SEAT BELT
PRETENSIONER AND
LOAD LIMITING
SYSTEMS
PRETENSIONERS
90) 91) 92) 93)
For optimum protection, the driver and
passenger seat belts are equipped with
pretensioner and load limiting systems.
For both these systems to work
properly you must wear the seat belt
properly.
When a collision is detected, the
pretensioners deploy simultaneously
with the air bags. For deployment
details, refer to the “SRS air bag
deployment criteria” paragraph in this
chapter.
The seat belt retractors remove slack
quickly as the air bags are expanding.
Any time the air bags and seat belt
pretensioners have fired they must be
replaced.A system malfunction or operation
conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to “Warning lights and messages”
and “Warning sound is activated”
paragraph in “Knowing the instrument
panel” chapter.
In addition, the pretensioner system for
the passenger, like the front and side
passenger air bag, is designed to only
deploy when the passenger occupant
classification sensor detects a
passenger sitting on the passenger's
seat. For details, refer to the passenger
occupant classification sensor.
IMPORTANT The pretensioner system
may not operate depending on the type
of the collision. For details, refer to the
“SRS Air Bag deployment criteria”
paragraph.
IMPORTANT Some smoke (non-toxic
gas) will be released when the air bags
and pretensioners deploy. This does
not indicate a fire. This gas normally
has no effect on occupants, however,
those with sensitive skin may
experience slight skin irritation. If
residue from the deployment of the air
bags or the pretensioner system gets
on the skin or in the eyes, wash it off as
soon as possible.
LOAD LIMITER
The load limiting system releases belt
webbing in a controlled manner to
reduce belt force on the occupant's
chest.
While the most severe load on a seat
belt occurs in frontal collisions, the load
limiter has an automatic mechanical
function and can activate in any
accident mode with sufficient occupant
movement.
Even if the pretensioners have not fired,
the load limiting function must be
checked by Abarth Dealership.
WARNING
90)Wear seat belts only as recommended
in this Owner Handbook. Incorrect
positioning of the driver and passenger
seat belts is dangerous. Without proper
positioning, the pretensioner and load
limiting systems cannot provide adequate
protection in an accident and this could
result in serious injury. For more details
about wearing seat belts, refer to
"Fastening the seat belts".
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91)Have your seat belts changed
immediately if the pretensioner or load
limiter has been expended. Always have an
expert repairer: contact an Abarth
Dealership immediately for seat belt
pretensioners and air bags inspections
after any collision. Like the air bags, the
seat belt pretensioners and load limiters will
only function once and must be replaced
after any collision that caused them to
deploy. If the seat belt pretensioners and
load limiters are not replaced, the risk of
injury in a collision will increase.
92)Do not modify the components or
wiring, or use electronic testing devices on
the pretensioner system. Modifying the
components or wiring of the pretensioner
system, including the use of electronic
testing devices is dangerous. You could
accidentally activate it or make it inoperable
which would prevent it from activating in an
accident. The occupants or repairers could
be seriously injured.
93)Properly dispose of the pretensioner
system. Improper disposal of the
pretensioner system or a vehicle with non
deactivated pretensioners is dangerous.
Unless all safety procedures are followed,
injury could result. Contact an Abarth
Dealership for safely dispose of the
pretensioner system or scrap a
pretensioner system equipped vehicle.CHILD-RESTRAINT
PRECAUTIONS
94) 95) 96) 97) 98) 99) 100) 101) 102) 103) 104)
FCA strongly urges the use of
child-restraint systems for children small
enough to use them.
FCA recommends use of a genuine
child-restraint system or one that
complies with the UNECE 44 (*)
regulation. If you would like to purchase
a FCA genuine child-restraint system,
please contact an Abarth Dealership.
Check your local and state or provincial
laws for specific requirements regarding
the safety of children riding in your
vehicle.
(*) UNECE stands for United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe.
Whatever child-restraint system you
consider, please pick the appropriate
one for the age and size of the child,
obey the law and follow the instructions
that come with the individual
child-restraint system.A child who has outgrown
child-restraint systems should use seat
belts, both lap and shoulder. If the
shoulder belt crosses the neck or face,
move the child closer to the centre of
the vehicle.
A rear-facing child-restraint system
shouldNEVERbe used on the
passenger seat with the air bag system
activated. In the event of an impact the
air bag activation may cause fatal
injuries to the transported child.
To reduce the chance of injuries caused
by deployment of the passenger air
bag, the passenger occupant
classification sensor work as a part of
the supplementary restraint system.
This system deactivates the passenger
front and side air bags and also the
passenger seat belt pretensioner
system when the passenger air bag
deactivation OFF indicator light
illuminates.
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SAFETY
When an infant or small child sits on the
passenger seat, the system shuts off
the passenger front and side air bags
and seat belt pretensioner system, so
make sure the passenger air bag
deactivation OFF indicator light
illuminates. For more details, refer to
"Passenger occupant classification
sensor" in “Front Air Bags” paragraph.
IMPORTANT A seat belt or
child-restraint system can become very
hot in a closed vehicle during warm
weather. To avoid burning yourself or a
child, check them before you or your
child touches them.
NOTE Your vehicle is equipped with
ISOFIX anchors for attachment of
ISOFIX child-restraint systems. When
using these anchors to secure a
child-restraint system, refer to “Using
ISOFIX anchor” paragraph in this
chapter.
87
Proceed as follows:
open the convertible top;
make sure the ignition is switched
off;
slide the passenger seat as far back
as possible. You may need to move the
seat forward slightly and recline the
back of the seat, in order to assist in
the fittment of some child-restraint
systems;
make sure the seatback is securely
latched by pushing it back until it is fully
locked;
expand the area between the seat
bottom and the seatback slightly to
verify the locations of the ISOFIX
anchor.
IMPORTANT The markings above the
ISOFIX anchors indicate the locations of
the ISOFIX anchors for the attachment
of a child-restraint system.
secure the child-restraint system
using the ISOFIX anchor, following the
child-restraint system manufacturer's
instruction;
switch the ignition ON and make
sure the OFF passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light
fig. 74 illuminates after installing a
child-restraint system on the passenger
seat (see “Passenger Air Bag
deactivation indicator lights”
paragraph). If the passenger air bag
OFF deactivation indicator light does
not illuminate, remove the child-restraint
system, switch the ignition to OFF, and
then reinstall the child-restraint system;
if your child-restraint system came
equipped with a tether, that probably
means it is very important to properly
secure the tether for child safety. Please
carefully follow the child-restraint
system manufacturer's instructions
when installing tethers.
WARNING
94)Use the correct size child-restraint
system. For effective protection in vehicle
accidents and sudden stops, a child must
be properly restrained using a seat belt or
child-restraint system depending on age
and size. If not, the child could be seriously
injured or even killed in an accident.
95)Follow the manufacturer's instructions
and always keep the child-restraint system
buckled down. An unsecured
child-restraint system is dangerous. In a
sudden stop or a collision it could move
causing serious injury or death to the child
or other occupants. Make sure any
child-restraint system is properly secured in
place according to the child-restraint
system manufacturer's instructions. When
not in use, remove it from the vehicle or
fasten it with a seat belt, or latch it down to
BOTH ISOFIX anchors, and attach the
corresponding tether anchor.
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SAFETY
96)Always secure a child in a proper
child-restraint system. Holding a child in
your arms while the vehicle is moving is
extremely dangerous. No matter how
strong the person may be, he or she
cannot hold onto a child in a sudden stop
or collision and it could result in serious
injury or death to the child or other
occupants. Even in a moderate accident,
the child may be exposed to air bag forces
that could result in serious injury or death
to the child, or the child may be slammed
into an adult, causing injury to both child
and adult.
97)Always make sure the passenger air
bag deactivation OFF indicator light is
illuminated when using a child-restraint
system. Seating a child in a child-restraint
system that is installed on the passenger
seat with the passenger air bag
deactivation OFF indicator light not
illuminated is extremely dangerous. In an
accident, an air bag could inflate and
cause serious injuries or even death to the
child seated in the child-restraint system.
Always make sure the passenger air bag
deactivation OFF indicator light is
illuminated.
98)Extreme Hazard! Never use a
rear-facing child-restraint system on the
passenger seat with an air bag that could
deploy: NEVER use a rearward facing
child-restraint on a seat protected by an
ACTIVE AIRBAG in front of it, DEATH or
SERIOUS INJURY to the CHILD can occur.
Vehicles with a passenger air bag have a
warning label attached on the passenger
side sun visor (refer to “Passenger side
front air bag and child-restraint systems”).
This warning label is displayed in
compliance with regulations.99)Even in a moderate collision, the
child-restraint system can be hit by a
deploying air bag and moved violently
backward resulting in serious injury or
death to the child. If your vehicle is
equipped with a passenger occupant
classification system, always make sure the
passenger air bag deactivation OFF
indicator light is illuminated, when installing
a rear-facing child-restraint system on the
passenger seat.
100)Before installing child-restraint system
on the passenger seat, move the
passenger seat as far back as possible.
The rearmost position may not be suitable
for the installation of some child-restraint
systems. In a collision, the force of a
deploying air bag could cause serious
injury or death to the child. Make sure the
passenger air bag deactivation OFF
indicator light is illuminated.101)Seating a child in a child-restraint
system on the passenger seat is
dangerous under certain conditions. Your
vehicle is equipped with passenger
occupant classification sensor. Even with
the passenger occupant classification
sensor, if you must use the passenger seat
to seat a child, using a child-restraint
system on the passenger seat under the
following conditions increases the danger
of the passenger air bag deploying and
could result in serious injury or death to the
child. The passenger air bag deactivation
OFF indicator light does not illuminate
when seating a child in the child-restraint
system / Luggage or other items are
placed on the seat with the child in the
child-restraint system / The seat is washed
/ Liquids are spilled on the seat / The
passenger seat is moved backward,
pushing into luggage or other items placed
behind it / Luggage or other items are
placed between the passenger seat and
driver seat / An electric device is put on the
passenger's seat / An additional electrical
device, such as a seat warmer is installed
to the surface of the passenger seat.
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102)Do not allow a child or anyone to lean
over or against the side window of a
vehicle with side air bags. It is dangerous
to allow anyone to lean over or against the
side window, the area of the passenger
seat from which the side air bags deploy,
even if a child-restraint system is used. The
impact of inflation from a side air bag could
cause serious injury or death to an out of
position child. Furthermore, leaning over or
against the door could block the side air
bags and eliminate the advantages of
supplementary protection. Because the
side air bag deploys from the outer
shoulder of the seat, do not allow the child
to lean over or against the side window,
even if the child is seated in a
child-restraint system.
103)Never use one seat belt on more than
one person at a time. Using one seat belt
for more than one person at a time is
dangerous. A seat belt used in this way
cannot spread the impact forces properly
and the two passengers could be crushed
together and seriously injured or even
killed. Never use one belt for more than
one person at a time and always operate
the vehicle with each occupant properly
restrained.
104)Use the tether and tether anchor only
for a child-restraint system. Child-restraint
system anchorages are designed to
withstand only those loads imposed by
correctly installed child-restraint systems.
Under no circumstances are they to be
used for adult seat belts, harnesses, or for
attaching other items or equipment to the
vehicle.105)Always install a rear-facing child seat
in the correct seat position. Installing a
rear-facing child seat without first
consulting the table “Child-restraint system
suitability for various seat positions” is
dangerous. A rear-facing child seat
installed on the wrong seat position cannot
be properly secured. In a collision, the child
could hit something or someone in the
vehicle and be seriously injured or even
killed.
106)Always install a junior seat in the
correct seat position. Installing a junior seat
without first consulting the table
“Child-restraint system suitability for
various seat positions” is dangerous. A
junior seat installed on the wrong seat
position cannot be properly secured. In a
collision, the child could hit something or
someone in the vehicle and be seriously
injured or even killed.
107)Always install a baby seat in the
correct seat position. Installing a baby seat
without first consulting the table
“Child-restraint system suitability for
various seat positions” is dangerous. A
baby seat installed on the wrong seat
position cannot be properly secured. In a
collision, the child could hit something or
someone in the vehicle and be seriously
injured or even killed.108)Never use a rear-facing child-restraint
system on the passenger seat protected
by an air bag. Extreme Hazard! Do not use
a rearward facing child-restraint on a seat
protected by an airbag in front of it! The
child-restraint system can be hit by the
deploying air bag and knocked out of
position. A child in the child-restraint
system could be seriously injured or killed.
If your vehicle is equipped with a
passenger occupant classification system,
always make sure the passenger air bag
deactivation OFF indicator light is
illuminated, if installing a rear-facing
child-restraint system on the passenger
seat is unavoidable.
109)Never install a front-facing child seat
in the wrong seat position: Installing a
front-facing child seat without first
consulting the table “Child-restraint system
suitability for various seat positions” is
dangerous. A front-facing child seat
installed in the wrong seat position cannot
be properly secured. In a collision, the child
could hit something or someone in the
vehicle and be seriously injured or even
killed. Make sure the passenger air bag
deactivation OFF indicator light is
illuminated.
110)Before installing child-restraint system
on the passenger seat, move the
passenger seat as far back as possible: In
a collision, the force of a deploying air bag
could cause serious injury or death to the
child. Make sure the passenger air bag
deactivation OFF indicator light is
illuminated.
98
SAFETY
SUPPLEMENTARY RESTRAINT SYSTEM COMPONENTS
1Driver/Passenger inflators and air bags
2Crash sensors and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
3Seat belt pretensioners
4Front air bag sensors
5Side crash sensors
6Air bag/seat belt pretensioner system warning light
7Side inflators and air bags
8Passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
9Passenger occupant classification sensor
10Passenger occupant classification module
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Side Air Bags
The side air bags are mounted in the
outer sides of the seat backs fig. 78.
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 about
air bag deployment, refer to "SRS Air
Bag deployment criteria" in this chapter.
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 Light/Beep
A system malfunction or operation
conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to “Warning lights and messages”
paragraph in “Knowing your instrument
panel” chapter. Refer to “Warning
sound is activated” paragraph in
“Knowing your instrument panel”
chapter.
Passenger side front air bag and
child-restraint systems
Rearward-facing child-restraint systems
mustNEVERbe fitted on the front seat
with an active passenger side air bag
since in the event of an impact the air
bag activation may cause fatal injuries
to the transported child.
ALWAYScomply with the instructions
on the label stuck on the passenger
side sun visor fig. 79.
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