
If there is a collision the seat belts are tightened by the belt tensioner so that
unwanted body motion is prevented.
The three-point seat belts are automatically tensioned in the event of a frontal
collision of a certain severity.
The front seat belts are automatically tensioned in the event of a side collision
of a certain severity.
Belt tensioners are not activated in the event of minor frontal, side or rear-
end collisions, in the case of a roll-over and also not in accidents in which no
major forces are produced.WARNING■ Any work on the belt tensioner system, including removal and installation
of system components because of other repair work, must only be carried
out by a specialist garage.■
If the belt tensioners have been deployed, it is then necessary to replace
the entire system.
Note
■ The belt tensioners can also be deployed if the seat belts are not fastened.■Smoke is generated when the belt tensioners are deployed. This is not an in-
dication of a fire in the vehicle.Airbag system
Description of the airbag system
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
System description
15
Airbag deployment
15
The airbag system supplements the fastened seat belts and provides addition-
al occupant protection in severe frontal and side collisions.
The functional status of the airbag system is indicated by the indicator light
in the instrument cluster » page 35.
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 8, 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, have the airbag system checked immediately by a spe-
cialist garage. Otherwise, there is a risk of the airbag not being activated 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.
■
Do not manipulate individual parts of the airbag system, as this might re-
sult in the airbag being deployed.
■
The airbag system must then be replaced if the airbag has been deployed.
14Safety

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

Tyre wear indicator and wheel replacementFig. 212
Principle sketch: Replace tire tread with wear indicators / wheels
Read and observe
on page 205 first.
Wear indicators
There is a 1.6-mm-high wear indicator » Fig. 212 -
in the base of the tread of
the tyres. In some countries, different tyre wear rates may apply.
Markings on the walls of the tyres through the letters “TWI”, triangular sym- bols or other symbols identify the position of the wear indicators.
Replacing the wheels
For uniform wear on all tyres, we recommend that you replace the wheels ev-
ery 10,000 km as shown in the diagram » Fig. 212-
. You will then obtain ap-
proximately the same life for all the tyres.
After changing the wheel, the tyre pressure must be adjusted.
In vehicles with tyre pressure monitoring, save tyre pressure values
» page 165 .
WARNING■
You must have your tyres replaced with new ones at the latest when the
wear indicators have been worn down.■
Worn tyres do not provide the necessary adhesion to the road surface
particularly at high speeds on wet roads. One could experience “aquaplan- ing” (uncontrolled movements of the vehicle – “swimming” on a wet road surface).
Tyre damage
Read and observe
on page 205 first.
We recommend checking your tyres and wheel rims for damage (punctures,
cuts, splits and bulges, etc.) on a regular basis.
Remove any foreign objects in the tyre tread immediately (e.g. small stones).
Foreign bodies which have penetrated into the tyre (e.g. screws or nails)
should not be removed and seek help from a specialist garage.
WARNINGNever drive with damaged tyres – risk of accident.
CAUTION
The tyres must be protected from contact with substances such as oil, grease
and fuel, which could damage them. If the tyres come into contact with these
substances, then we recommend having them checked out in a specialist ga-
rage.
Unidirectional tyres
Read and observe
on page 205 first.
The direction of rotation of the tyres is marked by arrows on the wall of the
tyre .
The indicated direction of rotation must be adhered to in order to obtain the
best benefits from the characteristics of these tyres.
These characteristics are mainly.
▶ Increased driving stability.
▶ Reduced risk of aquaplaning.
▶ Reduced tyre noise and reduced tyre wear.
Spare wheel
Read and observe
on page 205 first.
The size of the spare wheel is identical to that of the vehicle factory installedwheels.
After changing the spare wheel, the tyre pressure must be adjusted.
207Wheels