2008 AUDI S6 airbag

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& WARNING (continued)
to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag
inflates.
• Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position or with
your hands at other positions inside the steering wheel rim or on
the steering wheel hub . Holding the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the
driver's airbag deploys .
• Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the
ability of the supplemental driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­
sion.
• Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or
place any part of your body too close to the area where the airbags
are located .
• Before driving, always adjust the front seats and head
restraints properly and make sure that all passengers are properly
restrained.
• Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat
may move unexpectedly and you could lose control of the vehicle. • Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The
farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of injury
due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper
seating position.
• Children must always ride in child safety seats => page
234.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat=> page
212 . •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the
seat for the front passenger to the following pos ition:
- Move the front passenger seat back as far as possible.
There must be a minimum of 10 inches (25 cm) between
the breastbone and the instrument panel =>
&.
- Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in an upright
position and your back comes in full contact with it
whenever the vehicle is moving.
- Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge is as
even with the top of your head as possible but not lower
than eye level and so that it is as close to the back of your
head as possible =>
page 197.
-Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the front
passenger seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly=:>
page 206.
For detailed information on how to adjust the front passenger's
seat, see =>
page 87.
& WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out of position or too
close to the airbag can be seriously injured or killed by the airbag
as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury : .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING (continued)
• Passengers must always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Passengers 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 .
• Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between the front passenger's breastbone and the instrument
panel.
• Each passenger must always sit on a seat of their own and
properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
• Before driving, always adjust the front passenger seat and
head restraint properly.
• Always keep your feet on the floor in front of the seat . Never
rest them on the seat, instrument panel, out of the window, etc.
The airbag system and safety belt will not be able to protect you properly and can even increase the risk of injury in a crash.
• Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The
farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper
seating position.
• Children must always ride in child safety seats
~ page 234.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat~
page 212. •
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both feet on
the floor consistent with their physical size and be prop­
erly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect seating
position in the event of a sudden braking maneuver or an
accident, your passengers on the rear bench seat must
always observe the following:
- Make sure that the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position~
page 96.
- Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge is as
even with the top of your head as possible but no lower
than eye level~
page 197.
- Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of the rear seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts properly~
page 206.
-Make sure that children are always properly restrained in
a child restraint that is appropriate for their size and age
~ page 234.
L1}. WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the rear seat can be
seriously injured in a crash.
• Each passenger must always sit on a seat of their own and
properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
• Safety belts only offer maximum protection when the seatback
is securely latched in the upright position and the safety belts are
properly positioned on the body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal injury from improperly
positioned safety belts! .,_

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& WARNING (continued )
• Always adjust the head restraint properly so that it can give
maximum protection . •
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an important part
of your vehicle's occupant restraint system and can help
to reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations.
Fig . 190 Correctly
adjusted head restraint
viewed from the side
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to achieve
the best protection.
- Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge of the
restraint is level with the top of your head, but no lower
than eye level and so it is as close to the back of your
head as possible :::::,
page 197, fig. 190.
Adjusting head restraints => page 93.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
Driving
without head restraints or with improperly adjusted head
restraints increases the risk of serious injuries in a collision. To
help reduce the risk of injury:
• Always drive with the head restraints in place and properly
adjusted .
• Every person in the vehicle must have a properly adjusted head
restraint .
• Always make sure each person in the vehicle properly adjusts
their head restraint. Each head restraint must be adjusted
according to occupants' size so that the upper edge is as even
with the top of the person's head, but no lower than eye level and
so it is as close to the back of to the head as possible .
• Never attempt to adjust head restraint while driving . If you
have driven off and must adjust the driver headrest for any reason ,
first stop the vehicle safely before attempting to adjust the head
restraint.
• Children must always be properly restrained in a child restraint
that is appropriate for their age and size =>
page 234. •
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce the risk of
injury if vehicle occupants are properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious injury or
death. Safety belts can only work when they are properly
positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduce
the effectiveness of safety belts and w ill even increase the
risk of injury and death by moving the safety belt to critical
areas of the body. Improper seating positions als o inc rease
the risk of serious injury and death when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant who is not in the proper seating ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Because the passengers of this vehicle are not using safety belts
~ page 203, fig. 193, they will keep moving at the same speed the
vehicle was moving just before the crash, until something stops
them -here, the wall~
page 203, fig. 194.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision. Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph
(30 to 50 km/h), the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs. or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater speeds, these forces are
even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also not attached to their
vehicle. In a frontal collision they will also keep moving forward at
the speed their vehicle was travelling just before the crash. Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to frontal collisions, they
determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions. •
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety be lts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop themselves
from flying forward and being injured or killed. Always
wear your safety belts!
Fig . 195 A driver not
wearing a safe ty belt is
violently thrown
forward Fig. 196
A rear
passenger not wearing
a safety belt will fly
forward and strike the
driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tremendous forces of
impact by holding tight or bracing themselves. Without the benefit
of safety restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant will slam
violently into the steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or
whatever else is in the way~ fig. 195. This impact with the vehicle
interior has all the energy they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even when they dep loy,
airbags provide only additional protection. Airbags are not
supposed to deploy in all kinds of accidents . Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, including the driver,
must wear safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of
severe injury or death in a crash .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and that your
safety belts are always there to offer protection in those accidents
in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have
a lready deployed. Unbelted occupants can also be thrown out of the
vehicle where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear safety belts
correctly . Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only
themselves but also the driver and other passengers~ fig. 196. In a
frontal collision they will be thrown forward violently, where they
can hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger. •

Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to brace the
body in a minor collision . It's simply not true!
Fig . 19 7 Driv er is
co rre ctl y r est rai ned in
a sud den braki ng
m an eu ver
Safety belts used pr operly can make a b ig di fference . Safety belts
help to keep passengers in their seats, gradually reduce energy
levels app lied to the body in an accident, and help prevent the
uncontrolled movemen t that can cause serious injuries . In addition ,
safety belts reduce the danger of being thrown out of the vehicle .
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give them the benefit
of being s lowed down more gent ly or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety features engineered into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the kinetic energy over a
longer period of time, the safety belts make the forces on the body
more "tolerable" and less likely to cause injury .
Although these examples are based on a fro ntal co llision, sa fety
belts can also substantially reduce the risk of injury in other kinds
of crashes . So, whether you're on a long trip or just going to the
corner s tore , a lways buckle up and make sure others do , too . Acci­
dent statistics show that vehic le occupants properly wearing safety
belts have a lower risk of being injured and a much better chance o f
surviving an accident. Properly using safety belts also greatly
increases the ability of the supplemen tal airbags to do their job i n a
collision . For this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally required in
most coun tries including much of the United States and Canada.
Safety first
Safety b elts
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags, you sti ll have to wear
t he safety belts provided. Front airbags, for examp le, are activa ted
only in some fronta l collisions . The front airbags are not ac tiva ted in
a ll fron tal collisions, in side and rear collisions, in roll overs o r in
cases where there is not enough deceleration through impact to the
front of the vehicle. The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt and make sure every­
body in your vehic le is properly restrained! •
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly posi tioned across
the strongest bones of your body.
Always wear safety be lts as illustrated and described in
th is chapter .
Mak e su re that your s afety belts ar e always r eady for use
a n d a re not damaged .
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belt s or wear ing them improperl y increases
the ri sk of ser ious per so nal injury a nd de ath . S afety belt s ca n work
only when used corre ctl y.
• Alway s fasten your safety belts correctly before dri ving off and
make sure all passengers are correctly restrained .
• For ma ximum prote ction , safety belts mu st always be posi ­
tioned properly on the body .
• Never str ap more than one pe rson, includ ing small ch ildr en ,
into any belt .
• Never pla ce a safety belt over a child sitting on your lap .
• Alway s keep feet in the footwell in front of the seat while the
vehicle is being driven . .,
Vehicle care
I I irechnical data

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• With the front sea ts, the height adjustment of the seat can also
be used to adjust the position of the safety belts. •
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause severe inju­
nes.
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause serious injury or
death. Safety belts can only work when they are correctly positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduce
the effectiveness of safety belts and w ill even increase the
risk of injury and death by moving the safety belt to critical
areas of the body. Improper seating positions also increase
the risk of serious injury and death when an airbag deploys
and strikes an occupant who is not in the correct seating
position. A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle
occupants and especially for children. Therefore:
-Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect sitting pos i­
tion in the vehicle while traveling ~& .
& WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.
• Always make sure that all vehicle occupants are correctly
restrained and stay in a correct seating position whenever the
vehicle is being used.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important infor­
mation
~ page 205. •
Safety belt tensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear collisions above a particular
severity, safety belts are tensioned automatically.
The safety belts are equipped with safety belt pretensioners . The
system is activated by sensors in front, side and rear collisions of
great severity . This tightens the belt and takes up belt slack~
& in
"Service and disposal of safety belt pretensioner" on
page 211.
Taking up the slack helps to reduce forward occupant movemen t
during a collision.
0 Note
Never let the belt remain over a rear seat back that has been folded
forward .
[ i] Tips
The safety belt pretensioner can only be activated once.
• In minor frontal, side and rear -end collisions, in a rollover and in
accidents involving very little impact force, the safety belt preten­
sioner are not activated .
• When the safety belt pretensioners are activated, a fine dust is
released. This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the vehicle.
• The relevant safety requirements must be observed when the
vehicle or components of the system are scrapped. A qualified deal ­
ership is familiar with these regulations and will be pleased to pass
on the information to you.
• Be sure to observe all safety, environmental and other regula­
tions if the vehicle or individual parts of the system, particularly the
safety belt or airbag , are to be disposed . We recommend you have
your authorized Audi dealer perform this service for you. •

Safety b elts -----------------=------
Service and disposal of safety belt
pretension er
The safety belt pretensioners are parts of the safety belts on your
Audi. Installing, remov ing, servic ing or repair ing of belt preten ­
sioners can damage the safety be lt system and prevent it from
working correctly in a coll ision.
T here are some important things you have to know to make sure
that the effectiveness of the system will not be impaired and that
discarded components do not cause injury or po llute the environ­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper car e, servicing and repair proc edure s can incr ease the
ri sk of p ers onal injury and d eat h by pre venting a safety b elt
pret ensioner from activating whe n ne eded o r activating it un ex ­
p ec tedly :
• The belt preten sioner sy stem can be activated only once. If belt
p reten sion ers ha ve been activated , the syste m mu st be repl aced.
• Never repair , adju st, or chan ge any parts o f the safet y belt
s y stem .
• Safety belt sy stem s includin g safety belt preten sion ers cannot
be r epaired . Spe cial pro cedure s are requ ired for r emoval , in sta lla­
tion and di spo sal of t his sys tem .
• For an y wor k on the safet y be lt sy stem , we strongl y rec om­
mend that you see your authori zed Audi de aler or qua lifi ed techni­
cian w ho has an Aud i appro ved rep air m anu al, t ra ining a nd spe cial
equipment n ece ssa ry.
W For the sake of the environm ent
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretensioners might be c lassified
as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc .ca .gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle or
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation parts of the restraint system including airbag modules safety belts
with pretensioners are scrapped, a ll applicable laws and regu la ­
tions must be observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar with
these requirements and we recommend that you have your dea ler
perform this service for you. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Airbag s yste m Ptrf _______________ _
Airbag system
Important things to know
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For airbags to
do their job, occupants must always properly wear their
safety belts and be in a proper seating position.
For your safe ty a nd the safety of your passengers, before
driving o ff, a lways:
- Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel properly
~ page 194,
-Adjust the front passenger's seat properly~ page 88,
- Wear safety belts properly~ page 205,
-Always properly use the proper child restraint to pro tect
children~
page 234 .
In a col lision airbags must inflate within the blink of an eye and with
considerable force. The supplemental airbags can cause injuries if
the driver or the front seat passenger is not seated properly. There ­
fore in order to help the airbag to do its job, it is important, both as
a driver and as a passenger to sit properly at a ll times.
By keep ing room between your body and the steering wheel and the
front of the passenger compartment, the airbag can inflate fu lly and
comp letely and prov ide supplementa l protection in certain frontal
collisions =>
page 194, "Proper occupant seating positions". For
detai ls on the operation of the seat adjustment controls=>
page 88.
It's especially important that children are properly restrained
=>
page 234 .
There is a lot that the driver and the passengers can and must do to
help the individual safety features installed in your Audi work
together as a system.
P roper seating position is important so that the front airbag on the
driver side can do its job. I f you have a physical impairment or
condition that prevents you from sitting properly on the driver seat
with the safety belt properly fastened and reaching the pedals, o r if
you have concerns with regard to the function or operation of the
Advanced Airbag System, p lease contact your authorized Audi
dea ler or qua lif ied workshop, or call Audi Customer CARE at 1-800-
822 -2834 for possib le modifications to your vehicle.
When the airbag system deploys, a gas generator wi ll fill the
airbags, break open the padded covers, and inflate between the
steering wheel and the driver and be tween the instrument panel
and the front passenger. The airbags wil l deflate immediate ly after
deployment so that the front occupants can see through the wind ­
shield again without interruption .
A ll of this takes p lace in the b link of an eye, so fast that many people
don't even rea lize that the airbags have dep loyed . The airbags also
inflate with a great deal of force and nothing should be in their way
when they dep loy. Fron t airbags in combination wi th properly worn
safety belts slow down and limit the occupant's forward movement.
T ogether they help to prevent the driver and front seat passenger
from hitting parts of the inside the vehicle while reducing the forces act ing on the occupant during the crash . In this way they he lp to
reduce the r isk of injury to the head and upper body in the crash.
Airbags do not protect the arms or the lower parts of the body .
Both front airbags will not in flate in al l fro ntal col lisions . The trig­
gering of the airbag system depends on the vehic le decelerat ion
r ate caused by the colli sion and registe red by the electronic contro l
unit. If this rate is below the reference value programmed into the
cont rol unit, the airbags w ill not be t riggered, even though the car
may be bad ly damaged as a result of the collision. Vehicle damage, .,,,.