2012 MINI Countryman deactivate passenger airbag

CONTROLSTransporting children safely
44
Transporting children safely
Vehicle equipment
In this chapter, all production, country, and
optional equipment that is offered in the model
range is described. Equipment is also described
that is not available because of, for example,
selected options or coun try version. This also
applies to safety relate d functions and systems.
The right place for
children
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger
themselves and/or other persons by opening the
doors, for example. <
Children should always sit in the rear
Accident research has shown that the safest
place for children is on the rear seat.
Only transport children under the age of
13 or smaller than 5 ft/150 cm in the rear
in a child restraint system suitable for their age,
weight and size. Otherwise, there is an
increased risk of injury in the event of an acci-
dent. <
Children 13 years of age or older must be buck-
led in with a safety belt as soon as there no
longer is any child restraint system that is appro-
priate for their age, size and weight.
Exception for front passenger seat
Front passenger airbags
Should it be necessary to use a child
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, the front and side airbags must be deacti-
vated. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of
injury to the child if th e airbags deploy, even if
the child is seated in a child restraint system.< For more information on
automatic deactivation
of the front passenger airbags, refer to page 79.
Child restraint systems,
installation
Before installing a child restraint system on the
rear seats, move the seat as far back as possible.
5-seater: adjust the inclination of the center
backrest to the respective outer backrest.
After the child restr aint system has been
installed on the respecti ve rear seat, move the
backrest forward so that the it rests lightly
against the child restrain t system, refer to Rear
seat backrests on page 104.
Observe the child restraint system manu-
facturer's instructions when selecting,
installing and using child restraint systems.
Otherwise, the protective effect may be
diminished. <
On the front passenger seat
After installing a chil d restraint system on
the front passenger se at, make sure that
the front, side, and knee airbags for the front
passenger are deactivated; otherwise, there is
an increased risk of inju ry if the airbags deploy.<
Seat position
Before installing a child restraint system, move
the front passenger seat as far back and up as
possible to obtain the be st possible position for
the belt. Do not change the seat position after
this.
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Technology for driving comfort and safetyCONTROLS
79
Protective action
Observe the instructions on page37 to
ensure the best possible personal protec-
tion. <
The front airbags help protect the driver and
front passenger by responding to frontal
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the head
and side airbags help provide protection in the
event of side impact. Th e relevant side airbag
supports the side upper body area. The head air
bag supports the head.
The airbags are designed to not be triggered in
every type of collision, e.g. not in minor acci-
dents, certain rollover si tuations or rear impacts.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or
modify them in any other way.
Keep the dashboard and window on the passen-
g e r s i d e f r e e f r o m o b s t r u c t i o n , i . e . d o n o t c o v e r i t
with adhesive film or coverings, and do not affix
any holders such as for a navigation device or a
mobile phone.
Do not attach seat covers, cushions or other
objects not specifically approved for seats with
integral side airbags to the front seats. Do not
hang items of clothing such as coats or jackets
over the backrests. Do not attempt to remove
the airbag retention system from the vehicle. Do
not modify the individual components of the
system or its wiring in any way. This includes the
upholstery in the center of the steering wheel,
on the instrument panel, the doors, and the roof
pillars as well as the side s of the headliner. Do
not attempt to remove or dismantle the steering
wheel. <
Do not touch the individual components
immediately after the system has been
triggered, because there is a danger of burns.
Have the testing, repair , removal, and disposal
of airbag generators executed only by your MINI
dealer or a workshop that has the required
explosives licenses.
Otherwise, unprofessional attempts to service
the system could lead to failure in an emergency or undesired airbag activation, either of which
could result in personal injury.
<
Warning notices and in formation about the
airbags can also be found on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of the front
passenger airbags
The presence of a passenger in the front passen-
ger seat is detected by measuring the resistance
of the human body. The system correspondingly
activates or deactivates the front, side, and knee
airbags for the front passenger.
Make sure that the front passenger's feet
remain in the footwell; otherwise, it is not
possible to guarantee the function of the front
passenger airbags. <
The indicator lamp above the interior rearview
mirror shows the current st atus of the front pas-
senger airbags, deactivate d or activated, refer to
Status of front passenger airbags below.
Before transporting a child on the front
passenger seat, read the safety informa-
tion and follow the instructions under Transport-
ing children safely, page 44.<
Malfunction of the automatic
deactivation
When teenagers and adul ts assume certain sit-
ting positions, this can cause the front, side, and
knee airbags to deactivate. The indicator lamp
for the front passenger airbags lights up when
this occurs. In such case s, the passenger should
change his or her sittin g position so that the
front passenger airbags are activated and the
indicator lamp goes out. If the desired airbag
status cannot be achieved by changing the sit-
ting position, transport the relevant passenger
on a rear seat.
> Do not attach covers, cushions, ball mats or
other items to the front passenger seat
unless they are specifically recommended
by the manufacturer of your MINI.
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CONTROLSTechnology for driving comfort and safety
80
>Do not place items on the front passenger
seat.
> Do not place items under the seat which
could press against the seat from below.
Status of front passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags shows the functional status of the front
passenger's front, side, and knee airbags in
accordance with whether and how the front
passenger seat is occupied. The indicator lamp
shows whether the front passenger airbags are
activated or deactivated.
> The indicator lamp lights up when a child in
a specially designated child restraint system
is properly detected on the seat or the seat is
unoccupied.
The front, side, and knee airbags for the
front passenger are not activated.
Most child seats are detected by the
system. This particularly applies to
child seats that were required by NHTSA at
the time of manufacture of the vehicle. After
installing a child seat, check that the indica-
tor lamp for the front passenger airbags
lights up. It indicates that the child seat has
been detected and that the front passenger
airbags are deactivated. <
> T h e i n d i c a t o r l a m p d o e s n o t c o m e o n a s l o n g
as a person of sufficient size and in a correct
sitting position is detected on the seat.
The front, side, and knee airbags for the
front passenger are activated.
Operational readines s of airbag system
As of radio readiness, page 48, the warning
lamp lights up briefly to indicate that the entire
airbag system and the belt tensioners are
operational.
Airbag system malfunction
> The warning lamp does not come on when
radio readiness is switched on.
> The warning lamp stays lit continuously.
In the event of a fault in the airbag system,
have it checked without delay; otherwise,
there is the risk that the system will not function
as intended even if a severe accident occurs. <
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 914 849 - \251 07/12 BMW AG