2008 DODGE SPRINTER airbag

34 SafetyOccupant safety
2
\3 Occupant safetyThis section contains all the most impor-
tant information about the restraint sys-
t e m s i n y o u r v e h i c l e . I n a n a c c i d e n t , y o u r
vehicle collides with another object, e.g.
another vehicle. This may cause your ve-
hicle to accelerate or decelerate ex-
tremely quickly. During this acceleration
or deceleration, the vehicle occupants
will be moved in the opposite direction
to the force of the impact. There is there-
fore the risk of vehicle occupants injur-
ing themselves on the vehicle interior or
on parts of the vehicle. The purpose of
supplemental restraint systems, i.e. principally the seat belts supplemented
by emergency tensioning retractors, belt
force limiters and airbags when neces-
sary, is to minimize this risk of injury.
However, the seat belts and airbags can-
not generally prevent injuries caused by
objects penetrating the vehicle from the
outside.
The most important restraint systems
are:
\4
the seat belts
\4
restraint systems for children, since
they are the most effective means of
reducing the extent to which the oc-
cupants are moved in the event of an
accidentAdditional protection is provided by:
\4
SRS (S
upplemental R
estraint S
ys-
tem), comprising:
\4
emergency tensioning retractors
\4
belt force limiters
\4
airbags
i
An airbag increases the degree of
protection afforded to vehicle occupants
wearing a seat belt and is therefore only
to be considered as an additional re-
straint system to the seat belt. Airbags
do not in any way relieve any vehicle oc-
cupants of the need to wear their seat
belt correctly at all times.
Restraint systems
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35 Safety
Occupant safety
2
\4
This is partly because an airbag is
not activated in all accident situa-
tions because in some cases it would
not provide any additional protection
to that already afforded by a correct-
ly fastened seat belt.
Furthermore, an activated airbag can
only provide increased protection if the
seat belt is being worn correctly, be-
cause:
\4
the belt helps to hold the vehicle
occupant in the best position in rela-
tion to the airbag
\4
the belt prevents the vehicle occup-
ant from being propelled in the oppo-
site direction to the force of impact, e.g. in the event of a head-on collisi-
on, and is therefore better able to re-
duce the risk of injury
\4
In accidents in which an airbag is
activated, the airbag will therefore
only offer an increase in the protec-
tion provided by the seat belt, i.e. ad-
ditional protection, if the seat belt is
worn correctly.
Warning
G
Modifications to or work incorrectly car-
ried out on a restraint system (seat belt
and seat belt anchorages, emergency
tensioning retractor, belt force limiter or
airbag) or its wiring, or tampering with
other networked electronic systems,
could cause the restraint systems to stop
working correctly.
Continued
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36 SafetyOccupant safety
2
The most important restraint systems in
the vehicle are the seat belts and child
restraint systems. They are the most ef-
fective means of preventing vehicle oc-
cupants from moving towards the point
of impact and thus reducing the risk of
occupants hitting parts of the vehicle in-
terior.
Warning (Continued)
G
The airbags or emergency tensioning re-
tractors could, for example, be activated
inadvertently or could fail in accidents in
which the deceleration force is sufficient
to trigger the airbag. For this reason, do
not modify the restraint systems. Do not
tamper with electronic components or
their software.
AirbagsWarning
G
Airbags do offer additional protection but
they are not a substitute for the seat
belts. To reduce the risk of serious or fatal
injuries, make sure that all occupants – in
particular, expectant mothers – wear
their seat belt correctly at all times, have
adopted a normal sitting position and that
the seat is positioned as upright as possi-
ble.
Seat beltsiIn many countries there are regula-
tions concerning the use of seat
belts and child restraint systems.
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41 Safety
Occupant safety
2
\1To raise the belt height:
slide belt
sash guide
1
upward.
Belt sash guide1
engages in vari-
ous positions.
\1To lower the belt height:
press and
hold release button
5
.
\1
Slide belt sash guide
1
to the de-
sired height.
\1
Let go of release button
5
and
make sure that belt sash guide
1

engages.The SRS (S
upplemental R
estraint S
ys-
tem) may consist of the following com-
ponents, depending on the equipment
level:
\41
warning lamp
\4
Emergency tensioning retractors
\4
Belt force limiters
\4
Airbag system with:\4
Airbag control unit
\4
Airbags
1
warning lamp
The SRS performs a self-test at regular
intervals when the ignition is switched
on and while the engine is running. Mal-
functions can therefore be detected in
good time.
The
1
warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster (
\2
page 20) comes on for
approximately 4 seconds when you
switch on the ignition.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System)
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42 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Activation of emergency tensioning
retractors, belt force limiters and air-
bagsIn the event of a collision, the
sensor in
the airbag control unit evaluates impor-
tant physical data, such as duration, di-
rection and rate of vehicle deceleration
or acceleration. Based on the evaluation
of this data and depending on the vehi-
cle’s rate of longitudinal deceleration in
a collision, in the first stage, the airbag
control unit pre-emptively triggers the
emergency tensioning retractors.
Warning
G
A malfunction has occurred if the 1
warning lamp:d o e s n o t c o m e o n w h e n y o u s w i t c h o n t h e
ignitiondoes not go out after approximately 4 sec-
ondslights up againIndividual systems may be activated unin-
tentionally or may not be triggered in the
ev en t o f a n ac c ide n t wi th a hi gh ra te o f v e-
hicle deceleration.
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
In this case, have the SRS system
checked and repaired immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop which has
the necessary specialist knowledge and
tools to carry out the work required.The manufacturer recommends that you
use an authorized Sprinter Dealer for this
purpose. In particular, work relevant to
safety or on safety-related systems must
be carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
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43 Safety
Occupant safety
2
The front airbags are not triggered un-
less a second activation threshold is ex-
ceeded, i.e. if there is a greater rate of
vehicle deceleration in a longitudinal di-
rection.Criteria for triggering of emergency
tensioning retractors and airbagsTo determine whether it is necessary to
trigger an emergency tensioning retrac-
tor or airbag, the airbag control unit eval-
uates the duration and direction of
deceleration or acceleration during the
initial phase of the collision.The emergency tensioning retractor and
airbag activation thresholds are variable
and are adapted to the rate of the vehi-
cle deceleration. This process is pre-
emptive in nature as the airbag must be
deployed during – and not at the end of
– the collision.
iAirbags are not triggered in all types of
accident. They are actually controlled
by complex sensor technology and eval-
uation logic. This process is pre-emptive
in nature as airbag deployment must
take place during the impact and must
be adapted to provide calculated, addi-
tional protection for the vehicle occu-
pants. Not all airbags are triggered in an
accident.
The various airbag systems work inde-
pendently of each other. However, all
systems depend on the type (head-on
or side impact) and severity (in particu-
lar vehicle deceleration or acceleration)
of accident determined in the initial
phase of the accident.
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44 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Vehicle deceleration or acceleration and
the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:\4
the distribution of the force during
the impact
\4
the collision angle
\4
the deformation characteristics of
the vehicle
\4
the composition of the object in-
volved in the collision, for example
the other vehicle
Factors that cannot be seen or mea-
sured until after the collision are not
used to determine whether the airbag
should be triggered and are not decisive
for this.The vehicle may be substantially deformed
without an airbag being triggered, for ex-
ample if only relatively easily-deformable
vehicle parts such as the hood or fenders
are affected by the collision and the re-
quired deceleration threshold is not
reached. On the other hand, airbags may
be triggered even though the vehicle only
displays minor deformation, if, for exam-
ple, rigid vehicle parts such as a longitudi-
nal member are affected by the impact,
thus causing vehicle deceleration to ex-
ceed the pre-determined threshold.
Emergency tensioning retractors,
belt force limitersIf the vehicle is equipped with a driver’s
airbag, the driver’s and the passenger’s
seat belts are equipped with emergency
tensioning retractors.
A belt force limiter additionally installed
in the seat belt reduces the load exerted
by the seat belt on the occupant when it
is triggered.
Emergency tensioning retractors ten-
sion the seat belts in an accident, pulling
them close against the body.
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46 SafetyOccupant safety
2
Warning (Continued)
G
The manufacturer recommends that you
use an authorized Sprinter Dealer for this
purpose. In particular, work relevant to
safety or on safety-related systems must
be carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.Observe the safety regulations when dis-
posing of emergency tensioning retrac-
tors. You can see a copy of these
regulations at any authorized Sprinter
Dealer.
Airbag systemWarning
G
\4To reduce the risk of serious or fatal
injuries in the event of an accident
with a high rate of deceleration, for
example due to an airbag inflating
within milliseconds, or due to sudden
braking, please observe the following
points:
Continued
Warning (Continued)
G
All vehicle occupants must select a seat
position in which they can wear their seat
belt correctly and which is as far back
from the airbag as possible. The seat po-
sition of the driver must be such that the
vehicle can be driven safely. The distance
from the driver’s seat to the pedals must
be such that the driver can fully depress
the pedals. The distance between the
driver’s chest and the center of the airbag
cover must be more than 25 cm. The driv-
er’s arms should be slightly bent when
holding the steering wheel.
Continued
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