2009 SKODA OCTAVIA Owner's Manual

Airbag system
176
The front airbag for the driver is housed in the steering wheel
⇒page 175, fig. 176
.
The front airbag for the front passenger* is housed in the dash panel above the storage compartment
⇒fig. 177
. The installation positions are each marked with
the “AIRBAG” logo. The front airbag system, in combination with
three-point safety belts, offers addi-
tional protection for the head and chest ar
ea of the driver and front passenger in
the event of a frontal coll
ision of major severity
⇒page 177.
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 fr
ont 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 168, “Why
seat belts?”.
Note
The dash panel must be replaced afte
r 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 the 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 deployed
together. If the airbags are deployed, the airbags are
filled with a propellant gas and inflated
in front of the driver and front passenger
⇒fig. 178
. 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 indicati
on of a fire in the vehicle.
The airbag develops enormous forces when triggered, which can lead to injuries if the seat adjustment or seat
ed position is not correct
⇒page 177.
Fig. 177 Front passenger airbag in the dash panel
Fig. 178 Inflated airbags
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Airbag system
177
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical 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. 179
. 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 181, “Deactivating an airbag”
the front passenger airbag when attach
ing 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 ch
ild 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 requir
e 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 includ
ing 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 surface of the front passenger airbag in
the dash panel.
Fig. 179 Safe distance to steering wheel
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system
178
Side airbags*Description of side airbags The side airbag together with the he
ad airbag offers enhanced occu-
pant protection in the event of a side collision.The front side airbags are housed in the
upholstery of the backrests of the front
seats
⇒fig. 180
.
The side airbag system in combination with the three-point seat belts, offers addi- tional protection for the upper area of th
e body (chest, stomach and pelvis) of the
occupants of the car in the event of
a side collision of major severity
⇒page 179.
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the
seat belts
is to
also hold the occupents of the front or rear
exterior seats in a correct seated posi-
tion in the event of a side collision so as
to enable the side airbag 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. Each time the side airbags are deployed, the head airbag* and the front belt tensioner on the side of the car on whic
h the collision occures, are automatically
deployed at the same time in order to
provide the occupant with enhanced
protection.
Function of the side airbags Risk of injury to the upper part of the body is reduced by fully inflated side airbags.When the side airbags are deployed, the head airbag* and the belt tensioner are also automatically deployed
on the relevant side
⇒fig. 181
.
If an airbag is deployed, th
e airbag is filled with propellant gas. The airbags inflate
in fractions of a second and at a high spee
d in order to be able to offer that addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident. A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indicati
on of a fire in the vehicle.
The load of the occupants is cushioned when
plunging into the fully inflated airbag
and the risk of injury to the entire up
per body (chest, stomach and pelvis) is
reduced on the side facing the door.
Fig. 180 Installation position of side airbag in driver seat
Fig. 181 Inflated side airbag
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Airbag system
179
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Important safety information on the side airbag Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 181, “Deactivating an airbag”
the front passenger airbag when attach
ing 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 ch
ild 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 requir
e that the side or head passenger
airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropri
ate national regulations regarding the
use of child safety seats.•
Your head should never be positioned
in the deployment area of the side
airbag. You might suffer severe injuries
in the event of an accident. This
applies in particular to children who are transported without using a suit- able child safety seat
⇒page 186, “Child safety and side airbag*”.
•
If children adopt an incorrect seated position when travelling, they may
be exposed to an increased risk of injury
in the event of an accident. This can
result in serious injuries
⇒page 184, “What you should know about trans-
porting children!”.•
There must not be any further persons, animals as well as objects posi-
tioned between the occupants and the de
ployment area of the airbag. There
must also be no accessories such as cup holders, attached to the doors to enable the side airbags to activate properly.•
The airbag control unit
operates together with the pressure sensors,
which are attached in the front doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried out at the doors as well as at the door panels (for example addi- tional installation of loudspeakers).
Resulting damages can have a negative
affect on the operation of the airbag system. All work on the front doors and their panels must only be carr
ied out by a specialist garage.
•
In the event of a side collision, the side airbags will not function properly,
if the sensors cannot measure the increa
sing air pressure inside the doors,
because the air can escape through lar
ge, non-sealed open
ings in the door
panel.
− Never drive with removed inner door panels. − Never drive, if parts of the inner door panel have been removed and the remaining openings have not been properly sealed. − Never drive, if the loudspeakers in the doors have been removed, only if the loudspeaker openings have been properly sealed. − Always make sure that the openings
are covered or filled, if additional
loudspeakers or other equipment part
s are installed in the inner door
panels. − Always work with an authorised Škoda dealer or have it carried out by a competent specia
list workshop.
•
Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle.
Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of clothing.•
Ensure that there are no excessive fo
rces, such as violent knocks, kicks
etc., impact on the backrests of th
e seats otherwise the system may be
damaged. The side airbags would not be deployed in such a case!•
Any seat or protective covers which you fit to the driver or front
passenger seats must only be of the
type expressly authorised by Škoda
Auto. In view of the fact that the airbag inflates out of the backrest of the seat, use of non-approved seat or protective covers would considerably impair the protective function of the side airbag.•
Any damage to the original seat covers
in the area of the side airbag
module must be repaired without delay by your specialist garage.•
The airbag modules in the front se
ats must not display any damage,
cracks or deep scratches. It is not pe
rmissible to use force in order to open
the modules.
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system
180
•
Any work on the side airbag system
including removing and installing
system components be
cause of other repair work (e.g. removing seats) must
only be carried out by a specialist garage.Head airbags*Description of the head airbags The head airbag together with the
side airbag offers enhanced occu-
pant protection in the event of a side collision.The head airbags are positioned above the d
oors on both sides in the interior of the
car
⇒fig. 182
. The installation positions are each marked with the “AIRBAG” logo.
The head airbag together with the three-point seat belts and the side airbags, offers additional protection for the head and neck
area of the occupants in the event of a
side collision of major severity
⇒page 181.
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the
seat belts
is to
also hold the driver and the occupants in a correct seated position in the event of a side collision so as to enable the head airbags to offer the maximum protection. You should therefore always fasten the seat belt
s, not only because this is required by
law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection
⇒page 168, “Why seat
belts?”. Together with other elements (such as cros
s bars in the seats, stable vehicle struc-
ture) the head airbags are the conseque
nt further development of occupant
protection in the case of side collisions.Function of the head airbags The risk of injury to the head and ne
ck area is reduced in the event of
a side collision by fully inflated head airbags.In the case of a
side collision
the head airbag is deployed together with the rele-
vant side airbag
⇒fig. 183
and the belt tensioner on the side on which the accident
occurs. If the system is deployed, the airbags are filled with propellant gas and extend over the entire area of the side window including the door pillar
⇒fig. 183
.
The protection offered by the head airbags is thus available simultaneously both to the front occupants of the car seated on th
e side on which the accident occurs, as
well as to the rear occupants. Any impact of the head against par ts of the interior or objects outside of the car, is cushioned by
the inflated head airbag. The reduction
in any impact to the head and the result
ant minimizing of any movements of the
head additionally reduce the
risk of injuries to the neck area. The head airbag also
offers additional protection in the case of
an offset impact by covering the front
door pillar.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 182 Installation position of the head airbags
Fig. 183 Inflated head airbag
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Airbag system
181
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
In certain accident si
tuations, the front, side and he
ad airbag are simultaneously
deployed. The airbags inflate in fractions of a second
and at a high speed in order to be able
to offer that additional protection in th
e event of an accident. 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.Important safety information on the head airbag Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 181, “Deactivating an airbag”
the front passenger airbag when attach
ing 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 ch
ild 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 requir
e that the side or head passenger
airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropri
ate national regulations regarding the
use of child safety seats.•
There must not be any objects in the deployment area of the head
airbags which might prevent the ai
rbags from inflating properly.
•
Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle.
Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of clothing. In addition, it is not permitted to use clothes hangers for hanging up items of clothing.•
The airbag control unit
operates together with the sensors, which are
attached in the front doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried out at the doors as well as at the door panels (for example additional instal- lation of loudspeakers). Resulting dama
ges can have a negative affect on the
operation of the airbag system. All work
on the front doors and their panels
must only be carried ou
t by a specialist garage.
•
There must not be any other persons (e.g. children) or animals between
the car occupant and the deployment ar
ea of the head airbag. In addition,
none of the occupants should lean their head out of the window when driving, or extend their arms and hands out of the window.•
The sun visors must not be swivelled to the side windows into the
deployment area of the head airbags if any objects, such as ball-point pens etc. are attached to them. This might resu
lt in injuries to the occupants if the
head airbag is deployed.•
Installing impermissible accessories in
the area of the head airbags may
considerably impair the protection offered by the head airbag in the event of it being deployed. When the deployed he
ad airbag is inflated, parts of the
accessories fitted may in certain circum
stances be thrown into the interior
of the car and cause injuries to the occupants
⇒page 244, “Accessories,
changes and replacement of parts”.•
Any work on the head airbag system
including installing and removing
system components because of other repair work (e.g. removing headliner) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.Deactivating an airbagDeactivating airbags If any airbags have been deactivated, switch them on again as soon as possible so that they are able to
again provide their proper protec-
tion.There is the technical means installed within your vehicle to switch off the front, side* or head* airbag (take out of commission). This is why you should have the deacti
vation of the airbags carried out by a
specialist garage. On vehicles equipped with the switch for de
activation of the airbags, you can deac-
tivate the front and side passenger
airbag by means
of this switch
⇒page 182.
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system
182
Deactivation of airbags is envisaged only for particular instances, such as if:•
you must
in exceptional cases
use a child seat on the front passenger seat
where the child has its back to the directio
n of travel of the vehicle (in some coun-
tries this must be in the direction of trav
el due to other legal regulations applying)
⇒ page 184, “Important safety information regarding the use of child safety seats”,•
you are not able to maintain the distance of at least 25 cm between middle of
steering wheel and chest, despite the
driver seat being correctly adjusted,
•
special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because of a
physical disability,•
you have installed other seats (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side airbags).
Monitoring the airbag system The functionality of the airbag system is also monitored electronically, when one airbag has been switched off If the airbag was switched off using diagnostic equipment:•
The warning light for the airbag system lights up for 4 seconds after switching
on the ignition and then flashes for 12
seconds afterwards in 2 second intervals.
Front passenger airbags sw
itched off using the switch for front passenger
airbags* in storage compartmen
t on the front passenger side:
•
the airbag indicator light in the inst
rument cluster comes on for about 4
seconds each time the ignition is switched on,•
switching off the airbag is indicated in
the middle of the dash panel by the
lighting up of the indicator light

 ⇒fig. 185
.
Note
Your authorised Škoda Service Partner will
be able to advise you whether national
legislation in your country
allows airbags in your vehi
cle to be deactivated, and
which ones.
Switch for the front passenger airbag*The front passenger airbag is deactivated with the switch. Deactivating an airbag – Switch off the ignition. – Turn the slot of the airbag switch using the key in the position (
OFF
)
⇒
fig. 184
.
– Check whether the airbag indicator light


in the middle of
the dash panel lights up when the ignition is switched on
⇒
fig. 185
.
Fig. 184 Storage compart- ment: Switch for the front passenger airbagFig. 185 Indicator light for the front passenger airbag
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Airbag system
183
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Switching on an airbag – Switch off the ignition. – Turn the slot of the airbag switch using the key in the position (
ON
)
⇒
page 182, fig. 184
.
– Check whether the airbag indicator light


in the middle of
the dash panel does not light up wh
en the ignition is switched on
⇒
page 182, fig. 185
.
The airbags should only be switched
off under exceptional circumstances
⇒ page 181. Indicator light

 (airbag switched off)
The airbag indicator light is located in the middle of the dash panel
⇒page 182,
fig. 185
.
If the front passenger airbag is
switched off
, the warning light comes on about 4
seconds after the ignition is switched on. There is a system fault present in the airbag switch off
⇒
if the indicator light
flashes.
Please have the car inspected i
mmediately by a specialist garage.
WARNING
•
The driver is responsible for whether the airbag is switched on or
switched off.•
Only switch off the airbag when the ig
nition is switched off! Otherwise a
fault can occur in the system for the airbag deactivation.•
If the warning light

 (airbag switched off) flashes:
− Front passenger airbag is not deploy
ed in the event of an accident!
− It is also important to have the system inspected without delay by a specialist garage.
A1
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