2008 AUDI A4 AVANT airbag

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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PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
N
-M -J., a, cc
Fi g. 18 0 Sec tion fr om
t h e i nstr um ent pa nel:
P ASSE NG ER AI R BA G
OFF lig ht
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center o f the
ins trumen t panel
=> fig . 180 .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light wil l come on and stay on to te ll
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off by the electronic control unit. Each time you turn on
the ign it ion, the
PA SS ENGER AIR BA G OFF light wi ll fl as h for a few
seconds and :
• will stay on if t he front passenger seat is not occupied,
• will stay on if there is a small child or chi ld restraint on the front
passenger seat,
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the we ight -sens ing mat.
The
PA SS ENGER AIR B AG OFF light mu st come on and stay on if the
ignition is on and
• a car bed has been instal led on the front seat, or
• a rearward -facing chi ld restraint has been installed on the front
passengerseat,or
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
• a forward -facing child restraint has been instal led on the front
passenger seat, or
• the weight register ed on the front passenger seat is equa l to or
less than the combined weigh t of a typica l 1 year-old restrained in
one of the rear -facing or forward -facing infant restraints listed in
Federa l Motor Veh ic le Safe ty S tandard
208 with wh ich the Advanced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified .
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag will not
dep loy, and the
PA SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on . Never
insta ll a rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
the safest place for a child in any kind of ch ild restraint is at one of
the seating positions on the rear
seat => page 189, "Ch ild restraints
on the front sea t-some important things to know"
and => page 210,
"Chi ld Safety" .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when one of the
condit ions listed above is met , be sure to check the light regu lar ly
to make certain that the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light stays on
cont inuously whenever the ignition is on . If the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not appear and not stay on all the time , stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turning the ignition off and then turning
it on again;
• remove and reinstall the ch ild restraint. Make sure that the child
res tra int is proper ly instal led and t hat t he sa fety be lt for the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed around the child restraint
as described in the chi ld restraint manufacturer's instructions;
• make sure that the convertible locking feature on the safety belt
for the front passenger seat has been activated a nd that the safety
belt has been pulled t ight . The belt must not be loose or have loops
of slack so t hat t he sensor below t he safety belt latch on the seat can
do its job
=> page 220.
• make s ure that th ings that may inc rease the we ight of the child
and child safety seat are not being transported on the front
passenger seat;
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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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

-Airbag system ---=--.:..,.._ _________________________________ _
&, WARNING (continued )
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc .) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training and special equipment
necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system , we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter ­
ference :
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seatba cks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
• The airbag system can be activated only once. After an airbag
has inflated , it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag system can be deployed only once. After an airbag
has been deployed, it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only .
Make sure that any a irbag service action is entered in your Audi
Maintenance
& Warranty booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• In accidents when an airbag is deployed, the vehicle battery
separates the alternator and the starter from the vehi cle electrical
system for safety reasons with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
-Work on the pyrotechni c circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident !
&, WARNING (continued )
-If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is scrapped, all appli­
cable safety precautions must be followed.
•
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag performance
Changing the vehic le 's suspension system can change the way that
t he A dvance d Ai rbag S ystem p erf o rm s in a c rash. F or example,
using tire -rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowerin g the
ve hicle , ch ang ing the stiff ness of the suspe nsion, includ ing the
springs, suspension struts, shock absorbers etc. can chang e the
fo rces that a re measured by the airbag senso rs and se nt to the elec­
tronic control u nit. Some suspension chan ges can, for exampl e,
i n crease the fo rce level s measured by the sen so rs and ma ke the
a irbag s yste m de plo y in cras he s in w hi ch it wou ld not de ploy if th e
changes had not been made. Other kinds of changes may reduce
t h e fo rce lev els measu red by the senso rs a nd p reven t the airb ag
from dep loying when it should.
T he sens ors i n the safe ty belt buckle f or the dri ve r and front
passeng er seat tell t he electronic contro l modu le if the safety belt is
la tched o r not. If t he sa fe ty bel t i s being used, the fro nt ai rbag wi ll
deploy at a s ligh tly high er rate o f veh icle dece lerat io n th an if th e
safety be lt is not being u sed . Th erefo re , in a particula r co llision, it is
poss ib le th at a n airbag will not deplo y at a seat ing po sit io n wh ere
the safety be lt is being used but wi ll inflate at the pos ition where the
safety be lt is not bei ng used . It is im po rta nt tha t noth ing i nte rfere
with the safety belt buc kles so that the sensors can send the correct
i nf orm atio n abou t s afe ty belt use to th e electr onic co ntrol uni t.
~

& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including use of unapproved
tire-rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performance and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash.
• Never install suspension components that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehicle.
• Never use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electronic control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly .
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed . •
Safety first
Airbag system
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 181 Side airbag
location in the driver's
seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
=> fig. 181 and the rear backrest* facing the doors. They are identi­
fied by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag system basically consists of: • the electronic control module and external side impact sensors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
• two rear side airbags (as an ordered
option)
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster .
Th e airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that
it is functioning properly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help
to reduce the risk of injury to the driver's, front and rear*
.,_
irechnical data

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passenger's upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a
side co llis ion. The airbag dep loys on ly in side impacts and only
when the vehic le acce leration registered by the control unit is high
enoug h. If this rate is below the reference va lue programmed into
the control unit, the side airbags will not be triggered, even though
the car may be badly damaged as a resu lt of the collision . It is not
possible to define an airbag trigger ing range that wi ll cover every
possible angle of impact, since the circumstances will vary consid ­
erab ly between one coll ision and another. I mportant factors
inc lude, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting
object, the angle o f impact, vehicle speed,
etc .=> page 205, "I m por ­
tant safety instructions on the side airbag system".
Aside from their normal safety funct ion, safety be lts work to help
keep the driver or front passenger in posit ion in the event of a side
collision so t hat the side airbags can provide protection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it
is part of the overa ll occupant restraint system in your vehicle .
A lways re m ember that t he side airbag system can on ly he lp to
protect you if you are wearing your safety be lt and wearing it prop ­
e rly. This is a nother reason why yo u should a lways wear you r safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
so=> page 176,
"General notes".
It is important to re m em ber that while the supp lemental side airbag
system is designed to reduce the like lihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swel ling, bru is ing, and minor abrasions can
a lso be associated with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
a irbags wil l deploy o nly once and on ly in certain kinds of accidents
- your safety belts are a lways there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehic le damage are
not necessari ly an indication of over-sensitive or failed airbag acti ­
vation. In some collisions, both front and side airbags may inflate.
Reme mber too, that a irbags w ill dep loy on ly once and on ly in
certain kinds of col lisions -your safety belts are always there to
offer pro tec tion in those acc ide nts in whic h airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already deployed. T
he s ide a irbag sys te m will not d eplo y:
• whe n the ign ition is turned off
• in side collisions when the acce leration measured by the sensor
is t oo low
• in front-end co llisions
• in rear-end co llisions
• in ro llovers .
I n some types of accidents the front airbags, side curta in airbags
and side airbags may be triggered together.
& WARNING
• Safety belt s and the airbag sy stem will only prov ide protection
when occupant s are in the proper se ating posit ion
=> page 2 05 .
• If the airbag indic ator light come s on when the vehicle i s being
u sed , ha ve the sy stem inspe cted immed iat ely by y our authorized
Audi d ealer . The airbag may not work properly when the vehicle
a cc eler ation in a side colli sion is high enough to acti vate the
airba g.•