Ford Escape Owner's Manual page 100

Seating and Safety Restraints
Front safety belt pretensioners
The safety belt pretensioners at the front outboard seating positions are
designed to tighten the safety belts firmly against the occupant's body
during frontal collisions, and in side collisions and rollovers when the
vehicle is equipped with the optional Safety Canopy
maximizes the effectiveness of the safety belts. In frontal collisions, the
safety belt pretensioners can be activated alone or, if the collision is of
sufficient severity, together with the front airbags.
Front safety belt energy management retractors
The front outboard safety belt energy management retractors allow
webbing to be pulled out of the retractor in a gradual and controlled
manner in response to the occupant's forward momentum. This helps
reduce the risk of force-related injuries to the occupant's chest by
limiting the load on the occupant. Refer to Energy management feature
section in this chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety System
The Personal Safety System
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to the Warning light section in the Instrument Cluster chapter.
Routine maintenance of the Personal Safety System
The Restraints control module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt buckle sensors, driver seat
position sensor, and passenger occupant classification sensor. In addition,
the RCM also monitors the restraints warning light in the instrument
cluster. A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the
following.
• The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
• The warning 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 warning light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the Personal
Safety System serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
100
2006 Escape (204)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
is operational
uses a warning light in the instrument
system. This
is not required.