___ A_ ir_ b_ a~g _ s_ y_ s_ t _e_ m ___________________________________________________ _
passenger seat shou ld be turned off o r not=> page 1 70, "C hild
r es train ts on the fron t sea t - som e impo rtant thin gs to kno w".
• A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver and fo r the front
s e at pass enger that s enses w hether tha t sa fety b elt is la tc he d o r no t
and transmits this information to the el ectronic control unit.
& WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can prevent the front airbag
from working properly .
• Improper repair or disassembly of the front passenger and
driver seat will prevent the Advanced Airbag System from func
tioning properly.
• Repairs to the front passenger seat must be performed by qual
ified and properly trained workshop personnel.
• Never remove the front passenger or driver seat from the
vehicle.
• Never remove the upholstery from the front passenger seat .
• Never disassemble or remove parts from the seat or disconnect
wires from it .
• Never carry sharp object s in your pockets or place them on the
seat . If the weight-sensing mat in the passenger seat is punctured
it cannot work properly.
• Never carry things on your lap or carry objects on the
passenger seat. Such items can increase the weight registered by
the weight-sens ing mat and send the wrong information to the
airbag control unit .
• Never store items under the front passenger seat. Parts of the
Advanced Airbag System under the passenger seat could be damaged , preventing them and the airbag system from working
properly.
• Never place seat covers or replacement upholstery that have
not been specifically approved by Audi on the front seats.
& WARNING (continued )
• Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag System from
recognizing child restraints or occupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from
deploying properly .
• Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or similar items on the
front passenger seat . The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from accurately registering the
child restraint or person on the seat and prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from functioning properly.
• If you must use a child restraint on the front passenger seat
and the child restraint manufacturer's instructions require the use
of a towel , foam cushion or something else to properly position
the child restraint , make certain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the child restraint is
i nstalled on the front passenger seat .
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on , immediately install child restraint in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer. •
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the si de airba gs supp lement
t h e protection offe red by the front three -point safety be lt s with
pretensioners and load limiters and the adjustab le head restraints
to help reduce the risk of in jury in a wide range of accident and
cras h situati ons . Be sure to read the im por tant in fo rmati on a bout
safety and heed the WARN INGS in this chapter.
De ploy men t of the Advanc ed A ir b ag Syst em and the activa tion of
th e safety belt pretens ioner d epends on the dece leration measured
b y the c ra sh se nsors and reg istered by the elec tronic co ntrol un it .
C rash severity depends on speed and dece leration as well as the
mass an d stiff ness of the vehicle o r obj ect invo lved in the c ra sh.
~
When the electronic control unit registers a low severity crash and
the safety belt is being used, the airbag will not deploy . If the safety
belt is not being used, the first stage deploys, followed by the
second stage afte r a much later time in the crash sequence.
If the electronic control unit registers a crash of medium severity,
the first stage of the airbag deploys followed by the second stage at
a much later t ime in the crash sequence -regardless o f whether the
safety belt is being used or not. In higher severity crashes as regis
tered by the e lectronic contro l unit, both the first and second stages
deploy almost at the same time.
On the passenger side, regardless of safety belt use, the airbag will
be turned off if the weight on the passenger seat is less than the
amount programmed in the e lectronic control unit . The front airbag
on the passenger s ide will a lso be turned off if one of the child
safety seats that has been certified under Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 has been recognized on the seat. The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on to tell you
whe n the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned off=>
page 170, "Child restraints on the front seat -some
impor tan t things to know".
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an a irbag infl ates , always wear
s afet y belts properly .
• If you are unre stra ined , leaning forward , sitting sideway s or out
of position in any w ay, your risk of in jur y i s mu ch hi gher.
• You will als o recei ve se riou s injurie s and could e ven b e killed if
you are up again st the airbag or too clo se to it when it inflate s -
even with an Advanced Airbag =>
page 168 . •
Safety first
Airb ag syst em
More important things to know about front
airbags
F ig . 173 Inflated front
airba gs
Safety belts are important to he lp keep front seat occupants in the
proper seated position so tha t airbags can unfold properly and
provide supplementa l protection in a fronta l collision.
The front airbags are designed to provide additional protection for
the chest and face of the driver and the front seat passenger when: • safety belts are worn properly,
• the seats have been positioned so that the occupant is properly
seated as far as possib le from the a irbag,
• and the head restraints have been properly adjusted.
Because a irbags inflate in the blink of an eye with great force, thi ngs
you have on your lap or have placed on the seat could become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag inflates.
When a n airbag deploy s, fine dust is released . This is normal and is
not caused by a fire in the vehicle. This dust is made up mostly of a
powder used to lubrica te the airbags as they deploy . It could irri tate
skin.
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
a lso happen when airbags infla te . Airbags do no t pro tect the arms ...
~ehicle care irechnical data
__ __::_A:::..:..:. ir..::b ~ a::. g::!...: s:::L y..::s :.::t :.::e :.:.m.:..:.... ________________________________________________ _
or the lower parts of t he body. Front airbags on ly supp lement the
th ree p oint safe ty belts in s ome front al c olli sio ns in which the
vehic le dece leration is high enou gh to deploy th e airbags .
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occ urs,
• i n sid e coll is ions ,
• i n rea r- e nd collisi ons ,
• in rollovers,
• when th e c ras h de cele rat io n measu red by th e airba g sys tem is
l ess than the minimum threshold needed for a irbag deplo yment as
r egi stere d by t he ele ctr onic con trol unit.
The front passenger airbag will also not deploy :
• whe n t he fr ont pass enge r sea t is not occup ied,
• when the weight on the front passenger seat as sensed by the
A dvanced A ir b ag Sys te m in d ica tes th at the fr ont airba g on the
p assenge r side has to be t urned off b y the e lectronic cont rol unit
(t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t com es o n an d stays o nl.
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong posit ion can increase the risk of serious injury
in crashes .
• 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 the ir body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Occupants who are unbelted , out of posit ion 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 170 .
& 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.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear se at.
• 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, i mmediately 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
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 obje cts) 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 ..,
___ A_ ir_b _ a_ g~ s_ y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
& WARN IN G (c ontinu ed )
seating posit ion and ha ve the airb ag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
• A t ight tether or other strap on a rearward-fa cing child restr aint
atta ched to the front pas senger se at can put too much pres sure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and reg ister more weight
than i s 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 suppre ssed causing
serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in exc eptional cir cum stance s, you mu st in stall a forward
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat , always move the
seat into its rearmost po sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust
ment range , as far away from the airbag as possible . The ba ckrest
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, make sure the adult i s properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating position s.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer before
transpo rting anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
If the weight -sensing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
e m pty seat , the fron t airbag on the passenge r side will be tu rned
off, and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.•
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
P arts of the airbag system are installed at many different p laces on
your Au di. Insta lli ng, removing, se rvic ing or repa iring a par t in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system and
p revent that system from w orking properly in a c ollisi on.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure
that the effectiveness of the system will not be impai red and that
discarded componen ts do no t cause injury or po llute t he e nv iro n
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk 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 su ch as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfa ces covering the airbag units .
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel , use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain water. Solvents or cleaner s
c ould damage the airbag cover or change the st iffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop
erly .
• Never repair , adju st, or change any parts of the airbag sy stem .
• All work on the steering wheel , instrument panel, front seats or
electrical system (including the installation of audio equipment ,
cellular telephones and CB rad ios , etc .I must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training and special equipment
necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your author ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .
___ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_ y ______________________________________________ _
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,
_______________________________________________ C_h _i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t...:; y ______ lllll
C . Forward-facing convertible child restraint systems,
manufactured on or after September 1, 2004:
• Britax Roundabout 161
• Britax Expressway
• Century Encore 4612
• Century STE 1000 4416
• Cosco Olympian 02803
• Cosco Touriva 02519
• Evenflo Horizon V 425
• Evenflo Medallion 254
• Safety First Comfort Ride 22-400
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on whenever a child restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition
is switched on.
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately .
[ i] Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been tested by Audi
only for the Advanced Airbag function. •
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Important safety instructions for using child
safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially reduces the
risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety of every
body in the vehicle, especially children:
- Always use the right child safety seat for each child and
always use it properly~
page 195.
-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 200.
-Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot
move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
- If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child safety
seat to the front passenger seat, make sure that it is not
so tight that it causes the weight-sensing mat to
measure more weight than is actually on the seat.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, especially those 12 years and
younger, should always ride in the back seat properly restrained for
their age and size. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
___ C_h _i_ ld _ S_a _f _e _t _y ____________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
• 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 (FMVSSI
213 (in Canada CMVSS 2131.
-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 .
- Always heed all legal requirements pertaining to the installa
tion and use of child safety seats and carefully follow the
instructions provided by the manufacturer of the seat you are
using .
• Never allow children under 57 inches (1 .5 meters) to wear a
normal safety belt. They must always be restrained by a proper
child restraint system. Otherwise, they could sustain injuries to
the abdomen and neck areas during sudden braking maneuvers or
accidents.
• Never let more than one child occupy a child safety seat .
& WARNING (continued)
• Never let babies or older children ride in a vehicle while sitting
on the lap of another passenger.
- Holding a child in your arms is never a substitute for a child
restraint system .
- The strongest person could not hold the child with the forces
that exist in an accident. The child will strike the interior of the
vehicle and can also be struck by the passenger.
- The child and the passenger can also injure each another in
an accident.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat. A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the passenger 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 .
• Always install rear -facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat .
• Forward-facing child safety seats installed on the front
passenger's seat can interfere with the airbag when it inflates and
cause serious injury to the child . Always install forward -facing
child safety seats on the rear seat.
• 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 precau
tions be taken :
- Make sure the forward -facing seat has been designed and
certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer 's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier .
& 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 159, "Safety belts",
=>
page 168, "Airbag system" and=> page 190, "Child Safety".
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on whenever a child
restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition
is switched on.
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately. •
Safety first
Child Safety
Child safety seats
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. 179 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 200 or install the seat using
the LATCH attachments.
- Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot
move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
Infants up to about one year (22 lbs. or 10 kg) are best protected in
special infant carriers and child safety sea ts designed for their age
group. Many experts believe that infants and small children should
ride only in special restraints in which the child faces the back of the
vehicle. These infant seats support the baby's back, neck and head
in a crash. These child safety seats must never be used in the front
seat because of the risk of serious injury or death should the airbag
deploy in a crash => fig. 179. .,,.
~ehicle care irechnical data