2009 AUDI A4 CABRIOLET Owners Manual

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& 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 additional 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 nece ssary.
• The airbag system can be deployed only once . After an airbag
has been deployed , it must be replaced with new replacement
part s designed and approved especially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete a irbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only .
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• In accidents when an airbag is deployed , the vehicle battery
s eparates the alternator and the starter from the vehicle electrical
system for safety reasons with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
-Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident !
- If the vehi cle or the circuit interrupter is scrapped , all appli ­
cable safety precautions must be followed . •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the vehicle 's suspension system can cha nge the way that
the Advanc ed Ai rbag Syste m perfor ms in a cras h. Fo r ex amp le,
u sing tire -rim combinations not a pproved by Audi, lowering the
ve hicle , c hang ing the st iffness o f the suspe nsion, inclu din g the
spr ings, s uspension struts, shock absorbers etc. can change the
fo rc es that ar e meas ured by th e a irbag sens ors and sent to the e lec ­
tronic control un it. Some suspens ion changes can, for example,
in crea se th e fo rc e leve ls meas ured by th e se nsors and ma ke t he
airbag system dep loy in crash es in wh ich it wou ld not dep loy if the
c h anges had no t been m ade . Ot her k in ds of cha nge s m ay red uce
the fo rce levels measured by the sensors and p revent t he airba g
fr om depl oyin g whe n it should.
T he sensors in the safe ty b elt b uckle fo r the driver a nd front
passenger seat te ll the electronic control module if the safety belt is
l a tc h e d or not. If the s afe ty be lt is bei ng use d, t he fr ont ai rbag w ill
dep loy at a s lightly higher rate of vehic le dece leration than if the
sa fe ty belt is not be ing used . T here for e, in a partic ular co lli sion , it is
possible t hat an airbag will not dep loy at a seating position w here
the safe ty belt is b ein g us ed b ut will infl ate a t th e po siti on w here the
safety belt is not being used. It is important that nothi ng interfere
with the safety belt b uck les so that the sensors can send the correct
i nformat ion about safety b elt use to the electronic control un it.
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including use of unapproved
tire -rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performance
and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash.
• Never install suspension components that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehicle .
• Never use tire-r im combinations that have not been approved
by Audi. .,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING
Item s s to red betwe en th e safe ty belt b uckle a nd th e cente r
co nso le can c au se the sen sors in the buc kle to send the wro ng
inf orm ation t o the e lec tronic c ontrol m odule and pre vent th e
Adv anced Airb ag System fr om working pr operly .
• Always make su re that n oth ing ca n int erfere with the saf ety
belt buckle s and that they ar e not ob structed.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretensioners might be c lassified
as Perchlorate Material -specia l handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca .gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle o r
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules safety be lts
with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regula ­
tions must be observed . Your author ized Audi dealer is fami liar with
these requirements and we recommend that you have your dea ler
perform th is service for you. •
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The airbag system can pr ovide supplemental protection
t o properly restrained fron t se at occu pants.
Fi g. 175 Dr iver's
ai rba g
The airbag for the driver is located in the instrument panel under ­
neath the steering wheel=> fig. 175, the airbag for the passenger is
at about the same height in the instrument panel underneath the
g love compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection to the driver 's and
passenger's knees and upper and lower thigh areas as a supple­
ment to the safety be lts.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also deploy in frontal
coll isions above a certain severity=>
page 177, "More important
things to know about front airbags".
Besides their normal safety function, safety be lts 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 159, "Genera l 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 knee airbag
will deploy at a s lightly higher rate of deceleration than if the belt is
not be ing used . Therefo re, in a particular col lis ion, it is possible that
an airbag will not deploy at a seating position where the safety belt
is be ing 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 ce rtain
kinds o f accidents - your safety belts are always there to of fer
protection in those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already dep loyed, for e xamp le when you r
vehic le strikes or is struck by another after the first collision.
This is just one o f the reasons why an ai rbag is not a substitute for
the safety be lt . The airbag system works most effectively when used
with the safety belts. Therefore, a lways wear your safety belts
correctly.
I t is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood o f serious in juries, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
a lso be associated with airbags.
The kn ee airbag syst em bas ically consists of:
• The electronic control module
• Two inflatable airbags (ai rbag and gas generator), one for the
driver and one for the front passenger
• The ai rbag indica tor light in the instrumen t panel
T he kn ee airbag sy stem will not deplo y:
• whe n the igniti on is turned off
• in front -end collisions when the deceleration measured by the
control unit is too low
• in s ide coll isions
Safety first
Airb ag syst em
• in rear -end collisions
• in ro llovers
• in the event of a system malfunction (warning/indicator light illu ­
minated)=>
page 20 .
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag sy stem ca n only provide protection
when o ccupant s are in the proper seating position=>
page 177.
• If the airbag ind icator light comes when the vehi cle is being
u sed , have the system in spected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer . The airbag may not work properly when the vehicle
acceleration in a side colli sion is high enough to deploy the airbag.
See also
=> page 20. •
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the l eg a re a i s re duced by fully
d eployed knee air ba gs.
Fig . 17 6 Infl ated
a irbag s protecting in a
front al colli sio n
The knee airbag system has been designed so that the airbags for
the d river and front passenger a re deployed in certain but not all
frontal collisions. ..,
~ehicle care irechnical data

-Airbag system ----=--=---------------------------------
If the front airbags d ep loy, the kne e airbags a lso d ep loy in frontal
c oll is ions abov e a certai n s ev er ity.
Whe n the syst em is dep loy ed, the airba gs start to f ill with a prope l­
l ant gas, and inf late bet ween t he lower pa rt of the instr ument pa ne l
and the drive r and the l ower part of th e instru ment pane l a nd th e
front passenge r:::;, page
177 , fig. 173 .
A lth oug h the y are no t a s oft p illow, t hey can "cushion" th e im pact
and in this way they can help to r educe the ris k of injury to the lower
e xt remitie s.
A ll thi s takes place ins ta nta ne ous ly, so fast tha t many p eople don't
even realize that the airbags have deployed. The ai rbags a lso inf late
w it h a gre at d eal o f f orce and it is im por tant for occupa nt safety t hat
nothing sho uld be in their way when they dep loy.
Full y infla ted ai rbags i n co mbina tion wi th properl y w orn safe ty bel ts
s low down and limit the occupant's forward movement and he lp to
r e du ce t he risk .•
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
Air bag s are only sup plemen tal restra ints. Alwa ys wea r
s af ety bel ts co rr e ctly and ride i n a prop er se atin g po sition .
Ther e is a lo t that you and your passe ngers must know a nd do to
he lp the safety belts and airbags to provide supp lemental protec ­
ti on .
& WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious injury. Wearing safety
belts incorrectly and improper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is being
used .
• The airbag system cannot protect you properly if you are
seated too close to any of the airbag locations . When adjusting
& WARNING (continued )
their seat positions, it is important that both the driver and the
front passenger keep their upper bodies and knees at the
following minimum safe d istances :
-1 O inches (25 cm) between the chest and the steering
wheel /instrument panel .
- 4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the lower part of the
instrument panel.
• The risk of personal injury increases if you lean forward or to
the side, or if the seat is improperly positioned and you are not
wearing your safety belt. The r isk increases even more should the
airbag deploy .
• Always make sure that the knee airbag can inflate without
interference. Objects between yourself and the airbag can
increase the risk of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the airbag deploys or by being pushed into you as the airbag
deploys.
-No persons (children) or animals should ride in the footwell
in front of the passenger seat . If the airbag deploys, this 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 passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shop­
ping bags , for example) can hamper or prevent proper deploy ­
ment of the airbag . Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you or your passengers .
• Make sure there are no cracks , deep scratches or other damage
in the area of the instrument panel where the knee airbags are
located .
• If children are incorrectly seated , their risk of injury increases in
the case of an accident:::;,
page 190, "Child Safety". •

Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protecti on
to pro perly restrained fr ont seat occupants.
Fi g. 177 Si de air bag
l oca tio n in th e driv er's
sea t
The s ide airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
=> fig. 177 facing the doors. They are identified by the word
" AIRBAG" .
The side airba g sy stem b asica lly con sis ts of :
• the electronic contro l module and external side impact sensors
• the two s ide airbags located in th e sides of the front backrests
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster .
Th e airbag system is monitored elec tronically to make certain that
it is function ing properly at all times . Each time you turn on the igni ­
tion , the airbag system indicator light will come on 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 and front passenger 's
uppe r torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side co lli­
sion . The airbag d eploys only in side impacts and on ly when the
vehicle acceleration registered by the contro l unit is high enough. If
this rate is below the reference value programmed into the contro l
Safety first
Airbag syst em
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
def ine an airbag trigger ing range that will 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, vehicle speed, etc.=>
page 188, "Impo rtant safety
instructions on the side airbag system" .
Aside from their norma l safety function, safe ty bel ts work to help
keep the driver or front passenger in position in the event of a side
coll ision so that the side airbags can provide protec tion .
The airbag system is
not a subst itute for your safety belt . Rather , it
is part of the overall occupant restraint system in your vehicle.
Always remember that the side airbag system can on ly he lp to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt and wearing it prop ­
erly. This is another reason why you should a lways wear your safety
belts, not just because th e law requires you to do so~
page 159 ,
"Genera l notes".
It is important to remember that while the supp lementa l side airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, othe r
injuries , for example, swelling , bruising, and minor abras ions can
also 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 a lways there to off er protection.
Vehic le damage , repair costs or even the lack of veh icle da mage are
not necessarily an indica tion of over -sensitive or failed airbag acti­
va tion. In some collision s, both front and side airbags may infla te .
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
suppos ed to deploy or when they hav e already deployed .
The si de airbag system will not d eploy :
• when the ig nition is turned off
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor
is too l ow ..
~ehicle care Technical data

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• in front -end col lisions
• in rear -e n d coll isions
• in ro llovers.
In some types o f accide nts the front air bags and side ai rbags may
be triggered together.
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only provide protect ion
when occupant s are in the proper seating position =>
page 188 .
• If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle i s being
used , have the system inspected immediately by your authori zed
Audi dealer . The a irbag may not work properl y when the vehicle
acceleration in a side colli sion is high enough to activate the
airbag .•
How supplemental side airbags work
Side air bags deploy inst ant ly an d co n help reduce the risk
of up per tors o injuries for occu pants who ore properly
restrained .
M ~
1§==:::::::;;;.;;: ::::--! \':- -"7;1, _ 0:, m
Fig. 178 Infla ted side
a irb ags on left side of
vehi cle
When the system is triggered, the airbag is fi lled with pro pel lant gas
and breaks throu gh a seam in the seat surface area marked "AIRBAG"
. It expands between the side trim panel and the
passenger. In or der to help pr ovide this ad ditional protection, the
side airbag must inflate within a fraction of a second at very high
speed and with g reat force . The supplemental side airbag could
injure you if your seating position is not proper or upright or if items
are located in the a rea where the supplemental side airbag expands.
This ap plies especia lly to children=>
page 190, "Child Sa fety".
Supplemental side ai rbags inflate between the occupant and the
d oor pa nel on the side of the vehic le that is struck in cer tain si de
collision=> fig. 178.
Al though they are n ot a s oft pillow , they can "cushion" the im pac t
and in this way they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
p ar t of t he b ody.
A fin e dust may develop whe n the airba g deploys. T his is no rmal
and does not mean the re is a fire in the vehicle. •
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airba gs ore o nly s up p leme nta l restra ints. A lw ays prop ­
erly wear s afe ty bel ts and ri de in a p roper sea ting posi­
ti on.
There is a lo t th at you a nd your passengers must know a nd act
according ly to help the safety belts and airbags do their job to
prov ide su pple men ta l p ro tection .
& WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or fatal injury. Improp ­
erly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions in crease
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
ai rbag inflates:
~

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& WARNING (continued)
-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.
- 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 .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
• 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 190, "Child Safety".
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in any way .
• In a side collision, side airbags will not function properly if
sensors cannot correctly measure increasing air pressure inside
the doors when air escapes through larger, unclosed openings in
the door panel.
- Never drive with interior door trim panels removed.
-Never drive when parts have been removed from the inside
door panel and the openings they leave have not been properly
closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the doors have been
removed unless the speaker holes have been properly closed.
- Always make certain that openings are covered or filled if
additional speakers or other equipment is installed in the
inside door panels .
- Always have work on the doors done by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop . •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a collision.
The physical principles of what happens when your ve hicle is in a
crash app ly also to children~
page 161, "What happens to occu­
p ants no t wearing sa fe ty belts?" . But un lik e adu lts and teenagers,
their musc les and bones are not fu lly developed. In many respects
children a re a t greate r risk of ser ious injury in crashe s than adults .
Because chi ldren 's bodies a re not fu lly deve loped, they require
restraint systems especially designed for their size, weight, and
body structu re. Many countr ies and al l states of the Un ited States
and provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of approved
ch ild restrai nt sys te m s for infa nts and small chil dren.
I n a frontal crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph (30 -56 km/h) the forces
acti ng on a 13 -p o un d (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 p rope rly t o b e effect ive. Used im properly, they ca n
increase the risk of serious injury in an accident .
Co nsu lt t he c hild safety seat manufac ture r's in struc tions to be su re
the seat is right for your ch ild's size~
page 793, "Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats" . Please be sure to read and
heed all of the important information and WARN INGS about child
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child restraints in
t his chapte r.
T here is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
ve hicle and how they work wh en infan ts and chi ld re n in child
restraints are on the front passenger seat. Because of the large amoun
t of important information, we cannot repeat it a ll here. We
urge you to read the detai led information in this owner's manua l
about airbags and the Advanced Airba g Sys tem in your veh ic le an d
the very important information about transporting chi ldren on the
fron t passe nge r seat . P lease be su re to hee d t he WAR NINGS -they
are extreme ly important for your safety and the safety of your
p assengers, especial ly in fa nt s and s mall children .
& WARNING
• Accident stati stic s have shown that children are generally safer
i n the rear seat area than in the front seat ing position. A lways
restrain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
• All vehicle o ccup ants and espe cially children must be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle . An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the inte­
rior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuve r or impa ct. An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death through contact with
an inflating airbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seat ing positions provide s the highest degree of protec­
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations.
& WARNING
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 -fa cing child safety seat in stalled on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates .
• The inflating ai rbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will sm ash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest , center arm rest , or door .
IJll,