Read and follow the introductory information and safety information first⇒Introduction to the subject
Front airbags and how they work
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. They are not a substitute for safety belts that must be worn even though the front seating positions are equipped with front airbags. The front airbags can provide additional protection for the chest and head of the driver and the front seat passenger when seats, safety belts, head restraints and, for the driver, the steering wheel, are properly used and have been properly adjusted.
When the airbag system deploys in a collision, a gas generator fills the airbags that break open the padded covers on the steering wheel and the instrument panel. The front airbags inflate between the steering wheel and the driver and between the instrument panel and the front passenger.
Front airbags in combination with properly worn safety belts slow down and limit the occupant's forward movement. Together they help to prevent the driver and front seat passenger from hitting parts of the vehicle interior, thereby reducing the forces acting on the occupants during a crash. In this way, they help to reduce the risk of injury to the head and upper body during a crash. Airbags do not provide protection for the arms and lower body parts. It is important to remember that the supplemental airbag system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries. However, it is possible that a deployed airbag may cause other injuries such as swelling, bruising, friction burns, and abrasions.
Airbags inflate in the blink of an eye, so fast that many people don't even realize that the airbags have deployed. The airbags will deflate immediately after deployment so that the front occupants can see through the windshield again without interruption.
Airbags inflate with a great deal of force. Airbags can cause serious injuries when they inflate and hit those who are sitting too close, are out of position, or are not properly restrained. By keeping room between your body and the steering wheel and the front of the passenger compartment the airbag can inflate fully and completely and provide supplemental protection during certain frontal collisions ⇒ Safety belts .
Make sure that nothing is in the way of the airbags when they deploy. For example, things on your lap or on the seat could be pushed into your body or fly dangerously through the passenger compartment when the airbag inflates and cause serious personal injury.
The areas outlined in red (dotted lines) ⇒ Fig. 69 and ⇒ Fig. 70 indicate the airbag deployment zone. Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup holders, telephone brackets, notepads, large, heavy or bulky objects) on the doors, on the windshield, over or near the area marked in red (dotted lines).
Physical impairments and airbags
If you have a physical impairment or condition that prevents you from sitting properly on the driver seat with the safety belt properly fastened and reaching the pedals, special modifications to your vehicle may be necessary. The safety belt and airbag can only provide optimum protection if you are seated correctly and can reach the pedals.
Contact your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility or call the Volkswagen Customer CARE Center at 1-800-822-8987 for information about possible modifications to your vehicle.
When airbags deploy
Deployment of the front airbags and the activation of the safety belt pretensioners depend on the deceleration measured by the crash sensors and registered by the electronic control unit. Crash severity depends on speed and deceleration as well as the mass and stiffness of the vehicle or object involved in the crash.
The front airbags will not inflate in side or rear collisions, in rollovers or if the ignition is switched off. The front airbags will not inflate in all frontal collisions. The triggering of the airbag system depends on the vehicle deceleration rate caused by the collision and registered by the electronic control unit. If this rate is below the reference value programmed into the control unit, the airbags will not be triggered, even though the vehicle may be badly damaged as a result of the collision. Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage is not necessarily an indication of whether an airbag should inflate or not. It is not possible to define a range of vehicle speeds that will cover every possible kind and angle of impact that will always trigger the airbags, since the circumstances will vary considerably between one collision and another. Important factors include, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the object that the vehicle hits, the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released. This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the vehicle. This dust is made up mostly of a powder used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy. This dust could irritate skin and eyes and cause breathing problems for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions.
Always remember: Front airbags only supplement the 3 point safety belts in some frontal collisions only when the vehicle deceleration is high enough to deploy the airbags. Airbags only deploy once, and only in certain kinds of collisions. The safety belts are always there to offer protection in situations in which airbags should not deploy or when they have already deployed, for example, when your vehicle strikes or is struck by another vehicle after an initial collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is a supplementary restraint and is not a substitute for a safety belt. The airbag system works most effectively when used with the safety belts. Therefore, always buckle up properly and wear your safety belts.
The airbags are part of the overall passive vehicle safety system. The airbag system works most efficiently when used with properly worn safety belts and a proper seating position ⇒ ⇒ Adjusting the seating position .
Safety equipment
Your safety and the safety of your passengers shouldn't be left to chance. Advances in technology have made a number of features available to help reduce the risk of injury in a collision. The following are just a few of the safety features for your Volkswagen:
These individual safety features can work together as a system to help protect you and your passengers in a wide range of collisions. These features can't work as a system if they are not always correctly adjusted and properly used!
How the Advanced Airbag System components work together...
On the passenger side, regardless of safety belt use, the front passenger front airbag will be turned off if the weight on the front passenger seat is less than the amount programmed in the electronic control unit. The front airbag on the passenger side will also be turned off if the combined weight of an infant of about one year of age in one of the child seats that was used to certify the Advanced Airbag System under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 has been registered on the seat. The PASSENGER AIR BAG light comes on and stays on to tell you when the front Advanced Airbag System on the passenger side has been turned off ⇒ PASSENGER AIR BAG light .
Warning
Warning
Sitting too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel will decrease the effectiveness of the airbags and will increase the risk of personal injury in a collision.Warning
Objects between you and the airbag will increase the risk of injury in a crash by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds and/or by being pushed into you as the airbag inflates.Warning
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cause breathing problems for people with asthma or other breathing conditions.Warning
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG light is on and stays on whenever a child restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition is switched on.Warning
Airbags that have deployed in a crash must be replaced.Volkswagen Tiguan Owners Manual > Changing a wheel: Lifting the vehicle with the vehicle jack
Fig. 194 Lift points for the jack.
Fig. 195 Jack in position at the left
rear lift point.
Read and follow the introductory information and
safety information first⇒Introduction
to the subject The jack must be positioned at one of the four lift points marked
on the vehicle body (2 on ea ...