2009 AUDI S3 service

_________________________________________________ .:.A ..:. i :..:.r..::b :...:a:..:. g~ s::.. y .!....::. s..:t ..:e :..:.m.:....:...._lffllll
• A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver and for the front
seat passe nger that s enses whe ther that sa fety belt i s latch ed or n ot
and transmits this informatio n to the e lectronic cont rol 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 Sy stem 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 objects 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-sensing 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.
• 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.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued )
• Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or similar items on the
front passenger seat . The additional padd ing will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from a ccurately registering the
child re straint 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 instru ctions requ ire the use
of a towel , foam cu shion or something else to properly position
the child restraint, make certa in that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the child restraint is
installed 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 authorized Audi
dealer .•
How the Advanced Airbag System
components
work together
The front Advanced Air bag System and the side airbags s upplement
the protection offered by th e front three -point safety belts with
pretensioners and load limiters and the adjustable head restraints
to help re duce the r is k of in jury in a w ide ra nge o f accide nt a nd
crash situations. Be su re to read the important information about
safety and heed the WARNI NGS in t his c hap te r.
Dep loyment of the Advanced Airbag System and the activation of
t he sa fe ty be lt pretensione rs depe nd on the decele ration mea su red
by the crash sensors and registered by the electronic control unit .
C rash severity depends on s peed and deceleration a s well a s the
mass and st iffness o f the veh ic le or object involved in th e c ras h.
When the e lectronic control unit registers a low severity crash and
t he sa fe ty belt is being use d, the a irbag w ill not deploy . If the sa fe ty
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Airbag system ""' -------------------------------------------- -=---='------
or the lower parts of the body. Front airbags suppl em ent the three ­
poi nt s afet y be lts o nly in s ome fro ntal c oll isi ons i n whi ch the v ehicl e
deceleration is hi gh enough to d eploy the airbags .
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,
• i n sid e collisi ons,
• in r ear- e nd collisions ,
• in ro llovers,
• when the cras h de celer ation me asured b y th e a ir bag sy stem i s
l ess than the minimum threshold nee ded for airbag dep loyment as
r egi stere d by t he ele ctronic control un it.
The front passenger airbag also will not deploy :
• when the front pa ssen ger s eat i s not o cc up ied,
• wh en the weig ht on th e front pass enger seat as se nsed by t he
Advan ced A irb ag System indi cate s that the fr ont air b ag on the
p as se n ge r sid e h as to be turned off b y the e lectronic cont rol unit
(the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ig ht co me s on and sta y s on ).
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position 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 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
149 .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& 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 seat .
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer .
& WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in crease 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 maneuvers and become dangerous
projectiles 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 . ...
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ lffl!III
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
I, Q
--
&I Ii u ,, , u
I I J' J
Fig. 1 46 Sectio n from
t h e ce nte r co nso le :
PA SS ENGER AIR B AG
OFF light
The PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center console
=>fig.146 .
The
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light wil l come on and stay on to te ll
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off by the electron ic control unit. Each time you turn on
the ign it ion, the
PA SS ENGER AIR BA G OFF light will flash for a few
seconds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied,
• will stay on if there is a small child or chi ld restraint on the front
passenge r seat,
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the we ight-sensing mat .
T he
PA SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light mu st co me on and sta y on if the
ign ition is on and
• a car bed has been insta lled on the front seat, or
• a rearward -facing chi ld restraint has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• a forwa rd -facing child restra int has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• t he we ight registered on the front passenger seat is equa l to or
less than the combined weight of a typica l 1 year -old restrained in
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
one of the rear-facing or forward -facing infant restraints listed in
Federa l Motor Veh icle Safe ty S tandard 208 with which the Advanced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified.
I f the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag will not
deploy, and the
PA SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on . Never
insta ll a rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
the sa fest place for a child in any kind of child restraint is at one of
the seating posi tions on the r ear seat =>
page 149, "Child restraints
on the front seat -so me important things to know" and=>
page 169,
"Chi ld Safety ".
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light com es on when one of the
conditions listed above is met, be sure to check the light regu lar ly
to make certa in that the
PA SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light stays on
continuously whenever the ignition is on . If the
PA SSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not appear on and does not stay on all the tim e,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turning the ignition off and then turning
it on aga in;
• remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make sure that the child
restrain t is proper ly installed and t hat the safety be lt for the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed through the child restraint
as described in the chi ld restraint manufacturer's instructions;
• make sure that the convertible locking feature on the safety belt
for the front passenger sea t has been activated a nd that the safety
belt has been pulled tight . The belt must not be loose or have loops
of slack so that the sensor be low the safety belt latch on the sea t can
do its job =>
page 179.
• make sure that things that may inc rease the we ight of the child
and child safety seat are not being transported on the front
passenger seat;
• make sure that the safety belt tension sensor is not blocked.
Shake the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat back and
forth;
• I f a strap or te ther is being used to tie the child sa fety seat to the
front passenger seat , make sure that it is not so tight that it causes .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ lflll
& W ARNING (continued )
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• A tight tether or other str ap on a rearward-fac ing child restr aint
attached to the front pas senger seat can put too much pressure
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 suppressed causing
s erious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in exceptional circumstances , you mu st 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 ad just ­
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 stay s 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 is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating positions .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer before transporting anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
If the weight -sensing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
e mp ty seat, the fro nt air b ag on the pa ssenge r sid e will be t urned
off, and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight will stay on .
a
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are insta lled at many different places on
your Au di. In stal lin g, re moving, ser vic in g or re pair in g a part in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an a irbag system and
pre ven t that system from wo rki ng p rope rly in a co llision .
There are some important things you have to know to make sure
that the effectiveness of the system will not be impai red an d that
d iscarded co mponents do not cause inju ry or po llute t he e nv iron ­
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 obje cts su ch as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units.
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moi stened with plain water . Solvents or cleaners
c ould 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 ,
c ellular telephones and CB radios , 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 authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter­
fe rence :
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seatback s that have not been spe cifically 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
ha s inflated , it must be replaced by an authorized Audi de aler or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary .
• The airbag system can be deployed only once. After an airbag
has been deployed , it must be repla ced with new repla cement
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 that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• Applies to vehicles with 6 -cylinder engine : For safety reasons in
severe accidents , the alternator and starter are separated from the
vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter .
- Work on the pyrotechni c circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehi cle or the circuit inte rrupter is scrapped , all appli ­
cable safety precautions must be followed. •
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the vehic le 's suspens ion system can change the way that
th e Adva nced Air bag Syste m performs in a c rash. Fo r example,
using tire -ri m co mbinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
veh ic le, c hang in g the st if f ness o f th e suspe nsio n, incl uding th e
spr ings, suspension struts, shock absorbers etc. can change the
f o rces t hat a re m easured by the a irba g se nsors and se nt to the elec ­
tronic control unit. Some suspension changes can, for example,
i ncrease the fo rce level s meas ure d by the senso rs and make the
a irbag system dep loy in crashes in which it wou ld not d ep loy if the
changes ha d no t been made . O th er ki nds of changes may red uce
th e force levels measured by the sensors and preve nt the airbag
fro m deploying w hen it sh ould.
Th e senso rs in th e sa fety belt buc kle fo r the dr iver a nd fro nt
passenger seat te ll the e lectronic control modu le if the safety belt is
l a tc h ed or not . If th e sa fe ty belt is being use d, th e front airbag wi ll
deploy at a slightly higher rate of vehic le dece leration than if the
sa fe ty be lt is n ot b ein g use d. Th ere fore, i n a partic ula r co llisi on, i t is
possible that an airbag wi ll not deploy at a seating position where
th e sa fe ty be lt is bei ng us ed bu t wi ll infl ate at the position w here the
safety be lt is not being used . It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety belt buc kles so that the sensors can send the co rrect
i nformation about safety be lt use to t he electronic contro l unit.
& 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 pe rformance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehicle.
• Never use tire -rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi. ..

& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electronic control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly.
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.
Undeployed airbag modules and pretensioners might be classified
as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules and safety
belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regu ­
lations must be observed . Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar
with these requirements and we recommend that you have your
dealer perform this service for you. •
Safety first
Side airbags
Description of side airbags Airbag
system
The airbag
system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants.
Fig . 147 Side airbag
location in the driver 's
seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
~ fig . 147 and the rear backrest * facing the doors. They are identi ­
fied by the word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
• the electronic control module and external side impact sensors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
• two rear side airbags (as an ordered
option)
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that
it is functioning properly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni ­
tion, the airbag system indicator light 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 , front and rear*
passenger's upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a
side collision . The airbag deploys only in side impacts and only
when the vehicle acceleration registered by the control unit is high
~
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ lffllll
When the system is triggered , the airbag is f ill ed with propel lant gas
and br eaks t hroug h a seam in the seat surface area marked
" AIRBAG ". It expands between the side trim panel and the
passenger . In order to he lp provide this additional protection, the
side airbag must inflate within a frac tion of a second at very high
speed and w ith great force . The supplemental side airbag could
injure you i f your seating position is not proper or upright or i f items
are located in the area where the supplemental side airbag expands .
This app lies especia lly to children ~ page 169 , "Child Safety".
Suppl em ental sid e airbags inflate betw een the occupant and the
door panel on the s ide of the veh ic le that is struck in certain side
collision
~ fig . 148.
A lthough they are not a soft pi llow, they can "cus hion" the impact
and in this way they can he lp 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 m ean there is a fire in the vehicle . •
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 lo t t ha t you and you r passengers mus t know a nd act
according ly to he lp th e sa fety belts and airbags do th eir job to
prov ide supp lemental pro tec tion .
& WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause seriou s or fatal injury. Improp ­
erly wearing safety belts and improper seating posit ions increa se
the ri sk of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is
being u sed .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WAR N ING (continued )
• In order to redu ce the risk of injury when the supplement al s ide
airbag infl ates :
- Alway s sit in an upright position and never lean against the
a rea where the supplement al s ide airbag is lo cated .
- Never let a child or anyone else rest their head against the
side t rim panel i n the area where the supplemental side airb ag
inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are worn corre ctly ,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat put their hand or
any other parts of their bod y out of the window.
• Alway s m ake sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter ­
ference .
- Ne ver in stall se at cover s or repla cement upholste ry o ver the
front seat back s that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use additional seat cushion s that cover the areas
where the side airbag s deploy .
- Dama ge to the original seat covers or to the seam in the a rea
of the side airb ag module must always be repaired immedi ­
ately by an authori zed Audi dealer .
• Obje cts bet ween you and the airbag can in crease the ri sk of
injury in an accident by interfering wi th the way the a irbag unfolds
or by be ing pu shed int o yo u as the airb ag inflat es.
- Never place or atta ch acce ssorie s or other object s (such as
c up holder s, telephone b rac ket s, or e ven l arge , bulky ob je cts)
on the doors , over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the
se at backre sts .
- Su ch ob ject s and acces sories can be come dangerou s projec ­
tile s and cau se injury when the supplemental side airbag
deploys. _.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_______________________________________________ C_h _ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t..,:c y __ ffllll
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safes t place in a collision.
The p hysica l pr inciples of what happens when you r veh ic le is in a
crash apply also to children=> page 139, "What happens to occu ­
p a nts not wearing safety bel ts?" . Bu t un like adults and teenagers,
their musc les and bones are not fu lly developed. In many respects
children a re a t greater ris k of serious inj ury in cras hes than a dults .
B ecause chi ldren 's bodies a re no t fully deve loped, they require
restraint systems especial ly designed for their size, weight, and
body structu re. Ma ny countries and al l sta tes of the U nited States
and provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of approved
chil d restraint sys te m s for infa nts and smal l children .
I n a frontal crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph (30 -56 km/h) the forces
ac ting on a 13-pou nd (6 kg) infant wi ll be mo re than 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 ­
t ions, only an appropriate child restraint proper ly used can reduce
the risk of serious in jury. Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
must be use d properly t o be eff ective. Use d impro perly, they can
increase the risk of serious injury in an accident .
Co nsul t the c hild safety seat man ufacture r's ins truc tions to be su re
the seat is right for your child's size=> page 172, "Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats" . Please be sure to read and
heed a ll of the important information and WARNI NGS about child
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the insta llation of child restraints in
this chapter.
T here is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
veh ic le and how they work whe n inf an ts and ch ild ren in c hild
restraints are on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation amoun
t of important informat ion, we cannot repeat it all here. We
urge you to read the detai led information in this owner's manua l
about a irbags and the Advanced Airbag Sys tem in your ve hic le and
the very important information about transporting children on the
fr ont passenger sea t. Please b e sure to hee d th e WAR NINGS -th ey
are extreme ly important for your safety and the safety of your
p asse ngers, es pecia lly inf ant s and s mall ch ildren .
& WARNING
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position . Always
restrain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
• All vehicle o ccupants and especially 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
maneuver o r impact . An unrestrained or improperly restrained
c hild is also at greater risk of injury or death through conta ct with
an inflating a irbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating positions provides 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 Airb ags
c an be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates . A
child in a rearward -fa cing child safety seat installed on the front
pas senger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates.
• The inflating airbag will hit the ch ild safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest , center arm rest , or door. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data