Safe driving
WARNING
● Any inc
orrect sitting position increases the
risk of severe injuries.
● Sitting in an incorrect position exposes the
vehicl
e occupants to severe injuries if airbags
are triggered, by striking a vehicle occupant
who has assumed an incorrect sitting posi-
tion.
● Before the vehicle moves, assume the prop-
er sitting po
sition and maintain it throughout
the trip. Before every trip, instruct your pas-
sengers to sit properly and to stay in this po-
sition during the trip ››› page 76, Correct posi-
tion of the vehicle occupants .Correct adjustment of front head re-
s
tr
aint
s Fig. 94
Correctly adjusted head restraint as
v iew
ed fr
om the front and the side. Properly adjusted head restraints are an im-
por
t
ant
part of passenger protection and can
reduce the risk of injuries in most accident
situations.
– Adjust the head restraint so that its upper
edge is, a
s far as possible, at the same lev-
el as the top of your head, or at the very
least, at eye level ››› Fig. 94. WARNING
● Trav
elling with the head restraints removed
or improperly adjusted increases the risk of
severe injuries. An improper adjustment of
the head restraints may cause death in an ac-
cident and increase the risk of suffering inju-
ries during abrupt braking actions or unex-
pected manoeuvres.
● The head restraints must always be adjus-
ted acc
ording to the height of the passenger. Correct adjustment of rear head re-
s
tr
aint
s Fig. 95
Head restraints in the correct posi-
tion. Fig. 96
Head restraint position warning label. Properly adjusted head restraints are an im-
por
t
ant
part of the passenger protection and
can reduce the risk of injuries in most acci-
dent situations »
79
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Safety
The protective function of seat belts Fig. 98
Drivers with properly worn seat belts
w i
l
l not be thrown forward in the event of sud-
den braking. Properly worn seat belts hold the occupants
in the pr
oper po
s
ition. These also help pre-
vent uncontrolled movements that may result
in serious injury and reduce the risk of being
thrown out of the vehicle.
Vehicle occupants wearing their seat belts
correctly benefit greatly from the ability of the
belts to absorb kinetic energy. In addition,
the front part of your vehicle and other pas-
sive safety features (such as the airbag sys-
tem) are designed to absorb the kinetic ener-
gy released in a collision. Taken together, all
these features reduce the releasing kinetic
energy and consequently, the risk of injury.
This is why it is so important to fasten seat
belts before every trip, even when "just driv-
ing around the corner". Ensure that your passengers wear their seat
belts as
well. Accident statistics have shown
that wearing seat belts is an effective means
of substantially reducing the risk of injury
and improving the chances of survival when
involved in a serious accident. Furthermore,
properly worn seat belts improve the protec-
tion provided by airbags in the event of an
accident. For this reason, wearing a seat belt
is required by law in most countries.
Although your vehicle is equipped with air-
bags, the seat belts must be fastened and
worn. The front airbags, for example, are only
triggered in some cases of head-on collision.
The front airbags will not be triggered during
minor frontal or side collisions, rear-end colli-
sions, rollovers or accidents in which the air-
bag trigger threshold value in the control unit
is not exceeded.
Therefore, you should always wear your seat
belt and ensure that all vehicle occupants
have fastened their seat belts properly before
you drive off!
Important safety instructions for the
use of se
at belts –
Always wear the seat belt as described in
thi s
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 allow the seat belt to be damaged or
jammed, or to rub on an
y sharp edges.
● Never wear the seat belt under the arm or
in any other inc
orrect position.
● Bulky and unfastened clothing (such as an
over
coat over a sweater) impairs the proper
fit and function of the seat belts, reducing
their capacity to protect. 82
Safety
tensioners function incorrectly or may not
f u
nction 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, regulations, 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 81, 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 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 86
Airbag system
travel on the rear seat. Never transport
chi
l
dren in the vehicle if they are not restrain-
ed 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
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 20.
The airbag system is not a substitute for the
seat belts. The airbag system offers addition-
al protection for the driver and passenger in
combination with the seat belts.
The airbag system mainly comprises (as per
vehicle equipment): ● an electronic control and monitoring sys-
tem (contr
ol unit)
● frontal airbags for driver and passenger,
● side airbags,
● curtain airbags, ●
a contro
l lamp on the dash panel
››› page 91.
● 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
electronically. 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 91,
● 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 76, Correct position
of the vehicle occupants .
● If a fault has occurred in the airbag system,
have the sy
stem checked immediately by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise, during a
frontal collision the system might not trigger
correctly or may fail to trigger at all. Airbag activation
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within
thou
s
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, »
87
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Safety
such as the properties of the object the vehi-
c l
e hits
(hard/soft), angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
Deceleration trajectory is key for airbag acti-
vation.
The control unit analyses the collision trajec-
tory 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.
● 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 door
s are unlocked;
● the fuel supply to the engine is cut.
Safety instructions about air-
bags Fr
ont airbags Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 21. WARNING
● The seat belt
s and airbags can only provide
maximum protection if the occupants are
seated correctly ››› page 76, Correct position
of the vehicle occupants .
● 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 airbags provide protection for just one
accident; r
eplace 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 22. 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
offered by 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 88
Airbag system
in your vehicle. Because the airbag deploys
from the s
ide 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.
● The side and head airbags are managed
through sensor
s 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.
● Nev er driv
e 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. Head-protection airbags*
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 23. WARNING
● In order f or the he
ad-protection airbags to
provide their maximum protection, the pre-
scribed sitting position must always be main-
tained with seat belts fastened while travel-
ling.
● For safety reasons, the curtain airbag must
be disab
led in those vehicles fitted with a
screen dividing the interior of the vehicle.
See your technical service to make this ad-
justment. ●
There mu s
t be no other persons, animals or
objects between the occupants of the outer
seats and the deployment space of the head-
protection airbags so that the head-protec-
tion airbag can deploy completely without re-
striction and provide the greatest possible
protection. Therefore, sun blinds which have
not been expressly approved for use in your
vehicle may not be attached to the side win-
dows
● The built-in coat hooks should be used only
for lightweight
clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
Please, do not hang the clothes on coat hang-
ers.
● The airbags provide protection for just one
accident; r
eplace them once they have de-
ployed.
● Any work on the head-protection airbag
syst
em or removal and installation of the air-
bag components for other repairs (such as re-
moval of the roof lining) should only be per-
formed by a specialised workshop. Other-
wise, faults may occur during the airbag sys-
tem operation.
● Do not attempt to modify components of
the airbag sys
tem in any way.
● The side and head airbags are managed
through sensor
s located in the interior of the
front doors. To ensure the correct operation of
the side and curtain airbags neither the
doors nor the door panels should be modified
in any way (e.g. fitting loudspeakers). If the
front door is damaged, the airbag system
may not work correctly. All work carried out » 89
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Safety
on the front door must be done in a special-
ised w
ork
shop. Deactivating airbags
Activ ation and de
activation of front
passenger airbag* Fig. 103
Switch for activating and deactivat-
in g the fr
ont
passenger airbag. Fig. 104
Centre side of dash panel: control
lamp f or de
activated front passenger airbag
in centre console. Deactivate the front passenger front airbag
on
ly
if
you have to use a rear-facing child
seat in the front passenger seat.
SEAT recommends fitting the child seat in the
rear seat to avoid having to deactivate the
front passenger airbag.
Front passenger front airbag switch
When the front passenger airbag is deactiva-
ted, this means that only the front passenger
front airbag is deactivated. All the other air-
bags in the vehicle remain activated.
Disconnect the front passenger front airbag
● Switch the ignition off.
● Open the door on the front passenger side.
● Insert the key into the slot of the switch for
deactivatin
g the front passenger airbag ›››
Fig. 103. About 3/4 of the k
ey should en-
ter; this is as far as it will go.
● Turn the key gently to the position. If
y
ou have difficulty, ensure that you have in-
serted the key as far as it will go.
● Close the front passenger door.
● Check, with the ignition switched on, that
the contro
l lamp remains lit where it
says in the centre of the
dash panel ››› Fig. 104.
Connect the front passenger front airbag ● Switch the ignition off.
● Open the front passenger door.
● Insert the key into the slot of the switch for
deactivatin
g the front passenger airbag
››› Fig. 103. About 3/4 of the key should en-
ter, as far as it will go.
● Turn the key gently to the position. If
you
have difficulty, ensure that you have inserted
the key as far as it will go.
● Close the front passenger door.
● Check, with the ignition switched on, that
the contro
l lamp does not remain lit
where it says in the cen-
tre of the dash panel ››› Fig. 104. The
control lamp lights up for 60 seconds and
then goes off.
90
Airbag system
WARNING
● The driver of the
vehicle is responsible for
disabling or switching on the airbag.
● Always switch off the ignition before disa-
bling the fr
ont passenger airbag! Failure to do
so could result in a fault in the airbag deacti-
vation system.
● Never leave the key in the airbag disabling
switc
h as it could get damaged or enable or
disable the airbag during driving.
● If for any reason an airbag is deactivated,
reactiv
ate it as soon as possible so that it can
fulfil its protective function. Airbag system control lamps
It lights up on the combi-in-
strument
Fault in airbag
system and seat
belt tensioners.Have the system checked immedi-
ately by a specialised workshop.
It lights up on the dash panel
Front passenger
front airbag disa-
bled.Check whether the airbag should
remain disabled
It lights up on the dash panel
Front passenger
front airbag ena-
bled.The control lamp switches off auto-
matically 60 seconds after the igni-
tion is switched on
Several warning and control lamps light up
for a f
ew sec
onds when the ignition is switch-
ed on, signalling that the function is being
verified. They will switch off after a few sec-
onds.
If the airbag and seat belt tensioner system
control lamp remains on or flashes, it indi-
cates a malfunction in the airbag and seat
belt tensioner system ››› . Have the system
c hec
k
ed immediately by a specialised work-
shop.
If the front passenger airbag is deactivated,
the warning lamp re-
mains lit on the dash panel to remind you
that the airbag is deactivated. If, with the
front passenger airbag deactivated, this lamp
does not remain lit or if it is lit together with
the control lamp on the dash panel, there
is a fault in the airbag system ››› . If the
c ontr
o
l lamp is flashing, there is a fault in the
disabling of the airbag system ››› . Have the
sy s
t
em checked immediately by a specialised
workshop. WARNING
In the event of a fault in the airbag and seat
belt t en
sioner system, the airbags and seat belts may not trigger correctly, may fail to
trigg
er or m
ay even trigger unexpectedly.
● The vehicle occupants run the risk of sus-
taining sev
ere or fatal injuries. Have the sys-
tem checked immediately by a specialised
workshop.
● Do not mount a child seat in the front pas-
senger se
at or remove the mounted child
seat! The front passenger front airbag may
deploy during an accident in spite of the
fault. CAUTION
Always pay attention to any lit control lamps
and to the c orr
esponding descriptions and in-
structions to avoid damage to the vehicle or
harm to the occupants. 91
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety