Fiat 500 2015 User Manual page 14

GETTING STARTED
Advanced Front Air Bags
• This vehicle has Advanced Front Air Bags for both the driver and front passenger as a
supplement to the seat belt restraint systems. The Advanced Front Air Bags will not
deploy in every type of collision.
• Advanced Front Air Bags are designed to provide additional protection by supplement-
ing the seat belts. Advanced Front Air Bags are not expected to reduce the risk of
injury in rear, side, or rollover collisions.
• The Advanced Front Air Bags will not deploy in all frontal collisions, including some that
may produce substantial vehicle damage — for example, some pole collisions, truck
underrides, and angle offset collisions.
• On the other hand, depending on the type and location of impact, Advanced Front Air
Bags may deploy in crashes with little vehicle front-end damage but that produce a
severe initial deceleration.
• Because air bag sensors measure vehicle deceleration over time, vehicle speed and
damage by themselves are not good indicators of whether or not an air bag should
have deployed.
• Seat belts are necessary for your protection in all collisions, and also are needed to
help keep you in position, away from an inflating air bag.
• The air bags must be ready to inflate for your protection in a collision. The Occupant
Restraint Controller (ORC) monitors the internal circuits and interconnecting wiring
associated with air bag system electrical components.
• The ORC turns on the Air Bag Warning Light in the instrument panel for approxi-
mately four to eight seconds for a self-check when the ignition switch is first turned to
the ON/RUN position. After the self-check, the Air Bag Warning Light will turn off.
If the ORC detects a malfunction in any part of the system, it turns on the Air Bag
Warning Light, either momentarily or continuously. A single chime will sound to alert
you if the light comes on again after initial startup.
• The ORC monitors the readiness of the electronic parts of the air bag system when-
ever the ignition switch is in the START or ON/RUN position. If the ignition switch is
in the OFF position or in the ACC position, the air bag system is not on and the air
bags will not inflate.
• If the Air Bag Warning Light in the instrument panel is not on during the four to eight
seconds when the ignition switch is first turned to the ON/RUN position, stays on, or
turns on while driving, have the vehicle serviced by an authorized service center imme-
diately.
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