2008 AUDI A5 COUPE warning

Airbag system177
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
•
The airbag system can only be acti vated once; if the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced. Should the airbag
system or airbag modules have to be replaced, the qualified work-
shop carrying out the replacement will document all details in the
appropriate section of the Service Schedule.
•
If you sell the vehi cle, please remember to pass on the
complete Service Wallet to the ne w owner. If any of the airbags
have been deactivated, it is impo rtant that the new owner is also
given the relevant documents.
•
The relevant safety requiremen ts must be observed when the
vehicle or components of the airbag or belt tensioner systems are
scrapped.
•
In an accident in which one or more airbags are triggered the
alternator and the starter are - for safety reasons - both discon-
nected from the battery via a pyrotechnic circuit breaker.
−Any repairs to the pyrotechnic circuit breaker must always
be performed by a qualified workshop (accident risk).
− The relevant safety requirements must be observed when
the vehicle or the circuit breaker are scrapped.
When are the airbags triggered?
The airbag system is triggered in collisions with a severe
impact.The airbag system is designed so that the airbags for the driver and
front passenger are triggered in a severe frontal collision .
In severe side collisions the side airbags on th e impact side of the
vehicle are triggered together with the head-protection airbag.
The front airbags, side airbags and one of the head-protection
airbags may be triggered together in certain types of accident. The airbag system is
not triggered in minor frontal or side collisions,
or in rear collisions or if the ca r overturns. In these situations the
occupants are protected by wearing the seat belts.
Factors determining the triggering response
It is not possible to define the exact triggering response of the
airbag system in all possible situations, since the circumstances in
different types of accident will vary considerably. Important factors
include, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the object which
the car hits, the angle of impact, vehicle speed and so on.
Whether the airbags are triggered depends primarily on the vehicle
deceleration rate resulting from the collision. By processing the
signals from the sensors located in the vehicle, the electronic
control unit is immediately able to evaluate the severity of the colli-
sion and activate the restraint syst ems accordingly. If the decelera-
tion rate is below the predefined reference value in the control unit
the airbags will not be triggered, even though the accident may
cause extensive damage to the car.
Note
The airbag releases a fine dust when it inflates. This is quite normal
and does not mean there is a fire in the vehicle.
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system179
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
Important safety notes on the front airbag system
There are a number of safety points concerning the airbag
system which you should remember. This will help to
reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
WARNING
•
It is important for the driver an d front passenger to maintain a
distance of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dashboard
⇒ page 179, fig. 190. The airbag system will not be able to give the
required protection if you sit to o close to the steering wheel or
dashboard. There is also a risk of injury if the airbags are inflated.
The front seats and head restra ints must always be positioned
correctly for the height of the occupant.
•
If you do not wear a seat belt, if you lean forward or to the side,
or are not seated correctly while the vehicle is in motion, you are
at greater risk of injury. Should the airbag system be triggered in
an accident there is an even greater risk of injury.
•
Never let a child travel on the fr ont seat without an appropriate
restraint system. If the airbag is triggered in an accident, the child
could sustain serious or fatal injuries ⇒page 185, “Child safety”.
•
Never install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat unless the fr ont passenger's airbag has been deactivated. However, if you have no alternative but to use a rear-
ward-facing child seat on the fr
ont passenger's seat, the front
passenger's airbag must be deac tivated beforehand by means of
the key-operated switch* ⇒page 183. Failure to observe this
precaution could result in serious or potentially fatal injury.
•
Occupants sitting in the front of the car must never carry any
objects or pets in the space between them and the airbags, or
allow children or other passengers to travel in this position.
•
Do not cover or stick anything on the steering wheel hub or the
soft plastic surface of the airbag unit on the passenger's side of
the dashboard, and do not obstru ct or modify them in any way.
These parts should only be cleaned with a dry cloth (or with a
cloth moistened with plain water) . It is also important not to
attach any objects such as cup ho lders or telephone mountings to
the surfaces covering the airbag units.
•
Any work on the airbag system or removal and installation of
the airbag components for other repairs (such as repairs to the
steering wheel) must be performed by a qualified workshop.Note
If necessary, you can deactivate the front passenger's airbag by
means of the key-operated switch* ⇒page 183 .
Fig. 190 Minimum
distance from steering
wheel
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system181
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
Important safety notes on the side airbag system
There are a number of safety points concerning the airbag
system which you should remember. This will help to
reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
WARNING
•
If you do not wear a seat belt, if you lean forward, or are not
seated correctly while the vehicle is in motion, you are at greater
risk of injury should the side airbags be triggered in an accident.
•
If children are not seated correctly, they are at greater risk of
injury in an accident. This is particularly the case if the child is
travelling on the front passenger' s seat and the airbag system is
triggered. This could result in serious or potentially fatal injury
⇒ page 185, “Child safety”.
•
It is important not to attach any accessories (such as cup
holders) to the doors. This would impair the protection offered by
the side airbags.
•
The sensors for the airbags are lo cated in the front doors. You
must therefore not make any modi fications to the doors or door
trim (e.g. retrofitting loudspeakers), as this could impair the func-
tion of the side airbags. Any damage to the front doors could lead
to faults in the system. Repairs or any other work on the front
doors must therefore always be ca rried out by a qualified work-
shop.
•
The built-in coat hooks should only be used for lightweight
clothing. Do not leave any heav y or sharp-edged objects in the
pockets.
•
Do not apply excessive force to the sides of the backrests (such
as hard knocks or kicks), as this could damage parts of the system.
The side airbags could then fa il to operate when required.
•
If you intend to fit protective co vers over the seats, these must
be of the specific type approved for use on Audi seats with side
airbags. Conventional seat covers would obstruct the side airbag when it inflates out of the ba
ckrest, and seriously reduce the
airbag's ef fectiveness.
•
Any damage to the original seat upholstery or around the
seams of the side airbag units mu st be repaired immediately by a
qualified workshop.
•
Any work involving the side airbag system or removal and
installation of the airbag components for other repairs (such as
repairs to the seats) must al ways be performed by a qualified
workshop. Otherwise the airbag system may fail to work
properly.
Head-protection airbags (sideguard)Description of head-protection airbags
The head-protection airbags work together with the side
airbag system to give extra protection in a side impact.The head-protection airbags are located above the doors on the left
and right sides of the vehicle ⇒fig. 193. The locations of the airbags
are marked with the word “AIRBAG”.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 193 Location of
head-protection
airbags above the
doors
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Airbag system
182In conjunction with the three-point seat belts and side airbags, the
head-protection airbags give th e occupants additional protection
against head and neck injuries in a severe side collision ⇒ in
“Important safety notes on th e head-protection airbags” on
page 182 .
Together with other design featur es (including cross-braces in the
seats and the overall strength of the body structure), the sideguard
system offers an effective further improvement to occupant protec-
tion in side impacts.How the head-protection airbags work
When fully inflated, the airbags reduce the risk of head or
chest injury in a side collision.In certain types of side collisions the head-protectio n airbag is trig-
gered together with the side airbag on the impact side of the vehicle
⇒ fig. 194.
When the system is triggered, the airbag fills with a propellant gas
and covers the entire area in front of the side windows, including
the door pillars. In this way the sy stem is able to protect both the
front and the rear occupants on th e side of the vehicle where the
impact occurs. The head-protection airbag inflates to soften the
impact if an occupant strikes parts of the interior or objects outside
the vehicle with their head. By reducing the head impact and restraining uncontrolled movement
of the head, the airbag also
reduces the forces acting on the neck. In addition, since it covers the
front door pillar when fully inflat ed, the head-protection airbag also
gives extra protection if the car should collide with an obstacle at an
oblique angle.
The front airbags, side airbags and head-protection airbags may be
triggered together in certain types of accident.
In order to provide the desired extra protection in an accident, the
airbags have to inflate extremel y rapidly (within fractions of a
second). The airbag releases a fine dust when it inflates. This is quite
normal and does not mean there is a fire in the vehicle.
Important safety notes on the head-protection airbags
There are a number of safety points concerning the airbag
system which you should remember. This will help to
reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
WARNING
•
It is important to ensure that the area around the openings for
the head-protection airbags remain s unobstructed at all times, so
that the airbags can inflate properly if needed.
•
The built-in coat hooks should only be used for lightweight
clothing. Do not leave any heav y or sharp-edged objects in the
pockets. When using the coat hooks, do not hang the clothes on
coat hangers.
•
The space between the passeng ers and the head-protection
airbags must never be occupied by children, other passengers or
pets. Passengers should never lean out or put a hand or arm out of
the window while the vehicle is in motion.
•
Do not move the sun visors out to cover the side windows if
there is anything attached to them (such as pens or a remote
Fig. 194 Head-protec-
tion airbags in inflated
condition
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Airbag system183
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
control for the garage door). These
objects could cause injury if the
head-protection airbag is triggered.
•
The sensors for the airbags are lo cated in the front doors. You
must therefore not make any modi fications to the doors or door
trim (e.g. retrofitting loudspeakers), as this could impair the func-
tion of the side airbags. Any damage to the front doors could lead
to faults in the system. Repairs or any other work on the front
doors must therefore always be ca rried out by a qualified work-
shop.
•
Where sun blinds are fitted on th e rear doors, these must not
obstruct or impair the airbags in any way.
•
If unsuitable accessories are installed near the head-protection
airbag, the protection afforded by the airbag can be seriously
impaired if the system is triggered. When the head-protection
airbag opens, parts of these accessories coul d be thrown into the
vehicle and inju re passengers ⇒page 250 .
•
Any work involving the head-protection airbags, or removal
and installation of the airbag components for other repairs (such
as repairs to the roof liner), must always be performed by a quali-
fied workshop. Otherwise the airbag system may fail to work
properly.
Applies to vehicles: with key-operated switch for front passenger's airbagDeactivating the front passenger's airbag via the key-operated switchIf an airbag has been deactivated, it should be reactivated
as soon as possible so that it can continue to give the
required protection.The key-operated switch for deactivating the front
passenger's airbag is located in the glove box ⇒fig. 195.
– To deactivate the front passe nger's airbag, insert the
ignition key into the switch and turn it to position .
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 195 Key-operated
switch in glove box for
deactivating front
passenger's airbagFig. 196 Lamp indi-
cates that front
passenger's airbag has
been deactivated via
key-operated switch
AOFF
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Airbag system
184
– The front passenger's airbag can be reactivated by turning the key to position .Deactivating front passenger 's airbag when a child
safety seat is in use
If you have no alternative but to in stall a rearward-facing child safety
seat on the front passenger's seat you must deactivate the front
passenger's airbag beforehand.
We recommend, however, that child seats should be only fitted on
the rear seat so that the front passenger's airbag can remain func-
tional and provide protection in an accident ⇒page 185 .
Monitoring of airbag system
The airbag warning lamp will light up for a few seconds every time
the ignition is switched on.
If the front passenger's airbag has been deactivated via the key-
operated switch, the indicator lamp “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” will
light up constantly as a reminder ⇒fig. 196. Please refer also to the
description of the
 warning lamp in the instrument cluster
⇒ page 16 .
When the front passenger's airbag is deactivated using the key-
operated switch, the seat belt warning lamp for the front passenger
 ⇒ page 17 is also switched off.
WARNING
•
If you have no alternative but to install a rearward-facing child
seat on the front passenger's se at, the front passenger's airbag
must be deactivated beforehand. Potentially fatal injuries to the
child can result if the front pass enger's airbag is not deactvated!
⇒ page 186, “Using a child safety seat on the front passenger's
seat”
•
If you have deactivated the front passenger's airbag, reactivate
it as soon as the child seat is no longer needed so that the airbag
can continue to give the required protection.
•
It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that the key-operated
switch is set to the correct position.Note
All the other airbags in the car will remain functional if the front
passenger's airbag has been deac tivated with the key-operated
switch.
AON
WARNING (continued)
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Child safety185
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
Child safetyPoints to remember if children are
travelling in the carIntroduction
Statistics show that children are generally safer on the
rear seat than on the front passenger's seat.Children under 12 years of age shou ld normally travel on the rear
seat
4). Children travelling on the rear seat must use a child restraint
system or the seat belts provided, depending on their age, height
and weight. For safety reasons, the child restraint system should be
installed behind the front passenger's seat.
The physical principles involved and the forces acting in a collision
apply to children just as much as adults ⇒page 171, “Forces acting
in a collision”. But, unlike adults, children do not have fully devel-
oped muscle and bone structures. This means that children are
subject to a greater risk of injury.
To reduce this risk, children must always use special child restraint
systems when travelling in the car.
Use only child restraint systems which are officially approved under
the European standard ECE R 44 and are suitable for the child. ECE R
refers to the Economic Commission of Europe Recommendation,
which categorises child restraint systems in 5 groups ⇒page 186,
“Child seat categories”. Child restraints that have been tested and
approved under the ECE R 44 standard bear the ECE-R 44 test mark
on the seat (the letter E in a circle with the test number below it).
We recommend using child restraint systems from the range of
Audi Genuine Accessories available from Audi dealers. The
“Huckepack” range includes suitable restraint systems for all ages. These systems have been specially developed and tested for use in
Audi vehicles and comply with the ECE-R 44 standard.
Follow the manufacturer's instru
ctions and observe any statutory
requirements when installing and using child restraints ⇒ in
“Important safety notes for using child safety seats”.
Important safety notes for using child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats can help to reduce the
risk of injury in an accident.
WARNING
•
All vehicle occupants, especially children, must wear a seat
belt while the vehicl e is in motion.
•
Children who are less than 1.5 metres tall must not wear a
normal seat belt without a child restraint, as this could cause inju-
ries to the abdominal and neck areas.
•
Babies and children must never travel on another occupant's
lap.
•
A suitable child safety seat can protect your child ⇒ page 186,
“Child safety seats”.
•
Never allow two children to occupy one child safety seat.
•
Never leave a child without supervision in a child safety seat.
•
Never allow a child to travel in the car without a suitable child
restraint.
•
Never allow a child to stand up or kneel on a seat while the car
is moving. In an accident, the child could be catapulted through
the car, causing possibly fatal injuries to itself and other occu-
pants.
4)Observe any restrictions or regulations to the contrary.
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Child safety
186•
If children lean forward or are otherwise out of position when
the car is moving, they are at greater risk of injury in an accident.
This is particularly the case if the child is travelling on the front
passenger's seat and the airbag system is triggered in an accident.
There is then a risk of serious or potentially fatal injury.
•
To ensure proper protection, it is important to wear the seat
belts in the co rrect position ⇒page 173, “How to wear seat belts
properly”. Always check that the belt is properly positioned
according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the
child safety seat. Incorrectly worn seat belts can give rise to inju-
ries even in a minor collision.
•
Never install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat if the front pass enger's airbag has not been deac-
tivated ⇒page 186 .
•
Extra caution is advised if you are installing a child safety seat
using the same mounting bolts as the existing car seat belts. The
bolts must be screwed in all the way to the full depth of the
mounting holes and tightened to a torque of 50 Nm. Failure to
observe this precaution could result in potentially fatal injury. We
recommend having the installation performed by a qualified
workshop.
Using a child safety seat on the front passenger's seat
Whenever possible, child safety seats should always be
installed on the rear seat.For safety reasons, we recommend that child safety seats should be
installed on the rear seats whenever possible. However, if you have
to use a child seat on the front passenger's seat when there is no
other alternative , it is most important to note the following warn-
ings:
WARNING
•
Do not use a rearward-facing ch ild safety seat on the front
passenger's seat unless the fr ont passenger's airbag has been
deactivated. The child seat would be directly in the path of the
airbag as it inflates, and the child could sustain serious or fatal
injuries if the airbag were to be deployed.
•
However, if you have no alternative but to use a rearward-
facing child seat on the front passenger's seat, the front
passenger's airbag must be deac tivated beforehand by means of
the key-operated switch* ⇒page 183 . Failure to observe this
precaution could result in serious or potentially fatal injury.
•
Make sure that the front passen ger's airbag is reactivated by
means of the key-operated switch* as soon as the child seat is no
longer needed on the fron t passenger's seat.
•
When using a child safety seat of the type which faces in the
direction of travel, the front pass enger's seat must be moved back
to the rearmost position.
Child safety seatsChild seat categories
Only use child restraint systems that are officially
approved and suitable for the child.Child restraint systems are covered by the European standard
ECE R 44 (issued by the Economic Commission of Europe).
The child seats are divided into 5 categories:
WARNING (continued)
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