Ford Thunderbird (2004 year). Manual — part 22

The vast majority of drivers and passengers are much safer with an air
bag than without. To do their job and reduce the risk of life threatening
injuries, air bags must open with great force, and this force can pose a
potentially deadly risk in some situations, particularly when a front seat
occupant is not properly buckled up. The most effective way to reduce
the risk of unnecessary air bag injuries, without reducing the overall
safety of the vehicle, is to make sure all occupants are properly
restrained in the vehicle, especially in the front seat. This provides the
protection of safety belts and permits the air bags to provide the
additional protection they were designed to provide. If you choose to
deactivate your air bag, you are losing the very significant risk reducing
benefits of the air bag and you are also reducing the effectiveness of the
safety belts, because safety belts in modern vehicles are designed to
work as a safety system with the air bags.

Read all air bag Warning labels in the vehicle as well as the other
important air bag instructions and Warnings in this Owner’s Guide.

NHTSA deactivation criteria (excluding Canada)

1. Infant. An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat
because:
• the vehicle has no rear seat, or
• 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.

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, or
• 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 air bag to pose a special risk for the passenger

and

Seating and Safety Restraints

92

• makes the potential harm from the passenger air bag in a crash

greater than the potential harm from turning OFF the air bag and
allowing the passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard or
windshield in a crash.

This vehicle has special energy management safety belts for the
driver and right front passenger. These particular belts are

specifically designed to work with air bags to help reduce the risk of
injury in a collision. The energy management safety belt 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 air bag is turned OFF, this energy management safety belt 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 air bag is turned ON for
any person who does not qualify under the NHTSA deactivation
criteria.

Transport Canada deactivation criteria (Canada Only)

1. Infant: An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat
because:
• my vehicle has no rear seat, or
• the rear seat in my vehicle cannot 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 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, or
• although 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, or

• 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.

Seating and Safety Restraints

93

3. Medical condition: A passenger has a medical condition that,
according to his or her physician:
• poses a special risk for the passenger if the air bag deploys and

• makes the potential harm from the passenger air bag deployment

greater than the potential harm from turning OFF the air bag and
experiencing a crash without the protection offered by the air bag

This vehicle has special energy management safety belts for the
driver and right front passenger. These particular belts are

specifically designed to work with air bags to help reduce the risk of
injury in a collision. The energy management safety belt 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 air bag is turned OFF, this energy management safety belt 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 air bag is turned ON for
any person who does not qualify under the Transport Canada
deactivation criteria.

Side air bag system

Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the air bag
cover on the side of the seatbacks of the front seats or in front

seat areas that may come into contact with a deploying air bag. Failure
to follow these instructions may increase the risk of personal injury in
the event of a collision.

Do not use accessory seat covers. The use of accessory seat
covers may prevent the deployment of the side air bags and

increase the risk of injury in an accident.

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

Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the air bag SRS, its
fuses or the seat cover on a seat containing an air bag. See your

Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealer.

Seating and Safety Restraints

94

All occupants of the vehicle should always wear their safety belts
even when an air bag SRS is provided.

How does the side air bag system work?

The side air bag system consists of
the following:
• An inflatable nylon bag (air bag)

with a gas generator concealed
behind the outboard bolster of
the driver and front passenger
seatbacks.

• A special seat cover designed to

allow air bag deployment.

• The same warning light,

electronic control and diagnostic unit as used for the front air bags.

• Two crash sensors located under the outboard side of the front seats,

attached near the floor.

Side air bags, in combination with seat belts, can help reduce the risk of
severe injuries in the event of a significant side impact collision.

The side air bags are fitted on the outboard side of the seatbacks of the
front seats. In certain lateral collisions, the air bag on the side affected
by the collision will be inflated, even if the respective seat is not
occupied. The air bag was designed to inflate between the door panel
and occupant to further enhance the protection provided occupants in
side impact collisions.

The air bag SRS is designed to activate when the vehicle sustains lateral
deceleration sufficient to cause the sensors to close an electrical circuit
that initiates air bag inflation.

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. Side air bags are designed
to inflate in side-impact collisions, not roll-over, rear-impact, frontal or
near-frontal collisions, unless the collision causes sufficient lateral
deceleration.

Seating and Safety Restraints

95