Driver’s knee airbagFig. 10
Installation of the airbag / Gas-filled Airbag / Safe distance be-
tween the legs and the instrument 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.
The forward movement of the body is cushioned when it makes contact with
the fully inflated airbag
B
and the risk of injury to the legs of the driver is thus
reduced.
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 C and the instrument panel in the vi-
cinity of the knee airbag » Fig. 10. If it is not possible to meet this require-
ment 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. Nothing may 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, the text can be seen on the side
panel on the driver's side.Side airbagsFig. 11
Installation locations of airbags: in the front seat/the rear
Fig. 12
Inflated airbags
In the event of severe side collisions, the side airbags provide additional pro-
tection for the upper body (chest, stomach and pelvis) of passengers in the ve-
hicle.
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 » Fig. 11-
.
The load of the occupants is cushioned when plunging into the fully inflated
airbag » Fig. 12 and the risk of injury to the entire upper body (chest, stomach
and pelvis) is reduced on the side facing the door.
17Airbag system
Exterior mirrors
You should have additional exterior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see the
traffic behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors.
Headlights
The front of the vehicle may lift up when a trailer is being towed and the head-
lights may dazzle other road users.
Adjust the headlights using the headlight beam control » page 68, Operating
the lights 1)
.
Power to the trailer power grid
For the electrical connection between the vehicle and trailer, the trailer's pow-
er supply is provided by the vehicle.
The power supply works with ignition on or off.
With the ignition off, the battery of the towing vehicle is discharged by activa-
ted consumers.
At low charge state of the vehicle battery power to the trailer is interrupted.WARNING■ Improperly connected trailer electrical installations may cause accidents
or serious injury due to electric shock.■
Work on the electrical system must only be carried out by specialist ga-
rages.
■
Never directly connect the trailer's electrical system with the electrical
connections for the tail lights or other current sources.
WARNING (Continued)■ After attaching the trailer and connecting the power socket, check that
the rear lights on the trailer are working correctly.■
Never use the safety eye to tow a vehicle!
CAUTION
Improperly connected trailer electrical installations may cause malfunction of
the entire vehicle electronics.
Note
■ The total power consumption of all the connected consumers on the trailer
must not exceed 350 watts.■
Coat the ball head of the towing device with a suitable grease whenever
necessary.
Loading a trailer
Distribution of the cargo
Distribute the cargo in the trailer in such a way that heavy items are located as
close to the trailer axle as possible. Secure the items from slipping.
The distribution of the weight is very poor if your vehicle is unladen and the
trailer is laden. Drive at a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving
with this combination.
Tyre pressure
Correct the tyre inflation pressure on the vehicle for a “full load” » page 205.
WARNINGSliding cargo can significantly adversely affect stability and driving safety -
risk of accident!
Trailer load
The permissible trailer load must not be exceeded under any circumstances. 1)
Applies to vehicles with xenon headlights.
173Hitch and trailer
