Ford Ranger (2011 year). Manual — part 17

Determining if the Personal Safety System is operational

The Personal Safety System uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to the Warning lights and chimes section in the Instrument Cluster
chapter. Routine maintenance of the Personal Safety System is not
required.

The Restraints Control Module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt buckle sensors, front
passenger sensing system, and the driver seat position sensor. In
addition, the RCM also monitors the restraints warning light in the
instrument cluster. A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or
more of the following.
• The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
• The warning light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is

turned on.

• A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat

periodically until the problem and warning light are repaired.

If any of these things happen, even intermittently, contact your
authorized dealer as soon as possible. Unless serviced, the system may
not function properly in the event of a collision.

Safety restraints precautions

WARNING: Always drive and ride with your seatback upright
and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.

WARNING: To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit
where they can be properly restrained.

WARNING: Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap
while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the

child from injury in a collision.

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

airbag supplemental restraint system (SRS) is provided

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WARNING: It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in

these areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.

WARNING: In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a safety

belt.

WARNING: Each seating position in your vehicle has a specific
safety belt assembly which is made up of one buckle and one

tongue that are designed to be used as a pair. 1) Use the shoulder belt
on the outside shoulder only. Never wear the shoulder belt under the
arm. 2) Never swing the safety belt around your neck over the inside
shoulder. 3) Never use a single belt for more than one person.

WARNING: Do not attempt to open the rear door when the rear
safety belt is buckled as damage to the belt may occur.

WARNING: Front and rear seat occupants, including pregnant
women, should wear safety belts for optimum protection in an

accident.

Combination lap and shoulder belts

1. Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle (the buckle closest to
the direction the tongue is coming
from) until you hear a snap and feel
it latch. Make sure the tongue is
securely fastened in the buckle.

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2. To unfasten, press the release
button and remove the tongue from
the buckle.

Restraint of pregnant women

WARNING: Always ride and drive with your seatback upright
and the safety belt properly fastened. The lap portion of the

safety belt should fit snug and be positioned low across the hips. The
shoulder portion of the safety belt should be positioned across the
chest. Pregnant women should also follow this practice. See figure
below.

Pregnant women should always
wear their safety belt. The lap belt
portion of a combination lap and
shoulder belt should be positioned
low across the hips below the belly
and worn as tight as comfort will
allow. The shoulder belt should be
positioned to cross the middle of
the shoulder and the center of the
chest.

Lap belts

Adjusting the front center seat and rear center facing jump seat
lap belts (if equipped)

The lap belt does not adjust automatically.

WARNING: The lap belt should fit snugly and as low as possible
around the hips, not across the waist.

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Insert the tongue into the correct
buckle (the buckle closest to the
direction the tongue is coming
from). To lengthen the belt, turn the
tongue at a right angle to the belt
and pull across your lap until it
reaches the buckle. To tighten the
belt, pull the loose end of the belt
through the tongue until it fits snugly across the hips.

Shorten and fasten the belt when
not in use.

For the rear jump seat, shorten and
fold the belt into the seat when not
in use.

Safety belt locking modes

The driver and front outboard passenger restraints in the vehicle are
combination lap and shoulder belts. The driver safety belt has the first
locking mode and the front outboard passenger restraint has both types
of locking modes described as follows:

Vehicle sensitive mode

This is the normal retractor mode, which allows free shoulder belt length
adjustment to your movements and locking in response to vehicle
movement. For example, if the driver brakes suddenly or turns a corner
sharply, or the vehicle receives an impact of approximately 5 mph
(8 km/h) or more, the combination safety belts will lock to help reduce
forward movement of the driver and passengers.

In addition, the retractor is designed to lock if the webbing is pulled out
too quickly. If this occurs, let the belt retract slightly and pull webbing
out again in a slow and controlled manner.

Automatic locking mode

In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-locked. The belt will
still retract to remove any slack in the shoulder belt. The automatic
locking mode is not available on the driver safety belt.

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