2006 SAAB 9-5 airbag off

33 Safety
Passenger Sensing SystemVehicles with a passenger sensing system
have indicator LEDs on the fascia. The indi-
cators will be lit during the system check
when you turn your ignition key to ST or ON.
When the system check is complete, either
the ON or the OFF LED, will be lit. See
AIRBAG warning light on page 61. If your
vehicle does not have the indicators pic-
tured, then your vehicle does not have the
passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system will turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag
and side airbag under certain conditions.
The driver’s airbags is not part of the pas-
senger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with
sensors that are part of the right front pas-
senger’s seat and safety belt. The sensors
are designed to detect the presence of a
properly-seated occupant and determine if
the passenger’s frontal airbag should be
enabled (may inflate) or not.
Accident statistics show that children are
safer if they are restrained in the rear rather
than the front seat.Saab recommends that child restraints be
secured in a rear seat, including an infant
riding in a rear-facing infant seat, a child
riding in a forward-facing child seat and an
older child riding in a booster seat.
Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accom-
modate a rear-facing child restraint. A label
on your sun visor says, “Never put a
rear-facing child seat in the front.” This is
because the risk to the rear-facing child is so
great, if the airbag deploys.
WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the right
front passenger’s airbag inflates. This is
because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the inflat-
ing airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the passen-
ger’s frontal airbag if the system detects a
rear-facing child restraint, no system is
fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that
an airbag will not deploy under some
unusual circumstance, even though it is
turned off. Saab recommends that
rear-facing child restraints be secured in
the rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
IB3952
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator.
USA indicator shown, Canada similar
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34 SafetyThe passenger sensing system is designed
to turn off the right front passenger’s frontal
airbag if:
 the right front passenger seat is unoccu-
pied
 the system determines that an infant is
present in a rear-facing infant seat
 the system determines that a small child
is present in a forward-facing child
restraint
 the system determines that a small child
is present in a booster seat
 a right front passenger takes his/her
weight off of the seat for a period of time
 the right front passenger seat is occupied
by a smaller person, such as a child who
has outgrown child restraints
 or if there is a critical problem with the
airbag system or the passenger sensing
system.When the passenger sensing system has
turned off the passenger’s frontal air bag,
the off indicator will light and stay lit to
remind you that the airbag is off.
If a child restraint has been installed (Saab
recommends that child restraints be
secured in the rear seat) and the on indica-
tor is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the
child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall
the child restraint following the child
restraint manufacturer’s directions and refer
to Installation of rear facing child restraints
on page 28.
If after reinstalling the child restraint and
restarting the vehicle, the on indicator is still
lit, check to make sure that the vehicle’s
seatback is not pressing the child restraint
into the seat cushion. If this happens,
slightly recline the vehicle’s seatback and
adjust the seat cushion if possible. Also
make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this hap-
pens, adjust the head restraint.
If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child
in the child restraint in a rear seat position in
the vehicle and check with your dealer.The passenger sensing system is designed
to enable (may inflate) the right front pas-
senger’s frontal airbag anytime the system
senses that a person of adult size is sitting
properly in the right front passenger’s seat.
When the passenger sensing system has
allowed the airbag to be enabled, the on
indicator will light and stay lit to remind you
that the airbag is active.
For some children who have outgrown child
restraints and for very small adults, the pas-
senger sensing system may or may not turn
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag,
depending upon the person’s seating pos-
ture and body build. Everyone in your vehi-
cle who has outgrown child restraints
should wear a safety belt properly —
whether or not there is an airbag for that per-
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35 Safety
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right
front passenger’s seat, but the off indicator
is lit, it could be because that person is not
sitting properly in the seat. If this happens,
turn the vehicle off and ask the person to
place the seatback in the fully upright posi-
tion, then sit upright in the seat, centered on
the seat cushion, with the person’s legs
comfortably extended. Restart the vehicle
and have the person remain in this position
for about two minutes. This will allow the
system to detect that person and then
enable the passenger’s airbag.Aftermarket equipment, such as seat cov-
ers, can affect how well the passenger
sensing system operates. You may want to
consider not using seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment if your vehicle has
the passenger sensing system. See Adding
Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehi-
cle on page 41 for more information about
modifications that can affect how the
system operates.
WARNING
If the airbag readiness light in the instru-
ment panel cluster ever comes on and
stays on, it means that something may be
wrong with the airbag system. If this ever
happens, have the vehicle serviced
promptly, because an adult-size person
sitting in the right front passenger’s seat
may not have the protection of the frontal
airbag. See Airbag warning light on page
61 for more on this, including important
safety information.
WARNING
Stowing of articles under the passenger’s
seat or between the passenger’s seat
cushion and seatback may interfere with
the proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
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40 SafetyFrequently asked questions
on function of airbagsDo 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 reduce the chance of
the car occupants from being thrown around
and injured or killed inside the car.
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 front airbags 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
possible.What won’t trigger the front airbags?
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 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 child seat in the front.
 Sit as far back as possible from the airbag.
 Always use safety belts and child
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41 Safety
Are the smoke 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 far as possible
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.What should I do if the AIRBAG 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.
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped VehicleIs there anything I might add to the front or
sides of the vehicle that could keep the air-
bags from working properly?
Yes. If you add things that change your vehi-
cle’s frame, bumper system, front end or
side sheet metal or height, they may keep
the airbag system from working properly.
Also, the airbag system may not work prop-
erly if you relocate any of the airbag sen-
sors. If you have any questions about this,
you should contact Saab Customer Assis-
tance before you modify your vehicle.
The phone numbers and addresses for
Customer Assistance can be found on
page 255.
Because I have a disability, I have to get my
vehicle modified. How can I find out whether
this will affect my advanced airbag system?
Changing or moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module or the inside rearview
mirror can affect the operation of the
advanced airbag system. If you have ques-
tions, call Customer Assistance. The phone
numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance can be found on page 255.
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277 Index
TTCS OFF
______________________ 63
TP
____________________________ 99
Table of fuses
__________________ 221
Tachometer
_____________________ 64
Tailgate, opening
________________ 47
Tank gauge
_____________________ 65
Technical data _________________ 259
Technical data, radio/audio
________ 108
Temperature control, ACC _________ 81
Temperature gauge, engine ________ 65
Temperature zones, ACC
__________ 81
Textile carpeting
________________ 243
Through-load hatch ______________ 132
Tie Downs
_____________________ 132
Tightening torque, wheel studs
_____ 239
Time display
___________________ 105
Tip, driving at night
______________ 183
Tip, to avoid theft
_______________ 168
Tips, ACC
______________________ 86
Tire chains ____________________ 231
Tire date code __________________ 237
Tire inspection and rotation
_______ 226
Tire markings
__________________ 233
Tire pressure ___________________ 184
Tire sidewall labeling
____________ 232
Tire terminology and definitions
____ 234
Tire, compact spare
_____________ 237
Tires
_____________________ 225
, 268
Tires, winter
___________________ 268
Tools
_________________________ 185Touching-in the paintwork
_________ 245
Towbar attachment
______________ 176
Towbar load
___________________ 180
Towing the car _________________ 185
Towing, automatics
______________ 185
Traffic programme ________________ 99
Trailer weights
__________________ 261
Treadwear indicators
____________ 227
Trionic
________________________ 194
Trip computer
___________________ 68
Trip meter
______________________ 64
Trunk
_________________________ 130
Trunk lid, opening
________________ 47
Tuning
_________________________ 93
Turbo gauge
____________________ 66
Turbo, points to note
_____________ 146
UUnder the hood
_________________ 193
Uniform tire quality grading
________ 229
Upholstery and trim
______________ 243
Upholstery and trim, care of
_______ 243
VVanity mirrors
__________________ 125
Vehicle Data Collection
___________ 257
Ventilated front seats
_____________ 87
Viscosity, engine oil
_____________ 262
WWarning labels
____________________ 7
Warning light, AIR BAG
____________ 37
Warning lights
___________________ 58
Washers
______________________ 205
Washers, windshield
_____________ 206
Washing the car
________________ 244
Waxing and polishing
____________ 245
Wear indicators, tires _____________ 227
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates?
______________________ 38
Wheel replacement
______________ 230
Wheel, change
_________________ 239
Wheels and tires ________________ 268
Wheels and tires, sizes
___________ 268
When it is time for new tires
_______ 227
Windshield washers
______________ 77
Windshield wipers
________________ 77
Winter tires
________________ 236
, 268
Wiper blades, replacing
___________ 205
Wipers and washers
__________ 77
, 205
XXenon headlight
________________ 207
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