2017 FIAT 500L warning

side impact deploys the left Side Air Bags only and a
right side impact deploys the right Side Air Bags only.
The Side Air Bags will not deploy in all side collisions,
including some collisions at certain angles, or some side
collisions that do not impact the area of the passenger
compartment. The Side Air Bags may deploy during
angled or offset frontal collisions where the front air
bags deploy.
Rollover Events
Side Air Bags are designed to activate in certain rollover
events. The ORC determines whether the deployment
of the Side Air Bags in a particular rollover event is
appropriate, based on the severity and type of collision.
Vehicle damage by itself is not a good indicator of
whether or not Side Air Bags should have deployed.
The Side Air Bags will not deploy in all rollover events.
The rollover sensing system determines if a rollover
event may be in progress and whether deployment is
appropriate. In the event the vehicle experiences a
rollover or near rollover event, and deployment of the
Side Air Bags is appropriate, the rollover sensing sys-
tem will also deploy the seat belt pretensioners on both
sides of the vehicle.The SABICs may help reduce the risk of partial or
complete ejection of vehicle occupants through side
windows in certain rollover or side impact events.
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) monitors the
internal circuits and interconnecting wiring associated
with electrical Air Bag System Components listed below:
Air Bag System Components
•
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
• Air Bag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
• Instrument Panel
• Knee Impact Bolsters
• Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags
• Supplemental Side Air Bags
• Supplemental Knee Air Bags
• Front and Side Impact Sensors
• Seat Belt Pretensioners
• Seat Track Position Sensors
• Seat Belt Buckle Switch
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

If A Deployment Occurs
The front air bags are designed to deflate immediately
after deployment.
NOTE:Front and/or side air bags will not deploy in all
collisions. This does not mean something is wrong with
the air bag system.
If you do have a collision which deploys the air bags,
any or all of the following may occur:
• The air bag material may sometimes cause abrasions
and/or skin reddening to the occupants as the air
bags deploy and unfold. The abrasions are similar to
friction rope burns or those you might get sliding
along a carpet or gymnasium floor. They are not
caused by contact with chemicals. They are not
permanent and normally heal quickly. However, if
you haven’t healed significantly within a few days,
or if you have any blistering, see your doctor imme-
diately.
• As the air bags deflate, you may see some smoke-like
particles. The particles are a normal by-product of the
process that generates the non-toxic gas used for air
bag inflation. These airborne particles may irritate
the skin, eyes, nose, or throat. If you have skin or eye irritation, rinse the area with cool water. For nose or
throat irritation, move to fresh air. If the irritation
continues, see your doctor. If these particles settle on
your clothing, follow the garment manufacturer ’s
instructions for cleaning.
Do not drive your vehicle after the air bags have
deployed. If you are involved in another collision, the
air bags will not be in place to protect you.
WARNING!
Deployed air bags and seat belt pretensioners can-
not 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 Re-
straint Controller System serviced as well.
NOTE:
• Air bag covers may not be obvious in the interior
trim, but they will open during air bag deployment.
• After any collision, the vehicle should be taken to an
authorized dealer immediately.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45

Maintaining Your Air Bag System
WARNING!
•Modifications to any part of the air bag system
could cause it to fail when you need it. You could
be injured if the air bag system is not there to
protect you. Do not modify the components or
wiring, including adding any kind of badges or
stickers to the steering wheel hub trim cover or
the upper right side of the instrument panel. Do
not modify the front bumper, vehicle body struc-
ture, or add aftermarket side steps or running
boards.
• It is dangerous to try to repair any part of the air
bag system yourself. Be sure to tell anyone who
works on your vehicle that it has an air bag
system.
• Do not attempt to modify any part of your air bag
system. The air bag may inflate accidentally or
may not function properly if modifications are
made. Take your vehicle to an authorized dealer
for any air bag system service. If your seat,
including your trim cover and cushion, needs to
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
be serviced in any way (including removal or
loosening/tightening of seat attachment bolts),
take the vehicle to your authorized dealer. Only
manufacturer approved seat accessories may be
used. If it is necessary to modify the air bag
system for persons with disabilities, contact your
authorized dealer.
Event Data Recorder (EDR)
This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder
(EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in
certain crash or near crash-like situations, such as an air
bag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a vehicle’s systems per-
formed. The EDR is designed to record data related to
vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period
of time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this
vehicle is designed to record such data as:
•How various systems in your vehicle were operating;
• Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts
were buckled/fastened;
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
• How fast the vehicle was traveling.
• These data can help provide a better understanding
of the circumstances in which crashes and injuries
occur.
NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a
non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data are recorded
by the EDR under normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g., name, gender, age, and crash loca-
tion) are recorded. However, other parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type
of personally identifying data routinely acquired dur-
ing a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is
required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed.
In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties,
such as law enforcement, that have the special equip-
ment, can read the information if they have access to the
vehicle or the EDR.Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States, and every Canadian province, requires
that small children ride in proper restraint systems. This
is the law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years or younger should ride properly
buckled up in a rear seat, if available. According to
crash statistics, children are safer when properly re-
strained in the rear seats rather than in the front.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child can become a
projectile inside the vehicle. The force required to
hold even an infant on your lap could become so
great that you could not hold the child, no matter
how strong you are. The child and others could be
badly injured. Any child riding in your vehicle
should be in a proper restraint for the child’s size.
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner ’s Manual to make sure you have the correct
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49

seat for your child. Carefully read and follow all the
instructions and warnings in the child restraint Own-
er ’s Manual and on all the labels attached to the child
restraint.
Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. You should also make sure that you can
install it in the vehicle where you will use it.NOTE:
•
For additional information, refer to www.safercar.gov/
parents/index.htm or call 1–888–327–4236.
•Canadian residents should refer to Transport Canada’s
website for additional information: www.tc.gc.ca/
eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-
index-53.htm
Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In Vehicles
Child Size, Height, Weight Or
Age Recommended Type Of Child Re-
straint
Infants and Toddlers Children who are two years old or younger and who have not
reached the height or weight limits of their child restraint Either an Infant Carrier or a Con-
vertible Child Restraint, facing
rearward in the rear seat of the ve- hicle
Small Children Children who are at least two
years old or who have out-grown
the height or weight limit of their rear-facing child restraint Forward-Facing Child Restraint
with a five-point Harness, facing
forward in the rear seat of the ve- hicle
Larger Children Children who have out-grown
their forward-facing child restraint, but are too small to properly fit the vehicle’s seat belt Belt Positioning Booster Seat and
the vehicle seat belt, seated in the rear seat of the vehicle
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Child Size, Height, Weight OrAge Recommended Type Of Child Re-
straint
Children Too Large for Child Re- straints Children 12 years old or younger,
who have out-grown the height or weight limit of their booster seat Vehicle Seat Belt, seated in the rear
seat of the vehicle
Infant And Child Restraints
Safety experts recommend that children ride rear-facing
in the vehicle until they are two years old or until they
reach either the height or weight limit of their rear-
facing child restraint. Two types of child restraints can
be used rear-facing: infant carriers and convertible child
seats.
The infant carrier is only used rear-facing in the vehicle. It
is recommended for children from birth until they reach
the weight or height limit of the infant carrier. Convert-
ible child seats can be used either rear-facing or forward-
facing in the vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a
higher weight limit in the rear-facing direction than infant
carriers do, so they can be used rear-facing by children
who have outgrown their infant carrier but are still less
than at least two years old. Children should remain
rear-facing until they reach the highest weight or height
allowed by their convertible child seat.
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.
Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have outgrown
their rear-facing convertible child seat can ride forward-
facing in the vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and
convertible child seats used in the forward-facing direc-
tion are for children who are over two years old or who
have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit of
their rear-facing convertible child seat. Children should
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51

remain in a forward-facing child seat with a harness for
as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height
allowed by the child seat.
All children whose weight or height is above the
forward-facing limit for the child seat should use a
belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat
belts fit properly. If the child cannot sit with knees bent
over the vehicle’s seat cushion while the child’s back is
against the seatback, they should use a belt-positioning
booster seat. The child and belt-positioning booster seat
are held in the vehicle by the seat belt.
WARNING!
•Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s
directions exactly when installing an infant or
child restraint.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•After a child restraint is installed in the vehicle,
do not move the vehicle seat forward or rearward
because it can loosen the child restraint attach-
ments. Remove the child restraint before adjust-
ing the vehicle seat position. When the vehicle
seat has been adjusted, reinstall the child re-
straint.
• When your child restraint is not in use, secure it
in the vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchor-
ages, or remove it from the vehicle. Do not leave
it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or
accident, it could strike the occupants or seat-
backs and cause serious personal injury.
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder
belt comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to
bend over the front of the seat when their back is
against the seatback, should use the seat belt in a rear
seat. Use this simple 5-step test to decide whether the
child can use the vehicle’s seat belt alone:
1. Can the child sit all the way back against the back ofthe vehicle seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over the front of the vehicle seat – while they are still sitting all the
way back?
3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder between their neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching the child’s thighs and not their stomach?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip? If the answer to any of these questions was “no,” then
the child still needs to use a booster seat in this vehicle.
If the child is using the lap/shoulder belt, check seat
belt fit periodically and make sure the seat belt buckle is
latched. A child’s squirming or slouching can move the
belt out of position. If the shoulder belt contacts the face
or neck, move the child closer to the center of the
vehicle, or use a booster seat to position the seat belt on
the child correctly.
WARNING!
Never allow a child to put the shoulder belt under
an arm or behind their back. In a crash, the shoulder
belt will not protect a child properly, which may
result in serious injury or death. A child must
always wear both the lap and shoulder portions of
the seat belt correctly.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53