___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;:::;_ s--:.. y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
• in front-end collisions
• in rear-end collisions
• in rollovers.
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side curtain airbags
and side airbags may be triggered together.
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position
=> page 208.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle is being
used, have the system inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer . The airbag may not work properly when the vehicle
acceleration in a side collision is high enough to activate the
airbag. •
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help reduce the risk
of upper torso injuries for occupants who are properly
restrained.
Fig . 201 Inflated side
airbags on left side of
vehicle
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled with propellant gas
and breaks through a seam in the seat surface area marked "
AIRBAG ". It expands between the side trim panel and the
passenger. In order to help provide this additional protection, the
side airbag must inflate within a fraction of a second a t very high
speed and with great force. The supplemental side airbag could
injure you if your seating position is not proper or upright or if items
are located in the area where the supplemental side airbag expands.
This applies especially to children=>
page 213, "Child Safety".
Supplemental side airbags inflate between the occupant and the
door panel on the side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collision => fig. 201.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can "cushion" the impact
and in this way they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys. This is normal
and does not m ean there is a fire in the vehicle .•
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always prop
erly wear safety belts and ride in a proper seating posi
tion.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must know and act
accordingly to help the saf ety bel ts and airbags do their job to
provide supplemental protection.
& WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or fatal injury. Improp
erly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions increase
the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is
being used.
• In order to reduce the risk of injury when the supplemental side
airbag inflates:
~
Airbag system -----------------=~-
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position
~ page 69,
"General recommendations" .
• If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle is being
used, have the system inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer. The side curtain airbag may not work properly even
when the vehicle acceleration in a side collision is high enough to
activate the airbag. •
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with side airbags
to help reduce the risk of head and upper torso injuries for
occupants who are properly restrained.
..
Fig . 203 Illustration of
principle: Inflated side
curtain airbags on the
left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the occupant and the
windows on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side collision
~ fig. 203.
When the system is triggered, the side curtain airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks through a seam above the front and rear
side windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order to help
provide this additional protection, the side curtain airbag must
inflate within the blink of an eye at very high speed and with great
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation force. The side curtain airbag could injure you if your seating posi
tion
is not proper or upright or if items are located in the area where
the supplemental side curtain airbag inflates. This applies espe
cially to children ~ page 213.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain airbags can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can help to reduce the risk
of injury to the head and the upper part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys. This is quite
normal and does not mean there is a fire in the vehicle. •
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always prop
erly wear safety belts and ride in a proper seating posi
tion.
ihere is a lot that you and your passengers must know and do to
help the safety belts and airbags do their job to provide supple
mental protection .
& WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions
increase the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
• Never let occupants place any parts of their bodies in the area
from which the side curtain airbags inflate.
• Always make sure that the side curtain airbags can inflate
without interference. Unsuitable accessories fitted inside the
expansion range of a head airbag can dangerously interfere with
its function. A deploying head airbag develops enough force to
catapult any piece of add-on component out of its path of inflation
and into the passenger compartment. An occupant hit by such a _,.
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 181, "What happens to occu
pa nts not wearing safety bel ts?" . But un like adults their muscles
and bones are not ful ly developed. In many respects children are at
greater ris k of ser iou s injury in c rashes than adu lts .
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 s mall 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 in jury. Child restraints must be used proper ly to
b e e ffec tive. Use d improper ly, th ey can inc rease th e risk o f ser ious
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 216, "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 -they
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 contact 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
passenger 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 , center armrest or door. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
-Child Safety ------=---------------------------------
& WAR NIN G (co ntinued )
• Alw ays inst all r ear ward-f acing child safet y sea ts on the r ear
s eat.
• If you must in stall a r earward facing child saf ety seat on the
front p assenger seat in e xcept ion al circum sta nce s and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not come on and stay on ,
imm edi atel y ins ta ll the re arw ard -fa cin g child safety seat in a re ar
s eating po sit ion and have the airb ag s ystem inspe cted immedi
a tely by your autho rized Audi dealer .
& WARNING
If, in e xce ptional cir cum sta nces, you mu st in stall a fo rward-fa cing
c hild restraint on the front p asseng er's seat :
• Alway s m ake s ure the forw ard -fa cing seat h as been de signed
and cert ified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
• Alway s follow the m anufacturer's instructi on s provided with
the child s afety seat or carrier .
• Alway s move the p assenger seat into it s rearmo st position in
the seat's fo re and aft adju stment range , as far a way from the
airbag a s po ssible b efore in stalling the child restraint. The ba ck
rest must be adjusted t o an up rig ht position .
• Alway s m ake sure that the PA SSENG ER AIR BAG OFF light
c ome s on and stays on all the time whenever the ign iti on is
switched on. •
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Advanced Airbag System" in
compliance with United States Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Stan
dard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manu
factured . T
he Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the " low -risk" requiremen ts for 3 -and 6 -year o ld children 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 younge r, 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 ..,.
___ C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_y ____________________________________________ _
C. Forward-facing convertible child restraint systems,
manufactured on or after September 1, 2004:
• Britax Roundabout 161
• Britax Expressway
• 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. •
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 every
body in the vehicle, especially children:
- Always use the right child safety seat for each child and
always use it properly ::::>
page 218.
-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 223.
-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. _,,
_____________________________________________ C_ h _ il_d _S_ a _ fe_t---= y'---_fflllll
& 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 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 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 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 .
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 other in an
accident.
• Never install rearward-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 rearward -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
-Child Safety P'll:f _______________ _
-Always make sure that the chi ld can pr operly wear t he
lap por tion of the be lt low acr oss the thighs or pelvis and
never over the stomach or abdomen.
Children up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs . or 18 kg) are best
protected in child safety seats designed for their age and weight.
Exper ts say that the ske le tal s tructure, particu lar ly the pe lvis, of
these children is not fully deve loped, and they must not use the
vehic le safety belts without a suitab le chi ld rest raint.
Children who are at least 4 ft. 9 in. (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall can
generally use the vehic le 's three point lap and shou lder belts . Never
use the lap belt portion of the vehic le's safety belt a lone to restrain
any chi ld, regardless of how big the child is. Always remember that
children do not have the pronounce d pelvic struc ture required for
the proper function of lap be lt portion of the vehicle's three point
lap and shou lder belts. The child' s safety abs olutely requires that a
lap belt portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and as low as
possible aro und the pelv is. Never let the lap be lt portion of the
safety be lt pass over the child 's stomach or abdomen .
It is usua lly best to put thes e chi ldren in appropriate booster seats .
Be sure the booster seat me ets all app licable safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating pos ition of the child and reposition
both the lap and s hou lder par ts of t he safety belt so that they pass
across the child's body in the right places. The routing of the belt
over the child's body is very important for the child 's protection,
whether or not a booster seat is used. Children age 12 and under must a lways ride in the rear seat.
In a crash, air bags must inflate wi th in a b link of an eye and with
considerab le force . In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
inf la te so tha t it will be there to pr otec t the occ upant as the occu
pant moves forward in to the airbag .
A vehicle occupant who is out of position and too close to the airbag ge ts in t he way of an inflating a irbag. When an occupant is too
close, he or she will be struck vio lent ly and will receive serious or
poss ibly even fatal inju ry. I
n order for the airbag to offer protection, it is important that all
v eh ic le occupan ts, espec ially any c hildren, who mus t be in the fron t
seat because of exceptiona l circumstances, be properly restrained
and as far away fro m the airbag as possible . By keepi ng room
between the child's body and the front of the passenger compart
ment, the ai rbag can inflate comp lete ly and provide s upplemental
p rotectio n in ce rtai n fr ontal collis ions .
& WARNING
Not u sing a booster seat , using the booster seat improperly , incor
rectly installing a boo ster seat or using the vehicle safety belt
improperly in creases the risk of serious personal injury and death
in a collision or other emergency situation . To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury and /or death :
• Alway s make sure to position the shoulder portion of the three
point belt over the middle of child's shoulder .
• Never let the shoulder portion of the belt rest against or acro ss
the ne ck, fa ce , c hin , or throat of the child .
• Alway s make sure the lap belt portion of the three -point belt is
worn snug and pa sses as low a s po ssible across the child' s pel vis .
Never let the belt pass over the soft abdomen.
• Failure to properly route s afety belts over a ch ild's body will
cau se severe injurie s in an accident or other emergency situation
~ page 179 .
• Children on the front seat of any car , even with Advanced
Airb ags , c an be seriou sly injured or even killed when an airbag
inflate s.
• Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat .
• Never let a child ride in the cargo a rea of you r veh icle .
• Always remember that a child leaning forward, sitting s ide
ways or out of po sition in any way during an accid ent can be
s tru ck by a deploying airbag . This will result in serious personal
injury or death . ...,
& WARN ING !continue d)
immediate ly install the rear-f acing child safety se at in a re ar
s eating position and h ave the airb ag sy stem in spected b y your
Audi dealer . •
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
(
Installing th e teth er strap
Fi g. 21 3 Teth er st rap:
p ro per r outing and
mount in g
- Release or deploy the tether strap on t he child restra int
according to the ch ild restraint manufacturer 's instruc
tions .
- Guide the upper tether strap
under the rear head
restraint ::::;, fig. 213 (raise the head restra int if necessary).
- Tilt th e recess flap up to expose the a nch or bracket .
- Attach the tether strap anchorage hoo k into the opening
of the tethe r ancho rage.
- Pull on the tether strap hook so that the spr ing catch of
the hook e ngages.
Safety first
Chil d Safety
- Tighte n the tether stra p firmly f ollo wing t he ch ild
restraint man ufacturer 's instr uctions .
Releasing th e te th er strap
- Loosen the tension follow ing the ch ild restra int manufac
t ur er's instructions.
- Dep ress the spring catch on the hook and re lease it from
the achorage.
0 Note
I f you leave the child restra int wi th the tether strap firmly installed
for severa l days, this could leave a mark on the upholstery on the
sea t cushion and backrest in the area where the tether strap was
installed . The upholstery would also be permanently stretched
around the tether strap. This applies especially to leather seats .•
Using tether straps on rearward-facing child
restraints
Currently, few rearward -facing child restraint systems come with a
tether . Please read and heed the child restraint system manufac
turer's instructions carefully to determine how to properly install
the tether .
& WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child safety seat in stalled on the front
pa ssenge r seat w ill be seriously in jure d and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even with an Adv anced Airbag System.
• The inflating air bag will hit the ch ild safety se at or infant
c a rrier with great forc e and will sma sh the child safet y se at and
c hild ag ain st the b ackre st, c ent er armre st, o r door . •
Vehicle care I I irechnical data