ground clearance CITROEN C3 2023 Owners Manual

26
Safety
Clean the seat belt straps with soapy water or
a textile cleaning product, sold by CITROËN
dealers.
Airbags
General information
The airbags have been designed to optimise the
safety of the occupants in the event of a violent
collision.
The airbags are supplementary restraint systems
(SRS) that help cushion the impact force to the
head and chest during severe frontal collisions.
The SRS includes Airbags, Seatbelts, Airbag
ECU, Collision sensors and SRS warning lamp.
Electronic detectors record and analyse the front
impacts sustained in the impact detection zones:
–
In the event of violent impact, the airbags
deploy instantly and help better protect the
occupants of the vehicle; immediately after the
impact, the airbags deflate rapidly in order not
to hinder the visibility or the possible exit of the
occupants.
–


In the event of a slight impact, a rear impact
and under certain rollover conditions, the airbags
may not deploy; only the seat belt helps to
protect you in these situations.
During a frontal crash, children could be fatally
injured if they are sitting on driver

’s lap/standing
very close to the dashboard, as the airbags exert
severe force levels during deployment.
The seriousness of the impact depends on the
nature of the obstacle and the speed of the
vehicle at the moment of collision.
The airbags do not operate when the
ignition is switched off.
This equipment will only deploy once. If a
second impact occurs (during the same or a
subsequent accident), the airbag will not be
deployed again.
When one or more airbags are deployed,
the detonation of the pyrotechnic charge
incorporated in the system makes a noise and
releases a small quantity of smoke.
This smoke is not harmful, but sensitive
individuals may experience slight 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.
The airbags will deploy irrespective of whether the seat belt is buckled or not. In
order to reduce the risk of SERIOUS INJURY
or DEATH, we recommend occupants to
always be buckled.
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 dashboard above the glove box.
Deployment
1. Frontal collision Airbags may deploy during severe front
collision when the crash intensity is above
the threshold and the angle of impact is less
than or equal to 30 degrees with respect to
longitudinal axis of vehicle.
2. Collision with utility poles or trees Airbags may deploy when the vehicle hits
pole or tree with sufficient intensity to trigger
the airbag. The crash intensity should be
above the threshold to inflate the airbag.
3. Underride collision Airbags may deploy when the vehicle rides
under the trucks or vehicles with higher
ground clearance. The crash intensity should
be above the threshold to inflate the airbag.

40
Practical information
The battery electrolyte must be filled. If the level
is found to be below the “MIN” level line, add
distilled water to the “MAX” level line.
For more information on the precautions
to take before any work on the 12 V
battery, refer to the corresponding section.
Passenger compartment
filter
Depending on the environment and the
use of the vehicle (e.g. dusty atmosphere,
city driving), change it twice as often, if
necessary .
A clogged passenger compartment filter
can adversely affect air conditioning
system performance and generate
undesirable odours.
Air filter
Depending on the environment and the
use of the vehicle (e.g. dusty atmosphere,
city driving), change it twice as often, if
necessary .
Oil filter
Change the oil filter each time the engine
oil is changed.
Manual gearbox
The gearbox does not require any
maintenance (no oil change).
Brake pads
Brake wear depends on the style of
driving, particularly in the case of vehicles
used in town, over short distances. It may be
necessary to have the condition of the brakes
checked, even between vehicle services.
Unless there is a leak in the circuit, a drop in the
brake fluid level indicates that the brake pads
are worn.
After washing the vehicle, moisture, or in wintry conditions, ice can form on the
brake discs and pads: braking efficiency may
be reduced. Gently dab the brakes to dry and
defrost them.
Brake disc and drum wear
For information on checking brake disc
and drum wear, contact a CITROËN
dealer.
Wheels and tyres
The inflation pressure of all tyres, including the spare wheel, must be
checked on "cold” tyres.
The pressures indicated on the tyre pressure
label are valid for "cold" tyres. If you have driven
for more than 10 minutes or more than 10
kilometres at over 50 km/h, add 0.3 bar (30 kPa)
to the values indicated on the label.
Under-inflation increases fuel
consumption. Non-compliant tyre
pressure causes premature wear on tyres and
has an adverse effect on the vehicle's road
holding - risk of an accident!
Driving with worn or damaged tyres reduces the
braking and road holding performance of the
vehicle. It is recommended to regularly check the
condition of the tyres (tread and sidewalls) and
wheel rims as well as the presence of the valves.
When the wear indicators no longer appear set
back from the tread, the depth of the grooves is
less than 1.6 mm; it is imperative to replace the
tyres.
Using different size wheels and tyres from those
specified can affect the lifetime of tyres, wheel
rotation, ground clearance, the speedometer
reading and have an adverse effect on road
holding.
Fitting different tyres on the front and rear axles
can cause ABS and EBFD systems to mistime.
Shock absorbers
It is not easy for drivers to detect when
shock absorbers are worn. Nevertheless,
the shock absorbers have a major impact on
road-holding and braking performance.
For your safety and driving comfort, it is
important to have them regularly checked by a
CITROËN dealer.

45
In the event of a breakdown
8► Tighten the spare wheel fixing screw by a few
turns.
After changing a wheel
The temporary spare wheel is only intended for temporary emergency use,
until the conventional wheel can be repaired
or replaced.
Continuous use of this spare can result in tire
failure and loss of control. Always observe
these precautions when using this spare:
–

Y

our vehicle will respond differently with
this temporary spare.
–

Do not exceed 80 km/h speed.
–


Replace this spare with a standard tire and
wheel as soon as possible.
–


Use of this spare will reduce ground
clearance.
–


Set the specified tire pressure indicated
on the tire information label located on the
driver's door lock pillar

.
–

Do not use tire chains on the temporary
spare. If you must use tire chains, rearrange
the wheels so standard tires and wheels are
fitted to the front axle.
–


The temporary spare wheel has a much
shorter tread life than the conventional

wheels
on your vehicle. Replace the tire as soon as
possible as the tread wear indicator appears.
The inflation pressure of the temporary spare
wheel should be checked at least monthly. At
the same time, check that the tire is stored
securely. If it is not, tighten it.
Note that two or more temporary spare
wheels should not be used on one vehicle
simultaneously.
Changing a bulb
In some weather conditions (e.g. low
temperature or humidity), misting on the
internal surface of the glass of the headlamps
and rear lamps is normal, and will disappear
after the lamps have been on for a few
minutes.
The headlamps have polycarbonate lenses with a protective coating:
–

Do not clean them with a dry or abrasive
cloth, nor with detergent or solvent
products.
–


Use a sponge and soapy water or a pH
neutral product.
–


When using a high-pressure washer on
persistent marks, do not keep the lance
directed towards the headlamps, lamps or
their edges for too long, so as not to damage
their protective coating and seals.
Changing a bulb must only be done with
the ignition off and after the headlamp /
lamp has been switched off for several
minutes - risk of serious burns!
Do not touch the bulb directly with your
fingers; use a lint-free cloth.
It is essential only to use anti-ultraviolet
(UV) type bulbs, so as not to damage the
headlamp.
Always replace a failed bulb with a new bulb
of the same type and specification. To avoid
lighting imbalance, replace the bulbs in pairs.
Refitting the lamp units
Perform the operations in the reverse
order to dismantling.
Opening the bonnet / Accessing the
bulbs
With the engine warm, proceed with caution -
risk of burns!
Take care with objects or clothing that could
be caught in the blades of the cooling fan -
risk of strangulation!
Halogen bulbs (Hx)
To ensure good quality lighting, check
that the bulb is correctly positioned in its
housing.