2005 Ford Five Hundred Owner's Manual - Page 113

Seating and Safety Restraints • diagnostic module. • and the electrical wiring which connects the components. The diagnostic module monitors its own internal circuits and the supplemental airbag electrical system wiring (including the impact sensors), the system wiring, the airbag system readiness light, the airbag back up power and the airbag ignitors. Front passenger sensing system The front passenger sensing system will turn off the front passenger's frontal airbag under certain conditions. For side airbag equipped vehicles, the front passenger sensing system will turn off the passenger seat side airbag if the seat is empty (unless for some reason the safety belt is buckled). The front passenger sensing system works with sensors that are part of the front passenger's seat and safety belt. The sensors are designed to detect the presence of a properly-seated occupant and determine if the front passenger's frontal airbag should be enabled (may inflate) or not. The front passenger sensing system is designed to meet the regulatory requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208 and is designed to turn off the front passenger's frontal airbag if: • the front passenger seat is unoccupied, or has small/medium objects in the front seat, • the system determines that an infant is present in a rear-facing infant seat that is installed according to the manufacturer's instructions, • the system determines that a small child is present in a forward-facing child restraint that is installed according to the manufacturer's instructions, • the system determines that a small child is present in a booster seat, • a front passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of time, Even with the front passenger sensing system, children 12 and under should be properly restrained in the back seat. 113 2005 Five Hundred (500) Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) USA (fus)