2023 CITROEN C4 CACTUS warning

53
Safety
5Deactivation is confirmed by the
illumination of this indicator lamp in the
instrument panel and the display of a message.
The ASR system is reactivated automatically
every time the ignition is switched back on or
from 31 mph (50
km/h).
Reactivation is manual below 31 mph (50 km/h).
Malfunction
In the event of a system malfunction, this
warning lamp comes on, accompanied by
an onscreen message and audible signal.
Contact a CITROËN dealer or a qualified
workshop to have the systems checked.
ASR / DSC
These systems enhance safety during
normal driving, but should not encourage
the driver to take extra risks or drive at high
speed.
It is in conditions of reduced grip (rain, snow,
ice) that the risk of loss of grip increases. It
is therefore important for your safety to keep
these systems activated in all conditions, and
particularly in difficult conditions.
Correct operation of these systems depends
on compliance with the manufacturer's
recommendations relating to the wheels
(tyres and rims), braking and electronic
components, as well as the assembly and
repair procedures used by CITROËN dealers.
The use of snow tyres is recommended, to
ensure that these systems remain effective
in winter conditions. All four wheels must be
fitted with tyres approved for the vehicle.
Seat belts
Front seat belts

The front seat belts are fitted with a pyrotechnic
pretensioning and force limiting system.
This system improves safety in the front seats
in the event of a front or side impact. Depending
on the severity of the impact, the pretensioning
system instantly tightens the seat belts against
the body of the occupants.
The pretensioning seat belts are active when the
ignition is on.
The force limiter reduces the pressure of the
seat belt on the chest of the occupant, thus
improving their protection.
Locking

► Pull the strap then insert the tongue in the
buckle.
►

Check that the seat belt is fastened correctly
by pulling the strap.
Release
► Press the red button on the buckle.
► Guide the seat belt as it reels in.

54
Safety
Rear seat belts

The rear seats are each fitted with a three-point
seat belt.
Fastening
► Pull the strap then insert the tongue in the
buckle.
►

Check that the seat belt is fastened correctly
by pulling the strap.
Unfastening
► Press the red button on the buckle.
► Guide the seat belt as it reels in.
Seat belt(s) not fastened /
unfastened warning lamp(s)


1. Front seat belts not fastened / unfastened
warning lamp, in the instrument panel.
2. Front left seat belt warning lamp.
3. Front right seat belt warning lamp.
4. Rear right seat belt warning lamp.
5. Rear centre seat belt warning lamp.
6. Rear left seat belt warning lamp.
From approximately 12 mph (20
km/h), the
warning lamp(s) flashes for two minutes
accompanied by an audible signal. Once these
two minutes have elapsed, the warning lamp(s)
remains on until the driver or the front passenger
fastens their seat belt.
Front seat belt warning lamp(s)
On switching on the ignition, warning lamp
1 comes on in the instrument panel and the
corresponding warning lamp ( 2 and 3) comes
on in red in the seat belt and front passenger’s
airbag warning lamp display if the driver's seat
belt or front passenger's seat belt is not fastened
or is unfastened.
Rear seat belt warning lamp(s)
The corresponding ( 4 to 6) warning lamp lights
up red in the seat belt and front passenger
airbag display screen when one or more rear
passengers unfastens their seat belts.
Advice
The driver must ensure that passengers use the seat belts correctly and that they
are all fastened before setting off.
Wherever seated in the vehicle, you must
always fasten the seat belt, even for short
journeys.
Do not interchange the seat belt buckles, as
they will not fulfil their role fully.
Before and after use, ensure that the seat belt
is reeled in correctly.
After folding or moving a seat or rear bench
seat, ensure that the seat belt is positioned
and reeled in correctly.
Installation
The lower part of the strap must be
positioned as low as possible on the pelvis.
The upper part must be positioned in the
hollow of the shoulder.
In order to be effective, a seat belt:
–

must be tightened as close to the body as
possible;

56
Safety
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 upright sitting position.
Fasten the seat belt ensuring it is correctly
positioned and adjusted.
Do not leave anything between the occupants
and the airbags (a child, pet, object, etc.), nor
fix or attach anything close to or in the way of
the airbag release trajectory; this could cause
injuries during their deployment.
Never modify the original definition of your
vehicle, particularly in the area directly around
the airbags.
After an accident or if the vehicle has been
stolen, have the airbag systems checked.
All work on the airbag systems must only
be performed by a CITROËN dealer or a
qualified workshop.
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
airbag inflates almost instantly (within a few
milliseconds) then deflates within the same
Front airbags

This system protects the driver and front
passenger in the event of a serious front impact,
in order to limit the risk of head and chest
injuries.
The driver's airbag is fitted in the centre of the
steering wheel; the front passenger airbag is
fitted in the roof to free up more space in the
glove box.
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.
* For more information on Deactivating the front passenger airbag, refer t\
o the corresponding section.
Lateral airbags

System which protects the driver and front
passenger in the event of a serious side impact
in order to limit the risk of injury to the chest,
between the hip and the shoulder.
Each side airbag is fitted in the seat backrest
frame, door side.
Deployment
The lateral airbag is deployed unilaterally in
the event of a severe side impact covering all
or part of side impact zone B, perpendicular to
the longitudinal centreline of the vehicle on a
horizontal plane and directed from the outside
towards the inside of the vehicle.
The lateral airbag inflates between the hip
and shoulder of the front passenger and the
corresponding door trim 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
The curtain airbag is deployed at the same
time as the corresponding lateral airbag in the
event of a serious side impact applied to all or
part of the side impact zone B, perpendicular
to the longitudinal centreline of the vehicle on a
horizontal plane and directed from the outside
towards the inside of the vehicle.
The curtain airbag inflates between the front or
rear occupant of the vehicle and the windows.
Malfunction
If this warning lamp comes on in the
instrument panel, you must contact 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.

59
Safety
5of the vehicle's rear seat, and is ideally in contact
with it.
Centre rear seat
A child seat with a support leg must never be
installed on the centre rear passenger seat .
Child seat at the front

► Adjust the front passenger seat to the
intermediate longitudinal position ,
with the
backrest straightened .
"Forward facing"

You must leave the front passenger
airbag active.
"Rearward facing"

The front passenger airbag must be deactivated before installing a rearward
facing child seat. Otherwise, the child risks
being seriously injured or killed if the
airbag deploys.


Warning label - Front passenger airbag

You must comply with the following instruction,
reminded by the warning label on both sides of
the passenger sun visor:
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.
Deactivating the front
passenger airbag


Passenger airbag OFF
On vehicles equipped with a deactivation control,
this label is affixed to the centre pillar, on the
passenger side.
To guarantee the safety of your child, the front passenger airbag must be
deactivated when a "rear facing" child seat is
installed on the front passenger seat.
Otherwise, the child risks being seriously
injured or killed if the airbag is deployed.

60
Safety
Vehicles not equipped with a
deactivation control
Installing a “rear facing” child seat on the
front passenger seat is expressly prohibited!
Doing so would expose the child to the risk of
death or serious injury in the event of airbag
deployment.
Deactivating/Reactivating the front
passenger airbag
The control is located in the glove box.

With the ignition off:
► T o deactivate the airbag, turn the key in the
switch to the "OFF " position.
►

T
o reactivate it, turn the key to the "ON"
position.
When the ignition is switched on:
This warning lamp comes on and remains lit to signal the deactivation.
Or
This warning lamp comes on for about 1 minute to signal the activation.
Recommended child seats
Range of recommended child seats secured
using a three-point seat belt.
Group 0+: from birth to 13 kg

L1
"RÖMER Baby-Safe Plus"
Installed in the "rearward facing" position.
Groups 2 and 3: from 15 to 36 kg

L4
"KLIPPAN Optima"
From 22 kg (approximately 6 years), the booster is used on its own.
Groups 2 and 3: from 15 to 36 kg

L5
"RÖMER KIDFIX"
Can be fitted to the vehicle's ISOFIX mountings.
The child is restrained by the seat belt.
Locations for child seats secured using the seat belt
In accordance with European regulations, this table indicates the option\
s for installing universally-approved ( a ) child seats secured using the seat belt,
based on the child’s weight and the seat position in the vehicle.

68
Driving
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 fully 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 have to apply
significant force to move the steering
wheel (wheels on full lock, for example).
► 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 starts, release the key.
With petrol engines , after a cold start,
preheating the catalytic converter can
cause noticeable engine vibrations for
anything up to 2 minutes while stationary with
the engine running (accelerated idle speed).
► With a Diesel engine, turn the key to position
2, ignition on, to operate the engine preheating
system.
Before setting off
Nose weight
► Distribute the load in the trailer so that the
heaviest items are as close as possible to the
axle and the nose weight (at the point where it
joins your vehicle) approaches the maximum
permitted without exceeding it.
Tyres
► Check the tyre pressures of the towing
vehicle and of the trailer , observing the
recommended pressures.
Lighting
► Check the electrical signalling on the trailer
and the headlamp beam height of your vehicle.
If a genuine CITROËN towing device is
used, the rear parking sensors will be
deactivated automatically to avoid the audible
signal.
When driving
Cooling
Towing a trailer uphill increases the temperature
of the coolant. The maximum towable load
depends on the gradient and the exterior
temperature. The cooling capacity of the fan
does not increase with engine speed.
►

Reduce speed and lower the engine speed,
so as to limit the heating-up. In all cases, pay attention to the coolant
temperature.
If this warning lamp and the
STOP
warning lamp come on, stop the vehicle
and switch off the engine as soon as possible.
Brakes
Braking distances are increased when towing a
trailer. To avoid overheating of the brakes, the
use of engine braking is recommended.
Side wind
Bear in mind the increased susceptibility to the
wind that the vehicle will have.
Anti-theft protection
Electronic immobiliser
The key contains an electronic chip which has a
special code. When the ignition is switched on,
this code must be recognised in order for starting
to be possible.
This electronic engine immobiliser locks the
engine management system a moment after
the ignition is switched off, and prevents
unauthorised engine starting.
In the event of a fault, you are informed
by illumination of this warning lamp, an
audible signal and a message in the screen.
In this case, your vehicle will not start; contact
a CITROËN dealer or a qualified workshop as
soon as possible.
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 portable devices to be charged.
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

69
Driving
6automatically 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 fully 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 have to apply
significant force to move the steering
wheel (wheels on full lock, for example).
►

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 starts, release the key.
With petrol engines , after a cold start,
preheating the catalytic converter can
cause
noticeable engine vibrations for
anything up to 2 minutes while stationary with
the engine running (accelerated idle speed).
►

With a
Diesel engine, turn the key to position
2, ignition on, to operate the engine preheating
system.
Wait until this warning lamp goes off in the
instrument panel, then operate the starter
motor by turning the key to position 3 without
pressing the accelerator pedal, until the engine
starts. Once the engine starts, release the key.
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.
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.
In mild conditions, do not leave the
engine at idle to warm up but move off
straight away and drive at moderate speed.
Switching 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 about thirty
minutes, you can still use functions such as the
audio and telematics system, courtesy lamps,
windscreen wipers, dipped beam headlamps,
etc.
For more information on Energy
economy mode, refer to the
corresponding section.
Key left in
When opening the driver's door, an alert
message is displayed, accompanied by an

70
Driving
Switching on the ignition
without starting the engine


With the electronic key in the passenger
compartment, pressing the “START/STOP”
button, without pressing any of the pedals ,
allows the ignition to be switched on without
starting the engine (turning on the instrument
panel and accessories such as the audio system
and the lighting).
► 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 underneath the
parking brake lever so that the engine can be
started if the system does not detect the key
in the recognition zone, or if the battery in the
electronic key is flat.

audible signal, to remind you that the key is
still in the ignition switch at position 1 (Stop).
If the key has been left in the ignition switch
at position 2 (Ignition on) , the ignition will be
switched off automatically after one hour.
To switch the ignition back on, turn the key
to position 1 (Stop), then back to position 2
(Ignition on) .
Starting / Switching off the
engine with Keyless Entry
and Starting
The electronic key must be present in the
passenger compartment.
If it 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.
For Diesel engines, when the temperature is
below zero and/or the engine is cold, starting will
only occur once the preheating warning lamp is
off.
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.
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
while pressing the " START/STOP" button to
assist unlocking of the steering column.
With petrol engines , after a cold start,
preheating the catalytic converter can
cause noticeable engine vibrations for
anything up to 2 minutes while stationary with
the engine running (accelerated idle speed).
Switching off
► Immobilise the vehicle, with the engine at
idle.
►

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.
If the vehicle is not immobilised, the
engine will not switch off.
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.