Airbag Systems - Porsche 911 Carrera Owner's Manual

Airbag Systems

General information
The airbags in combination with the safety belts
make up a safety system which offers the driver
and the passenger the greatest known protection
from injuries in case of accident. Your vehicle is
equipped with a weight sensing system for the
front passenger's seat in accordance with U.S.
Federal/Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208.
Even if your vehicle is equipped with airbags, the
safety belts must be worn at all times, because
the front airbag system is only deployed by frontal
collisions with an impact of sufficient severity.
Below the deployment threshold of the airbag
system, and during types of collisions which do not
cause the actuation of the system, the safety belts
provide the primary protection to the occupants
when correctly worn. Therefore, all persons
within the vehicle must wear safety belts at all
times (in many states, state law requires the use of
safety belts).
Please observe the chapter "SAFETY BELTS"
on page 48.
The front airbags are located under the padded
steering wheel panel on the driver's side and, on
the passenger's side, in the dashboard. The side
airbags for the front seats are installed on the
side in the seat backrests. The head airbags are
installed in the door linings.
Danger!
To provide optimal occupant protection, air-
bags must inate at very high speed. If you
are not wearing your safety belt or are too
close to the airbag when it is deployed, inat-
ing airbags can result in serious personal inju-
ry or death. Improper handling of the weight
sensing system can unintentionally impair
switching the passenger's airbag off and on.
Make sure there are no people, animals or
objects between the driver or passenger and
the area into which the airbag inflates.
Sit back as far from the dashboard or steering
wheel as is practical, while still maintaining full
vehicle control.
Always hold the steering wheel by the outer
rim. Never rest your hands on the airbag
panel.
Always fasten seat belts because triggering
of the airbag system depends on the force and
angle of impact.
Do not transport heavy objects on or in front
of the passenger's seat. These could impair
the function of the airbag, the seat belts, and
weight sensing.
Do not hang objects (e.g. jackets, coats, coat
hangers) over the backrest.
Always keep the lid of the door storage com-
partment closed. Objects must not protrude
out of the door storage compartment.
No changes may be made to the wiring or
components of the airbag system.
Do not add any additional coverings or stickers
to the steering wheel or in the area of the
passenger's airbag, side airbags and head
airbags. Doing so may adversely affect the
functioning of the airbag system or cause
harm to the occupants if the airbag system
should deploy.
Do not modify the seat coverings. Do not
attach additional cushions, protective cover-
ings, or pillows to the passenger's seat. Do
not affix things to the passenger's seat or cov-
er it with other materials. Do not cover the
back of the backrest. Do not make changes
to the passenger's seat and to the seat base
frame.
Do not undertake any wiring for electrical
accessory equipment in the vicinity of the
airbag wiring harnesses. Doing so may
disable the airbag system or cause inadvertent
inflation.
If the warning light comes on, the airbag
system should be repaired immediately by
your authorized Porsche dealer.
Controls, Instruments
51