Ford Focus (2017 year). Manual - part 8

3. For the seating position you are

switching off, buckle then unbuckle the
safety belt three times at a moderate
speed, ending in the unbuckled state.
After Step 3, the safety belt warning
light turns on.

4. While the safety belt warning light is

on, buckle and then unbuckle the
safety belt. After Step 4, the safety belt
warning light flashes for confirmation.

•

This will switch the feature off for that
seating position if it is currently on.

•

This will switch the feature on for that
seating position if it is currently off.

CHILD RESTRAINT AND
SEATBELT MAINTENANCE

Inspect the vehicle safety belts and child
safety seat systems periodically to make
sure they work properly and are not
damaged. Inspect the vehicle and child
seat safety belts to make sure there are no
nicks, tears or cuts. Replace if necessary.
All vehicle safety belt assemblies, including
retractors, buckles, front safety belt buckle
assemblies, buckle support assemblies
(slide bar-if equipped), shoulder belt
height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder
belt guide on seat back (if equipped), child
safety seat LATCH and tether anchors, and
attaching hardware, should be inspected
after a crash. Read the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions for additional
inspection and maintenance information
specific to the child restraint.

Ford Motor Company recommends that
all safety belt assemblies in use in vehicles
involved in a crash be replaced. However,
if the crash was minor and an authorized
dealer finds that the belts do not show
damage and continue to operate properly,
they do not need to be replaced. Safety
belt assemblies not in use during a crash
should also be inspected and replaced if
either damage or improper operation is
noted.

Properly care for safety belts.  See Vehicle
Care (page 237).

SEATBELT EXTENSION

WARNINGS

Persons who fit into the vehicle's
seatbelt should not use an extension.
Unnecessary use could result in

serious personal injury in the event of a
crash.

Only use extensions provided free of
charge by Ford Motor Company
dealers. The dealer will provide an

extension designed specifically for this
vehicle, model year and seating position.
The use of an extension intended for
another vehicle, model year or seating
position may not offer you the full
protection of your vehicle’s seatbelt
restraint system.

Never use seatbelt extensions to
install child restraints.

Do not use a seatbelt extension with
an inflatable seatbelt.

Do not use extensions to change the
fit of the belt across the torso, over
the lap or to make the seatbelt

buckle easier to reach.

If, because of body size or driving position,
it is not possible to properly fasten the
seatbelt over your lap and shoulder, an
extension that is compatible with the
seatbelts is available free of charge from
Ford Motor Company dealers. Only Ford
seatbelt extensions made by the original
equipment seatbelts manufacturer should
be used with Ford seatbelts. Ask your
authorized dealer if your extension is
compatible with your Ford vehicle restraint
system.

The Personal Safety System provides an
improved overall level of frontal crash
protection to front seat occupants and is
designed to help further reduce the risk of
airbag-related injuries. The system is able
to analyze different occupant conditions
and crash severity before activating the
appropriate safety devices to help better
protect a range of occupants in a variety
of frontal crash situations.

The Vehicle Personal Safety System
consists of:
•

Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag
supplemental restraints.

•

Front seat outboard seatbelts with
pretensioners, energy management
retractors and seatbelt usage sensors.

•

Driver seat position sensor.

•

Passenger seat position sensor.

•

Front passenger sensing system.

•

Passenger airbag off and on indicator
lamp.

•

Front crash severity sensors.

•

Restraints control module with impact
and safing sensors.

•

Restraint system warning light and
backup tone.

•

The electrical wiring for the airbags,
crash sensors, seatbelt pretensioners,
front seatbelt usage sensors, driver
seat position sensor, passenger seat
position sensor, front passenger
sensing system and indicator lights.

How Does the Personal Safety
System Work?

The Personal Safety System can adapt the
deployment strategy of the safety devices
according to crash severity and occupant
conditions. A collection of crash and
occupant sensors provides information to
the restraints control module. During a
crash, the restraints control module may
deploy the seatbelt pretensioners, one or
both stages of the dual-stage airbags
based on crash severity and occupant
conditions.

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

WARNINGS

Airbags do not inflate slowly or
gently, and the risk of injury from a
deploying airbag is the greatest close

to the trim covering the airbag module.

All occupants of your vehicle,
including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even

when an airbag supplemental restraint
system is provided. Failure to properly wear
your safety belt could seriously increase
the risk of injury or death.

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

child restraints. Failure to follow this could
seriously increase the risk of injury or death.

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

other injuries.

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 upon which
the child seat is installed all the way back.

Do not attempt to service, repair, or
modify the airbag supplemental
restraint systems or its fuses as you

could be seriously injured or killed. Contact
your authorized dealer as soon as possible.

Several airbag system components
get hot after inflation. To reduce the
risk of injury, do not touch them after

inflation.

If the airbag has deployed, the airbag
will not function again and must be
replaced immediately. If the airbag

is not replaced, the unrepaired area will
increase the risk of injury in a crash.

The airbags are a supplemental restraint
system and are designed to work with the
safety belts to help protect the driver and
right front passenger from certain upper
body injuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly;
there is a risk of injury from a deploying
airbag.

Note: You will hear a loud bang and see a
cloud of harmless powdery residue if an
airbag deploys. This is normal.

The airbags inflate and deflate rapidly
upon activation. After airbag deployment,
it is normal to notice a smoke-like, powdery
residue or smell the burnt propellant. This
may consist of cornstarch, talcum powder
(to lubricate the bag) or sodium
compounds (for example, baking soda)
that result from the combustion process
that inflates the airbag. Small amounts of
sodium hydroxide may be present which
may irritate the skin and eyes, but none of
the residue is toxic.

While the system is designed to help
reduce serious injuries, contact with a
deploying airbag may also cause abrasions
or swelling. Temporary hearing loss is also
a possibility as a result of the noise
associated with a deploying airbag.
Because airbags must inflate rapidly and
with considerable force, there is the risk of
death or serious injuries such as fractures,
facial and eye injuries or internal injuries,
particularly to occupants who are not
properly restrained or are otherwise out of
position at the time of airbag deployment.
Thus, it is extremely important that
occupants be properly restrained as far
away from the airbag module as possible
while maintaining vehicle control.

Routine maintenance of the airbags is not
required.