I'm new to the site and just wanted to thank everyone for all the great info posted. Got my 2004 Screw Lariat 4x2 about a week ago. Best truck I have ever had. The manual shows a key slot to trun the air bag off and on, but mine does not have one. It comes on right when I start and truns off right after. I have had adults ride with me and the light has never come on. Last night my 8 year old sat in the front. (I know he should be in the back, we just went down the road) Any way, the light would stay on as long as he sat in the front seat. I am to asume that there is some sort of sensor that senses his weight or height. Does anyone know about this? Thanks for the help.

 

I asked a very similar question yesterday and my conclusion is:

There is a weight sensor in the passenger's seat that identifies sufficient weight to enable or disable the airbag. The light stays off, indicating the airbag is enabled, until weight is applied to the passenger seat (weight not equal to an adult occupying the seat), then the light will illuminate, indicating the airbag is disabled.

Here's the thread.

 

From reading the manual I think that Ford quite doing the key switch on vehicles with back seats. Seems like their logic is that kids should be in the back seats and that people tended to leave the airbags off even when an adult sat in the front seat.

While there is the automatic weight sensors in the trucks with back seats, they still recommend placing children in the back. There is always the possibility that the automatic system will leave the airbag on when you'd rather have it off.

The reason the key switch is still on the regular cabs is because without a back seat, they wanted to offer people a way to be sure the airbag is off.

 

Thanks for info.

 

Driving back to K.C. today I noticed the light would turn on and off all the time. Nothing wrong with it other than my lab giving that sensor a real work out. It was kind of funny(maybe just me).

 

When you first start your car if no one is sitting in the passenger or the person who is is very light weight you will see the light above your radio come on saying "passenger airbag off"....after a little bit it goes off.

When someone is there it stays dark. But if someone is sitting there and gets up out of the seat, the light will come on saying "passenger airbag off".

 

I would guess that situation was never factored into the design.