2008 AUDI A4 AVANT warning

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a listing of the child restraints that were used to certify your
veh ic le 's compliance wi th the US Safety
Standa rd => page 212,
• weight less than a threshold leve l stored in the contro l unit is
de tected on the fro nt passenger sea t.
When a person is detected on the front passenger seat, weighing mo re t han the total weight of a c hild that is about 1 yea r old
restra ined in one of the rear -facing or forward -facing infant
restraints (listed in Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
wh ic h the Adva nced Airba g System in your ve hicle was certified),
the front airbag on the passenger side may or may not deploy.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight c omes on whe n the e le ctr oni c
control unit detects a total weight on the front passenger seat that
r equi res t he front a irbag to be tu rned o ff . I f the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger s ide
has no t been tu rned off by t he con tro l uni t and can dep loy if the
co ntrol unit se nses an i mpact that meets t he conditio ns store d in its
memo ry .
I f t he total we ig ht on the front passe nge r seat is more than t hat of
a typical
1 year -old, but less than the we ight of a small adult, the
fr ont airbag on the passe nger s ide may dep loy (the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
l ight does not come on) .
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
• a small c hild t hat is heavier than a typ ical 1 yea r-old child is on
the front passenger seat (regard less of whether the child is in one
o f t he child sa fe ty sea ts
liste d=> page 212),
• a child who has outgrown chi ld restraints is on the front
passenge r seat .
I f the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light in the ce nter of the i nstrument pa nel wi ll come on and stay
on.
T he front airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t does not illum inate a nd stay lit) if:
• a small adult or teenager is on the front passenger seat
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
• a passenger who is not s itting upright with their back against a
no n-rec li n ed bac kres t wi th th eir fee t on th e ve hicle flo or in fro nt of
the seat is on the front passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal Standard requi res
the airbag to meet t he "low r isk" deploy ment cr iteria to help reduce
the risk of injury th roug h interaction with the airbag. "Low risk"
dep loyment occu rs in those cras hes t hat take place a t lo wer decel ­
erations as defined in the electronic control
unit=> page 198.
Always remember: Even though yo ur vehicle is equ ipped w ith
Advanced Airbags, the safest p lace for children is properly
res tra ined on the back sea t. Please be s ure to rea d th e impo rtant
i nformat io n i n t he sections tha t follow a nd be sure to heed a ll of the
WA RNIN GS .
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, always wear
safety belts properly .
• If you are unrestrained , leaning forward , sitting sideways or out
of position in any way , your risk of injury is mu ch higher .
• You will al so receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up again st the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced
Airbag => page 187.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be ser iously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflate s -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• Although the Advan ced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front airbag when a rearward -facing child
restraint has been installed on the front passenger seat , nobody
can ab solutely guarantee that deployment is impo ssible in all
c onceivable situat ions that may happen during the useful life of
your vehicle. _,,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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&, WARNIN G (continu ed )
• The inflating airbag will hit the child s afety seat or infant
car rier with gre at for ce and will sma sh the child safe ty se at and
c hild agai nst the ba ckre st, center arm re st, door , or roof .
• Alwa ys in sta ll re arw ard -f aci ng child re str aint s in the b ack se at .
• If you mu st in stall a rearw ard facing child safety seat on the
front p assenger se at be cause of e xce pti ona l ci rc um stan ce s a nd
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not come on and stay on ,
immedi atel y insta ll the re ar-f a cing child s afet y s ea t in a re ar
se ating position and h av e the airb ag sy stem inspe cted by your
Audi dealer .
& WARNING
If, in e xception al c ir cum sta nces, you mu st in sta ll a forward -f ac in g
c hild re straint on the front p assenger 's seat:
• Alway s mak e sure the forward-f acing seat ha s been designed
and certified by it s manufacturer for u se on a front seat with a
p asseng er front and side airb ag .
• Never put the forw ard -fa cing child re straint up again st or very
near the instrument panel.
• Alway s move the p assenger seat into it s re armost position in
the se at's fore and aft adju stment range , as far a way from the
a irbag a s pos sible , before installing the forward -f a cing child
rest raint . The ba ckrest must be ad justed to an upright po sitio n.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light come s on
a nd stay s on all th e time whenever the ignit ion i s swi tched on .
•
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very impo rtant
parts of the Advanced A irbag System in it . These parts include the
we ight -sensing mat , sensors, wiring, brackets , and more. The func -tion of the system in the front passenger seat is checked by the e
lec ­
tronic contro l unit w hen t he ignit ion is on . The co ntrol uni t monitors
the Advanced Airbag System and turns the airbag indicator light on
whe n a malfunction i n the system components is detected. T he
function of the airbag ind icator light is described in greater detai l
below. Because the front passenger seat contains important parts
o f the Advanced Airbag System, you must take care to prevent it
from being damaged . Damage to the seat may prevent the
Advanced Airbag for the front passenger seat from do ing its job in
a crash .
The front Adva nc ed Airbag S ystem consi sts of th e
following :
• Crash sensors in the front of the ve hicle that measure veh ic le
acce leration/deceleration to provide information to the Advanced
A irbag System about t he severity of t he crash .
• An electronic control unit, with integrated crash sensors for front
and side impacts. The control unit "dec ides" whethe r to fire the
front airbags based on the information received from the crash sensors . The control unit also "dec ides" whether the safety be lt
pretensioners should be activated.
• A dual -stage Advanced Airbag with gas generator for the driver
inside the steering wheel hub.
• A dual-stage Advanced A irbag and gas generator inside the
instrument pane l for the front passenger .
• A we ight -sensing mat under the upholstery padding of the front
passenger seat cushion that measures the tota l weight on the seat .
T he information registered is sent continuously to the electronic
control un it to regu late dep loyment of the front Advanced Airbag on
the passenger side .
• An airbag monitor ing system and indicator light in the instru ­
ment
cluster=> page 198 .
• The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on in t he
center of the instrument panel
=> page 199, fig . 180 and te lls you
when the fron t Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned off.
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Airbag system 111111
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• A sensor below the safety belt latch for the front seat passenger
t o m easure the tens io n on t he sa fety be lt. T he tension on the safe ty
belt and the weight registered by the weight -sensing mat help the
contr ol unit "decide" whe the r the front ai rbag for the fron t
passenger seat should be turned off or
not=> page 189, "Child
r est ra ints on the front seat - some important th ings to know".
• A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver and for the front
seat passenge r that senses whether t hat safety bel t is la tched or no t
and transmits this information to the e lectronic control unit.
& WARNING
Damage to the front pas senger seat can pre vent the front airbag
from working properly.
• Improper repair or disassembly of the front passenger and
driver seat will prevent the Advanced Airbag System from func ­
tioning properly .
• Repairs to the front passenger seat must be performed by qual ­
ified and properly trained workshop personnel .
• Never remove the front pa ssenger or driver seat from the
vehi cle .
• Ne ver remo ve the upholstery from the front passenger seat .
• Never disassemble or remove parts from the seat or disconnect
wires from it .
• Never carry sharp objects in your pockets or place them on the
seat . If the weight -sen sing mat in the passenger seat i s pun ctured
it cannot work properly.
• Never carry things on your lap or carry objects on the
passenger seat . Such items can increase the weight registered by
the weight -sensing mat and send the wrong informat ion to the
airbag control unit .
• Never store items under the front passenger seat . Parts of the
Advanced Airbag System under the passenger seat could be
d amaged , preventing them and the airbag system from working
properly.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued )
• Never place seat covers or replacement upholstery that have
not been specifically appro ved by Audi on the front seat s.
• Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag System from
recognizing child restraint s or occupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from
deploying properly.
• Never use cushions, pillows , blankets or similar items on the
front passenger seat. The additional padd ing will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from accurately registering the
child restraint or person on the seat and prevent the Ad vanced
Airbag System from functioning properly .
• If you mu st use a child re straint on the front pas senger seat
and the child restraint manufacturer's instru ctions require the use
of a towel , foam cu shion or something el se to properly position
the child restraint , make certain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the child restraint i s
installed on the front passenger seat.
• If the PASSENG ER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on , immed iately install child re straint in a re ar seat ing position
and have the airbag sy stem inspected by your Audi dealer . •
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the side airbags supplement
the prote ction off ered by the fro nt three -p oi nt safe ty belts with
pretensioners and load limiters and the adjustable head restra ints
to help reduce the risk of injury in a wide range of accident and
crash situations. Be sure to read the important informat ion about
safety and heed the WARNI NGS in this chapter.
Dep loyment of the Adva nced Ai rbag Sys tem a nd th e activation of
the safety belt pretensioners depends on the dece leration
measu red by the crash senso rs and registered by the electro nic _.,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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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 .
When the electronic control unit registers a low severity crash and
the safety belt is being used, the airbag will not deploy. If the safety belt is not being used, the first stage deploys, followed by the
second stage after a much later time in the crash sequence .
If the electronic contro l unit registers a crash of medium severity,
t he fi rst stage of the airbag deploys followed by the second stage at
a much later time in the crash sequence -regardless of whether the
safety be lt is be ing used or not. In higher severity crashes as regis ­
tered by the e lectronic contro l unit , both the first and second stages
deploy almost at the same time .
On the passenger side, regardless of sa fety belt use, the airbag w ill
be turned off if the weight on the passenger seat is less than th e
amount programmed in the electronic contro l un it . The front airbag
on the passenger side wi ll also be turned off if one of the child
safety seats that has been certified under Federa l Motor Vehic le
Safety Standard 208 has been recognized on the seat. The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t comes on and stays on to tel l you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned
of f=> page 189 , "Child restraints on the front seat -some
important things to know".
& WARNING
To reduce the ri sk of inju ry when an airbag infl ates , always wear
s afety belts properly .
• If you a re unrestr ained , leaning forward , sitting sideway s or out
of po sition in any way , your risk of injury i s much high er.
• You will al so rece ive se riou s injur ie s a nd could e ven be killed if
y ou are up again st the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
e ven with an Advanced
A irbag => page 187. •
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fig . 179 Inflate d fr ont
airbag s
Safety belts are important to he lp keep front seat occupants in the
proper seated position so that airbags can unfold properly and
provide supplemental protection in a fronta l collision.
The front airbags are designed to provide additiona l protect ion for
the chest and face of the driver and the front seat passenger when:
• safety be lts are worn properly,
• the seats have been pos itioned so that the occupant is properly
seated as far as p ossi ble from the airbag,
• and the head restra ints have been properly adjusted.
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye with great force , thi ngs
you have on your lap or have placed on the seat cou ld become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag inf lates .
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released. This is norma l and is
not caused by a fire in the vehic le. This dust is made up most ly of a
powder used to lubricate t he airbags as they deploy . It could irritate
skin.
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Airbag system 111111
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It is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example swelling, bruising and minor abrasions, can
also happen when airbags inflate. Airbags do not protect the arms
or the lower parts of the body. Front airbags only supplement the
three point safety belts in some frontal collisions in which the
vehicle deceleration is high enough to deploy the airbags.
Front airbags
will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,
• in side collisions,
• in rear -end collisions,
• in rollovers ,
• when the crash deceleration measured by the airbag system is
less than the minimum threshold needed for airbag deployment as
registered by the electronic control unit.
The front passenger airbag
will also not deploy:
• when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
• when the weight on the front passenger seat as sensed by the
Advanced Airbag System indicates that the front airbag on the
passenger side has to be turned off by the electronic control unit
(the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays onl.
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the risk of serious injury
in crashes.
• To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags inflate, the driver
and passengers must always sit in an upright position, must not
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Occupants who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the
airbag can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an
eye :::::, page 189.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates
-even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
& WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will increase the risk of injury
in a crash by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates .
• Never hold things in your hands or on your lap when the vehicle
is in use.
• Never transport items on or in the area of the front passenger
seat. Objects could move into the area of the front airbags during
braking or other sudden maneuver and become dangerous projec ­
tiles that can cause serious personal injury if the airbags inflate.
• Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup
holders, telephone brackets, large, heavy or bulky objects) on the
doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steering
wheel, instrument panel, seat backrests or between those areas
and yourself. These objects could cause injury in a crash, espe­
cially when the airbags inflate.
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects.
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front _,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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&, WARNING (continued )
airbag during braking or in a sudden maneuver . Objects near the
airbags can become projectiles and cause injury , particularly when
the seat is re clined .
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cause breathing
problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing
c ondit ions .
• To reduce the risk of breathing problems , those with asthma or
other respiratory conditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening windows or doors .
• If you are in a collision in which airbags deploy, wash your
hands and face with mild soap and water before eating .
• Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes, or into any cuts or
scratches.
• If the residue should get into your eyes, flush them with
water. •
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light t~
Two separate indicators monitor the func tion of the
Advanced A irba g System: th e airbag mon itoring ind ica tor
li g ht and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
T he Advanced Airbag System (inc luding the e lectronic control unit,
s en sor c ircuit s and s yste m wiri ng ) is moni tored con tin uou sly to
make sure that it is f unctioning properly whenever the ignition is o n.
E ac h time you t urn on the ignit ion , th e airb ag monito ring indic ator
light ~ will come on for a f ew s econds (s elf dia gnostics).
The system must be inspected when the indicator
light m:
• does not come on when the i gnition is switched on,
• d oes not go out a few sec onds after y ou h ave sw itch ed on th e
ignit ion, or
• comes on w hile d riv ing.
I f an airbag system malfunction is detected, the indicator li ght will
fir st sta rt fl ashing to ca tch the drive r's att ention a nd then s tay o n
cont inuously to serve as a cons tant rem inder to hav e the s yst em
in spec ted i mm ediatel y.
If a m alfu nctio n occ urs th at t urns the fron t airb ag on the pass eng er
s ide off, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on
w hen eve r th e ig niti on is on.
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash .
• If the airbag indicator light comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System. It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to , or
will not inflate when it should .
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer .•

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• make sure that the safety belt tension sensor is not blocked.
Shake the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat back and
forth;
• If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child safety seat to the
front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes
the weight -sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on
the seat.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does not come on and does
not stay on continuously (when the ignition is switched on),
• take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install it
properly at one of the rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspec ted by your Audi dealer immediately .
• move the child to a rear seat position and make sure that the
child is properly restrained in a child restraint that is appropriate for
its size and age.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should NOT come on when the
ignition is on and an adult is sitting in a proper seating position on
the front passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on or flashes for about 5 seconds while driving,
under these circumstances, make sure that:
• the adult on the front passenger seat is properly seated on the
center of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the back ­
rest and the backrest is not
reclined~ page 168, "Proper occupant
seating positions",
• the adult is not taking weight off the seat by holding on to the
passenger assist handle above the front passenger door or
supporting their weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is being properly worn and that there is not a lot
of slack in the safety belt webbing,
• accessory seat covers or cushions or other things that may cause
an incorrect reading or impression on the weight-sensing mat
under the upholstery of the seat have been removed from the front
passenger seat, •
a safety belt extender has not been left in the safety belt latch for
the front passenger seat.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the center of the
instrument panel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON will briefly appear in the instrument cluster
display. This is to inform the driver of the current front passenger
airbag status. •
Important safety instructions on monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on, it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System. It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should.
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a child restraint, in a
rearward-facing child safety seat or
in a forward-facing child
restraint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
injured and can be killed .
• Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that all children, especially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat properly restrained for their age and size .
• Always install forward or rear-facing child safety seats on the
rear seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
.,_

& WARNING (continued)
• If you must install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on ,
immediately install the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear
seating posit ion and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
• A tight tether or other strap on a rearward-facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and register more weight
than is actually on the seat. The heavier weight registered can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat and
deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing
serious or even fatal injury to the child.
• If , in exceptional circumstances , you must install a forward ­
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat , always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat 's fore and aft adjust­
ment range , as far away from the airbag as possible. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position . Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on .
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above , make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating positions .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer before
transporting anyone on the front passenger seat .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Airbag system
[ i ] Tips
If the w eig ht-sens ing ma t in th e front passe nger seat detects an
e m pty seat , the front airbag on the pa ssenge r side wil l be turned
o ff , a nd PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay o n.
a
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Pa rts o f the airba g sy ste m are i nsta lled at many d ifferen t pl aces on
y our Audi. Instal ling, removing , se rvicing or re pairing a pa rt in an
ar ea of th e ve hicle ca n da mage a part of an airbag syst em and
prevent that system from wor king properly in a co llision.
T he re a re so me impo rtant thin gs you have to know t o make sure
that the effectiv eness of the system will not be impaired and that
di scar ded co mpon ents do not ca use inju ry o r po llut e th e env iron­
m ent .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair pro cedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly :
• Never cover, obstruct, or change the steering wheel horn pad
or airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way.
• Never attach any objects such as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units .
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel , use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain water . Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change the stiffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop ­
erly .
• Never repair , adjust , or change any parts of the airbag system.
• All work on the steering wheel, instrument panel, front seats or
electrical system (including the installation of audio equipment ,
...,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data