Skoda Fabia: Description of the airbag system

Skoda Fabia Owners Manual

WARNING

• An airbag can only offer you optimal protection in combination with a fastened seat belt.
• The airbag is not a substitute for the seat belt, but instead forms part of the complete passive vehicle safety concept.
• To ensure passengers are protected with the greatest possible effect when the airbag is deployed, the front seats must be correctly adjusted to match the body size » page 7, Correct and safe seated position.
• If you do not fasten the seat belts when driving, lean too far forward or adopt an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to increased risk of injury in the event of an accident.

WARNING

Information on the use of the airbag system

• If there is a fault, the airbag system must be checked by a specialist garage immediately. Otherwise, there is a risk of the airbag not being activated in the event of an accident.
• No modifications of any kind must be made to parts of the airbag system.
• Any work on the airbag system including the installation and removal of system components due to other repair work (e.g. removal of the steering wheel) must only be carried out by a specialist garage.
• Never make any changes to the front bumper or bodywork.
• It is prohibited to tamper with individual parts of the airbag system as this might result in the airbag being deployed.
• The protective function of the airbag system is sufficient for only one accident.

  The airbag system must then be replaced if the airbag has been deployed.

System description

The functional status of the airbag system is indicated by the  
indicator light in the instrument cluster » page 40.

When the airbags are deployed they fill with gas and inflate.

A grey white or red, non-harmful gas is released when the airbag is inflated.

This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.

The airbag system consists – depending on the vehicle equipment – of the following modules.

• Electronic control unit.
• Front airbag for the driver and the front passenger
• Side airbags
• Head airbags
• Airbag indicator light in the instrument cluster
• Key switch for the front passenger airbag
• Warning light for front passenger airbag deactivation in dash panel centre

Note

• The airbag system needs no maintenance during its working life.
• If you sell your vehicle, provide the complete vehicle documentation to the new owner. Please note that the information relating to the possibility of deactivating the front passenger airbag must be included!
• When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is important to comply with the national legal requirements.

Airbag deployment

The airbags inflate in fractions of a second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional protection in the event of an accident.

The airbag system is only functional when the ignition is switched on.

In certain accident situations, the several airbags may be deployed simultaneously.

The airbags are not deployed in the case of minor frontal and side collisions, rear-end collisions, tilting of the vehicle and vehicle rollover.

Deployment factors

It is not possible to generally determine which deployment conditions apply to the airbag system in every situation. An important role is played by factors such as the type of object that the vehicle hits (hard/soft), the impact angle, vehicle speed, etc.

A decisive factor for the deployment of the airbags is the deceleration which occurs. The control unit analyses the nature of the collision and activates the relevant restraint system.

If the vehicle deceleration which occurs and is measured during the collision remains below the prescribed reference values specified in the control unit, the airbags are not deployed although the vehicle may well suffer severe damage to the bodywork as a consequence of the accident.

The following airbags will be deployed in the event of a severe frontal collision

• Driver’s front airbag.
• Front passenger airbag.

The following airbags will be deployed in the event of a severe side collision.

• Front side airbag on the side of the accident.
• Head airbags on the side of the accident.

In the event of an accident in which the airbags are deployed:

• the interior lighting comes on (if the switch for the interior light is in the door contact position),
• the hazard warning light is switched on;
• all the doors are unlocked;
• the fuel supply to the engine is interrupted.