2009 AUDI S4 CABRIOLET warning

-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

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g:-- s-=- y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
• 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:
~

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m ___ lllll
& 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

___ 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~ il~d ~S~ a~f e~ t~ YL _III
& WA RNIN G (conti nu ed )
• Alway s install rear-facing child safety se ats on the rear seat.
• If you mu st in stall a rearw ard f acing chi ld safety seat on the
front pa ssenger seat in exc eptional cir cum stance s and the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light do es not come on and stay on,
im medi ate ly install the re ar-fa cing child safety s eat in a rear
s e ating po sit ion and h ave the airb ag sys tem inspe cted im medi ­
ately by your Audi de aler .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circum stance s, you must in stall a forward -facing
c hild re st ra int on the fr ont p ass eng er' s s eat :
• Alway s make sure the forward -facing seat ha s been de signed
and cert ified by it s manufa cturer f or use on a front se at with a
p ass enger front and side airbag .
• Always follow the m anufacturer's instruct ions provided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Alway s m ove the pa ss e nger sea t into its rearm ost p osit ion in
the seat' s fo re and aft adju stment r ange , as far away from the
a irb ag as possib le before installing the child r estr aint . The b ack­
rest mu st be adju sted to an upr ight po sition.
• Alw ays ma ke sure th at the PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light
c ome s on and stay s on all the time whenever the ignition i s
s witched on . •
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Airbag System" in
compliance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle Sa fety Stan ­
dard (FMVSS) 208 as applicab le at the time your vehicle was manu ­
factured .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the " low -risk" requirements for 3 and 6 yea r- old child ren on
the passenger side and small adu lts on the driver side. The low risk
deployment c rite ria are intended to reduce the risk of injury th rough
interaction with the airbag that can occur, for example, by being too
close to the steering whee l and instrument panel when the airbag
in flates . In add ition, the system has been cert ified to comply with
the "suppression" requirements of the Safety Standard, to turn off
the front airbag for infants up to 12 months who are restrained on
the front passenger seat in child restraints that are listed in the
Standard.
Even though your vehic le is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system, all ch ildren, especially those 12 years and younger, should
a lways ride in the back seat proper ly restrained for the ir age and
s ize . The a irbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten­
tially dangerous p lace for a chi ld to r ide. The front seat is not the
safest place for a chi ld in a forward -facing child safety seat. It can be
a very dangerous place for an infant or a larger chi ld in a rearward ­
facing seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle detects the p resence
of an infant or chi ld in a chi ld restraint on the front passenger seat
using the weight -sensing mat in the seat cushion and the sensor
below the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat that
measures the tension on the safety belt .
The weight -sensing mat measures t otal weight of the ch ild and the
child safety seat and a chi ld blanket on the front passenger seat. The
weight on the front passenge r seat is related to the design of the
child restraint and its "footprint", the size and shape of the bottom
of the child restraint as it sits on the seat. The weight of a child
restraint and its "footprint" vary for different kinds of child .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Child Safety ____ .:....__ __________________________ _
restraints and for the different models of the same kind of child
restraint offered by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes and models of child restraints that the NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typical infants and typical 1 year­
old child have been stored in the control unit of the Advanced
Airbag System. When a child restraint is being used on the front passenger seat with a typical 1 year-old child, the Advanced Airbag
System compares the weight measured by the weight sensing mat
with the information stored in the electronic control unit.
The electronic control unit also registers the tension on the front
passenger safety belt. The tension on the safety belt for the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult who is properly using
the safety belt as compared to the tension on the belt when it is used to attach a child restraint to the seat. The sensor below the
latch for the safety belt for the front seat passenger measures the
tension on the belt . The input from this sensor is then used with the
weight to "decide", whether there is a child restraint with a typical 1
year-old child on the front passenger seat and whether or not the airbag must be turned off.•
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restraint that you use, make sure that it has
been certified to meet United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manufacturer for use with
an airbag. Always be sure that the child restraint is properly
installed at one of the rear seating positions. If in exceptional
circumstances you must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully read all of the information on child safety and Advanced Airbags
and heed all of the applicable WARNINGS. Make certain that the
child restraint is correctly recognized by the weight -sensing mat
inside the front passenger seat, that the front passenger airbag is
turned off and that the airbag status is always correctly signaled by
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light. Many types and models of child restraints have been available over
the years, new models are introduced regularly incorporating new
and improved designs and older models are taken out of produc­
tion. Child restraints are not standardized. Child restraints of the
same type typically have different weights and sizes and different
'footprints,' the size and shape of the bottom of the child restraint
that sits on the seat, when they are installed on a vehicle seat. These
differences make it virtually impossible to certify compliance with
the requirements for advanced airbags with each and every child
restraint that has ever been sold in the past or will be sold over the
course of the useful life of your vehicle.
For this reason, the United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration has published a list of specific type, makes and
models of child restraints that must be used to certify compliance
of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. These
child restraints are:
A. Car beds, manufactured on or after September 1,
2004:
• Cosco Dream Ride 02-719
B. Rear facing child restraint systems, manufactured
on or after September 1, 2004:
(When the restraint system comes equipped with a removable base,
compliance has to be certified with or without the basel.
• Britax Handle with Care 191
• Century Assura 4553
• Century Smart Fit 4543
• Cosco Arriva 02727
• Evenflo Discovery Adjust Right 212
• Evenflo First Choice 204
• Graco Infant 8457

_______________________________________________ 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