The design and development of the side
curtain airbags included recommended
testing procedures that were developed
by a group of automotive safety experts
known as the Side Airbag Technical
Working Group. These recommended
testing procedures help reduce the risk of
injuries related to the deployment of side
curtain airbags.
CRASH SENSORS AND
AIRBAG INDICATOR
WARNING
Do not modify the front end of your
vehicle. Modifying or adding
equipment to the front end of your
vehicle, including frame, bumper, front end
body structure or tow hooks, may affect
the performance of the airbag system,
increasing the risk of injury.
Your vehicle has a collection of crash and
occupant sensors. These provide
information to the restraints control
module which will deploy the front safety
belt pretensioners, driver airbag, driver knee
airbag, passenger airbag, seat mounted
side airbags, and the side curtain airbags.
Based on the type of crash, frontal impact
or side impact, the restraints control
module will deploy the appropriate safety
devices.
The restraints control module also
monitors the readiness of the above safety
devices plus the crash and occupant
sensors. The readiness of the safety
system is indicated by a warning lamp in
the instrument cluster or by a backup tone
if the warning lamp is not working. Routine
maintenance of the airbag is not required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by
one or more of the following:
The lamp will not illuminate
immediately when you switch
the ignition on.
• The lamp will either flash or remain on.
• A series of five beeps will be heard. The
tone pattern will repeat periodically
until the problem, the lamp or both are
repaired.
If any of these things happen, even
intermittently, have the supplemental
restraint system checked by an authorized
dealer immediately. Unless serviced, the
system may not function correctly in the
event of a crash.
The safety belt pretensioners and the front
airbag supplemental restraint system are
designed to deploy when your vehicle
sustains longitudinal deceleration
sufficient to cause the restraints control
module to deploy a safety device.
The fact that the safety belt pretensioners
or front airbags did not deploy for both
front seat occupants in a crash does not
mean that something is wrong with the
system. It means the restraints control
module determined that the crash
conditions were not appropriate to deploy
these safety devices.
• The design of the front airbags is to
deploy only in frontal and near-frontal
crashes (not rollovers, side impacts or
rear impacts) unless the crash causes
sufficient longitudinal deceleration.
• The design of the safety belt
pretensioners is to deploy in frontal and
near-frontal crashes, and may also
deploy when a side curtain airbag
deploys.
43
Fiesta (CCT) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing
Supplementary Restraints System