2009 AUDI S6 ESP

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actual ly on
th e seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does not come on and does
not stay on continuous ly (when the ignition is switched on),
• t ake the c hild res traint off t he front passe ng er seat a nd ins tall it
properly at one of the rear seat pos it ions. Have the a irbag system
insp ect ed by y our A udi deal er immedia tely .
• move the chi ld to a rear seat position and make sure that the
c h ild is pro pe rly restrai ned in a c hild restraint that is app ropriat e for
its size and age.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l igh t sho uld NOT come on when the
ignition is on and an adult is sitt ing in a proper seating position on
the front passenge r seat . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on a nd s tays o n or fl ashes for about 5 seco nds whi le d riving,
under these ci rcumstances, make sure that:
• the adult on the fron t pass enger sea t is pro perly s eate d on the
cent er of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the back ­
rest and the backrest is not reclined => page 196, "Proper occ upant
seating positions",
• t he ad ult is not ta king w eig ht o ff the sea t by hol ding o n to the
passenger assist hand le above the front passenger door or
su ppo rting their w eigh t on the arm res t,
• the safety be lt is being proper ly worn and that there is not a lot
o f sla c k in the sa fe ty b elt web bin g,
• accessory seat covers or cushions or other things that may cause
an incorrect read ing o r impression on t he w eight -s e nsi ng m at
under the upho lstery of the seat have been removed from the front
pass enger seat,
• a safety be lt extender has not been left in the safety be lt latc h for
th e fro nt passenger sea t.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight in the center of the
instrument pane l, the mes sage
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF o r
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON will br iefly appear in the instrument cluster display. This is to inform the driver of the curren
t front passenger
air bag status .•
Important safety instructions on monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protect ion in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System . It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should .
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer .
& WARNING
• If the front airbag inflates , a child without a child restraint , or
in a rearward-facing child safety seat , or in a forward-facing child
restraint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
injured and can be killed .
• Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System , make certain that all children , espec ially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat properly restrained for their
age and size .
• Always install forward or rear -facing child safety seats on the
rear seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• If you must install a rearward -facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat be cause of exceptional cir cumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG O FF light does not appear and stay on ,
immediately install the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear
~

-Airbag system ----=--a.---------------------------------------
& 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 .
• For safety reasons in severe accidents , the alternator and
starter are separated from the vehicle battery with a pyrotechn ic
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.
W For the sake of the environment
Undeployed a irba g mo dules and prete nsioners might be c lass if ied
as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/p erc hlo ra te. W hen t he ve hicle or
parts of the restraint system inc luding airbag modules and safety
b elts wi th pre tens io ners a re s crappe d, all ap plicab le laws a nd reg u­
l ations must be observed . Your authorized Audi dealer is fam iliar
wit h these req uire ments an d we rec ommend th at yo u have your
dea ler perform this service for you. •
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the vehic le 's suspension system can change the way that
t h e Adva nced Ai rbag Syste m performs in a c rash. Fo r example,
using tire -rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
ve hicle, c hang ing the s tif fne ss of the su spe nsio n, in cl ud in g th e
springs, suspens ion struts, shoc k absorbers etc. can change the
f o rce s tha t are m eas ure d b y the air bag senso rs and se nt to the e lec ­
tronic control unit. Some suspension changes can, for example,
increa se the fo rce levels measured by the senso rs and ma ke the
airbag system dep loy in crashes in which it wou ld not deploy if the
changes had not been made . Othe r kinds of changes may reduce
t h e force lev els measured by the sensors and preve nt the airbag
from dep loying when it sho uld.
T he s ensors i n the safet y be lt buc kle for the driver a nd fr ont
passenger seat tell the e lectronic contro l modu le if the safety belt is
l a tc h ed or not. If the sa fety belt is b eing use d, th e front airbag wi ll
deploy at a slightly higher rate of v ehic le dece leration than if the
safety be lt is n ot be ing use d. T herefo re, i n a partic ular collision, it i s
possible that an air bag wi ll not deploy at a seating position where
the safety be lt i s being used but wi ll inflate at the position whe re the
sa fety be lt is not bei ng used. It is important tha t noth ing i nte rfer e
with the safety belt buckles so that the sensors can send the correct
i nfo rmati on about saf ety belt use to the e lectr onic co ntrol unit. .,.

Airbag syst em -----------------=~-
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
238 , "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
~ page 232, fig. 215 .
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 body out of the window.
• Alway s make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter ­
ference .
- Ne ver in stall seat covers 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 upholders , telephone bra ckets , or even lar ge, bul ky obje cts )
on the doors , over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the
seat 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

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
The side curtain airbags inflate between the occupant and the
windows on the side of the vehic le that is struck in a side co llis ion
=> fig. 2 17.
When the system is triggered, the side curtain airbag is filled with propellant gas and brea ks through a seam above the fron t and rear
side windows identified by the A IRBAG label. In order to help
provide th is additiona l protection, the side curtain a irbag must
inflate within the b link of an eye at very high speed and with great
f orce . The side curtai n airbag could i njure you i f your seating pos i­
tion is not proper or upright or if items are located in the area where
t he supplementa l side cu rtai n airbag inflates . This applies espe ­
cia lly to children=>
page 238.
Although they a re not a soft pi llow, side curta in airbags can
"cus hion" the impact and in this way they can help to reduce the risk
of injury to the head and the upper part of the body .
A fine dust may develop wh en the airbag depl oys. Thi s is qu ite
normal and does not mean there is a fire in the veh ic le. •
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
A irbags are on ly s upp le men ta l r estraints . Alwa ys prop ­
erly wea r saf ety belt s and ride in a proper seating po si­
ti on.
T here is a lo t tha t you and y our pa ssengers mus t kn ow and d o to
help the safety belts and airbags do their job to provide supple ­
men tal pro tection .
& WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions
increase the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
& WARNING (continued )
• Never let occupants pla ce any parts of their bodies in the area
from wh ich the side curtain airbags inflate .
• Always make sure that the side curtain airbags can inflate
without interference . Unsuitable accessories fitted inside the
expansion range of a side curtain airbag can dangerously interfere
with it s function. A deploying head airbag develops enough for ce
to catapult any p ie ce of add-on component out of its path of infla­
tion and into the pas senger compartment. An occupant hit by
such a projectile can suffer serious injury or death =>
page 375,
"Techni cal Modifications" .
• Do not swivel the sun visors to the side if you have any objects
clipped onto them (for example pens) . If the airbag should deploy ,
you could be in jured by these objects .
• Use the built -in coat hooks only for lightweight clothing . Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged ob je cts in the pocket s that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can cause personal injury in
an accident .
• Never use hanger s to hang c lothing from the hook s.
• Only use fa ctory -installed sun shades or , in the case of shades
installed after the vehicle leaves the factory , only Audi roll-up
s unscreens may be used =>
page 374, "Additional acce ssories and
part s replacement ".
• Always sit in proper seating position and wear safety belts
while traveling so that the side cu rtain airbags can help provide
protection .
• The ai rbag system can only be triggered on ce . If the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced by an authori zed
Audi de aler or qualified workshop.
• Always have work involving the side curtain airbag system ,
removal and installation of the airbag components , or other
repairs performed by a qualified dealership. Otherwise the airbag
system may not work correctly.
ti,

___ 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 physica l pri ncip les of wha t happe ns when your veh ic le is in a
crash apply also to children:::::,
page 207, "What happens to occu ­
pa nts not wearing safety bel ts?" . But un like adu lts and teenagers,
their musc les and bones are not fully developed. In many respects
children are at g reate r ris k of ser ious injury in crashes than ad ults .
Because chi ldren's bodies a re not fully deve loped, they require
restraint systems especial ly designed for their size, weight, and
body structu re. Many countries a nd all states of the U nited States
and provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of approved
chi ld restrai nt sys te m s for i nfants and sma ll children.
In a frontal crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph (30 -56 km/h) the forces
acting on a 13 -p o und (6 kg) infant wil l be m ore tha n 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the child wou ld
sudden ly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg). Under these condi­
tions, on ly an appropriate child restraint prop erly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury. Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
must be used prope rly to b e effective. Used i mprope rly, they can
increase the risk of serious injury in an accident .
Co nsu lt the c hild safety seat manu fac turer's ins truc tions to be su re
the seat is right for your child's size:::::,
page 241, "Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats" . Please be sure to read and
heed a ll of the important information and WARN INGS about chi ld
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child restraints in
th is chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
ve hicle and how they work when infants a nd c hil d ren i n child
restraints are on the front passenger seat. Because of the large amount of important information, 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 Adva nced Ai rbag Sys tem i n your ve hic le an d
the very important information about transporting chi ldren on the
fron t passe nger seat . P lease be sure to heed the WAR NINGS -they
are extreme ly important for your safety and the safety of your
p assengers, es pecia lly in fa nt s and s mall chil dren .
& WARNING
• Accident stati stic s have shown that children are generally safer
i n the rear seat area than in the front seat ing posit ion. Always
restrain any child age 12 and under in the rear .
• All vehicle o cc u pants and especi ally 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 or impact . An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death through contact with
an inflating a irbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the re ar seat ing 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 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 inflate s.
• 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 , or door .
IJll,

-------------------------------------------~C:::.'. h~ i~ ld :::.....:: S~ a~ f~e ~t .!.y __ l!ftlll
& WA RNIN G (continu ed )
• Always install rear-facing child safety seat s on the rear seat.
• If you mu st in stall a re arw ard fa cing child safety sea t on the
front pa ssenger seat in exceptional cir cum stances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not come on and stay on,
immediate ly in sta ll the re ar-facing child safety seat in a rear
s eating po sition and h ave the airbag sy stem inspected immedi ­
atel y by your Audi dea ler .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circum stance s, you mu st install a forward -facing
c hild re st raint on the fro nt p ass enger's seat :
• Alway s make sure the forward -facing seat has been de signed
and cert ified by it s manufa cturer f or use on a front se at with a
p assenger front and side airbag .
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions provided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Always mov e the passenger sea t into it s rea rmo st p osition in
the seat' s fore and aft adju stment r ange , as far away from the
airb ag as possible before in stalling the ch ild r estr aint . The b ack­
r es t must be adju sted to an upr ight po sition.
• Alway s ma ke sure th at the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
c ome s on and stay s on all the time whenever the ignition is
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 Veh icle Sa fety Stan ­
dard ( FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manu ­
f actured .
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 year -old children on
the passenger side and small adu lts on the driver side. The low risk
deployment crite 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 wheel and instrument panel when the airbag
inf lates . In addit ion, 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 children, especially those 12 years and younger, should
a lways ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and
s ize . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten­
tia lly dangerous p lace for a chi ld to ride. The front seat is not the
safest p lace for a child in a forward -facing child safety seat. It can be
a very dangerous place for an infant or a larger child 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 presence
of an infant or child 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 be lt .
The weight -sensing mat measures t otal weight of the child and the
child safety seat and a chi ld blanket on the front passenger seat. The
we ight o n the front passenger 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

_______________________________________________ C_h _ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t..,:c y __ __
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 243.
-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 248.
-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 .