2012 Citroen C3 Owner's Manual

8
103
SAFETY
TRAJECTORY CONTROLSYSTEMS

Anti-slip re
gulation (ASR) and
electronic stability programme (ESP)

The anti-slip regulation (also known as
Traction Control) optimises traction to
prevent skidding of the wheels, by act-
ing on the brakes of the driving wheels
and on the engine.
The electronic stability programme acts
on the brake of one or more wheels and
on the engine to keep the vehicle on the
trajectory required by the driver, within
the limits of the laws of physics.

Activation
These systems are activated automati-
cally each time the vehicle is started.
They come into operation in the event
of a grip or trajectory problem.
This is indicated by fl ashing of
this warning lamp in the instru-
ment panel.



Deactivation
In exceptional conditions (starting a ve-
hicle which is bogged down, stuck in
snow, on soft ground...), if you are un-
able to make progress, it may be ad-
visable to temporarily deactivate these
systems, so that the wheels can spin
freely and allow the vehicle to move.

)
Press the "ESP OFF"
button, located
near the steering wheel.

If this warning lamp comes on
in the instrument panel and
the indicator lamp in the button
comes on, this indicates that
these systems are deactivated.
It is recommended that the systems be
reactivated as soon as possible.

Reactivation
These systems are reactivated automat-
ically each time the ignition is switched
back on or from 30 mph (50 km/h).


)
Press the "ESP OFF"
button again
to reactivate them manually.

Operating fault

If this warning lamp comes on,
accompanied by an audible
signal and a message in the
screen, this indicates a fault
with these systems.
Have it checked by a CITROËN dealer
or a qualifi ed workshop.
The trajectory control systems
offer increased safety in normal
driving, but this should not en-
courage the driver to take extra
risks or drive at high speed.
The correct functioning of these
systems is assured provided
that manufacturer's recommen-
dations are observed on:


- wheels (tyres and rims),

- braking components,

- electronic components,

- assembly and repair proce-
dures.
After an impact, have these sys-
tems checked by a CITROËN
dealer or a qualifi ed workshop.

8
104
SAFETY
SEAT BELTS

Front seat belts








Fastening


)
Pull the strap, then insert the tongue
in the buckle.

)
Check that the seat belt is fastened
correctly by pulling the strap.

Unfastening


)
Press the red button on the buckle.

)
Guide the seat belt as it is reeled in.


Seat belt not fastened/unfastened
warning lamp
When the ignition is switched on,
this warning lamp comes on in
the instrument panel, if the driver
and/or the front passenger has
not fastened their seat belt.
From approximately 12 mph (20 km/h)
this warning lamp fl ashes for two minutes
accompanied by an audible signal of in-
creasing volume. Once these two minutes
have elapsed, this warning lamp remains
on until the driver and/or the front passen-
ger fastens their seat belt.



Rear seat belts

The rear seats are each fi tted with a
three-point inertia reel seat belt.

Fastening


)
Pull the strap, then insert the tongue
in the buckle.

)
Check that the seat belt is fastened
correctly by pulling the strap.


Unfastening


)
Press the red button on the buckle.

)
Guide the seat belt as it is reeled in.


The front seat belts are fi tted with a pre-
tensioning and force limiting system.
This system improves safety in the front
seats in the event of a front or side im-
pact. Depending on the severity of the
impact, the pretensioning system in-
stantly tightens the seat belts against
the body of the occupants.
The pretensioning seat belts are active
when the ignition is on.
The force limiter reduces the pressure
of the seat belt on the chest of the occu-
pant, so improving their protection.

8
SAFETY





The driver must ensure that passen-
gers use the seat belts correctly and
that they are all restrained securely
before setting off.
Wherever you are seated in the ve-
hicle, always fasten your seat belt,
even for short journeys.
Do not interchange the seat belt
buckles as they will not fulfi l their role
fully.
The seat belts are fi tted with an inertia
reel permitting automatic adjustment
of the length of the strap to your size.
The seat belt is stowed automatically
when not in use.
Before and after use, ensure that the
seat belt is reeled in correctly.
The lower part of the strap must be
positioned as low as possible on the
pelvis.
The upper part must be positioned in
the hollow of the shoulder.
The inertia reels are fi tted with an auto-
matic locking device which comes into
operation in the event of a collision,
emergency braking or if the vehicle
rolls over. You can release the device
by pulling fi rmly on the strap and re-
leasing it so that it reels in slightly.
Recommendations for children
Use a suitable child seat if the pas-
senger is less than 12 years old or
shorter than one and a half metres.
Never use the same seat belt to secure
more than one person.
Never allow a child to travel on your lap. In order to be effective, a seat belt
must:


- be tightened as close to the body
as possible,

- be pulled in front of you with a
smooth movement, checking that
it does not twist,

- be used to restrain only one person,

- not bear any trace of cuts or fraying,

- not be converted or modifi ed to
avoid affecting its performance.
In accordance with current safety
regulations, for all repairs on your
vehicle, go to a qualifi ed workshop
with the skills and equipment needed,
which a CITROËN dealer is able to
provide.
Have your seat belts checked regular-
ly by a CITROËN dealer or a qualifi ed
workshop, particularly if the straps
show signs of damage.
Clean the seat belt straps with soapy
water or a textile cleaning product,
sold by CITROËN dealers.
After folding or moving a seat or rear
bench seat, ensure that the seat belt
is positioned and reeled in correctly.
In the event of an impact


Depending on the nature and serious-ness of the impact
, the pretensioning
device may be deployed before and in-
dependently of the airbags. Deployment
of the pretensioners is accompanied by
a slight discharge of harmless smoke
and a noise, due to the activation of the
pyrotechnic cartridge incorporated in the
system.
In all cases, the airbag warning lamp
comes on.
Following an impact, have the seat
belts system checked, and if neces-
sary replaced, by a CITROËN dealer
or a qualifi ed workshop.

8
106
SAFETY
AIRBAGS


The airbags do not operate when
the ignition is switched off.

This equipment will only deploy
once. If a second impact occurs
(during the same or a subse-
quent accident), the airbag will
not be deployed again.
Impact detection zones


A.
Front impact zone.

B.
Side impact zone.
Deployment of the airbag(s) is
accompanied by a slight emis-
sion of harmless smoke and a
noise, due to the activation of
the pyrotechnic cartridge incor-
porated in the system.
This smoke is not harmful, but
sensitive individuals may experi-
ence slight irritation.
The noise of the detonation may
result in a slight loss of hearing
for a short time.

Front airbags

System which protects the driver and
front passenger in the event of a seri-
ous front impact in order to limit the risk
of injury to the head and chest.
The driver's airbag is fi tted in the centre
of the steering wheel; the front passen-
ger's airbag is fi tted in the dashboard
above the glove box.

Deployment
The airbags are deployed simultane-
ously, unless the passenger's front
airbag is deactivated, in the event of
a serious front impact applied to all or
part of the front impact zone A
, in the
longitudinal centreline of the vehicle on
a horizontal plane and directed from the
front to the rear of the vehicle.
The front airbag infl ates between the
head-thorax of the front occupant of the
vehicle and the dashboard to cushion
their forward movement.
System designed to maximise the safety
of the occupants (with the exception of
the rear centre passenger) in the event
of violent collisions. It supplements the
action of the force-limiting seat belts
(with the exception of the rear centre
passenger).
If a collision occurs, the electronic de-
tectors record and analyse the front and
side impacts sustained in the impact
detection zones:


- in the case of a serious impact, the
airbags are deployed instantly and
protect the occupants of the vehicle
(with the exception of the rear centre
passenger); immediately after the
impact, the airbags defl ate rapidly
so that they do not hinder visibility
or the exit of the occupants,

- in the case of a minor or rear impact
or in certain roll-over conditions, the
airbags will not be deployed; the
seat belt alone is suffi cient to pro-
vide optimum protection in these
situations.

8
107
SAFETY

Deactivation
Only the passenger's front airbag can
be deactivated:


)
with the ignition off
, insert the key
in the passenger airbag deactivation
switch,

)
turn it to the "OFF"
position,

)
then, remove the key keeping the
switch in the new position.
This warning lamp comes on in
the instrument panel when the
ignition is on and until the air-
bag is re-activated. To assure the safety of your child,
the passenger's front airbag
must be deactivated when you
install a "rear facing" child seat
on the front passenger seat.
Otherwise, the child would risk
being seriously injured or killed if
the airbag were deployed.

Reactivation
When you remove a child seat that
has been fi tted "rearwards facing",
turn switch to the "ON"
position to re-
activate the airbag and so assure the
safety of your front passenger in the
event of an impact.

With the ignition on, this warn-
ing lamp comes on in the instru-
ment panel for approximately
one minute, if the passenger's
front airbag is activated.
Operating fault
If this warning lamp comes on
in the instrument panel, accom-
panied by an audible warning
and a message in the multifunc-
tion screen, contact a CITROËN dealer
or qualifi ed workshop to have the system
checked. The airbags may no longer be
deployed in the event of a serious impact.
If this warning lamp fl ashes,
contact a CITROËN dealer or
a qualifi ed workshop. The pas-
senger's front airbag may no
longer be deployed in the event
of a serious impact.
If at least one of the two airbag
warning lamps come on continu-
ously, do not install a child seat
on the front passenger seat.
Have it checked by a CITROËN
dealer or a qualifi ed workshop.

8
108
SAFETY
Lateral airbags
System which protects the driver and
front passenger in the event of a seri-
ous side impact in order to limit the risk
of injury to the chest, between the hip
and the shoulder.
Each lateral airbag is fi tted in the seat
backrest frame, door side.

Deployment

The lateral airbags are deployed unilater-ally in the event of a serious side impact
applied to all or part of the side impact
zone B
, perpendicular to the longitudinal
centreline of the vehicle on a horizontal
plane and directed from the outside to-
wards the inside of the vehicle.
The lateral airbag infl ates between the
hip and shoulder of the front occupant
of the vehicle and the corresponding
door trim panel.
Impact detection zones


A.
Front impact zone.

B.
Side impact zone.


Curtain airbags

System which protects the driver and
passengers (with the exception of the
rear centre passenger) in the event of a
serious side impact in order to limit the
risk of injury to the side of the head.
Each curtain airbag is built into the pillars
and the upper passenger compartment
area.
Deployment
The curtain airbag is deployed at the
same time as the corresponding later-
al airbag in the event of a serious side
impact applied to all or part of the side
impact zone B
, perpendicular to the
longitudinal centreline of the vehicle on
a horizontal plane and directed from
the outside towards the inside of the
vehicle.
The curtain airbag infl ates between the
front or rear occupant of the vehicle and
the windows.

Operating fault
If this warning lamp comes on
in the instrument panel, accom-
panied by an audible signal and
a message in the screen, con-
tact a CITROËN dealer or a qualifi ed
workshop to have the system checked.
The airbags may no longer be deployed
in the event of a serious impact.
In the event of a minor impact or
bump on the side of the vehicle
or if the vehicle rolls over, the air-
bag may not be deployed.
In the event of a rear or front colli-
sion, the airbag is not deployed.

8
SAFETY













For the airbags to be fully
effective, observe the following
safety rules:
Sit in a normal upright position.
Wear a correctly adjusted seat belt.
Do not leave anything between the
occupants and the airbags (a child,
pet, object...). This could hamper the
operation of the airbags or injure the
occupants.
After an accident or if the vehicle has
been stolen or broken into, have the
airbag systems checked.
All work on the airbag system must be
carried out by a CITROËN dealer or a
qualifi ed workshop.
Even if all of the precautions mentioned
are observed, a risk of injury or of minor
burns to the head, chest or arms when
an airbag is deployed cannot be ruled
out. The bag infl ates almost instantly
(within a few milliseconds) then de-
fl ates within the same time discharging
the hot gas via openings provided for
this purpose.
Front airbags
Do not drive holding the steering wheel by its spokes or resting your hands on
the centre part of the wheel.
Passengers must not place their feet on the dashboard.
If possible, do not smoke as deployment of the airbags can cause burns or
the risk of injury from a cigarette or pipe.
Never remove or pierce the steering wheel or hit it violently.



Lateral airbags
Use only approved covers on the seats, compatible with the deployment the
lateral airbags. For information on the range of seat covers suitable for your
vehicle, you can contact a CITROËN dealer (see "Practical information - §
Accessories").
Do not fi x or attach anything to the seat backs (clothing...). This could cause
injury to the chest or arms if the lateral airbag is deployed.
Do not sit with the upper part of the body any nearer to the door than necessary.

Curtain airbags
Do not fi x or attach anything to the roof. This could cause injury to the head if
the curtain airbag is deployed.
If fi tted on your vehicle, do not remove the grab handles installed on the roof,
they play a part in securing the curtain airbags.

9
110
DRIVING
PARKING BRAKE

When parking on a slope, direct
your wheels against the pave-
ment, apply the parking brake
and engage a gear.

Applying


)
Pull the parking brake lever fully up
to immobilise your vehicle.


Releasing


)
Pull the parking brake lever gently,
press the release button then lower
the lever fully.

When the vehicle is being driven, if this
warning lamp and the STOP
warning
lamp come on, accompanied by an
audible signal and a message on the
multifunction screen, this indicates that the parking
brake is still on or has not been properly released.
6-SPEED MANUAL GEARBOX
En
gaging 5th or 6th gear


)
Move the lever fully to the right to
engage 5th or 6th gear.

As a safety precaution and to fa-
cilitate starting of the engine:


- always select neutral,

- press the clutch pedal.
Only engage reverse gear when
the vehicle is stationary with the
engine at idle.

)
Raise the ring under the knob and
move the gear lever to the left then
forwards.
Engaging reverse gear