Airbag Systems - Porsche Cayenne 2009 Owner's Manual

Airbag Systems

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 weight sensing for
the 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 actuated
by frontal collisions with an impact of sufficient se-
verity.
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).
f Please see the chapter "SAFETY BELTS" on
Page 43.
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 above the doors
in the roof area.
46
Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel
Danger!
To provide optimal occupant protection, air-
bags must inflate at very high speed. If you
are not wearing your safety belt or are too
close to the airbag when it is deployed, infla-
ting airbags can result in serious personal in-
jury or death.
Improper handling of weight sensing can
unintentionally impair switching the
passenger's airbag off and on.
f Make sure there are no people, animals or ob-
jects between the driver or passenger and the
area into which the airbag inflates.
f Sit back as far from the dashboard or steering
wheel as is practical, while still maintaining full
vehicle control.
f Always hold the steering wheel by the outer
rim. Never rest your hands on the airbag panel.
f Always fasten seat belts because triggering
of the airbag system depends on the force and
angle of impact.
f Do not transport heavy objects on or in front of
the passenger seat. These could impair the
function of the airbag, the seat belts, and
weight sensing.
f Do not hang objects (e.g., jackets, coats, coat
hangers) over the backrest.
f Always keep the lid of the door storage com-
partment closed. Objects must not protrude
out of the door storage compartment.
f No changes must be made to the wiring or
components of the airbag system.
f Do not add any additional coverings or stickers
to the steering wheel or in the area of the
passenger 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.
f Do not modify the seat coverings. Do not
attach additional cushions, protective
coverings, or pillows to the passenger's seat.
Do not affix things to the passenger's seat or
cover 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.
f Do not undertake any wiring for electrical ac-
cessory equipment in the vicinity of the airbag
wiring harnesses. Doing so may disable the
airbag system or cause inadvertent inflation.
f If the warning light comes on, the airbag
system should be repaired immediately by
your authorized Porsche dealer.
f Always keep feet in the footwell while driving.
Do not put feet on the dashboard or the seat
area. Do not lean against the inside of the door
or outside the window while the vehicle is
moving.