Airbag system -----------------=~-
If the fr ont airba gs deploy, t he kne e airbags also deploy in fro ntal
c o lli sion s above a ce rt a in s ev e rity.
W hen th e syst em is dep loy ed, the airbags start to f ill with a prope l
lant gas, and inflate between the lower part of the inst rument pane l
and the dri ver an d the l ower pa rt of t he in strument panel a nd the
front passenger =>
page 144, fig. 112.
A lth ough they ar e not a so ft pil low, the y ca n "c ush io n" the impac t
an d in this way they can h elp to reduce the risk of in jury to th e low er
e xtr emiti es.
A ll thi s takes place insta nt ane ous ly, so f ast th at many p eople don't
eve n realize that the a irbags ha ve deploye d. T he ai rb ag s als o i nflate
wi th a great dea l of force and it is im portant f or occ up ant saf ety that
no thi ng s ho ul d be in t he ir wa y when the y dep lo y.
Fu lly infl ate d airb ags in combin ation with pr operl y worn s afe ty b elt s
s lo w dow n and limi t the occu pant's fo rward moveme nt and h elp to
r e duc e th e risk. •
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
A irbags are only s upplem enta l restra ints. Alwa ys wea r
safe ty belts corr ectly and ride in a prop er seating position .
There is a lo t th at you an d your p assenger s m us t kn ow and d o to
he lp the safety be lts an d air ba gs to p ro v ide supp leme nta l p ro tec
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
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& 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 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 risk 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 157, "Child Safety". •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Child Safety -
--------------------''---
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safes t place in a collision.
The p hysica l pr inciples of what happens when you r veh ic le is in a
crash apply also to children=>
page 127, "What happens to occu
p a nts not wearing safety bel ts?" . Bu t un like adults and teenagers,
their musc les and bones are not fully developed. In many respects
children a re a t greater ris k of serious inj ury in cras hes than a dults .
B ecause chi ldren's bodies a re no t fully deve loped, they require
restraint systems especial ly designed for their size, weight, and
body structu re. Ma ny countries and al l sta tes of the U nited States
and provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of approved
chil d restraint sys te m s for infa nts and smal l children .
I n a frontal crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph (30 -56 km/h) the forces
ac ting on a 13-pou nd (6 kg) infant wi ll be mo re than 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the child would
suddenly be more than 260 pounds ( 120 kg). Under these condi
t ions, only an appropriate child restraint proper ly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury. Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
must be use d properly t o be eff ective. Use d impro perly, they can
increase the risk of serious injury in an accident.
Co nsul t the c hild safety seat man ufacture r's ins truc tions to be su re
the seat is right for your child's size=>
page 160, "Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats" . Please be sure to read and
heed a ll of the important information and WARNI NGS about child
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the insta llation of child restraints in
this chapter.
T here is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
veh ic le and how they work whe n inf an ts and ch ild ren in c hild
restraints are on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
amoun
t of important informat ion, we cannot repeat it all here. We
urge you to read the detai led information in this owner's manua l
about a irbags and the Advanced Airbag Sys tem in your ve hic le and
the very important information about transporting children on the
fr ont passenger sea t. Please b e sure to hee d th e WAR NINGS -th ey
are extreme ly important for your safety and the safety of your
p asse ngers, es pecia lly inf ant s and s mall ch ildren .
& WARNING
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position . Always
restrain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
• All vehicle o ccupants and especially children must be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle . An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the inte
rior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuver o r impact . An unrestrained or improperly restrained
c hild is also at greater risk of injury or death through conta ct with
an inflating a irbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating positions provides the highest degree of protec
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations .
& WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with Advanced Airb ags
c an be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates . A
child in a rearward -fa cing child safety seat installed on the front
pas senger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates.
• The inflating airbag will hit the ch ild safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest or door. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
-----------------------------------------~C::_! h~ i~ ld ~ S~a !_!f ~e _!;tY L _lffl!III
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 typ ical 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 chi ld restraint is properly
installed at one of the rear seating positions. If in exceptiona l
circumstances you must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully
read all of the information on child safety and Advanced Airbags
and heed a ll 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
th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Many
types and models of child restraints have been available over
the years, new mode ls are introduced regularly incorporating new
and improved designs and older mode ls 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 chi ld restraint
that sits on the seat, when they are installed on a vehicle sea t. These
differences make it virtual ly impossible to certify comp liance 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 usefu l life of your vehic le.
For this reason, the United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration has pub lished 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 base) .
• 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 lnfant8457
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
_______________________________________________ C_h _ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t..,:c y __ lflll
& 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 (FMVSSl
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 4
ft. 9 in. (1.4 ml to wear a normal
safety belt on rear seat under 4
ft . 3 in. (1 .3 m l=> page 166. 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 .
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& 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 , 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.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
____________________________________________ __:C:::. h :....:..:..:. il.:::d ~S :::.:::a.:.:fe :::. t:.! y~ _ffllll
& WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must install a forward or
rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat in
exceptional situations:
• Whenever a forward or rearward -facing child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat , the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light must come on and stay on whenever the ignition is
switched on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on , perform the checks described
=> page 146, "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 whenever the ignition is switched
on .
• Improper installation of child restraints can reduce the ir effec
tiveness or even prevent them from providing any protection .
• An improperly installed ch ild restraint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child.
• Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
• Never place additional items on the seat that can increase the
total weight registered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause
injury in a crash .
& WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
• 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 .
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued )
• 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
Rearward -facing child restraints :
• A child in a rearward -facing child safety seat installed on the
front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest , door or roof .
• Always be especially careful if you must install a rearward
fac ing child safety seat on the front passenger seat in e xceptional
circumstances .
• A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight registered can make
the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy
the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is sw itched on .
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on , immediately install the rear-fac ing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Child Safety -
--------------------''---
If the convertible locking retractor should be activated inadvert
ently, the safety belt must be unfastened and gu ided co mple te ly
back into its stowed position to deactivate this feature. If the
convertible lock ing retractor is not deactivated, the safe ty be lt will
gradually become tighter and uncomfortab le to wear.
& WARNING
Improper ly in stalled child safet y seat s in crea se the risk of seri ous
personal injury and death in a colli sion.
• Never unfasten t he safety belt to d eactivate the c onvertible
locking retractor for child re straint s while the vehicle is moving .
You would not be re strained and could be seriou sly injured in an
accid ent.
• Alway s re ad and heed all WARNINGS whenever us ing a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=:>
page 15 7. Spec ial precau
tion s app ly when in stalling a child safety se at on the fr ont
p assen ger seat =:>
pag e 13 7, "Child re straint s on the front seat -
s ome important thing s to know ".•
Additional Information
What types of child restraint anchors are
available and how are they related to child
safety?
For years, child restraints have been installed using the safety belts
a lready present i n every vehicle.
Since September 1, 1999, chi ld restraint manufacturers have been
providing tether straps that attach the top of the child restraint to
the vehicles structure, on most of their forward -facing systems in
order to comply with U.S. Federa l regu lations for child restraint
performance in a crash. Vehicle manufacture rs are required to
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
phase-in tether anchorages for attachment of the tether strap in
t heir U.S. vehic les beg inn ing September 1, 1999 .
The combination of the tether anchorages and the lower anchor
ages is now genera lly called the
LATCH system for " Lower Anchors
and Tether for C hildren".
( T he term "ISOFIX" regarding lower anchorages had been used by
Audi and other manufacturers in t he pas t, but LATCH is now the
standard name for the new child restraint anchorage system.)
Some child restraint system manufacturers have been providing
tether straps on certain models o f their child restraint systems,
either as standard equipment or as a retrofit, for severa l years.
Check w ith the manufacturer of the child restraint sys te m f or tether
strap availabi lity.
To provide a simpler and more practicable way to attach the child restraint system on the vehicle seat, U.S . Federal regu lations require
t he phase -in of lower anchorages in veh icles an d devices on new
child restraint systems to attach to the veh ic le ancho rages .
Child restraint system manufacturers will probably offer two kinds
of lower anchorages on their child safety seats
They cou ld come with:
• hook-on or push-on connectors attached to adjustable straps or
• rigid latches on bars that extend out the back of the child
restraint and are released with re lease buttons at the bottom of the
child restraint.
I n addition to the LATCH lower anchorages, both of these child
restra int systems use tether straps to help keep the chi ld restraint
system firmly in p lace. •
Where can I get additional information about
child restraint application and usage?
There are a numbe r of sources of additional information about child
restra int select ion, installation and usage: _.,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
_______________________________________________ C_h _ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t..,:c y __ __
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
the vehicle begins to skid, ESP brakes the appropriate wheel automatical ly .
The vehicle is stabilized again by the forces acting on the wheel during braking. With an oversteering vehicle (tendency for the rear
end to skid out of the curve), the brake application is mainly at the
front wheel on the outside of the curve, with an understeering
vehicle (tendency to run wide in the curve) at the rear wheel on the
inside of the curve or additionally at the other wheels as needed .
This brake application is accompanied by noises.
ESP works in conjunction with ABS=:>
page 187. If there is ma lfunc
tion in the ABS, ESP is also inoperative .
Activa ting
The ESP is automatica lly activated when the engine is started, and
it performs a self-test. As soon as the test is completed, the system
is in normal operating mode . With ASR deactivated, or with ESP/ASR
deactivated, pressing the button=>
page 182, fig. 130 returns the
system to normal operation.
D eac tiva ting
ESP should norma lly be activated at all times because this ensures
optimum vehicle stability . Only in certain exceptional cases it does
make sense to deactivate Anti -Slip Regulation (ASR) or the Elec
tronic Stability Program !ESP) by pressing the button =:>
page 182,
fig. 130. Both deactivation stages can only be activated from normal
mode.
Dea cti vat ing ASR
Tap the switch . Deactivation is indicated by slow flashing of the ESP
lamp in the instrument c luster. In certain situations (e.g. driving
with snow chains, in deep snow or on loose ground, or when rocking the car free), it may be necessary to deactivate ASR. Deacti
vation is effective only up to a speed of about 45 mph (70 km/h). At higher speeds, ASR is switched on again automatical ly in front
whee l drive vehicles, deactivation is possible only up to about 30
mph (50 km/h). With all -whee l drive vehicles, ASR is active above
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
In
te llig ent tec hn olo gy
about 45 mph (70 km/h) and deactivated automatical ly below this
speed.
D eac tiva tin g ES P/ASR
Press the button for more than 3 seconds . Deactivation is indicated
by the ESP lamp in the instrument c luster staying on permanently .
This deactivates the E lectronic Stabi lity Program (ESP) in addition to
ASR . No Electronic Stability System operation and no Anti-Slip
Regu lation is availab le across the entire speed range; ASR and ESP
are activated only when the brakes are used for the duration of the
braking action and remain active until a stab le vehicle condition has
been reached. There is no driving situation which requires ESP to be
deactivated, so this should only be done if the driver's skill and the
traff ic situation permit .
& WARNING
• The limi ts of ph ysics ca nnot be suspe nd ed by E SP. E ven in vehi
cles w ith ESP, you should always adapt your dr iving to road and
tr affi c co ndition s. Thi s is part icul ar ly tr ue on a s lippe ry and wet
road . Do not be te mpt ed b y th e incre as ed safet y prov ided t o ta ke
ri sks - dang er of an acc ide nt!
• Plea se not e that when ASR or ESP /ASR i s de activ ated , the drive
w heel s ca n spin on icy and slipper y ro ad s an d the vehi cle can
break away - da nger of skiddin g!
Ii ] Tip s
In the event of a defect in the rear spoiler system or in Audi
magnetic ride, it can happen that ASR and ASR/ESP cannot be deac
tivated, or they are activated automatica lly in the deactivated
state. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data