Air Bag (Supplemental Restraint) System - Ford Ranger Maintaince And Repair Manual

AIR BAG (SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT) SYSTEM

The 1995−99 Ranger, Explorer and Mountaineer vehicles are available with an air bag Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS). The SRS is designed to work in conjunction with the standard three−point safety belts to
reduce injury in a head−on collision.
The SRS can actually cause physical injury or death if the safety belts are not used, or if the manufacturer's
warnings are not followed. The manufacturer's warnings can be found in your owner's manual, or, in some
cases, on your sun visors.
The SRS is comprised of the following components:
• Driver's side air bag module
Passenger's side air bag module
•
Right−hand and left−hand primary crash front air bag sensors
•
Air bag diagnostic monitor computer
•
Electrical wiring
•
Exploded view of the SRS air bag module and related components
The SRS primary crash front air bag sensors are hard−wired to the air bag modules and determine when the
air bags are deployed. During a frontal collision, the sensors quickly inflate the two air bags to reduce injury
by cushioning the driver and front passenger from striking the dashboard, windshield, steering wheel and any
other hard surfaces. The air bag inflates so quickly (in a fraction of a second) that in most cases it is fully
inflated before you actually start to move during an automotive collision.
Since the SRS is a complicated and essentially important system, its components are constantly being tested
by a diagnostic monitor computer, which illuminates the air bag indicator light on the instrument cluster for
approximately 6 seconds when the ignition switch is turned to the RUNposition when the SRS is functioning
properly. After being illuminated for the 6 seconds, the indicator light should then turn off.
If the air bag light does not illuminate at all, stays on continuously, or flashes at any time, a problem has been
detected by the diagnostic monitor computer.
If at any time the air bag light indicates that the computer has noted a problem, have your vehicle's SRS
serviced immediately by a qualified automotive technician. A faulty SRS can cause severe physical injury or
AIR BAG (SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT) SYSTEM
WARNING
WARNING
667