Volkswagen Tiguan Owners Manual: Safety belt extender

Fig. 66 A safety belt extender properly attached to the factory-installed safety belt.

Fig. 67 Positioning of the safety belt extender.

Read and follow the introductory information and safety information first⇒Introduction to the subject 

If a safety belt is too short to correctly fit you or one of your passengers even when the safety belt is pulled out all the way, you can use a safety belt extender.

Never use the safety belt extender for any other purpose – including the attachment of a child restraint.

The extender adds about 8 inches (20 cm) to the safety belt. Always remove the safety belt extender when it is not needed and stow it safely. Contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility if you believe you may need an extender.

Key to⇒ Fig. 66 :

1. Vehicle safety belt buckle.
2. Buckle tongue on the safety belt extender.
3. Safety belt buckle on the safety belt extender.
4. Safety belt buckle tongue on the factory-installed safety belt.

Key to⇒ Fig. 67 :

1. Safety belt buckle on the safety belt extender.
2. Distance between the safety belt buckle on the safety belt extender and the centerline of the person using the safety belt extender. The distance must be more than 6 inches (15 cm)!
3. Centerline of the person using the safety belt extender.

Using a safety belt extender

• Adjust both the seat and the head restraint properly ⇒ Adjusting the seating position .

• Insert the buckle tongue on the safety belt extender ⇒ Fig. 66②  into the vehicle belt buckle for the seat where the safety belt extender is being used ⇒ Fig. 66① .

• Fastening or unfastening the vehicle safety belt ⇒ Fastening and unfastening safety belts .

• Pull the belt to make sure that the tongues are securely locked in the buckles.

• Make sure that the safety belt is positioned properly ⇒ Safety belt position .

Properly using safety belt extenders

• Use a safety belt extender only when the factory installed safety belt is too short when worn properly by a person in proper seating position.

• Only use one safety belt extender per seat and vehicle safety belt.

• Always remove the safety belt extender when it is not needed.

• Never leave a safety belt extender attached to the vehicle safety belt buckle when the extender is not needed and being used with the safety belt. Otherwise, the airbag control module will receive an incorrect signal from the safety belt buckle and this will prevent the airbag from working properly for a person who is not using the safety belt. Leaving the extender attached to the safety belt buckle when the front seat is occupied and the safety belt is not being used will signal the airbag control unit during a collision that the front passenger seat is occupied and that the safety belt is being used. The electronic control unit for the airbag system will then receive incorrect information that will cause the safety belt pretensioner to deploy unnecessarily and the front passenger airbag to deploy later in collisions that would normally trigger the front airbag earlier in the collision to help protect an unrestrained front seat occupant. The airbag will not be able to provide enough protection for an occupant not wearing a safety belt.

• Only use the safety belt extender approved by Volkswagen for your vehicle.

Warning

Improper use or positioning of a safety belt extender increases the risk of serious personal injury and death.

• A driver or passenger who is not properly restrained can be seriously injured by striking the interior of the passenger compartment or by the safety belt itself, which can be displaced from stronger parts of the body into sensitive areas like the abdomen.

• Safety belt extenders offer optimum protection only when they are properly used.

• Only use the extender when the belt is not long enough to be worn low and snug and the person is in the correct seating position. Remove and stow extender safely when not needed.

• Always make sure the safety belt tongue of the safety belt extender is securely inserted into the buckle for the seating position that belongs to the seat where the safety belt extender is being used. Attaching the safety belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt effectiveness and can cause serious personal injury.

• Never use the safety belt extender if you can properly attach the safety belt without it. Using a safety belt extender when not needed can increase the risk of injury, especially in a collision.

• Never use a safety belt extender if the distance (B) between the front edge of the safety belt extender buckle (A) and the centerline of the person using the safety belt extender ⇒ Fig. 67Ⓒ  is less than 6 inches (15 cm).

• Never leave a safety belt extender attached to the vehicle safety belt buckle when the extender is not needed and being used with the safety belt. Otherwise, the airbag control module will receive an incorrect signal from the safety belt buckle and this will prevent the airbag from working properly for a person who is not using the safety belt.

• Never use more than one extender with a safety belt. Using more than one extender can change the way the safety belt passes over the body and can cause serious injury.

• Never use the safety belt extender to secure a child restraint.

• Never use a safety belt extender on your Volkswagen that you got from another automobile manufacturer or from an automotive parts store.

• Never use the safety belt extender you got for your vehicle for any other vehicle, regardless of make, model, or model year.

Note

• Leaving the extender attached to the safety belt buckle when the front seat is occupied and the safety belt is not being used will signal to the airbag control unit that the front passenger seat is occupied and that the safety belt is being used. The electronic control unit for the airbag system will then receive incorrect information that will
  • cause the safety belt pretensioner to deploy unnecessarily in collisions
  • cause the front passenger airbag to deploy later in collisions in which the front airbag would otherwise be triggered earlier to help protect an unrestrained front seat passenger.

• A pretensioner that has deployed cannot be repaired. The entire safety belt must be replaced.

Note

If the safety belt extender is left attached to the safety belt buckle, the safety belt warning system will sense that the safety belt for that seat is being used. The warning light will not come on and the warning chime will not sound even though the seat is occupied and the safety belt is not being used.