2011 Seat Exeo ST child seat

23
Seat belts
WARNING
● If the seat belts are worn incorrectly or not at all, the risk of severe
injuries increases. The optimal protection from seat belts can be ach-
ieved only if you use them properly.
● Fasten your seat belt before every trip - even when driving in town.
The other passengers must also wear the seat belts at all times, other-
wise they run the risk of being injured.
● The seat belt cannot offer its full protection if the seat belt is not
positioned correctly.
● Never allow two passengers (even children) to share the same seat
belt.
● Keep both feet in the footwell in front of your seat as long as the vehi-
cle is in motion.
● Never unbuckle a seat belt while the vehicle is in motion. Risk of fatal
injury.
● The seat belt must never be twisted while it is being worn.
● The seat belt should never lie on hard or fragile objects (such as
glasses or pens, etc.) because this can cause injuries.
● Do not allow the seat belt to be damaged or jammed, or to rub on any
sharp edges.
● Never wear the seat belt under the arm or in any other incorrect posi-
tion.
● Loose, bulky clothing (such as an overcoat over a jacket) impairs the
proper fit and function of the belts, reducing their capacity to protect.
● The slot in the seat belt buckle must not be blocked with paper or
other objects, as this can prevent the latch plate from engaging securely.
● Never use seat belt clips, retaining rings or similar instruments to al-
ter the position of the belt webbing.WARNING (Continued)
● Frayed or torn seat belts or damage to the connections, belt retrac-
tors or parts of the buckle could cause severe injuries in the event of an
accident. Therefore, you must check the condition of all seat belts at reg-
ular intervals.
● Seat belts which have been worn in an accident and stretched must
be replaced by a specialised workshop. Renewal may be necessary even
if there is no apparent damage. The belt anchorage should also be
checked.
● Do not attempt to repair a damaged seat belt yourself. The seat belts
must not be removed or modified in any way.
● The belts must be kept clean, otherwise the retractors may not work
properly ⇒ page 219.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

26Seat belts
Pregnant women must also fasten their seat belts properly
The best protection for the unborn child is for the mother to
wear the seat belt properly at all times during the pregnan-
cy.
Fig. 14 Positioning seat
belts during pregnancy
The seat belt provides maximum protection only when the seat belt
is properly positioned ⇒ page 25.
– Adjust the front seat and head restraint correctly ⇒ page 10.
– Holding the latch plate, pull the belt evenly across your chest
and as low as possible over the pelvis ⇒ fig. 14.
– Insert the latch plate into the buckle for the appropriate seat
and push it down until it is securely locked with a click ⇒ 
.
– Pull the belt to ensure that the latch plate is securely engaged
in the buckle.
WARNING
● An incorrectly worn seat belt can cause severe injuries in the event of
an accident.
● For pregnant women, the lap part of the seat belt must lie as low as
possible over the pelvis, never across the stomach, and always lie flat so
that no pressure is exerted on the abdomen.
● Read and observe the warnings ⇒ page 22.

Seat belt release
The seat belt must not be unfastened until the vehicle has
come to a standstill.
Fig. 15 Removing latch
plate from buckle
– Press the red button on the belt buckle ⇒ fig. 15. The latch plate
is released and springs out ⇒ 
. 

27
Seat belts
– Guide the belt back by hand so that it rolls up easily and the
trim is not damaged
WARNING
Never unbuckle a seat belt while the vehicle is in motion. If you do, you
increase the risk of sustaining severe or fatal injuries.

Seat belt height adjustment
Seat belt height adjusters can be used to adjust the height
of the shoulder area of the seat belt.
Fig. 16 Belt height ad-
juster
The belt height adjuster can be lowered by keeping the button
pressed down at the same time.
– Press button ⇒ fig. 16 1
to adjust the belt height. –
Take hold of the top guide fitting and slide it up or down so that
the shoulder part of the seat belt is positioned roughly midway
over the shoulder, although it must never rest against the neck
⇒ fig. 16 2
⇒  in Seat belt position on page 25.
– After adjusting, pull the belt sharply to check that the catch on
the guide fitting is engaged securely.
Note
It is also possible to adjust the height of the front seats to obtain the best
position for the front seat belts. 
Incorrectly fastened seat belts
Incorrectly worn seat belts can cause severe or even mortal
injuries. Seat belts can provide optimal protection only if the belt web is
properly worn. The seat belts must be fastened exactly in the order
described in this chapter. An incorrect sitting position impairs sub-
stantially the protection a seat belt offers and can lead to severe or
fatal injuries. The risk of severe or fatal injuries is especially in-
creased when a deploying airbag strikes an occupant who has as-
sumed an incorrect sitting position. As the driver, you are responsi-
ble for all vehicle occupants, especially children. Therefore:
– Never allow anyone to wear the seat belt incorrectly while the
vehicle is moving ⇒ 
. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

29
Airbag system
Airbag system
Brief introduction Why wear a seat belt and assume the correct sitting
position?
For the inflating airbags to achieve the best protection, the
seat belt must always be worn properly and the correct sit-
ting position must be assumed.For your own safety and the safety of the passengers, please en-
sure the following before driving:
– Always wear the seat belt properly ⇒ page 19.
– Adjust the driver seat and the steering wheel correctly
⇒ page 10.
– Adjust the front passenger seat correctly ⇒ page 11.
– Adjust the head restraint correctly ⇒ page 13.
– Use the correct child restraint system to protect children in your
vehicle ⇒ page 47.
The airbag is deployed at high speed in fractions of a second. If you have an
incorrect seating position at the time the airbag is deployed, it could cause
you critical injuries. Therefore, it is essential that all passengers in the vehi-
cle assume a correct sitting position while travelling.
A sharp braking before an accident may cause a passenger not wearing a
seat belt to be thrown forward into the area of the deploying airbag. In this case, the inflating airbag may inflict critical or fatal injuries on the occupant.
This also applies to children.
Always maintain the greatest possible distance between yourself and the
front airbag. This way, the front airbags can completely deploy when trig-
gered, providing their maximum protection.
The most important factors that will trigger an airbag are: the type of acci-
dent, the angle of collision and the speed of the vehicle.
Whether the airbags are triggered depends primarily on the vehicle deceler-
ation rate resulting from the collision and detected by the control unit. If the
vehicle deceleration occurring during the collision and measured by the
control unit remains below the specified reference values, the front, side
and/or curtain airbag will not be triggered. Take into account that the visible
damage in a vehicle involved in an accident, no matter how serious, is not a
determining factor for the airbags to have been triggered.
WARNING
● Wearing the seat belt incorrectly or assuming an incorrect sitting po-
sition can lead to critical or fatal injuries.
● All occupants, including children, who are not properly belted can
sustain critical or fatal injuries if the airbag is triggered. Children up to
12 years old should always travel on the rear seat. Never transport chil-
dren in the vehicle if they are not restrained or the restraint system is not
appropriate for their age, size or weight.
● If you are not wearing a seat belt, if you lean forward or to the side
while travelling or assume an incorrect sitting position, there is a sub-
stantially increased risk of injury. This increased risk of injury will be fur-
ther increased if you are struck by an inflating airbag. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

30Airbag system
WARNING (Continued)
● To reduce the risk of injury from an inflating airbag, always wear the
seat belt properly ⇒ page 19.
● Always adjust the front seats properly.

The danger of fitting a child seat on the front passenger
seat
Rear-facing child seats must never be used on the front pas-
senger seat when the front passenger airbag is enabled. The front passenger airbag is a serious risk for a child if it is activated. The
front passenger seat is life threatening to a child if he/she is transported in
a rear-facing child seat. Children up to 12 years old should always travel on
the rear seat.
If a rear-facing child seat is secured to the front passenger seat, an inflating
airbag can strike it with such force that it can cause critical or fatal injuries.
Therefore we strongly recommend you to transport children on the rear
seats. That is the safest place for children in the vehicle. Alternatively, the
front passenger airbag can be disabled with a key-operated switch
⇒ page 45. When transporting children, use a child seat appropriate to
the age and size of each child ⇒ page 47.
For those vehicles that do not include a key lock switch to disconnect the
airbag, the vehicle must be taken to a Technical Service.
WARNING
● If a child seat is secured to the front passenger seat, the risk to the
child of sustaining critical or fatal injuries in the event of an accident in-
creases.
● Never secure a rear-facing child seat to the front passenger seat if the
front passenger airbag is enabled. The child can suffer critical or fatal in-
juries if the front passenger airbag is triggered.
● An inflating front passenger airbag can strike the rear-facing child
seat and hurl it with great force against the door, the roof or the back-
rest.
● If, under special circumstances, it is necessary to transport a child in
a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat, it is absolutely es-
sential that you observe the following safety measures:
–Deactivate the front passenger airbag ⇒ page 45, Deactivating
airbags.
– The child seat must be approved by the child seat manufacturer for
use on a front passenger seat with front or side airbag.
– Follow the installation instructions given by the child seat manu-
facturer and observe the safety instructions ⇒ page 47, Child safe-
ty.
– Before properly installing the child seat, push the front passenger
seat completely backwards so that the greatest possible distance to
the front passenger airbag is ensured.
– Ensure that no objects prevent the front passenger seat from being
pushed completely back.
– The backrest of the front passenger seat must be in an upright po-
sition.


36Airbag system
Safety notes on the front airbag system
If you use airbags correctly, they can considerably reduce
the risk of injury in many kinds of accident.
WARNING
● It is important for the driver and front passenger to keep a distance of
at least 25 cm from the steering wheel and dash panel. If the minimum
distance is not observed then the airbags do not correctly protect the ve-
hicle occupants; risk of fatal injuries! In addition, the front seats and
head restraints must always be positioned correctly for the height of the
occupant.
● If you are not wearing a seat belt, if you lean forward or to the side
while travelling or assume an incorrect sitting position, there is a sub-
stantially increased risk of injury. This increased risk of injury will be fur-
ther increased if you are struck by an inflating airbag.
● Never let a child travel on the front seat without an appropriate re-
straint system. If the airbag is triggered in an accident, children can sus-
tain serious or fatal injuries from the airbag as it inflates ⇒ page 47,
Child safety.
● The deployment space between the front passengers and the airbags
must not in any case be occupied by other passenger, pets and objects.
● The airbags provide protection for just one accident; replace them
once they have deployed.
● It is also important not to attach any objects such as cup holders or
telephone mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units.
● Do not attempt to modify components of the airbag system in any
way.
 Knee airbag*
Description of the knee airbag
The airbag system provides additional protection to front
seat passengers if they are properly secured.
Fig. 21 Driver knee air-
bag
The knee airbag for the driver is located in the dash panel underneath the
steering wheel ⇒ fig. 21.
The knee airbag offers additional protection to the driver's knees and upper
and lower thigh areas as a supplement to the seat belts.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbag also deploys in severe frontal
collisions ⇒ page 34.
Besides their normal safety function, seat belts help keep the driver in posi-
tion in case of a frontal collision so that the airbags can provide protection.
The airbag system is not a substitute for seat belts. It is, on the other hand,
part of the overall occupant safety system of your vehicle. Always remember 

38Airbag system
When the system is deployed, the airbag starts to fill with a propellant gas,
and inflates between the lower part of the dash panel and the driver
⇒  fig. 22.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can cushion the impact and in this
way help to reduce the risk of injury to lower limbs.
All this takes place instantaneously, so fast that many people do not even
realise that the airbags have deployed. The airbags also inflate with a great
deal of force and it is important for occupant safety that nothing should be
in their way when they deploy.
Fully inflated airbags in combination with properly worn seat belts slow
down and limit the occupant's forward movement and help to reduce the
risk of injury. 
Important safety notes on the knee airbag system
Airbags are only additional safety
Always wear seat belts correctly and drive in a proper seated position. There
is a lot of information that you and your passengers should know and do so
that the seat belts and airbags can provide additional protection.
WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious injuries. Wearing seat belts
incorrectly and improper seating positions increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.
● The airbag system cannot protect you properly if you are seated too
close to any of the airbag locations. When adjusting the seat positions, it
is important for the driver to keep the upper body and knees at the fol-
lowing minimum safety distances:
–25 cm between the chest and the steering wheel/dash panel.
– 10 cm between the knees and the lower part of the dash panel.
● The risk of personal injury increases if you lean forward or to the side,
or if the seat is improperly positioned and you are not wearing your seat
belt. The risk increases even more should the airbag deploy.
● Always make sure that the knee airbag can inflate without interfer-
ence. Objects between yourself and the airbag can increase the risk of in-
jury in an accident by interfering with the way the airbag deploys or by
being thrust into you as the airbag deploys.
–No objects of any kind should be carried in the footwell area in
front of the driver's seat. Bulky objects (shopping bags, for example)
can hinder or prevent proper deployment of the airbag. Small objects
can be thrown through the vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure
you or your passengers.
● Make sure there are no cracks, deep scratches or other damage in the
area of the dash panel where the knee airbag is located.
● If children are incorrectly seated, their risk of injury increases in the
case of an accident ⇒ page 47.


41
Airbag system
The special design of the airbag allows the controlled escape of the propel-
lant gas when an occupant puts pressure on the bag. Thus, the head and
chest are surrounded and protected by the airbag. 
Safety notes on the operation of the side airbag system
If airbags are used correctly, they can considerably reduce
the risk of injury in side impact collisions.
WARNING
● If you do not wear a seat belt, if you lean forward, or are not seated
correctly while the vehicle is in motion, you are at a greater risk of injury
if the side airbag system is triggered in an accident.
● In order for the side airbags to provide their maximum protection, the
prescribed sitting position must always be maintained with seat belts
fastened while travelling.
● Occupants of the outer seats must never carry any objects or pets in
the deployment space between them and the airbags, or allow children
or other passengers to travel in this position. It is also important not to
attach any accessories (such as cup holders) to the doors. This would im-
pair the protection offered by the side airbags.
● The built-in coat hooks should be used only for lightweight clothing.
Do not leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
● Great forces, such as hard blows or kicks, must not be exerted upon
the backrest bolster because the system may be damaged. In this case,
the side airbags would not be triggered.
● Under no circumstances should protective covers be fitted over seats
with side airbags unless the covers have been approved for use in your
vehicle. Because the airbag is triggered from the side of the backrest, the
WARNING (Continued)
use of non-approved seat covers would obstruct the side airbag, serious-
ly reducing the airbag's effectiveness ⇒ page 220, Accessories, parts re-
placement and modifications.
● Any damage to the original seat upholstery or around the seams of
the side airbag units must be repaired immediately by a specialised
workshop.
● The airbags provide protection for just one accident; replace them
once they have deployed.
● When children assume an incorrect sitting position, they expose
themselves to an increased risk of injury in the event of an accident. This
is particularly the case if the child is travelling on the front passenger
seat and the airbag system is triggered in an accident; this could have
critical consequences including serious injury or death ⇒ page 47,
Child safety.
● Any work on the side airbag system or removal and installation of the
airbag components for other repairs (such as removal of the front seat)
should only be performed by a specialised workshop. Otherwise, faults
may occur during the airbag system operation.
● Do not attempt to modify components of the airbag system in any
way.
● The side and head airbags are managed through sensors located in
the interior of the front doors. To ensure the correct functioning of the
side and head airbags neither the doors nor the door panels should be
modified in any way (e.g. fitting loudspeakers). If the front door is dam-
aged, the airbag system may not work correctly. All work carried out on
the front door must be made in a specialised workshop.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications