2012 Citroen C4 time

8
SAFETY
143
AIRBAGS


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 im-
pact detection zones:


- in the case of a serious impact, the
airbags are triggered instantly and
protect the occupants of the vehicle
(with the exception of the rear cen-
tre 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 triggered; the
seat belt alone is suffi cient to pro-
vide optimum protection in these
situations.


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 triggered again.

A.
Front impact zone.

B.
Side impact zone.
Impact detection zones
Triggering of the airbag(s) is ac-
companied by a slight emission
of harmless smoke and a noise,
due to the activation of the pyro-
technic cartridge incorporated 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 thorax.
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 simultaneously,
unless the passenger's front airbag is de-
activated, in the event of a serious front
impact 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 tho-
rax and head of the front occupant of the
vehicle and the steering wheel, driver's
side, and the dashboard, passenger's side
to cushion their forward movement.

8
SAFETY
145






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 uni-
laterally 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 lateral airbag infl ates between the
hip and shoulder of the front occupant
of the vehicle and the corresponding
door trim panel.

A.
Front impact zone.

B.
Side impact zone.


Impact detection zones







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 pil-
lars and the upper passenger compart-
ment area.
Deployment
The curtain airbag is deployed at the
same time as the corresponding lateral
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
collision, the airbag is not de-
ployed.

8
SAFETY
146













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 air-
bags or injure the occupants.
After an accident or if the ve-
hicle 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 men-
tioned are observed, a risk of in-
jury 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
defl ates within the same time dis-
charging 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 in-
jury 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
DRIVING
148

Manual release

With the ignition on or the engine run-
ning, to release the parking brake,
press
on the brake
pedal
or the accel-
erator, pull then release
control A
.
The full application of the parking brake
is confi rmed by:


- the braking warning lamp
and the P
warning lamp in
the control lever A
going off,

- display of the message
"Handbrake off".
If you pull control lever A
with-
out pressing the brake pedal,
the parking brake will not be
released and a warning lamp
will come on in the instrument
panel.


Maximum application

If necessary, you can make a maxi-
mum application
of the parking brake.
This is obtained by means of a long
pull
on the control lever A
, until you
see the message "Handbrake on maxi-
mum" and a beep is heard.

Maximum application is essential:



- in the case of a vehicle towing a
caravan or a trailer, if the automatic
functions are activated but you are
applying the parking brake manu-
ally,

- when the gradient you are parked
on may vary (e.g. on a ferry, on a
lorry, during towing),

In the case of towing, a loaded vehicle
or parking on a gradient, make a maxi-
mum application of the parking brake
then turn the front wheels towards the
pavement and engage a gear when you
park.
After a maximum application, the re-
lease time will be longer.



Automatic application,
engine off
With the vehicle stationary, the parking
brake is automatically applied when
the engine is switched off
.
The application of the parking brake is
confi rmed by:


-
illumination of the braking warn-
ing lamp and of the P
warning
lamp in the control lever A
,


- display of the message
"Handbrake on".

Before leaving the vehicle, en-
sure that parking brake warning
lamp in the instrument panel is
on fi xed (not fl ashing).
Never leave a child alone inside
the vehicle with the ignition on,
as they could release the park-
ing brake.

In the case of towing, a loaded
vehicle or parking on a gradient,
turn the front wheels towards the
pavement and engage a gear
when you park.

9
DRIVING
149

Automatic release

The electric parking brake releases au-
tomatically and progressively
when
you press the accelerator:


)
Manual gearbox:
press down fully
on the clutch pedal, engage fi rst
gear or reverse, press on the accel-
erator pedal and move off.

)
6-speed electronic gearbox sys-
tem
: select position A
, M
or R
then
press on the accelerator pedal.

)
Automatic gearbox
: select posi-
tion D
, M
or R
then press the accelera-tor pedal.
Full release of the parking brake is con-
fi rmed by:


- the braking warning lamp
and the P
warning lamp in
the control lever A
going off,

- display of the message
"Handbrake off".

When stationary, with the engine
running, do not press the ac-
celerator pedal unnecessarily,
as you may release the parking
brake.



Immobilising the vehicle,
engine running
With the engine running and the vehicle
stationary, in order to immobilise the
vehicle it is essential to manually
ap-
ply the parking brake by pulling
control
lever A
.
The application of the parking brake is
confi rmed by:


-
illumination of the braking
warning lamp and the P
warn-
ing lamp in the control lever A
,


- display of the message
"Handbrake on".

Before leaving the vehicle, en-
sure that parking brake warning
lamp in the instrument panel is
on fi xed, not fl ashing.



Particular situations


In certain situations (e.g. starting the
engine), the parking brake can auto-
matically alter its force. This is normal
operation.
To advance your vehicle a few centime-
tres without starting the engine, but with
the ignition on, press on the brake pedal
and release the parking brake by pulling

then releasing
the control lever A
. The
full release of the parking brake is con-
fi rmed by the warning lamps in the con-
trol lever A
and in the instrument panel
going off and display of the message
"Handbrake off".
If the parking brake develops a fault
while applied
or if the battery runs fl at,
an emergency release is always pos-
sible.

When the driver’s door is opened, a
message is displayed accompanied by
an audible signal, if the parking brake
has not been applied, except in the
case of an automatic gearbox with the
gear lever in position P
.

9
DRIVING
151

)
Immobilise the vehicle by placing
the blocks in front or behind the two
front wheels, opposite to the direc-
tion of the slope.
For safety reasons, after this op-
eration it is essential to contact
a CITROËN dealer or a qualifi ed
workshop without delay to re-
place the protective cover.
Following an emergency unlock-
ing, immobilisation of the vehicle
is no longer assured once the
manual emergency release has
been deployed and the manual
control does not allow the re-ap-
plication of your parking brake.
Take no action, either on the
control lever A
, or stopping start-
ing the engine while the release
device is engaged.
Take care not to allow moisture
or dust in the proximity of the
protective cover.

)
Remove the storage box under the
boot carpet for access to the emer-
gency release device.

)
Pierce the protective cover D
on the
tube E
with the release device.

)
Place the release device in the tube.

)
Turn the release device clockwise .

For safety reasons
, it is essential

to continue turning the device until it
reaches its stop. The parking brake
is released.

)
Remove the release device and
store it with the blocks in the toolbox
under the boot carpet.

- The operation of the parking
brake reinitialises when the igni-
tion is switched off then on again.
If the reinitialisation of the parking
brake proves impossible, contact
a CITROËN dealer or a qualifi ed
workshop.

- The subsequent time required for
application may be longer than dur-
ing normal operation.

9
DRIVING
158

You can change mode at any
time by moving the gear lever
from A
to M
or the other way
round.

At very low speed, if reverse gear is re-
quested, this will only be acted on when
the vehicle is immobilised. The Foot on
brake
warning lamp may come on in
the instrument panel to prompt you to
brake.
At high speed, if reverse gear is re-
quested, the N
indicator fl ashes and the
gearbox goes into neutral. To engage a
gear again, put the gear lever in posi-
tion A
or M
.

When immobilising the vehicle,
with the engine running, you
must place the gear lever in neu-
tral N
.
Before carrying out any work in
the engine compartment, ensure
that the gear lever is in neutral N

and that the parking brake is ap-
plied.
Whatever the circumstances,
you must manually apply the
parking brake when parking,
unless the parking brake is pro-
grammed in automatic mode.



Reverse

To engage reverse gear R
, the vehicle
must be immobilised with your foot on
the brake pedal.


)
Select position R
.


Operating fault

With the ignition on, the fl ashing of
AUTO
, accompanied by an audible sig-
nal and a message in the screen, indi-
cates a malfunction of the gearbox.
Have it checked by a CITROËN dealer
or a qualifi ed workshop.


Manual mode



)
Select position M
.
The gears engaged appear in
succession in the instrument
panel screen.
The gear change requests are only act-
ed on if the engine speed permits.
It is not necessary to release the accel-
erator during gear changes.
When braking or slowing down, the
gearbox changes down automatically
to allow the vehicle to accelerate in the
correct gear.
On sharp acceleration, the gearbox will
not change up unless the driver acts on
the gear lever or the steering mounted
paddles.
Temporary control of gear changing
You can temporarily take over control
of gear changing using the "+"
and "-"

steering mounted paddles: if the engine
speed allows, the request to change
gear is acted on.
This function allows you to anticipate
certain situations such as overtaking a
vehicle or the approach to a corner.
After a few moments without any action
on the control paddles, the gearbox re-
sumes automatic control of the gears.

Never select neutral N
while the
vehicle is moving.
In both cases, you must apply the
parking brake
to immobilise the
vehicle. When immobilising the vehicle,
with the engine running, you must place
the gear lever in neutral

Stopping the vehicle

Before switching off the engine, you
can:


- move to position N
to engage neutral,
or

- leave the gear engaged; in this
case, it will not be possible to move
the vehicle.

9
DRIVING
160

Moving off



)
With your foot on the brake, select
position P
or N
.

)
Start the engine.
If this procedure is not followed, there
is an audible signal, accompanied by a
message in the multifunction screen.


)
With the engine running, press the
brake pedal.

)
Release the parking brake, unless it
is programmed to automatic mode.

)
Select position R
, D
or M
,

)
Gradually release the brake pedal.
The vehicle moves off immediately.

If position N
is engaged inadver-
tently while driving, allow the en-
gine to return to idle then engage
position D
to accelerate.

When the engine is running at
idle, with the brakes released,
if position R
, D
or M
is selected,
the vehicle moves even without
the accelerator being pressed.
When the engine is running,
never leave children in the ve-
hicle without supervision.
When carrying out maintenance
with the engine running, apply
the parking brake and select po-
sition P
.



Automatic operation



)
Select position D
for automatic

changing of the six gears.
The gearbox then operates in auto-
adaptive mode, without any intervention
on the part of the driver. It continuously
selects the most suitable gear accord-
ing to the style of driving, the profi le of
the road and the load in the vehicle.
For maximum acceleration without
touching the lever, press the accelera-
tor pedal down fully (kick down). The
gearbox changes down automatically
or maintains the gear selected until the
maximum engine speed is reached.
On braking, the gearbox changes down
automatically to provide effi cient engine
braking.
If you release the accelerator sharply,
the gearbox will not change to a higher
gear for safety reasons.

Never select position N
while the
vehicle is moving.
Never select positions P
or R

unless the vehicle is completely
stationary.



Sport and snow programmes

These two special programmes supple-
ment the automatic operation in very
specifi c conditions of use.

Sport programme "S"


)
Press button "S"
, after starting the
engine.
The gearbox automatically favours a
dynamic style of driving.

S
appears in the instrument panel.


Snow programme " 7
"


)
Press button " 7
", after starting the
engine.
The gearbox adapts to driving on slip-
pery roads.
This programme improves starting and
drive when traction is poor.

7
appears in the instrument
panel.



Return to automatic operation



)
At any time, press the button select-
ed again to quit the programme en-
gaged and return to auto-adaptive
mode.