2008 AUDI TT ROADSTER ESP

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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 130,
-Adjust the front passenger's seat properly~ page 88,
- Wear safety belts properly~ page 140,
-Always properly use the proper child restraint to pro tect
children~
page 168 .
In a collision 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 are not seated proper ly . 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 130, "Proper occupant seating positions". For
detai ls on the operation of the seat adjustment controls =>
page 88
and=> page 89.
It's especially important that chi ldren are proper ly restrained
=>
page 168.
There is a lot that the dr iver and the passenger 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 he lp to prevent the driver and passenger from hitting
parts of the inside the vehic le while reducing the forces acting 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 w ill not inflate in al l fro ntal col lisions . The trig­
gering of the airbag system depends on the vehic le deceleration
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, .,,,.

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;:::;_ s--:.. y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The airbag system can pro vid e supp lemen tal prot ection
to p roperly r es tra ined front seat occu pa nts.
Fig . 130 Location of
driver airb ag: in
s te ering wheel
Fig . 13 1 Locat ion of
front p assenger 's
airbag: in the instru ­
ment panel
You r ve hicle is equipped w ith a dual -stage front "Adva nced Airbag
System" in comp liance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle
Sa fet y S tanda rd (F MVSS) 208 as app licable at the time your ve hicl e
was manufactu red. Your veh icle is also equipped with s ide airbags
fo r th e d river an d front seat passenge r. The safe ty bel ts for the fr ont
seats have "pretens ione rs" that help to take slac k out of the belt
sy stem. Th e pre tensio ners a re a ls o ac tiv ate d b y the elec tron ic
control un it for t he airbag system . T
he front saf ety be lts also have load limiters to help reduce the
f o rc es a pp lie d t o th e b ody in a cra sh .
T he airbag for the driver is in the steerin g wh eel hub~ fig. 13 0 and
t h e ai rbag fo r the front pas senge r is in the i nstrument panel
~ fig. 1 31. The gene ral loca tion of the airba gs is m arke d "AIR BA G".
T here is a lot you need to know about the airbags in your vehicle . We
u rge you t o rea d th e deta iled inf orma tion about a ir ba gs, s afe ty belts
and child safety in this and the other chapters that make up the
owne r's lite ra tu re. P lea se be s ure to hee d the WAR NINGS· th ey are
e xtremely important for your safety and the safety of your passen ­
ge rs, especia lly i nfa nts a nd sma ll children.
& WARNING
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
• Even when they deploy, airbags provide only supplemental
protection .
• Airbag work most effectively when used with properly worn
safety belts.
• Therefore , always wear your safety belts and make sure that
everybody in your vehicle is properly restrained .
& WARNING
A person on the front passenger seat, especially infants and small
children , will receive serious injuries and can even be killed by
being too close to the airbag when it inflates.
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front passenger airbag if an infant or a
small child is on the front passenger seat , nobody can absolutely
guarantee that deployment under these special conditions is
impossible in all conceivable situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle .
• The Advanced Airbag System will deploy in accordance with
the "low risk " option unde r the U.S . Federal Standard if a child that .._

-Airbag system ----=---'---------------------------------------------
& WARNING (continued)
• To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags inflate, the driver
and passengers must always sit in an upright position, must not
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located .
• Occupants 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~ page
147.
& WARNING
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, door or roof.
• 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 .
& WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will increase the risk of injury
in a crash by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates .
• Never hold things in your hands or on your lap when the vehicle
is in use .
• Never transport items on or in the area of the front passenger
seat . Objects could move into the area of the front airbags during
& WARNING (continued)
braking or other sudden maneuver and become dangerous projec­
tiles that can cause serious personal injury if the airbags inflate.
• Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup
holders, telephone brackets, large , heavy or bulky objects) on the
doors , over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steering
wheel, instrument panel , seat backrests or between those areas
and yourself . These objects could cause injury in a crash, espe­
cially when the airbags inflate .
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects .
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden maneuver . Objects near the
airbags can become projectiles and cause injury, particularly when
the seat is reclined.
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cause breathing
problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing
conditions.
• To reduce the risk of breathing problems , those with asthma or
other respiratory conditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening windows or doors .
• If you are in a collision in which airbags deploy, wash your
hands and face with mild soap and water before eating .
• Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes, or into any cuts or
scratches .
• If the residue should get into your eyes , flush them with
water. •

__________________________________________________ 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, .,_

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

___ C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_y ____________________________________________ _
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The physical principles of what happens when your veh ic le is in a
crash apply also to children=>
page 139, "What happens to occu ­
pants no t wearing safety belts?" . But un like adu lts and teenagers,
their musc les and bones are not fully developed. In many respects
children are at g reater risk of serious injury in crashes than adul ts .
Because chi ldren's bodies are not fully developed, they require
restraint systems especial ly designed for their size, weight, and
body structure. Many countries and all s tates of the United States
and provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of approved
chi ld restraint syste ms for in fants and sma ll children.
In a fronta l crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph (30 -56 km/h) the forces
acti ng on a 13 -p o und (6 kg) infant wil l be m ore tha n 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the child would suddenly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg). Under these condi ­
tions, on ly an appropriate child restraint properly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury . Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
m ust be used prope rly t o be e ffective. Used i mproper ly, they can
increase the risk of serious injury in an accident .
Co nsu lt the ch ild safety s eat manu fact ure r's ins truc tions to be su re
the seat is right for your child's size=>
page 171, "Important safety
instruct ions for using child safe ty seats" . Please be sure to read and
heed a ll of the important information and WARN INGS about chi ld
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child restraints in
this chap ter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
veh ic le and how they work when infants and chi ldre n in child
restra ints are on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
a m ount of impo rtant informati on, we can not repeat i t all here. We urge you to
read the detai led informat ion in this owner's manua l
about airbags and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle and
the very i mportant in formation about tra nsport ing chi ldren on the
front passenger seat. Please be sure to heed the WAR NINGS -they
are ext remely important for y our safe ty a nd the safe ty of you r
passengers, especia lly infants and small children.
& WARNING
All vehicle o ccupants and especially children must be restrained
properly wheneve r riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improp­
erly restrained child could be injured by striking the interior or by
be ing e je cted from the vehicle during a sudden maneuver or
impa ct. An unrestrained or improperly restrained child i s also at
greater risk of injury or death through contact with an inflating
airbag .
& WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even w ith Adv anced Airbags
can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag infla tes. A
child in a rearward-fa cing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflate s.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
c arrier with great fo rce and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, door or roof.
• Never install a rearward fa cing child safety seat on the front
pa ssenger seat unles s the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on . If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on , have the airbag system in spected immedi -
ately by your Audi dealer . _,.

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.
• Never install a rearward facing child safety seat on the front
passenger seat unless the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on 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, door or roof. Have the
airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi dealer.
[ 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 173.
-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.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
-
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 177.
-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.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, a child should always ride in the seat
properly restrained for its age and size.
& 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.
• All vehicle occupants and especially children must always be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle.
-An unrestrained or improperly restrained child can be injured
or killed by being thrown against the inside of the vehicle or by
being ejected from it during a sudden maneuver or impact.
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained child is at much
greater risk of injury or death by being struck by an inflating
airbag.
• Commercially available child safety seats are required to
comply with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
213 (in Canada CMVSS 213).
- When buying a child restraint, select one that fits your child
and the vehicle.
- Only use child restraint systems that fully contact the flat
portion of the seat cushion. The child restraint must not tip or
lean to either side. Audi does not recommend using child safety
seats that rest on legs or tube-like frames. They do not provide
adequate contact with the seat. ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data