Saab 9-5 2011 Owner's Manual page 55

54 Seats, restraints
Scrapping or working on airbag
and belt pretensioners
9 Warning
■ Under no circumstances should
any modifications be made that
affect the steering wheel or the
airbag's electrical circuitry.
■ During any welding, both battery
cables must be disconnected
and covered.
■ Before applying quick-drying
paint in the vicinity of the elec‐
tronic control module, the mod‐
ule's grounding points and wir‐
ing must be covered.
■ Airbags and safety belt preten‐
sioners must be deployed under
controlled conditions before the
car is scrapped or any of the
system's components are re‐
moved. Airbags or belt preten‐
sioners that have been de‐
ployed as a result of a collision
must be replaced by new ones.
■ The car's impact protection con‐
sists of several different safety
features, including the airbags,
safety belts, steering wheel,
seats and dashboard. These
parts are coordinated with each
other to provide optimum pro‐
tection in the event of a collision,
so never install an airbag from
one car into another. There is no
guarantee that it would then
work satisfactorily in the event of
a collision.
■ All work involving the scrapping
or replacement of airbags or belt
pretensioners must be carried
out by authorized personnel
only.
Frequently asked questions on
function of the airbag
?
Do you still need to wear a safety
belt if airbags are fitted?
!
Yes, always! The airbag system
components merely supplement
the car's normal safety system.
Moreover, the front airbags will
only be actuated in a moderate to
severe frontal, or near-frontal
crash, which means, of course,
that they provide no protection in
minor frontal crashes, major rear
or side crashes or if the car rolls
over.
In addition, airbags provide no pro‐
tection against a secondary impact
occurring in the same incident. So
there is no doubt about the benefit of
wearing safety belts at all times.
Do not sit too close to the airbag: it
needs room to inflate.
The airbag inflates very quickly and
powerfully in order to protect an adult,
before they are thrown forward, in
a serious frontal crash.