Steering: Service Precautions

General Instructions/Safety Instructions

The following points must be observed during vehicle diagnosis:
- After the battery is connected, volatile memories must be reprogrammed. In the case of radio coding and tuning, the customer must be informed of decoding and the deleted tuner memory.
- After troubleshooting or repairs, erase the fault memory with the 9718 PIWIS tester and carry out a test drive.
- After test-driving the vehicle, read out the fault memory again using the 9718 PIWIS tester.

DANGER:
Danger of injury through triggering of driver's airbag.
- Never hang 9718 PIWIS tester over the steering wheel.

WARNING:
- Observe safety regulations when working on the airbag system.
- Danger of injury and risk of damage due to improper handling of airbag units.
- Please observe the following points:
- Inspection and assembly work may only be carried out by specialist staff.
- After the battery is disconnected, assembly work or work on the vehicle with a hammer or similar tools may not be started until after a waiting period of 1 minute.
- This is necessary in order to interrupt the power supply to the airbag system and to ensure it is not triggered accidentally.
- Airbag units must be fitted immediately after being removed from their storage location.
- On no account may airbag units be left lying around unsupervised.
- If work is interrupted, airbag units must immediately be locked away again.
- Airbag units must not come into contact with grease, oil, cleaning agents or similar substances.
- Airbag units must not be exposed to temperatures above 90 °C.
- Airbag units and control units which have fallen from a height of more than 0.5 m may no longer be installed.
- No additional linings, stickers or similar may be attached to the steering wheel and in the vicinity of the passenger's airbag.
- No changes may be made to the wiring and to the components of the airbag system.
- The battery must always be disconnected before starting straightening and welding work with an electrical welding unit.
- Danger of injury if the drive link test is carried out when the vehicle is in motion.
- Never carry out the drive link test when the vehicle is in motion.
- The following conditions must be observed when carrying out the drive link test:
- The drive link test must always be carried out on a stationary vehicle in a workshop with sufficient commercially available tools. The driver's seat must then be partially removed in order to re-activate the cutoff relay. Only then can the engine be re-started.
- Danger of injury as a result of malfunctions (loose contacts) in airbag modules when unplugging module connectors and belt tensioner plugs.
- When installing and removing airbag modules and belt tensioners, the plug connections provided must be disconnected using an integrated short circuit bridge.
- Never pull off plugs connected directly to airbag modules and belt tensioners.
- Do not remove wire harnesses from other vehicles in order to connect these to 'third-party' airbag modules or belt tensioners.
- Danger of injury and damage due to unusual vehicle handling when plugs or components are disconnected.
- Never disconnect plugs when the vehicle is in motion or drive the vehicle with plugs disconnected.
- Drive only with all parts fully installed and connected.
- Danger of injury if vehicle is driven with special tools in place (commercially available tools included).
- Never drive with special tools or commercially available tools attached instead of the airbag units.

CAUTION:
Danger of material damage due to incorrect handling of batteries and control unit plug connections.
- Never disconnect battery terminals with engine running.
- Never start engine unless battery terminal clamps are connected securely.
- Never pull off or push on plug connections for the control units or other electronic components when the ignition is switched on.
- Always disconnect the negative terminal of the battery and pull off all plug connections to the vehicle electrical system control unit when carrying out welding work on the vehicle.