2008 AUDI S6 airbag off

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
seating posit ion and have the airb ag system inspe cted by your
Audi dealer .
• A t ight tether or other strap on a rearward-fa cing child restr aint
att ached to the front pas senger se at can put too much pres sure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and reg ister more weight
than is actually on the seat. The heavier weight registered can
m ake the system work as though an adult were on the seat and
deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed cau sing
ser ious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in exceptional circumstance s, you mu st in stall a forward ­
f a cing 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 po ssible . The ba ckrest
must be adjusted to an upright position. Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stay s 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 tak ing the step s
described above, make sure the adult i s properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating posit ions .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer before
transport ing anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
If the weight -sensing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
e m pty seat , the front a irbag on the passenge r side wil l be tur ned
off, and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.•
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
P arts of the airbag system are installed at many different p laces on
you r Aud i. Insta ll ing, r emoving, servic ing or repa iring a pa rt in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system and
p revent that sys tem from working pr operly in a c ollisi on.
There are some important things you have to know to ma ke sure
t h at the effective ness of the system will not be impai red and that
discarded co mponents do not cause injury or po llute the env iro n­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by pre venting 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 cupholders 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 cleaner s
c ould 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 , adju st, or change any parts of the airbag sy stem .
• All work on the steering wheel , instrument panel , front seats or
electrical system (including the installation of audio equipment ,
cellular telephones and CB radios , etc .I 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 author ized Audi dealer or qual ified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .

enough. If this rate is be low the reference value programmed into
the control unit, the side airbags will not be triggered, even though
the car may be badly damaged as a result of the collision . It is not
possible to define an airbag triggering range that wi ll cover every
possible angle of impact, since the circumstances will vary consid­
erably between one collision and another . Important factors
include, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting
object, the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.~
page 230, "Impor ­
t ant safety instructions on the side a irbag syste m".
Aside from their norma l safety function, safety be lts work to help
keep the driver or front passenger in pos it ion in the event of a side
col lision so that the side airbags can provide protection .
T he airbag system is
not a substitute fo r your safety belt . Rather, it
is part of the overall occupant res tra in t system in your veh icle .
Always remember that the side airbag system can only help to
p rotec t you if you are wearing your safety be lt and wear ing it prop­
erly. This is another reason why you should a lways wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do so ~
page 202,
"General notes" .
I t is important to remember that while the supp lemental s ide airbag
system is designed to reduce the like lihood of ser ious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
also be assoc iated with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
airbags wil l deploy only once and on ly in certain kinds of accidents
- your safety belts are a lways there to offer protec tion .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehic le damage are
not necessarily an indicati on of over -sensitive or failed ai rbag acti ­
vation. In some collisions , both front and side airbags may inflate.
Remember too, that airbags will dep loy only once and only in
certain kinds of collisions -your safety belts are always there to
offer protection in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or whe n they have already deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy :
• when the ignition is turned o ff
Safety first
Airbag sy ste m
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor
is too low
• in front -end collisions
• in rear -end co llisions
• in ro llovers .
I n some types o f accidents the front airbags, side curtain airbags
and side airbags may be triggered together .
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only prov ide protect ion
when occ upants are in the proper seating position
~ page 230 .
• If the airbag indicator light come s on when the vehicle i s being
used , ha ve the sy stem inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer . The airbag may not work properly when the vehicle
acceleration in a side collision is high enough to act ivate the
airbag .•
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and c an help reduce the risk
of upper to rso injuries for occupants who are properly
restrained.
Fig . 20 8 Infl ate d sid e
airba gs on l eft side o f
ve hicle , rea r sid e
airba g optional equ ip·
me~ ~
•
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

lfflJ_.....:::A::.::..:. ir..:b ::..:a::. 9:2...: s:::L y..::s :.:t ..::e :.:m.:..:... ________________________________________________ _
angle of impact, since the circumstances will vary considerably
between one collision and another . Important factors include, for
example, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting object, the angle
of impact, vehicle speed, etc.:::,
page 232, "How side curtain airbags
work".
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts work to help
keep the driver or front passenger in position in the event of a colli­
sion so that the side curtain 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.
Always remember that the airbag system can only help to protect
you if you are wearing your safety belt and wearing it properly. This
is another reason why you should always wear your safety belts, not
just because the law requires you to do so:::,
page 202, "General
notes".
It is important to remember that while the side curtain airbag
system is designed to help reduce the likelihood of serious injuries,
other injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions
can a lso be associated with these airbags. Remember too, these
airbags will deploy only once and only in certain kinds of accidents
- your safety belts are always there to offer protection .
The side curtain airbag system basically consists of:
• The electronic control module and external side impact sensors
• The side curtain airbags above the front and rear side windows
• The airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain it is
functioning properly at all times. Each time you turn on the ignition,
th e airbag system indicator light will come on for a few seconds
(self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
• if the ignition is turned off,
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor
is too low, •
in front -end collisions,
• in rear-end collisions,
• in ro llovers.
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position :::,
page 87,
"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.
::i
How side curtain airbags work
Side curta in airbags can work together with side airbags
to help reduce the risk of head and upper torso injuries for
occupants who are properly restrained.
Fig. 210 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. 210.
~

Child Safety -
--------------------''---
& WARNIN G (continu ed )
• Always install rear-facing child safety seat s on the rear seat.
• If you mu st in stall a re arw ard fa cing child safety sea t on the
front pa ssenger seat in exceptional cir cum stances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not come on and stay on,
immediate ly in sta ll the re ar-facing child safety seat in a rear
s eating po sition and h ave the airbag sy stem inspected immedi ­
atel y by your Audi dea ler .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circum stance s, you mu st install a forward -facing
c hild re st raint on the fro nt p ass enger's seat :
• Alway s make sure the forward -facing seat has been de signed
and cert ified by it s manufa cturer f or use on a front se at with a
p assenger front and side airbag .
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions provided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Always mov e the passenger sea t into it s rea rmo st p osition in
the seat' s fore and aft adju stment r ange , as far away from the
airb ag as possible before in stalling the ch ild r estr aint . The b ack­
r es t must be adju sted to an upr ight po sition.
• Alway s ma ke sure th at the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
c ome s on and stay s on all the time whenever the ignition is
s witched 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
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the " low -risk" requirements for 3 and 6 year -old children on
the passenger side and small adu lts on the driver side. The low risk
deployment crite ria are intended to reduce the risk of injury th rough
interaction with the airbag that can occur, for example, by being too
close to the steering wheel and instrument panel when the airbag
inf lates . In addit ion, the system has been cert ified to comply with
the "suppression" requirements of the Safety Standard, to turn off
the front airbag for infants up to 12 months who are restrained on
the front passenger seat in child restraints that are listed in the
Standard.
Even though your vehic le is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system, all children, especially those 12 years and younger, should
a lways ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and
s ize . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten­
tia lly dangerous p lace for a chi ld to ride. The front seat is not the
safest p lace for a child in a forward -facing child safety seat. It can be
a very dangerous place for an infant or a larger child in a rearward­
facing seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle detects the presence
of an infant or child in a chi ld 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 be lt .
The weight -sensing mat measures t otal weight of the child and the
child safety seat and a chi ld blanket on the front passenger seat. The
we ight o n the front passenger seat is related to the design 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 child
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Child Safety -----<------------------------------
restraints and for the different models of the same kind of child
restraint offered by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes and models of
child restraints that the NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typical infants and typical 1 year­ old child have been stored in the control unit of the Advanced
Airbag System. When a child restraint is being used on the front passenger seat with a typical 1 year-old child, the Advanced Airbag
System compares the weight measured by the weight sensing mat
with the information stored in the electronic control unit.
The electronic control unit also registers the tension on the front
passenger safety belt. The tension on the safety belt for the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult who is properly using
the safety belt as compared to the tension on the belt when it is
used to attach a child restraint to the seat. The sensor below the
latch for the safety belt for the front seat passenger measures the
tension on the belt . Th e input from this sensor is then used with the
weight to "decide" , whether there is a chi ld restraint with a typica l 1
year-old child on the front passenger seat and whether or not the
airbag must be turned off.•
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regard less of the child restraint that you use, make sure that it has
been certified to meet United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manufacturer for use with
an airbag. Always be sure that the child restraint is properly
installed at one of the rear seating positions. If in exceptional
circumstances you must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully read all of the information on child safety and Advanced Airbags
and heed all of the applicable WARNINGS. Make certain that the
child restraint is correctly recognized by the weight -sensing mat
inside the front passenger seat, that the front passenger airbag is
turned off and that the airbag status is always correctly signaled by
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light . Many
types and models of child restraints have been available over
the years, new mode ls are introduced regularly incorporating new
and improved designs and older models are taken out of produc­
tion. Child restraints are not standardized. Child restraints of the
same type typically have different weights and sizes and different
'footprints,' the size and shape of the bottom of the child restraint
that sits on the seat, when they are installed on a vehicle seat. These
differences make it virtually impossible to certify compliance with
the requirements for advanced airbags with each and every child
restraint that has ever been sold in the past or will be sold over the
course of the usefu l life of your vehicle.
For this reason, the United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration has pub lished a list of specific type, makes and
models of child restraints that must be used to certify compliance
of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. These
child restraints are:
A. Car beds, manufactured on or after September 1,
2004:
• Cosco Dream Ride 02-719
B. Rear facing child restraint systems, manufactured
on or after September 1, 2004:
(When the restraint system comes equipped with a removable base,
compliance has to be certified with or without the basel.
• Britax Handle with Care 191
• Century Assura 4553
• Century Smart Fit 4543
• Cosco Arriva 02727
• Evenflo Discovery Adjust Right 212
• Evenflo First Choice 204
• Graco Infant 8457

Child Safety ---------------------='----
C. Forward-facing convertible child restraint systems,
manufactured on or after September 1, 2004:
• Britax Roundabout 161
• Britax Expressway
• Century Encore 4612
• Century STE 1000 4416
• Cosco Olympian 02803
• Cosco Touriva 02519
• Evenflo Horizon V 425
• Evenflo Medallion 254
• Safety First Comfort Ride 22-400
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on whenever a child
restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and 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 if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately.
[ i] Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been tested by Audi
only for the Advanced Airbag function. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Important safety instructions for using child
safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially reduces the
risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety of every
­
body in the vehicle, especially children:
- Always use the right child safety seat for each child and
always use it properly~ page 239.
- Always carefully follow the child safety seat manufac­
turer's instructions on how to route the safety belt prop­
erly through the child safety seat.
- When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat , you must first activate the convertible locking
retractor on the safety belt to prevent the child safety
seat from moving~ page
244 .
-Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
- 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.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, especially those 12 years and
younger, should always ride in the back seat properly restrained for
their age and size. ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

& WARNING !continued)
-Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost
position of the passenger seat's fore and aft adjustment range,
and as far away from the airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents the front
passenger's seat from being moved to the rearmost position in
its fore and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest is in the upright posi­
tion.
• Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a
child is not sitting in it. A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=> page 202, "Safety belts",
~ page 212, "Airbag system" and~ page 234, "Child Safety".
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on whenever a child
restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and 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 if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately. •
Safety first
Child Safety
Child safety seats
tnfant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old and 22 lbs or
10 kg need special rearward-facing child restraints that
support the back, neck and head in a crash.
Fig . 211 Rearward­
facing infant seat,
properly installed on
the rear seat
-When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat, you must first activate the convertible locking retractor on the safety belt to prevent the child safety
seat from moving
~ page 244 or install the seat using
the LATCH attachments.
- Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot
move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
Infants up to about one year (22 lbs. or 10 kg) are best protected in
special infant carriers and child safety sea ts designed for their age
group. Many experts believe that infants and small children should
ride only in special restraints in which the child faces the back of the
vehicle. These infant seats support the baby's back, neck and head
in a crash. These child safety seats must never be used in the front
seat because of the risk of serious injury or death should the airbag
deploy in a crash
=> fig. 211. ._
•
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

___ C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t--= y'------------------------------------------------
& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a crash.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the
inflating airbag hits the child safety seat or infant carrier with
great force and smashes the child safety seat and child against the
backrest, center arm rest, or door=>
page 214, "Child restraints on
the front seat -some important things to know".
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat.
• Never install a rear-facing child restraint
in the forward-facing
direction. Such restraints are designed for the special needs of
infants and very small children and cannot protect them properly
if the seat is forward-facing.
• 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.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used =>
page 202, "Safety belts",
=> page 212, "Airbag system" and=> page 234, "Important things
to know". •
Convertible chi ld safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats can help
protect toddlers and children over age one who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs. (10 and 20 kg) in a crash.
Fig . 212 Rear seat:
smaller child
in a prop ­
erly installed forward­
facing convertible chi Id
safety seat
- When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat, you must first activate the convertible locking
feature on the safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving =>
page 244 or insta ll the seat using the
LATC H attachment.
- Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot
move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm)
=> page 244.
-If the child safety seat is equipped with a tether strap,
attach it to the tether anchors =>
page 253.
A toddler or chi ld is usually too large for an infant restraint if it is
more than one year old and weighs more than 22 lbs. (10 kg).
Toddlers and children who are older than one year up to about 4
years old and weigh more than 22 lbs (10 kg) up to 40 lbs . (18 kg)
should be properly restrained in a child safety seat certified for their
size and weight=> fig. 212. ..,_