2010 AUDI A5 COUPE Owners Manual

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& W ARNING (continued )
airbag dur ing braking or in a sudden maneuver . Objects ne ar the
airbags can become proje ctile s and cau se injury , particularly when
the seat is reclined .
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cause breathing
p roblems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing
c onditions .
• To reduce the risk of breathing problems , those with asthma or
other respir atory cond itions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening windows or doors.
• If you are in a collision in which airbags deploy, wash your
hands and face with mild soap and water before eating.
• Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes, or into any cuts or
scratches.
• If the residue should get into your eyes , flush them with
water .•
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light t~
Tw o separate indicators monitor th e funct ion of the
Adva nced A irbag Syst em : the a ir b ag mon itor in g i ndicator
l ig ht an d the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
The Advanced Airbag System (including the electronic control unit,
s en sor cir cu its a nd sys tem wiring) is mon itored co ntinuous ly to
make sure that it is functioning properly whenever the ignition is on.
E ac h tim e you turn on th e ig niti on, the ai rbag monito ring ind icator
light
t~ w ill come on for a few seconds (se lf diagnostics) .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
The system must be inspected wh en the indicator
light ~:
• does not come on when the ignition is switched on,
• does not go ou t a few sec ond s a fter you have swi tc hed on the
ignition, or
• comes on while d riv in g.
I f an airbag system malfunction is detected, the indicator light will
fi rst sta rt fla sh ing to catch the d rive r's atten tion an d t hen stay on
cont inuously to serve as a constant reminder to have the syst em
inspected i mmedia tely.
If a mal funct ion occurs that tu rns the fro nt a irbag o n th e passe nger
side off, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on
whe neve r the ig nit ion is on.
& 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 . •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF light
Fig. 197 Sec tio 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 panel=> fig.
197 .
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 190, "Child restraints
o n the front seat -some important things to know" and=>
page 213,
"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 and 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 around 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 223.
• make sure that things that may increase the weight of the child
and child safety 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 safety seat to the
front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes -.,

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the weight -sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on
the seat .
If th e PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still d oes not come on and does
not stay on continuously (when the ignition is switched on),
• t ake the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install it
properly at one of the rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspected by your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
• move the child to a rear seat position and make sure that the
child is proper ly restrained in a child restraint that is appropria te for
its size and age.
The
P AS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light shou ld NOT come on when the
ignition is on and an adult is sitting in a proper seating position on
the front passenger seat . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OF F light
comes on and stays on or flashes for about 5 seconds whi le driving,
under these circumstances, make sure that:
• the adu lt on the front passenger seat is properly seated on the
center of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the back­
res t and the backrest is not reclined => page 170, "Proper occupant
seating positions",
• the adult is not taking weight of f the sea t by holding on to the
passenger assist handle above the front passenger door or
supporting thei r weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is being proper ly worn and that there is not a lot
of slack in the safety belt webbing,
• accessory seat covers or cushions or other things that may cause
an incorrect reading or impression on the weight -sensing mat
under the upho lstery of the seat have been removed from the front
passenger sea t,
• a safety belt extender has not been left in the safety be lt latch for
t he front passenger seat .
In addition to the
PA SS ENGER AIR BA G OFF light in the center of the
instrument panel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG O FF or
PAS SEN GER AIR BA G ON wi ll briefly appear in the instrument c luster
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
display. This is to inform the driver of the current front passenger
a
irbag status .•
Important safety instructions on monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag sy stem that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a front al cra sh .
• If the airb ag ind ica tor li ght come s on , it me ans that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Ai rbag S ystem. It is
po ssible that the airbag will inflate when it is not suppo sed to , or
w ill not infl ate wh en it should .
• Have the airb ag sys tem in spe cted i mmediatel y by y our autho ­
rized Aud i dealer .
& WARNING
If the front airb ag infl ate s, a child without a child re straint , in a
rear ward -fa cing ch ild safet y se at or i n a forwa rd-fa cing child
r e str aint that has not been properly in stalled will be seriously
inj ured and can be killed .
• Even though your vehicle i s equipped with an Adv anced Airbag
Sy stem , m ake cert ain that all children , e speci ally 1 2 year s and
younger , alway s ride on the bac k seat prope rly re strain ed for their
a ge and siz e .
• Alway s install forward or rear -facin g child safety seat s on the
re ar seat - even with an Ad vanced Airb ag System .
• If you must in stall a rearwa rd -fa cing child safety seat on the
fron t pa sse nger seat be cau se of exc eptional circu mstan ce s a nd
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not appe ar and st ay o n,
immedi atel y insta ll the r ear -f ac ing child safet y seat in a re ar ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARN ING (continued )
seating posit ion and have the airb ag system inspe cted by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• A t ight tether or other strap on a rearward-fa cing child restr aint
att ached to the front pas senger se at can put too much pres sure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and reg ister more weight
than is actually on the seat. The heavier weight registered can
m ake the system work as though an adult were on the seat and
deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed cau sing
ser ious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in exceptional circumstance s, you mu st in stall a forward ­
f a cing 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 po ssible . The ba ckrest
must be adjusted to an upright position. Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stay s 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 step s
described above, make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating posit ions .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer before transport ing anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
If the weight -sensing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
e m pty seat , the front a irbag on the passenge r side wil l be tur ned
off, and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.•
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
P arts of the airbag system are installed at many different p laces on
you r Aud i. Insta ll ing, r emoving, servic ing or repa iring a pa rt in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system and
p revent that sys tem from working pr operly in a c ollisi on.
There are some important things you have to know to ma ke sure
t h at the effective ness of the system will not be impai red and that
discarded co mponents do not cause injury or po llute the env iro n­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by pre venting 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 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 , adju st, or change any parts of the airbag sy stem .
• 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 training and special equipment
necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your author ized Audi dealer or qual ified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .

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& WARNING (continued )
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter­
ference :
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate.
- Damage to the or iginal seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi ­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• The airbag system can be activated only once. After an airbag
has inf lated , it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary .
• The airbag system can be deployed only once . After an airbag
has been deployed, it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only .
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in you r Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• In accidents when an airbag is deployed , the vehicle battery
separates the alternator and the starter from the vehicle electrical
system for safety reasons with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
-Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehi cle or the circuit interrupter is scrapped, all appli ­
c able safety precautions must be followed .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
<£' For the sake of the environment
U
ndep loyed airbag modu les a nd p retens ioners mi ght be c lassified
as Perch lorate Mate rial -sp ecia l handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/ haza rdous waste/perc hlorate. W hen the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules safety be lts
w it h pre ten sio ne rs are scrapped, a ll appl ica ble l aws and re gula ­
tions must be observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar with
t hese re qu irements and we rec om men d th at you h ave yo ur dealer
perform this service for you. •
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the vehicle 's suspension system can change the way that
t he Adva nced Airb ag Sys te m per form s in a crash . For e xamp le,
u sing ti re -rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
ve hicle , c hangi ng th e s tif fness of the sus pension , in cluding the
springs, suspension struts, shock absorbers etc. can change the
forc es that are meas ured by the ai rbag se nso rs a nd se nt to t he ele c­
tronic control unit. Some suspension chan ges can, for examp le,
i nc rea se t he for ce le v e ls mea sur ed by the se nso rs and make th e
ai rbag system dep lo y in cras hes in w hich it wou ld not d ep loy if the
changes had not been made . Other kind s of changes may reduce
th e force l eve ls measured by t he sensors and prevent t he airba g
from deploy ing when it should .
Th e sen so rs in the s afet y b elt buckle fo r the driv er and front
passen ger seat tell the electronic control module if the safety belt is
l a tc h e d or n ot. If the safet y b elt i s bei ng use d, th e fr ont ai rb ag will
dep loy at a s lightly hi gher rate of vehic le dece leration than if the
safet y belt is not be ing u sed . The refo re, in a partic ular coll isi on, it i s
poss ible t hat an airbag will not deploy at a s eati ng position where
the safety be lt i s being used b ut wi ll inf late at the pos ition where the
sa fety belt is not being used. I t is im porta nt t hat nothi ng i nterf ere
with the safety belt b uckles so that the sens ors can send the correct
i n fo rm ati on about sa fety belt use to the elect ron ic contro l u nit. .,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& 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 and pretensioners might be classified
as Perchlora te Mater ial -specia l handling may a pply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle or
par ts o f the res traint system inclu ding airbag modules sa fe ty be lts
with pretensioners are scrapped, a ll applicable laws and regu la ­
tions mu st be o bserved. You r aut hor ize d Au di d eale r is fami liar with
these requirements and we recommend that you have your dea ler
perform this service for you. •
Knee airbags
Applies to vehicles: with knee air bags
Description of knee airbags
The airbag system c an provide supplemental pr otection
to pr operly res traine d fron t sea t occupan ts .
....
! 00 m
F ig . 19 8 Drive r's kne e
airba g
The knee a irbag for the driver is located in the instrument panel
underneath the stee ring wheel => fig. 19 8, the knee air bag for the
passeng er is at about the same height in th e instrument pane l
underneath the glove compartment .
Th e kn ee ai rbag offers addi tional pr otec tion to the d river's a nd
passenger 's knees and upper and lower thigh a reas as a supple ­
me nt to t he sa fety be lts .
I f the front airbags deploy , th e knee airbags also deploy in frontal
collisions above a certain severity=>
page 197, "M ore important
things to know about front airbags".
Besides their normal safety function, safety belts wor k to help keep
th e dri ver o r fr on t passeng er in pos itio n in case of a fro ntal col lis io n
so that the airbags can provide protection .
T he airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt . Rathe r, it
is part of the overall occupant restra int system in your vehicle .
A lwa ys remember that the airbag system can only help to protect .,,_

you if you are wearing your safety belt and wearing it properly. This
is why you should always wear your safety belt, not just because the
law requires you to do so=>
page 179, "General 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
wi ll deploy at a sl ightly higher rate of dece leration than if the belt is
not being used . The refore, in a particular col lision , it is possible that
an airbag will not deploy at a seating position where the safety belt
is being used but wil l inflate at the position where the safety belt is
not being used.
Remember too , airbags w ill deploy only once and only in certain
kinds of 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 exampl e when your
vehicle strikes or is struck by another after the first collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is not a substitute for
the safety be lt. The airbag system works most effectively when used
with the safety belts . Therefore, always wear your safety belts
correctly.
It is impo rtant to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries , for example, swelling, bruising, a nd minor abrasions can
also be associated with airbags .
The k nee airb ag sys tem ba sically con sists of:
• The electronic control module
• Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas generator), one for the
driver and one for the front passenger
• The airbag indicator ligh t in the instrumen t panel
T he kn ee airbag system will not deploy:
• when the ignition is turned off
• in front -e n d collisions when the deceleration measured by the
control unit is too low
Safety first
Airb ag sy ste m
• in side collisions
• in rear-end co llisions
• in ro llovers
• in the event of a system malfunction (warning/indicator light illu­
minated) =>
page 14.
& WARNING
• Saf ety bel ts and the airb ag sy ste m can only pro vide pr ote cti on
w hen occu pants are in th e pr op er se ating position =>
page 19 7.
• If th e airbag indi cat or light come s when th e veh ic le i s being
used , hav e the s ystem in spe cted im medi atel y by yo ur aut hori zed
Audi deal er. The a irbag m ay n ot w ork properly wh en the v ehicle
ac celer atio n in a side collisio n is high eno ugh to deploy th e airbag .
See als o =>
pag e 14. •
Ap plies to vehic les : w ith kn ee ai rb ag s
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area is reduce d by fully
deployed knee airbags.
Fig . 19 9 Inf late d
air bags prote cti ng in a
fron tal co llision
The knee airbag system has been designed so that the airbags for
the driver and front passenger are deployed in certain but not all
frontal collisions . ._
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

-Airbag system -----~~---------------------------------------------------------
If the front airbags dep loy, 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 197, fig. 196.
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 bel ts
s low down and limit the occupant's forward movement and he lp to
r educe the ris k.•
A pplies to veh icles: with knee airbags
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
A irbags are only supplemental rest rain ts . A lways wear
s a fet y be lts c orr e ctl y and r id e i n a pr oper sea tin g po sition.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must know and do to
h e lp the safe ty belts an d airb ags to p rovide sup plemental protec ­
tion .
& WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious injury. Wearing safety
belts incorrectly and improper seating po sitions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is being
used.
& WARNING (continued)
• The airbag system cannot protect you properly if you are
seated too close to any of the airbag locations. When adjusting
their seat positions , it is important that both the driver and the
front passenger keep their upper bodies and knees at the
follow ing minimum safe distances :
- 10 inche s (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 k ind 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 p rope r 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 in correctly seated , their risk of injury increases in
the case of an accident~
page 213, "Child Safety". •