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Seat belts
Safety instructions on using seat
belt s –
Always wear the seat belt as described in
this section.
– En
sure that the seat belts can be fastened
at all
times and are not damaged. WARNING
● If se at
belts are worn incorrectly or not at
all, the risk of severe injuries increases. The
optimal protection from seat belts can be
achieved only if you use them properly.
● Fasten your seat belt before every trip -
even when drivin
g in town. Other vehicle oc-
cupants must also wear the seat belts at all
times, otherwise they run the risk of being in-
jured.
● The seat belt cannot offer its full protection
if the seat
belt is not positioned correctly.
● Never allow two passengers (even children)
to shar
e the same seat belt.
● Always keep both feet in the footwell in
front of
your seat as long as the vehicle is in
motion.
● Never unbuckle a seat belt while the vehi-
cle i
s in motion. Risk of fatal injury.
● The seat belt must never be twisted while it
is bein
g worn.
● The seat belt should never lie on hard or
fragil
e objects (such as glasses or pens, etc.)
because this can cause injuries. ●
Do not a l
low the seat belt to be damaged or
jammed, or to rub on any sharp edges.
● Never wear the seat belt under the arm or
in any other inc
orrect position.
● Loose, bulky clothing (such as an overcoat
over a j
acket) impairs the proper fit and func-
tion of the seat belts, reducing their capacity
to protect.
● The slot in the seat belt buckle must not be
block
ed with paper or other objects, as this
can prevent the latch plate from engaging se-
curely.
● Never use seat belt clips, fastening rings or
simil
ar items to alter the position of the belt
webbing.
● Frayed or torn seat belts or damage to the
connections, belt
retractors or parts of the
buckle could cause severe injuries in the
event of an accident. Therefore, you must
check the condition of all seat belts at regular
intervals.
● Seat belts which have been worn in an acci-
dent and str
etched must be replaced by a
specialised workshop. Renewal may be nec-
essary even if there is no apparent damage.
The belt anchorage should also be checked.
● Do not attempt to repair a damaged seat
belt y
ourself. The seat belts must not be re-
moved or modified in any way.
● The belts must be kept clean, otherwise the
retract
ors may not work properly. Head-on collisions and the laws of
ph
y
s
ics Fig. 80
A driver not wearing a seat belt is
thr o
wn f
orward violently Fig. 81
The unbelted passenger in the rear
se at
i
s thrown forward violently, hitting the
driver who is wearing a seat belt. It is easy to explain how the laws of physics
w
ork
in the c
ase of a head-on collision: when
a vehicle starts moving, a type of energy »
63
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Safety
called “kinetic energy” is created both in the
p a
s
sengers and inside the vehicle.
The amount of “kinetic energy” depends on
the speed of the vehicle and the weight of
the vehicle and its passengers. The higher
the speed and the greater the weight, the
more energy there is to be “absorbed” in an
accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the
speed of the vehicle. If the speed doubles
from 25 km/h (15 mph) to 50 km/h
(30 mph), for example, the corresponding ki-
netic energy is multiplied by four.
Because the vehicle occupants in our exam-
ple are not restrained by seat belts, in the
event of crashing against a wall, all of the oc-
cupants' kinetic energy will be absorbed
solely by said impact.
Even at speeds of 30 km/h (19 mph) to
50 km/h (30 mph), the forces acting on bod-
ies in a collision can easily exceed one tonne
(1000 kg). At greater speed these forces are
even higher.
Vehicle occupants not wearing seat belts are
not “attached” to the vehicle. In a head-on
collision, they will move forward at the same
speed their vehicle was travelling just before
the impact. This example applies not only to
head-on collisions, but to all accidents and
collisions. Even at low speeds the forces acting on the
body in a co
llision are so great that it is not
possible to brace oneself with one's hands.
In a frontal collision, unbelted passengers
are thrown forward and will make violent con-
tact with the steering wheel, dash panel,
windscreen or whatever else is in the way
››› Fig. 80.
It is also important for rear passengers to
wear seat belts properly, as they could other-
wise be thrown forward violently through the
vehicle interior in an accident. Passengers in
the rear seats who do not use seat belts en-
danger not only themselves but also the front
occupants ››› Fig. 81. How to properly adjust your
seatbelt
F
astening and unfastening the seat
belt Fig. 82
Positioning and removing the seat
belt b
uc
kle. 64
Page 67 of 248

Seat belts
Fig. 83
Position of seat belt during pregnan-
cy . Fasten your seat belt
The se
at
belt
cannot offer its full protection if
the seat belt is not positioned correctly.
● Adjust the seat and head restraint correctly.
● To fasten the belt, take hold of the latch
plat
e and pull it slowly across your chest and
lap.
● Insert the latch plate into the buckle for the
appropri
ate seat and push it down until it is
securely locked with an audible click
››› Fig. 82.
● Pull the belt to ensure that the latch plate is
securely
engaged in the buckle.
The seat belts are equipped with an automat-
ic retractor on the shoulder strap. Full free-
dom of movement is permitted when the
shoulder belt is pulled slowly. However, dur- ing sudden braking, during travel in steep
area
s or bends and during acceleration, the
automatic retractor on the shoulder belt is
locked.
The automatic belt retractors on the front
seats are fitted with seat belt tensioners
››› page 65.
Releasing the seat belt ● Press the red button on the belt buckle
›››
Fig. 82. The latch plate is released and
springs out ››› .
● Guide the belt back by hand so that it rolls
up e a
s
ily and the trim is not damaged.
Positioning seat belts
Seat belts offer their maximum protection on-
ly when they are properly positioned. WARNING
● The seat belt
s offer best protection only
when the backrests are in an upright position
and the seat belts have been fastened prop-
erly.
● Never put the latch plate in the buckle of
another seat. If
you do this, the seat belt will
not protect you properly and the risk of injury
is increased.
● Never unbuckle a seat belt while the vehi-
cle i
s in motion. If you do, you increase the
risk of sustaining severe or fatal injuries. ●
An incorr ectly
worn seat belt can cause se-
vere injuries in the event of an accident.
● The shoulder part of the seat belt must lie
on the centre of
the shoulder, never across
the neck. The seat belt must lie flat and fit
comfortably on the torso
● The lap part of the seat belt must lie across
the pelvis, nev
er across the stomach. The
seat belt must lie flat and fit comfortably on
the pelvis Pull the belt tight if necessary to
take up any slack.
● For pregnant women, the lap part of the
seat belt
must lie as low as possible over the
pelvis, never across the stomach, and always
lie flat so that no pressure is exerted on the
abdomen ››› Fig. 83.
● Always engage the retractor lock when you
are securin
g a child seat in group 0, 0+ or 1
››› page 72.
● Read and observe the warnings ›››
page 63. Belt pretensioners*
Ho w the se at
belt tensioner works Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 13
The seat belts for the occupants in the front
seats are equipped with belt tensioners. Sen-
sors will trigger the belt pretensioners during
severe head-on, lateral and rear collisions »
65
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Safety
only if the seat belt is being worn. This re-
tr acts
and tight
ens the seat belts, reducing
the forward motion of the occupants.
The belt tensioners will not be triggered in
the event of minor collisions, if the vehicle
overturns, or in accidents where no major
forces act on the vehicle. Note
● If the se at
belt tensioners are triggered, a
fine dust is produced. This is normal and it is
not an indication of fire in the vehicle.
● The relevant safety requirements must be
obser
ved when the vehicle or components of
the system are scrapped. Specialised work-
shops are familiar with these regulations,
which are also available to you. Service and disposal of belt tension-
er
s The belt tensioners are components of the
se
at
belts
that are installed in the seats of
your vehicle. If you work on the belt tension-
ers or remove and install parts of the system
when performing other repair work, the seat
belt may be damaged. The consequence may
be that, in the event of an accident, the belt
tensioners function incorrectly or may not
function at all.
So that the effectiveness of the seat belt ten-
sioner is not reduced and that removed parts do not cause any injuries or environmental
pollution, r
egulations, which are known to
the specialised workshops, must be ob-
served. WARNING
● Improper u se or r
epairs not carried out by
qualified mechanics increase the risk of se-
vere or fatal injuries. The belt tensioners may
fail to trigger or may trigger in the wrong cir-
cumstances.
● Never attempt to repair, adjust, remove or
inst
all parts of the belt tensioners or seat
belts.
● The seat belt tensioner, seat belt and auto-
matic r
etractor cannot be repaired.
● Any work on the belt tensioners and seat
belts, includin
g the removal and refitting of
system parts in conjunction with other repair
work, must be performed by a specialised
workshop only.
● The belt tensioners will only provide pro-
tection for one ac
cident and must be changed
if they have been activated. Airbag system
Brief intr
oduction
Wh
y is it so important to wear a seat
belt and to sit correctly? For the inflating airbags to achieve the best
prot
ection, the se
at belt must always be worn
properly and the correct sitting position must
be assumed.
The airbag system is not a substitute for seat
belts, but it is an integral part of the vehicle's
overall passive safety system. Please bear in
mind that the airbag system can only work ef-
fectively when the vehicle occupants are
wearing their seat belts correctly and have
adjusted the head restraints properly. There-
fore, it is most important to properly wear the
seat belts at all times, not only because this
is required by law in most countries, but also
for your safety ›››
page 61, Why wear a seat
belt?.
The airbag inflates in a matter of seconds, so
if you are not properly seated when the air-
bag is triggered, you may sustain fatal inju-
ries. Therefore, it is essential that all vehicle
occupants assume a correct sitting position
while travelling.
Sharp braking before an accident may cause
a passenger not wearing a seat belt to be
thrown forward into the area of the deploying
66
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Airbag system
airbag. In this case, the inflating airbag may
inflict c
ritic
al or fatal injuries on the occu-
pant. This also applies to children.
Always maintain the greatest possible dis-
tance between yourself and the front airbag.
This way, the front airbags can completely
deploy when triggered, providing their maxi-
mum protection.
The most important factors that will trigger
an airbag are: the type of accident, the angle
of collision and the speed of the vehicle.
Whether or not the airbags are triggered de-
pends primarily on the vehicle deceleration
rate resulting from the collision and detected
by the control unit. If the vehicle deceleration
occurring during the collision and measured
by the control unit remains below the speci-
fied reference values, the front, side and/or
curtain airbags will not be triggered. Take in-
to account that the visible damage in a vehi-
cle involved in an accident, no matter how
serious, is not a determining factor for the
airbags to have been triggered. WARNING
● We arin
g the seat belt incorrectly or assum-
ing an incorrect sitting position can lead to
critical or fatal injuries.
● All vehicle occupants, including children,
who are not pr
operly belted can sustain criti-
cal or fatal injuries if the airbag is triggered.
Children up to 12 years old should always travel on the rear seat. Never transport chil-
dren in the
v
ehicle if they are not restrained
or the restraint system is not appropriate for
their age, size or weight.
● If you are not wearing a seat belt, or if you
lean f
orward or to the side while travelling or
assume an incorrect sitting position, there is
a substantially increased risk of injury. This
increased risk of injury will be further in-
creased if you are struck by an inflating air-
bag.
● To reduce the risk of injury from an inflating
airbag, alw
ays wear the seat belt properly.
● Always adjust the front seats properly. Description of airbag system
The airbag system mainly comprises (as per
v
ehic
l
e equipment):
● an electronic control and monitoring sys-
tem (contr
ol unit)
● frontal airbags for driver and passenger,
● side airbags,
● curtain airbags,
● a control lamp on the dash p
anel
››› page 68.
● key-operated switch for front passenger air-
bag,
● a contr
ol lamp for disabling/enabling the
front p
assenger airbag. The airbag system operation is monitored
electronic
ally. The airbag control lamp will il-
luminate for a few seconds every time the ig-
nition is switched on (self-diagnosis).
There is a fault in the system if the control
lamp :
● does not light up when the ignition is
switc
hed on ››› page 68,
● turns off after 4 seconds after the ignition
is sw
itched on,
● turns off and then lights up again after the
ignition is sw
itched on,
● illuminates or flashes while the vehicle is
movin
g.
The airbag system is not triggered if:
● the ignition is switched off
● there is a minor frontal collision
● there is a minor side collision
● there is a rear-end collision
● the vehicle turns over. WARNING
● The seat belt
s and airbags can only provide
maximum protection if the occupants are
seated correctly ››› page 57, Correct position
for passengers.
● If a fault has occurred in the airbag system,
have the sy
stem checked immediately by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise, during a » 67
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Emergencies
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Safety
frontal collision the system might not trigger
corr
ectly
or may fail to trigger at all. Airbag activation
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within
thous
andths
of a second, to provide addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de-
ploys. This is normal and it is not an indica-
tion of fire in the vehicle.
The airbag system is only ready to function
when the ignition is on.
In special accidents instances, several air-
bags may activate at the same time.
In the event of minor head-on and side colli-
sions, rear-end collisions, overturning or roll-
over of the vehicle, airbags do not activate.
Activation factors
The conditions that lead to the airbag system
activating in each situation cannot be gener-
alised. Some factors play an important role,
such as the properties of the object the vehi-
cle hits (hard/soft), angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
Deceleration trajectory is key for airbag acti-
vation. The control unit analyses the collision trajec-
tor
y
and activates the respective restraint
system.
If the deceleration rate is below the prede-
fined reference value in the control unit the
airbags will not be triggered, even though
the accident may cause extensive damage to
the car.
The following airbags are triggered in seri-
ous head-on collisions
● Driver airbag.
● Front passenger front airbag
The fol
lowing airbags are triggered in seri-
ous side-on collisions
● Front side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Re
ar side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Cur
tain (head) airbag on the side of the ac-
cident.
In an ac
cident with airbag activation:
● the interior lights switch on (if the interior
light swit
ch is in the courtesy light position);
● the hazard warning lights switch on;
● all doors are unlocked;
● the fuel supply to the engine is cut. Airbag control lamp and seat belt ten-
sioner The control lamp monitors all airbags and
seat
belt
tensioners in the vehicle, including
control units and wiring connections.
Monitoring of airbag and belt tensioner sys-
tem
Both the airbag and belt tensioner systems
operation is constantly monitored electroni-
cally. The control lamp will light up for a
few seconds every time the ignition is switch-
ed on (self-diagnosis).
The system must be checked when the con-
trol lamp :
● does not light up when the ignition is
swit c
hed on,
● turns off after 4 seconds after the ignition
is sw
itched on
● turns off and then lights up again after the
ignition is sw
itched on
● illuminates or flashes while the vehicle is
movin
g.
In the event of a malfunction, the warning
lamp remains on continuously. Have the air-
bag system inspected immediately by a spe-
cialised workshop.
68
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Airbag system
If any of the airbags are disabled by a Techni-
c al
Service, the warning lamp flashes for sev-
eral more seconds after verification and will
turn off if there is no fault. WARNING
● If ther e i
s a malfunction, the airbag and
belt tensioner system cannot properly per-
form its protective function.
● If a malfunction occurs, have the system
check
ed immediately by a specialised work-
shop. Otherwise, in the event of an accident,
the airbag system and belt tensioners may
not be triggered, or may not be triggered cor-
rectly. Airbag safety instructions
Fr ont
airb
agsRead the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 14. WARNING
● The seat belt
s and airbags can only provide
maximum protection if the occupants are
seated correctly ››› page 57, Correct position
for passengers.
● The deployment space between the front
pas
sengers and the airbags must not in any
case be occupied by other passenger, pets
and objects. ●
The airbag s
provide protection for just one
accident; replace them once they have de-
ployed.
● It is also important not to attach any ob-
jects
such as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the air-
bag units.
● Do not attempt to modify components of
the airbag sys
tem in any way. Side airbags*
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 15. WARNING
● If y
ou do not wear a seat belt, if you lean
forward, or are not seated correctly while the
vehicle is in motion, you are at a greater risk
of injury if the side airbag system is triggered
in an accident.
● In order for the side airbags to provide their
maximum pr
otection, the prescribed sitting
position must always be maintained with
seat belts fastened while travelling.
● Occupants of the outer seats must never
carry
any objects or pets in the deployment
space between them and the airbags, or al-
low children or other passengers to travel in
this position. It is also important not to at-
tach any accessories (such as cup holders) to the doors. This would impair the protection
offer
ed b
y the side airbags.
● The built-in coat hooks should be used only
for lightweight
clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
● Great forces, such as hard blows or kicks,
must
not be exerted upon the backrest bol-
ster because the system may be damaged. In
this case, the side airbags would not be trig-
gered.
● Under no circumstances should protective
cov
ers be fitted over seats with side airbags
unless the covers have been approved for use
in your vehicle. Because the airbag deploys
from the side of the backrest, the use of con-
ventional seat covers would obstruct the side
airbag, seriously reducing the airbag's effec-
tiveness.
● Any damage to the original seat upholstery
or around the se
ams of the side airbag units
must be repaired immediately by a special-
ised workshop.
● The airbags provide protection for just one
accident; r
eplace them once they have de-
ployed.
● Any work on the side airbag system or re-
mova
l and installation of the airbag compo-
nents for other repairs (such as removal of
the front seat) should only be performed by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise, faults may
occur during the airbag system operation.
● Do not attempt to modify components of
the airbag sys
tem in any way. » 69
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●
The side and he a
d airbags are managed
through sensors located in the interior of the
front doors. To ensure the correct operation of
the side and curtain (head) airbags neither
the doors nor the door panels should be
modified in any way (e.g. fitting loudspeak-
ers). If the front door is damaged, the airbag
system may not work correctly. All work car-
ried out on the front door must be done in a
specialised workshop.
● In a side-on collision the side airbags will
not work
if the sensors do not correctly meas-
ure the pressure increase on the interior of
the doors, due to air escaping through the
areas with holes or openings in the door pan-
el.
● Never drive if the interior door panels have
been remov
ed or if the panels have not been
correctly fitted.
● Never drive the vehicle if the loudspeakers
in the door panels
have been removed, un-
less the holes left by the loudspeakers have
been closed properly.
● Always check that the openings are closed
or cov
ered if additional loudspeakers or other
equipment are fitted inside the door panels.
● Any work carried out to the doors should be
made in an authori
sed specialised workshop.Curtain airbags*
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 15. WARNING
The airbag is deployed at high speed in frac-
tions of
a second.
● Do not obstruct the head-protection airbag
deployment
areas.
● Never secure objects over the curtain air-
bag co
ver or in its deployment area.
● Occupants of the front seats and rear side
seats
must never carry any other people, ani-
mals or objects in the deployment space be-
tween them and the airbags. Make sure that
all the vehicle occupants, including children,
observe this.
● The clothes hangers are intended only for
light artic
les of clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
● Do not mount accessories on the doors.
● Use only sun blinds which have been ex-
pres
sly approved for use in your vehicle.
● Do not turn the sun blinds towards the win-
dows
if there are objects, e.g. pens or garage
remote controls, secured to them. Deactivating airbags
D e
activ
ation of front passenger front
airbag* Fig. 84
In the glove compartment: Switch for
activ atin
g and de
activating the front passen-
ger airbag Fig. 85
Centre side of dash panel: control
l amp f
or de
activated front passenger airbag
in centre console 70