2002 Ford Ranger Owner Guide 4th Printing - Page 133

Seating and Safety Restraints In order to avoid inadvertent activation of the switch, always remove the ignition key from the passenger air bag ON/OFF switch. Turning the passenger air bag back on The passenger air bag remains OFF until you turn it back ON. 1. Insert the ignition key and turn the switch to ON. ON OFF 2. The OFF light will briefly illuminate when the ignition is OFF turned to ON. This indicates that the passenger air bag is operational. PASSENGER AIRBAG If the OFF light is illuminated when the passenger air bag ON/OFF switch is in the ON position and the ignition switch is ON, have the passenger air bag ON/OFF switch serviced at your Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer immediately. The passenger side air bag should always be ON (the air bag OFF light should not be illuminated) unless the passenger is a person who meets the requirements stated either in Category 1, 2 or 3 of the NHTSA/Transport Canada deactivation criteria which follows. The safety belts for the driver and right front passenger seating positions have been specifically designed to function together with the air bags in certain types of crashes. When you turn OFF your air bag, you not only lose the protection of the air bag, you also may reduce the effectiveness of your safety belt system, which was designed to work with the air bag. If you are not a person who meets the requirements stated in the NHTSA/Transport Canada deactivation criteria turning OFF the air bag can increase the risk of serious injury or death in a collision. 133