2003 SAAB 9-3 airbag

28 SafetyAirbag system1 Steering wheel with integral airbag
2 Side airbag
3 Sensor, side airbags and inflatable curtains
4 Sensor, side airbags and inflatable curtains
5 Electronic control module and central sensor
6 Sensor, side airbags and inflatable curtains
7 Side airbag
8 Sensor, side airbags and inflatable curtains
9 Inflatable curtain
10 Passenger airbag
11 Inflatable curtain
12 Sensors in front bumper
Accessories and other equipment must
not be fitted to the surfaces marked as
these are where the airbags inflate in the
event of a crash.
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29 Safety
WARNING
 Even if the car is equipped with
AIRBAGS, safety belts must still
always be worn by all occupants.
 Note that because an airbag inflates
and deflates extremely rapidly, it will
not provide protection against a
second impact occurring in the same
incident. Always use your safety belt.
 Always sit with the whole of your back
in contact with the backrest of the seat,
and with your seat as far back as is
practical.Otherwise you will be thrown
back against the backrest when the
airbag inflates which could cause you
injury or death. The airbag needs
room in which to inflate.
 Never attach anything to the steering
wheel or passenger side of the instru-
ment panel, as this could result in
injury if the airbag should inflate. The
same applies to anything you might
have in your mouth, such as a pipe, for
instance.
 Some components of the airbag will
be warm for a short time. In some
circumstances the airbag can cause
minor burns or abrasions to the body
when the airbag inflates/deflates.
 Never rest your hands or forearms on
the steering-wheel center padding.
 If the airbag warning light remains
on after the car has been started or
comes on while you are driving, have
the car checked immediately by an
authorized Saab dealer. The warning
light could signify that the airbags may
not inflate in a crash, or they could
even inflate without a crash. See page
57.
 Fumes are generated by the chemical
reaction that inflates the airbag.
Skin surfaces that show signs of irrita-
tion should be washed with clean
water and a mild soap as soon as
possible.
In the event of eye irritation, flush the
eyes thoroughly with clean water for at
least 20 minutes.
In case of persistent irritation, consult
a doctor.
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30 Safety
Front passenger seatThe system is the same as that used on the
driver’s side.
The airbag systems are interconnected and
have a common warning light . The pas-
senger airbag module is housed in the
fascia above the glove compartment and is
marked "AIRBAG".
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.
The car is equipped as standard with
a passenger 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
 DEATH or SERIOUS
INJURY can occur
Children 12 and under or
shorter than 55 inches
(140 cm) can be killed by the airbag
 The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place
for children
 NEVER put a rear-facing child seat in
the front
 Sit as far back as possible from the
airbag
 ALWAYS use SAFETY BELTS and
CHILD RESTRAINTS
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.
Operation of the steering wheel airbag in
a front-end crash
Moment of impact.
Sensors detect a
decelleration and send
a signal via the control
module to a gas gen-
erator that inflates the
airbag.
The inflating airbag
cushions the driver.
Airbag now fully
inflated.
The airbag starts to
deflate.
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31 Safety
Head protectionThe pillar trim and headlining are designed
to absorb energy, softening possible blows
to the head. After a crash, these items must
be changed in the seat positions that were
occupied. Never fit accessories to the pillar
trim or headlining as these could reduce the
effectiveness of the head protection and
inflatable curtain.
Side airbags
The side airbags, which protect the upper
body, are integrated in the outside edges of
the front seat backrests.
The front seats have safety belt pretension-
ers.
There are two sensors on each side of the
car, one at the rear of each door sill. The
side-impact protection is only activated on
the side of impact, while the safety belt pre-
tensioners on both sides are deployed.  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 seat cover should be
fitted. Failure to observe this warning
could result in the side airbags not
inflating as intended and thus not
providing 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.
 The side-impact protection will only be
activated in the event of a side-on
crash or high-speed frontal crash
(airbags inflated to Stage II), but not in
the event of a rear-end crash or the car
rolling over.
 Damage or wear to the seat cover, or
the seat seam, in the area of the side
airbag must immediately be repaired
by an authorized Saab dealer.
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32 Safety
Inflatable curtains
The inflatable curtains, which protect the
head, are concealed along the lengths of
the headlining (all the way from front to rear
roof pillars).
The inflatable curtains inflate at the same
time as the side airbags in the front seats in
case of a side-on impact.
The inflatable curtains reduce the risk of
head injuries to the occupants of the car’s
outer seats. The inflatable curtains deploys
into the window area between the front and
rear roof pillars.
If the airbag system registers forces equiv-
alent to a high-speed frontal crash (Stage II
for the steering wheel and passenger
airbags), the inflatable curtains will also be
deployed.
WARNING
 Do not sit with your head rested
against the side window. The inflat-
able curtain is designed to inflate
between the window and the head.
Resting the head against the window
could prevent the inflatable curtain
from providing the intended
protection.
 Hang only light clothes from the hooks
on the rear seat courtesy handles. The
items of clothing must not contain
heavy or sharp objects. Do not use
wire coat hangers.
 Do not position a sun visor or similar in
the area that would be filled by the
inflatable curtain.
 To reduce the risk of head injuries in
the event of a crash, the roof pillars
and headlining incorporate cushioning
material. Do not attach anything to the
car’s headlining, roof pillars or side
panels as this could prevent the side-
impact protection from providing the
intended protection.
 Do not stack loads so high that they
could encumber the inflatable curtain
in the event of a crash.
Inflated side airbag
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34 SafetyAirbag warning lamp Crash sensing
Crash sensing and diagnostic modules
have been used in automobiles since air-
bags were first produced. The technical
information gained from these modules can
be useful to understanding the circum-
stances that led to the airbag deployment. In
addition, information from many field events
can be used in the aggregate to help manu-
facturers and others better understand real
world crashes. This, in turn, can lead to
improved automotive safety.
Your vehicle is equipped with two electronic
frontal sensors, which helps the sensing
system distinguish between a moderate
frontal impact and a more severe frontal
impact. Your vehicle is also equipped with a
crash sensing and diagnostic module,
which records information about the frontal
airbag system. The module records infor-
mation about the readiness of the system,
when the system commands airbag inflation
and driver’s safety belt usage at deployment
or in a near-deployment crash. The module
also records speed, engine rpm, brake and
throttle data etc.
Servicing the airbag systemThe airbag system must be inspected as
part of the normal service program but oth-
erwise may be regarded as maintenance-
free.
WARNING
 If the airbag readiness light stays on
after you start your vehicle, it means
the airbag system may not be working
properly. See page 57.
 The airbags in your vehicle may not
inflate in a crash, or they could even
inflate without a crash.
 To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have your vehicle serviced
right away if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
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35 Safety
Scrapping or working on airbag and
belt pretensionersFrequently asked questions on
function of the airbag
Do you still need to wear a safety belt if air-
bags are fitted?Yes, always! The airbag system compo-
nents merely supplement the car’s normal
safety system. Moreover, the front airbags
will only be actuated in a moderate to severe
frontal, or near-frontal crash, which means,
of course, that they provide no protection in
minor frontal crashes, major rear- or side-
crashes or if the car rolls over.
The safety belts help to reduce the sideway
movement of the body in a crash.
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 , 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.
WARNING
 Under no circumstances should any
modifications be made that affect the
steering wheel or the airbag’s electri-
cal circuitry.
 During any welding, both battery
cables must be disconnected and
covered.
 Before quick drying paint in the vicinity
of the electronic control module, the
module’s grounding points and wiring
must be covered.
 Airbags and safety belt pretensioners
must be deployed under controlled
conditions before the car is scrapped
or any of the system’s components are
removed. Airbags or belt pretension-
ers that have been deployed as a
result of a crash must be replaced by
new ones.
 Airbag-system components must
never be transferred for use in another
vehicle.
 All work involving the scrapping or
replacement of airbags or belt preten-
sioners must be carried out by autho-
rized personnel only.
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36 SafetyWhen 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 frontal
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 neces-
sarily be triggered.
How loud is the inflation? The noise of the inflation is certainly loud,
but it is of an very short duration and will not
damage your hearing. For a short time after-
wards 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 or shorter
than55 inches (140 cn) can be killed by the
airbag.
The back seat is the safest place for chil-
dren.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in the
front.
Sit as far back as possible from the air bag.
Always use seat belts and child restraints.
What should I do if the AIR-BAG warning
light comes on? If the warning light is on, it means that a fault
has been detected in the system. The
airbag cannot be relied on to operate as
intended and it might even be activated
erroneously. You should therefore take the
car to an authorized Saab dealer as soon as
possible.Are the dust and fumes given off when the
airbag operates at all harmful? Most people who have remained in a car
with little or no ventilation for several min-
utes complained only of minor irritation of
the throat and eyes. Avoid as much as pos-
sible getting dust on your skin as there is a
risk of skin irritation.
If you suffer from asthma, the incident may
bring on an attack, in which case you should
follow the normal procedure advised by
your doctor. It is advisable to consult a
doctor afterwards.
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