2009 Alfa Romeo MiTo airbag off

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR13
1
EBD failure (red)/(amber)
If warning lights xand>are lit up at the same
time with the engine running, this indicates an EBD
system failure or that the system is not available. Ear-
ly locking of the rear wheels may occur in the event
of violent braking, causing the car to swerve.
Under these circumstances drive with extreme caution
straight to the nearest Alfa Romeo Authorised Service to
have the system checked. The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.x
>
Brake pad wear (amber)
The warning light (or symbol on the display) lights up
when the front brake pads show signs of wear; under
these circumstances have them replaced as soon as pos-
sible. The display will show the dedicated message.
WARNING Because the vehicle is equipped with a wear detection
system only for the front brake pads, when these are replaced
the rear brake pads should also be checked for wear.d
ABS system failure (amber)
This warning light comes on when the ignition key is
inserted, but it should go off after a few seconds. The
warning light (or symbol on the display) lights up when
the system is inefficient. Under these circumstances the braking
system will work as normal without the extra performance of-
fered by the ABS system. Drive with caution and visit an Alfa Romeo
Authorised Service at your earliest convenience. The display will
show the dedicated message.>
Airbag failure (red)
This warning light comes on when the ignition key is
turned to MAR, but it should go off after a few seconds.
The warning light stays on, glowing steadily, if there is a
failure in the air bag system. The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.¬
If, when the key is turned to MAR, the ¬warning
light does not come on or if it stays on with the ve-
hicle in motion (together with the message on the
display) there could be a failure in the safety systems; un-
der these circumstances the air bags or pretensioners may
not be activated in the event of an impact or, more rarely,
they could be activated accidentally. Contact an Alfa
Romeo Authorised Service immediately to have the sys-
tem checked.
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 13

142SAFETY
FRONT AIRBAGS
The vehicle is equipped with multi-stage front air bags (“Smart
bag”) for the driver and passenger and knee air bag for the dri-
ver.
“SMART BAG” SYSTEM
(MULTISTAGE FRONT AIR BAGS)
The front airbags (driver’s and passenger’s) and the driver knee
air bag have been designed to protect the occupants in the event
of head-on crashes of medium-high severity, by placing the cush-
ion between the occupant and the steering wheel or dashboard.
The air bag do not replace, but rather compliment the use of seat
belts, which should always be worn. In the event of a collision, a
person not wearing a seat belt may be thrown forward and come
into contact with the bag before it has fully opened. The protection
offered by the bag is reduced in such a case.
Front airbags may not be activated in the following situations:
❍in collisions against highly deformable objects not affecting the
car front surface (e.g. bumper collision against guard rail, etc.);
❍car penetration under other vehicles or protective barriers (e.g.
trucks or guard rails);
in these instances they could not provide any additional protec-
tion compared with seat belts, so their deployment would not be
useful. Non deployment in such cases does not constitute a fault.
FRONT AIRBAG ON DRIVER’S SIDE fig. 15
This is located in a dedicated compartment in the centre of the steer-
ing wheel.
Do not apply stickers or other objects on the steer-
ing wheel, passenger side airbag cover or side up-
holstery on roof. Do not place objects on the pas-
senger side dashboard because these could interfere with
the correct opening of the airbag and cause severe in-
jury to occupants.
fig. 15A0J0047m
127-148 Alfa MiTo GB 12-11-2008 15:41 Pagina 142

SAFETY147
2
The expiry dates of the pyrotechnic charge and spi-
ral contact are shown in the plate installed inside
the glove compartment. Refer to an Alfa Romeo
Authorised Services when it’s time to replace them.
Do not travel with objects on your lap, in front of
your chest, or between your lips (e.g. pipes, pen-
cils, etc.) In the event of a crash with airbag acti-
vation, you may be seriously injured.
If someone tries to steal or damage your car, and
in the event of floods, have the air bag system
checked by an Alfa Romeo Authorised Services.
With the ignition key inserted and turned to MAR,
even if the engine is off, the air bags can activate
also with the car at a standstill, if it is hit by an-
other vehicle. For this reason, children must never sit on
the front seat, even if the car is not moving. Please re-
member that if the key is inserted and turned to the STOP
position, no safety device (airbag or pretensioner) acti-
vates following a collision. Non-deployment in such cas-
es must not be considered a sign of malfunction.
When the ignition key is turned to MAR, the “
warning light turns on (front airbag on passenger’s
side enabled) and blinks for a few seconds as a re-
minder that the passenger airbag will activate in the event
of a collision. Then it turns off.
The front airbags deploy in the event of more se-
vere collisions than those required for deploying
the pretensioners. For collisions in the range be-
tween the two thresholds, it is normal for only the pre-
tensioners to be activated.
127-148 Alfa MiTo GB 12-11-2008 15:41 Pagina 147