pattern repeats periodically until the problem, the light or both are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the supplemental restraint system serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a crash.
The restraint system is designed to activate when the vehicle sustains conditions sufficient to cause the restraint control module to deploy a safety device.
The fact that not all the safety devices activate for all occupants in a crash does not mean something is wrong with the system. Rather, it means the restraints control module determined the accident conditions (crash severity, type of crash, belt usage) were not appropriate to activate these safety devices.
- The front airbags are designed to activate only in frontal and near-frontal crashes (not rollovers, side impacts or rear impacts) unless the crash causes sufficient frontal deceleration.
- The seatbelt pretensioners are designed to activate in frontal, near-frontal and side crashes, and in rollovers.
- The knee airbag(s) may deploy based on crash severity and occupant conditions.
- The side airbags are designed to inflate in certain side impact crashes or rollover events. Side airbags may activate in other types of crashes if your vehicle experiences sufficient sideways motion or deformation, or a certain likelihood of rollover.
- The Safety Canopy is designed to inflate in certain side impact crashes or rollover events. The Safety Canopy may activate in other types of crashes if your vehicle experiences sufficient sideways motion or deformation, or a certain likelihood of rollover.
Airbag Disposal
Contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible. Airbags must be disposed of by qualified personnel.
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