Page 33 of 346

1.27
The following information applies to the vehicle’s front and rear seat belts.
–  No modification may be made to the component parts of the originally fit\
ted restraint system: seat belts, seats and 
their mountings. For special operations (e.g. fitting child seats), co\
ntact an authorised dealer.
– Do not use devices which allow any slack in the belts (e.g. clothes peg\
s, clips, etc.): a seat belt which is worn too 
loosely may cause injury in the event of an accident.
–  Never wear the shoulder strap under your arm or behind your back.
–  Never use the same belt for more than one person and never hold a baby o\
r child on your lap with your seat belt around  them.
–  The belt should never be twisted.
–  Following an accident, have the seat belts checked and replaced if neces\
sary. Always replace your seat belts as soon as  they show any signs of wear.
–  When positioning the rear bench seat, make sure that the seat belts and \
buckles are correctly positioned so that they can  be used properly.
–  Make sure that the buckle is inserted into the appropriate catch.
–  Ensure that no objects are placed in the area around the seat belt catch\
 as they could prevent it from being properly se- cured.
–  Make sure the seat belt catch is properly positioned (it should not be \
hidden away, crushed or flattened by people or ob- jects).
SEAT BELTS (4/4) 
     
        
        Page 34 of 346

1.28
METHODS OF RESTRAINT IN ADDITION TO THE FRONT SEAT BELTS (1/4)
Depending on the vehicle, they are 
composed of:
–  seat belt inertia reel pretension-ers;
–  central seat belt pretensioners;
–  chest-level load limiter;
–  air bags for driver and front pas- senger.
These systems are designed to act in-
dependently or together when the vehi-
cle is subjected to a frontal impact.
Depending on the severity of the 
impact, the system can trigger:
–  seat belt locking;
–  the seat belt inertia reel pretensioner  (which engages to correct seat belt 
slack);
–  the lap belt pretensioners to hold the  occupant in his seat;
–  the front airbag.
Pretensioners
The pretensioners hold the seat belt 
against the body, holding the occupant 
more securely against the seat, thus in-
creasing the seat belt’s efficiency.
In the event of a severe frontal impact 
and if the ignition is switched on, the 
system may engage the following de-
pending on the force of the impact:
–  the seat belt inertia reel preten- sioner  1 which instantly retracts the 
seat belt;
–  the lap pretensioner  2 on the front 
seats.
–   Have the entire restraint 
system checked following 
an accident.
– No operation whatso-
ever is permitted on any part of 
the system (pretensioners, air 
bags, computers, wiring) and the 
system components must not 
be reused on any other vehicle, 
even if identical.
–  To avoid incorrect triggering of  the system which may cause 
injury, only qualified personnel 
from an approved Dealer may 
work on the pretensioner and air 
bag system.
–  The electric trigger system may  only be tested by a specially 
trained technician using special 
equipment.
–  When the vehicle is scrapped,  contact an approved Dealer for 
disposal of the pretensioner and 
air bag gas generators.
12  
     
        
        Page 35 of 346

1.29
METHODS OF RESTRAINT IN ADDITION TO THE FRONT SEAT BELTS (2/4)
Load limiter
Above a certain severity of impact, this 
mechanism is used to limit the force of 
the belt against the body so that it is at 
an acceptable level.
airbags for driver and 
passenger
Fitted to the driver and passenger side.
The presence of this equipment is in-
dicated by the word “Air bag” on the 
steering wheel and dashboard (air bag 
zone A) and, depending on the vehicle, 
a symbol on the lower section of the 
windscreen.
Each air bag system consists of:
–  an air bag and gas generator fitted  on the steering wheel for the driver 
and in the dashboard for the front 
passenger;
–  an electronic unit for system monitor- ing which controls the gas generator 
electrical trigger system;
– remote sensors;
–  a single warning light 
å on the 
instrument panel.
A
The air bag system uses 
pyrotechnic principles. This 
explains why, when the air 
bag inflates, it will gener-
ate heat, produce smoke (this does 
not mean that a fire is about to start) 
and make a noise upon detonation. 
In a situation where an air bag is 
required, it will inflate immediately 
and this may cause some minor, su-
perficial grazing to the skin or other 
problems.  
     
        
        Page 36 of 346
1.30
METHODS OF RESTRAINT IN ADDITION TO THE FRONT SEAT BELTS (3/4)
Operation
This system is only operational when 
the ignition is switched on.
In a severe frontal impact, the air bags 
inflate rapidly, cushioning the impact 
of the driver’s head and chest against 
the steering wheel and of the front pas-
senger against the dashboard. The air 
bags then deflate immediately so that 
the passengers are not in any way hin-
dered from leaving the vehicle.
Operating faults
å  This warning light comes on 
when the engine is started and then 
goes out after approximately three sec-
onds.
If it does not come on when the ignition 
is switched on or if it stays on, there is a 
fault in the system.
Contact your approved Dealer as soon 
as possible.
Your protection will be reduced until this 
fault is rectified.  
     
        
        Page 37 of 346

1.31
METHODS OF RESTRAINT IN ADDITION TO THE FRONT SEAT BELTS (4/4)
Warnings concerning the driver’s air bag
– Do not modify the steering wheel or the steering wheel boss.
– Do not cover the steering wheel boss under any circumstances.
–  Do not attach any objects (badge, logo, clock, telephone holder, etc.) to the steering wheel boss.
–  The steering wheel must not be removed (except by qualified personnel f\
rom our Network).
–  Do not sit too close to the steering wheel when driving: Sit with your a\
rms slightly bent (see the information on “Adjusting  your driving position” in Section 1). This will allow sufficient space for the air bag to deploy correctly and to be fully effe ctive.
Warnings concerning the passenger air bag
–  Do not attach or glue any objects (badge, logo, clock, telephone holder\
, etc.) to the dashboard on or near the air bag.
–  Do not place anything between the dashboard and the passenger (pet, umb\
rella, walking stick, parcels, etc.).
–  The passenger must not put his or her feet on the dashboard or seat as t\
here is a risk that serious injuries may be sustained . 
In general, parts of the body should be kept away from the dashboard (k\
nees, hands, head, etc.)
–  The devices in addition to the front passenger seat belt should be react\
ivated as soon as a child seat is removed, to ensure  the protection of the passenger in the event of an impact.
A REAR-FACING CHILD SEAT MUST NOT BE FITTED TO THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT UNLESS THE ADDITIONAL RESTRAINT SYSTEMS, I.E. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG, ARE DEACTIVATED.
(refer to the information on “Child safety: deactivating/activating \
the front passenger air bag” in Section 1)
All of the warnings below are given so that the air bag is not obstructe\
d in any way when it is inflated and also to prevent 
the risk of serious injuries caused by items which may be dislodged when\
 the air bag inflates. 
     
        
        Page 38 of 346
1.32
METHODS OF RESTRAINT IN ADDITION TO THE REAR SEAT BELTS
Force limiter
Above a certain severity of impact, this 
mechanism is used to limit the force of 
the belt against the body so that it is at 
an acceptable level.
–  Have the entire restraint 
system checked following 
an accident.
– No operation whatsoever 
is permitted on any part of the 
system (air bags, electronic con-
trol units, wiring) and the system 
components must not be reused 
on any other vehicle, even if iden-
tical.
– Only qualified personnel from  our Network may work on the air 
bags; otherwise the system may 
trigger accidentally and cause 
injury. 
     
        
        Page 39 of 346

1.33
SIDE PROTECTION DEVICES
Warning concerning the side air bag
– Fitting seat covers: seats equipped with an air bag require covers 
specifically designed for your vehicle. Contact an approved Dealer to fi\
nd 
out if these covers are available. The use of any covers other than those 
designed for your vehicle (including those designed for another vehicle\
) may 
affect the operation of the air bags and reduce your protection.
–  Do not place any accessories, objects or even pets between the seatback,\
 the  door and the internal fittings. Do not cover the seatback with any items\
 such as 
clothes or accessories. This may prevent the air bag from operating correctly 
or cause injury when the air bag is deployed.
–  No work or modification whatsoever may be carried out on the seat or int\
ernal  fittings, except by qualified personnel from an approved dealer.
Side air bags
These air bags are fitted to the front 
seats and are activated at the sides of 
the seats (door side) to protect the oc-
cupants in the event of a severe side 
impact.
Curtain air bags
These are airbags fitted along the sides 
of the vehicle in the ceiling which trigger 
along the front and rear door side win-
dows to protect the passengers in case 
of a severe side impact.
Depending on the vehicle, a mark-
ing on the windscreen informs you 
of the presence of additional means 
of restraint (airbags, pretensioners, 
etc.) in the passenger compartment. 
     
        
        Page 40 of 346

1.34
ADDITIONAL METHODS OF RESTRAINT
The air bag is designed to complement the action of the seat belt. Both \
the air bags and seat belts are integral parts of 
the same protection system. It is therefore essential to wear seat belts\
 at all times. If seat belts are not worn, the occu-
pants are exposed to the risk of serious injury in the event of an accid\
ent. It may also increase the risk of minor super-
ficial injuries occurring when the air bag is deployed, although such mi\
nor injuries are always possible with air bags.
If the vehicle should overturn or suffer a rear impact, however severe, the pretensioners and air bags are no\
t always triggered . 
Shocks to the underbody of the vehicle, e.g. from pavements, potholes or\
 stones, can all trigger these systems.
–  No work or modification  whatsoever may be carried out on any part of the air bag system (air bags, preten\
sioners, compu-
ter, wiring harness, etc.), except by qualified personnel from an approved\
 dealer.
–  To ensure that the system is in good working order and to avoid accidenta\
l triggering of the system which may cause injury,  only qualified Network personnel may work on the air bag system.
–  As a safety precaution, have the air bag system checked if your vehicle has been involved in an accident, or is stolen or  broken into.
–  When selling or lending the vehicle, inform the user of these points and\
 hand over this driver’s handbook with the vehicle.
–  When scrapping your vehicle, contact your approved dealer for disposal o\
f the gas generator(s).
All of the warnings below are given  so  that the air bag is not obstructed in any way when it is inflated and  also to prevent 
the risk of serious injuries caused by items which may be dislodged when\
 the air bag inflates.