MERCEDES-BENZ AMG GT ROADSTER 2016 Service Manual

Fastening the seat belts
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(Y page 36) and the information on correct use
of the seat belt (Y page 37). Basic illustration
X Adjust the seat (Y page 78).
The seat backrest must be in an almost
upright position.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly out of belt loop =
and engage belt tongue ;into belt
buckle :.
The seat belt on the driver's seat and the
front-passenger seat may be tightened auto-
matically; see "Belt adjustment"
(Y page 38).
X If necessary, pull upwards on the seat belt in
front of your chest so that the belt sits tightly
across your body.
Releasing seat belts !
Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled up.
Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue will be
trapped in the door or in the seat mechanism. This could damage the door, the door trim
panel and the seat belt. Damaged seat belts
can no longer fulfil their protective function
and must be replaced. Visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
X Press release button in belt buckle, hold belt
tongue firmly and guide the seat belt back. Seat belt adjustment The belt adjustment is an integral part of the
PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. This function
adjusts the driver's and front-passenger seat
belt to the upper body of the vehicle occupants.
The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
R the seat belt tongue is engaged in the belt
buckle and
R the ignition is switched on
The belt adjustment will apply a certain tighten-
ing force if any slack is detected between the
vehicle occupant and the seat belt. Do not hold
on to the seat belt tightly while it is adjusting.
You can activate and deactivate the belt adjust-
ment via the multimedia system. Information on activating and deactivating the belt adjustment
can be found in the Digital Owner's Manual.
Seat belt warning for the driver and
front-passenger The
7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle occu-
pants must wear their seat belts. It may light up
continuously or flash. In addition, a warning tone may sound.
The 7 seat belt warning lamp goes out and
the warning tone ceases when the driver and the
front passenger have fastened their seat belts. Airbags
Introduction The airbag installation location is identified by
the label AIRBAG.
An airbag supplements a correctly fastened seat
belt. It is not a substitute for seat belts. The air-bag provides additional protection in the corre-
sponding accident situations.
Not all airbags are deployed in an accident. The
various airbag systems work independently of
one another (Y page 46).
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
Due to the required speed of the airbag after
deployment, it is also not possible to entirely
rule out the risk of injuries caused by the airbag. 38
Occupant safetySafety

Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you deviate from the correct seat position,
the airbag cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function and can even cause addi-
tional injuries when deployed. There is an
increased risk of serious or even fatal injuries.
In order to avoid such risks, always ensure
that all vehicle occupants:
R fasten their seatbelts correctly, including
pregnant women
R are seated correctly and maintain the fur-
thest possible distance from the airbags
R observe the following notes
Always ensure that there are no objects loca-
ted between the airbag and the vehicle occu-
pant.
R Adjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat is in an almost upright position. The centre of
the head restraint must support the head at
about eye level.
The setting options are different depending
on the seat model.
R Move the driver's and front-passenger seats
as far back as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven safely.
R Hold the steering wheel only by the rim. This
allows the airbag to be fully deployed.
R Always lean against the backrest while driv-
ing. Do not lean forwards or lean against the
door or side window. You may otherwise be in the deployment area of the airbags.
R Always keep your feet in the footwell in front
of the seat. Do not put your feet on the dash- board, for example. Your feet may otherwise
be in the deployment area of the airbag.
R Always secure persons less than 1.50 mtall in
suitable restraint systems. Up to this height,
the seat belt cannot be worn correctly.
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, also
observe the following notes:
R Always secure children under twelve years of
age and less than 1.50 mtall in suitable child
restraint systems.
R Secure a child to the front-passenger seat
only when the front-passenger front airbag is disabled, and then only in a rearward-facing
child restraint system. If the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp is permanently lit, the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled
(Y page 35).
R Be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Automatic front-passenger
front airbag deactivation system"
(Y page 41) and on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 49) in addition to the manufactur-
er's operating and installation instructions for the child restraint system.
Objects in the vehicle interior may prevent
the airbag from functioning correctly. Before
starting your journey and to avoid risks resulting from the speed of the airbag as it deploys, make
sure that:
R there are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an airbag
R there are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar
R no accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deployment
area of an airbag, e.g. to doors or side win-
dows
R no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects are in
the pockets of your clothing. Store such
objects in a suitable place. G
WARNING
If you modify an airbag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the airbag can no longer function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an airbag cover or affix objects
to it. G
WARNING
Sensors to control the airbags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ling, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the function of the sensors being impaired. The
airbags might therefore not function properly any more. Consequently, the airbags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. This poses an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan- Occupant safety
39Safety
Z

elling carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
front airbags !
Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. This could cause the system
to identify the seat as being occupied. In the
event of an accident, the restraint systems on the front-passenger side may be triggered
and have to be replaced. Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the steer-
ing wheel. Front-passenger front airbag ;
deploys in front of and above the glove com-
partment.
When deployed, the front airbags offer addi-
tional head and thorax protection for the occu-
pants in the driver's and front-passenger seats.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
informs you about the status of the front-
passenger front airbag (Y page 35).
The front-passenger front airbag will deploy only if:
R the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system has detected that the
front-passenger seat is occupied
(Y page 41). The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is not lit. (Y page 42)
R the restraint system control unit predicts a
high accident severity. Kneebags Driver's kneebag
:deploys underneath the
steering column and front-passenger knee-
bag ;underneath the glove compartment. The
driver's and front-passenger kneebags are trig-
gered together with the front airbags.
The driver's and front-passenger kneebags offer additional thigh, knee and lower leg protection.
Sidebags G
WARNING
Unsuitable seat covers may obstruct or even
prevent deployment of the airbags integrated into the seats. The airbags may then fail to
protect the vehicle occupants as intended.
Operation of the automatic co-driver's front
airbag deactivation system may also be
impaired. There is an increased risk of injury,
possibly even fatal.
Use only seat covers which have been specif- ically approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz. Sidebags
:deploy next to the outer bolster of
the seat backrest. 40
Occupant safetySafety

When deployed, the sidebag offers additional
thorax protection. However, it does not protect
the:
R head
R neck
R arms
AMG Performance seat: increased pelvis pro-
tection is also offered for occupants in the front seats.
In the event of a side impact, the sidebag is
deployed on the side on which the impact
occurs.
The sidebag on the front-passenger side deploys
under the following conditions:
R the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system has detected that the
front-passenger seat is occupied, or
R the seat belt buckle tongue is engaged in the
belt buckle of the front-passenger seat
If the belt tongue is engaged in the belt buckle,
the sidebag on the front-passenger side deploys if an appropriate accident situation occurs. In
this case, deployment is independent of
whether the front-passenger seat is occupied or
not.
Windowbags Windowbags
:are integrated in the side of the
roof frame above the doors.
When deployed, the windowbag enhances the
level of protection for the head. However, it does
not protect the chest or arms.
In the event of a side impact, the windowbag is
deployed on the side on which an impact occurs.
If the system determines that it can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the seat
belt, a windowbag may be deployed in other
accident situations (Y page 46). Automatic front-passenger front air-
bag deactivation
Introduction In order to recognise a child restraint system on
the front-passenger seat, the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system cat- egorises the person in the front-passenger seat.Depending on that result, the front-passenger
front airbag and front-passenger kneebag are
either enabled or disabled. If a rearward-facing
child restraint system is fitted to the front-
passenger seat, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp must light up after the system
self-test and remain lit. The front-passenger
front airbag and front-passenger kneebag are
disabled.
The system does not disable:
R the sidebag
R the windowbag
R the seat belt tensioner
If you install a child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, be sure to observe the
correct positioning of the child restraint system. Never place objects under or behind the child
restraint system, e.g. cushions. The entire baseof the child restraint system must always rest on
the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat.
The backrest of a forward-facing child restraint
system must, as far as possible, rest flat against the backrest of the front-passenger seat. The
child restraint system must not touch the roof or
be put under strain by the head restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat backrest and the head
restraint position accordingly. Only then is the
correct function of the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system
guaranteed. Always observe the information onsuitable positioning of the child restraint system
(Y page 51) in addition to the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instructions. Occupant safety
41Safety Z

Operation of automatic front-passenger
airbag deactivation :
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp
; PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
The indicator lamps inform you whether the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled or ena-
bled.
X Press the Start/Stop button once or twice, or
turn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock.
The system carries out a self-diagnosis.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON indicator lamps must light up simul- taneously for approximately six seconds.
The indicator lamps display the status of the
front-passenger front airbag:
R PASSENGER AIR BAG ON lights up for 60 sec-
onds, then both indicator lamps are off
(PASSENGER AIR BAG ON and OFF): the front-
passenger front airbag is able to deploy in the event of an accident.
R PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lights up: the front-
passenger front airbag is disabled. It will then
not be deployed in the event of an accident.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
front airbag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi- cator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
If the status of the front-passenger front airbag
changes while the vehicle is in motion, an airbag
display message appears on the instrument
cluster (Y page 180). When the front-passenger
seat is occupied, always pay attention to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp. Be
aware of the status of the front-passenger front
airbag both before and during the journey. If a person sits in the passenger seat, he/she
must be:
R seated with the seat belt fastened correctly
R in an almost upright position with his/her
back against the seat backrest
R with his/her feet resting on the floor, if pos-
sible
If the front passenger does not observe these
conditions, the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system may be influenced,
e.g. because the front passenger:
R transfers his/her weight by supporting him-
self/herself on a vehicle armrest
R sits in such a way that his/her weight is raised
from the seat cushion
The front-passenger front airbag may be disa-
bled by mistake as a result of these or similar
actions. In this case, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF indicator lamp lights up permanently. The
front-passenger front airbag then does not
deploy during an accident. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is lit, the front-passenger front airbag is disa-
bled. It will not be deployed in the event of an
accident and cannot perform its intended pro-
tective function. A person in the front-
passenger seat could then, for example, come
into contact with the vehicle's interior, espe-
cially if the person is sitting too close to the
dashboard. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always make sure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and that the front-
passenger front airbag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
back as far back as possible.
R the person is seated correctly.
Make sure, both before and during the jour-
ney, that the status of the front-passenger
front airbag is correct. 42
Occupant safetySafety

G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the co-driver's seat and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
is off, the co-driver's front airbag can deploy in the event of an accident. The child could be
struck by the airbag. There is an increased risk
of injury, possibly even fatal.
In this case, always make sure that the co-
driver's front airbag has been disabled. The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
must be lit.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
stays off, do not install a rearward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
Further information can be found under "Prob-
lems with the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system" (Y page 45).G
WARNING
If you secure a child in a forward-facing child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat
and you position the front-passenger seat too close to the dashboard, in the event of an
accident, the child could:
R come into contact with the vehicle's inte-
rior if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp is lit, for example
R be struck by the airbag if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Move the front-passenger seat as far back as
possible. Always make sure that the shoulder belt strap is correctly routed from the belt
loop on the vehicle to the shoulder belt guide on the child restraint system. The shoulder
belt strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the belt loop. Always observe the
information about suitable positioning of the
child restraint system in this Owner's Manual as well as the child restraint system manu-
facturer's installation instructions.
Always observe the vehicle-specific information for the correct positioning of the child restraint
system (Y page 51). If the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system detects that:
R the front-passenger seat is unoccupied, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up after the system self-test and
remains lit. This indicates that the front-
passenger front airbag is disabled.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child in a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp lights up after the system self-test and
remains lit. This indicates that the front-
passenger front airbag is disabled.
But in the case of a child in a rearward-facing
child restraint system, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp can also go out after
the system self-test. This indicates that the
front-passenger front airbag is enabled. The
result of the classification is dependent on,
among other factors, the child restraint sys-
tem and the child's build. Make sure that the
conditions for a correct classification are met. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains off, do not install a child
restraint system on the front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a
child in a forward-facing child restraint sys-
tem, either the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp lights up and remains lit after
the system self-test depending on the result
of the classification, or it goes out. The result
of the classification is dependent on, among
other factors, the child restraint system and
the child's build.
Move the front-passenger seat as far back as possible. Always observe the information in
"Child restraint systems on the front-
passenger seat" (Y page 50) and in "Suita-
ble positioning of the child restraint system"
(Y page 51).
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by a per-
son with a smaller build (e.g. a teenager or
small adult), the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp lights up and remains lit after Occupant safety
43Safety Z

the system self-test depending on the result
of the classification or, alternatively, goes out.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is off, move the front-passenger seat
as far back as possible.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is lit, a person with a smaller build
should not use the front-passenger seat.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied by an
adult or a person with the build of an adult, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
goes out after the system self-test. This indi-
cates that the front-passenger front airbag is
enabled.
If children are travelling in the vehicle, be sure to
observe the notes on "Children in the vehicle"
(Y page 49).
If the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system is malfunctioning, the red
6 restraint system warning lamp on the
instrument cluster and the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp light up simultaneously.
The front-passenger front airbag is disabled in
this case and does not deploy during an acci-
dent. Have the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system checked and
repaired immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this purpose.
If the front-passenger seat, the seat cover or the
seat cushion are damaged, have the necessary
repair work carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this purpose.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use only a child restraint system
that has been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz in combination with the auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactivation
system.
System self-test G
DANGER
If both the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps do
not light up during the system self-test, the
system is malfunctioning. The front-
passenger front airbag might be triggered
unintentionally or might not be triggered at all in the event of an accident with high deceler-
ation. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
In this case the front-passenger seat may not be used. Do not install a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat. Have the auto-
matic front-passenger front airbag deactiva-
tion system checked and repaired immedi-
ately at a qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit after the system self-test, the
front-passenger front airbag is disabled. It willnot be deployed in the event of an accident. In
this case, the front-passenger front airbag
cannot perform its intended protective func-
tion, e.g. when a person is seated in the front- passenger seat.
That person could, for example, come into
contact with the vehicle's interior, especially
if the person is sitting too close to the dash-
board. This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
When the front-passenger seat is occupied,
always ensure that:
R the classification of the person in the front-
passenger seat is correct and the front-
passenger front airbag is enabled or disa-
bled in accordance with the person in the
front-passenger seat.
R the person is seated properly with a cor-
rectly fastened seat belt.
R the front-passenger seat has been moved
as far back as possible.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp remains lit when it should not, the front- passenger seat may not be used. Do not
install a child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat. Have the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system
checked and repaired immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop. 44
Occupant safetySafety

G
WARNING
Objects between the seat surface and the
child restraint system could affect the func-
tion of the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system. This could result
in the front-passenger front airbag not func-
tioning as intended during an accident. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Do not place any objects between the seat
surface and the child restraint system. The
entire base of the child restraint system must always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the forwards-
facing child restraint system must, as far as
possible, be resting on the backrest of the
rear reclining seat. Always comply with the child restraint system manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions.
After the system self-test, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF or PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator
lamp displays the status of the front-passenger
front airbag (Y page 42). If the front-passenger
front airbag is enabled, the PASSENGER AIR
BAG ON indicator lamp lights up for 60 seconds
and then goes out.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp is
off, only the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp shows the status of the front-passenger
front airbag. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp may be lit continuously or be off.
Further information can be found under "Prob-
lems with the automatic front-passenger front
airbag deactivation system" (Y page 45).
Problems with automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation Be sure to observe the notes on "System self-test" (Y
page 44). Occupant safety
45Safety Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up and remains lit,
even though the front-
passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult or a per-
son with a build corre-
sponding to that of an
adult. The classification of the person on the front-passenger seat is false.
X Make sure the conditions for a correct classification of the person
on the front-passenger seat are met (Y page 42).
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains lit, the front-
passenger seat may not be used.
X Have the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation sys-
tem checked immediately at a qualified specialist workshop. The PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up and/or
does not stay on.
The front-passenger seatis:
R empty
R occupied with a rear-
ward-facing child
restraint system The automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation system is
malfunctioning.
X Make sure there is nothing between the seat and the child restraint
system.
X Make sure that the entire base of the child restraint system rests on
the seat cushion of the front-passenger seat.
X When installing the child restraint system, make sure that the seat
belt is tight. Do not pull the seat belt tight with the front-passenger
seat adjustment. This could result in the seat belt and the child
restraint system being pulled too tightly.
X Check that the child restraint system is installed correctly.
X Make sure that no objects are applying additional weight to the
seat.
X If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp remains off and/or
the PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamp lights up, do not install
a rearward-facing child restraint system on the front-passenger
seat.
X Have the automatic front-passenger front airbag deactivation sys-
tem checked immediately at a qualified specialist workshop. Deployment of belt tensioners and air-
bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
After the airbag deploys, the airbag parts are
hot. There is a risk of injury.
Do not touch the airbag parts. Have a
deployed airbag replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible. G
WARNING
Pyrotechnical belt tensioners which have
been triggered are no longer operational and
therefore cannot protect as intended. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal. Have pyrotechnic belt tensioners which have
been triggered replaced at a qualified special-
ist workshop immediately.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have the
vehicle transported to a qualified specialist
workshop after an accident. Take this into
account, particularly if a seat belt tensioner was
triggered or an airbag was deployed. Observe
the notes on towing the vehicle away
(Y page 256).
An electric motor is used by PRE-SAFE ®
to trig-
ger the tightening of the seat belt in hazardous
situations. This procedure is reversible.
If the belt tensioners are triggered or an airbag is deployed, you will hear a bang, and a small
amount of powder may also be released. The
6 restraint system warning lamp lights up. 46
Occupant safetySafety

Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hear-
ing. In general, the powder released is not haz-
ardous to health but may cause short-term
breathing difficulties to persons suffering from
asthma or other pulmonary conditions. Provided
it is safe to do so, you should leave the vehicle
immediately or open the window in order to pre- vent breathing difficulties.
Operation During the first stage of a collision, the restraint
system control unit evaluates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
R duration
R direction
R intensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the seat
belt tensioners in the event of a head-on or rear collision.
A seat belt tensioner can be triggered only if:
R the ignition is switched on
R the components of the restraint system are
operational. You can find further information
under: "Restraint system warning lamp"
(Y page 35)
R the seat belt buckle tongue has engaged in
the belt buckle of the respective seat
If the restraint system control unit detects a
high-severity accident, in certain head-on colli-
sions, additional components of the restraint
system are deployed independently of each
other:
R front airbags as well as driver's and front-
passenger kneebag
R windowbag, if the system determines that
deployment can offer additional protection to
that provided by the seat belt
Depending on the person in the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger front airbag is either
disabled or enabled. The front-passenger front
airbag can be deployed in an accident only if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp is off.
Observe the information on the PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamps (Y page 35).
Your vehicle has two-stage front airbags. In the
first deployment stage, the front airbag is filled
with propellant gas to reduce the risk of injuries. The front airbag is fully deployed if the second deployment stage is activated within a few mil-
liseconds.
The activation threshold for the seat belt ten-
sioners and airbags is determined based on the
evaluation of the vehicle's rate of deceleration
or acceleration at various points in the vehicle.
This process is pre-emptive in nature. The trig-
gering/deployment process should take place
in good time at the start of the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the collision
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehicle
R the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors that can be seen and measured only
after a collision has occurred do not play a deci-
sive role in the deployment of an airbag, nor do
they provide an indication of airbag deployment.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly with-out an airbag being deployed. This is the case if
only parts that are relatively easily deformed are
affected and the rate of deceleration is not high. Conversely, an airbag may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is the case if, for example, very rigid
vehicle parts such as longitudinal body mem-
bers are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs
as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side
impact or if the vehicle overturns, the applicable components of the restraint system are activa-
ted independently of each other depending on
the apparent type of accident.
R Sidebag on the side on which an impact
occurs, independently of the seat belt ten-
sioner and seat belt usage
The sidebag on the front-passenger side
deploys under the following conditions:
- an occupant is detected in the front-
passenger seat or
- the seat belt buckle tongue is engaged in
the belt buckle of the front-passenger seat
R Windowbag on the side on which an impact
occurs, independently of seat belt usage and
regardless of whether the front-passenger
seat is occupied Occupant safety
47Safety Z