Get Airbag system -> Side airbags* Guide for Seat Leon 4 Door Second Generation (2007-2011)

Airbag system36

Safety notes on the frontal airbag system

If you use airbags correctly, they can considerably reduce the

risk of injury in many kinds of accident.

WARNING

• It is important for the driver and front passenger to keep a distance of

at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel. If the minimum

distance is not observed then the airbags do not correctly protect the

vehicle occupants; risk of fatal injuries! In addition, the front seats and

head restraints must always be positioned correctly for the height of the

occupant.

• If you are not wearing a seat belt, if you lean forward or to the side while

travelling or assume an incorrect sitting position, there is a substantially

increased risk of injury. This increased risk of injury will be further

increased if you are struck by an inflating airbag.

• Never let a child travel on the front seat without an appropriate restraint

system. If the airbag is triggered in an accident, children can sustain

serious or fatal injuries from the airbag as it inflates ⇒ page 45, “Child

safety”.

• The deployment space between the front passengers and the airbags

must not in any case be occupied by other passenger, pets and objects.

• The airbags provide protection for just one accident; replace them once

they have deployed.

• It is also important not to attach any objects such as cup holders or

telephone mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units.

• Do not attempt to modify components of the airbag system in any

way.

Side airbags*

Description of side airbags

The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts.

The side airbags are located in the backrest cushions of the driver seat

⇒ fig. 21 and the front passenger seat as well as in the rear seats. The loca-

tions are identified by the text “AIRBAG” in the upper region of the backrests.

Together with the seat belts, the side airbag system gives the front seat occu-

pants additional protection for the upper body in the event of a severe side

collision ⇒ page 39, “Safety notes on the operation of the side airbag

system”.

In a side collision, the side airbags reduce the risk of injury to passengers on

the front seats to the areas of the body facing the impact. In addition to their

normal function of protecting the occupants in a collision, the seat belts also

hold the passengers on the front seats and the outer rear seats in a position

where the side airbags can provide maximum protection.

Fig. 21 Side airbag in

driver seat

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Airbag system 37

Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

The airbag system is not a substitute for seat belts, but it is an integral part

of the vehicle's overall passive safety system. Please bear in mind that the

airbag system can only work effectively when the occupants are wearing their

seat belts. Therefore, it is most important to wear the seat belts at all times,

not only because this is required by law in most countries, but also for your

safety ⇒ page 19, “Brief Introduction”.

The side airbag system will not be triggered if:

• the ignition is switched off,

• there is a minor side collision,

• there is a frontal collision,

• there is a rear-end collision,

• the vehicle turns over.

The main parts of the airbag system are:

• an electronic control and monitoring system (control unit),

• the side airbags in the sides of the backrests of the front and rear seats,

• a warning lamp  in the dash panel insert ⇒ page 30.

The airbag system operation is monitored electronically. The airbag warning

lamp will light up for approx. 4 seconds every time the ignition is switched on

(self-diagnosis).

WARNING

• In a side-on collision, the side airbags will not work, if the sensors do

not correctly measure the pressure increase on the interior of the doors,

due to air escaping through the areas with holes or openings in the door

panel.

• Never drive the vehicle if the interior panels have been removed.

• Never drive if the interior door panels have been removed or if the

panels have not been correctly fitted.

• Never drive the vehicle if the loudspeakers in the door panels have

been removed, unless the holes left by the loudspeakers have been

correctly closed.

• Always check that the openings are closed or covered if loudspeakers

or other equipment are fitted in the interior door panels.

• Any work carried out to the doors should be made in a qualified author-

ised workshop.

• The seat belts and airbags can only provide maximum protection if the

occupants are seated correctly ⇒ page 10, “Proper sitting position for

occupants”.

• If a fault has occured in the airbag system, have the system checked

immediately by a qualified workshop. Otherwise, during a side collision,

the system may fail to trigger, or not trigger correctly.

WARNING (continued)

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Airbag system38

Function of side airbags

Inflated airbags can reduce the risk of head or chest injury in

many side impact collisions.

In some side collisions the side airbag is triggered on the impact side of the

vehicle ⇒ page 38, fig. 22.

In certain types of accident the front, curtain and side airbags may be trig-

gered together.

When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled with propellant gas.

In order to provide the desired extra protection in an accident, the airbags

have to deploy extremely rapidly (within thousandth of a second). A fine dust

may develop when the airbag deploys. This is normal and it is not an indica-

tion of fire in the vehicle.

The fully deployed airbags cushion the movement of the occupants of the

front seats and the outer rear seats and help to reduce the risk of injury to the

upper body.

The special design of the airbag allows the controlled escape of the propel-

lant gas when an occupant puts pressure on the bag. Thus, the head and

chest are surrounded and protected by the airbag.

Fig. 22 Illustration of

principle: inflated side

airbags on left side of

vehicle

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Airbag system 39

Safety First Operating instructions Practical tips Technical Data

Safety notes on the operation of the side airbag system

If airbags are used correctly, they can considerably reduce the

risk of injury in side impact collisions.

WARNING

• If you do not wear a seat belt, if you lean forward, or are not seated

correctly while the vehicle is in motion, you are at a greater risk of injury if

the side airbag system is triggered in an accident.

• In order for the side airbags to provide their maximum protection, the

prescribed sitting position must always be maintained with seat belts

fastened while travelling.

• Occupants of the outer seats must never carry any objects or pets in the

deployment space between them and the airbags, or allow children or

other passengers to travel in this position. It is also important not to attach

any accessories (such as cup holders) to the doors. This would impair the

protection offered by the side airbags.

• The built-in coat hooks should be used only for lightweight clothing. Do

not leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.

• Great forces, such as hard blows or kicks, must not be exerted upon the

backrest bolster because the system may be damaged. In this case, the

side airbags would not be triggered.

• Under no circumstances should protective covers be fitted over the

driver seat or front passenger seat unless the covers have been expressly

approved for use in your vehicle. Because the airbag is triggered from the

side of the backrest, the use of non-approved seat covers would obstruct

the side airbag, seriously reducing the airbag's effectiveness ⇒ page 200,

“Accessories, parts replacement and modifications”.

• Any damage to the original seat upholstery or around the seams of the

side airbag units must be repaired immediately by a qualified workshop.

• The airbags provide protection for just one accident; replace them once

they have deployed.

• When children assume an incorrect sitting position, they expose them-

selves to an increased risk of injury in the event of an accident. This is

particularly the case if the child is travelling on the front passenger seat

and the airbag system is triggered in an accident; this could have critical

consequences including serious injury or death ⇒ page 45, “Child safety”.

• Any work on the side airbag system or removal and installation of the

airbag components for other repairs (such as removal of the front seat)

should only be performed by a qualified workshop. Otherwise, faults may

occur during the airbag system operation.

• Do not attempt to modify components of the airbag system in any way.

• The side and head airbags are managed through sensors located in the

interior of the front doors. To ensure the correct functioning of the side and

head airbags neither the doors nor the door panels should be modified in

any way (e.g. fitting loudspeakers). If the front door is damaged, the airbag

system may not work correctly. All work carried out on the front door must

be made in a qualified workshop.

WARNING (continued)

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Airbag system -> Side airbags* for Your Seat Leon 4 Door Second Generation (2007-2011)

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