airbag AUDI A4 CABRIOLET 2009 Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2009, Model line: A4 CABRIOLET, Model: AUDI A4 CABRIOLET 2009Pages: 340, PDF Size: 77.32 MB
Page 163 of 340

Because the passengers of this vehicle are not using safety belts
~ page 160, fig. 162, they will keep moving at the same speed the
vehicle was moving just before the crash, until something stops
them -here, the wall
~ page 160, fig. 163.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision. Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph
(30 to 50 km/h), the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs, or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater speeds, these forces are
even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also not attached to their
vehicle. In a frontal collision they will also keep moving forward at
the speed their vehicle was travelling just before the crash. Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to frontal collisions, they
determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions. •
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop themselves
from flying forward and being injured or killed. Always
wear your safety belts!
Safety first
Fig . 164 A driver not
wearing a safety belt is
violently thrown
forward
Safety belts
Fig. 165 A rear
passenger not wearing
a safety belt will fly
forward and strike the
driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tremendous forces of
impact by holding tight or bracing themselves. Without the benefit
of safety restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant will slam
violently into the steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or
whatever else is in the way~ fig. 164 . This impact with the vehicle
interior has all the energy they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even when they deploy,
airbags provide only additional protection. Airbags are not
supposed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, including the driver,
must wear safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of
severe injury or death in a crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and that your
safety belts are always there to offer protection in those accidents
in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have
already deployed. Unbelted occupants can also be thrown out of the
vehicle where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear safety belts
correctly . Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only
themselves but also the driver and other passengers~ fig. 165. In a
frontal collision they will be thrown forward violently, where they can hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger. •
~ehicle care Technical data
Page 164 of 340

--~S~a ~f ~e ~t l'.y ...: b~ e~lt =:s!._ _____________________________________________ _
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to brace the
body in a minor collision . It's simply not true!
Fig . 166 Dri ver is
co rrec tly r est rai ned i n
a s ud den braking
man euv er
Safety belts used properly can make a big difference . Safety belts
help to keep passengers in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels app lied to the body in an accident, and help prevent the
uncontrolled movement that can cause serious injuries . In addition,
safety be lts reduce the danger of being thrown out of the vehic le.
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give them the benefit
of being s lowed down more gently or "sof tly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety features engineered
into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the kinetic energy
over a
longer period of time, the safety belts make the forces on the body
more "tolerable" and less likely to cause injury.
Although these examples are based on a frontal co llision, safety
belts can a lso substantially reduce the risk of injury in other kinds
of crashes. So, whether you're on a long tr ip or just going to t he
corner store, always buckle up and make sure others do, too. Acci
dent statistics show that vehic le occupants properly wearing safety
belts have a lower risk of being injured and a much better chance of
s u rviv ing an acc ident. Proper ly using safety belts also great ly
increases the abi lity of the supplementa l airbags to do their job in a
coll ision. For this reason, wearing a safety be lt is legally required in
most countries including much of the United States and Canada . Although your Audi is equipped with airbags, you sti
ll have to wear
t he safety belts provid ed. Fron t airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions. The front airbags are not activated in
a ll frontal co llisions, in side and rear collisions, in ro ll
ove rs or in
cases where there is not enough dece leration through impact to the
front of the vehicle. The same goes for the other ai rbag systems in
your Audi. So, a lways wear your safety belt and make sure
eve ry
body in your vehic le is properly restrained! •
Important safety Instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly positioned across
the strongest bones of your body.
Always wear safety belts as illustrated and described in
this cha pte r.
Make s ure tha t your sa fe ty belts ar e always ready for us e
and are not damaged .
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperl y increases
the risk of serious per sonal injury and death . Safety belt s can w ork
only when used corre ctl y.
• Alway s fa sten yo ur safety belt s correctl y before driving off and
make sure all pa ssenger s are properl y restrained .
• For m aximum protection , safet y belts must alw ays be po si
tion ed corre ctly on the body .
• Never strap mo re than one person , including sm all children ,
into any single safety belt.
• Never pla ce a s afety belt ove r a child sitting on your lap .
• Alway s ke ep feet in the footwell in front of the seat while the
vehicle is being dr iven .
~
Page 166 of 340

-Safety belts ___ .:,__ _____________________________________ _
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety belt is equipped with an automatic belt retractor on the
shoulder bel t. This featu re locks the bel t when the belt is pulled out
fast, during hard braking and in an accident. The belt may also lock
when you drive up or down a steep hill or through a sharp curve. During normal driving the bel t lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped with a belt pretension er that helps to
tighten the safety belt and remove slack when the pretensioner is
activated. The function of the pretensioner is monitored by a
warning light:::::, page
20, "Airbag system @;".
Switchable locking feature
Every safe ty belt except the one on the driver seat is equipped with
a switchable locking feature that must be used when the safety belt
is used to attach a child seat . Be sure to read the important informa
tion about this feature:::::, page
200.
& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious injury in an
accident :::::,
page 164, "Safety belt position" .
• Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat back
is upright and belts are properly positioned on the body.
• Never attach the safety belt to the buckle for another seat.
Attaching the belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause serious personal injury.
• A passenger who is not properly restrained can be seriously
injured by the safety belt itself when it moves from the stronger
parts of the body into critical areas like the abdomen.
• Always lock the convertible locking retractor when you are
securing a child seat in the vehicle :::::,
page 202. •
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maximum
protection from safety belts.
Fig . 168 Head restraint
and safety belt posi
tion as seen from the
side
Use the height adjustmen t to change the position of the shoulder
straps of the front seat belts.
in. WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal
injury in an accident .
• The shoulder belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned
over the middle of the occupant's shoulder and never across the
neck or throat.
• The safety belt must lie flat and snug on the occupant's upper
body
:::::> fig. 168. Pull on the belt to tighten if necessary.
• The lap belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned as
low as possible across pelvis and never over the abdomen. Make
sure the belt lies flat and snug :::::, fig. 168. Pull on the belt to
tighten if necessary.
• A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious injuries by shifting
its position on your body from the strong bones to more vulner-
able, soft tissue and cause serious injury. ..,.
Page 168 of 340

___ S_a_ f_ e_ t..: y_ b_e_ l_ t _s _______________________________________________ _
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause severe inju
nes.
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause serious injury or
death. Safety belts can only work when they are correctly positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduce
the effectiveness of safety belts and will even increase the
risk of injury and death by moving the safety belt to critical
areas of the body. Improper seating positions also increase
the risk of serious injury and death when an airbag deploys
and strikes an occupant who is not in the correct seating
position . A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle
occupants and especially for children. Therefore:
- Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect sitting posi
tion in the vehicle while traveling=>&.
& WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.
• Always make sure that all vehicle occupants are correctly
restrained and stay in a correct seating position whenever the
vehicle is being used.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important infor
mation
=> page 162. •
Safety belt pretensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear-end collisions above a particular
severity, safety belts are tensioned automatically.
The safety belts are equipped with safety belt pretensioners . The
system is activated by sensors in front, side and rear -end collisions
of great severity . This tightens the belt and takes up belt slack=>&.
in "Service and disposal of safety belt pretensioner" on
page 167.
Taking up the slack helps to reduce forward occupant movemen t
during a collision.
[ i] Tips
The safety belt pretensioner can only be activated once.
• In minor frontal and side collisions , in rear-end collisions, in a
rollover and in accidents involving very little impact force, the safety
belt pretension er are not activated.
• When the safety belt pretensioners are activated, a fine dust is
released. This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the vehicle.
• The relevant safety requirements must be observed when the
vehicle or components of the system are scrapped . A qualified deal
ership is familiar with these regulations and will be pleased to pass
on the information to you.
• Be sure to observe all safety, environmental and other regula
tions if the vehicle or individual parts of the system, particularly the
safety belt or airbag, are to be disposed. We recommend you have
your authorized Audi dealer perform this service for you. •
Page 169 of 340

_______________________________________________ S_a _f _e _t -=-y _ b_ e_lt _s ______ lll
Service and disposal of safety belt
pretension er
The safety belt pretensioners are parts of the safety belts on your
Aud i. Installing, re mov ing, servicing or repairing of belt preten
sioners can damage the safety belt system and prevent it from
wo rk ing correct ly in a coll ision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure
t ha t th e effectiveness of the system w ill not be impai red and that
discarded components do not cause injury or pollute the environ
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedure s can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing a safety belt
preten sioner from activating when needed or activating it unex
pe ctedly :
• The belt preten sioner system can be activated only once. If belt
preten sioner s have been act ivated , the sy stem mu st be repla ced.
• Never repair , adju st, or change any part s of the safety belt
system .
• Safety belt sy stem s including safety belt pretensioners cannot
be repaired . Spe cial pro cedure s are required for removal, installa
tion and di spo sal of thi s s ystem .
• For any work on the safety belt s ystem , we strongl y re com
mend that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qual ified techni
ci an who ha s an Aud i approved repair m anu al, tr aining and spe cial
equipment nece ssary .
W For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretensioners might be classified
as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc .ca .gov/hazardouswaste/perchl ora te. When the vehicle or
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation parts of the restraint system including airbag modules safety be
lts
wi th pre te nsi oners are scrapped, a ll applicable laws and reg ula
tions must be observed . Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar with
these req uirements and we recommend tha t you have you r dealer
perform this service for you. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Page 170 of 340

___ A_ ir_b _ a_ g~ s_ y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
Airbag system
Important things to know
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For airbags to
do their job, occupants must always properly wear their
safety belts and be in a proper seating position.
For your safety and the safety of your passengers, before
driving off, a lways:
- Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel properly
=>
page 148,
- Adjust the front passenger's seat properly => page 93,
- Wear safety belts properly=> page 162,
- Always properly use the proper child restraint to protect
children=>
page 190 .
In a collision airbags must inflate within the blink of an eye and with
considerable force . Th e suppl emental airbags can caus e injuries if
the driver or the front seat passenger are not seated proper ly . There
fore in order to help the airbag to do its job, it is impor tant, both as
a driver and as a passenger to sit properly at all times.
By keeping room between your body and the steering wheel and the
front of the passenger compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and
completely and prov ide supplementa l protection in certain frontal
collisions ~
page 148, "Proper occupant seating positions" . For
details on the operation of the seat adjustment controls~
page 93
and ~ page 96.
It's especially important that chi ldren are proper ly restrained
~ page 190.
There is a lot that the driver and the passengers can and must do to
help the individual safety features installed in your Audi work
together as a system.
Proper seating posi tion is important so that the front airbag on the
driver side can do its job. If you have a physical impairment or
condition that prevents you from sitting properly on the driver seat
with the safety belt properly fastened and reaching the pedals, or if
you have concerns with regard to the function or operation of the
Advanced Airbag System, please contact your authorized Audi
dea ler or qua lif ied workshop, or call Audi Customer CARE at 1-800 -
822 -2834 for possible modifications to your vehicle .
When the airbag system deploys, a gas generator wi ll fill the
airbags, break open the padded covers, and inflate between the
steering wheel and the driver and between the instrument panel
and the front passenger. The airbags will deflate immediately after
deployment so that the front occupants can see through the wind
shield again without interruption .
All of this takes p lace in the blink of an eye, so fast that many people
don't even rea lize that the airbags have dep loyed. The airbags also
inflate with a great deal of force and nothing should be in their way
when they deploy . Front airbags in combination with properly worn
safety bel ts slow down and limit the occupant's forward movement.
Together they help to prevent the driver and front seat passenger
from hitting parts of the inside the vehicle while reducing the forces acting on the occupant during the crash . In this way they help to
reduce the risk of injury to the head and upper body in the crash .
Airbags do not protect the arms or the lower parts of the body.
Both front airbags w ill not in flate in al l frontal collisions . The trig
gering of the airbag system depends on the vehic le deceleration
rate caused by the collision and registered by the electronic contro l
unit. If this rate is below the reference value programmed into the
control unit, the airbags will not be triggered, even though the car
may be badly damaged as a result of the collision . Vehicle damage, .,
Page 171 of 340

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m ___ lJII
repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage is not necessarily an
indication of whether an airbag should inflate or not .
It is not possible to define a range of vehicle speeds that will cover
every possible kind and angle of impact that will always trigger the
airbags, since the circumstances will vary considerably between
one collision and another. Important factors include, for example,
the nature (hard or soft) of the object which the car hits, the angle of impac t, vehicle sp eed , etc . The front airbags will also not inflate
in side or rear collisions, or in roll-overs.
Always remember : Airbags will deploy only once, and only in certain
kinds of collisions. Your safety belts are always there to offer protec
tion in those situations in which airbags are not supposed to deploy,
or when they have already deployed; for example, when your vehicle
strikes or is struck by another after the first collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is a suppl em entary
restraint and is not a substitute for a safety belt. The airbag system
works most effectively when used with the safety belts. Therefore ,
always properly wear your safety belts=>
page 159.
& WARNING
Sitting too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel will
decrease the effectiveness of the airbags and will increase the risk
of personal injury in a collision.
• Never sit closer than 10 inches (25 cm) to the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
• If you cannot sit more than 10 inches (25 cm) from the steering
wheel, investigate whether adaptive equipment may be available
to held you reach the pedals and increase your seating distance
from the steering wheel.
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sideways or out
of position in any way, your risk of injury is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag.
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
• To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, always
wear safety belts properly~
page 163, "Safety belts".
• Always make certain that children age 12 or younger always
ride in the rear seat. If children are not properly restrained, they
may be severely injured or killed when an airbag inflates.
• Never let children ride unrestrained or improperly restrained in
the vehicle. Adjust the front seats properly.
• Never ride with the backrest reclined.
• Always sit as far as possible from the steering wheel or the
instrument panel~
page 148, "Proper occupant seating posi
tions".
• Always sit upright with your back against the backrest of your
seat.
• Never place your feet on the instrument panel or on the seat .
Always keep both feet on the floor in front of the seat to help
prevent serious injuries to the legs and hips if the airbag inflates.
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects.
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden maneuver. Objects near the
airbags can become projectiles and cause injury when an airbag
inflates.
& WARNING
Airbags that have deployed in a crash must be replaced.
• Use only original equipment airbags approved by Audi and
installed by a trained technician who has the necessary tools and
diagnostic equipment to properly replace any airbag in your
vehicle and assure system effectiveness in a crash.
• Never permit salvaged or recycled airbags to be installed in
your vehicle. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Page 172 of 340

___ A_ ir_b _ a_ g~ s_ y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
- Be sure to read the important information and head the
WARNINGS for important details about children and
Advanced Airbags~
page 190.
Even though your vehic le is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that a ll children, especia lly those 12 years and
younger, a lways ride in the back seat properly restrained for their
age and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat
a potentia lly dangerous place for a child to ride. The front seat is not
the safest p lace for a chi ld in a forward -facing child safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a child in a rearward
facing seat.
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has been certified to
comply with the Requirements of United States Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 as applicab le at the time your vehicle
was manufactured.
Th e Standard requires the front airbag on the passenger side to be
turned off ("suppressed") if a chi ld up to about one year of age
restrained in one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant
restraints listed in Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
which the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certified has been instal led on the front passenger seat. For a listing of the child
restraints that were used to certify compliance with the US Safety
Standard =>
page 192.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the instrument panel tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
t urned off by the electronic control unit.
Each time you turn on the ignition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will come on for a few seconds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied, •
will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front
passenger seat,
• will go off if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight-sensing mat=>
page 179, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when the control unit
detects a tota l weight on the front passenger seat that requires the
front airbag to be turned off.
If the total weight on the front passenger seat is more than that of
a typical 1 year -old child but less than the weight of a small adult,
the fron t airbag on the passenger side can deploy (the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on). If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger s ide
has not been turned off by the electronic contro l unit and can
deploy if the control unit senses an impact that meets the condi
tions stored in its memory.
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
• a small ch ild that is heavier than a typical 1 year-o ld child is on
the front passenger seat (regardless of whether the child is in one
of the child safety seats listed =>
page 192), or
• a child who has outgrown chi ld restraints is on the front
passenger seat .
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on in the instrument cluster and stays on.
The front airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not illuminate and stay lit) even
if a small adult or teenager, or a passenger who is not sitting upright
with their back against a non -reclined backrest with their feet on the
vehicle floor in front of the seat is on the front passenger seat
=>
page 148, "Proper seating position for the driver".
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal Standard requires
the airbag to meet the "low risk" deployment criteria to reduce the
risk of injury through interaction with the airbag. "Low risk" deploy
ment occurs in those crashes that take p lace at lower decelerations .,.
Page 173 of 340

Airbag system -----------------=~-
as defined in the electronic contro l unit:::::, page 18 0, "P ASSENG ER
A IR BAG OFF lig ht".
A lways remember, a ch ild safety s eat or infant carrier insta lled on
the front seat may be struck a nd knocked out of position by the
rap id ly infl atin g p ass eng er's ai rba g in a front al co llision . The air bag
co uld greatly reduce the effectiveness of the chi ld re st raint and
e v en s erio usl y inju re the chi ld during inflati on.
F or this reason, and because the bac k seat is t he safest plac e for
c hi ldr en -w he n prop erly res train ed acc ordi ng to th eir age a nd size
- w e stro ng ly recomme nd that c hildren a lways s it in t he bac k seat
::::;, page 190, "Chil d Safe ty" .
& WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating ai rbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the ba ckrest , center arm rest , door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat. • If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
• Forward-facing child safety seats installed on the front
passenger's seat may interfere with the deployment of the airbag
and cause serious personal injury to the child .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances , you must install a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat:
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
• Always make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag .
• Never put the forward -facing child restraint up against or very
near the instrument panel .
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will be displayed whenever a child restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not stay on , perform
the checks described :::::,
page 179, "Monitoring the Advanced
Airbag System" .
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer immedi
ately .
• Always carefully follow instructions from child restraint manu
facturers when installing child restraints .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward or
rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat :
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Page 174 of 340

-Airbag system --=----=----------------
& W
ARNING (continued )
• Improper installation of child restraints can reduce their effec
tiveness or even prevent them from p roviding any protection .
• An improperly installed child restraint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child -
even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• Always carefully follow the manufa cturer's instru ctions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier .
• Never place additional items on the seat that can increase the
total weight registered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause injury in a crash .
LJ
Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The air bag sy stem can provi de su ppleme ntal pr ote ct io n
to prope rly r estrai ned fron t se at occu pants.
Fig. 1 7 1 L ocation of
driver airbag: in
s teeri ng w heel
Fig . 172 Location of
fron t pa ssenger' s
airbag : in the in stru
ment panel
Your vehicle is equipp ed with an " Advanced Airbag System" in
complia nce wit h United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safe ty Stan
dard (FMVSS) 208 as appl icab le at the time your veh icle was manu
f act ured. The safety bel ts for the front seat s have "pretensi one rs"
t ha t help to take slack ou t of the be lt s ystem. The p re tens io ne rs a re
also activated by the electronic control unit for the airbag system.
The fr ont safe ty belts als o h ave loa d lim iters to hel p reduce the
forces applied to the body in a crash.
The a irbag f or the driver is i n the st eeri ng wheel hub~ fig. 171 a nd
t h e airbag for the front passenger is in the i nstrument panel
~ fig. 172. The genera l location of the airbags is marked "AIRBAG".
There is a lot you need to know ab out t he airbags in y our vehicle. We
u rge you to read the deta iled information about airbags, safety belts
and child s afety i n th is and th e other c ha pt ers t hat make u p the
owner's literature. Please be sure to heed the WARN INGS -they are
e xt reme ly im portan t for y our safe ty a nd the safe ty of y our passen
gers, especia lly infants and small childr en.
& WARNING
Never rely on airbags alone for protection .
• Even when they deploy, airbags provide only supplemental
protect ion .