2020 Abarth 500 airbag

Main recommendations to carry
children safely
Install the child restraint systems on
the rear seat, which is the most
protected position in the event of an
impact.
Keep children in rearward facing
child restraint systems for as long as
possible, ideally until they are 2 years
old.
Should a rearward facing child
restraint system be installed on the rear
seats, it is advisable to position it as
far forward as the position of the front
seat allows.
If the passenger's front airbag is
deactivated always check the
permanent switching on of the
warning light to make sure that it
has actually been deactivated.
Carefully follow the instructions
supplied with the child restraint system.
Keep the instructions in the vehicle
along with the other documents and
this handbook. Do not use second-
hand child seats without instructions.
Only one child is to be strapped into
each restraint system; never carry two
children simultaneously.
Always check that the seat belts do
not rest on the child’s neck.
Always check that the seat belt is
well fastened by pulling on it.
While travelling, do not let the child
sit incorrectly or unfasten the belts.
Never allow a child to put the belt's
diagonal section under an arm or
behind their back.
Never carry children on your lap,
even newborns. No-one can hold
a child in the case of a crash.
In the event of an accident, replace
the child restraint system with a new
one. In addition, and depending on the
type of child restraint system installed,
replace the ISOFIX anchors or the
seat belt with which the child restraint
system was connected.
The rear headrest (where provided)
can be removed if needed to install
a child restraint system. The headrest
must always be fitted in the car if the
seat is used by an adult passenger or a
child sitting in a restraint system without
a backrest.
WARNING
79)SERIOUS DANGER. When an active
passenger airbag is fitted, DO NOT install
rear facing child restraint systems on
the front seat. Deployment of the airbag in
an accident could cause fatal injuries to
the child regardless of the severity of
the impact. It is advisable to always carry
children in a child restraint system on
the rear seat, which is the most protected
position in the event of a collision.
80)On the sun visor there is a label with
suitable symbols reminding the user that it
is compulsory to deactivate the airbag if
a rearward facing child restraint system is
fitted. Always comply with the instructions
on the passenger side sun visor (see the
"Front airbags" paragraph).
81)Should it be necessary to carry a child
on the passenger side front seat in a rear
facing child restraint system, the passenger
side front and side airbags must be
deactivated through the display main
menu, verifying deactivation by checking
that the warning light
located in the
central part of the dashboard has switched
on. Move the passenger's seat as far
back as possible to avoid contact between
the child seat and the dashboard.
82)Do not move the front or rear seat if a
child is seated on it or on the dedicated
child restraint system.
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SAFETY

83)Child restraint systems with ISOFIX
attachments are available for safely
anchoring to the seat without using the car
seat belts. See paragraph "Installing an
ISOFIX child restraint system" for the
installation instructions.
84)Incorrect fitting of the child restraint
system may result in an inefficient
protection system. In the event of an
accident the child restraint system may
become loose and the child may be
injured, even fatally. When fitting a restraint
system for newborns or children, strictly
comply with the instructions provided
by the Manufacturer.
85)When the child restraint system is not
used, secure it with the seat belt or with
the ISOFIX anchorages, or remove it from
the vehicle. Do not leave it unsecured
inside the passenger compartment. This
way, in the case of sudden braking or
an accident, it will not cause injuries to the
occupants.
86)After installing a child restraint system,
do not move the seat: always remove
the child restraint system before making
any adjustment.
87)If a Universal ISOFIX child seat system
is not fixed to all three anchorages, it will
not be able to protect the child correctly. In
a crash, the child could be seriously or
fatally injured.
88)Fit the child restraint system when the
car is stationary. The child restraint system
is correctly fixed to the brackets when
you hear the click. Follow the instructions
for assembly, disassembly and positioning
that the Manufacturer must supply with
the child restraint system.89)Always make sure that the chest
section of the seat belt does not pass
under the arms or behind the back of the
child. In the event of an accident the seat
belt will not be able to secure the child,
with the risk of injury, including fatal injury.
Therefore the child must always wear
the seat belt correctly.
90)Do not use the same lower anchoring
to install more than one child restraint
system.SUPPLEMENTARY
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
(SRS) – AIRBAG
The car may be equipped with:
front driver airbag;
front passenger airbag;
driver's side knee bag;
driver and passenger front side bags
for pelvis, chest and shoulder
protection (Side bags);
side bags for head protection of
front seat passengers and rear side
seat passengers (window bag).
FRONT AIRBAGS
91) 108)
The front driver/passenger airbags and
the driver knee bag (where provided)
protect the front seat occupants in the
event of frontal impacts of medium/high
severity, by placing the bag between
the occupant and the steering wheel or
dashboard.
Therefore non-activation of airbags in
other types of collisions (side impacts,
rear shunts, roll-overs, etc.) does not
indicate a system malfunction.
An electronic control unit will make the
bag inflate in the event of a frontal
impact.
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The bag will inflate instantaneously
placing itself between the front
occupants body and the structures
which could cause injury. It will deflate
immediately afterwards.
Front airbags are not a replacement of
but complementary to the seat belts,
which you are recommended to always
wear, as specified by law in Europe
and most non-European countries.
In the event of an impact, someone not
wearing a seat belt could move forward
and come into contact with a bag
which is still opening. The protection
offered by the bag is compromised
in these circumstances.
Front airbags may not activate in the
following situations:
frontal impacts against highly
deformable objects not involving the
front surface of the car (e.g. wing
collision against guard rail);
vehicle wedging under other vehicles
or protective barriers (e.g. trucks or
guard rails).
Failure to deploy in the conditions
described above is due to the fact that
the airbags may not provide any
additional protection compared with
seat belts, so their activation would be
inappropriate. In these cases,
non-deployment does not indicate a
system malfunction.The front airbags (driver, passenger,
driver's knee bags) are designed and
calibrated to protect front seat
passengers wearing seat belts.
Their volume at the moment of
maximum inflation fills most of the
space between the steering wheel and
the driver, between the lower post
guard and the knees on passenger side
and between the dashboard and the
passenger.
The airbags are not deployed in the
event of minor frontal impacts (for
which the restraining action of the seat
belts is sufficient). Seat belts must
always be worn. In the event of a frontal
collision, they ensure the correct
positioning of the occupant.
Front airbag driver's side
92)
This consists of an instantly inflating
bag contained in a special
compartment in the centre of the
steering wheel fig. 66.
Passenger front airbag
This consists of an instantly inflating
bag contained in a special recess in the
dashboard fig. 67 which has a larger
volume than that of the driver.
Passenger's front airbag and child
restraint systems
93)
Rearward facing child restraint systems
must NEVER be fitted on the front
seat with an active passenger side
airbag since, in the event of a crash, the
airbag activation could cause fatal
injuries to the transported child.
ALWAYScomply with the instructions
on the label on the passenger side
sun visor (fig. 68 and fig. 69).
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SAFETY

PASSENGER AIRBAG
DEACTIVATION: FRONT AIRBAG
AND FRONT SIDE AIRBAG (SIDE
BAG)
94) 95)
If a child must be carried on the front
seat in a rearward facing child restraint
system, deactivate the passenger
side front airbag and front side bag.Warning light 1 fig. 70 will stay on
constantly until the passenger side front
airbag and the front side bag are
reactivated.
IMPORTANT To manually deactivate the
passenger side front airbag and the
front side bag, see paragraph "Menu
items" in the "Knowing the instrument
panel" chapter.
Driver side knee bag (where
provided)
It consists of an instantly inflating
cushion contained in a special
compartment 3 under the lower
steering column guard fig. 71 at the
driver's knee level. It provides further
protection to the driver in the event of a
frontal impact.
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Passenger side front airbag and child restraint systems: IMPORTANT
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SAFETY

SIDE AIRBAGS (Side bag
- Window bag)
(where provided)
To increase protection of occupants in
the event of side collision, the car is
equipped with side bags for pelvis,
chest and shoulder protection for the
driver and the passenger and airbags
protecting the head.
Non-activation of side bags in other
types of collisions (front collisions, rear
shunts, roll-overs, etc.) is not a system
malfunction.
Front side airbags (Side bags)
These comprise two types of bags
located in the front seat backrests fig.
73 which protect the pelvis, chest
and shoulder area of the occupants in
the event of a side collision of
medium-high severity.
Window bags
These comprise two window bags
located behind the side lining of the
roof and covered by special trim fig. 74.
They are designed to protect the head
of front and rear side occupants in
the event of side collisions, thanks to
their wide inflation surface.
Important notes
In the event of a side impact, the
system provides best protection if the
passenger sits on the seat in a correct
position, thus allowing correct window
bag deployment.
The front airbags and/or side bags may
be deployed if the car is subject to
heavy knocks or accidents involving the
underbody area, such as for example
violent shocks against steps,
pavements or low obstacles, the car
falling in big holes or dips in the road.A small amount of dust will be released
when the airbags are deployed. The
dust is not harmful and does not
indicate the beginning of a fire.
Furthermore, the surface of the
deployed bag and the interior of the car
may be covered by a dusty residue:
this may irritate skin and eyes. Wash
with neutral soap and water in the
event of exposure.
Every control, repair and replacement
operation concerning the airbags must
only be carried out at an Abarth
Dealership. If the car is scrapped, have
the system deactivated at an Abarth
Dealership.
Pretensioners, front airbags and side
bags are deployed according to
different logics on the basis of the type
of crash. Failure to activate one or
more of the devices does not indicate a
system malfunction.
Should an accident occur in which any
of the safety devices are activated,
take the car to an Abarth Dealership to
have the activated devices replaced
and to have the whole system checked.
96) 97) 98) 99) 100) 101) 102) 103) 104) 105) 106)
107)
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WARNING
91)Do not apply stickers or other objects
on the steering wheel, on the dashboard in
the passenger side airbag area, on the
side upholstery on the roof and on the
seats. Never put objects (e.g. mobile
phones) on the passenger's side
dashboard since they could interfere with
correct inflation of the airbag and also
cause serious injury to the passengers.
92)Always drive with your hands on the
rim of the steering wheel so that the airbag
can inflate freely if required. Do not drive
bent over the steering wheel, but rather sit
upright with your back firmly resting against
the seat back.
93)When there is an active passenger
airbag, DO NOT install rearward facing
child restraint systems on the front seat.
Deployment of the airbag in a crash could
cause fatal injuries to the child regardless
of the severity of the collision. Therefore,
always deactivate the passenger side
airbag when a rearward facing child
restraint system is installed on the front
passenger seat. The front passenger seat
must also be positioned back as far as
possible in order to prevent the child
restraint system from coming into contact
with the dashboard. Immediately reactivate
the passenger airbag as soon as the child
restraint system has been removed.94)A failure of the
warning light is
indicated by thesymbol on the display.
In this case, thewarning light may
not indicate a possible problem with the
airbag restraint system. Before driving off,
contact an Abarth Dealership to have
the system checked immediately.
95)The
warning light indicates the
passenger side airbag protection status. If
the warning light is off, passenger side
protection is active: to deactivate it, use the
Setup Menu (in this case the LED lights
up). When the vehicle is started (ignition
key turned to MAR position), the warning
light turns on for about 8 seconds,
provided that at least 5 seconds have
elapsed from when it was switched off. If
not, contact an Abarth Dealership. If the
engine is switched off/on again in less than
5 seconds the warning light may remain
off. In this case, to check correct warning
light operation, switch the engine off,
wait for at least 5 seconds and switch the
engine on again. The warning light may
light up with various intensity levels
depending on the vehicle conditions. The
intensity may also vary during the same key
cycle.
96)If, when turning the key to MAR, the
warning light does not switch on or if it
stays on when travelling, there could be
a fault in the restraint systems; in this event
airbags or pretensioners may not be
deployed in the event of impact or, in a
lower number of cases, they may deploy
accidentally. Before driving off, contact
an Abarth Dealership to have the system
checked immediately.97)In some versions, in case of a LED
failure (located on the plate of the
instrument panel), thewarning light on
the instrument panel turns on and the
passenger side airbags are deactivated.
98)Do not cover the front seat backrests
with extra covers if they are equipped
with side bags.
99)If the car has been subject to theft,
attempted theft, vandalism, or flooding,
have the airbag system inspected at an
Abarth Dealership.
100)The airbags may also be deployed
when the car is not moving, if the key is in
the ignition and turned to MAR-ON or
when the engine is off, if the car is hit by
another moving vehicle. Therefore, even if
the vehicle is stationary, when an active
front passenger airbag is fitted, DO NOT
install rearward facing child restraint
systems on the front passenger seat.
Deployment of the airbag following an
impact could cause fatal injuries to the
child. Therefore, always deactivate the
passenger side airbag when a rearward
facing child restraint system is installed on
the front passenger seat. The front
passenger seat must also be positioned
back as far as possible in order to prevent
the child restraint system from coming
into contact with the dashboard.
Immediately reactivate the passenger
airbag as soon as the child restraint system
has been removed. Also remember that, if
the key is turned to STOP, none of the
safety devices (airbags or pretensioners)
will be deployed in the event of collision.
Non-deployment in such cases does
not indicate a system malfunction.
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SAFETY

101)When the ignition key is turned to
MAR, thewarning light switches for few
seconds, then if the passenger airbag
protection is active it should switch off.
102)Do not wash the seats with water or
pressurised steam (wash by hand or at
automatic seat washing stations).
103)The airbag deployment threshold is
higher than that of the pretensioners.
For collisions in the range between the two
thresholds, it is normal for only the
pretensioners to be activated.
104)Do not affix rigid objects to the
garment hooks or support handles.
105)The airbag does not replace seat
belts but increases their efficiency.
Furthermore, since front airbags are not
deployed in low-speed frontal impacts,
side impacts, rear shunts or roll-overs, the
passengers are protected only by the
seat belts which must therefore be
fastened at all times.
106)Do not rest your head, arms or
elbows on the door, on the windows or in
the window bag area to prevent injury
during deployment.
107)Never lean your head, arms or elbows
out of the window.
108)Do not travel carrying objects in your
lap, in front of your chest or between
your lips (pipe, pencils, etc.): they could
cause severe injury if the airbag is
deployed.
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