2008 SKODA FABIA airbag off

Passive Safety123
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident, we recommend the following setting.
•Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance between the steering wheel and your chest is at least 25 cm ⇒page 122, fig. 128.
•Position the driver seat in the forward/back direction so that you are able to press the pedals with your legs at a slight angle .
•Adjust the backrest so that you are able to reach the highest point of the steering wheel with your arms at a slight angle.
•Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the same level as the upper part of your head ⇒fig. 129.
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 128, “How are seat belts correctly fastened?”.
Driver seat adjustment ⇒page 56, “Adjusting the front seats”.
WARNING
•The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your occupants.
•The driver must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel ⇒page 122, fig. 128. Not maintaining this minimum distance will
mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!
•When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the outer edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position. Never hold the steering wheel firmly in the 12 o'clock position or in another way (e.g. in the middle of the steering wheel or at the inner steering wheel edge). In such cases, injuries to the arms, the hands and the head can occur when the driver airbag is deployed.
•Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as any objects may get behind the pedals during a driving or braking manoeuvre. You would then no longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or accelerate.
Correct seated position for the front passenger
The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm from
the dash panel so that the airbag offers the greatest possible safety
when an airbag is deployed.
For the safety of the front passenger and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident, we recommend the following setting.
•Adjust the front passenger seat as far as possible to the rear.
•Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the same level as the upper part of your head ⇒fig. 129.
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 128, “How are seat belts correctly fastened?”.
In exceptional cases the front passenger airbag can be deactivated ⇒page 139, “Deactivating an airbag”.
Adjusting the passenger seat ⇒page 56, “Adjusting the front seats”.
WARNING
•The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be
Fig. 129 The correct head restraint adjustment for the driver
WARNING (continued)
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Passive Safety124
correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your occupants.
•The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the dash panel. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!
•Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being driven - never place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the window or on the surfaces of the seats. You will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it becomes necessary to apply the brake or in the event of an accident. If an airbag is deployed, you may suffer fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect seated position!
•The backrests must not be angled too far back when driving otherwise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of the airbag system - risk of injury!
Correct seated position for the occupants on the rear seats
Occupants on the rear seats must sit upright, keep the feet in the
footwell and must have their seat belts correctly fastened.
To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or an acci-dent, the occupants on the rear seats must observe the following.
•Adjust the head restraints so that the top edge of the head restraints are at the same level as the upper part of your head ⇒page 123, fig. 129.
•Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 128, “How are seat belts correctly fastened?”.
•If you are transporting ⇒page 142, “Transporting children safely” children in the vehicle, please use a suitable child restraint system.
WARNING
•The head restraints must always be adjusted to match the body size, in order to offer an optimal protection for you and your occupants.
•Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being driven - never put your feet out of the window or on the surfaces of the seats. You will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it becomes necessary to apply the brake or in the event of an accident. If the head airbag* is deployed and when adopting an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to an increased risk of injury and in the event of an accident you may suffer fatal injuries!
•If the occupants on the rear seats are not sitting upright, the risk of injury is increased due to incorrect routing of the seat belt.
Examples of an incorrect seated position
An incorrect seated position can lead to severe injuries or death for
the occupants.
Seat belts offer their optimum protection only if the webbing of the seat belts is properly routed. Incorrect seated positions considerably reduce the protective functions of the seat belts and therefore increase the risk of injury due to an incor-rect routing of the seat belt. The driver is fully responsible for himself and his occu-pants, in particular for the children. Do not permit an occupant to adopt an incor-rect seated position when the car is moving.
The following list contains the examples of seated positions which are dangerous for the occupants. This list is not complete, however we would like you to get inter-ested in this subject.
Therefore, while the car is moving never:
•stand up in the vehicle,
•stand up on the seats,
•kneel onto the seats,
•tilt the backrest fully to the back,
•lean against the dash panel,
•lie on the rear seats,
•only sit on the front area of the seat,
WARNING (continued)WARNING (continued)
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Passive Safety125
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
•sit to the side,
•lean out of the window,
•put the feet out of the window,
•put the feet on the dash panel,
•put the feet on the seat upholstery,
•occupy the footwell,
•have the seat belt not fastened,
•occupy the luggage compartment.
WARNING
•If the occupant adopts an incorrect seated position, he is exposed to life-threatening injuries, in case he is hit by a deployed airbag.
•Before setting off, please adopt the correct seated position and do not change this seated position while the car is moving. Also advise your occu-pants to adopt the correct seated position and not to change this seated position while the car is moving.
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Seat belts126
Seat belts
Why seat belts?
It is a proven fact that seat belts offer good protection in accidents ⇒fig. 130. Thus wearing a seat belt is a legal requirement in most countries.
Seat belts which have been correctly fastened and adjusted hold the occupants of the car in the correct seated position ⇒fig. 130. The belts reduce the kinetic energy (energy of motion) to a considerable extent. They also prevent uncontrolled move-ments which, in turn, may well result in severe injuries.
The occupants of a vehicle who have fastened and correctly adjusted their seat belt, profit to a major extent from the fact that the kinetic energy is optimally absorbed by the belts. The structure of the front end of the vehicle and other passive safety measures, such as the airbag system, also contribute to reducing the kinetic energy. The energy produced is thus absorbed and there is less risk of injury.
Accident statistics prove that seat belts which are fastened and properly adjusted reduce the risk of an injury and enhance the chance of survival in a major accident ⇒page 127.
It is important that you pay attention to safety measures, particularly when trans-porting children in the vehicle ⇒page 142, “Transporting children safely”.
WARNING
•Fasten your seat belt each time before setting off, also when driving in town! This also applies to the people seated at the rear - risk of injury!
•Expectant women must also always wear a seat belt. This is the only way of ensuring optimal protection for the unborn child ⇒page 128, “Fastening three-point seat belts”.
•It is important for the belt webbing to be properly routed if the seat belts are to offer the maximum protection. You can see a description of how safety belts should be fitted properly on the next pages.
Note
Please comply with any differing legal requirements when using the seat belts.
Fig. 130 Driver wearing seat belt
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Airbag system132
Airbag system
Description of the airbag system
General information on the airbag system
The front airbag system is complementary to the three-point seat belts and offers additional protection in the head and chest area of the driver and passenger in the event of a frontal collision.
In the event of a side collision, the side airbags reduce the risk of injury to the occu-pants to the part of their body facing the side of the accident.
The airbag system is only functional after the ignition has been switched on.
The operational readiness of the airbag system is monitored electronically. The airbag warning light comes on for a few seconds each time the ignition is switched on.
The airbag system (according to vehicle equipment) essentially consists of:
•an electronic control unit,
•the front airbags for the driver and front passenger ⇒page 133,
•the side airbags ⇒page 136,
•Head airbags ⇒page 138,
•an airbag warning light in the instrument cluster ⇒page 28,
•a front passenger airbag switch* ⇒page 140,
•an indicator light for a switched off front seat passenger airbag* in the middle of the dash panel ⇒page 140.
A fault in the airbag system exists if:
•the airbag indicator light does not light up when the ignition is switched on,
•the airbag indicator light does not go out after about 3 seconds after the ignition is switched on,
•the airbag indicator light goes out and comes on again after the ignition is switched on,
•the airbag indicator light comes on or flickers when driving,
•an airbag indicator light showing a switched-off front passenger airbag* in the middle of the dash panel flashes.
WARNING
•To enable the occupants of a car to be protected with the greatest possible effect when the airbag is deployed, the front seats must be ⇒page 122, “Correct seated position” correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
•If you do not fasten the seat belts when driving, lean too far forward or adopt an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to increased risk of injury in the event of an accident.
•Have the airbag system checked immediately by a specialist garage if a fault exists. Otherwise, there is a risk of the airbag not being activated in the event of an accident.
•No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system.
•It is prohibited to manipulate individual parts of the airbag system as this might result in the airbag being deployed.
•The protective function of the airbag system is sufficient for only one accident. The airbag system must then be replaced if the airbag has been deployed.
•The airbag system needs no maintenance during its working life.
•If you sell your car, please hand over the complete vehicle documenta-tion to the new owener. Please note that the documents relating to the possibility of deactivating the front passenger airbag are also part of the vehicle documents!
•If the vehicle or individual parts of the airbag system are scrapped, it is essential to observe the relevant safety precautions. Škoda Service Partners are familiar with these regulations.
•When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is important to comply with the national legal requirements.
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Airbag system133
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
When are the airbags deployed?
The airbag system is designed in such a way that the driver and the front passenger airbag* are deployed in the event of a frontal collision of major severity.
In the case of a violent side crash, the side airbag* in the front seat and the head airbag* on the side of the car at which the collision occurs are deployed.
It is also possible under certain special accident situations that the front as well as the side airbags and head airbags* are deployed.
The airbags are not deployed in the case of minor frontal and side collisions, in the case of rear-end collisions and vehicle rollover.
Deployment factors
It is not possible to state globally which deployment conditions apply to the airbag system in every situation as the circumstances which exist in the case of accidents vary greatly. An important role in this case, for example, is played by factors such as the type of object against which the vehicle impacts (hard, soft), the angle of impact, the vehicle speed etc.
A decisive factor for the deployment of the airbags is the deceleration which occurs during a collision. The control unit analyses the nature of the collision and activates the relevant restraint system. If the vehicle deceleration which occurs and is meas-ured during the collision remains below the prescribed reference values specified in the control unit, the airbags are not deployed although the vehicle may well suffer severe damage to the bodywork as a consequence of the accident.
The airbags are not deployed if:
•ignition off,
•a minor frontal collision,
•a minor side collision,
•a rear-end collision,
•rollover.
Caution
The dash panel must be replaced after the front passenger airbag has been deployed.
Note
•A grey white or red, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
•In the event of an accident in which the airbags are deployed:
−The interior lighting comes on (if the switch for the interior light is in the door contact position),
−The hazard warning light is switched on,
−All the doors are unlocked.
Front airbags
Description of the front airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belt!
Fig. 137 Driver airbag in the steering wheel
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Airbag system134
The front airbag for the driver is housed in the steering wheel ⇒page 133, fig. 137. The front airbag for the front passenger* is housed in the dash panel above the storage compartment ⇒fig. 138. The installation positions are each marked with the “AIRBAG” logo.
The front airbag system is complementary to the three-point seat belts and offers additional protection in the head and chest area of the driver and passenger in the event of a frontal collision ⇒ in “Important safety information regarding the front airbag system” on page 135.
The airbag is not a substitute for the seat belt, but is part of the complete passive vehicle safety concept. Please note that an airbag can only offer you optimal protection in combination with a seat belt which is fastened.
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the seat belts is to also hold the driver and front passenger in a correct seated position in the event of a frontal collision so as to enable the front airbags to offer the maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten the seat belts, not only because this is required by law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection ⇒page 126, “Why seat belts?”.
Caution
The dash panel must be replaced after the front passenger airbag has been deployed.
Function of the front airbags
Risk of injury to the head and chest area is reduced by fully inflated
airbags.
The airbag system is designed in such a way that the driver and front passenger airbag* are deployed in the event of a frontal collision of major severity.
In certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are simultaneously deployed.
If the airbags are deployed, the airbags are filled with a propellant gas and inflated in front of the driver and front passenger ⇒fig. 139. The airbags inflate in fractions of a second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional protec-tion in the event of an accident. The forward movement of the driver and of the front passenger is cushioned when they make contact with the fully inflated airbag and the risk of injury to head and chest is thus reduced.
The specially developed airbag allows the gas to flow out of the inflated airbag in a controlled manner (depending on the load of the particular car occupant) in order to cushion head and chest areas. The airbag then deflates subsequently to such an extent, after an accident, to again provide a clear view forward.
A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
The airbag develops enormous forces when triggered, which can lead to injuries if the sitting position or seated position is not correct ⇒ in “Important safety information regarding the front airbag system” on page 135.
Fig. 138 Front passenger airbag in the dash panel
Fig. 139 Inflated airbags
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Airbag system135
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Important safety information regarding the front airbag system
Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of
injury!
WARNING
•Never transport children on the front seat of a vehicle without using a proper restraint system. If airbags are deployed in the event of an accident, the child might suffer severe or even fatal injuries!
•For the driver and front passenger it is important to maintain a distance of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel ⇒fig. 140. Not main-taining this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard! The front seats and the head restraints must always also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occu-pant.
•It is essential to always switch off ⇒page 139, “Deactivating an airbag” the front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag is deployed. In certain countries national legal provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger
seat, please comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
•There must not by any further persons, animals or objects positioned between the front seated occupants and the deployment area of the airbag.
•The steering wheel and the surface of the airbag module in the dash panel on the passenger side must not be stuck onto, covered or modified in any other way. These parts should only be cleaned with a dry cloth or a cloth moistened with water. No objects such as cup holders, mobile phone mounts, etc. may be attached to the covers of the airbag modules or be located within the immediate area.
•No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system. Any work on the airbag system including installing and removing system components because of other repair work (e.g. removing the steering wheel) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
•Never carry out changes on the front bumper or on the body.
•Never place any objects on the dash panel on the front passenger side.
Fig. 140 Safe distance to steering wheel
WARNING (continued)
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