2008 AUDI S8 airbag off

Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protecti on
to properly restrained occupants.
Fi g. 23 6 Sid e a ir b ag
lo ca tio n in the d riv er' s
sea t
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
=> fig. 236 and the rear backrest facing the doors . They are identified
by the word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system b asic ally con sist s 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
• the a irbag warning light in the instrument cluster.
The 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 wi ll come o n 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 passenger's
upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side colli ­
s ion. The airbag deploys only in s ide impacts and on ly when the
vehicle acceleration registered by the control unit is high enough . If
Airb ag syst em
this rate is below the reference value programmed into the control
un it, the side airbags w ill not be triggered, even though the car may
be badly damaged as a result of the col lision. It is not possible to
define an airbag triggering range that wi ll cover every possible
ang le of impact, since the circumstances will vary considerably
between one collision and another. Important factors include, for
examp le, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting object, the angle
of impact, vehic le speed, etc. =>
page 238, "Important safety instruc ­
tions on the side airbag system".
Aside from their norma l safety function, safety belts work to he lp
keep the driver or front passenger in position in the event of a side
collision so that the side airbags can provide protection .
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your safety belt . Rathe r, it
is part of the overa ll occupant restraint system in your vehicle.
Always remember that the side airbag system can only he lp to
pro tect you if you are wearing your safety belt and wear ing it prop­
erly. This is another reason why you should a lways wear your safety
b elts, n ot just because the law requires you to do so =>
page 209,
"General notes".
I t is important to remember tha t while the supplementa l side airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
a lso be associated with deployed side airbags . Remember too, side
airbags will deploy only once and on ly in certain kinds of accidents
-your safety belts are always there to offer pro tec tion .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage are not necessarily an indication of over -sensi tive or failed airbag acti ­
vation . In some collisions, both front and side airbags may inflate.
Remember too , that airbags will deploy on ly once and only in
certain kinds of collisions -your safety belts are always there to
offer protection in those acc idents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already dep loyed.
The sid e airbag system will not deploy :
• when the ignition is turned of f
Vehicle care I I Technical data

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;::;_ s-=-- y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (c ontinued)
- Alwa ys hav e w ork on the do ors done by an auth ori zed Audi
de ale r or qualified work shop . •
Side curtain airbags (SIDEGUARD™)
Description of SIDEGUARD™ airbags
The SIDEGUARD™ airbag system can provide supple­
mental protection t o properly restrained occupants.
Fig . 23 8 SIDEG UARD ™
s y st em , dri ve r's si de:
s id e c urt a in airb ag
l oca tio n
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides of the interior
above the front and rear side
windows=> fig. 238 . They are identi ­
fied by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshield frame and the center
roof pillar .
The side curtain airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury for occupan ts' heads and upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a s ide collision. The
side curtain airbag inflates only in side impacts and on ly when the
vehic le acceleration registered by the control unit is high enough . If
this rate is below the reference value programmed into the con trol
unit, the side airbags wi ll not be triggered , even though the car may
be badly damaged as a result of the collision . It is not possib le to
define an airbag triggering range that will cover every possible angle of impact, since the circumstances will vary considerab
ly
be tween one collision and another . Important factors include, for
example, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting object, the ang le
of impact, vehicle speed,
etc .=> page 241 , "How side curtain airbags
work" .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts work to help keep the dr iver or front passenger in position in the event of a colli ­
sion so tha t the side curtain airbags can provide protection .
The airbag system is not a substitute for you r safety belt. Rathe r, it
is part of the overa ll occupant restrain t system in your vehicle .
A lways 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 209, "General
notes".
I t is important to remember that while the side curtain airbag
system is designed to he lp reduce the like lihood of serious injuries,
other injuries, for examp le, 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 a lways there to offer protection.
The side curta in airbag system ba sically con sist s of:
• The electronic control module and externa l side impact sensors
• The side curtain airbags above the front and rear side windows
• T he airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The airbag system is mo nitored elec tronica lly to make certain it is
functioning proper ly at all times . Each time you turn on the ignition,
the airbag system indicator light wi ll come on for a few seconds
(self diagnostics).
T he sid e curtain airbag i s not act ivated:
• if the ignition is turned off,
• in side collisions when the acce leration measured by the sensor
is too low ,
.,_

11111 Child Safety
------!....------------------------------
&, W ARNING (continued )
• Alway s inst all rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat .
• If you mu st in sta ll a rear ward f acing child safet y seat on the
front pa ssenger seat in exceptional circum stan ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not come on and stay on,
immediately inst all the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
s eating po sition and ha ve the airbag sy stem inspe cted immedi ­
atel y by your Audi de aler .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstance s, you mu st in stall a forward -facing
c hild re straint o n the fr ont p assenger 's seat:
• Alway s make sure the forward -fa cing s eat ha s been de signed
a nd cert ified by it s m anufa cturer for use on a front seat w ith a
pa ssenger front and side airbag.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instruct ions provided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Alway s move the pa ssenger seat into it s re armost position in
the seat' s fore and aft adju stment range , as far aw ay from the
ai rbag as possibl e befo re installing the ch ild restr aint . The ba ck­
rest mu st be adjusted to an upright po sition.
• Alway s m ake sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
c ome s on and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is
sw it c hed on . •
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Airbag System" in
compl iance with U nited States Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Stan­
dard { FMVSSl 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manu ­
factured. T
he Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the " low -risk" requirements for 3 and 6 year -old chi ldre n on
the passenger side and smal l adults on the driver side . The low risk
deployment criteria are intended to reduce the risk of injury through
interaction with the airbag that can occur, for example, by being too
close to the steering wheel and instrument panel when the airbag
inflates. In addition, the system has been certified to comply with
the "suppression" requirements of the Safety Standard, to turn off
the front airbag for infants up to 12 months who are restra ined 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, al l ch ildren, especially those 12 years and you nger, should
a lways ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and
size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten­
tia lly dangerous p lace for a ch ild 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 p lace for an infant or a larger ch ild in a rearward ­
facing seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag Sys tem in your vehicle detects the presence
of an infant or child in a chi ld restra int 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.
T he weigh t-sensing mat measures total weight o f the chi ld and the
child safety seat and a child blanket on the front passenger seat . T he
weig ht o n the fr ont passenger seat is rela ted to the desig n of the
chi ld 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
~

-----------------------------------------~C:_! h~ i~ l d~ S~a !!f ~e _!:t YL _ffllll
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 mode ls of
child restraints that the NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typ ical infants and typica l 1 year­
old child have been stored in the control unit of the Advanced
Airbag System. When a ch ild restra int is being used on the front
passenger sea t wi th a typical 1 y ear-old child, the Advanced Airbag
System compares the weight measured by the weight sensing mat
with the information stored in the e lectronic control unit .
The electronic contro l unit also registers the tension on the front
passenger safety be lt . The tens ion 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 chi ld restraint to the seat. The sensor below the
latch for the safety belt for the front seat passenger measures the
t e nsion on th e be lt . The input from this sensor is then used with the
weight to "decide" , w hether there is a child restraint with a typical 1
year-o ld 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 i t has
been certified to meet United States Federa l Motor Vehic le Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manufacturer for use with
an airbag . Always be sure that the chi ld restraint is properly
insta lled at one of the rear seating positions . If in exceptiona l
circumstances you must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully
read all of the information on child safety and Advanced Airbags
and heed a ll of the app licable WARNINGS. Make certain that the
child restraint is correct ly 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 correct ly signa led by
t he
P ASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF light .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Many types and mode
ls of chi ld restraints have been available over
t he years, new mode ls are introduced regular ly incorpora ting new
and improved designs and older models are taken out of produc­
tion. Child rest raints 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 chi ld restra int
that sits on the seat, when they are insta lled on a veh ic le seat. These
differences make it virtua lly impossible to certify comp liance with
the requirements for advanced airbags with each and every child restraint that has ever b een sold in th e past or will b e sold over the
course of the usefu l life of your veh ic le .
For this reason, the Uni ted S tates National Highway Traffic Safety
Admin istration has pub lished a lis t of spec ific type, makes and
models of child restra ints that must be used to cert ify compl iance
of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle with the suppression
requ irements of Federa l Motor Veh ic le Safety Standard 208. These
child restraints are:
A. Ca r beds, man ufac tured on or afte r Sept ember 1 ,
20 0 4:
• Cosco Dream R ide 02-719
B . Rea r fa cin g c hild re straint syste ms, manu factured
o n or aft er Se ptemb er 1 , 20 04:
(When the restraint system comes equipped with a removab le base,
compliance has to be certified with or without the base) .
• Britax Handle with Care 191
• Century Assura 4553
• Century Smart F it 4543
• Cosco Arriva 02727
• E venflo Discovery Adjust R ig ht 212
• Evenflo First Choice 204
• Graco lnfant8457
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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C . Forward-facing convertible child restraint systems,
manufactured on or after September 1, 2004:
• Britax Roundabout 161
• Britax Expressway
• Century Encore 4612
• CenturySTE10004416
• 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. •
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 248.
-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 253.
- 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 cml.
- 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.
.,

lllffl __ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t-= y'-------------------------------------------------
& 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 209, "Safety belts",
=> page 218, "Airbag system" and=> page 243, "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. •
Child safety seats
Infant 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 . 240 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 253 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 seats 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. 240. liJ,

& 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 220, "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 209, "Safety belts",
=> page 218, "Airbag system" and=> page 243, "Important things
to know". •
Child Safety
Convertible child 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. 241 Rear seat:
smalle r child in a prop ­
er ly installed forward­
facing convertible child
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 253 or install the seat using the
LATCH 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 253.
-If the child safety seat is equipped with a tether strap,
attach it to the tether anchors :=>
page 262.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an infant restraint if it is
more than one year old and weighs more than 22 lbs. (10 kgl.
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 . 241. tJ,
••
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a child to ride. The front seat is not the safest
place for a child in a forward-facing child safety seat. It is a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child in a rearward -facing
seat.
& 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 collision or other emergency situa­
tion.
• Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced
Airbags, can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates . 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, or door.
• 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 .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=:> page 209, "Safety belts",
=> page 218, "Airbag system" and =:> page 243, "Important things
to know".
& WARNING
If exceptional circumstances require the use of a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat, the child's safety and
well-being require that the following special precautions be taken:
• Make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed and certi­
fied by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a passenger
front and side airbag.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions provided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost posi­
tion 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 the backrest is in 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.
• If the light does not stay on, perform the checks
=> page 229,
"Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System".
• 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 whenever the ignition is switched
on. •