FORD 2002 Focus v.3 - Manual (Page 159)

Seating and Safety Restraints
159
The air bag supplemental restraints
are an intergral part of the Personal
Safety System. They are designed
to be deployed in cases where the
Personal Safety System has
determined the occupant
conditions and crash severity are
appropriate to activate these
devices. Refer to the Personal
Safety System in this chapter.
The fact that the air bags did not
inflate in a collision does not mean
that something is wrong with the
system. Rather, it means the forces
were not of the type sufficient to
cause activation. The front air bags
are designed to inflate in frontal
and nearĆfrontal collisions, not
rollover, sideĆimpact, or rear
impacts.
For information on sideĆimpact
collisions, refer to Side airbag
system (if equipped) in this
chapter.
The air bags inflate and deflate
rapidly upon activation. After air
bag deployment, it is normal to
notice a smokeĆlike, powdery
residue or smell the burnt
propellant. This may consist of
cornstarch, talcum powder (to
lubricate the bag) or sodium
compounds (e.g., baking soda) that
result from the combustion process
that inflates the air bag. Small
amounts of sodium hydroxide may
be present which may irritate the
skin and eyes, but none of the
residue is toxic.