
16
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
ALARM
(for versions/markets, where
provided)
The alarm function is provided in addition
to all remote control functions previous-
ly described and it is controlled by the re-
ceiver located under the dashboard, next
to the fuse box.WHEN THE ALARM
IS TRIGGERED
The alarm comes into action in the fol-
lowing cases:❒unlawful opening of one of the doors,
bonnet or boot (perimetral protec-
tion);
❒attempt to start the engine (turning the
ignition key to MAR);
❒battery cable cutting;
❒presence of moving bodies in the pas-
senger’s compartment (volumetric pro-
tection);
❒abnormal raising/sloping of the car. Depending on the markets, the cutting in
of the alarm causes operation of the siren
and direction indicators (for about 26 sec-
onds). The ways of operating and the num-
ber of cycles may vary depending on the
markets.
A maximum number of sound/sight cycles
is however envisaged.
The volume sensing and anti-lift protec-
tions may be turned off by operating the
control on the front courtesy light (see
“Volume-sensing/anti-lift protection” para-
graph).
IMPORTANT The engine immobiliser
function is guaranteed by the Fiat CODE
system, which is automatically activated
when the ignition key is removed.
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DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
SAFETY
DEVICES
109
PRETENSIONERS
To increase the efficiency of the front and
rear (for versions/markets, where pro-
vided) seat belts, the car is fitted with pre-
tensioners. These devices, in the event of
violent front and side crash, rewind the
seat belts a few centimetres. In this way
they ensure that the seat belt adheres per-
fectly to the wearer before the restrain-
ing action begins. The seat belt locks to in-
dicate that the device has intervened; the
seat belt cannot be drawn back up even
when guiding it manually.
IMPORTANT To obtain the highest de-
gree of protection from the action of the
pretensioning device, wear the seat belt
keeping it firmly close to the chest and
pelvis.
Pretensioner activation may produce a
small amount of smoke. This smoke is in
no way toxic and presents no fire hazard.LOAD LIMITERS
To increase passenger’s safety, the front
and rear (for versions/markets, where
provided) seat belt reels contain a load
limiter which allows controlled sag in such
a way as to dose the force acting on the
shoulders during the belt restraining ac-
tion in case of front crash.
The pretensioner can only
be used once. After a colli-
sion that has triggered it, have it re-
placed at a Fiat Dealership. Preten-
sioner validity is written on the label
located inside the lower oddment
compartment. Pretensioners should
be replaced at Fiat Dealership as this
date approaches.
WARNING
Operations which lead to
knocks, vibrations or localised
heating (over 100°C for a
maximum of 6 hours) in the
area around the pretensioners may
cause damage or trigger them. These
devices are not affected by vibrations
caused by irregularities of the road sur-
face or low obstacles such as kerbs, etc.
Contact a Fiat Dealership for any as-
sistance.The pretensioner does not require any
maintenance or greasing. Anything that
modifies its original conditions invalidates
its efficiency. If due to unusual natural
events (floods, seas storm, etc.) the device
has been affected by water and mud, it
must necessarily be replaced.
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DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
SAFETY
DEVICES
116
Below is a summary of the rules of
safety to be followed for carrying
children:
1) The recommended position for in-
stalling child’s seat is on the rear seat, as
it is the most protected in the case of a
crash.
2) If the passenger airbag is deactivated,
always check that it is properly deactivat-
ed by ensuring the warning light “is on
with a fixed light on the instrument pan-
el.
3) Attain to the instructions for fastening
the specific child restraint system which
you are using. These instructions must be
provided by the manufacturer. Keep the
child restraint system installation instruc-
tions with the car documents and this
Handbook. Never use a child restraint sys-
tem without installation instructions.4) Always check the seat belt is well fas-
tened by pulling the webbing.
5) Only one child is to be strapped to
each retaining system.
6) Always check the seat belts do not fit
around the child’s throat.
7) While travelling, do not let the child
sit incorrectly or release the belts.
8) Passengers should never carry children
on their laps. No-one, however strong
they are, can hold a child in the event of
a crash.
9) In case of an accident, replace the
child’s seat with a new one.
With passenger’s air bag ac-
tive, never place child’s seats
with the cradle facing backwards
since the air bag activation could
cause to the child serious injuries,
even mortal, regardless of the seri-
ousness of the crash that triggered it.
You are advised to carry children al-
ways with proper restraint systems on
the rear seats, as this is the most pro-
tected position in the case of a crash.
WARNING
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DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
SAFETY
DEVICES
120
FRONT AIR BAGS
The car is fitted with front air bags for the
driver, for the passenger and with driver’s
knees air bag (for versions/markets, where
provided).
The front air bags (driver and passenger)
and driver’s knees air bag (for ver-
sions/markets, where provided) have been
designed to protect the occupants in the
event of head-on crashes of medium-high
severity, by placing the cushion between
the occupant and the steering wheel or
dashboard.
Front air bags are designed to protect
car’s occupants in front crashes and there-
fore non-activation in other types of col-
lisions (side collisions, rear shunts, roll-
overs, etc.) is not a system malfunction.In case of front crash, an electronic con-
trol unit, when required, triggers the in-
flation of the cushion according to the
severity of the collision. The cushion im-
mediately inflates, placing itself as a pro-
tection between the body of the front oc-
cupants and the structure that could cause
injuries. Immediately after, the cushion de-
flates.
The front driver/passenger air bags and
the driver’s knees air bag (for versions/
markets, where provided) are not a re-
placement of but complementary to the
use of belts, which should always be worn,
as specified by law in Europe and most non
European countries.
In case of crash, a person not wearing the
seat belt moves forward and may come in-
to contact with the cushion while it is still
inflating. Under this circumstance the pro-
tection offered by the air bag is reduced.
Do not apply stickers or oth-
er objects to the steering
wheel or to the air bag cover on the
passenger’s side or on the side roof
lining. Do not put objects on the
dashboard on passenger side since
they could interfere with proper pas-
senger air bag inflation and cause in-
juries to the car’s passengers.
WARNING
Front air bag may not be activated in the
following situations:
❒front collisions against highly de-
formable objects not affecting the car
front surface (e.g. bumper collision
against guard rail, etc.);
❒in case of wedging under other vehicles
or protective barriers (for example un-
der a truck or guard rail);
as it offers no additional protection com-
pared with the seat belts, consequently,
it would be pointless. Therefore, failure to
come into action in the above circum-
stances does not mean that the system is
not working properly.
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DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
SAFETY
DEVICES
123
SIDE AIR BAGS
(Side bag -
Window bag)
The car is fitted with front side bags for
driver and passenger (where provided) for
protecting the chest and window bags
(where provided) for protecting front and
rear passengers’ head.
Side bags protect car occupants from side
crashes of medium-high severity, by plac-
ing the cushion between the occupant and
the internal parts of the side structure of
the car.
Non-activation of side bags in other types
of collisions (front collisions, rear shunts,
roll-overs, etc...) is not a system malfunc-
tion.In case of side crash, an electronic control
unit, when required triggers the inflation
of the cushion. The cushion immediately
inflates, placing itself as a protection, be-
tween the occupant’s body and the struc-
ture that could cause injuries. Immediate-
ly after, the cushion deflates.
Side bags are not a replacement of but
complementary to the belts, which you
are recommended to always wear, as
specified by law in Europe and most non-
European countries.
SIDE BAGS
(for versions/markets, where provided)
They consist of two types of instant infla-
tion cushions and are housed in the back
rests of the front seats fig. 18. The task
of the side air bags is to increase protec-
tion of the occupants’ chest in the event
of a side crash of medium-high severity.
fig. 18F0Q0701m
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DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
SAFETY
DEVICES
125
GENERAL WARNINGS
1) The front air bags and/or front and
front side bags (for versions/markets,
where provided) may be deployed if the
car is subject to heavy knocks or accidents
involving the underbody area, such as for
example violent shocks, against steps,
kerbs or low obstacles, falling of the car in
big holes or sags in the road.
2) When the airbag inflates it emits a small
amount of dusts. These dusts are harm-
less and is not the beginning of a fire; then
the unfold cushion surface and the car in-
teriors can be covered by a dusty remains:
this dust can irritate skin and eyes. In case
of contact, wash yourself using neutral
soap and water.3) Should an accident occur in which any
of the safety devices is activated, take the
car to a Fiat Dealership to have the de-
vices activated replaced and to have the
system checked.
Every control, repair and replacement op-
erations concerning the air bags must on-
ly be carried out c/o Fiat Dealership.
If you are having the car scrapped, have
the air bag system deactivated at a Fiat
Dealership first. If the car changes own-
ership, the new owner must be informed
of the method of use of air bags and the
above warnings and also be given this
“Owner Handbook”.4) The triggering of pretensioners, front
air bags and front side bags is decided in
a differentiated manner, depending on the
type of crash. The failure to deploy one or
more of them does not mean that the sys-
tem is not working properly.
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DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
SAFETY
DEVICES
126
If the car has been stolen or
an attempt to steal it has
been made, if it has been subjected to
vandals or floods, have the air bag
system checked by Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
Never travel with objects on
your lap, in front of your
chest or with a pipe, pencil, etc. be-
tween your lips; injury may result in
the event of the air bag being trig-
gered.
WARNING
Life and validity of pyrotech-
nic charge and coil contact
are indicated on the label located in-
side the lower oddment compart-
ment. As this date approaches, con-
tact Fiat Dealership to have them re-
placed.
WARNING
If when turning the ignition
key to MAR, the warning
light ¬does not turn on or if it stays
on when travelling (together with the
message on the display) there could
be a failure in safety systems; in this
event air bags or pretensioners could
not trigger in case of impact or, in a
minor number of cases, they could
trigger accidentally. Contact Fiat
Dealership immediately to have the
system checked.
WARNING
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127
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
SAFETY
DEVICES
The front air bag is triggered
for shocks greater in magni-
tude than the pretensioners. For im-
pacts between these two thresholds,
it is therefore normal that only the
pretensioners are triggered.
WARNING
When the ignition key is
turned to MAR, the warning
light
“(with passenger’s front Air
bag on) turns on and flashes for few
seconds to remind that the passen-
ger’s air bag will be deployed in a
crash, after which it should go off.
WARNING
Remember that with the key
engaged and at MAR, even
with the engine not running, the air
bags may be triggered on a stationary
car if it is bumped by another moving
car. Therefore, never seat children on
the front seat even when the car is
stationary. On the other hand, re-
member that with the key at STOP
no safety system (air bags or preten-
sioners) is triggered in the event of an
impact; in this case, failure to come
into action cannot be considered as a
sign that the system is not working
properly.
WARNING
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