Air Bag: Service Precautions

Handling Airbags And Belt Tensioners

Dangers for persons and the environment

NOTE:
- Injury caused by incorrect triggering of the installed unit.
- Injury caused by spinning away, e.g. of the entire unit.
- Burns caused by touching the hot surfaces of a triggered unit.
- Damage to hearing due to the explosion when gas is released.
- Irritation caused by breathing in fuel particles.
- Irritation caused by skin and eye contact with fuel particles.
- Airbag/belt tensioner components should neither be opened nor repaired; always use only new parts.
- Injury caused by incorrect triggering due to tampering with the short circuit bridges.

Protective measures and rules of behavior

NOTE:
- Assembly work only by trained staff.
- Carry out tests only with the Porsche System Tester diagnostic module; do not use test lamps, voltmeters or ohmmeters.
- Do not bring into contact with grease, solvents, cleaning agents, or liquids.
- Do not expose to temperatures above 90 degrees C.
- Keep the unfolding area of the airbag clear; e.g. do not hang test devices over the steering wheel. When carrying, hold the airbag with the blow-out direction facing away from the body. Store the unit with the airbag facing upwards.
- Electrostatic charge: In general, suitable work clothing and footwear are to be worn.
- Do not remove the short-circuit spring of the plug contacts.
- Never connect airbag units to electrical power sources not in accordance with regulations (danger of immediate ignition). Only use testers prescribed by the manufacturer.
- During installation/removal or work on the vehicle involving vibrations: switch off ignition, disconnect and cover the negative terminal of the battery, wait 1 minute and only then disconnect the plug connection.
- Transport: in transport packaging. Forbidden in passenger compartment.
- Storage in the workshop: max. 10 kg.
- The installation of the airbag/belt tensioner unit must be carried out immediately after removal from the transport container.
- If work is interrupted, the airbag/belt tensioner unit must be stored in the transport container again.
- Leaving the belt tensioner unit unsupervised is not permitted.

Behavior in cases of malfunction or danger

NOTE:
- Protect against flames and heat.
- In case of fire, inform the fire brigade about the present units as it arrives.
- Do not install mechanically damaged units or units that have fallen from a low height.
- Always replace units that are mechanically damaged (bulges, cracks).
- Because of the irritating combustion residues, only handle triggered airbags with protective gloves and goggles.
- In the case of contact with combustion residues, wash the affected skin with soap and water.
- In the case of eye contact, wash the eyes with water.

Materials







General information

The airbag system is constantly monitored by a diagnosis unit in the triggering unit. Any fault is signalled by a warning light. The warning light for the airbag system lights up in the event of a fault. The airbag warning light lights for approx. 3 seconds after the ignition is switched on and goes out if no fault has been entered in the fault memory. If it lights up again, this indicates a fault in the system. The fault can be read out with the Porsche System Tester 2.

NOTE:
- A period of 10 seconds is required to enable the triggering unit to identify all faults in the system.
- In order to guarantee that every possible fault source is checked during the vehicle test, the ignition must be switched on for at least 10 seconds.
- The fault memory must be cleared following a fault in the airbag system and after it has been remedied.
- The replacement of a component must be noted in the Guarantee and Maintenance booklet.
- To do this, attach the documentation number in a free panel intended for that purpose.
- The documentation number is attached to the replacement part as a tear-off sticker.
- Exchanged airbag units or airbag modules must be taken into possession by the Porsche Centre or by a dealer authorised by Porsche and must not be handed over to the customer (customer has no right to possess them). They must be destroyed, disposed of or returned to the manufacturer in accordance with the explosives ordinance and the hazardous materials ordinance.
- When the steering wheel is exchanged, e.g. to install a steering wheel from the Equipment product range, the airbag unit of the replaced steering wheel must be removed and destroyed, disposed of or returned to the manufacturer before the steering wheel is handed over to the customer.

Component exchange after airbag triggering

The following components must be removed and replaced after the airbag system is triggered:

After triggering of the airbag unit on the driver's side:
- Contact unit
- Airbag unit, driver's side.

After triggering of the airbag unit on the passenger's side:
- Airbag unit, passenger's side
- Triggering unit after the third time the airbag is triggered.
- Instrument panel.

After triggering of the side airbag unit

- Side airbag unit.
- Sensor for the side airbag unit after the third time the side airbag is triggered.
- Deformed or damaged components on the seat

After triggering the seat-belt tensioner

After triggering of the belt tensioner, driver's, passenger's, and/or rear unit.

After triggering one or more airbag units (driver's, passenger's, head and/or side airbag).

- All belt tensioner units

NOTE: Because it is difficult to visually determine if one or more belt tensioners has been triggered, check the following points.

Read out the airbag fault memory with the Porsche System Tester.

Check plug connection on the belt tensioner for damage.

Pull out the belt strap as far as possible and check for wear.

Perform a function test on the automatic belt device.