Ford Explorer Sport (2003 year). Manual — part 20

• a readiness light and tone
• a diagnostic module
• and the electrical wiring which connects the components

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.

Determining if the system is operational

The SRS uses a readiness light in the instrument cluster or a tone to
indicate the status of the system. Refer to Air bag readiness 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 will either

flash or stay lit.

• The readiness 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/or light are repaired.

If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the SRS serviced
at your dealership or by a qualified technician immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.

Disposal of air bags and air bag equipped vehicles
(including pretensioners)

See your local dealership or qualified technician. Air bags MUST BE
disposed of by qualified personnel.

SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR CHILDREN

Read the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety
restraints for children. Also see Air bag supplemental restraint system
(SRS) in this chapter for special instructions about air bags.

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Important child restraint precautions

You are required by law to use safety restraints for children in the U.S.
and Canada. If small children (generally children who are four years old
or younger and who weigh 18 kg [40 lbs] or less) ride in your vehicle,
you must put them in safety seats made especially for children. Check
your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements
regarding the safety of children in your vehicle. When possible, always
place children under age 12 in the rear seat of your vehicle. Accident
statistics suggest that children are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seating position.

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.

Always follow the instructions and warnings that come with any infant or
child restraint you might use.

Children and safety belts

If the child is the proper size, restrain the child in a safety seat. Children
who are too large for child safety seats (as specified by your child safety
seat manufacturer) should always wear safety belts.

Follow all the important safety restraint and air bag precautions that
apply to adult passengers in your vehicle.

Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets unattended in
your vehicle.

To improve the fit of lap and shoulder belts on children who have
outgrown child safety seats, Ford recommends use of a belt-positioning
booster seat that is labeled as conforming to all applicable Federal motor
vehicle safety standards. Belt-positioning booster seats raise the child
and provide a shorter, firmer seating cushion that encourages safer
seating posture and better fit of lap and shoulder belts on the child.

A belt-positioning booster seat should be used if the shoulder belt rests
in front of the child’s face or neck, or if the lap belt does not fit snugly
on both thighs, or if the thighs are too short to let the child sit all the
way back on the seat cushion when the lower legs hang over the edge of
the seat cushion. You may wish to discuss the special needs of your child
with your pediatrician.

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Child booster seats

Children outgrow a typical convertible or toddler seat when they weigh
40 pounds and are around 4 years of age. Although the lap/shoulder belt
will provide some protection, these children are still too small for
lap/shoulder belts to fit properly, which could increase the risk of serious
injury.

To improve the fit of both the lap and shoulder belt on children who
have outgrown child safety seats, Ford Motor Company recommends use
of a belt-positioning booster.

Booster seats position a child so that safety belts fit better. They lift the
child up so that the lap belt rests low across the hips and the knees
bend comfortably. Booster seats also make the shoulder belt fit better
and more comfortably for growing children.

When children should use booster seats

Children need to use booster seats from the time they outgrow the
toddler seat until they are big enough for the vehicle seat and
lap/shoulder belt to fit properly. Generally this is when they weigh about
80 lbs (about 8 to 12 years old).

Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these
questions:
• Can the child sit all the way back

against the vehicle seat back with
knees bent comfortably at the
edge of the seat without
slouching?

• Does the lap belt rest low across the hips?
• Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
• Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

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Types of booster seats

There are two types of belt-positioning booster seats:
• Those that are backless.

If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the
shield and use the lap/shoulder
belt. If a seating position has a
low seat back and no head
restraint, a backless booster seat
may place your child’s head (top
of ear level) above the top of the
seat. In this case, move the
backless booster to another
seating position with a higher seat back and lap/shoulder belts.

• Those with a high back.

If, with a backless booster seat,
you cannot find a seating position
that adequately supports your
child’s head, a high back booster
seat would be a better choice.

Both can be used in any vehicle in a seating position equipped with
lap/shoulder belts if your child is over 40 lbs.

The shoulder belt should cross the chest, resting snugly on the center of
the shoulder. The lap belt should rest low and snug across the hips,
never up high across the stomach.

If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat, placing a rubberized mesh
sold as shelf or carpet liner under the booster seat may improve this
condition.

The importance of shoulder belts

Using a booster without a shoulder belt increases the risk of a child’s
head hitting a hard surface in a collision. For this reason, you should
never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. It is best to use a booster
seat with lap/shoulder belts in the back seat- the safest place for children
to ride.

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