2008 AUDI A4 AVANT warning light

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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

& 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.•

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&, WARNING (continued )
-Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags deploy .
- 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.
• Objects between you and the airbag can in crease the risk of
injury in an accident by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pu shed into you as the airbag inflates .
- Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as
cup holders , telephone brackets , or even large , bulky objects)
on the doors , over or near the area marked
"AIRBAG" on the
seat backrests .
- Such objects and accessories can become dangerous projec ­
tiles and cause injury when the supplemental side airbag
deploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the deployment space
between them and the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position .
• Always use the built -in coat hooks only for lightweight
clothing . Never leave any heavy or sharp -edged objects in the
pockets that may interfere with side airbag deployment and can
cause per sonal injury in an accident.
• Alway s prevent the side airbags from being damaged by heavy
objects knocking against or hitting the sides of the seatba cks .
• The airbag system can only be triggered once. If the airbag has
been triggered , the system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership .
• Damage (cracks , deep scratches etc .I to the original seat covers
or to the seam in the area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an author ized Audi dealer.
• If children are seated improperly , their risk of injury increases
in the case of an
accident => page 210, "Child Safety".
&, WARNING (continued )
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in any way.
• In a side collision, side airbags will not function properly if
sensors cannot correctly measure increasing air pressure inside
the doors when air escapes through larger, unclosed openings in
the door panel .
- Never drive with interior door trim panels removed.
- Never drive when parts have been removed from the inside
door panel and the openings they leave have not been properly
c losed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the doors have been removed unless the speaker holes have been properly closed .
- Always make certain that openings are covered or filled if additional speakers or other equipment is installed in the
inside door panels .
- Always have work on the doors done by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop .
•

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• in rollovers.
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only provide protection
when occupants are
in the proper seating position ~ page 95,
"General recommendations".
• If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle is being
used, have the system inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer. The side curtain airbag may not work properly even
when the vehicle acceleration in a side collision is high enough to
activate the airbag.
•
How side curtain a irbags work
Side curtain airbags con work together with side airbags
to help reduce the risk of head and upper torso injuries for
occupants who ore properly restrained.
Fig . 184 Illustration of
principle: Inflated side
curtain airbags on the
left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the occupant and the
windows on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side collision
~ fig . 184. When the system is triggered, the side curtain airbag is filled with
propellant gas and breaks through a seam above the front and rear
side windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order to help
provide this additional protection, the side curtain airbag must
inflate within the blink of an eye at very high speed and with great
force. The side curtain airbag could injure you if your seating posi ­
tion is not proper or upright or if items are located in the area where
the supplemental side curtain airbag inflates. This applies espe ­
cially to
children~ page 210.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain airbags can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can help to reduce the risk
of injury to the head and the upper part of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys. This is quite normal and does not mean there is a fire in the vehicle .•
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Airbags ore only supplemental restraints. Always prop ­
erly wear safety belts and ride in a proper seating posi­
tion.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must know and do to
help the safety belts and airbags do their job to provide supple­
mental protection.
& WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions
increase the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used .
• Never let occupants place any parts of their bodies in the area
from which the side curtain airbags inflate.
• Always make sure that the side curtain airbags can inflate
without interference. Unsuitable accessories fitted inside the

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& WARNING (continued)
expansion range of a SIDEGUARD head airbag can dangerously
interfere with its function. A deploying head airbag develops
enough force to catapult any piece of add-on component out of its
path of inflation and into the passenger compartment. An occu­
pant hit by such a projectile can suffer serious injury or death
=> page 349, "Technical Modifications".
• Do not swivel the sun visors to the side if you have any objects
clipped onto them (for example
pens!. If the airbag should deploy,
you could be injured by these objects.
• Use the built-in coat hooks only for lightweight clothing. Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can cause personal injury in
an accident.
• Never use hangers to hang clothing from the hooks.
• Only use factory-installed sun shades or, in the case of shades
installed after the vehicle leaves the factory, only Audi roll-up
sunscreens may be used => page 348, "Additional accessories and
parts replacement".
• Always sit in proper seating position and wear safety belts
while traveling so that the side curtain airbags can help provide protection .
• The airbag system can only be triggered once. If the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Always have work involving the side curtain airbag system,
removal and installation of the airbag components, or other
repairs performed by a qualified dealership. Otherwise the airbag
system may not work correctly.
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in any way. •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

& WARNING (conti nued )
• Alw ays install r ear-facing child saf ety s eats on the r ear seat.
• If you mu st in sta ll a re arwa rd f acing child safe ty s eat on the
front pas senger seat in exc eptional cir cum stances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not come on and stay on,
immediat ely install th e rear-fa cing child safety s eat in a rear
s e ating po sit ion and h ave the airb ag sys tem in spe cted immedi ­
a tel y by y our Audi dealer .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circum stance s, you must in stall a forward -fac ing
c hild re st ra int on the fr ont p assenge r's s eat:
• Alway s make sure the forward -facing seat ha s been de signed
and cert ified by it s m anuf acturer for u se on a front se at with a
pa ssenger front and side airbag .
• Always follow the m anufacturer's instruct ions provided w ith
the child safet y seat or c arrier.
• Alway s m ov e th e passeng er sea t into it s re arm ost p osit ion in
the seat' s fore and aft adju stment range , as far away from the
a irb ag as possible before installin g the ch ild r estr aint . The b ack­
rest must be adjusted to an upright po sition.
• Alway s ma ke sure th at the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
come s on and stay s on all the time wheneve r the ignition i s
s wit ched on . •
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual -stage front "Advanced Airbag
System" in comp liance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard ( FMVSS) 208 as applicab le at the time your vehic le
was manufactured .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Chi
ld Sa fe ty
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehic le has been certified to
meet the " low -risk" require ments for 3 and 6 yea r- old c hild ren on
the passenger side and small adu lts on the driver side . The low risk
deployment c rite ria are intended to reduce the risk of inju ry th rough
interaction with the airbag that can occur, for example, by being too
close to the steering whee l and instrument panel when the airbag
in flates . In add it ion, the system has been cert ified to comply with
the "suppression" requirements of the Safety Standard, to turn off
the front airbag for in fants up to 12 months who are restrained on
the front passeng er seat in child restraints that are listed in the
Standard.
Even though your vehic le is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system, all ch ildren, especially those 12 years and younger, sho uld
a lways ride in the back seat proper ly restra ined for the ir age and
size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten ­
tially dangerous p lace for a chi ld to r ide. The front seat is not the
safest p lace for a chi ld in a forward -facing child safety seat. It can be
a very dangerous place for an infant or a larger chi ld in a rearward ­
facing seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced A irbag System in your ve hicle detects the p resence
of an infant or chi ld in a child restraint on the front passenger seat
using the weight -sensing mat in the seat cushion and the sensor
below the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat that
measures the tension on the safety belt .
The weight -sensing mat meas ures total we ig ht of the ch ild and the
child safety seat and a chi ld blanket on the front passenger seat. The
weight o n the fr ont passenge r seat is related to the desig n of the
child restraint and its "footprint" , the size and shape of the bottom
of the child restraint as it sits on the seat. The weight of a child
restraint and its "footprint" vary for different kinds of chi ld
_..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data