SKODA OCTAVIA 2009 2.G / (1Z) Owner's Manual

Airbag system
180
•
Any work on the side airbag system
including removing and installing
system components be
cause of other repair work (e.g. removing seats) must
only be carried out by a specialist garage.Head airbags*Description of the head airbags The head airbag together with the
side airbag offers enhanced occu-
pant protection in the event of a side collision.The head airbags are positioned above the d
oors on both sides in the interior of the
car
⇒fig. 182
. The installation positions are each marked with the “AIRBAG” logo.
The head airbag together with the three-point seat belts and the side airbags, offers additional protection for the head and neck
area of the occupants in the event of a
side collision of major severity
⇒page 181.
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the
seat belts
is to
also hold the driver and the occupants in a correct seated position in the event of a side collision so as to enable the head airbags to offer the maximum protection. You should therefore always fasten the seat belt
s, not only because this is required by
law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection
⇒page 168, “Why seat
belts?”. Together with other elements (such as cros
s bars in the seats, stable vehicle struc-
ture) the head airbags are the conseque
nt further development of occupant
protection in the case of side collisions.Function of the head airbags The risk of injury to the head and ne
ck area is reduced in the event of
a side collision by fully inflated head airbags.In the case of a
side collision
the head airbag is deployed together with the rele-
vant side airbag
⇒fig. 183
and the belt tensioner on the side on which the accident
occurs. If the system is deployed, the airbags are filled with propellant gas and extend over the entire area of the side window including the door pillar
⇒fig. 183
.
The protection offered by the head airbags is thus available simultaneously both to the front occupants of the car seated on th
e side on which the accident occurs, as
well as to the rear occupants. Any impact of the head against par ts of the interior or objects outside of the car, is cushioned by
the inflated head airbag. The reduction
in any impact to the head and the result
ant minimizing of any movements of the
head additionally reduce the
risk of injuries to the neck area. The head airbag also
offers additional protection in the case of
an offset impact by covering the front
door pillar.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 182 Installation position of the head airbags
Fig. 183 Inflated head airbag
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Airbag system
181
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
In certain accident si
tuations, the front, side and he
ad airbag are simultaneously
deployed. The airbags inflate in fractions of a second
and at a high speed in order to be able
to offer that additional protection in th
e event of an accident. A grey white, non
harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.Important safety information on the head airbag Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 181, “Deactivating an airbag”
the front passenger airbag when attach
ing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat where the child is seated
with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the ch
ild is facing the direction of travel).
If this is not done, there is a risk of
the child suffering severe or even fatal
injuries if the front passenger airbag
is deployed. In certain countries
national legal provisions also requir
e that the side or head passenger
airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropri
ate national regulations regarding the
use of child safety seats.•
There must not be any objects in the deployment area of the head
airbags which might prevent the ai
rbags from inflating properly.
•
Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle.
Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of clothing. In addition, it is not permitted to use clothes hangers for hanging up items of clothing.•
The airbag control unit
operates together with the sensors, which are
attached in the front doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried out at the doors as well as at the door panels (for example additional instal- lation of loudspeakers). Resulting dama
ges can have a negative affect on the
operation of the airbag system. All work
on the front doors and their panels
must only be carried ou
t by a specialist garage.
•
There must not be any other persons (e.g. children) or animals between
the car occupant and the deployment ar
ea of the head airbag. In addition,
none of the occupants should lean their head out of the window when driving, or extend their arms and hands out of the window.•
The sun visors must not be swivelled to the side windows into the
deployment area of the head airbags if any objects, such as ball-point pens etc. are attached to them. This might resu
lt in injuries to the occupants if the
head airbag is deployed.•
Installing impermissible accessories in
the area of the head airbags may
considerably impair the protection offered by the head airbag in the event of it being deployed. When the deployed he
ad airbag is inflated, parts of the
accessories fitted may in certain circum
stances be thrown into the interior
of the car and cause injuries to the occupants
⇒page 244, “Accessories,
changes and replacement of parts”.•
Any work on the head airbag system
including installing and removing
system components because of other repair work (e.g. removing headliner) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.Deactivating an airbagDeactivating airbags If any airbags have been deactivated, switch them on again as soon as possible so that they are able to
again provide their proper protec-
tion.There is the technical means installed within your vehicle to switch off the front, side* or head* airbag (take out of commission). This is why you should have the deacti
vation of the airbags carried out by a
specialist garage. On vehicles equipped with the switch for de
activation of the airbags, you can deac-
tivate the front and side passenger
airbag by means
of this switch
⇒page 182.
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system
182
Deactivation of airbags is envisaged only for particular instances, such as if:•
you must
in exceptional cases
use a child seat on the front passenger seat
where the child has its back to the directio
n of travel of the vehicle (in some coun-
tries this must be in the direction of trav
el due to other legal regulations applying)
⇒ page 184, “Important safety information regarding the use of child safety seats”,•
you are not able to maintain the distance of at least 25 cm between middle of
steering wheel and chest, despite the
driver seat being correctly adjusted,
•
special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because of a
physical disability,•
you have installed other seats (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side airbags).
Monitoring the airbag system The functionality of the airbag system is also monitored electronically, when one airbag has been switched off If the airbag was switched off using diagnostic equipment:•
The warning light for the airbag system lights up for 4 seconds after switching
on the ignition and then flashes for 12
seconds afterwards in 2 second intervals.
Front passenger airbags sw
itched off using the switch for front passenger
airbags* in storage compartmen
t on the front passenger side:
•
the airbag indicator light in the inst
rument cluster comes on for about 4
seconds each time the ignition is switched on,•
switching off the airbag is indicated in
the middle of the dash panel by the
lighting up of the indicator light

 ⇒fig. 185
.
Note
Your authorised Škoda Service Partner will
be able to advise you whether national
legislation in your country
allows airbags in your vehi
cle to be deactivated, and
which ones.
Switch for the front passenger airbag*The front passenger airbag is deactivated with the switch. Deactivating an airbag – Switch off the ignition. – Turn the slot of the airbag switch using the key in the position (
OFF
)
⇒
fig. 184
.
– Check whether the airbag indicator light


in the middle of
the dash panel lights up when the ignition is switched on
⇒
fig. 185
.
Fig. 184 Storage compart- ment: Switch for the front passenger airbagFig. 185 Indicator light for the front passenger airbag
A2
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Airbag system
183
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Switching on an airbag – Switch off the ignition. – Turn the slot of the airbag switch using the key in the position (
ON
)
⇒
page 182, fig. 184
.
– Check whether the airbag indicator light


in the middle of
the dash panel does not light up wh
en the ignition is switched on
⇒
page 182, fig. 185
.
The airbags should only be switched
off under exceptional circumstances
⇒ page 181. Indicator light

 (airbag switched off)
The airbag indicator light is located in the middle of the dash panel
⇒page 182,
fig. 185
.
If the front passenger airbag is
switched off
, the warning light comes on about 4
seconds after the ignition is switched on. There is a system fault present in the airbag switch off
⇒
if the indicator light
flashes.
Please have the car inspected i
mmediately by a specialist garage.
WARNING
•
The driver is responsible for whether the airbag is switched on or
switched off.•
Only switch off the airbag when the ig
nition is switched off! Otherwise a
fault can occur in the system for the airbag deactivation.•
If the warning light

 (airbag switched off) flashes:
− Front passenger airbag is not deploy
ed in the event of an accident!
− It is also important to have the system inspected without delay by a specialist garage.
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Transporting children safely
184
Transporting children safelyWhat you should know about transporting children!An introduction to the subject Accident statistics have revealed that children are generally more safely transported on the rear seat
s than on the front passenger seat.
Children younger than 12 years of age should normally travel on the rear seat of the vehicle (take note of any national legal pr
ovisions which differ from this). They
should be secured there by means of a child restraint system or by using the existing seat belts depending on their age, body si
ze and weight. The child seat should be
mounted behind the front passen
ger seat for safety reasons.
The physical principle of an
accident does, of course
, also apply to children
⇒ page 169, “The physical principle of a frontal collision”. They differ from adults in that their muscles and bone structure of ch
ildren are not yet fully developed. Thus
children are exposed to increased risk of injury. Children should be transported by using special child safety seats in order to reduce this risk of injury. Use only child safety seats which are offici
ally approved and are suitable for chil-
dren and which comply with the ECE-R 44
standard, which classifies child safety
seats into 5 groups
⇒page 187. Child restraint systems which have been tested for
conformity to ECE-R 44 standard have a no
n-detachable test seal (a large E within
a circle and below this the test number) attached to the seat. We recommend that you use child safety seats from the Škoda genuine accessories. These child seats were developed and also tested for use in Škoda vehicles. They fulfil the ECE-R 44 standard.
WARNING
Always comply with legal provisions and instructions from the relevant child safety seat manufacturer when in
stalling and usin
g the child seat
⇒ page 184.
Note
Any varying national legal regulations take
priority over the information provided in
these instructions for use,
or stated in this chapter.
Important safety information regarding the use of child safety seats Correct use of child safety seats
considerably reduces the risk of
injury!
WARNING
•
A l l t he o ccu pa nts of t he ca r - i n pa r t icul a r c hil d re n - m ust w ea r a s ea t b e lt
when the car is moving.•
Children who are less than 1.50 m in height and who weigh less than 36
kg must not use a normal seat belt without a child restraint system other-wise this may result in injuries to the stomach and neck areas. Comply with the national legal requirements.•
One should never carry children, an
d also not babies! - on one's lap.
•
You can transport a child safely in a suitable child safety seat
⇒page 187,
“Child seat”!•
Only one child may be fastened with a seat belt into a child safety seat.
•
Never leave the child sitting unattended in the seat.
•
Certain outside climatic conditions can cause life-threatening tempera-
tures in the vehicle.•
Never allow your child to be transported in a vehicle without the use of a
suitable restraint system.•
Children should also never stand up
in a vehicle or kneel on the seats
when the vehicle is moving. In the even
t of an accident the child will be
thrown through the vehicle and may as a
result suffer fatal injuries, and also
injure other occupants.
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Transporting children safely
185
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
•
Children are exposed to an increased risk of injury in the event of an acci-
dent if they lean forward or adopt an incorrect seated position when the vehicle is moving. This particularly applies to children who are transported on the front passenger seat if the airbag system deploys in the event of an accident. This can result in severe or even fatal injuries.•
It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat belts
are to offer their maximum protection
⇒page 170, “How are seat belts
correctly fastened?”. Pay pa
rticular attention to the information provided by
the manufacturer of the child safety seat regarding correct routing of the belt. Seat belts which are not correctl
y adjusted can themselves cause inju-
ries even in minor accidents.•
Safety belts must be checked to ensure that they are running properly.
One should also ensure th
at the belt is not damaged
by sharp-edged fittings.
•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 182 the front passenger airbag
when attaching a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat where the
child is seated with its back facing in direction of travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag is deployed. In certai
n countries national legal provisions
also require that the side and head
airbags be deactivated. When trans-
porting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appro- priate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
Use of child safety seats on the front passenger seat Child safety seats should always
be attached to the rear seats.
We recommend, for safety reasons, that you always mount a child restraint systems on the rear seats whenever possible. If
you still decide, however, to use a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat th
en you must pay attention to the following
warnings in connection with the use of th
e airbag system on
the front passenger
seat.
WARNING
•
Warning - particular hazard! Never use a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat in which the child is seated with its back facing the direction of travel. This child safety seat is positioned in the deployment area of the front passenger airbag. The airbag may
cause the child severe, or even fatal
injuries, in the event
of it being deployed.
•
This is also clearly stated on the sticker which is located on the centre
column of the body on
the front passenger side
⇒fig. 186
. The sticker is
visible upon opening the front pass
enger door. For so
me countries, the
sticker is also affixed to the sun visor of the front passenger.•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 181, “Deactivating an airbag”
the front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated
with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries al
so when the child is facing the direction of travel).
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 186 Sticker on the centre column of the body on the front passenger side.
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Transporting children safely
186
If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag
is deployed. In certain countries
national legal provisions also requir
e that the side or head passenger
airbags be deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropri
ate national regula
tions regarding the
use of child safety seats.•
If the front passenger airbag has been
switched off by a specialist garage
using the vehicle system
tester, the side airbag and the head passenger
airbag* remain switched on. In certain countries national legal provisions require that besides the front passen
ger airbag also the side or head
passenger airbags are deactivated.
Please comply with any differing
national legal regulations regardin
g the use of child safety seats.
•
If a child safety seat in which the child faces in the direction of travel is
used on the front passenger seat, the
front passenger seat
must be moved
back fully. For vehicles with height adjustable front passenger seat, the seat must be put in the highest position.•
If this is not done, a child seated on the front passenger seat may suffer
severe or even fatal injuries if the
front passenger airbag or airbags are
deployed. Have the airbag (or ai
rbags) deactivated if necessary
⇒page 181,
“Deactivating an airbag”.•
You should have the front passenger ai
rbag (or airbags) reactivated just
as soon as you no longer use a child sa
fety seat on the front passenger seat.
Child safety and side airbag* Children must never be seated in
the deployment area of the side
airbags and head airbags.In the event of a side collision, the si
de airbags offer the vehicle occupants
enhanced protection. The side airbags are inflated in fractions of
a second in order to be able to provide
this protection
⇒page 178, “Function of the side airbags”.
An airbag inflating develops such a strong force that an occupant who has not adopted an upright seated position may suffer injuries from the airbag or as a result of objects which are located within the deployment area of the side airbag.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 187 Seated position of an unprotected child at risk from side airbagFig. 188 Child properly protected by safety seat
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Transporting children safely
187
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
This applies particularly to children if they are not transported in accordance with legal requirements. The child is protected when seated in a child safety seat matching its age. Adequate room is available between the child and the deployment area of the side airbag and head airbag. The airbag offers optimal protection.
WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 181 the front passenger airbag
when attaching a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat where the
child is seated with its back facing in direction of travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal injuries if the front passenger airbag is deployed. In certai
n countries national legal provisions
also require that the side and head
airbags be deactivated. When trans-
porting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appro- priate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.•
When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply
with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.•
Children must never be seated with th
eir head in the deployment area of
the side airbag - risk of injury!•
Do not place any objects within the deployment area of the side airbag -
risk of injury!Child seatClassification of ch
ild seats into groups
Only child safety seats which have
an official approval and are suit-
able for the child, may be used.ECE-R 44 standard applies to child safety seats. ECE-R means: Economic Commis- sion of Europe - Regulation.
Child safety seats which have been tested for conformity to ECE-R 44 standard have a non-detachable test seal (a large E within a circle and below this the test number) attached to the seat. Child safety seats are classified in 5 groups: Children of more than 150 cm in height may use the seat belts fitted to the vehicle without a seat bolster.Use of child safety seatsAn overview of the usefulness of child seats on each of the seats according to the ECE-R 44 standard:
Universal category - seat is suitable for all approved types of child safety seats. The seat can be fitted with fixing eyes for the “
ISOFIX
*”system.
The divided rear seat - seat can be fi
tted with fixing eyes for the system “
To p
Te t h e r
*” ⇒page 191.
Group
Weight
0
0 - 10 kg
⇒page 188
0+
up to 13 kg
⇒page 188
1
9 - 18 kg
⇒page 188
2
15 - 25 kg
⇒page 189
3
22 - 36 kg
⇒page 189
Child seat groups
Front passenger
seat
Rear seat outside
Rear seat middle
0


0+


1


2 and 3
AUA+
AUA+AT
AU
AUA+
AUA+AT
AU
AUA+
AUA+AT
AU
AU
AU
AU
AUA+AT
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Transporting children safely
188
Child seats of group 0/0+The optimal solution for babi
es of up to about 9 months old weighing up to 10 kg
or babies up to about 18 months old weighi
ng up to 13 kg is a child safety seat
which can be adjusted into the reclining position
⇒fig. 189
.
In view of the fact that such child seats are
installed that the child is seated with its
back facing the direction of travel, they
must not be used on the front passenger
seat
⇒page 185, “Use of child safety seats on the front passenger seat”.WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off the front passenger airbag (airbags)
when attaching in exceptional circumstances a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated
with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the
child is facing the direction of travel).
− in a specialist garage − or by using the switch for
the front passenger airbag*
⇒page 182,
“Switch for the front passenger airbag*”.
•
In certain countries national legal provisions require that besides the
front airbag also the side or head ai
rbags are deactivated. Please comply
with any differing national legal regula
tions regarding the use of child safety
seats.
•
If this is not done, a child seated on
the front passenger seat may suffer
severe or even fatal injuries if the
front passenger airbag or airbags are
deployed.•
You should have the front passenger airbag (or airbags) reactivated just
as soon as you no longer use a child sa
fety seat on the front passenger seat.
Child safety seats in Group 1Child seats in Group 1 are for babies and small children up to 4 years of age with a weight of between 9 and 18 kilograms. It is
best for children in the lower range of
this group, to use a child seat which allows
the child to sit with its back to the direc-
tion of travel. It is best for children in the upper range of the Group 0+, to use a child seat which allows the child to sit
⇒fig. 190
in the direction of travel.
Child safety seats in which the child is seated with its back facing the direction of travel, must not be used on the front passenger seat
⇒page 185, “Use of child
safety seats on the front passenger seat”.
WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off the front passenger airbag (airbags)
when attaching in exceptional circumstan
ces a child safety seat on the front
Fig. 189 Child seats of group 0/0+
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 190 Child seat with padded table in Group 1 installed on rear seat bench facing the direction of travel
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Transporting children safely
189
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
passenger seat where the child is seated
with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel).
− in a specialist garage − or by using the switch for the front passenger airbag*
⇒page 182,
“Switch for the front passenger airbag*”.
•
In certain countries national legal provisions require that besides the
front airbag also the side or head ai
rbags are deactivated. Please comply
with any differing national legal regula
tions regarding the use of child safety
seats.•
If this is not done, a child seated on the front passenger seat may suffer
severe or even fatal injuries if the
front passenger airbag or airbags are
deployed.•
You should have the front passenger airbag (or airbags) reactivated just
as soon as you no longer use a child sa
fety seat on the front passenger seat.
Child safety seats in Group 2For children up to about 7 years of age
weighing between 15 and 25 kg the optimal
solution is a child safety seat in comb
ination with the three-point seat belt
⇒ fig. 191
.
WARNING
•
When transporting a child on the fr
ont passenger seat, please comply
with the appropriate national regulati
ons regarding the use of child safety
seats. If required, the airb
ag has to be deactivated,
− in a specialist garage − or by using the switch for the front passenger airbag*
⇒page 182,
“Switch for the front passenger airbag*”.
•
The shoulder part of the seat belt
must run approximately across the
middle of the shoulder and fit snugly agai
nst the chest. It must on no account
run across the neck. The lap part of the seat belt must run across the pelvis and fits snugly; it must not run over the belly. Tighten the belt webbing over your hip if necessary.•
Please comply with any differing nati
onal legal regulations regarding the
use of child safety seats.Child safety seats in Group 3For children of about 7 years of age weighing between 22 and 36 kg and of a height of less than 150 cm, the optimal solution is a child safety seat (seat bolster) in combination with the three-point seat belt
⇒fig. 192
.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 191 Child seat in Group 2 installed on the rear seat facing the direction of travel
Fig. 192 Child seat in Group 3 installed on the rear seat facing the direction of travel
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