warning SMART FORTWO COUPE 2012 Owner's Manual

temporary breathing difficulty for people
with asthma or other breathing trouble. To
avoid this, you may wish to get out of the
vehicle
as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have any breathing difficulty but cannot
get out of the vehicle after the air bag
inflates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or door. G
WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for
the driver and passenger to always be in a
properly

seated position and to wear their
respective seat belt.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated
position with your back against the
backrest. Fasten your seat belt and ensure
it is properly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with
considerable speed and force, a proper
seating and hands on steering wheel
position will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it
inflates extremely quickly and with great
force:
R Sit properly belted in a position that is
as upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.
R Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper
operation of vehicle controls. The
distance from the center of the driver’s
breastbone to the center of the air bag
cover on the steering wheel must be at
least 10 inches (25 cm) or more. You should
be able to accomplish this by
adjustments to the seat. If you have any
problems, please contact an authorized
smart center.
R Do not lean your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or dashboard. R
Keep
hands on the outside of the steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms inside
the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when the driver’s front air bag inflates.
R Adjust the passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.
R Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
head-thorax air bag (cabriolet) or
thorax-pelvis side air bag (coupé)
inflates. This could result in serious
injuries or death should the head-thorax
air bag (cabriolet) or thorax-pelvis side
air bag (coupé) be deployed. Always sit
as upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized
infant restraint, toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the size
and weight of the child.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.
i Air bags are designed to deploy only in
certain frontal impacts (front air bags
and knee bags), or side impacts (head-
thorax air bags, window curtain air bags
and thorax-pelvis air bags) which
exceed preset thresholds. Only during
these events will they provide their
supplemental protection.
The driver and passenger should always
wear their seat belts. Otherwise it is not
possible for air bags to provide their
supplemental protection.
In case of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, air bags will not deploy. The
driver and passenger will then be
protected to the extent possible by a 34
Occupant safety
>> Safety.

properly fastened seat belt. A properly
fastened seat belt is also needed to
provide the best possible protection in
a rollover.
We
caution you not to rely on the presence
of the air bags in order to avoid wearing
your seat belt.
It is important to your safety and that of
your passenger that you replace deployed
air bags and repair any malfunctioning
air bags to make sure the vehicle will
continue to provide supplemental crash
protection for occupants.
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs)
and air bag G
WARNING
R Damaged
seat belts or seat belts that have
been highly stressed in an accident must
be replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use seat belts
installed or supplied by an authorized
smart center.
R Air bags and Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contain Perchlorate
material, which may require special
handling and regard for the environment.
Check with your local government’s
disposal guidelines. California
residents, see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm .
R Given the considerable deployment
speed, required inflation volume, and
the textile structure of the air bags,
there is the possibility of abrasions or
other, potentially more serious injuries
resulting from air bag deployment.
R Air bags and Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or
ETD that has deployed must be replaced.
R Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear. R
Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat
belts.
R No

modifications of any kind may be made
to any components or wiring of the SRS.
This includes changing or removing any
component or part of the SRS, the
installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger front air bag cover,
outboard sides of the seat backrests, and
installation of additional electrical/
electronic equipment on or near SRS
components and wiring. Keep area
between air bags and occupants free from
objects (e.g. packages, purses,
umbrellas, etc.).
R Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate
protection.
R Do not hang hangers on the coat hooks or
handles over the door. These items may
turn into projectiles and cause head and
other injuries when the head-thorax air
bag is deployed.
R Air bag system components will be hot
after an air bag has inflated. Do not touch
them.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R In addition, improper repair work on the
SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS
inoperative or causing unintended air
bag deployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized smart
center.
R For your protection and the protection of
others, when scrapping the air bag unit
or Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs),
our safety instructions must be followed.
These instructions are available from
any authorized smart center. Occupant safety
35
>> Safety. Z

Knee bags
:
Driver’s knee bag
; Passenger knee bag
The knee bags are designed to provide
increased protection for the driver and
passenger against the risk of injuries to
the knees, thighs and lower legs. The knee
bags are located on the lower instrument
panel. They are designed to operate
together
with the front air bags in certain
frontal impacts if the system determines
that air bag deployment can offer
additional protection to that provided by
the seat belts. Knee bags operate best in
conjunction with a properly positioned
and fastened seat belts.
Head-thorax air bags (cabriolet only) G
WARNING
There is a possibility for a head-thorax air
bag
related injury if occupants, especially
children, are not properly seated or
restrained when next to a head-thorax air
bag which needs to deploy rapidly in a side
impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury,
please follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should never place their bodies
or

lean their heads in the area of
the door where the head-thorax
air bag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or death should the head-thorax air
bag be deployed.
(2) Always sit as upright as possible, properly use the seat
belts, and for all children
12 years old or under, use an
appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for
the

size and weight of the child.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly. G
WARNING
Only use seat covers which have been tested
and approved by smart for your vehicle
model.

A seat cover must have a deployment
control seam for the head-thorax air bag.
Using other seat covers may interfere with
or prevent the deployment of the head-
thorax air bags. Contact an authorized
smart center for availability.
If activated, the head-thorax air bags are
intended to provide increased protection
for the head and thorax (but not arms) of the
occupants on the side of the vehicle that is
struck.
The head-thorax air bags are deployed
R on the side of the vehicle that is struck
(when passenger side is struck only if the
seat is occupied)
R at the start of an accident with high
vehicle deceleration or acceleration
acting in a lateral direction, e.g. a side
impact
R regardless of whether or not the seat belt
is in use
R independently of the front air bags
being deployed
R independently of the emergency
tensioning device
The head-thorax air bags are integrated
into the driver and passenger seat
backrests. Occupant safety
37
>> Safety. Z

:
Head-thorax air bag
Window curtain air bags and thorax-
pelvis side air bags (coupé only) G
WARNING
There is a possibility for a thorax-pelvis
side air bag related injury if occupants,
especially children, are not properly
seated
or restrained when next to a thorax-
pelvis side air bag which needs to deploy
rapidly in a side impact in order to do its
job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury,
please follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should never place their bodies
or

lean their heads in the area of
the door where the thorax-pelvis
side air bag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or
death should the thorax-pelvis
side air bag be deployed.
(2) Always sit as upright as possible, properly use the seat
belts, and for all children
12 years old or under, use an
appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for
the

size and weight of the child.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly. G
WARNING
Only use seat covers which have been tested
and approved by smart for your vehicle
model.

A seat cover must have a deployment
control seam for the thorax-pelvis side air
bag. Using other seat covers may interfere
with or prevent the deployment of the
thorax-pelvis side air bags. Contact an
authorized smart center for availability.
Window curtain air bags
Window curtain air bags are designed to
provide increased protection for the head,
but not the chest or arms.
Window curtain air bags are deployed
R on the impacted side of the vehicle
R in instances with a high rate of lateral
vehicle deceleration or acceleration
R independently of the front air bags
R regardless of whether the passenger seat
is occupied
R in a rollover if the system determines
that air bag deployment can offer
additional protection to that provided
by the seat belt.
The window curtain air bags are integrated
into the inner side of the roof frame. They
run above the doors from the A-pillar to the
B-pillar. :
Window curtain air bags
Thorax-pelvis side air bags
Thorax-pelvis side air bags are designed
to provide increased protection for the
thorax and pelvis, but not the arms. 38
Occupant safety
>> Safety.

Thorax-pelvis side air bags are deployed
R
on the impacted side of the vehicle
R in instances with a high rate of lateral
vehicle deceleration or acceleration
R independently of the front air bags
R regardless
of whether the seat belt on the
impacted side of the vehicle is in use
R independently of the ETDs.
Thorax-pelvis side air bags will generally
not deploy in a rollover.
The thorax-pelvis side air bags will
deploy, however, if the system detects
R a high rate of lateral vehicle
deceleration or acceleration, and
R that air bag deployment can offer
additional protection to that provided
by the seat belt.
The thorax-pelvis side air bags are
integrated into the driver and passenger
seat backrests. :
Thorax-pelvis side air bags Occupant Classification System
The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
automatically

turns the passenger front air
bag on or off based on the classified
occupant weight category determined by
weight sensor readings from the passenger
seat. i
Based on the classified occupant
weight category determined by weight
sensor

readings from the passenger seat,
the system does also deactivate
R head-thorax air bag (cabriolet)
R the window curtain air bag (coupé)
R the thorax-pelvis side air bag (coupé)
R the seat Emergency Tensioning
Devices
R the seat belt force limiter.
Occupants must sit properly belted in a
position that is as upright as possible with
their back against the seat backrest and
feet on the floor to be correctly classified.
If the occupant’s weight is transferred to
another object in the vehicle (e.g. by
leaning on armrests), the OCS may not be
able to properly approximate the
occupant’s weight category.
i If the seat, including the trim cover and
cushion, needs to be serviced in any way,
take the vehicle to an authorized smart
center. Only seat accessories approved
by smart may be used.
Both driver and the passenger should
always use the 4 0 indicator
lamp as an indication of whether or not
the passenger is properly positioned
(Y page 41). G
WARNING
If the 4 0 indicator lamp
illuminates when an adult or someone
larger than a small individual is in the
passenger seat, have the passenger re-
position himself or herself in the seat
until the 4 0 indicator lamp
goes out.
In the event of a collision, the air bag
control

unit will not allow passenger front
air bag deployment when the OCS has
classified the passenger seat occupant as
being up to or less than the weight of a
typical 12‑month‑old child in a standard Occupant safety
39
>> Safety.
Z

child restraint, or if the passenger seat is
sensed as being empty.
When
the OCS senses that the passenger seat
occupant is classified as being up to or
less than the weight of a typical
12‑month‑old child in a standard child
restraint, the 4 0 indicator
lamp will illuminate when the ignition is
switched on and remain illuminated,
indicating that the passenger front air bag
is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the passenger seat
is classified as being empty, the
4 0 indicator lamp will
illuminate and remains illuminated.
When the OCS senses that the passenger seat
occupant is classified as being heavier
than the weight of a typical 12‑month‑old
child seated in a standard child restraint
or as being a small individual (such as a
young teenager or a small adult), the
4 0 indicator lamp will
illuminate for approximately 4 seconds
when the ignition is switched on and then,
depending on occupant weight sensor
readings from the seat, remains
illuminated or goes out.
When the 4 0 indicator lamp is
illuminated, the passenger front air bag is
deactivated.
When the 4 0 indicator lamp is
out and the passenger seat is occupied by
an adult or someone larger than a small
individual, the passenger front air bag is
activated.
When the OCS senses that the passenger seat
occupant is classified as an adult or
someone larger than a small individual, the
4 0 indicator lamp will
illuminate for approximately 4 seconds
when the ignition is switched on and then
goes out, indicating that the passenger
front air bag is activated.
If the 4 0 indicator lamp is
illuminated, the passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed. If the
4 0 indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the passenger front air bag is
activated and will be deployed
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
R independently of the head-thorax air
bags
If the passenger front air bag is deployed,
the rate of inflation will be influenced by
R the rate of vehicle deceleration and a
fastened or unfastened seat belt as
assessed by the air bag control unit
R the passenger’s weight category as
identified by the OCS G
WARNING
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or child restraint
recommended

for the size and weight of the
child.
The infant or child restraint must be
properly secured with the vehicle’s seat
belt, fully in accordance with the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Children can be killed or seriously injured
by an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information:
R Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to turn off the
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12‑month‑old child or less along
with the weight of a standard
appropriate child restraint on the
passenger seat.
R A child in a rear-facing child restraint
on the passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision
which could occur under some
circumstances, even with the air bag
technology installed in your vehicle. 40
Occupant safety
>> Safety.

R
If you install a rear-facing child
restraint on the passenger seat, make
sure the 4 0 indicator lamp
is illuminated, indicating that the
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should the 4 0 indicator
lamp not illuminate or go out while the
restraint is installed, please check
installation.
Periodically check the 4 0
indicator lamp while driving to make
sure the 4 0 indicator lamp
is illuminated.
If the 4 0 indicator lamp
goes
out or remains out, do not transport
a child on the passenger seat until the
system has been repaired.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint
on the passenger seat may be seriously
injured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates.
R If you place a child in a forward-facing
child restraint on the passenger seat,
move the seat as far back as possible, use
the proper child restraint recommended
for the age, size and weight of the child
by the seat manufacturer, and secure
child restraint with the vehicle’s seat
belt according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. For
children larger than the typical
12‑month‑old child, the passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated.
i Deployment of the driver front air bag
does not mean that the passenger front
air bag also should have deployed.
The Occupant Classification System may
have determined
R that the seat was empty or occupied by the
weight up to or less than that of a typical
12‑month‑old child seated in a standard
child restraint — both instances where
the system suppresses deployment of the
passenger front air bag even though the
impact met the criteria and was of sufficient severity to deploy the driver
front air bag
R that the seat was occupied by a small
individual (such as a young teenager or
a small adult) or a child weighing more
than
the weight of a typical 12‑month‑old
child in a standard child restraint —
instances where the system may suppress
deployment of the passenger front air
bag even though the impact met the
criteria and was of sufficient severity
to deploy the driver front air bag
Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp The indicator lamp is located on the
overhead control panel.
Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp : illuminates when the passenger
front air bag is deactivated.
G
WARNING
When the SRS indicator lamp 6 and the
4 0 indicator lamp are lit at
the

same time, there is a malfunction in the
Occupant Classification System.
In order to ensure proper operation of the
air bag system and OCS:
R Have the system checked as soon as
possible by qualified technicians.
Contact an authorized smart center.
R Sit properly belted in a position that is
as upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest. Occupant safety
41
>> Safety.
Z

R
Do not lean on the armrests or lift
yourself
from the seat by using the handle
over the door as this may cause the OCS to
be unable to correctly approximate the
occupant weight category.
R Only have the seat repaired or replaced
by an authorized smart center.
R Read and observe all warnings in this
chapter.
Self-test Occupant Classification
System After turning the key in the starter switch
to position
1 or 2, the 4 0
indicator lamp located in the center
console illuminates. If an adult occupant
is properly sitting on the passenger seat
and

the system senses the occupant as being
an adult, the 4 0 indicator
lamp will illuminate and go out after
approximately 4 seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the system
senses the passenger seat as being empty,
the 4 0 indicator lamp will
illuminate and not go out. G
WARNING
If the 4 0 indicator lamp does
not illuminate immediately after starting
the engine, the system is not functioning.
You

must contact an authorized smart center
before seating any child on the passenger
seat.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section ( Y page 173).G
WARNING
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it
reduces the effectiveness of the Occupant
Classification System. The bottom of the
child seat must make full contact with the
passenger seat cushion. An incorrectly
mounted

child seat could cause injuries to the child in case of an accident, instead of
increasing protection for the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of child seats.
Children in the vehicle
If an infant or child is traveling with you
in the vehicle:
X Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint

appropriate to the age and size
of the child.
X Make sure the infant or child is properly
secured

at all times while the vehicle is
in motion. G
WARNING
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle,
even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. The children could
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or
cold
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint
system’s metal parts, for example, could
become very hot, and the child could be
burned on these parts.
If children open a door, they could
R injure other persons
R get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following
traffic
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment unless they are
firmly secured in place.
For more information, please refer to the
“Loading and storing section”. 42
Occupant safety
>> Safety.

Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child’s risk of injury in the
event of
R
strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
Infant and child restraint system We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in operation.
The passenger lap-shoulder belt has a
special seat belt retractor for secure
fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow all
mounting instructions provided by the
child
restraint manufacturer. Then pull the
shoulder seat belt out completely and let it
retract. During seat belt retraction, a
ratcheting sound can be heard to indicate
that the special seat belt retractor is
activated. The seat belt is now locked. Push
down on child restraint to take up any
slack.
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. To
deactivate the special seat belt retractor
for the passenger seat, the passenger seat
must be in the most backward position. The
seat belt can again be used in the usual
manner. G
WARNING
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle
is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.
The use of infant or child restraints is
required by law in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, the U.S. territories,
and all Canadian provinces and
territories.
Infants and small children should be seated
in an appropriate infant or child restraint
system properly secured in accordance
with the manufacturer’s instructions for the child restraint, that complies with U.S.
Federal

Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213
and 225 and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213, 213.1 and 213.2.
A statement by the child restraint
manufacturer of compliance with these
standards can be found on the instruction
label on the restraint and in the
instruction manual provided with the
restraint.
When using any infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat be sure to
carefully read and follow all
manufacturer’s instructions for
installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to the inside of the vehicle and to
infant or child restraints. G
WARNING
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an
appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended

for the size and weight of the
child.
The infant or child restraint must be
properly secured with the vehicle’s seat
belt fully in accordance with the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions.
Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
head-thorax air bags (cabriolet), window
curtain air bags (coupé) and thorax-pelvis
air bags (coupé) inflates. This could result
in serious injuries or death should the
head-thorax air bags (cabriolet), window
curtain air bags (coupé) and thorax-pelvis
air bags (coupé) be triggered. Always sit as
upright as possible, properly use the seat
belt and use an appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight
of the child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured
by an inflating air bag. Note the following Occupant safety
43
>> Safety.
Z

important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the
passenger seat:
R
Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to turn off the
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when
the Occupant Classification System
senses the weight of a typical
12‑month‑old child or less along with the
weight of an appropriate child restraint
on the passenger seat.
R A child in a rear-facing child restraint
on the passenger seat may be seriously
injured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision.
R If you install a rear-facing child
restraint on the passenger seat, make
sure the 4 0 indicator lamp
is illuminated, indicating that the
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should the 4 0 indicator
lamp not illuminate or go out while the
restraint is installed, please check
installation. Periodically check the
4 0 indicator lamp while
driving to make sure the
4 0 indicator lamp is
illuminated. If the 4 0
indicator lamp goes out or remains out,
do not transport a child on the passenger
seat until the system has been repaired.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint
on the passenger seat may be seriously
injured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates.
R If you place a child in a forward-facing
child restraint on the passenger seat,
move the seat as far back as possible, use
a proper child restraint recommended
for the age, size and weight of the child,
and secure child restraint with the
vehicle’s seat belt according to the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions. For
children larger than the typical
12‑month‑old child, the passenger front
air bag may or may not be activated. G
WARNING
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries
is significantly increased if the child
restraints are not properly secured in the
vehicle and/or the child is not properly
secured in the child restraint.
Children too big for a toddler restraint
must

ride in a seat using regular seat belt.
Position shoulder belt across chest and
shoulder, not face or neck. A booster seat
may be necessary to achieve proper seat
belt positioning for children over 41 lbs
until they reach a height where a lap-
shoulder belt fits properly without a
booster.
When the child restraint is not in use,
remove it from the vehicle or secure it with
the seat belt to prevent the child restraint
from becoming a projectile in the event of
an accident.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if the children are secured in
a child restraint system. Unsupervised
children in a child restraint system may
use vehicle equipment and may cause an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
If you are using a rear-facing child
restraint system on the passenger seat, you
must verify that the passenger front air bag
is deactivated. When the passenger front
air bag is deactivated, the
4 0 indicator lamp is
illuminated (Y page 41).
Top tether
Top tether permits an additional
connection between a child restraint
system and the passenger seat. Proper
usage of the top tether, in accordance with
instructions provided by the child
restraint manufacturer, can further reduce
the risk of injuries. 44
Occupant safety
>> Safety.