2020 CITROEN C4 steering wheel

67
Safety
5Horn

► Press the central part of the steering wheel.
Pedestrian horn (Electric)
This system alerts pedestrians that the vehicle is approaching.
The pedestrian horn operates once the vehicle
is moving and at speeds of up to 19 mph
(30
km/h), in forward or reverse gear.
This function cannot be deactivated.
Malfunction
In the event of a malfunction, this warning
lamp comes on on the instrument panel.
Have it checked by a CITROËN dealer or a
qualified workshop.
* In accordance with the general conditions of use of the service, available from dealers an\
d subject to technological and technical limitations.
** Depend ing on the geographic coverage provided by the "eCall (SOS)" and "ASSISTANCE" systems.
The list of countries covered and the telematic services provided is ava\
ilable from dealers or on the website for your country.
Emergency or assistance
call




1. eCall (SOS)
2. ASSISTANCE
eCall (SOS)
Your vehicle may be fitted with the eCall (SOS)
system either as standard or as an option.
The eCall
(SOS) system provides direct contact
to the emergency services and is fully built
into the vehicle. This contact is made either
automatically via the sensors built into the
vehicle, or by pressing button 1.
According to the country of sale, the eCall
(SOS)
system
corresponds to the systems PE112,
ERAGLONASS, 999, etc.
The eCall
(SOS) system is activated by default.
► To make an emergency call manually, press
button 1 for more than 2 seconds.
The lit indicator lamp and a voice message
confirm that the call has been made to the
emergency services*.
The eCall
(SOS) system immediately locates
your vehicle and puts you in contact with the
appropriate emergency services**.
►

Pressing again immediately cancels the
request.
The indicator lamp flashes while the vehicle
data is being sent, and then remains lit when
communication is established.
In the event that a serious accident is
detected by the sensors built into the
vehicle, such as the airbag control unit, an
emergency call is made automatically.
The eCall (SOS) system is a public
service of general interest and is
free-of-charge.
Operation of the system
– Upon switching on the ignition, the indicator
lamp lights up red, then green, and then goes
out: the system is operating correctly
.

74
Safety
incorporated in the system makes a noise and
releases a small quantity of smoke.
This smoke is not harmful, but sensitive
individuals may experience irritation.
The detonation noise associated with the
deployment of one or more airbags may result
in a slight loss of hearing for a short time.
Front airbags

System that protects the driver and front
passenger in the event of a serious front impact,
limiting the risk of head and chest injury.
The driver's airbag is fitted in the centre of the
steering wheel; the front passenger airbag is
fitted in the dashboard above the glove box.
* For more information on Deactivating the front passenger airbag, refer t\
o the corresponding section.
Deployment
They deploy, except the front passenger airbag
if it is deactivated*, in the event of a serious front
impact to all or part of the front impact zone A.
The front airbag inflates between the thorax and
head of the front occupant of the vehicle and the
steering wheel, driver's side, and the dashboard,
passenger's side, to cushion their forward
movement.
Lateral airbags

In the event of a serious side impact, this system
protects the driver and front passenger to
mitigate the risk of injury to the chest, between
the hip and the shoulder.
Each lateral airbag is fitted in the seat backrest
frame, on the door side.
Deployment
The lateral airbags are deployed on one side in
the event of a serious side impact applied to all
or part of the side impact zone B.
The lateral airbag inflates between the chest of
the vehicle's occupant and the corresponding
door panel.
Curtain airbags
System contributing towards greater protection
for the driver and passengers (with the exception
of the rear centre passenger) in the event of a
serious side impact in order to limit the risk of
injury to the side of the head.
Each curtain airbag is built into the pillars and
the upper passenger compartment area.
Deployment
It deploys simultaneously with the corresponding
lateral airbag in the event of a serious side
impact applied to all or part of the side impact
zone B.
The curtain airbag inflates between the front
and rear occupants of the vehicle and the
corresponding windows.
Malfunction
In the event of a malfunction, this warning
lamp lights up on the instrument panel.

75
Safety
5Contact a CITROËN dealer or a qualified
workshop to have the system checked.
The airbags may not be deployed in the event of
a serious impact.
In the event of a minor impact or bump at
the side of the vehicle or if the vehicle
rolls over, the airbags may not be deployed.
In the event of a rear or front collision, none of
the lateral airbags are deployed.
Advice
For the airbags to be fully effective,
observe the safety recommendations
below.
Adopt a normal and upright sitting position.
Fasten your seat belt and position it correctly.
Do not place anything between the occupants
and the airbags (e.g.
child, animal, object), do
not fix or attach anything near or in the path of
the airbags, as this could cause injuries when
they are deployed.
Never modify the original definition of the
vehicle, particularly in the area directly around
the airbags.
Even if all of the precautions mentioned are
observed, a risk of injury or of minor burns to
the head, chest or arms cannot be ruled out
when an airbag is deployed. The bag inflates
almost instantly (within a few milliseconds)
then deflates within the same time,
discharging the hot gas via openings provided
for this purpose.
After an accident or if the vehicle has been
stolen, have the airbag systems checked.
All work must be carried out only by a
CITROËN dealer or a qualified workshop
Front airbags
Do not drive holding the steering wheel
by its spokes or resting your hands on the
centre part of the wheel.
Passengers must not place their feet on the
dashboard.
Do not smoke as deployment of the airbags
can cause burns or the risk of injury from a
cigarette or pipe.
Never remove or pierce the steering wheel or
hit it violently.
Do not fix or attach anything to the steering
wheel or dashboard, as this could cause
injuries when the airbags are deployed.
Lateral airbags
Use only approved seat covers
compatible with the deployment of these
airbags. For information on the range of seat
covers suitable for your vehicle, contact a
CITROËN dealer.
Do not fix or attach anything to the seat
backrests (e.g.
clothing) as this could cause
injuries to the chest or arm when the airbag is
deployed.
Do not sit with the upper part of the body any
nearer to the door than necessary.
The vehicle's front door panels include side
impact sensors.
A damaged door or any unauthorised or
incorrectly executed work (modification or
repair) on the front doors or their interior trim
could compromise the operation of these
sensors - risk of malfunction of the lateral
airbags!
All work must be carried out only by a
CITROËN dealer or a qualified workshop
Curtain airbags
Do not fix or attach anything to the roof,
as this could cause head injuries when the
curtain airbag is deployed.
Do not remove the grab handles installed on
the roof.
Child seats
The regulations on carrying children are specific to each country. Refer to the
legislation in force in your country.
For maximum safety, please observe the
following recommendations:
–

In accordance with European regulations,
all children under the age of 12 or less than
1,5 metres tall must travel in approved child

86
Driving
Anti-theft protection
Electronic immobiliser
The keys contain a code, which must be
recognised by the vehicle before starting is
possible.
If the system malfunctions, indicated by the
display of a message, the engine will not start.
Contact a CITROËN dealer.
Starting / Switching off the
engine with the key
Key ignition switch

It has 3 positions:
– 1. Stop: inserting and removing the key ,
steering column locked.
–

2. Ignition : steering column unlocked, ignition
on, Diesel preheating, engine running.
–


3. Starting
.
Avoid attaching heavy objects to the key or the remote control. It would weigh
down on its shaft in the ignition switch and
could cause a malfunction.
Ignition on position
It allows the use of the vehicle's electric
equipment or the charging of accessories.
Once the state of charge of the battery drops to
the reserve level, the system switches to energy
economy mode: the power supply is cut off
automatically to preserve the remaining battery
charge.
Starting the engine
With the parking brake applied:
► With a manual gearbox, place the gear lever
in neutral then fully depress the clutch pedal.
►

With an
automatic gearbox, place the gear
selector in mode N or P then depress the brake
pedal.
►

Insert the key into the ignition switch; the
system recognises the code.
►


Unlock
the steering column by simultaneously
turning the steering wheel and the key.
In certain cases, you may need to apply
significant force to move the steering
wheel (e.g.
wheels turned to full lock).
►

With a
petrol engine , operate the starter
motor by turning the key to position 3 without
pressing the accelerator pedal, until the engine
starts. Once the engine has started, release the
key and allow it to return to position 2.
Petrol engines
After a cold start, preheating the catalytic
converter can cause noticeable engine
vibrations, for anything up to 2 minutes
(accelerated idle speed).
►

With a
Diesel engine, turn the key to position
2, to

activate the engine preheating system.
Wait until this warning lamp goes off on
the instrument panel, then turn the key to
position 3 without pressing the accelerator pedal,
to operate the starter motor. Once the engine
has started, release the key and allow it to return
to position 2.
In wintry conditions, the warning lamp
may stay on for a longer period. When
the engine is hot, the warning lamp does not
come on.
In mild conditions, do not leave the engine
to warm up while stationary, but move off
straight away and drive at moderate speed.
If the engine does not start straight away,
switch off the ignition. Wait a few
seconds before operating the starter motor
again. If the engine does not start after a few
attempts, do not keep trying - risk of
damaging the starter motor and the engine!
Contact a CITROËN dealer or a qualified
workshop.

87
Driving
6Switching off the engine
► Immobilise the vehicle.
► With the engine at idle, turn the key to
position 1
.
►

Remove the key from the ignition switch.
►


T
o lock the steering column, turn the steering
wheel until it locks.
To facilitate unlocking of the steering column, it is recommended that the
wheels be returned to the straight ahead
position before switching off the engine.
Never switch off the ignition before the
complete immobilisation of the vehicle.
With the engine off, the braking and steering
assistance systems are also cut off - risk of
loss of control of the vehicle!
Check that the parking brake is correctly
applied, particularly on sloping ground.
When leaving the vehicle, keep the key in
your possession and lock the vehicle.
Energy economy mode
After the engine has stopped (position 1. Stop),
for a maximum combined duration of 30 minutes,
you can still use functions such as the audio and
telematics system, courtesy lamps or dipped
beam headlamps.
For more information on Energy
economy mode, refer to the
corresponding section.
Key left in
When the driver's door is opened, a
message is displayed, accompanied by an
audible signal, if the key has been left in the
ignition switch in position 1.
If the key has been left in the ignition switch
in position 2, the ignition will be switched off
automatically after one hour.
To switch the ignition back on, turn the key to
position 1, then back to position 2.
Starting/switching off the
engine with Keyless Entry
and Start
The electronic key must be present in the
passenger compartment.
The electronic key is also detected in the
boot.
If the electronic key is not detected, a
message is displayed.
Move the electronic key so that the engine
can be started or switched off.
If there is still a problem, refer to the "Key
not detected - Back-up starting or Back-up
switch-off" section.
Starting

► With a manual gearbox, place the gear lever
in neutral and fully depress the clutch pedal.
►

With an
automatic gearbox, select mode P
or
N and press the brake pedal.
►

Press the "
START/STOP" button while
maintaining pressure on the pedal until the
engine starts.
Diesel engines
In negative temperatures and/or when the
engine is cold, starting takes place only after the
preheating warning lamp goes out.
If this warning lamp comes on after
pressing the " START/STOP" button:
►

Keep the pedal fully depressed and do not
press the "

START/STOP" button again until the
engine is running.
In all circumstances, if one of the starting
conditions is not met, a message is displayed.
In some circumstances, a message indicates
that it is necessary to turn the steering wheel

88
Driving
while pressing the "START/STOP" button to
assist unlocking of the steering column.
Petrol engines
With Petrol engines, after a cold start,
pre-heating the catalytic converter can cause
noticeable engine vibrations, for anything up
to 2 minutes (accelerated idle speed).
If the engine stalls, release the clutch
pedal and fully depress it again, the
engine will restart automatically.
Switching off
► Immobilise the vehicle using the parking
brake.
►

With a
manual gearbox, ideally put the gear
lever into neutral.
►

With an
automatic gearbox, ideally select
mode
P or N.
►

Press the "
START/STOP" button.
In some circumstances, it is necessary to turn
the steering wheel to lock the steering column.
On certain versions with an automatic gearbox
(EAT8), the steering column does not lock, but
the gearbox locks in mode P.
If the vehicle is not immobilised, the
engine will not stop.
With the engine off, the braking and
steering assistance systems are also cut
off - risk of loss of control of the vehicle!
Never leave your vehicle with the
electronic key still inside.
Switching on the ignition
without starting the engine


With the electronic key in the passenger
compartment, pressing the " START/STOP"
button, without depressing any of the pedals ,
allows the ignition to be switched on without
starting the engine.
►

Press this button again to switch off the
ignition and allow the vehicle to be locked.
Key not detected
Back-up starting
A back-up reader is fitted to the steering column,
to enable the engine to be started if the system
fails to detect the key in the recognition zone, or
if the battery in the electronic key is flat.


► Place and hold the remote control against the
reader .
►

W
ith a manual gearbox, place the gear lever
in neutral, then fully depress the clutch pedal.
►

W
ith an automatic gearbox or a drive
selector, select mode
P, then depress the brake
pedal.
►

Press the "
START/STOP" button.
The engine starts.
Back-up switch-off

If the electronic key is not detected or is no
longer in the recognition zone, a message

89
Driving
6appears in the instrument panel when closing a
door or trying to switch off the engine.
►
T
o confirm the instruction to switch off the
engine, press the " START/STOP" button for
approximately 5
seconds.
In the event of a fault with the electronic key,
contact a CITROËN dealer or a qualified
workshop.
Emergency switch-off
In case of emergency only, the engine can be
switched off without conditions (even when
driving).
►

Press the "
START/STOP" button for about
5
seconds.
In this case, the steering column locks as soon
as the vehicle stops.
Starting/Switching off the
electric motor
Starting
The drive selector must be in mode P.
► If using a remote control key , depress the
brake pedal and turn the key until it reaches
position 3 (Start).
►

If using
Keyless Entry and Start, depress the
brake pedal and briefly press the "START/STOP"
button.
►

Keep your foot on the brake pedal until the
READY

indicator lamp comes on and an audible
signal is emitted, indicating that the vehicle is
ready to drive.
►
With your foot on the brake, select mode
D
or R.
►

Release the brake pedal, then accelerate.
On starting, the instrument panel lights up and
the power indicator cursor moves to the "neutral"
position.

The steering column automatically
unlocks (you may hear a sound and feel the
steering wheel move).
Switching off
► If using a remote control key , turn the key
fully to position 1 (Stop).
►

If using Keyless Entry and Start, press the
"

START/STOP" button.
Before exiting the vehicle, check that:
–

The drive selector is in mode P

.
–
The READY indicator lamp is off.
The drive selector moves automatically
to mode P when the motor is switched off
or when the driver's door is opened.
If the driver's door is opened while the
required conditions for switching off are
not met, an audible signal is emitted,
accompanied by the display of a warning
message.
For the procedures for switching on the
ignition without starting the engine and
those for back-up starting/switching off using
the Keyless Entry and Start system, refer to
the Starting/Switching off the engine
using
Keyless Entry and Start section.
Manual parking brake
Release

► Pull the parking brake lever up slightly , press
the release button, then lower the lever fully.
/ When driving the vehicle, if this
warning lamp and the STOP
warning lamp come on, accompanied by an
audible signal and the display of a message, this
means that the parking brake is still applied or
has not been fully released.
Application
► Pull the parking brake lever up to immobilise
the vehicle.
When parking on a slope, turn the
wheels against the kerb, apply the
parking brake, engage a gear and switch off
the ignition.

92
Driving
From this point onwards, only the manual
functions, using the control, allow the parking
brake to be applied and released.
►
Follow this procedure again to reactivate
automatic operation (confirmed by the indicator
lamp on the instrument panel going out).
Emergency braking
If depressing the brake pedal fails to provide
effective braking or in exceptional circumstances
(e.g.
driver unwell, assisted driving), the vehicle
can be braked by sustained pulling on the
electric parking brake control. Braking continues
for as long as the control is kept pulled, and
ceases when the control is released.
The ABS and DSC systems stabilise the vehicle
during emergency braking.
If emergency braking malfunctions, the message
"Parking brake fault" will be displayed on the
instrument panel.
If the ABS and DSC systems
malfunction, indicated by lighting
one or both warning lamps on the instrument
panel, the vehicle’s stability is no longer ensured.
►

In this case, ensure the vehicle's stability by
successive and repeated "pull-release" actions
on the electric parking brake control until the
vehicle comes to a complete stop.
6-speed manual gearbox
Engaging 5th or 6th gear
► Move the gear selector fully to the right to
engage 5th or 6th gear.
Failure to follow this instruction could
cause permanent damage to the gearbox
(inadvertent engagement of 3
rd or 4th gear).
Engaging reverse gear

► Raise the ring under the knob and move the
gear selector to the left, then forwards.
Only engage reverse gear when the
vehicle is stationary with the engine at
idle.
As a safety precaution and to facilitate starting the engine:
–

Always select neutral.
–


Press the clutch pedal.
Automatic gearbox
Automatic 8-speed gearbox with push selector. It also offers a manual mode with gear changes
via control paddles located
behind the steering
wheel.
Push selector

P. Auto Park
Press this button to switch to Parking mode.
For parking the vehicle: the front wheels are
blocked.
R. Reverse
N. Neutral
To free-wheel and move the vehicle, with the
ignition off.
For more information on Free-wheeling, refer
to the corresponding section.
D. Driving in automatic mode
The gearbox manages gear changes
according to the style of driving, the road
profile and the vehicle load.