airbag VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER 2021 Owner's Manual

Lit up Location Possible cause Solution
Instrument cluster. Fault in airbag and belt tension-Go to a qualified workshop to have er system. the system checked immediately.
Fault in the airbag system. Go to a qualified workshop to have
Upper section of the the system checked immediately.
• centre console. Front passenger front airbag Check whether the airbag should stay switched off.
Several warning and indicator lamps will light up briefly as a functional check when the ignition is switched on. They will go out after a few seconds.
If the indicator lamp PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 'J(; is not continuously lit or if it lights up together with the indicator lamp !Q' in the instrument cluster when the front passenger front airbag is switched off. there may be a fault in the airbag system => &.
A WARNING
If there is a fault in the airbag system, the air-bag may not trigger correctly, may not trigger at all or may trigger unexpectedly. This can cause severe or fatal injuries.
switched off.
A WARNING (Continued)
• The alrbag system should be checked by a qualified workshop as soon as possible.
• Never fit a child seat to the front passen-ger seat or remove a child seat that Is already fitted. The front passenger front alrbag may trigger during an accident In spite of the fault.
CD
To avoid damage to your vehicle, always ob-serve the indicator lamps and associated warn-ing texts. <1
Description and function of the airbags
r-('n First read and observe the introductory l..-lc:.l.l information and safety warnings & on page 87.
The airbags can protect vehicle occupants during frontal and side collisions by reducing their move-ment in the direction of the collision.
When an airbag is triggered, it is inflated by a gas generator. This causes the airbag covers to break, and the airbags inflate forcefully to cover their de-ployment zones within milliseconds. Once a vehi-cle occupant wearing a seat belt starts to sink into the inflated airbag, the gas inside the airbag starts to escape to cushion the occupant and slow down their movement. This can reduce the risk of severe and fatal injuries. The triggering of the airbag will not always prevent other injuries such as swelling, bruising and grazing. The deployment of the airbag can also produce frictional heat.
Airbags provide no protection for the arms or lower body.
The most important factors for triggering the airbag are the type of accident, the angle of impact, the vehicle speed and the type of object with which the vehicle collides. Therefore, visible damage to the vehicle does not always mean that the airbag should have been triggered.
90 Before the journey
Whether or not the airbag triggers is determined by the vehicle deceleration rate caused by the colli-sion and registered by the electronic control unit. If this rate is below the reference value programmed into the control unit, the airbags will not be trig-gered, even though the vehicle may be badly dam-aged as a result of the collision. Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the Jack of vehicle damage in an accident do not necessarily give an indication of whether an airbag should inflate or not. it is not possible to define a range of vehicle speeds and reference values, since the circumstances will vary considerably between one collision and another. it is therefore impossible to cover every possible kind and angle of impact that would trigger the airbags. Important factors in the triggering of the airbag in-clude the nature (hard or soft) of the object that the vehicle hits, the angle of impact, and the vehicle speed.
Airbags only serve as a supplement to the three-point seat belt in some accident situations when the vehicle braking is sufficient to trigger the air-bags. Airbags can only be triggered once and only in certain situations. The seat belts are always there to provide protection in situations in which the airbags are not triggered or have already been triggered. For example, if the vehicle collides with a further vehicle following the initial collision, or is hit by another vehicle. .,.

The airbag system is part of the vehicle's overall passive safety concept. The airbag system can on-ly work effectively when the occupants are wearing their seat belts correctly and have assumed a proper sitting position & 61.
Components of the vehicle safety concept
The following vehicle safety equipment makes up the vehicle's safety concept to reduce the risk of severe and fatal injuries. Some of this equipment may not be fitted in your particular vehicle. lt may not be available at all in some countries.
• Optimised seat belts for all seats.
• Belt tensioners for the driver and front passen-ger in conjunction with curtain and side airbags.
• Belt height adjuster for the front seats.
• Seat belt warning lamp.
• Front airbags for driver and front passenger.
• Combined curtain and side airbags for the driv-er and front passenger.
• Multivan: if fitted, curtain airbags on the rear outer seats of the second and third row of seats.
• Airbag indicator lamp.
• PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator lamp.
• Control units and sensors.
• Height-adjustable head restraints optimised for rear Impact.
• Adjustable steering column.
• If fitted, anchor points for child seats on the sin-gle seats in the passenger compartment and the outer seats of the bench seat.
Situations in which the front, the combined curtain and side airbag and the curtain airbag will not be triggered:
• If the ignition is switched off during a collision.
• If the level of deceleration measured by the control unit is too low during a collision at the front of the vehicle.
• During a minor side collision.
• During rear collisions.
• If the vehicle rolls over.
• If the impact speed in a collision is lower than the reference value specified in the control unit. <1
Sitting correctly and safely I 91

Front airbags
.... ------.....
Fig. 71 Location and deployment zone of the driver front airbag.
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Fig. 72 Location and deployment zone of the front passenger front airbag.
r-f'n First read and observe the introductory L..-.J,:.I.J Information and safety warnings & on page 87.
In conjunction with the seat belts, the front airbag system gives the front occupants additional protec-tion for the head and chest in the event of a severe frontal collision. Always keep as far away from the front airbag as possible 61. This allows the front airbags to inflate fully when triggered, thus providing maximum protection.
The front airbag for the driver is located in the steering wheel 71 and the front airbag for the front passenger is located In the dash panel 72. The airbag locations are identified by the text "AIRBAG".
The areas inside the red lines 71 and 72 are covered by the front airbags when triggered (deployment zone). You must never leave or attach any objects in these areas &. The fac-tory-fitted accessories, such as the base plate for
Before the journey
the mobile telephone holder, will not be struck when the driver and front passenger front airbags are triggered.
The airbag covers fold out of the steering wheel or dash panel when the driver and front passenger front airbags deploy. The airbag covers remain connected to the steering wheel or the dash panel.
A DANGER. .
Once triggered, the alrbag Inflates at high speed.
• Always leave the deployment zones of the front alrbags clear.
• Never attach any objects, such as drink or telephone holders, to the covers of the air-bags or anywhere In the alrbag deployment zone. .,..

A DANGE;R (Continued) --
• No other people, animals or objects may be carried between the occupants of the front seats and the alrbag deployment zone. Make sure that children and passengers also keep to this rule.
• Do not attach any objects, e.g. mobile nav-igation devices, to the windscreen above the front alrbag on the front passenger side.
• Do not cover or stick anything on the steering wheel hub or the soft plastic surface of the alrbag unit In the dash panel on the front passenger side, and do not modify them In any way.
A WARNING
The front alrbags are deployed In front of the steering wheel "*Fig. 71 and dash panel '*Fig. 72.
• When driving, always hold the steering wheel with both hands on the outside of the ring at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions.
• Adjust the driver seat so that there is at least 25 cm between your breastbone and the hub of the steering wheel. Contact a qualified workshop if your physical build makes this Impracticable.
• Adjust the front passenger seat so that the distance between the passenger and the
__ ____
Switching the front passenger front airbag on and off manually using the
key-operated switch
Fig. 73 On the front of the dash panel: key switch for disabling and enabling the front airbag on the front passenger side
l""'rn First read and observe the introductory L-J,::.U information and safety warnings&. on page 87.
The front passenger front airbag must be switched off when securing a rear-facing child seat to the front passenger seat.
Disabling the front passenger front airbag
• Switch off the ignition.
• Open the front passenger door.
• Fold out the key bit of the vehicle key o>page 36.
• Use the vehicle key to turn the key switch on the front of the dash panel to the OFF position o> Fig. 73.
• Close the front passenger door.
• When the ignition is switched on, the indicator lamp PASSENGER AIR BAG will light up steadily in the upper section of the centre console o> page 89.
Enabling the front passenger front airbag
• Switch off the ignition.
• Open the front passenger door.
• Use the remote control key to turn the key switch on the front of the dash panel to the ON po-sition.
• Close the front passenger door.
• Check that the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp in the upper section of the centre console does not light up when the Ignition is switched on =>page 89.
Ensuring that the front passenger front airbag has been deactivated
The only sure sign that the front passenger front airbag has been deactivated is when the PASSEN-GER AIR BAG indicator lamp is displayed in the upper section of the centre console (OFF lights up yellow steadily) =>page 89, Indicator lamp.
If the indicator lamp OFF )!(; in the upper section of the centre console is not lit up steadily, or if it lights up at the same time as indicator lamp in the instrument cluster, do not attach any child re-straint system to the front passenger seat for safe-ty reasons. The front passenger front airbag may trigger during an accident.
Sitting correctly and safely

A WARNING
The front passenger front airbag should only be switched off in exceptional circumstances.
• To prevent damage to the airbag system, only switch the front passenger front airbag on and off when the ignition is switched off.
• lt is the driver's responsibility to ensure that the key-operated switch is set to the cor-rect position.
Combined curtain and side airbags
Fig. 74 On the side of the front seat: location of the combined curtain and side airbag.
l""'"'fl1 and observe the introductory L-.lr:J.J mformat1on and safety warnings & on page 87.
The combined curtain and side airbags are located in the outer seat backrest cushions of the driver seat and front passenger seat =:oFig. 74. The loca-tions of the airbags are shown by labels with the word "AIRBAG". The area marked red =:oFig. 75 defines the deployment zone of the combined cur-tain and side airbag.
During a side collision, the combined curtain and side airbags will be deployed on the vehicle's side of impact, reducing the risk of injury to the areas of the vehicle occupants' bodies facing the impact.
A WARNING
Once triggered, the airbag inflates at high speed.
• Always keep the deployment zones of the combined curtain and side airbags clear.
94 Before the journey
A WARNING (Continued)
• Only switch the front passenger front air-bag off if, In exceptional circumstances, a child seat has to be attached to the front pas-senger seat.
• Switch the front passenger front alrbag back on again as soon as the child seat on the front passenger seat is no longer being used.
Fig. 75 Schematic diagram: deployment range of the combined curtain and side airbag on left side of vehicle
A WARNING (Continued)
• No other people, animals or objects may be carried between the occupants of the front seats and the airbag deployment zone. Make sure that children and passengers also keep to this rule.
• The built-in coat hooks should only be used for lightweight clothing. Do not leave any heavy or sharp objects In the pockets.
• Do not fit any accessories to the doors.
• Do not fit seat covers or protective covers over the seats unless they have been ex-pressly approved for use In the vehicle. Oth-erwise the combined curtain and side alrbag may not be able to deploy If lt has been trig-gered.
• Only push the sunblinds over to the side windows if there are no Items attached to them, e.g. pens. .,..

A wARNING
Incorrect use of the driver and front passen-ger seat could hinder the proper function of the combined curtain and side airbags and cause serious injury.
• Never remove the front seats from the ve-hicle or alter any components of these seats.
Curtain airbags
A WARNING (Continued)
• If too much pressure is applied to the back rest side bolster, the combined curtain and side airbags may not be triggered cor-rectly, may not trigger at all or may trigger unexpectedly.
• Any damage to the original seat uphols-tery or around the seams of the combined curtain and side airbag units must be re-paired immediately by a qualified workshop. Fig. 76 Location and deployment zone of the curtain airbags on the left side of the vehicle.
r-111 First read and observe the introductory l..-W information and safety warnings & on page 87.
In the passenger compartment, there is a curtain airbag above each of the doors =>Fig. 76. The air-bag location is identified by the text "AIRBAG".
The area in the red frame =>Fig. 76 is covered by the curtain airbag when triggered (deployment zone). For this reason, you must never leave or at-tach any items in this area => &.
In a side collision the curtain airbag is triggered on the impact side of the vehicle. The airbag covers the side windows and door pillars.
In a side collision, the curtain airbags reduce the risk of injury to the areas of the body facing the im-pact for passengers in the outer seats of the sec-ond and third row of seats.
A WARNING
Once triggered, the airbag inflates at high speed.
• Always leave the deployment zones of the curtain alrbags clear.
• Never secure any items to the cover or in the deployment zone of the curtain airbag.
• Vehicle occupants sitting on the front seats and rear outer seats must never carry any people, pets or objects in the deployment zone between themselves and the airbags. Make sure that children and passengers also keep to this rule.
• The built-in coat hooks should only be used for lightweight clothing. Do not leave any heavy or sharp objects in the pockets.
• Do not fit any accessories onto the sliding doors.
• Do not install any sun blinds onto the side windows unless they have been expressly approved for use In your vehicle. Sitting correctly and safely 95

Child seats (accessories)
ClJJ Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Basic information on fitting and using child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Types of child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Securing systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Securing a child seat with ISOFIX . . . . . . . . . . 100 Securing child seats with the upper strap (top tether) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 01 Securing child seats with a seat belt . . . . . . . . 102
Using child seats can reduce the risk of Injury to the child if there is an accident. Always use child seats when driving with children.
Note the following:
• Child seats are classified into groups depend-ing on the size, age and weight of child for which they are designed.
• Various securing systems are used to secure child seats in the vehicle.
For safety reasons child seats should always be fit-ted to the rear seats. They should only be fitted to the front passenger seat in exceptional cases.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles recommends us-ing child seats from Volkswagen's range of acces-sories. These child seats have been developed and approved for use in Volkswagen vehicles.
Additional information and warnings:
• Seat belts 79
• Airbag system 87
• Integrated child seats 102
A WARNING
If children are not secured or are inadequate-ly secured, they are at greater risk of serious or even fatal injury. Please note the following:
• Children who are either under 12 years of age or less than 150 cm tall must not be car-ried In the vehicle if they are not secured In a suitable child seat while the vehicle Is In mo-tion. Regulations in some countries may dif-fer, and must be complied with.
96 Before the journey
A WARNING (Continued)
• Always secure children in the vehicle in a suitable child seat. The seat used must be ap-propriate to the child's height, weight and age.
• Never fasten more than one child Into one child seat.
• Under no circumstances should children or babies be held in a passenger's or drivers lap while driving.
• Never leave a child unsupervised in a child seat.
• Never allow a child to be carried In a vehi-cle without being properly secured, and nev-er allow a child to stand up or to kneel on a seat, or to sit Incorrectly while the car is In motion. This is particularly Important for chil-dren carried on the front passenger seat. In an accident, children may sustain serious In-juries to themselves and others.
• The child seat can only provide maximum protection if the seat belt Is routed correctly around it. Always ensure that the seat belt is routed as specified In the instructions provi-ded by the child seat manufacturer. If the seat belt is routed Incorrectly it may cause injuries even in a minor accident.
• After an accident, it Is vital to replace any child seats that were in use during the acci-dent, as they could have sustained non-visi· ble damage.
m The standards and regulations governing the l!..J use of child seats and child seat securing mechanisms differ from country to country. Not all countries allow you to transport children on the front passenger seat. Legislation and legal require-ments take precedence over the information given in this owner's manual.
m If a child seat is used on a single seat with l!..J Easy Entry function, the seats located behind that seat are difficult to access. Therefore, a child seat should be used on another rear seat, if possi-ble.

Basic information on fitting and using child seats
A AIRBAG
(®
(!]
c:::J
BTT·I20J
Fig. 77 Airbag information sticker on the sun vi-sor.
r""'('n First read and observe the introductory L.....Ja,U information and safety warnings & on page 96.
Information on fitting a child seat
Observe the following general information when fit-ling a child seat. This information is relevant what-ever child seat securing system is being used.
• Read and follow the instructions provided by the child seat manufacturer =:-&.
• Whenever possible, fit child seats to one of the rear seats on the front passenger side so that chil-dren can exit the vehicle on the kerb side.
• Deactivate the front passenger front airbag if fit-ting a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat.
• If a child seat is fitted on the front passenger seat, move the backrest to the upright position. slide the seat back as far as it will go, and set the seat height adjustment and belt height adjuster to the highest position.
• When fitting a child seat on the vehicle's rear seats, leave as much unencumbered space as possible around the child seat. If necessary, adjust the position of the relevant front seat. When doing so, ensure that the driver or front passenger can stili maintain a correct sitting position =:-page 61.
• Adjust the seat backrest angle so that the child seat lies flush against the backrest.
• When using child seats with a backrest, remove the vehicle head restraints and stow them safely in the vehicle =:-page 61. Reinstall the head restraint after the child seat has been removed.
Airbag sticker
The vehicle may be provided with stickers giving key information about the front passenger front air-bag. The information on these stickers may vary from country to country. The stickers may be at-tached on the sun visor for the driver and/or front passenger=:-Fig. 77.
11 is essential to note the warning information shown on these stickers before installing a rear-facing child seat =:-&.
Risks involved in carrying children on the front passenger seat
If you are using a rear-facing child seat, the front passenger front airbag can cause critical or poten-tially fatal injuries when it inflates =:-&.
Rear-facing child seat may only be used on the front passenger seat if the front passenger front airbag has been deactivated. An indicator lamp in the centre console lights up steadily when the front passenger front airbag has been effectively deacti-vated. Deactivating the front passenger front air-bag =:-page 87.
If using a front-facing child seat, do not deacti-vate the front passenger front airbag.
When fitting a child seat, make sure that it is as far away as possible from the front passenger airbag. The front passenger front airbag can cause severe injuries when it inflates =:-&.
Some child seats are not suitable for use on the front passenger seat. Any child seat fitted on the front passenger seat must be specially authorised by the manufacturer for this use in vehicles with front and side airbags. Volkswagen dealers hips keep an up-to-date list of authorised child seats.
Risks presented by side airbags
Any child on the front passenger seat may be hit on the head and severely injured by the front side airbag inflating =:-&.
If you use a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat the child in it is at increased risk of sustaining critical or fatal injuries In the event of an accident.
• Deactivate the front passenger front air-bag. If the front passenger front airbag can-not be deactivated no rear-facing child seat may be used. 11>
Sitting correctly and safely

DANGER (Continued)
• Only use child seats that have been ap· proved by the child seat manufacturer for use on a front passenger seat with front and side airbag.
A WARNING
Child seats present a risk of Injury if incor-rectly installed.
• Always read and follow the installation in· structions and warning information provided by the child seat manufacturer.
A wARNING
Using a front-facing child seat on the front passenger seat presents a risk of injury.
Types of child seat
0/0+
Fig. 78 Some typical child seats.
l""""("'n First read and observe the introductory L-J,::,lJ information and safety warnings & on page 96.
Only use child seats that have been officially ap-proved and are suitable for the child.
Standards for child seats
The regulation ECE·R 44 applies to child seats in the EU. All child seats that have been shown to meet this standard will carry an orange ECE appro· vallabel. This ECE approval label may include the following information on the child seat:
• Weight class
• Size class
• Approval category (universal. semi-universal, vehicle-specific or i-Size)
• Approval number
98 Before the journey
A WARNING (Continued)
• Move the front passenger seat as far back and as high as it can be set, to create the largest possible distance between the child seat and the front passenger front airbag.
• Move the backrest to the upright position .
• Only use child seats that have been ap-proved by the child seat manufacturer for use on a front passenger seat with front and side airbag.
A WARNING
To help avoid injuries caused by inflation of a head airbag or side alrbag:
• Ensure that no children are seated within the airbag deployment zones.
• Do not place any objects in the side airbag deployment zones.
On child seats that are approved under regulation ECE-R 44, the eight-digit approval number on the ECE approval label must begin with 03 or 04. This shows that the seat is admissible for use. Older child seats with an approval number beginning with 01 or 02 are not admissible.
Child seat weight classes
Class Child's weight
Group 0 up to 10 kg
Group 0+ up to 13 kg
Group 1 9 to 18 kg
Group 2 15 to 25 kg
Group 3 22 to 36 kg
• Weight class 0/0+: group 0/0+ or 0/1 rear-fac· ing infant carriers =:>Fig. 78 are the best option for the period from birth to 18 months.
• Weight class 1: group 1 (up to about 4 years old) or group 1/2 (up to about 7 years old) with an integral belt system are the best for children over the relevant weight limit.
• Weight classes 2/3: groups 2 and 3 include child seats with a backrest, and booster seats with no backrest. Child seats with a backrest have inte-grated seat routing and side cushions, and so pro-vide better protection than booster seats with no backrest. Volkswagen therefore recommends the use of child seats with a backrest. Group 2 child seats are for children up to the age of about 7,
group 3 child seats for those older than 7. ..,..

Single seat in
Group Child's weight passenger compart-menta)
Group 0 up to 10 kg -
Group 0+ up to 13 kg -
Group 1 9 to 18 kg -
Group 2 15 to 25 kg 8
Group 3 22 to 36 kg 8
a) The integrated child seat is fijted depending on equipment level.
8: integrated child seat approved for this weight class.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles recommends that the integrated child seat be used on the single seat facing against the direction of travel for chil-dren in group 2.
For safety reasons, if the integrated child seat is used on the single seat for children in group 3, it must face the direction of travel.
The supplied side head restraint must be used for children in group 2.
The side head restraint must not be used when group 3 children use the integrated child seat.
Additional information and warnings:
• Seat belts =:. page 79
Children who are not belted in and children who are not secured using a suitable re-straint system could sustain fatal injuries if the airbags are triggered.
• Always transport children up to the age of 12 on the rear seats.
• If exceptional circumstances require you to transport a child in a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat, the front passen-ger front airbag must always be switched off.
• Always secure children in the vehicle in a restraint system which is suitable for their height and weight.
• Always ensure that children are properly belted In.
A WARNING
When travelling, children must be secured In the vehicle In a child seat appropriate for weight and size.
• Always secure children In the vehicle in a restraint system which is suitable for their height and weight.
• Always fasten children's seat belts cor-rectly and ensure that they assume a correct sitting position.
• The shoulder part of the seat belt must lie approximately on the centre of the shoulder and never across the neck or upper arm.
• The shoulder belt must lie close to the chest.
• The lap part of the seat belt must lie across the pelvis, not across the stomach, and always fit closely.
• If necessary, tighten the belt so that it lies snugly over the body.
• Never allow children or babies to be trans-ported on someone's lap, or held In some-one's arms.
• Always secure children under 1.5 m tall in a child seat. Using a normal seat belt could lead to injuries to the abdominal and neck areas.
• Only ever fasten one child into a child seat.
• Read and observe the information and warnings from the child seat manufacturer.
• Never leave a child in a child seat unsu-pervised or alone In the vehicle.
• Any modifications to the integrated child seat must be made only by a qualified work-shop.
• Have a child seat or parts of a child seat replaced if the child seat or any part of it be-comes damaged or if it withstands the force of a collision during an accident.
A WARNING
Loose items could be flung through the vehi-cle interior in the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or accident. This could cause in-juries.
• Do not leave any toys or hard objects loose in the child seat or on the seat. <1
Sitting correctly and safely 103