-L___:_A~ i r'....: b~ a ::::: gL:: s~y -=s ::..:t :.:e :..: m..:..:.. ______________________________________________ _
lower parts of the body. Front airbags only supplement the three
point s afety be lts i n some fro ntal c ollisions in which t he vehicle de ce l
eratio n is h igh enough to dep loy the a irbags.
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is sw itched off when a cras h occu rs,
• in s ide collisions,
• in rea r-end collisions,
• in rollovers,
• when the cras h deceleration me asured by the ai rbag syste m is less
than t he m in imum threshold needed for airbag dep loyment as regis
t ere d by the e lectro nic cont rol unit.
The front passenger airbag will also not deploy:
• when the fron t pa sse nger sea t is not o ccupied,
• when the we ight on the front passenge r seat as sense d by the
Advanced Airbag Sys tem in dicates t hat the front airbag on the
passenger side has to be turned off by t he e lectron ic control un it (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and st ay s on).
& WARNING
Sitt ing in the wrong posit ion can increa se 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 ar ea
where the airbags are located.
• Occupants who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the
airbag can be ser iously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye=>
page 202.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing ch ild safety seat installed on the front
pa ssenger seat will be seriou sly 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, center armrest , door or roof.
• Always install rear-f acing child safety seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front p assenger seat because of e xceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
i mmediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
Objects between you and the airb ag wilt increase the risk of injury
in a crash by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
• N ever hold things in your hands or on your lap when the vehicle
is in use.
• Never tran sport items on or in the area of the front passenger
seat . Object s could move into the area of the front airbag s during
brak ing or other sudden maneuver and become dangerous projec
tiles that can cause serious personal injury if the airbags inflate.
• Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as
cupholders , telephone bra ckets , large, heavy o r 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 . The se obj ect s could cause injury in a crash , especially
when the airbags inflate .
• Never recl ine the front passenger's seat to transport objects.
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front ..,
Airbag system Ill
----------------=--=---
the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight t han is act ua lly on
t he sea t.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does not come on and
does not stay on cont in uou sly (when the ignition is sw itched on),
• t ake the child re st raint o ff the fr ont pa ssenge r seat and in stall it
prope rly at one of t he rear seat pos itions. Have t he a irbag system
i n sp ec ted by y ou r au thorized A udi dea ler im medi ately.
• move the child to a rear seat posit io n and make sure that the child
i s prop erly re stra ined in a chi ld restr aint t hat is a ppr opr iate for i ts
size and age.
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light sho uld NOT come on when t he
ign ition is on and an adult is si tting in a proper seating pos it io n on the
front passenge r seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and st ays o n or flashes for abou t 5 seco nds w hile drivi ng, under these
circumstances, make sure that:
• t he adult on t he fr on t p asse nger sea t is pro pe rly se ate d on the
center of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the backrest
and the bac kres t is not recli ned => page 178, "Proper occ upant
seating posit ions",
• t he adult is n ot tak ing weig ht off t he se at by h olding on to t he
passenger assist handle above the fro nt passenger doo r or
s up po rting their weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is be ing properly worn and th at there is not a lot of
s la ck in t he safe ty be lt webb in g,
• accessory seat cove rs or cushions o r othe r th ings that may cause
an in cor rect readin g or i mpress io n o n the weight -sen sing m at under
the upholstery of the seat have been removed from the front
pas senge r sea t,
• a safety be lt extender has not been left in the safety belt latch fo r
t he fr ont p asse n ge r se at.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in t he center of the
instrument pa nel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON w ill b riefly appear in th e inst rume nt clus ter
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
display.
This is to inform the dr iver of the current front passenger
a ir bag s tatus. •
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection 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 autho
rized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a child restraint, 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, especially 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 because of e xceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
........ _A_ i_rb _ a_,g,:;._ s_, y'- s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer .
• A tight tether or othe r strap on a rearward-facing child
restraint attached to the front passenger seat can put too much
pressure on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and register more
weight than i s actually on the seat. The heav ier 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 .
• If, in ex ceptional circumstances, you must install a forward·
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat, always move
the seat into i ts rearmo st po sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust ·
ment range, as far away from the airbag as possible . 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
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light do es not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after taking the steps
de scribed above, make sure the adult i s properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating positions.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized 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
empty seat, the front a irbag on the passenger side w ill be t urne d off,
and PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.•
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the a irbag system a re installed at many different p laces on
your Audi. Inst all in g, remov ing, servic ing or repa iring a part in an
area of the ve hicle can damage a part of an airbag system and preve nt
t ha t system from working pro perl y in a coll is ion.
T here are some important thi ngs you have to know to make sure that
the effectiveness of the system will not be impa ired an d that
discarded components do no t cause injury or poll ute 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 attach any objects such as cupholders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag unit s.
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain water. Solvent s 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 part s of the airbag system .
• All work on the steering wheel, instrument panel , front seats
or electrical sy stem (including the installation of audio equip·
ment , cellular telephones and CB radios, etc .) must be performed
by a qualified technician who ha s the training and special equip ·
ment necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly re commend
that you see your autho rized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body.
liJ,,
-Child Safety P:llf..,____ ______________ _
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a collision.
The physi cal pr in ci ples of wha t happe ns when yo ur vehicl e is in a cras h
apply a lso to chi ldren=>
page 192, "What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts?" . B ut unlike a dults and teenage rs, their
muscles and bones are not fully deve loped. In many respects c hildren
are at greater risk of ser io us injury in c rashes than adults.
Beca use child ren's bodies are not fu lly d ev el op ed, they requ ire
restra int systems especially designed fo r their size, weight, and body
st ruct ure. M any count ries a nd a ll states of t he Uni ted St ates and
prov inces of Canada have laws requ iring the use of approved c hild
restrain t sys tems for infants and sm all chi ldr en .
In a frontal crash at a speed o f 20-35 mph (30-56 km/ h) the forces
act ing on a 13-poun d (6 kg) infant w ill be more than 20 times t he
we ight of the c hild . This means t he weigh t of the child would
sudden ly be more than 260 po unds (120 kg). Under these conditions,
only a n app ropr iate child restra int properly use d can red uce t he risk
of serious in jury. Child restra ints must be used properly to be effec
t ive. Use d im properly, they c an increase the risk of ser io u s injury in an
acc ident.
Consult the c hild safety sea t manufac ture r's ins truc tion s in order to
be sure the seat is right for your c hild's size=>
page 225, "Im por tan t
safety instructions fo r using chi ld safety seats". P lease be s ure to
read and heed all of t he impo rtant informa tion and WAR NINGS
about ch ild safety, Advanced Airba gs, and the installation of c hild
restrain ts i n t his chapte r.
The re is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
veh icle and how t hey wo rk when inf ants and childre n in child
restra in ts are o n the front passenger seat . Beca use of the la rge amount of importan
t informat ion, we can not rep eat i t all he re . We
urge you to read the detai led information in this owner's manual
abou t ai rb ags a nd th e Adva nced Airbag Syste m in your vehicle an d the
very important information abo ut transporting children on the front
pa ssen ger s eat. P lease be sure to heed the W ARN IN GS -th ey are
extremely important fo r your safety a nd the sa fety of your passe n
g ers , especially infants and small childre n.
& 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 occupants and especially children must be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be inju red by striking the
interior 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 airbag.
• A suitable child re straint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating posit ions 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 -facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great for ce and will sma sh the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, or door.
IJll,
Child Safety Ill
-------------------"'---
C. Forward-facing convertible child restraint
systems, manufactured on or after September 1,
2004:
• Britax Roundabout 161
• 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 everybody
in the vehicle, especially children:
- Always use the right child safety seat for each child and
always use it properly::::>
page 227.
- 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 232.
-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
111,___C_ h_ il_d _ S_a _ f_ e _ t-= y ;....._ ____________________________________________ _
in. 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 (FMVSS)
213 (in Canada CMVSS 213).
- 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 instal
lation 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 (co ntinued )
• 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 other 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.
& WARNING (continued)
-Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost
position of the passenger seat's fore and aft adjustment range,
and as far away from the airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents the front
passenger's seat from being moved to the rearmost position in
its fore and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest is in the upright posi
tion.
• Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a
child is not sitting in it. A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=>
page 190, "Safety belts",
~ page 200, "Airbag system" and~ page 222, "Child Safety".
& 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
ignit ion is switched on.
• Take the child restrain t 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.
& WARNING
A child in a child restraint installed with the LATCH lower anchor
ages or with the standard safety belt on the rear seat may play
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Child Safety
& WARNING (continued)
with unused rear seat safety belts and become entangled
resulting in serious personal injury and even death.
• Always buckle unused rear seat safety belts out of reach of chil
dren in child seats and properly activate the convertible locking
retractor so that the child cannot unreel the safety belt from the
retractor .•
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old and 20 lbs. or
9 kg need special rearward-facing child restraints that
support the back, neck and head in a crash .
Fig. 205 Schematic
overview: rearward
facing infant seat, properly installed on
the rear
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 232 or install the seat using the
LATCH attachments. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data
___ C_h _i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_,, y'-----------------------------------------------
- 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).
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg) a re best protected in
special infant carriers and child safety seats designed for the ir age
group . Many exp erts believe that infants and small children should
r ide only in spec ial restraints in which the child faces the back of the
vehicle. These infant seats suppo rt the baby's back, neck and head in
a crash=> fig. 205.
The airbag on the passenge r side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a chi ld to ride. The front seat is not the safest
place for a ch ild in a forward-facing child seat. It is a very dangerous
place for an infant or a large r child in a rearward -fac ing seat.
& 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
in a crash.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats
or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the
inflating airbag hits the child safety seat or infant carrier with
great force and smashes the
child safety seat and child against the
backrest, center arm rest,
door or roof => page 202, "Child
restraints on the front seat- some important things to know".
• Always install rearward-facing child safety seats
or infant
carriers on the rear seat.
• Never install a rearward-facing child restraint in the forward
facing direction. Such restraints are designed for the special needs
of infants and very small children and cannot protect them
prop·
erly if the seat is forward-facing.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
& WARNING (continued)
immediately install the rearward-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained
in a vehicle is being used => page 190, "Safety belts",
=> page 200, "Airbag system" and => page 222, "Important
things to know" .•
Convertib le child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats can help
protect toddlers and children over age one who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs. (9 and 18 kg) in a crash .
Fig. 206 Schematic
overview: installation
of the attachments
applicable to a LATC H
seat ...