2009 AUDI S8 airbag off

__________________________________________________ D _r_iv _ in_ g=- S_ a_f _e _l ___ y __ lffllll
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an important part
of your vehicle's occupant restraint system and can help
to reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations.
Fig. 220 Correctly
adjusted head restraint
viewed from the side
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to achieve
the best protection.
-Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge of the
restraint is level with the top of your head, but no lower
than eye level and so it is as close to the back of your
head as possible ~ fig. 220.
Adjusting head restraints=> page 91.
& WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with improperly adjusted head
restraints increases the risk of serious injuries in a collision . To
help reduce the risk of injury :
• Always drive with the head restraints in place and properly
adjusted.
• Every person in the vehicle must have a properly adjusted head
restraint.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
•
Always make sure each person in the vehicle properly adjusts
their head restraint. Each head restraint must be adjusted
according to occupants' size so that the upper edge is as even
with the top of the person's head, but no lower than eye level and
so it is as close to the back of to the head as possible .
• Never attempt to adjust head restraint while driving. If you
have driven off and must adjust the driver headrest for any reason,
first stop the vehicle safely before attempting to adjust the head
restraint.
• Children must always be properly restrained in a child restraint
that is appropriate for their age and size
=> page 245. •
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce the risk of
injury if vehicle occupants ore properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious injury or
death . Safety belts can only work when they are properly
positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduce
the effectiveness of safety belts and will even increase the
risk of injury and death by moving the safety belt to critical
areas of the body. Improper seating positions also increase
the risk of serious injury and death when an airbag deploys
and strikes an occupant who is not in the proper seating
position. A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle
occupants and especially for children. Therefore:
- Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect seating posi­
tion when the vehicle is being used~& .
The following bulletins list only some sample positions that will
increase the risk of serious injury and death. Our hope is that these .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Because the passengers of this vehicle are not using safety belts
=:>
page 212, fig. 222, they will keep moving at the same speed the
vehicle was moving just before the crash, until something stops
them -here, the wall =:>
page 272, fig. 223.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision. Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph
(30 to 50 km/h), the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs, or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater speeds, these forces are
even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also not attached to their
vehicle. In a frontal collision they will also keep moving forward at
the speed their vehicle was travelling just before the crash. Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to frontal collisions, they
determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions. •
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop themselves
from flying forward and being injured or killed. Always
wear your safety belts!
Safety first
Fig . 224 A driver not
wearing a safety belt is
violently thrown
forward
Safety belts
Fig . 225 A rear
passenger not wearing
a safety belt will fly
forward and strike the
driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tremendous forces of
impact by holding tight or bracing themselves. Without the benefit
of safety restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant will slam
violently into the steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or
whatever else is in the way=:> fig. 224. This impact with the vehicle
interior has all the energy they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even when they deploy,
airbags provide only additional protection. Airbags are not
supposed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, including the driver,
must wear safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of
severe injury or death in a crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and that your
safety belts are always there to offer protection in those accidents
in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have
already deployed. Unbelted occupants can also be thrown out of the
vehicle where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear safety belts
correctly . Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only
themselves but also the driver and other passengers=:> fig. 225. In a
frontal collision they will be thrown forward violently, where they can hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger. •
Vehicle care I I Technical data

llffl_....::S~a ~f ~e ~ty ~ b~ e~ l~ t ~s ____________________________________________ _
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to brace the
body in a minor collision. It's simply not true!
Fig . 22 6 Driv er is
cor rec tly r estrai ned in
a su dden b raking
m an euver
Safety belts used properly can make a big difference. Sa fety belts
help to keep passengers in their seats, gradually reduce energy
levels app lied to the body in an accident, and help prevent the
uncontrolled movement that can cause serious injuries. In addition,
safety be lts reduce the danger of being thrown out of the vehic le .
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give them the benefit
of being s lowed down more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety features engineered
into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the kinetic energy over a longer period of time, the safety belts make the forces on the body
more "tolerable" and less likely to cause injury .
Altho ugh these examples are based on a frontal co llision, safety
belts can a lso substantially reduce the risk of injury in other kinds
of crashes . So, whether you're on a long trip or just going to the
corner store, a lways buckle up and make sure others do, too. Acci­
dent statistics show that vehicle occupants properly wearing safety
belts have a lower ris k of being injured and a much better chance of
surviving an accident. Properly using safety belts also greatly
increases the abi lity o f the supplementa l airbags to do their job in a
collision . For th is reason , wearing a safety belt is legally required in
most countries including much of the United States and Canada. Although your Audi is equipped with airbags, you sti
ll have to wear
the safety belts provided . Fron t airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions . T he front airbags are not activated in
a ll frontal col lisions, in side and rear collisions, in roll ove rs or in
cases where there is not enough dece leration through impact to the
front of the vehicle . The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi . So, always wear your safety belt and make sure every ­
body in your vehic le is properly restrained! •
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be co rrectly positioned across
t he strongest bones of your body.
Always wear safety belts as illustrated and described in
th is chapter.
Make s ure tha t your safe ty belts ar e always ready for use
and are not damaged .
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or w earing them improperl y increase s
the risk of seriou s per sonal injury and death . S afe ty belt s can work
onl y when used corre ctl y.
• Alway s fa sten your s afety belt s correctl y before dri ving off and
make sure all p assenger s ar e correctly restrain ed.
• For m aximum protect ion , safet y belt s must always be po si­
ti oned properly on the body .
• Never strap more th an one person , includi ng sm all children ,
into any belt.
• Never pla ce a s afety belt ove r a child sitting on your lap .
• Alway s keep feet in t he foot well
in front of the seat while the
vehicle is being driven .
~

Airbag syst em -----------------=~-
repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage is not necessari ly an
indication of whether an airbag should inflate or not.
Since the circumstances will vary considerably between one colli­
sion and another, it is not possible to define a range of vehicle
speeds that w ill cover every possible kind and angle of impact that
will a lways trigger the airbags . Important factors inc lude, for
exa mple, the nature (hard or so ft) of the object which the car h its,
the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc. The front airbags will also
n ot inflate in side or rear collisions, or in roll -overs .
Al way s rem ember : Airbags wi ll deploy only once, and on ly in certain
kinds of coll isions . Your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those situat ions in wh ich airbags are not supposed to deploy,
or when they have already deployed; for example, when your vehic le
strikes or is struck by a nother vehicle a fter the first collision.
T his is just one of the reasons why an airbag is a supplementary
restraint and is not a substitute for a sa fety be lt. The airbag system
works most effectively when used with the safety be lts. Therefore ,
always prope rly wea r your safety belt s => page 211 .
& WARNING
Sitting too clo se to the steering wheel or in strument panel will
de crease the effect ivene ss of the airbags and will incr ease the risk
of personal injury in a collision.
• Never sit closer than 10 in ches (25 cm) to the steering wheel or
in strument panel.
• If you c annot sit more than 10 in ches (25 cm ) from the steering
wheel , inve stiga te whether adaptive equipment may be available
to help you reach the pedal s and in crease your se ating dist ance
from the steering wheel.
• If you are unrestra ined , leaning forward , sittin g side ways or out
of position in any way , your risk of injury i s much higher .
• You will also receive serious injur ies and could even be killed if
you are up again st the airba g or too clo se to it when it infl ates -
ev en with an Advanced Airbag .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WAR N IN G ( continued )
• To reduce the ri sk of injury when an airbag inflate s, alw ays
wear safety belt s prope rly~
page 21 5, "S afet y belt s".
• Always make certain that ch ildren age 12 or younger alway s
ride in the rear seat. If children are not p rope rly re str ained , they
may be severely injured or killed when an airbag inflate s.
• Never let children ride unre str ained or impr operly rest rained in
the vehicl e. Adju st the front seat s pr operly .
• Never ride with the b ackrest r eclined .
• Alway s sit a s far as possible from the steering wheel or the
instrument p anel
~ pag e 202.
• Alway s sit upright with your back again st the backre st of your
seat .
• Ne ver pla ce your feet on the instrument panel or on the seat .
Always keep both feet on the floor in front of the seat to help
prevent seriou s injurie s to the leg s and hips if the airbag inflate s.
• Nev er r ecline th e front passenger 's seat to transpo rt obje cts .
Item s can al so mo ve into the area of the side a irbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden m aneuver . Obje cts near the
a irbags can become pro je ctile s and cau se injury when an airbag
inflates .
& WARNING
Airbags that have deployed in a crash must be repla ced.
• U se only original equipment airbags approved by Audi and
in stalled by a trained technician who ha s the neces sary tool s and
diagnostic equipment to properly r epla ce any airb ag in your
vehicle and as sure sy stem effectivenes s in a crash .
• Never perm it salvag ed or re cy cled airb ag s to be i nstall ed in
your vehicle. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Airbag s yste m P'll:f _______________ _
Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
-Be sure to read t he important information and heed the
WARNINGS for important details about ch ildren and
Advanced Airbags~
page 245.
Even though your vehic le is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that a ll children, especia lly those 12 years and
younger , always ride in the back seat proper ly restrained for their
age and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat
a potentia lly dangerous place for a child to ride. The front seat is not
the safest p lace for a child in a forward -facing child seat . It can be a
very dangerous place for an infant or a child in a rearward -facing
seat.
The Advanced Ai rbag System in your vehicle has been certified to
comply with the requirements of United States Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle
was manufactured.
The Standard requires the front airbag on the passenger side to be
turned off ("suppressed") if a chi ld up to about one year of age
restrained in one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant res traints listed in Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w ith
which the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certified has been insta lled on the front passenger seat. For a listing of the child
restraints that were used to certify compliance with the US Safety
Standard =>
page 247.
The PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the instrument pane l tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
t urned off by the electronic control unit.
Each time you turn on the ignition, the
PASSE NGER AIR BA G OFF
light will come on 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 child restraint on the front
passenger seat,
• will go off if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight-sensing mat=>
page 231, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when the control unit
detects a total weight on the front passenger seat that requires the
front airbag to be turned off.
If the total weight on the front passenger seat is more than tha t of
a typica l 1 year -old child but less than the weight of a small adult,
the front airbag on the passenger side can deploy (the
PA SSE NGER
AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on). If the PAS SEN GER AIR BA G
OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger s ide
has not been turned off by the electronic control unit and can
deploy if the control unit senses an impact that meets the condi ­
tions stored in its memory.
For e xample , the air b ag ma y dep loy i f:
• a small ch ild that is heavier than a typical 1 year -o ld child is on
the front passenger seat (regardless of whether the child is in one
of the child seats listed
=> page 247), or
• a child who has outgrown chi ld restraints is on the front
passenger seat.
I f the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on in the instrument cluster and stays on.
The fron t airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PAS SENGER AIR BA G OFF light does not illuminate and stay lit) even
if a small adult or teenager, or a passenger who is no t sitting upright
with their back against a non -reclined backrest with their feet on the
vehic le floor in front of the seat is on the front passenger seat
=> page 202, "Proper seating position for the driver".
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal Standard requires
t he airbag to meet the "low risk" deployment criteria to reduce the
risk of injury through interaction with the airbag. "Low risk" deploy­
ment occu rs in those crashes that take place at lower decelerations .,.

Airbag system -----------------=--=--------
as defined in the electronic control unit~ page 232 , "PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF l igh t" .
A lways remember, a ch ild seat or infant carrier installed on the front
seat may be st ruck and knocked out of position by the rap idly
i n fl ating pass enger 's airbag in a fro nta l co llision . Th e airb ag co uld
g reatly reduce the effectiveness of the chi ld restraint and even seri ­
ousl y injure t he c hild duri ng i nflati on .
F or this reason, and because the bac k seat is the safest place for
ch ildr en -w he n prop erly res trained acc ording t o th eir age an d size
- we stro ngly recomm end that c hild ren a lwa ys sit in th e back seat
~ page 24 5, "C hil d Safe ty" .
& WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child 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 seat or infant carrier with
great force and will smash the child seat and child against the
backrest , center arm rest, door or roof .
• Always install rear-facing child seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child 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 seat in a rear seating posi­
tion and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer.
• Forward -facing child seats installed on the front passenger's
seat may interfere with the deployment of the airbag and cause
serious personal injury to the child .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat:
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
• Always 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 .
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up against or very
near the instrument panel .
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest 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
To reduce the risk of serious injury , make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will be displayed whenever a child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not stay on , perform
the checks described
~ page 231 , "Monitoring the Advanced
Airbag System" .
• 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 Audi dealer immedi ­
ately .
• Always carefully follow instructions from child restraint manu ­
facturers when installing child restraints .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward or
rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat :
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Airbag system -----------------=~-
& WARNING (continued )
• Airbag work most effectively when used with properly worn
safety belts.
• Therefore , always wear your safety belts and make sure that
everybody in your vehicle is properly restrained.
& WARNING
A pe rson on the front passenger seat , especially infants and small
children , will receive serious injuries and can even be killed by
being too close to the airbag when it inflates .
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front passenger airbag if an infant or a
small child is on the front passenger seat, nobody can absolutely
guarantee that deployment under these spe cial conditions is
impossible in all conceivable situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle.
• The Advanced Airbag System can deploy in accordance with
the "low risk" option under the U .S . Federal Standard if a child that
is heavier than the typical one -year old child is on the front
passenger seat and the other conditions for airbag deployment
are met.
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position .
• For their own safety , all children , especially 12 years and
younger , should always ride in the back properly restrained for
their age and size. •
Advanced front airbag system
Your ve hicle is equipped with a front Advanced Airbag System in
c o mp lia nce wi th United States Fede ral Moto r Vehicle Sa fety Stan ­
dard 208 as appl icab le at the time your vehicle was manufactured.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
T
he front Advanced Airbag System supplements the safety bel ts to
p ro v id e ad ditional p rotecti on for t he dr iver's an d fro nt p assenger's
heads and upper bodies in fronta l cras hes . The ai rbags inflate only
in fro ntal im pac ts whe n the vehic le dece le ra tio n is h igh enoug h.
T he fron t Adva nced Airbag System for the fron t seat occ upa nts is
not a substitute for your safety belts . Rather, it is part of the overa ll
occupa nt rest rai nt syste m in you r veh icle. A lways r em emb er that
the ai rbag system can only help to protect you, if you are sitting
u pr igh t, w ear ing yo ur safety b elt and w earin g it p ro perly . This is w hy
you and your passeng ers must a lways be prop erly r estrained, not
ju st beca use the law req uires y ou to be .
The Ad va nced A irbag System in you r ve hicle has been certi fied t o
meet the " low risk" req uirements f or 3 a nd 6 yea r-o ld child ren on the
p asse nger sid e and very s mall adu lts on t he dr iver s ide. The l ow risk
dep loyment crite ria are intended to he lp reduce t he ris k of in jury
th rough interac tion w ith the front a irb ag that can occur, for
examp le, by being too close to the stee ring whee l and instrument
p a nel wh en the a irbag i nflates.
I n add ition, the s yst em has been cert if ied to comply with the
"su ppressio n" re quir emen ts of the Sa fe ty Standa rd, to tu rn off th e
fr ont a irba g for in fa nts 12 months old and youn ger who a re
rest rained on the front passenger seat in child restraints that are
li ste d i n the Sta ndard:::::,
page 247 , "Child r estrai nts and Adva nced
A irbags".
"S upp ression" req uires the fron t airb ag on th e pas se nger s ide to be
turned off if:
• a child up to a bout one yea r of age is restrained on the front
passen ger seat in on e of the re ar -faci ng or forward -fac in g i nfa nt
restra ints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safe ty Standard 208 with
whi ch the A dvanc ed A irbag Sys tem in your vehic le w as c ertifi ed. For
a listing of the child rest raints that were used to cert ify your
v ehi cle's c om plia nce w ith the US S afet y Standar d:::::,
pag e 24 7,
• weight le ss than a threshold leve l stored in the cont ro l u nit is
d etected on the fr ont passe ng er sea t. .._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
When a person is detected on the front passenger seat, weighing
m ore tha n the to tal weigh t of a c hild that is ab out 1 year old
restra ined in one of the rear -fac ing or forward -facing infant
r es traints (listed in Fede ra l M oto r Vehicle Safe ty S ta ndard
208 with
which the Advanced Airba g System in your ve hic le was certified),
the fro nt airbag on the pas se nge r si de may o r may not dep loy .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li gh t com es o n when the elect ro ni c
contro l unit detects a total weight on the front passenger seat that
requ ires th e front ai rbag to be tur ned off. If th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger side
h as not been tu rned off by the c ontrol unit and can depl oy if the
control unit senses an impact that meets the conditions stored in its memo ry .
If t he to tal we ight on the fro nt passen ge r seat is more t han t hat of
a typical
1 year -old, but less than the weight of a small adult, the
fro nt a irba g on t he passen ger side may dep loy (the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
li ght does not come onl.
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
• a small ch ild that is heav ie r th a n a typ ical 1 yea r-old ch ild is o n
the front passenger seat (regardless of whether the child is in one
o f th e c hild seats listed
~ page 24"11,
• a ch ild wh o ha s ou tg rown chi ld re strain ts is on the fron t
passen ger seat.
If the front passenge r airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
lig ht in the ce nter of t he inst rument panel wi ll co me on a nd stay
on.
The fron t airb ag o n the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht does not i llu m ina te and s ta y lit) i f:
• a small adu lt or teenager is on the front passenger seat
• a passenger who is no t sitt ing up rig ht with the ir back aga inst a
non -reclined bac krest with their feet on the vehicle f loor in front of
t h e seat is on th e fro nt pass enger se at.
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federa l Standard requires
t he a irbag to m eet th e "low ri sk" deploy ment criter ia to he lp reduce the risk of injury through interaction with the airbag. "
Low risk"
d eployme nt occ urs in those cras hes that ta ke place a t lower de ce l­
erations as defined in the electronic contro l unit~
page 231 .
Always remember :
Even though your vehicle is equipped with
A dva nced Air bags , th e sa fes t place fo r chi ldren is properly
r estra ined on the back seat. Please be sure to read the important
i nf orm atio n in t he sect ions t hat follow and b e sur e to hee d all of the
WARN INGS.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, always wear
safety belts properly.
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward , sitting sideways or out
of posit ion in any way, your risk of injury is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag
=> page 220 .
& WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child 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 .
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
de signed to turn off the front airbag when a rearward -facing child
restraint has been installed on the front passenger seat , nobody
can absolutely guarantee that deployment is impossible in all
conceivable situations that may happen dur ing the useful life of
your vehicle.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child seat or infant carrier with
great force and will smash the child seat and child against the
ba ckrest , center arm rest , door , or roof .
• Always install rearward -facing child restraints on the rear seat . ..,.