2000 MITSUBISHI CARISMA Owners Manual

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–21
G28B059a
CAUTION
For some type of child restraint, the
locking clip (A) should be used to
help avoid personal injury during a
collision or sudden manoeuvre.
It must be fitted and used in accor-
dance with the child restraint
manufacturer’s instructions.
The locking clip must be removed
when the child restraint is removed.
Older childrenEG20F-Aa
Children who have outgrown the child re-
straint system should be seated in the rear
seat and wear a combination lap shoulder
belt.
The lap belt should be snug and positioned
low on the abdomen so that it is below the
top of the hip-bone. Otherwise, the belt could
intrude into the child’s abdomen during an
accident and cause injury.
CAUTION
(1) Children who are not buckled up
can be thrown out of the vehicle
in an accident.
(2) Children who are not buckled up
can strike other people.
(3) A child should never be left unat-
tended in your vehicle. When you
leave the vehicle, take the
children with you.
Pregnant women restraintEG28C - C
WARNING
MITSUBISHI MOTOR SALES Europe
B.V. recommends that pregnant
women use the available seat belts.
This will reduce the likelihood of in-
jury to both the woman and the un-
born child. The lap belt should be
worn across the thighs and as snug
against the hips as possible, but not
across the waist. The woman’s doctor
should be consulted if there are any
questions.
Seat belt inspectionEG28D-E
(1) Check the belts for cuts, worn or frayed
webbing and for cracked or deformed
metallic parts. Replace the belt assem-
bly if defective.
(2) A dirty belt should be cleaned with neu-
tral detergent in warm water. After rins-
ing in water, let it dry in the shade. Do not
attempt to bleach or re-dye the belts be-
cause this affects their characteristics.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–22
WARNING
(1)All seat belt assemblies including
retractors and attaching hardware
should be inspected by an author-
ized MITSUBISHI dealer after any
collision. We recommend that seat
belt assemblies in use during a
collision be replaced unless the
collision was minor and the belts
show no damage and continue to
operate properly.
(2)Do not attempt to repair or replace
any part of the seat belt assem-
blies; this work should be done by
an authorized MITSUBISHI dealer.
Failure to have an authorized MIT-
SUBISHI dealer perform the work
could reduce the effectiveness of
the belts and could result in seri-
ous injury in the event of a colli-
sion.
(3)Once the pre-tensioner has acti-
vated, it cannot be re-used.
It must be replaced together with
the retractor.
(4)The entire pre-tensioner seat belt
system must be inspected by an
authorized MITSUBISHI dealer.
Supplemental restraint
system (SRS) - air bag
EG29A-Fa
The information written in this supplemental
restraint system (SRS) section contains im-
portant points concerning the driver, front
passenger, side air bags and pre-tensioner
seat belts.
The SRS air bags are designed to supple-
ment the primary protection of the driver and
front passenger side seat belt systems by
providing those occupants with protection
against head and chest injuries in certain
moderate-to-severe frontal collisions.
The SRS side air bag is designed to supple-
ment the seat belts and provide the driver
and front passenger with protection against
chest and abdomen injuries in certain mod-
erate-to-severe side impact collisions.
The SRS is NOT a substitute for the seat
belts; for maximum protection in all types of
crashes and accidents, seat belts should
ALWAYS be worn by everyone who drives or
rides in this vehicle. (With infants and small
children in child restraints and older children
buckled in the rear seat).
WARNING
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS
PROPERLY WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT,
EVEN WITH AN AIR BAG:
(1) Seat belts help keep the driver
and front passenger properly
positioned which reduces injury
risk in all collisions, and reduces
the risk of serious or fatal injuries
when the air bags inflate.
During sudden braking just be-
fore a collision, an unrestrained
or improperly restrained driver or
front passenger can move for-
ward into direct contact with or
within close proximity to the air
bag which may then deploy dur-
ing the collision.
The initial stage of air bag infla-
tion is the most forceful which
could cause serious or fatal in-
juries if the occupant contacts it
at this stage.
(2) Seat belts reduce the risk of injury
in roll-overs, side or rear impact
collisions, and in lower-speed
frontal collisions, because
driver’s and passenger’s air bags
are not designed to inflate in
those situations.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–23
WARNING
(3) Seat belts reduce the risk of being
thrown from your vehicle in a
collision or roll-over.
WARNING
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BE
PROPERLY SEATED.
A driver or front passenger too close
to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during air bag deployment can
be killed or seriously injured.
Air bags inflate very fast, and with
great force.
If the driver and front passenger are
not properly seated and restrained,
the air bags may not protect you
properly, and could cause serious or
fatal injuries when it inflates.
(1) Before driving, adjust the driver’s
seat as far back as possible while
still maintaining complete control
of the vehicle.
(2) Before driving, adjust the front
passenger seat as far back as
possible.
(3) Make sure all vehicle occupants
are always properly restrained
using the available seat belts.
(4) With seat belts properly fastened
the driver and front passenger
should sit well back and upright
without leaning against the win-
dow or door.
G28G157a
WARNING
(5) Do not sit on the edge of the seat,
or lean head or chest close to the
steering wheel or instrument
panel. Do not put feet or legs on or
against the instrument panel.
(6) Place all infants and small
children in the rear seat and
properly restrained using an ap-
propriate child restraint system.
The rear seat is the safest for in-
fants and children.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–24
G28G176a
WARNING
(7) Infants and small children should
never be unrestrained, stand up
against the instrument panel or
held in your arms or on your lap.
They could be seriously injured
or killed in a collision, including
when the air bag inflates. They
should be properly seated in the
rear seat in an appropriate child
restraint system. See the “Child
restraint” section on page 3–15.
G28G436a
WARNING

REAR-FACING CHILD RE-
STRAINTS must NOT be used in
the front passenger seat as it
places an infant too close to the
passenger air bag. The force of an
inflating passenger air bag could
kill or cause serious injuries to
the child.
Rear-facing child restraints must
only be used in the rear seat.
G28G439a
WARNING

FRONT-FACING CHILD RE-
STRAINTS should be used in the
rear seat whenever possible; if
they must be used in the front
passenger seat, adjust the seat to
the fully backward position. Fail-
ure to do so could kill or cause
serious injuries to the child.
(8) Older children should be seated
in the rear seat, properly wearing
the seat belt, with an appropriate
booster seat if needed.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–25
G28G290a
NOTE
The label shown here is attached on ve-
hicles with front passenger air bag.
If this label is attached, never install the rear-
facing child restraint on the front passenger’s
seat.
G28G063a
How the supplemental restraint
system works
EG29B-Fa
The SRS includes the following compo-
nents:
1-Air bag module (Driver)
2-Air bag module (Passenger)
3-Air bag control unit
(including the front impact sensor)
4-Seat belt pre-tensioner
G28L017a
5-Side air bag module*
6-Side impact sensor*
The air bags will operate only when the igni-
tion switch is in the “ON” or “START” position.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–26
When the impact sensors detect an impact
of sufficient frontal or side force, an auto-
mated circuit ignites materials in the inflator
to generate gas and inflate the air bags. The
air bags deployment produces a sudden,
loud noise, and releases some smoke and
powder, but these conditions are not injuri-
ous, and do not indicate a fire in the vehicle.
People with respiratory problems may feel
some temporary irritation from chemicals
used to produce the deployment; open the
windows after air bag deployment, if safe to
do so.
The air bags deflate very rapidly after de-
ployment, so there is little danger of ob-
scured vision.
The time required from the sensors detecting
an impact to deflation of the air bags after de-
ployment is shorter than a blink of an eye.
CAUTION
Air bags are inflated at an extremely
rapid speed. In certain situations,
contact with inflating air bags can re-
sult in light cuts, bruises, and the like.
G28G012a
Driver’s and passenger’s front air
bag system
EG29C-A
The driver’s air bag is located under the
padded cover in the middle of the steering
wheel. The front passenger air bag is con-
tained in the instrument panel above the
glove box.
The driver air bag and the front passenger air
bag are designed to inflate at the same time
even if the passenger seat is not occupied.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–27
G28L085d
Deployment of front air bags
The front air bags ARE DESIGNED TO DEPLOY when...
The front air bags are designed to deploy
when the vehicle suffers a moderate to se-
vere frontal impact. Typical conditions are
shown in the illustration:
1-Head-on collision with a solid wall at a
speed of approximately 25 km/h
(15 mph) or higher
2-Moderate to severe frontal impact
within the shaded area between the
arrowsThe front air bags will deploy if the severity of
the impact is above the designed threshold
level, comparable to an approximately
25 km/h (15 mph) collision when impacting
straight into a solid wall that does not move
or deform. If the severity of the impact is
below the above threshold level, the front air
bags may not deploy. However, this thresh-
old speed will be considerably higher if the
vehicle strikes an object that absorbs the im-
pact by either deforming or moving (for
example, another stationary vehicle, pole or
a guard rail).Because frontal collisions can easily move
you out of position, it is important to always
properly wear your seat belts. Your seat belts
will help you to keep a safe distance from the
steering wheel and instrument panel during
the initial stages of air bag deployment. The
initial stage of air bag inflation is the most
forceful and can possibly cause serious or
fatal injuries. Moreover, the seat belts in your
vehicle are your primary means of protection
in a collision. The SRS (Supplemental Re-
straint System) air bags are designed to pro-
vide additional protection. Therefore, for your
safety and the safety of all occupants, be
sure to always properly wear your seat belts.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–28
G28L086d
The front air bags MAY NOT DEPLOY when...
With certain types of frontal collisions, the ve-
hicle’s body structure is designed to absorb
the shock to help protect the occupants from
harm. (The vehicle body’s front area may de-
form significantly as it absorbs the impact.)
Under such circumstances, the front air bags
may not deploy irrespective of the deforma-
tion and damage to the vehicle body.
Examples of some typical conditions are
shown in the illustration:1-Collision with a utility pole, tree or
other narrow object
2-Vehicle slides under the rear body of a
truck
3-Oblique frontal impactsBecause the front air bags do not protect the
occupant in all types of frontal collisions, be
sure to always properly wear your seat belts.