Ford F-150 Heritage (2004 year). Manual — part 20

AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)

Important SRS precautions

The SRS is designed to work with
the safety belt to help protect the
driver and right front passenger
from certain upper body injuries. Air
bags DO NOT inflate slowly; there is
a risk of injury from a deploying air
bag.

All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when an air bag

supplemental restraint system (SRS) is provided.

Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back
seat if your vehicle has a back seat. If a child in a rear facing

infant seat must be transported in front, the passenger air bag must be
turned OFF. This is because the back of the infant seat is too close to
the inflating air bag and the risk of a fatal injury to the infant when the
air bag inflates is substantial.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
recommends a minimum distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm)

between an occupant’s chest and the driver air bag module.

Never place your arm over the air bag module as a deploying air
bag can result in serious arm fractures or other injuries.

To properly position yourself away from the air bag:
• 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.

Do not put anything on or over the air bag module. Placing
objects on or over the air bag inflation area may cause those

objects to be propelled by the air bag into your face and torso causing
serious injury.

Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the air bag
supplemental restraint systems or its fuses. See your Ford or

Lincoln Mercury dealer.

The front passenger air bag is not designed to offer protection to
an occupant in the center front seating position.

Modifying or adding equipment to the front end of the vehicle
(including frame, bumper, front end body structure and tow

hooks) may affect the performance of the air bag system, increasing
the risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the vehicle.

Additional equipment may affect the performance of the air bag
sensors increasing the risk of injury. Please refer to the Body

Builders Layout Book for instructions about the appropriate
installation of additional equipment.

Children and air bags
For additional important safety information, read all information on
safety restraints in this guide.

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Children must always be properly restrained. Failure to follow these
instructions may increase the risk of injury in a collision.

An infant in a rear-facing seat faces a high risk of serious or fatal
injuries from a deploying passenger air bag. Rear facing infant

seats should NEVER be placed in the front seats, unless the passenger
air bag is turned off. See Passenger air bag ON/OFF switch.

How does the air bag supplemental restraint system work?

The air bag SRS is designed to
activate when the vehicle sustains
sufficient longitudinal deceleration.

The fact that the air bags did not
inflate in a collision does not mean
that something is wrong with the
system. Rather, it means the forces
were not of the type sufficient to
cause activation. Air bags are
designed to inflate in frontal and
near-frontal collisions, not rollover,
side-impact, or rear-impacts.

The air bags inflate and deflate
rapidly upon activation. After air bag
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 (e.g., baking
soda) that result from the
combustion process that inflates the
air bag. 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, it may also
cause minor abrasions, swelling or temporary hearing loss. Because air
bags must inflate rapidly and with considerable force, there is the risk of
death or serious injuries such as fractures, facial and eye injuries or

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internal injuries, particularly to occupants who are not properly
restrained or are otherwise out of position at the time of air bag
deployment. Thus, it is extremely important that occupants be properly
restrained as far away from the air bag module as possible while
maintaining vehicle control.

Several air bag system components get hot after inflation. Do not
touch them after inflation.

If the air bag has deployed, the air bag will not function
again and must be replaced immediately. If the air bag is not

replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of injury in a
collision.

The SRS consists of:
• driver and passenger air bag modules (which include the inflators and

air bags),

• one or more impact and safing sensors, passenger air bag deactivation

switch and diagnostic monitor (RCM)

• a readiness light and tone,
• and the electrical wiring which connects the components.
The RCM (restraints control module) monitors its own internal circuits
and the supplemental air bag electrical system wiring (including the
passenger air bag deactivation switch, the impact sensors, the system
wiring, the air bag system readiness light, the air bag back up power and
the air bag ignitors).

Determining if the system is operational

The SRS uses readiness lights in the instrument cluster and the
passenger air bag deactivate switch or a tone to indicate the condition of
the system. Refer to the Air bag readiness section in the Instrument
cluster chapter or Passenger air bag on/off switch section in this
chapter. Routine maintenance of the air bag is not required.

A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
• The readiness lights will either

flash or stay lit.

• The readiness lights will not

illuminate immediately after
ignition is turned on.

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