child seat SAAB 9-5 2004 User Guide

24 SafetyThe same attention must be given to child
safety in the car as is given to adults.
Saab recommends rearward facing child
restraints.
Children travel most safely when properly
restrained, but restraints must be suitable
for the size of the child. Always follow the
child seat/booster cushion manufacturer´s
instructions when installing these devices in
your vehicle.
Make sure you are acquainted with the
legal requirements for seating children
in the car.
Make sure that it is possible to fit a child
restraint in accordance with the manufac-
turer’s child seat instructions.
When fitting child seats in cars you must
always read the instructions supplied by
the manufacturer.
LATCHLATCH (Lower Anchorages & Top tethers
for CHildren) consists of top tether and
lower anchorage (“ISOFIX”) for child
restraints in two outboard the rear seats.
ISOFIX are lower attachments located
where the seat and back cushions come
together. Top tethers are upper attach-
ments located on parcel shelf or torsion
beam, see page 27 and 28.
Saab recommends rearward facing child
restraints for children 3 and under.
IB3126
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25 Safety
LATCH installationTo facilitate the proper fitting of new
specially-designed child restraints, rigid
lower anchorages (ISOFIX) have been
installed to the vehicle that shall be used
with the top tether anchorages in the two
outboard rear seating positions. There is an
additional top tether anchorage for the
center rear seating position that is to be
used together with the safety belt.
LATCH is a U.S./Canadian government
standard for an uniform method of fitting
child restraints without using the standard
safety belts. Only certain child restraints are
equipped to utilize these rigid lower anchor-
ages behind where the seat cushion and
seat back come together. LATCH child
seats also utilize a top tether strap that is
found on some newer child seats that still
require installation with the standard safety
belts.There are two bars attached to the car body
for each specially designed LATCH child
restraint. A small label is located on the seat
back just above the outer attachment bars
to facilitate installing the child restraint. The
label contains a circle and a rearward facing
child restraint.
1 Place the child restraint on the seat
cushion.
2 Press the child restraint rearward into
the space between the backrest and
cushion, lining up the restraint attach-
ment arms with the labels.
3 Follow the child restraint instructions to
confirm that both restraint arms are
properly attached to the bars.
4 Attach the top tether strap to the in-car
anchorage and tighten according to the
restraint instructions, see page 27 and
28.
5 Pull the child restraint to make a second
check that restraint is securely attached
at both the lower anchorage bars and
the top tether strap.
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26 SafetyFor the top tether, only use the strap
supplied with the child restraint.
Always follow the installation instructions
supplied with the child restraint.
The availability of LATCH child restraints
may be limited.
When fitting child seats in cars you must
always read the instructions supplied by
the car seat manufacturer.
IB1684
Rigid 2-point lower attachment with top
tether
IB1685
Semi-rigid 2-point lower attachment with
top tether
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27 Safety
Child tether anchorages for forward
facing child car seatsChild restraints with a tether strap must be
anchored according to Canadian and USA
laws.
If you have any questions regarding child
tether anchorages please contact your
Saab dealer.9-5 Sedan:
1 Open the cover that is right behind the
child restraint. Make sure it locks.
2 Place the child restraint in the rear seat.
3 Secure the lower part of the child
restraint by means of the lower anchor-
ages (ISOFIX) or the safety belts as
described in the child restraint mounting
instruction.
4 Route the tether under the headrest.
5 Attach the tether to the anchorage.
6 Tighten the tether so that the back of the
child restraint is pressed hard against
the backrest.
7 Pull the child restraints to make a
second check that the restraints are
securely attached at both the lower
anchorages bars and the top tether
strap.
WARNING
Child tether anchorages are designed to
withstand only those loads imposed by
correctly fitted child restraints.
Under no circumstances are they to be
used for adult safety belts.
IB1698
Child tether anchorages in parcel shelf,
Saab 9-5 Sedan
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28 Safety9-5 SportWagon:
1 Fold the backrest of the rear seat
forward, see page 135.
2 Fold the anchor that is right behind the
child restraint to its upright position.
3 Place the child restraint in the rear seat.
4 Raise the head restraint to its upper
position and then route the tether under
the head restraint.
5 Attach the tether to the anchor.
6 Raise the backrest of the rear seat.
Make sure it locks properly.
7 Secure the lower part of the child
restraint by means of the safety belt or
lower anchorages (ISOFIX) as
described in the child restraint mounting
instruction on the previous page.8 Tighten the tether so that the back of the
child restraint is pressed hard against
the backrest.
9 Pull the child restraints to make a
second check that the restraints are
securely attached at both the lower
anchorages bars and the top tether
strap.
It is not possible to route the tether through
the cargo net (accessory), if one is fitted.
Instead we recommend a cargo guard
(accessory).
WARNING
Make sure the child-restraint anchorages
are folded all the way up or down other-
wise it can obstruct locking the rear seat
backrest.
IB1352
Child tether anchorages, Saab 9-5 Sport-
Wagon
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29 Safety
Lockable belt tongue In fitting a child seat that is intended to be
secured in position by the lap portion of the
safety belt, make use of the locking function
of the buckle.
Locking the lap portion of the belt lessens
the risk that the seat will work loose while
the car is in motion.
The button for the locking function is located
on the back of the buckle.
1 Position the child seat in the back of the
car.
2 To activate the locking function, move
the locking button on the tongue of the
belt to the position marked
”CHILD SEAT” (item 1 in the figure) in
order to activate the locking function.
3 Secure the base of the child seat with
the lap portion of the safety belt in accor-
dance with the installation instructions
accompanying the child seat.
4 Grasp the shoulder part of the safety belt
and pull it upwards to tighten the lap
portion against the child seat.
5 Check for correct locking function by
pulling on the lap portion of the belt. The
belt must not unreel.
IB822
Locking the lap belt1 Locked
2 Unlocked
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30 SafetyInstallation of child restraint using the
standard safety belt
Child restraints that are approved for rear-
ward facing installation in the rear seat can
be positioned in any of the three rear places.
If you intend to install another make of child
restraint make sure that it is possible to fit it
in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions.
Saab recommends rearward facing child
restraints up to 3 years.

WARNING
Failure to follow all the manufacturer’s
instructions on the use of this child
restraint system can cause your child to
strike the vehicle´s interior during a
sudden stop or crash.
WARNING
A special accessory is available for lock-
ing the center armrest so that a child seat
can be installed in the middle seat. See
your Saab dealer for details.
When a rear-facing child seat is fitted in
the center position of the rear seat in the
Saab 9-5 Sedan the center armrest must
be secured in place with this strap. If this
is not done, the center armrest could
swing down in the event of a frontal crash
and cause injury to the child.
IB1204
Fitting the locking strap on the center
armrest, Saab 9-5 Sedan (not needed on
SportWagon).
The locking strap is standard equipment in
certain markets.
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31 Safety
Airbag The AIRBAG system comprises an airbag in
the steering wheel, a front passenger airbag
and side airbags in the front seats.
The system supplements the protection
provided by the safety belts to further
enhance the safety of the occupants.
If a fault is detected in the AIRBAG, the
AIR BAG warning light on the main instru-
ment panel will come on (see pages 56 and
36). When the system is triggered by impact of a
frontal crash, the airbags in the steering
wheel and passenger side of the dash board
are inflated, after which they deflate through
vents in the back of the bags.
The driver and passenger airbags are
so-called smart airbags. This means that
the system compensates for factors such as
the force of the collision.Note:
The sensor reacts differently depending on
whether or not the front seatbelts on the
driver’s and passenger sides are used. Situ-
ations can therefore arise where only one of
the airbags inflates.
It is also possible for only the seatbelt
pretensioners to be activated and for the
airbags to remain uninflated.
The entire process takes less than
0.1 second – literally, faster than the blink-
ing of an eye.
These airbags are triggered only by moder-
ate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes.
They will not be activated by minor front-end
impacts, rear-end or side impacts, or by the
car rolling over.
WARNING
To reduce risk of injury:
Always wear your safety belt.
Always adjust your seat so that you
are as far back as possible but still
able to operate the pedals and reach
the steering wheel and controls
comfortably.
 Children 12 and under or shorter than
55 inches (140 cm) should always
travel in the rear seat as the car is fitted
with a passenger airbag.
Never fit a child seat in the front of the
passenger airbag.
IB419
Inflated airbag (driver side) Inflation and deflation together take less than
0.1 second.
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34 SafetyFront passenger seat The airbags are interconnected and have a
common warning light. The passenger
airbag module is housed in the fascia above
the glove compartment and is marked ”SRS
AIRBAG”. (SRS = Supplementary Restraint
System).
Both airbags will be inflated in the event of a
moderate to severe frontal, or near-frontal
crash, even if the passenger seat is unoccu-
pied.
WARNING
Never secure a rear-facing child seat in
the right front seat of a car equipped with
a passenger airbag. Inflation of the airbag
in the event of a crash could seriously
injure or kill a child.
WARNING
 DEATH or SERIOUS
INJURY can occur.
 Children 12 and under or
shorter than 55 inches
(140 cm) can be killed by
the airbag.
 The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place
for children.
 NEVER put a rear-facing child seat in
the front.
 Sit as far back as possible from the
airbag.
 ALWAYS use SAFETY BELTS and
CHILD RESTRAINTS.
Never allow a child to stand in front of
the seat or to sit on the lap of a
front-seat passenger. Serious injury or
death could result if the airbag is
inflated in a crash.
 The glove compartment must be
closed while travelling. An open glove
compartment door could cause leg
injuries in the event of a crash.
Never place anything on the dash or in
front of the seat as, in addition to being
a hazard to passengers, this could
interfere with the function of the airbag
in the event of a crash. The same
applies to the mounting of accessories
on the dash.
 Keep feet on the floor – never put feet
up on the fascia, on the seat or out of
the window.
 Do not carry anything in your lap.
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38 SafetyWhat won’t trigger the front airbags? The airbag will not be activated in all
front-end crashes. For instance, if the car
has hit something relatively soft and yielding
(e.g. a snow drift or a hedge) or a solid
object at a low impact speed, the airbag will
not necessarily be triggered. How loud is the inflation? The noise of the inflation is certainly loud,
but it is very short-lived and will not damage
your hearing. For a short time afterwards
you could experience a buzzing noise in
your ears.
Most people who have experienced it
cannot remember the noise of the inflation
at all – all they remember is the noise of the
crash. Can you still use a child seat in the front if a
passenger airbag is installed? Definitely not!
Children 12 and under or shorter than
55 inches (140 cm) can be killed by the
airbag.
The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place for
children.
NEVER put a child seat in the front.
Sit as far back as possible from the air bag.
Always use safety belts and child restraints.
Are the smoke and fumes given off when the
airbag operates at all harmful? Most people who have remained in a car
with little or no ventilation for several
minutes complained only of minor irritation
of the throat and eyes. Avoid as far as possi-
ble getting dust on your skin as there is a risk
of skin irritation.
If you suffer from asthma, the incident may
bring on an attack, in which case you should
follow the normal procedure advised by
your doctor. It is advisable to consult a
doctor afterwards.
What should I do if the AIR-BAG warning
light comes on? If the warning light is on, it means that a fault
has been detected in the system. The
airbag cannot be relied on to operate as
intended and it might even be activated
erroneously. You should therefore take the
car to an authorized Saab dealer as soon as
possible.
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