2002 SAAB 9-3 child seat

22 SafetyLATCH installationTo facilitate the proper fitting of new spe-
cially-designed child restraints rigid lower
anchorages (ISOFIX) have been installed to
the vehicle that shall be used with the top
tether anchorages in the two outboard rear
seating positions. There is an additional top
tether anchorage for the center rear seating
position used together with the safety belt.
LATCH is a U.S./Canadian government
standard for an uniform method of fitting
child restraints without using the standard
safety belts. Only certain child restraints are
equipped to utilize these rigid lower anchor-
ages behind where the seat cushion and
seat back come together. LATCH child
seats also utilize a top tether strap that is
found on some newer child seats that still
require installation with the standard safety
belts.
There are two bars attached to the car body
for each specially designed LATCH child
restraint. A small label is located on the seat
back just above each attachment bar to
facilitate installing the child restraint. The
label contains a circle or a rearward facing
child restraint. 1 Place the child restraint on one of the
designated outboard rear seat cush-
ions.
2 Press the child restraint rearward, lining
up the restraint attachment arms with
the labels.
3 Follow the child restraint instructions to
confirm that both restraint arms are
properly attached to the bars.
4 Attach the top tether strap to the in-car
anchorage and tighten according to the
restraint instructions, see page 23 and
24.
5 Pull the child restraint to make a second
check that restraint is securely attached
at both the lower anchorage bars and
the top tether strap.
For the top tether, only use the strap sup-
plied with the child restraint.
Always follow the installation instructions
supplied with the child restraint.
The availability of LATCH child restraints is
limited.
Child restraints using rigid lower anchor-
ages (ISOFIX) cannot be fitted where a inte-
grated booster seat is installed.
When fitting child seats in cars you must
always read the instructions supplied by
the car seat manufacturer.
IB1684IB1685
Rigid 2-point lower attachment with top
tether
Semi-rigid 2-point lower attachment with
top tether
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24 SafetyChild tether anchorages, Convert-
ible modelsChild restraints with a tether strap must be
anchored according to law.
The car is provided with two top tether
anchorages. Use the one that is right behind
the child restraint and attach the restraint as
follows:
1 Lower the conver tible top fully.
2 Switch off the ignition when the top stor-
age covers are in their straight up posi-
tion.
3 Place the child restraint in the rear seat.
4 Unlock the backrest and lower it about
8in. (20cm).5 Insert the child restraint´s upper tether
between the bottom of the headrest and
the top of the backrest.
6 Run the hook and the tether over the
cross-member behind the headrest.
7 There are slits in the fabric where the top
bag is joined to the cross-member.
Insert hook and strap through the slit
opening.
8 Attach the tether to the anchorage. This
might be easier if you insert your other
hand between the backrest and the
crossmember to help attach the tether.
9 Raise the backrest and lock in place.
10 Tighten the tether so that the back of the
child restraint is pressed hard against
the backrest. Also check that no buckle
is positioned above the cross-member, as this could obstruct locking of the ton-
neau cover.
11 Secure the lower part of the child
restraint by means of the safety belt as
described in the child restraint mounting
instructions.
WARNING
Child tether anchorages are designed to
withstand only those loads imposed by
correctly fitted child restraints.
Under no circumstances are they to be
used for adult safety belts.
IB1314
Attaching tether strap hook to anchorage,
Conver tible.
The tether strap is not a part of the tether
child anchorage.
IB1926
Child tether anchorages, Convertible.
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25 Safety
Lockable belt tongue If fitting a child seat that is intended to be
secured in position by the lap portion of the
safety belt, make use of the locking function
of the buckle.
Locking the lap portion of the belt lessens
the risk that the seat will work loose while
the car is in motion.
The button for the locking function is located
on the back of the buckle.
1 Position the child seat in the back of the
car.
2 To activate the locking function, move
the locking button on the tongue of the
belt to the position marked
”CHILD SEAT” (item 1 in the figure) in
order to activate the locking function.
3 Secure the base of the child seat with
the lap portion of the safety belt in accor-
dance with the installation instructions
accompanying the child seat.
4 Grasp the shoulder part of the safety belt
and pull it upwards to tighten the lap por-
tion against the child seat.
5 Check for correct locking function by
pulling on the lap portion of the belt. The
belt must not unreel.
Installation of child restraint using
the standard safety beltChild restraint that are approved for rear-
ward facing installation in the rear seat can
be positioned in any of the three rear places.
Make sure that it is possible to fit it in accor-
dance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
When fitting child restraints in cars you
must always read the instructions sup-
plied by the child seat manufacturer.
Saab recommends rearward facing child
restraints be used for children up to 3
years of age.
WARNING
Failure to follow all the manufacturer’s
instructions on the use of this child
restraint system can cause your child to
strike the vehicle´s interior during a
sudden stop or crash.
IB822
Locking the lap belt 1 Locked
2 Unlocked
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26 SafetyIntegrated booster seat
(accessory)Integrated booster seat is available as part
of the rear seat backrest.
This child restraint is designed for use by
children who weigh between 33 and 80 lbs.
(15 and 36 kg) and are between 38 and 54
inches (970 and 1370 mm) in height.
A child sitting in an integrated booster seat
must use the car’s regular lap and shoulder
belt. Regardless of the child’s weight and
age, proper contact between child and belt
is vital. Always make certain that the seat is
undamaged and is kept clean so that it will
function properly.
This child restraint system conforms to all
applicable motor vehicle safety standards. Folding down1 Press in the latches and lift and remove
the car’s regular head restraint. Turn it
180° and remount it. Make certain that it
is locked securely in place.
2 Lift up the booster seat’s headrest.
3 Pull out the upper part of the opener
strap and lower the seat itself. Make cer-
tain that it is locked in the lowered posi-
tion.
Fasten the belt  See that the child is seated as far back as
possible against the back support.
 Adjust the booster seat’s head support so
that its center is at ear height.
 To attach the belt, pull it out slowly and
insert the latch plate into the buckle. Make
certain the latch plate is properly engaged
in the buckle.
 The lap portion of the belt must be posi-
tioned low on the pelvis, and the shoulder
strap must be as far in on the shoulder as
possible without chafing against the
child’s neck or causing discomfort.  The belt must contact the body firmly to
provide the best protection. Pull up on the
shoulder strap to tension the belt properly.
 Make certain the belt moves freely
between the retractor and the buckle.
IB825
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27 Safety
Folding booster seat Pull the upper part of the release strap out
and fold up the seat itself. Make sure that
it is locked firmly in its folded-up position.
 Press the booster seat’s headrest all the
way down.
 Press in the latches on the car’s regular
head restraint. Remove it, rotate it 180°
and remount it. Make certain it is locked
correctly.
ISOFIX child restraints can not be fitted in a
position with integrated booster seat.
WARNING
 Use only the vehicle’s lap and shoul-
der belt system when restraining the
child in the booster seat.
 The seat must not be modified or
changed in any way.
 Never leave a child unattended.
 The car’s regular head restraint must
always be turned 180° back to its orig-
inal position after the integrated
booster seat is folded away.
 Check to ensure that the belt is not
twisted or rubbing against any sharp
edges.
WARNING
Failure to follow all the manufacturer’s
instructions on the use of this child
restraint system can cause your child to
strike the vehicle´s interior during a
sudden stop or crash.Label on integrated booster cushion
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28 SafetyAirbag (Supplemental
Restraint System
"SRS") The Supplementary Restraint System
(SRS) comprises an airbag in the steering
wheel, a front passenger airbag and side
airbags in the front seats.
The system supplements the protection
provided by the safety belts to further
enhance the safety of occupants.
If a fault is detected in the SRS, the
AIR BAG warning light on the main instru-
ment panel will come on (see pages 62 and
32). When the system is triggered by impact of a
frontal crash, the airbags in the steering
wheel and passenger side of the dash board
are inflated, after which they deflate through
vents in the back of the bags.
The entire process takes less than
0.1 second – literally, faster than the blink-
ing of an eye.
These airbags are triggered only by moder-
ate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes.
They will not be activated by minor front-end
impacts, rear-end or side impacts, or by the
car rolling over.
Side airbags, see page 30.
WARNING
To reduce risk of injury:
Always wear your safety belt.
Always adjust your seat so that you
are as far back as possible but still
able to reach the steering wheel and
controls comfortably.
 Children 12 and under or shorter than
55 inches (140 cm) should always
travel in the rear as the vehicle is
equipped with an airbag on the pas-
senger side.
IB827
Airbag in course of inflation (driver’s side)
IB1597
5
1
4
2
6
3
2
6
5
SRS (airbag) system with belt
pretensioners 1 Electronic control module and sensor
2 Belt pretensioners (for both front safety belts)
3 Steering wheel with integral airbag
4 Recess for airbag on passenger’s side
5 Sensor, side airbag
6 Side airbag
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30 SafetyFront passenger seat The airbags are interconnected and have a
common warning light, AIR BAG. The pas-
senger airbag module is housed in the
fascia above the glove compartment and is
marked ”SRS AIR BAG”.
Both airbags will be inflated in the event of a
moderate to severe frontal, or near-frontal
crash, even if the passenger seat is unoccu-
pied.
Side airbag
WARNING
Never secure a rear-facing child seat in
the right front seat of a car equipped with
a passenger airbag. Inflation of the airbag
in the event of a crash could seriously
injure or kill a child.
WARNING
 Children 12 and under can be killed by
the airbag.
 The back seat is the safest place for
children.
 Never allow a child to stand in front of
the seat or to sit on the lap of a front
seat passenger. Serious injury or
death could result if the airbag is
inflated in a crash.
 The glove compartment must be
closed while travelling. An open glove
compartment door could cause leg
injuries in the event of a crash.
 Never place anything on the dash or in
front of the seat as, in addition to being
a hazard to passengers, this could
interfere with the function of the airbag
in the event of a crash. The same
applies to the mounting of accessories
on the dash.
 Keep feet on the floor - never put feet
up on the dash, on the seat or out of
the window.
 Do not carry anything in your lap.
WARNING
 This car is equipped with side airbags
and no extra interior trim should be fit-
ted. Failure to observe this warning
could result in the side airbags not
inflating as intended and thus not pro-
viding the intended protection either.
 Never place any object in the area that
would be occupied by the inflated air-
bag.
 For optimum protection, sit upright in
the seat, with your safety belt correctly
fastened.
IB986
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33 Safety
Frequently asked questions on func-
tion of the airbagDo you still need to wear a safety belt if air-
bags are fitted? Yes, always! The airbag merely supple-
ments the car’s normal safety system.
Moreover, the airbag will only be actuated in
a moderate to severe frontal, or near-frontal
crash, which means, of course, that it pro-
vides no protection in minor frontal crashes,
major rear-end or side-on crashes or if the
car rolls over.
The safety belts help to prevent passengers
from being thrown against each other and
being injured.
But they also ensure that, if a crash occurs
in which the airbags are inflated, the airbag
will make the optimum contact with the
occupant, i.e. square on from the front. If the
occupant meets the airbag in an offset posi-
tion, the protection afforded will be reduced.
In addition, airbags provide no protection
against a secondary impact occurring in the
same incident. So there is no doubt about
the benefit of wearing safety belts at all
times.
Do not sit too close to the airbag: it needs
room to inflate.
The airbag inflates very quickly and power-
fully in order to protect an adult person,
before they are thrown forward, in a serious
frontal crash.
How do I position the seat to leave room for
the airbag to inflate?Don’t have your seat too far forward.
Recline the seat back to increase the dis-
tance between you and the airbag. For short
drivers, special accessory pedal extensions
are available through your Saab dealer.
Airbags inflate extremely rapidly and with
great force - to be fast enough to protect an
adult in the seat. When do the airbags in the steering wheel
and passenger side of the dash board
inflate? The airbag will only be inflated under certain
predetermined conditions in a moderate to
severe frontal, or near-frontal crash,
depending on such factors as the force and
angle of the impact, the speed of the car on
impact, and the resistance to deformation of
the impacting object.
The airbag can only be activated once in the
same incident.
Do not attempt to drive the car after an
airbag has been inflated, even if it is possi-
ble.
What won’t trigger the airbag? The airbag will not be activated in all
front-end crashes. For instance, if the car
has hit something relatively soft and yielding
(e.g. a snow drift or a hedge) or a solid
object at a low impact speed, the airbag will
not necessarily be triggered. How loud is the inflation? The noise of the inflation is certainly loud,
but it is very short-lived and will not damage
your hearing. For a short time afterwards
you could experience a buzzing noise in
your ears.
Most people who have experienced it
cannot remember the noise of the inflation
at all - all they remember is the noise of the
crash. Can you still use a child seat in the front if a
passenger airbag is installed? Definitely not!
Children 12 and under can be injured or
killed by the airbag.
The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place for
children.
NEVER put a child seat in the front.
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