2009 AUDI S8 instrument panel

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or the lower parts of the body. Front airbags supp leme nt th e thr ee­
poi nt s afet y be lts only in so me front al colli sion s in which th e vehi cle
dece lerat ion is hi gh enou gh to d ep loy the a irba gs.
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,
• i n sid e collis io ns,
• i n rea r- e nd collisi ons ,
• in ro llovers,
• when th e c ras h de celerat io n measur ed by the a irba g system is
less than the minimum threshold needed for a irbag deployment as
r egi stere d by th e ele ctro nic con trol uni t.
The front passenger airbag also will not deploy :
• when th e fr ont pass enger seat is no t occupi ed,
• when the weight on the front passenger seat a s sensed by the
A dvanced A irbag Syste m indicates tha t the fr ont air bag o n the
passenger side has to be turned off by the e lectronic cont rol unit
(t he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li gh t comes o n and s tays o nl.
& 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 222.
& 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 c ircumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
i mmed iately install the rear-facing child seat in a rear seating posi­
tion and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer.
& WARNING
Objects between you and the a irbag will increase the risk of injury
in a crash by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by
be ing 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 .
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport object s.
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front ..,

-Airbag system PW,._____ -=--=-----------------
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
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Fig. 235 Sectio n fr om
th e i nstrument panel:
PAS SENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center of the
instrument pane l => fig.
235 .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on to tel l
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has
been turned off by the electronic contro l unit . Each time you turn on
the ignition, the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light wi ll 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 chi ld or chi ld restraint on the front
passenger seat ,
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight -sensing mat .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on if the
ignition is on and
• a car bed has been installed on the front seat, or
• a rearward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• a forward-facing child restraint has been insta lled on the front
passenger seat, or
• the weight registered on the front passenger seat is equal to or
less than the combined weight of a typical 1 year-old restrained in one of the rear
-facing or forward-facing infant restraints listed in
Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which the Advanced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified .
I f the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag wil l not
deploy, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght wi ll stay on. Never
install a rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
the safest place for a child in any kind of child restraint is at one o f
the seating posi tions on the rear seat=>
page 222, "Child restraints
o n the front seat -some important things to know" and=>
page 245,
"Chi ld Safety".
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when one of the
conditions listed above is met , be sure to check the light regularly
to make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light stays on
continuously whenever the ignition is on. If the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not appear on and does not stay on all the time,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turning the ignition off and then turning
it on again;
• remove and reinstal l the child restraint. Make sure that the child
restraint is properly insta lled and that the safety belt for the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed through the child restraint
as described in the child restraint manufacturer's instructions;
• make sure that the convertible locking feature on the safety belt
for the front passenger seat has been activated and that the safety
belt has been pulled tight . The belt must not be loose or have loops
of slack so that the sensor below the safety belt latch on the seat can
do its job =>
page 255.
• make sure that things that may increase the weight of the child
and child 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;
• If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child seat to the front
passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes the .,_

llffll,___A_ ir_ b_ a.::g <-- s-- & WARN ING (continued )
• A tight tether or other strap on a rearward-facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat c an put too much p res su re
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and reg ister more weight
than is 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 mu st be suppre ssed causing
serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in exceptional circumstances , you must install a forward ­
f ac ing child restraint on the front passenger seat , always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft adjust ­
ment range , as far away from the airbag as possible . The ba ckrest
must be adju sted to an upright position. Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on .
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after tak ing the steps
described above, make sure the adult i s properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seat ing positions .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer before
transporting anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
If the we ight -sens ing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
e m pty s eat, th e front airbag on the passenge r side wil l be tur ned
off , and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght wil l stay on .•
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are insta lled at many different places on
yo ur Audi. Ins tal li n g, r em oving, s ervicing o r rep airi ng a part in an area of the vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system and
p revent that sys tem from wo rking pr operly in a c ollisi on.
Th ere are some important th ings you have to know to ma ke sure
that the effectiveness of the system will not be impai red and that
discarded co mponents do no t cause i njury or po llute the enviro n­
ment.
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly :
• Never cover , obstruct , or change the steering wheel horn pad
or airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way.
• Never atta ch any objects 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 moistened with plain water . Solvents or cleaners
could 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 ,
cellular telephones and CB radios , etc .I must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the train ing and special equipment
necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your author ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter-
ference :
~

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;:::;_ s--:.. y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's su spension includ ing use of un approved
tire -rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performance
and increase the ris k of serious personal injury in a crash .
• Never install suspen sion component s that do not have the
same performance chara cteristics as the components or iginally
installed on your vehicle.
• Never use tire-r im comb inations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt bu ckle and the center
c onsole can cause the sensors in the buc kle to send the wrong
information to the electroni c control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly .
• Alway s make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed .
<£> For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules a nd pretensioners might be classified
as Pe rchlorate Mat erial -spe cia l han dling may a pply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle or
par ts o f the restraint syst em i ncludi ng ai rbag modules and saf ety
belts with pretensioners are scrapped, a ll app licab le laws and regu­
latio ns must be observed . Yo ur au thori zed A udi dealer is fam ilia r
with these requirements and we recommend that you have your
dealer perfo rm this serv ice for you .•
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
T he airba g sys tem c an prov id e sup plemen tal prot ect ion
t o pro pe rly rest rained fron t seat occ upant s.
0
Fig. 2 36 Drive r's
airba g
The airbag for the driver is located in the instrument panel under ­
neath the steering wheel=> fig. 236, the airbag for the passenger is
at about the same height in the instrument panel und erneath the
glove compartment.
T he knee air bag offe rs addi tio nal pr ote cti on to the d river's a nd
passenger 's knees and upper and lower thigh ar eas as a supple ­
me nt to t he sa fety be lts.
I f the front airbags deploy , the knee airbags also deploy in frontal
collisions above a certain severity=> page
229, "M ore important
thi ngs to kno w about fron t a irba gs" .
B esides their normal safety function, safety belts wor k to help keep
t h e dri ver o r fr on t passeng er in pos itio n in case of a fro ntal col lis ion
so that the airbags can provide protection .
T he airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt . Rathe r, it
i s part of the overa ll occupa nt res tra int system i n your ve hi cle.
A lwa ys re member that the airbag system can on ly help to protect
you if you a re wearing your safe ty belt and weari ng it properly . T hi s .,,_

is why you should always wear your safety belt, not just because the
l a w requ ire s you to do so =>
page 211, "Genera l notes" .
The safety belt buckle for the driver and front seat passenger have switches that tell the airbag control module if the safety belt is
being used or not. If the safety belt is being used , the knee airbag
will deploy at a s lightly higher rate of deceleration than if the belt is
not be ing used . Therefore, in a par ticular collision, it is possib le that
an airbag will not deploy a t a seating position where the safety belt
is be ing used but will inflate at the position where the safety belt is
not being used .
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and only in ce rtain
kinds o f accidents - your safety be lts are always there to offer
protection in those accidents in wh ich airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for examp le when you r
vehicle strikes or is struck by another after the first collision.
T his is just one of the reasons why an ai rbag is not a substitute for
the safety be lt. The airbag system works most effectively when used
with the safety belts . Therefore, a lways wear your safety belts
correctly.
I t is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the like lihood of ser ious injuries, o ther
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
a lso be associated with airbags.
The kn ee airbag s ystem bas ically con sists of:
• The electronic control module
• Two inflatable airbags (ai rbag and gas generato r), one for the
driver and one for the front passenger
• T he airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The kn ee airbag system w ill not deploy :
• whe n the ignit ion is turned off
• in front -end collisions when the deceleration measured by the
control uni t is too low
• in side collisions
Safety first
Airb ag sy ste m
• in rear -end co llisions
• in ro llovers
• in the event of a system malfunction (warning/indicator light illu ­
minated)=>
page 19 .
& WARNING
• Safety belt s and the airbag sy stem ca n only p rov ide protec tion
when o ccupants are in the proper seating po sition
=> page 229 .
• If the airbag indi cator light come s when the vehi cle is b eing
u sed , have the system in spected immediately by your authori zed
Audi deale r. Th e airbag may no t work prope rly when the vehicle
acceleration in a side colli sion is high enough to deploy the airbag.
See also =>
page 19. •
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg are a i s reduce d by fully
depl oyed knee airb ags .
Fig . 237 In fl ate d
ai rba gs prot ecting in a
frontal colli sio n
The knee airbag system has been designed so that the airbags for
the drive r and front passenger a re depl oyed in certain but not all
frontal col lisions.
ai,.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

1111 Airbag system
----==---=--------------------------------
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also dep loy in frontal
c ollis ions ab ove a cer tai n se ver ity.
When the system is deployed, the airbags start to f ill with a prope l­
lant gas, and inf late between the lower part of the instrument pane l
and t he dr ive r and the lowe r pa rt o f the instrument pane l and t he
front passenger ~ page
229 , fig. 23 4.
Althoug h they are no t a so ft pi llow, t hey can "cushion" th e impac t
and in this way they can he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the lower
e xtr em it ies .
A ll t his takes p lace instantaneously, so fast t hat many people do n't
even realize that the ai rbags have deployed. The airbags a lso inflate
w it h a great deal o f force and it is impor tant for occupan t sa fety t hat
nothing shou ld be in their way when they dep loy.
F u lly infla ted ai rbags i n co mb ination with p roperly worn safety be lts
s low down and limit the occupant's forward movement and he lp to
r ed uce the ris k.•
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
A irb ags ar e onl y supplemen tal r es tra in ts. Alw ays wea r
s af ety be lts cor re ctly and r ide i n a prop er seatin g position.
There is a lo t tha t you a nd your passengers must know a nd do to
help the safet y be lts 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 clo se 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
follow ing min imum safe distances :
- 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 w ith the
way the airbag deploys or by being pushed into you as the a irbag
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 airb ag. Sm all 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 245 , "Child Safety". •

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;:::;_ s--=- y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (c ont in ued)
- Alwa ys ha ve work on th e doo rs done by an auth ori ze d Aud i
d ea le r or q ualified works hop . •
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to pr operly restrained occupants .
Fig. 240 Side cu rtai n
ai rb ags, drive r's side:
s ide c urt a in airb ag
l oca tion
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides of the interior
above the front and rear side windows~ fig. 240. They are identi ­
fied by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshield frame and the center
roof pillar.
The side curtain airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury for occupants' heads and upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side collision. The
side curtain airbag inflates only in side impacts and on ly when the
vehic le acceleration registered by the control unit is high enough . If
t his rate is below the re ference value programmed into the control
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 possib le to
define an airbag triggering range that will cover every possible angle of
impact, since the circumstances will vary considerably
be tween one collision and another. Important factors include, for
example, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting object, the ang le
of impact, vehicle speed, etc.~
page 243, "How side curtain airbags
work" .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts work to help
keep the dr iver or front passenger in position in the event of a colli ­
sion so that the side curtain airbags can prov ide protection .
The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt. Rathe r, it
is part of the overall occupant restraint system in your vehicle .
A lways remember that the airbag system can on ly help to protect
you if you are wearing your safety belt and wearing it properly. This
is another reason why you should always wear your safety belts, not
just because the law requires you to do so~
page 211, "General
notes".
It is important to remember that while the side curtain airbag
system is designed to he lp reduce the like lihood of serious injuries,
other injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions
can a lso be associated with these airbags upon deployment.
Remember too, these airbags wi ll dep loy only once and only in
certain kinds of accidents -your safety belts are always there to
offer protection.
Th e s ide cu rtai n air ba g sys te m b asi ca lly co nsis ts of:
• The electronic control modu le and external side impact sensors
• T he side curtain airbags above the front and rear side windows
• The airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain it is
funct ion ing proper ly at all times . Each time you turn on the ignition,
the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics).
The s ide c urtain a irbag is no t activa te d:
• if the ignition is tu rned off,

-Child Safety -------=---------------------------------------
& WAR NIN G (co ntinued )
• Alw ays in sta ll re ar-facin g child safety s eats on the r ear seat .
• If you m us t in sta ll a rear ward f acing child saf ety s eat on th e
fr ont pa ssenger seat in exceptional circum stan ces and the
PA SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light do es not come on and sta y on ,
immediately in sta ll the re ar-facing child safety s eat in a rear
s eating po sit ion and ha ve th e airb ag s ystem insp ected immedi ­
atel y by your Audi dea ler .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circum stance s, you mu st in sta ll a forward -f a cing
c hild re str ain t on th e fr ont p assenger's s eat:
• Always mak e sure the forward -fac ing seat ha s been de signed
a nd ce rt ified by it s m anufa cturer for u se on a fr ont se at w ith a
pa ssenger front and side airbag.
• Always follow the m anufacturer's instru ctions provided w ith
the child safety seat or carr ier.
• Alwa ys mo ve the pa ssenger seat into it s rea rmost positi on in
the seat' s fore and aft adju stment range , as far aw ay from the
ai rbag as possib le bef ore installing the ch ild r estr aint . The ba ck­
re st mu st b e adjusted to an upright po sition.
• Alway s m ake sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
c om es on and sta y s on all the time whenever the ignition is
s w it c hed on . •
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Airbag System" in
complia nce with United States Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Stan ­
dard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manu ­
factu red. T
he Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the " low -risk" requirements for 3 and 6 year -old chi ldren on
the passenger side and smal l adults on the driver side . The low risk
deployment criteria are intended to reduce the risk of injury through
interaction with the airbag that can occur, for example, by being too
close to the steering wheel and instrument panel when the airbag
inflates. In addition, the system has been certified 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
S tandard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system, all ch ildren, especially those 12 years and younger, should
always ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and
size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten­
tially dangerous p lace for a child 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 p lace for an infant or a larger ch ild 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 belt.
The weight -sensing mat measures total weight of the chi ld and the
child safety seat and a child blanket on the front passenger seat . The
weight on 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 ..,.