Ford Windstar (2003 year). Manual — part 27

Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the safety
belt. Manufacturer identification is located at the end of the webbing on
the label. Also, use the safety belt extension only if the safety belt is too
short for you when fully extended.

Do not use extensions to change the fit of the shoulder belt
across the torso.

Safety belt maintenance

Inspect the safety belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged. Inspect the safety belts to make sure
there are no nicks, tears or cuts, replacing if necessary. All safety belt
assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front seat belt buckle
assemblies, buckle support assemblies (slide bar-if equipped), shoulder
belt height adjusters (if equipped), child safety seat tether bracket
assemblies (if equipped), LATCH child seat tether anchors and lower
anchors (if equipped), and attaching hardware, should be inspected after
a collision. Ford recommends that all safety belt assemblies used in
vehicles involved in a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was
minor and a qualified technician finds that the belts do not show damage
and continue to operate properly, they do not need to be replaced,
except as described in the Replacing the front passenger and second
row bench seat belt assemblies after a collision section of this chapter.
Safety belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also be
inspected and replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.

Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the safety belt
assembly under the above conditions could result in severe

personal injuries in the event of a collision.

Refer to Interior in the Cleaning chapter.

Replacing the front passenger and second row bench seat belt
assemblies after a collision

All front passenger and second row bench seat belt assemblies adjacent
to a sliding door have special energy management retractors designed to
further reduce the risk of injury in the event of a head-on collision.
These retractors should be replaced if they were used in any accident in
which the front airbags deploy. If the safety belt assemblies are not
replaced, there may be increased risk of injury in the event of a
subsequent collision.

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110

Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the safety belt
assembly under the above conditions could result in severe

personal injuries in the event of a collision.

AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM

The air bag supplemental restraint system is designed to work in
conjunction with the safety belts to help protect the driver and front
outboard passenger from certain upper body injuries. The term
“supplemental restraint” means the air bags are intended as a
supplement to the safety belts. Air bags alone cannot protect as well as
air bags plus safety belts in impacts for which the air bags are designed
to deploy, and air bags do not offer any protection in crashes for which
they do not deploy.

FM 1
AMC

BL RF

ST

mi

AUTO

P

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

RPMX1000

THEFT

TRAC

ACTIVE

TRAC

OFF

F

FUEL

E

40

40

80

120

160

20

60

80

100

MPH

TEMP

H

km/h

BRAKE

O/D
OFF

O/D

ON/O

FF

INFO

SETUP

RESET

DISC

EJ

MUTE

VOL - PUSH ON

OFF

T/C

REW

FF

SCAN

BASS

TREB

SEL

BAL

TAPE

EJ

CD

FADE

AUTO

CLK

SIDE 1-2

COMP

SHUFFLE

SEEK

TUNE

AM

FM

1

2

3

4

5

6

DOLBY B NR

A/C

FRONT

REAR

OFF

MAX
A/C

REAR
CONT

ON

SET+

RES

CST-

OFF

Seating and Safety Restraints

111

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 (SRS) is

provided.

Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back
seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints.

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

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.

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112

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

Lincoln Mercury dealer.

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.

Children and air bags

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 collision.

Air bags can kill or injure a
child in a child seat.

NEVER place a rear-facing child
seat in front of an active air bag. If
you must use a forward-facing
child seat in the front seat, move
the seat all the way back.

Determining if the system is operational
The supplemental restraint system uses a warning indicator in the
instrument cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the
system. Refer to the Warning light section in the Instrument cluster
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 light (same light

for front and side air bag system)
will either flash or stay lit.

• The readiness light will not

illuminate immediately after ignition is turned on.

Seating and Safety Restraints

113