Seat belts
145
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Technical Data
The belt tensioner is deployed in the event
of a frontal collision of major severity. A
powder charge is ignited in the inertia re
els during deployment. The belt webbing is
pulled into the inertia reels by a mechanical system and the belt is tensioned. The belt tensioners are not activated in case
of minor frontal and rear-end collisions,
in the case of vehicle rollover or accidents,
through which no long delays are incurred
to the vehicle. In the case of
a side collision, only the belt tensioner of the front seat on
the side on which the collision takes place is deployed.
WARNING
•
Any work on the system including removal and installation of system
components because of other repair work, must only be carried out by a specialist garage.•
The protective function of the system is
only adequate for a single accident.
If the belt tensioners have been deployed, it is then necessary to replace the entire system.•
The Owner's Manual must also be handed over to the new owner if the
vehicle is sold.
Note
•
Smoke is generated when the belt tensione
rs are deployed. This is not an indica-
tion of a fire in the vehicle.•
It is essential to pay attent
ion to relevant safety regulations if the vehicle or indi-
vidual parts of the system are scrapped. Specialist garages are familiar with these regu-lations and will be able to provide you with detailed information in this respect.•
When disposing of vehicle or parts of the system, it is important to comply with the
national legal requirements.
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Airbag system
147
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Technical Data
When are the airbags deployed?The airbag system is designed in such a wa
y that the driver and front passenger airbag
are deployed in the event of a
violent frontal collision
.
In the case of a
violent side collision
, the side airbag* on the side of the vehicle at
which the collision occurs, is deployed to
gether with the relevant head airbag*.
In special cases, the front as well as th
e relevant side and head airbags may be
deployed together. The airbags
are not deployed
in the case of
minor
frontal and side collisions, in the
case of rear-end collisi
ons 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 is pl
ayed by factors such as the type of object
against which the vehicle impacts (hard, soft
), the angle of impact, the relative speed
during the accident 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 measured during the collision remains below the prescribed reference values specified in the control unit, the airbags are no
t 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 is switched off;
•
a minor frontal collision;
•
a minor side collision;
•
a rear-end collision;
•
rollover of the vehicle.Note
•
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.
•
In the event of an accident in which the airbags are deployed: − the interior lighting comes on (if the swit
ch for the interior light is in the door
contact position); − the hazard warning li
ght is switched on;
− all the doors are unlocked; − the fuel supply to the engine is interrupted.
Front airbagsDescription of the front airbags The airbag system is not a su
bstitute for the seat belt!
Fig. 137 Driver airbag in th
e steering wheel / front passenger airbag in the dash panel
The front airbag for the driver is housed in the steering wheel
⇒fig. 137
on the left. The
front airbag for the front passenger is housed in the dash panel above the storage compartment
⇒fig. 137
on the right. The installation positions are each marked with
the “AIRBAG” logo. The front airbag system, in combination with
three-point safety belts, offers additional
protection for the head and chest area of the driver and front passenger in the event of a frontal collision of major severity
⇒page 148.
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
.
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Airbag system
149
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 154, “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 ch
ild suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the front passenger airbag is deploy
ed. 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 regu
lations 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 th
e 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 imme- diate 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 wo
rk (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 module
in the dash panel.
Driver's knee airbag*Description of the driver's knee airbags The knee airbag reduces the risk of injury to the legs.The driver's knee airbag is located in th
e lower part of the dash panel below the
steering column
⇒fig. 140
. The fitting position is show
n in a picture on the side
surface of the dash panel on the driver's side. The driver's knee airbag is complementary
to the three-point seat belt and offers
adequate protection to the knees of the driver.
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 belt
is to also
hold the driver in a correct seated position
in the event of a frontal collision so as to
enable the knee 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
⇒page 141, “Why seat
belts?”.Function of the driver's knee airbagsThe airbag system is designed in such a way
that the driver's knee airbag is deployed
together with the belt tensioner in the even
t of a frontal collision of major severity.
If an airbag is deployed, the airbag is filled
with gas. The airbags inflate in fractions of a
second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional protection in the event of an accident.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 140 Driver's knee airbag below the steering column
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Airbag system
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Using the system
Safety
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General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
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. 142
.
If an airbag is deployed, the airbag is filled with gas. The airbags inflate in fractions of a second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional 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 ri sk of i njur y to the entire uppe r body
(chest, stomach and pelvis) is reduced on the
side facing the door.Important safety information on the side airbag Correct use of the airbag system cons
iderably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 154, “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 ch
ild suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the front passenger airbag is deploy
ed. 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.•
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 suitable child safety seat
⇒page 158, “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 156, “What you should know about transporting
children!”.•
There must not be any further persons,
animals as well as objects posi-
tioned between the occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. No accessories, such as a can holder, should be attached to the doors.•
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 additional installa-tion of loudspeakers). Resulting damage
s 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 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 increasi
ng 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 do
or 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.
Fig. 142 Inflated side airbag
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system
153
Using the system
Safety
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General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Function of the head airbags The risk of injury to the head and neck 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 relevant
side airbag
⇒fig. 144
and the belt tensioner on the side of the car on which the acci-
dent occurs. If the system is deployed, the airbags are filled with propellant gas and extend over the entire area of the side wind
ow including the door pillar
⇒fig. 144
.
The protection offered by the head airbags is
thus available simultaneously both to the
front occupants of the car seated on the side on which the accident occurs, as well as to the rear occupants. Any impact of the head against parts of the interior or objects outside of the car, is cushioned by the in
flated head airbag. The reduction in any
impact to the head and the resultant minimi
zing of any movement
s of the head addi-
tionally reduce the risk of injuries to the neck area. The head airbag also offers addi-tional protection in the case of an offset
impact by covering
the front door pillar.
In certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are simultaneously deployed. The airbags inflate in fractions of a second an
d at a high speed in order to be able to
offer that additional protection in the even
t 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 cons
iderably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 154, “Deactivating an airbag” the
front passenger airbag when attachin
g 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 chil
d is facing the direct
ion of travel). If
this is not done, there is a risk of the ch
ild suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the front passenger airbag is deploy
ed. 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 be any objects in the deployment area of the head airbags
which might prevent the airbags 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 installation of loudspeakers). Resulting da
mages 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 out by a specialist garage.•
There must not be any other persons (e
.g. children) or animals between the
car occupant and the deployment area 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 deploy-
ment area of the head airbags if any obje
cts, such as ball-point pens etc. are
attached to them. This might result 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
Fig. 144 Inflated head airbag
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Airbag system
155
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Deactivating an airbag– Switch off the ignition. – Turn the slot of the airbag switch using the key in the position (
OFF
) ⇒fig. 145
.
– Check whether the yellow airbag indicator light in display
in the middle of the dash panel lights up when the ignition is turned on
⇒fig. 145
.
Switching on an airbag– Switch off the ignition. – Turn the slot of the airbag switch using the key in the position (
ON
) ⇒fig. 145
.
– Check whether the yellow airbag indicator light in display
in the middle of the dash panel lights up when the ignition is turned on
⇒fig. 145
.
The warning light
goes out 65 seconds after th
e ignition is switched on.
The airbag should only be switched off under exceptional circumstances
⇒page 154.
Indicator light in display
(airbag switched off)
The airbag indicator ligh
t is located in the middle of the dash panel
⇒fig. 145
.
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 immediately 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 ignition is switched off! Otherwise a
fault can occur in the system for the airbag deactivation.•
If the yellow indicator light in display
(airbag
switched off) flashes:
− Front passenger airbag is not deployed in the event of an accident! − It is also important to have the system inspected without delay by a specialist garage.
A2A1
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Transporting children safely
157
Using the system
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Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
passenger seat if the airbag system deploy
s in the event of an accident. This can
result in severe or even fatal injuries.•
It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat belts are
to offer their maximum protection
⇒page 143, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”. Pay particular attention to the information provided by the manu- facturer of the child safety seat regarding correct routing of the belt. Seat belts which are not correctly adjusted can them
selves cause injuries even in minor
accidents.•
Safety belts must be checked to ensure that they are running properly. One
should also ensure that the belt is
not damaged by sharp-edged fittings.
•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 154 the front passenger airbag
when attaching a child safety seat on th
e 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 inju
ries if the front passenger airbag is
deployed. In certain countries national legal provisions also require that the side and head 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.Use of child safety seats on the front passenger seat Child safety seats should always
be attached to the rear seats.
We recommend, for safety reasons, that you always mount a child restraint systems on the rear seats whenever possible. If you still decide, however, to use a child safety seat on the front passenger seat then you must pay attention to the following warnings in connection with the use of the airbag system on the front passenger seat.
WARNING
•
Warning - particular hazard! Never use a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat in which the child is seated
with its back facing the direction of
travel. This child safety seat is positioned in the deployment area of the front passenger airbag. The airbag may cause th
e child severe, or even fatal injuries,
in the event of it
being deployed.
•
This is also clearly stat
ed on the sticker which is located on the centre
column of the body on the front passenger side
⇒fig. 146
. The sticker is visible
upon opening the front passenger door. For some countries, the sticker is also affixed to the sun visor of the front passenger.•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 154, “Deactivating an airbag” the
front passenger airbag when attachin
g 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 chil
d is facing the direct
ion of travel). If
this is not done, there is a risk of the ch
ild suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the front passenger airbag is deploy
ed. 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.•
If the front passenger airbag has been
switched off by a specialist garage
using the vehicle system tester, the side
airbag and the head passenger airbag*
remain switched on. In certain countries
national legal provisions require that
besides the front passenger
airbag also the side or
head passenger airbags are
deactivated. Please comply with any
differing national legal regulations
regarding the use of child safety seats.•
If a child safety seat in which the child faces in the direction of travel is used
on the front passenger seat, the front pass
enger seat must be moved back fully.
For vehicles with height adjustable front
passenger seat, the se
at must be put in
the highest position.•
If this is not done, a child seated on
the front passenger seat may suffer
severe or even fatal injuries if the
front passenger airbag or airbags are
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 146 Sticker on the centre column of the body on the front passenger side
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Transporting children safely
159
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Children of more than 150 cm in height may use the seat belts fitted to the vehicle without a seat bolster.Use of child safety seatsAn overview of the usefulness
of child seats on each of the seats according to the ECE-
R44 standard:
Universal category - seat is suitable for all approved types of child safety seats. The seat can be fitted with
fixing eyes for the “
ISOFIX
*”system.
The divided rear seat - seat can be fitt
ed with fixing eyes for the system “
To p
Te t h e r
*” ⇒page 162, “Attaching child seat using the “Top Tether” system”.
Child seats of group 0/0+The optimal solution for babies
of up to about 9 months old weighing up to 10 kg or
babies up to about 18 months old weighing up
to 13 kg is a child safety seat which can
be adjusted into the reclining position
⇒fig. 148
.
In view of the fact that such child seats are installed that the child is seated with its back facing the direction of travel, they mu
st not be used on the front passenger
seat
⇒page 157, “Use of child safety se
ats on the front passenger seat”.
WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off th
e front passenger airbag (airbags) when
attaching in exceptional circumstances 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),
− in a specialist garage − or by using the switch for
the front passenger airbag*
⇒page 154,
“Switch for the front passenger airbag”.
•
In certain countries national legal provisions require that besides the front
airbag also the side or head airbags ar
e deactivated. Please comply with any
differing national legal r
egulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
•
If this is not done, a child seated on
the front passenger seat may suffer
severe or even fatal injuries if the
front passenger airbag or airbags are
deployed.
Group
Weight
0
0 - 10 kg
⇒ page 159
0+
up to 13 kg
⇒page 159
1
9 - 18 kg
⇒page 160
2
15 - 25 kg
⇒page 160
3
22 - 36 kg
⇒page 161
Child seat of the group
Front passenger
seat
Rear seat outside
Rear seat middle
0
0+
1
2 and 3
AUA+
AUA+AT
AU
AUA+
AUA+AT
AU
AUA+
AUA+AT
AU
AU
AU
AU
AUA+AT
Fig. 148 Child seats of group 0/0+
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