Ford Five Hundred (2007 year). Manual — part 32

Read Steps 1 - 4 thoroughly before proceeding with the
deactivation/activation programming procedure.

Note: The driver and front passenger Belt-Minder

威 features must be

disabled/enabled separately. Both cannot be disable/enabled during the
same key cycle.

The driver and front passenger Belt-Minder

威 features can be

deactivated/activated by performing the following procedure:

Before following the procedure, make sure that:
• The parking brake is set
• The gearshift is in P (Park) (automatic transmission)
• The ignition switch is in the OFF position
• The driver and front passenger safety belts are unbuckled

While the design allows you to deactivate your Belt-Minder

威, this

system is designed to improve your chances of being safely

belted and surviving an accident. We recommend you leave the
Belt-Minder

威 system activated for yourself and others who may use the

vehicle. To reduce the risk of injury, do not deactivate/activate the
Belt-Minder

威 feature while driving the vehicle.

1. Turn the ignition switch to the RUN (or ON) position. (DO NOT
START THE ENGINE)

2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off. (Approximately
1 minute)
• Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt

warning light turns off.

3. For the seating position being disabled, at a moderate speed, buckle
then unbuckle the safety belt 9 times, ending in the unbuckled state.
(Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.)
• After Step 3, the safety belt warning light will be turned on for three

seconds.

4. Within approximately 7 seconds of the light turning off, buckle then
unbuckle the safety belt.
• This will disable the Belt-Minder威 feature for that seating position if it

is currently enabled. As confirmation, the safety belt warning light will
flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds.

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130

• This will enable the Belt-Minder威 feature for that seating position if it

is currently disabled. As confirmation, the safety belt warning light will
flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds, followed by 3 seconds with the
light off, then followed by the safety belt warning light flashing 4 times
per second for 3 seconds again.

AIRBAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)

The airbag supplemental restraint system (SRS) 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 airbags are intended as a supplement
to the safety belts. Airbags alone cannot protect as well as airbags plus
safety belts in impacts for which the airbags are designed to deploy, and
airbags do not offer any protection in crashes for which they do not
deploy.

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131

Important supplemental restraint system precautions

Airbags DO NOT inflate slowly or
gently and the risk of injury from a
deploying airbag is greatest close to
the trim covering the airbag module.

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 and always properly use appropriate child restraints.

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 airbag module.

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

Steps you can take to properly position yourself away from the airbag:

• 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 airbag module. Placing
objects on or over the airbag inflation area may cause those

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

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132

Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the airbag
supplemental restraint system (SRS) or its fuses. See your

authorized 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 airbag system, increasing the
risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the vehicle.

Children and airbags

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.

Airbags can kill or injure a
child in a child seat.

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

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133