2008 AUDI TT ROADSTER Owners Manual

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ lffl!III
under the upho lstery of the seat have been removed from th e front
p assenge r sea t,
• a safety belt extender has not been left in the safety be lt latch for
the fr ont pass enge r se at .
I n addition to the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight in the center of the
instrument pane l, the message PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON will br iefly appear in the instrument c luster
display . Thi s is to inform the drive r of the current front passenger
a ir b ag status .•
Important safety instructions on monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prope rly cannot prov ide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag ind icator light comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System . It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to , or
will not inflate when it should.
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflates , a child without a child restraint, in a
rearward-facing child safety se at or in a forward-facing child
restraint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
injured and can be killed.
• Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System , make certain that all ch ildren , especially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat properly restrained for their age and size .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued )
• If you must in stall a rearward-facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on ,
immediately install the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear
seating posit ion and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
• A tight tether or other strap on a rearward-fa cing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and reg ister more weight
than is actually on the seat. The heavier weight registered can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat and
deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing
serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in exceptional circumstances, you must in stall a forward ­
fac ing child restra int on the front passenger seat , always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft adjust ­
ment range , as far away from the airbag as possible. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position . Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on .
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above, have the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer before transporting anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
I f the wei ght -sens ing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
empty seat, t he fron t airbag o n the pa ssenge r sid e wil l be tu rne d
o ff , and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many different places on
your Audi. Ins tal li n g, r em ovin g, s erv ic ing o r re pairi ng a part in an
area of the veh icle can damage a part of an a irbag system and
prev ent th at system from working pr oper ly in a c ollisio n.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure
that the effect ive ness of the system will not be impai red and that
discarded co mpone nts do not cause inju ry or po llute t he env iro n­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
r isk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover , obstruct , or change the steering wheel horn pad
or airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way.
• Never attach any objects such as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units.
• For cle aning the horn pad or instrument panel , use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moi stened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change the stiffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop ­
erly .
• Never repair , adjust , or change any parts of the airbag system.
• All work on the steering wheel , instrument panel, front seats or
electrical system (including the installation of audio equipment ,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc .} must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training and spec ial equipment
ne cessary .
• For any work on the airbag system , we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body.
& WARNING (continued)
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter­
ference :
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use addit ional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi ­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
• The airbag system can be activated only once . After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deployed only once . After an airbag
has been deployed , it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only .
Make sure th at any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Maintenance
& Warranty booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .•
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the vehic le 's suspension system can change the way that
th e A dva nced Ai rbag Sys te m p erform s in a c ras h. F or example,
using tire -rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
ve hicle, c hanging the stiff ness of th e sus pensi on, in clud ing the
springs, suspens ion struts, shock absorbers etc . can chang e the
forces that a re measured by the airbag sensor s and sent to the e lec -
tronic control unit. Some suspension changes ca n, for example, .,_

increase the force levels measured by the sensors and ma ke the
a irbag sy ste m d eploy in crashes in which it wou ld not deploy if the
changes had no t been made . Other kinds of changes may reduce
the force levels measured by the sensors and prevent the airbag
from deploying when it should.
The sensors in the safety belt buckle for the driver and front
passenger seat te ll the electronic control module i f the safety belt is
latched or not. If the safety belt is being used, the front airbag will
deploy at a sligh tly h igher rate of vehic le d ece leration than if the
safety belt is not being used. Therefore , in a particular co llision , it is
possible that an ai rbag will not deploy at a seating position where
the safety belt is being used but will inflate at the posi tion where the
safety belt is not being used . It is important tha t nothing interfere
with the safety belt buckles so t hat the sensors can send the co rrect
information about safe ty belt use to the elec tronic control unit.
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspen sion including use of unapproved
tire -rim combinations can change Advan ced Airbag performan ce
and in crease the risk of serious personal injury in a cra sh.
• Never in stall su spen sion compone nts that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
in stalled on your vehi cle.
• Never use tire -rim combination s that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt bu ckle and the center
console can cau se the sen so rs in the buckle to send the wrong
inform ation to the ele ctron ic control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly .
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with th e safety
belt buckle s and that they are not obstructed.
Safety first
Airbag sy ste m
ffi For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretensioners might be classified
as Perchlorate Material -specia l handling may apply, see
www.dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules safety belts
with prete nsioners are scrapped, all appl icable laws and regu la­
tions must be observed . Your au thori zed Audi dealer is familiar wi th
t hese requirements a nd we rec ommend that y ou have your dea ler
perform this service for you. •
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The air bag system can pr ovide supplemen tal pr otec tio n
to pro perly restrained fron t seat occupants.
Fi g. 13 4 D rive r's
airba g
The ai rbag for the driver is located in the instrument panel under ­
neath the steering wheel:=:, fig. 134 , the airbag for the passenger is
at about the same height in the instrum ent panel underneath the
glove compartment.
T he knee airbag offers add itional protection to the driver 's and
p assenger 's knees and upper and lower thigh areas as a supple -
ment to the safety belts . •
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also deploy in frontal
collisions above a certain severity=:>
page 155, "More important
things to know about front airbags".
Besides their normal safety function, safety belts work to help keep
the driver or front passenger in position in case of a frontal collision
so that the airbags can provide protection.
The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it
is part of the overall 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 why you should always wear your safety belt, not just because the
law requires you to do so=:>
page 137, "Gene ral notes" .
The safety belt buckle for the driver and front seat passenger have
switches that tell the airbag control module if the safety belt is
being used or not. If the safety belt is being used, the front airbag
will deploy at a slightly higher rate of deceleration than if the belt is
not being used. Therefore, in a particular collision, it is possible that
an airbag will not deploy at a seating position where the safety belt
is being used but will inflate at the position where the safety belt is
not being used .
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and only in certain
kinds of accidents -your safety belts are always there to offer
protection in those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for example when your
vehicle strikes or is struck by another after the first collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is not a substitute for
the safety belt . The airbag system works most effectively when used
with the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your safety belts
correctly.
It is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
also be associated with airbags . The knee airbag system basically consists of:
• The electronic control module
• Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas generator), one for the
driver and one for the front passenger
• Th e airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
• when the ignition is turned off
• in front-end collisions when the deceleration measured by the
control unit is too low
• in side collisions
• in rear-end collisions
• in rollovers
• in the event of a system malfunction (warning/indicator light illu­
minated) =:>
page 19.
&, WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system can only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position=:>
page 155.
• If the airbag indicator light comes when the vehicle is being
used, have the system 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 deploy the airbag.
See also =:>
page 19. •

How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area is reduced by fully
deployed knee airbags.
F ig . 13 5 Infla te d
a ir b ags protect ing i n a
fr ont al co llisio n
The knee airbag system has been designed so that the airbags for
the driver and front passenger are deployed in certain but not all
frontal co llisions .
I f the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also deploy in frontal
col lisions above a certain severity.
When the system is deployed, the airbags start to fill with a propel ­
lant gas, and inflate between the lower part of the instrument panel
and the driver and the lower part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger ~
page 155, fig. 132 .
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can "cushion" the impact and in this way they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower
extremities .
All this takes place instantaneously, so fast that many people don 't
even reali ze that the a irbags have deployed. The airbags a lso inflate
with a great deal of force and it is important for occupant safety that
nothing should be in their way when they dep loy.
Ful ly inflated airbags in combination with properly worn safety belts
s low down and limit the occupant's forward movement and he lp to
reduce the risk. •
Safety first
Airbag sy ste m
Important safety Instructions on the knee
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always wear
safety belts correctly and ride in a proper seating position.
There is a lot that you and you r passengers must k now and do to
help the safety belts and airbags to provide supplemental protec­
tion.
& WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cau se se riou s inju ry . We aring safety
belt s inc orrectl y and improper seat ing po sitio ns incre as e th e risk
of seriou s pers on al injur y and death whenever a vehi cle i s be ing
u sed .
• The airbag sy stem cannot p rotect you properly if you ar e
s eat ed too clo se t o any of the a irbag l ocation s. When adju sting
their seat position s, it is important that both the driver and the
fro nt pass e nger ke ep thei r upper bod ies and knee s at the
following minimum safe di sta nces:
- 10 in che s (25 cm ) betwe en the che st and the ste ering
whee l/in strument pan el.
- 4 in ches (1
O c m ) between the knee s and the lo wer part of the
in strum ent panel .
• The r isk of per sonal injur y in crea ses if you le an forw ard or t o
t he side, or if the seat i s improperly po sitioned an d you are not
w ea ring your safet y belt . The r is k i ncreases even more should the
airbag deplo y.
• Alway s m ake su re that the knee airb ag can inf late witho ut
interferen ce. Obje cts betwe en your self and the airba g can
in crease the ris k of inju ry in an a ccident b y inte rferi ng w ith the
wa y th e airbag deploy s or b y being pushed into you a s the airbag
deploy s. •
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

__ .....:.A..:..::..:. ir-=b :....:a=- g=- s= y-=s -=t -=e -=m.;._;_ ________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (con tinued )
-No persons (children ) or animals should ride in the footwell
in front of t he passenger s eat . If the airbag deploy s, thi s can
result in serious or fatal injuries .
- No objects of any kind should be carried in the footwell area
in front of the driver's or pa ssenger' s seat. Bulky objects (shop­
ping bag s, for example ) can hamper or prevent p roper deploy ­
ment of the airbag . Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you or your passenger s.
• Make sure there are no cra cks , deep scratches or other damage
in the area of the in strument panel where the knee airbags are
located .
• If ch ildren are incorrectly seated , their risk of injury increases in
the case of an accident =>
page 168, "Child Safety". •
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The air ba g s ystem c an pro vid e sup plemen tal p ro tection
to p rope rly re straine d front seat occup ants.
Fig . 13 6 Side airbag
locat ion in the driver 's
seat
T he side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
=> fig . 136 facing the do ors. T hey ar e id en tified by the word
"AIRBAG ".
The side airbag system basically consists of :
• the e lec tro nic c ontrol m odule an d ex ternal sid e im pact sens ors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
• the airbag war ning light in the instrument clus ter .
T he airbag system is monitored electronicall y to make certain that
it is functioni ng properly at all times . Each time you turn on the igni ­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few
se co nds (self diag nostics).
The side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help
to reduce the risk of injury to the drive r's and fr ont passenger's
upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side co lli ­
s ion. The ai rbag deploys only in side impacts and only when the
vehic le acc ele ration re gis te red by the control unit is high eno ugh . If
this rate is below the refe rence va lue programmed into the control
unit, the s ide airbags will no t be tr iggered, ev en thoug h the car may
be badly damaged as a resu lt of the co llision. It is not possible to
de fin e an ai rb a g trigge ring r ange t hat wi ll cov er ev er y possible
angle of impact , since the circumstances will vary considerab ly
bet ween one collision a nd an othe r. Importa nt fac tors include, fo r
example, the na ture (hard or soft) of the impacting object, the ang le
o f im pact, vehicle speed , et c.
=> p age 166, "Importan t safety
i nstructions on th e side airba g sys tem".
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts wo rk to h elp
ke ep the drive r or front passenger i n pos ition i n th e ev ent o f a side
col lision so that the side ai rbags can provide pro tec tion .
T he airbag system is
not a su bstit ute for y our sa fety belt . Ra the r, it
is part of the overa ll occupa nt restrain t system in your vehicl e.
A lwa ys reme mber tha t the side ai rbag sys tem can only help to
pro tect you if you are w ear ing your sa fety bel t and wear ing it prop ­
e rly. Th is is another reason why you should always wear your safety .,

belts, not just because the law requires you to do so=> page 137,
"General notes" .
It is important to remember that while the supplemental side airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
also be associated with deployed side airbag .s. 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 protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage are not necessarily an indication of over -sensitive or failed airbag acti­
vation. In some collisions, both front and s ide airbags may inflate .
Remember too , that airbags will deploy 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 when they have already deployed .
The s ide a ir ba g sy stem will not dep loy:
• when the ignition is turned off
• in side coll isions when the acce leration measured by the sensor
is too low
• in front -end collisions
• in rear -end collisions
• in rollovers.
In some types of accidents the front airbags and side airbags may
be triggered together.
& WARNING
• Safet y belt s a nd the airbag sy stem will only provid e prote ct ion
w hen o ccupants ar e in the proper s eating p osition
=> page 16 6.
• If the airbag indicat or light come s on when the vehicle i s being
u sed , have the system in sp ec ted imm ediatel y by your authori zed
Audi de aler . Th e airb ag m ay not work properly when the vehicle
a ccel era tion in a side c olli sio n is high enough to a ctiv ate th e
airb ag .•
Safety first
Airbag sy ste m
How supplemental s ide airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help reduce the risk
of upper torso injuries for occupants who are properly
restrained .
Fig. 137 Infl ate d side
airb ags on left sid e o f
ve hicle
When the system is triggered , the airbag is fi lled with propellant gas
and brea ks through a seam in the seat surface area marked
"AIRBAG" . It expands between the side trim pane l and the
passenger. In order to help provide this additional protection, the
s ide a irbag must inflate within a fraction of a second at very h igh
speed and with great force. The supp lemental side airbag could
injure you if your seat ing position is not proper or upright or if items
are located in the area where the supplemental side airbag expands.
This applies especially to children =>
page 168, "Child Safe ty" .
Supp lemental side airbags inflate between the occupant and the
door panel on the side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collision=> fig. 137.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can "cushion" the impact and in this way they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys . This is normal
and does not mean there is a fire in the vehicle. •
Vehicle care I I Technical data

-Airbag system -----~~---------------------------------------------------------
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always prop­
erly wear safety belts and ride in a proper seating posi­
tion.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must know and act
accordingly to help the safety belts and airbags do their job to
provide supplemental protection.
& WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or fatal injury. Improp­
erly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions increase
the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is
being used.
• In order to reduce the risk of injury when the supplemental side
airbag inflates:
- Always sit in an upright position and never lean against the
area where the supplemental side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone else rest their head against the
side trim panel in the area where the supplemental side airbag
inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat put their hand or
any other parts of their body out of the window.
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter­
ference.
-Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seat backs that have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags deploy .
& WARNING (continued)
-Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
• Objects between you and the airbag can increase the risk of
injury in an accident by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the airbag inflates. -Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as
cup holders, telephone brackets, or even large, bulky objects)
on the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the
seat backrests.
- Such objects and accessories can become dangerous projec­
tiles and cause injury when the supplemental side airbag deploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the deployment space
between them and the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position.
• Always use the built-in coat hooks only for lightweight
clothing. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the
pockets that may interfere with side airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in an accident.
• Always prevent the side airbags from being damaged by heavy
objects knocking against or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
• The airbag system can only be triggered once.
If the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership.
• Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.I to the original seat covers
or to the seam in the area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• If children are seated improperly, their risk of injury increases
in the case of an accident ~
page 168, "Child Safety" .
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in anyway. _.,