58GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
The switch has two positions:
1) Passenger side airbag activated:
(position ON
P), instrument panel
warning light off. Do not carry chil-
dren on the front seat.
2)Passenger side airbag deactivated:
(position OFF F), instrument panel
warning light on. A child can be car-
ried on the front seat with a suitable
restraint system.
The instrument panel warning light
Fwill stay on until the passenger
side airbag is reactivated. GENERAL WARNINGS
The front airbags (on driver and pas-
senger side, where fitted) can be trig-
gered if the car is subjected to strong
knocks or impacts underneath, e.g. vi-
olent crashes into steps, kerbs or fixed
projections from the ground, falling to
large holes or dips in the road.
When the airbag inflates it emits heat
and a small amount of smoke. This is
harmless and does not indicate the be-
ginning of a fire.
The air bag system has a validity of
14 years as concerns the pyrotechnic
charge and 10 years as concerns the
coil contact (see the plate located on
the front left door post near door
hinges).
As these dates approach, contact Fi-
at Dealershipto have them replaced.After an accident which triggered the
airbags, go to a Fiat Dealershipto
have the entire safety system, the elec-
tronic control unit, the seat belts and
the pretensioners replaced. The Fiat
Dealershipwill also check the in-
tactness of the electrical system.
Any diagnostic, repair or replace-
ment operations concerning the airbag
system must exclusively be carried out
at a Fiat Dealership.
If you are having the car scrapped,
have the airbag system deactivated at
a Fiat Dealershipfirst.
If the car changes hands, the new
owner must be made aware of the in-
dications given above and be given this
Owner Handbook.
Pretensioners and front airbags are
triggered by the electronic control
unit according to different types of im-
pacts. Missed triggering of the system,
consequently, does not indicate a fault
in the system.
