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SAFETY143
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IMPORTANT The front and /or side air bags may activate
in the event of sharp knocks to the underbody of the ve-
hicle (e.g. impact with steps, pavements, potholes or road
bumps etc.).
IMPORTANT A small amount of dust will be released
when the airbags are deployed. The dust is not harmful
and is not the result of a fire. Furthermore, the surface of
the deployed bag and the interior of the car may be cov-
ered in a dusty residue: This dust may irritate the skin and
the eyes. Wash with mild soap and water in the event of
exposure. The expiry date of the explosive charge and the
clock wire are shown on a specific label on the door edge.
Refer to the Lancia Dealership when it’s time to replace
them.
Do not rest your head, arms or elbows on the
door, on the windows and on the window bag
area to avoid injuries during inflation. Nev-
er lean your head, arms or elbows out of window.
IMPORTANT Pretensioners, front airbags and side bags
are deployed according to different logics on the basis of
the type of collision. Non-deployment of one of the devices
does not necessarily indicate a system malfunction.
IMPORTANT If any safety device has activated due to
an accident, refer to a Lancia Dealership to replace them
and check system integrity.
Airbag checking, repair and replacement must only be car-
ried out c/o a Lancia Dealership. If you are having the car
scrapped, have the airbag system deactivated at a Lan-
cia Dealership first. If the car changes ownership, the new
owner must be informed of how to use the airbags and the
above warnings: s/he must also be given this “Owner’s
Handbook”.
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144SAFETY
GENERAL WARNINGS
If when turning the key to MAR the warning
light ¬does not turn on or stays on during
car travel (together with the message on the
multifunctional display, where provided), a fail-
ure may have occurred in the restraint systems. In
this case the airbags or pretensioners may not be
deployed after an impact or, in a minor number of
cases, they may be deployed accidentally. Contact
a Lancia Dealership immediately to have the sys-
tem checked before driving off.
Do not cover the front seat backrest with covers if
a Side-bag is fitted.
Do not travel with objects in your lap, in front
of your chest, or between your lips (pipes,
pencils, etc.). In the event of crash with airbag
activation, you may be seriously injured.
Always drive keeping your hands on the
steering wheel crown so that, in the event of
airbag activation, it can inflate without find-
ing obstacles. Do not drive with your body bent for-
ward. Keep the backrest an upright position, cor-
rectly resting your back on it.
If someone tried to steal or damage your car,
and in the event of floods, have the air bag
system checked by a Lancia Dealership.
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SAFETY145
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With ignition key inserted and turned to
MAR, the air bags can activate even if the en-
gine is off and the car is at a standstill, if it
is hit by another vehicle. For this reason, children
must never sit on the front seat, even if the car is not
moving. We remind you that if the key is inserted
and turned to STOP, no safety device (air bag or
pretensioner) activates following a collision; non-
deployment in such cases is consequently not the
sign of a fault.
When the key is turned to MAR, the warn-
ing light “turns on, blinking for a few sec-
onds, to remind you that the passenger air
bag will activate in the event of a collision, then it
turns off.
Do not wash the seats with pressurized wa-
ter or steam (manually or at the automatic
washing stations).
The front airbags deploy in the event of more
severe collisions than those required for de-
ploying the pretensioners. For collisions in
the range between the two activation thresholds,
pretensioner activation is normal.
Do not hook rigid objects to clothes hangers
and support handles.
The airbag does not replace the seat belts, it
increases their effectiveness. Furthermore,
since front airbags are not deployed in low
speed collisions, side collisions, rear-end shunts
or roll-overs, the passengers are only protected by
the seat belts which must be fastened at all times.