2011 SKODA SUPERB seats

Airbag system
Description of the airbag system
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
System description
16
Airbag deployment
16
The airbag system provides, as a supplement to the seat belts, additional oc-
cupant protection during severe frontal and side collisions.
WARNING■ An airbag can only offer you optimal protection in combination with a
fastened seat belt .■
The airbag is not a substitute for the seat belt, but instead forms part of
the complete passive vehicle safety concept.
■
To ensure passengers are protected with the greatest possible effect
when the airbag is deployed, the front seats must be correctly adjusted to
match the body size » page 9, Correct and safe seated position .
■
If you do not fasten the seat belts when driving, lean too far forward or
adopt an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to increased
risk of injury in the event of an accident.
WARNINGInformation on the use of the airbag system■If there is a fault, the airbag system must be checked by a specialist ga-
rage immediately. Otherwise, there is a risk of the airbag not being activa-
ted in the event of an accident.■
No modifications of any kind must be made to parts of the airbag system.
■
Any work on the airbag system including the installation and removal of
system components due to other repair work (e.g. removal of the steering
wheel) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
■
Never make any changes to the front bumper or the bodywork.
■
It is prohibited to manipulate individual parts of the airbag system, as this
might result in the airbag being deployed.
■
The protective function of the airbag system is sufficient for only one ac-
cident. The airbag system must then be replaced if the airbag has been de-
ployed.
System description
Read and observe
on page 16 first.
The functional status of the airbag system is indicated by the warning light 
in the instrument cluster » page 40.
When the airbags are deployed, they fill with gas and inflate.
A grey white or red, non-harmful gas is released when the airbag is inflated.
This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the airbag system consists of the
following modules.
› Electronic control unit.
› Front airbag for the driver and the front passenger
» page 17.
› Driver’s knee airbag
» page 18.
› Side airbags
» page 19.
› Head airbags
» page 20.
› Airbag warning light in the instrument cluster
» page 40.
› Key switch for the front passenger airbag
» page 21.
› Warning light for the front passenger airbag deactivation/activation in the
middle of the dash panel » page 21.
Note
■
The airbag system needs no maintenance during its working life.■If you sell your vehicle, provide the complete vehicle documentation to the
new owner. Please note that the information relating to the possibility of de-
activating the front passenger airbag must be included!■
When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is important to
comply with the national legal requirements.
Airbag deployment
Read and observe
on page 16 first.
The airbags inflate in fractions of a second and at a high-speed in order to beable to offer additional protection in the event of an accident.
The airbag system is only functional when the ignition is switched on.
In certain accident situations, the several airbags may be deployed simultane-
ously. 
16Safety

WARNINGInformation on correct seated position■For the driver and front passenger, it is important to maintain a distance
of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dashboard A
» Fig. 9 . Not
maintaining 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 occupant.
■
The airbag develops enormous forces when triggered, which can lead to
injuries if the sitting position or seated position is not correct.
■
There must not by any further persons, animals or objects positioned be-
tween the front seated occupants and the deployment area of the airbag.
WARNINGFront airbag and transporting children■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!■
The front passenger airbag must be deactivated if using a rear-facing
child seat on the front passenger seat » page 20, Deactivating airbags . 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. When transporting a child
on the front passenger seat, pay attention to any relevant national regula-
tions regarding the use of child safety seats.
WARNINGGeneral information■The steering wheel and the surface of the airbag module in the dash pan-
el on the passenger side must not have stickers attached, be covered or
modified in any other way. These parts should only be cleaned with a cloth
that is dry or has been moistened with water. No objects such as cup hold-
ers, mobile phone mounts, etc. must be attached to the covers of the air-
bag modules or be located within their immediate vicinity.■
Never place objects on the surface of the front passenger airbag module
in the dash panel.
Note■ In vehicles with head airbags, the lettering  can be seen on the steering
wheel.■
In vehicles with front passenger airbags, the lettering 
is located on the
dash panel on the passenger side.
Driver’s knee airbag
Fig. 10
Installation of the airbag / Safe distance from the switching panel
The driver's knee airbag offers adequate protection for the driver's legs.
The driver's knee airbag
A
is located in the lower part of the dash panel below
the steering column » Fig. 10.
In the event of a severe frontal collision, the driver's knee airbag and front air-
bags are deployed.
The forward movement of the body is cushioned when it makes contact with
the fully inflated airbag and the risk of injury to the legs of the driver is thus
reduced. 
18Safety

WARNING■Adjust the driver's seat in a forward/back direction so that there is a gap
of at least 10 cm between the legs B and the dash panel in the vicinity of
the knee airbag » Fig. 10. If it is not possible to meet this requirement due
to your body size, visit a specialist garage.■
The surface of the airbag module in the lower part of the dash panel be-
low the steering column not have stickers attached, be covered or modified
in any other way. This part should only be cleaned with a cloth that is dry or
has been moistened with water. No objects must be attached to the cover
of the airbag module or located within the immediate vicinity.
■
Do not attach any bulky and heavy objects (bunch of keys etc.) to the igni-
tion key. These can be ejected by the knee airbag when it is deployed and
can cause injuries.
Note
In vehicles with a driver's knee airbag, a symbol with  is located on the
side panel on the driver's side.
Side airbags
Fig. 11
Location of the side airbag in the driver's seat or gas-filled side air-
bag
In the event of severe side collisions, the side airbag system provides addition-
al protection for the upper body (chest, stomach and pelvis) of passengers in
the vehicle.
The front side airbags are housed in the upholstery of the seat backrests of
the front seats » Fig. 11 - 
.
The rear side airbags are located between the entrance area and the seat backrest.
The head airbag and belt tensioner on the relevant side are also automatically
deployed when the side airbags » Fig. 11 -  are deployed.
The load of the occupants is cushioned when plunging into the fully inflated
airbag and the risk of injury to the entire upper body (chest, stomach and pel-
vis) is reduced on the side facing the door.WARNINGInformation on correct seated position■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 ap-
plies in particular to children who are transported without using a suitable
child safety seat » page 24, Child safety and side airbag .■
There must not be any further persons, animals or objects positioned be-
tween the occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. No accesso-
ries, such as cup holders, should be attached to the doors.
■
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 22, Child seat .
WARNING■
The airbag control unit operates using pressure sensors located in the
front doors. For this reason, no adjustments may be carried out to the
doors or door panels (e.g. installation of additional loudspeakers). Further
information » page 175, Airbags .■
Ensure that there are no excessive forces, such as violent knocks, kicks
etc., impact on the backrests of the 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 passen-
ger seats must only be of the type expressly authorized by ŠKODA. 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 pro-
tective function of the side airbag.
■
Any damage to the original seat covers in the area of the side airbag mod-
ule must be repaired immediately by a specialist garage.
■
The airbag modules in the front seats must not display any damage,
cracks or deep scratches. It is not permissible to use force in order to open
the modules. 
19Airbag system

Deactivating airbags
Deactivating an airbag should be considered in cases such as the ones below. › If using a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat (due to different
legal regulations, the airbag must be deactivated if using a forwards-facing
child seat in some countries) » page 22, Transporting children safely .
› If it is not possible to maintain a distance of at least 25 cm between the mid-
dle of the steering wheel and chest, despite the driver's seat being correctly
adjusted.
› If special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because
of a physical disability.
› If different seats have been fitted (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side air-
bags).
The front passenger airbag can be switched off with the key-operated
switch » page 21 , Deactivating the front passenger airbag .
We recommend that you ask a ŠKODA service partner to deactivate any other airbags.
Monitoring the airbag system
The operational capability of the airbag system is monitored electronically,
even if one of the airbags is switched off.
Airbag deactivated using diagnostic equipment › The warning light
 illuminates for approx. 4 seconds after switching on the
ignition and then flashes again for approx. 12 seconds.
Front passenger airbag deactivated using the key switch in the storage com-
partment
› The warning light
 illuminates for approx. 4 seconds after switching on the
ignition.
› The

 3

» Fig. 13 on page 21 warning light illuminates when the igni-
tion is switched on.
Note
■ The national regulations for switching off airbags must be observed.■A ŠKODA service partner will be able to inform you which, if any, of your vehi-
cle's airbags can or must be deactivated.Deactivating the front passenger airbagFig. 13
Key-operated switch for the front passenger airbag / warning
light for front seat passenger airbag deactivation
Only the front passenger airbag is deactivated with the key switch.
Switching off
›
Switch off the ignition.
›
Open the storage box on the front passenger's side.
›
Fold the key bit out completely for the radio key » .
›
Carefully insert the key into the key slot in the key switch as far as the stop.
›
Use the key to turn the slot of the key switch into position
2
» Fig. 13 OFF .
›
Pull the key out of the slot in the key switch » .
›
Close the storage box on the front passenger's side.
›
Check that warning light

3




 in the text illuminates after
the ignition is switched on.
Switching on
›
Switch off the ignition.
›
Open the storage box on the front passenger's side.
›
Fold the key bit out completely for the radio key » .
›
Carefully insert the key into the key slot in the key switch as far as the stop.
›
Use the key to turn the slot of the key switch into position
1
» Fig. 13 ON .
›
Pull the key out of the slot in the key switch » .
›
Close the storage box on the front passenger's side.
›
Check that warning light

3




 illuminates after the ignition
is switched on. 
21Airbag system

WARNING■The driver is responsible for whether the airbag is switched on or switch-
ed off.■
Only switch off the airbag when the ignition is switched off! Otherwise a
fault can occur in the system for deactivating the airbag.
■
If the warning light 
is flashing, the front passenger airbag will not be
deployed in an accident. Have the airbag system checked by a specialist ga-
rage immediately.
■
The key cannot be inserted in the key switch while driving. ■ Shocks can cause the key to turn in the slot and trigger the airbag!
■ The airbag could be triggered unexpectedly in an accident - it may result
in injury or death!
CAUTION
An insufficiently folded out key bit can damage the key switch!Transporting children safely
Child seat
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Use of a child seat on the front passenger seat
23
Use of the child seat in the front passenger seat
24
Child safety and side airbag
24
Classification of child seats
25
Use of child seats fastened with a seat belt
25
Children are generally safer on the rear seats than on the front passenger
seat.
In contrast to adults, the muscles and bone structure of children are not yet
fully developed. Thus children are exposed to increased risk of injury.
Children should be transported in accordance with the relevant statutory pro-
visions.
Child seats that comply with the ECE-R 44 standard must be used. The ECE-R
standard stands for: Economic Commission for Europe - Regulation.
Child seats that comply with the ECE-R 44 standard are identified with a test
mark that cannot be removed: a capital E in a circle and the certification num-
ber below
WARNING■ The national legal requirements must be observed when using child
seats.■
One should never carry children, and also not babies! - on one's lap.
■
Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. Certain outside climatic
conditions can cause life-threatening temperatures in the vehicle.
■
The child must be secured in the vehicle during the entire journey! Other-
wise, the child would be thrown through the vehicle in the event of an acci-
dent, causing fatal injuries to both the child and other occupants. 
22Safety

WARNING (Continued)■Children are exposed to an increased risk of injury in the event of an acci-
dent if they lean forward or adopt an incorrect seated position when the
vehicle is moving. This particularly applies to children who are transported
on the front passenger seat as they can suffer severe, or even fatal injuries
if the airbag system is deployed!■
Pay particular attention to the information provided by the manufacturer
of the child safety seat regarding the correct routing of the belt. Seat belts
which are not correctly adjusted can themselves cause injuries even in mi-
nor 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 fit-
tings.
■
The front passenger airbag must be deactivated if using a rear-facing
child seat on the front passenger seat. Further information » page 23,
Use of a child seat on the front passenger seat .
CAUTION
■
When installing a child seat in which the child faces forward, adjust the head
restraints so that they are as high as possible.■
If the head restraints still prevent the child seat from being installed, even in
the highest position, you will need to remove them » page 83. After remov-
ing the child seat, reinstall the head restraints.
Note
We recommend that you use child seats from ŠKODA Original Accessories.
These child seats were developed and also tested for use in ŠKODA vehicles.
They meet the ECE-R 44 standard.Use of a child seat on the front passenger seat
Does not apply to TaiwanFig. 14
Sticker on the B-column on the
front passenger side.
Fig. 15
Front passenger sun visor / label
Read and observe
and on page 22 first.
Never use a rearward-facing child restraint system on a seat which is protec-
ted by an active airbag installed in front of it. This could cause serious injury
to the child, even death.
For safety reasons, we recommend that you install child seats on the rear
seats whenever possible.
The following instructions must be followed when using a child seat on the
front passenger seat.
› The front passenger airbag must be deactivated if using a rear-facing child
seat »
.
› If possible, adjust the front passenger seat backrest so that it is as vertical,
so as to ensure secure contact between the passenger seat backrest and the
back of the child seat. 
23Transporting children safely

›If possible, move the front passenger seat backwards so that there is no con-
tact between the front passenger seat and the child seat behind it.
› With child safety seats in groups 2 or 3, make sure that the loop-around fit-
tings attached to the child seat headrest is positioned in front of or at the
same height as the loop-around fittings on the B-pillar on the passenger
side.
› Set the height-adjustable front passenger seat as high up as possible.
› Set the front passenger seat belt as high up as possible.
› Place and fasten the child seat on the seat and the child in the child seat ac-
cording to the specifications in the manufacturer's user manual of the child
seat .WARNING■ The front passenger airbag must be deactivated if using a rear-facing
child seat on the front passenger seat » page 20, Deactivating airbags .■
Never use a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat if the pas-
senger airbag is activated. This child safety seat is positioned in the deploy-
ment area of the front passenger airbag. The airbag may cause the child se-
vere, or even fatal injuries, in the event of it being deployed.
■
This fact is also indicated by the sticker that can be found in one of the
following locations. ■ On the B-column on the front passenger side » Fig. 14. The sticker is
visible upon opening the front passenger door.
■ On the front passenger's sun visor. In some countries, the sticker is lo-
cated on the front passenger's sun visor » Fig. 15.
■
With child safety seats in groups 2 or 3, make sure that the loop-around
fittings attached to the child seat headrest is positioned in front of or at
the same height as the loop-around fittings on the B-pillar on the passen-
ger side.
■
As soon as the rear-facing child seat is no longer being used on the pas-
senger seat, the front passenger airbag should be reactivated again.
Use of the child seat in the front passenger seat
Applies to TaiwanFig. 16
Front passenger sun visor / label
Read and observe
and on page 22 first.
No babies, infants or children are to be carried on the passenger seat.
This fact is also indicated by the label that can be found on the passenger's sun visor » Fig. 16.
Child safety and side airbag
Fig. 17
Incorrect seated position of a
child who is not properly secured
– risk from the side airbag/Child
properly protected by safety seat
Read and observe and on page 22 first.
The child must not be positioned in the area into which the side airbag will de- ploy » Fig. 17 -
 .
There must be sufficient room between the child and the area into which the
side airbag will deploy to allow the airbag to provide as much protection as
possible » Fig. 17 -
 . 
24Safety

WARNING■Children must never be seated with their head in the deployment area of
the side airbag – risk of injury!■
Do not place any objects within the deployment area of the side airbags –
risk of injury!
Classification of child seats
Read and observe
and on page 22 first.
Classification of child seats according to the ECE-R 44 standard.
GroupWeight of the childApproximate age0up to 10 kgup to 9 months0+up to 13 kgup to 18 months19 - 18 kgup to 4 years215 - 25 kgup to 7 years322 - 36 kgover 7 years
Use of child seats fastened with a seat belt Read and observe
and on page 22 first.
Overview of the usability of child seats fastened with a seat belt on each ofthe seats in accordance with the ECE-R 16 standard.
GroupFront passenger seatRear seatsexternalRear seat Center0
up to 10 kgUUU0+
up to 13 kgUUU1
9 - 18 kgUUU2
15 - 25 kgUUU3
22 - 36 kgUUUChild seat category “Universal” - a child seat designed to be attached to
the seat using the seat belt.
Fastening systems
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Attachment points of the 
-system
25
Use of child seats with the 
-system
26
Attachment points of the 

-system
27
Attachment points of the -system
Fig. 18
ISOFIX system label
 represents a system for a fast and secure child seat mounting.
There are two locking eyes between the seat backrest and the seat cushion of the outer rear seats and front passenger seat for fixing the  system child
seat in place.
On the rear outside seats, the fixing eyes are located below the upholstery.
The places are marked with labels with the  logo
» Fig. 18 .
WARNING■
Always refer to the instructions from the manufacturer of the child seat
when installing and removing a child seat with the -system.■
Never attach other child seats, belts or objects to the attachment points
eyes intended for the installation of a child seat with the 
-system – risk
of death! 
U25Transporting children safely