How The SRS Air Bags
Work
Your vehicle is equipped with the
following types of SRS air bags. SRS air
bags are designed to work together
with the seat belts to help to reduce
injuries during an accident. The SRS air
bags are designed to provide further
protection for passengers in addition to
the seat belt functions. Be sure to wear
seat belts properly.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The seat belt pretensioners are
designed to deploy in moderate or
severe frontal, near frontal collisions. In
addition, during a side collision, the
pretensioner operates on the side in
which the collision occurs.
The pretensioners operate differently
depending on what types of air bags
are equipped. For details on the seat
belt pretensioner operation, refer to the
SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria.
Driver Air Bag
The driver's air bag is mounted in the
steering wheel.When Air Bag crash sensors detect a
frontal impact of greater than moderate
force, the driver's Air Bag inflates
quickly helping to reduce injury mainly
to the driver's head or chest caused by
directly hitting the steering wheel. For
more details about Air Bag deployment,
refer to "SRS Air Bag Deployment
Criteria" in this chapter for further
information.
(With Passenger Occupant
Classification System)
The driver's dual-stage air bag controls
air bag inflation in two energy stages.
During an impact of moderate severity,
the driver's air bag deploys with lesser
energy, whereas during more severe
impacts, it deploys with more energy.Passenger Air Bag
(Dual stage)
The passenger Air Bag is mounted in
the passenger dashboard.
The inflation mechanism for the
passenger Air Bag is the same as the
driver's Air Bag, as mentioned above.
For more details about Air Bag
deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag
Deployment Criteria" in this chapter.
For further details about air bag
deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag
deployment criteria" in this chapter.
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SAFETY
Side Air Bags
The side air bags are mounted in the
outer sides of the seat backs. When the
air bag crash sensors detect a side
impact of greater than moderate force,
the system inflates the side air bag only
on the side in which the vehicle was hit.
The side air bag inflates quickly to
reduce injury to the driver or
passenger's head and chest caused by
directly hitting interior parts such as a
door or window. For more details aboutair bag deployment, refer to "SRS Air
Bag deployment criteria" in this chapter
for further information.
Warning!
Occupants, including children, who are
up against or very close to side air bags
can be seriously injured or killed.
Occupants, including children, should
never lean on or sleep against the door,
side windows, or area where the side air
bags inflate, even if they are in an infant or
child restraint.
Seat belts (and child restraints where
appropriate) are necessary for your
protection in all collisions. They also help
keep you in position, away from an inflating
side air bag. To get the best protection
from the side air bags, occupants must
wear their seat belts properly and sit
upright with their backs against the seats.
Children must be properly restrained in a
child restraint or booster seat that is
appropriate for the size of the child.
With Passenger Occupant
Classification System
In addition, the passenger side bag is
designed to only deploy when the
passenger occupant classification
sensor detects a passenger sitting on
the passenger's seat.
Warning!
If a child restraint system, child, small
teenager or adult in the front passenger
seat is seated improperly, the occupant
may provide an output signal to the OCS
that is different from the occupant’s
properly seated weight input. This may
result in serious injury or death in a
collision.
Always wear your seat belt and sit
properly, with the seatback in an upright
position, your back against the seatback,
sitting upright, facing forward, in the center
of the seat, with your feet comfortably on
or near the floor.
Do not carry or hold any objects (e.g.,
backpacks, boxes, etc.) while seated in the
front passenger seat. Holding an object
may provide an output signal to the OCS
that is different than the occupant’s
properly seated weight input, which may
result in serious injury or death in a
collision.
Placing an object on the floor under the
front passenger seat may prevent the OCS
from working properly, which may result in
serious injury or death in a collision. Do not
place any objects on the floor under the
front passenger seat.
06010205-126-123Abarth Side Air Bags
137
SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria
This chart indicates the applicable SRS equipment that will deploy depending on the type of collision (the illustrations are the
representative cases of collisions).
SRS equipmentTypes of collision
A severe frontal/near frontal collision A severe side collision (*) A rear collision
SRS Equipment
Seat belt pretensioner X (**) (both sides)X (**) (impact side only)
No air bag and seat belt
pretensioner will be activated in a rear collision
Driver air bag
X
Passenger air bag X (**)
Side air bag X (**) (impact side only)
X: the SRS air bag equipment is designed to deploy in a collision.
(*) In a side collision, the seat belt pretensioners and the side air bags deploy (only on the side in which the collision occurs).
(**)Passenger Occupant Classification System : the passenger front and side air bags and the seat belt pretensioner are
designed to deploy when the passenger occupant classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on the passenger's seat.
Note: In a frontal offset collision, the equipped air bags and pretensioners may all deploy depending on the direction, angle,
and rate of impact.
139
Warning!
Unapproved modifications or service
procedures to the passenger seat
assembly, its related components, seat
cover, or cushion may inadvertently change
the air bag deployment in case of a frontal
collision. This could result in death or
serious injury to the front passenger if the
vehicle is involved in a collision. A modified
vehicle may not comply with required
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
(FMVSS) and/or Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (CMVSS).
If it is necessary to modify the air bag
system for persons with disabilities, contact
your authorized dealer.
Warning!
Deployed air bags and seat belt
pretensioners cannot protect you in
another collision. Have the air bags, seat
belt pretensioners, and the seat belt
retractor assemblies replaced by an
authorized dealer immediately. Also, have
the Occupant Restraint Controller System
serviced as well.
Warning!
Ignoring the Air Bag Warning Light in
your instrument panel could mean you
won’t have the air bags to protect you in a
collision. If the light does not come on as a
bulb check when the ignition is first turned
on, stays on after you start the vehicle, or if
it comes on as you drive, have an
authorized dealer service the air bag
system immediately.
Placing an object on the floor under the
front passenger seat may prevent the
occupant classification sensor from
working properly, which may result in
serious injury or death in a collision. Do not
place any objects on the floor under the
front passenger seat.
If there is a fault present in the occupant
classification sensor, both the Indicator
Light and the Air Bag Warning Light will
illuminate to show that the Passenger
Advanced Front Air Bag is deactivated.
Should this occur, the Passenger
Advanced Front Air Bag will remain
deactivated until the fault is cleared. This
indicates that you should take the vehicle
to an authorized dealer for service
immediately.
Limitations To SRS Air
Bag
In severe collisions such as those
described in "SRS Air Bag Deployment
Criteria" paragraph, the applicable SRS
air bag equipment will deploy.
However, in some accidents, the
equipment may not deploy depending
on the type of collision and its severity.
Limitations To Front / Near Front
Collision Detection
Front/near front collisions may not be
detected as severe enough to deploy
the SRS air bag equipment:
Impacts involving trees or poles A.
Frontal offset impact to the vehicle B.
Rear-ending or running under a
truck's tail gate.
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SAFETY
Passenger Occupant
Classification Sensor
Your vehicle is equipped with a
passenger occupant classification
sensor as a part of the supplementary
restraint system. This sensor is
equipped in the passenger's seat
cushion. This sensor measures the
electrostatic capacity of the
passenger's seat.
The SRS unit is designed to prevent the
passenger front and side Air Bags and
seat belt pretensioner system from
deploying if the passenger Air Bag
deactivation indicator light turns on.
To reduce the chance of injuries caused
by deployment of the passenger Air
Bag, the system deactivates the
passenger front and side Air Bags and
also the seat belt pretensioner system
when the passenger Air Bag
deactivation indicator light turns on.
This system shuts off the passenger
front and side Air Bags and seat belt
pretensioner system, so make sure the
passenger Air Bag deactivation
indicator light turns on.
The air bag/seat belt pretensioner
system warning light flashes and the
passenger Air Bag deactivation
indicator light illuminates if the sensors
have a possible malfunction. If this
happens, the passenger front and side
Air Bags and seat belt pretensioner
system will not deploy.Note:
If a passenger is seated as
shown in the following figure the
passenger occupant classification
sensor cannot detect a passenger
sitting on the passenger's seat correctly
and the deployment/non-deployment of
the Air Bags cannot be controlled as
indicated in the passenger Air Bag
deactivation indicator light on/off
condition chart.
Warning!
If a child restraint system, child, small
teenager or adult in the front passenger
seat is seated improperly, the occupant
may provide an output signal to the
occupant classification sensor that is
different from the occupant’s properly
seated weight input. This may result in
serious injury or death in a collision.
Passenger Air Bag Deactivation
Indicator Lights
These indicator lights turn on to remind
you that the passenger front and side
Air Bags and seat belt pretensioner will
or will not deploy during a collision.
03040702-12A-001Passenger Not Sitting Correct
142
SAFETY
Note:
The system requires about
10 seconds to alternate between
turning the passenger front and side
Air Bags and seat belt pretensioner
system on or off.
The passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light may turn on repeatedly if
luggage or other items are put on the
passenger seat, or if the temperature
of the vehicle's interior changes
suddenly.
The passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light may turn on for
10 seconds if the electrostatic capacity
on the passenger seat changes.
The air bag/seat belt pretensioner
system warning light might turn on if
the passenger seat receives a severe
impact.
If the passenger Air Bag
deactivation indicator light does not
turn on after installing a child restraint
system on the passenger seat, first,
reinstall your child restraint system
according to the procedure in this
Owner Handbook. Then, if the
passenger Air Bag deactivation OFF
indicator light still does not turn on,
and contact an Authorized Dealership
as soon as possible.
If the passenger Air Bag
deactivation indicator light turns on
when an occupant is seated directly in
the passenger seat, have the
passenger readjust their posture by
sitting with their feet on the floor, and
then refastening the seat belt. If the
passenger Air Bag deactivation
indicator light remains turned on, slide
the passenger seat as far back as
possible. Contact an Authorized
Dealership as soon as possible. Passenger Air Bag Deactivation
Indicator Light On/Off Condition
Chart
If the passenger occupant classification
sensor is normal, the indicator light
turns on when the ignition is switched
ON. The light turns off after a few
seconds. Then, the indicator light turns
on or is off under the following
conditions:
GUID-06070400567567Passenger Air Bag Deactivated
143
Condition Detected By ThePassenger Occupant
Classification System Passenger Air Bag
Deactivation Indicator Light Passenger Front And Side Air
Bags Passenger Seat Belt
Pretensioner System
Empty (Not occupied) OnDeactivated Deactivated
A
child is seated in a child restraint system (*) On
Deactivated Deactivated
Adult (**) OffReady Ready
(*) The occupant classification sensor may not detect a child seated on the seat, in a child restraint system, or a junior seat
depending on the child's physical size and seated posture.
(**) If a smaller adult sits on the passenger seat, the sensors might detect the person as being a child depending on the
person's physique.
If the passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light does not turn on when
the ignition is switched ON and does
not turn on as indicated in the
passenger air bag deactivation indicator
light on/off condition chart, do not allow
an occupant to sit in the passenger
seat and contact an Authorized
Dealership as soon as possible. The
system may not work properly in an
accident.
Warning!
Never place a rear-facing child restraint
in front of an air bag. A deploying
passenger front air bag can cause death or
serious injury to a child 12 years or
younger, including a child in a rear-facing
child restraint.
Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a
vehicle with a rear seat.
Children 12 years or younger should
always ride buckled up in a vehicle with a
rear seat.
Warning!
No objects should be placed over or
near the air bag on the instrument panel or
steering wheel because any such objects
could cause harm if the vehicle is in a
collision severe enough to cause the air
bag to inflate.
Do not put anything on or around the air
bag covers or attempt to open them
manually. You may damage the air bags
and you could be injured because the air
bags may no longer be functional. The
protective covers for the air bag cushions are designed to open only when the air
bags are inflating.
Relying on the air bags alone could lead
to more severe injuries in a collision. The air
bags work with your seat belt to restrain
you properly. In some collisions, air bags
won’t deploy at all. Always wear your seat
belts even though you have air bags.
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SAFETY
However, if necessary, FCA will:
Use the data for research on FCA
vehicle performance, including safety.
Disclose the data or the
summarized data to a third party for
research purposes without disclosing
vehicle or owner identification
information.
Recording Of Vehicle Data
This vehicle is equipped with a
computer which records the following
main vehicle data related to vehicle
controls, operation, and other driving
conditions.
Recorded Data
Vehicle conditions such as engine
speed and vehicle speed.
Driving operation conditions such
as accelerator and brake pedals, and
information related to the
environmental circumstances while the
vehicle is driven.
Malfunction diagnosis information
from each on-vehicle computer.
Information related to controls of
other on-vehicle computers.
The recorded data may vary depending
on the vehicle grade and optional
equipment. Voice and images are not
recorded. Data Handling
FCA and its subcontracting parties may
obtain and use the recorded data for
vehicle malfunction diagnosis, research
and development, and quality
improvement.
FCA will not disclose or provide any of
the obtained data to a third party
unless:
An agreement from the vehicle
owner (agreements from lessor and
lessee for leased vehicle) is obtained.
Officially requested by the police or
other law enforcement authorities.
For statistical processing by a
research institution, after processing
the data so that identification of the
owner or the vehicle is impossible.
CONSTANT
MONITORING
The following components of the Air
Bag systems are monitored by a
diagnostic system:
Crash Sensors, And Diagnostic
Module (Sas Unit)
Front Air Bag Sensors
Air Bag Modules
Side Crash Sensors
Air Bag/Seat Belt Pretensioner
System Warning Light
Seat Belt Pretensioners
Related Wiring
With Passenger Occupant
Classification System
Passenger Air Bag Deactivation
Indicator Light
Passenger Occupant Classification
Sensor
Passenger Occupant Classification
Module — If Equipped
The diagnostic module continuously
monitors the system's readiness. This
begins when the ignition is switched
ON and continues while the vehicle is
being driven.
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SAFETY