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
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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.
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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 dis-
posal guidelines. California residents,
see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm .
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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.
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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.
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Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
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Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat
belts.
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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 instal-
lation of additional trim material,
badges, etc. over the steering wheel hub,
passenger front air bag cover, outboard
sides of the seat backrests, and instal-
lation of additional electrical/elec-
tronic equipment on or near SRS compo-
nents and wiring. Keep area between air
bags and occupants free from objects
(e.g. packages, purses, umbrellas, etc.).
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Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protec-
tion.
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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.
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Air bag system components will be hot
after an air bag has inflated. Do not touch
them.
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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.
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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.
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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.
How an air bag operates
An air bag is inflated in a matter of mil-
liseconds. If an air bag is triggered, the
SRS indicator lamp 6 in the instrument
cluster illuminates.
Occupant safety
35
>> Safety.
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