Ford C-MAX Hybrid / Energi (2016 year). Manual — part 9

If you think that the status of the passenger
airbag off indicator lamp is incorrect, check
for the following:
•

Objects lodged underneath the seat.

•

Objects between the seat cushion and
the center console.

•

Objects hanging off the seatback.

•

Objects stowed in the seatback map
pocket.

•

Objects placed on the occupant's lap.

•

Cargo interference with the seat

•

Other passengers pushing or pulling on
the seat.

•

Rear passenger feet and knees resting
or pushing on the seat.

The conditions listed above may cause the
weight of a properly seated occupant to
be incorrectly interpreted by the passenger
sensing system. The person in the front
passenger seat may appear heavier or
lighter due to the conditions described in
the list above.

Make sure the front passenger
sensing system is operating
properly. See Crash Sensors

and Airbag Indicator (page 42).

If the airbag readiness lamp is lit, do
the following:

The driver or adult passengers should
check for objects that lodged underneath
the front passenger seat, or cargo
interfering with the seat.

If there are lodged objects, or cargo is
interfering with the seat, take the following
steps to remove the obstruction:
•

Pull the vehicle over.

•

Turn the vehicle off.

•

Driver or adult passengers should
check for any objects lodged
underneath the front passenger seat
or cargo interfering with the seat.

•

Remove the obstruction(s) (if found).

•

Restart the vehicle.

•

Wait at least two minutes and verify
that the airbag readiness lamp is no
longer illuminated.

•

If the airbag readiness lamp remains
illuminated, this may or may not be a
problem due to the front passenger
sensing system.

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 your
authorized dealer.

SIDE AIRBAGS

WARNINGS

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.

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.

Do not lean your head on the door.
The side airbag could injure you as it
deploys from the side of the

seatback.

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.

WARNINGS

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.

E152533

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 driver
and front passenger seatbacks.

•

Front passenger sensing system.

•

Crash sensors and monitoring system
with readiness indicator. See Crash
Sensors and Airbag Indicator (page
42).

Note: The passenger sensing system will
deactivate the passenger seat-mounted
side airbag if it detects an empty 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.

DRIVER KNEE AIRBAG

A driver's knee airbag is located under the
instrument panel. During a crash, the
restraints control module may activate the
driver's knee airbag based on crash severity
and occupant conditions. Under certain
crash and occupant conditions, the driver’s
knee airbag may deploy but the driver’s
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.

Make sure the knee airbag is
operating properly. See Crash
Sensors and Airbag Indicator

(page 42).

SAFETY CANOPY™

WARNINGS

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.

WARNINGS

Do not lean your head on the door.
The curtain airbag could injure you
as it deploys from the headliner.

Do not attempt to service, repair, or
modify the curtain airbags, its fuses,
the A, B, or C pillar trim, or the

headliner on a vehicle containing curtain
airbags as you could be seriously injured
or killed. Contact your authorized dealer
as soon as possible.

All occupants of your vehicle
including the driver should always
wear their safety belts even when an

airbag supplemental restraint system and
curtain airbag is provided. Failure to
properly wear your safety belt could
seriously increase the risk of injury or death.

To reduce risk of injury, do not
obstruct or place objects in the
deployment path of the curtain

airbag.

If the curtain airbags have deployed,
the curtain airbags will not function
again. The curtain airbags (including

the A, B and C pillar trim and headliner)
must be inspected and serviced by an
authorized dealer. If the curtain airbag is
not replaced, the unrepaired area will
increase the risk of injury in a crash.

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.

E75004

The system consists of the following:
•

Safety canopy curtain airbags located
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

· Crash sensors and monitoring
system with a readiness
indicator. See Crash Sensors

and Airbag Indicator (page 42).

Children 12 years old and under should
always be properly restrained 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 end of your vehicle
(including frame, bumper, front end

body structure and tow hooks) may affect
the performance of the airbag system,
increasing the risk of injury. Do not modify
the front end of your vehicle.

Your vehicle has a collection of crash and
occupant sensors which provide
information to the restraints control
module which deploys (activates) the
front safety belt pretensioners, driver
airbag, passenger airbag, knee airbag(s),
seat mounted side airbags, and the Safety
Canopy. Based on the type of accident
(frontal impact, side impact or rollover)
the restraints control module will deploy
the appropriate safety devices.

The restraints control module also
monitors the readiness of the above safety
devices plus the crash and occupant
sensors. A warning indicator light in the
instrument cluster indicates the readiness
of the safety system. If this warning
indicator light is not functioning and there
is another fault within the system, the
message cluster may display an airbag
failure warning. See Information
Displays (page 93). You will hear five
tones that repeat periodically until you
repair the problem, the warning indicator
light or both. 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 the ignition is turned
on.

•

The readiness light will either flash or
stay lit.

•

A series of five beeps will be heard. The
tone pattern will repeat 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 safety belt pretensioners and the
airbag supplemental restraint system is
designed to activate when your vehicle
sustains frontal or sideways deceleration
sufficient to cause the restraints control
module to deploy a safety device or when
a certain likelihood of a rollover event is
detected by the rollover sensor.

The fact that the safety belt pretensioners
or airbags did not activate for both front
seat occupants in a crash does not mean
that something is wrong with the system.
Rather, it means the restraints control
module determined the accident
conditions (for example, crash severity,
belt usage) were not appropriate to
activate these safety devices.
•

The design of the front airbags is to
activate only in frontal and near-frontal
crashes (not rollovers, side impacts or
rear impacts) unless the crash causes
sufficient frontal deceleration.

•

The safety belt pretensioners are
designed to activate in frontal,
near-frontal, side and rollover crashes.