2011 AUDI A3 Owner´s Manual

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& WARNING (co ntinued )
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• A tight tether o r other strap on a rearward -facing child
restraint attached to the front pa ssenger 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 heavier weight regi stered
can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advan ced Airbag when it mu st be suppre ssed
causing serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If , in exceptional circumstanc es, you must install a forward­
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat, always move
the seat into its rearmost 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 doe s not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above, make sure the adult is 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-sensing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
em pty seat , the front airbag on the passenge r side will be t urne d off,
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on .•
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are
insta lled at many different places on
your Audi . Ins tall ing, remov ing, serv icing o r rep airi ng a pa rt in an
area of the vehicle ca n damage a part of a n airbag system and prevent
t ha t sys tem from working prope rly in a coll is io n.
Th ere are some importa nt things you have to know to ma ke sure t hat
the effectiveness of the system will not be impai red and that
dis ca rded compo nents do not cause injury or po llute t he e nvir on­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , serv icing 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 cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units.
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain water . 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 has the training and special equip­ ment necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body . ..,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING (conti nued)
• Always make sure that the side a irbag can inflate without
interference :
- Never in stall seat covers or replacement uphol stery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use addit ional se at cushions that cover the areas
where the side ai rbags 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 author ized Audi dealer.
• The airbag system can be activated only on ce. After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the techni cal information, t raining
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deploy ed only once. After an airbag
has been dep loyed , it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved e specially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or a irbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops onl y.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .a
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the ve hicle's suspension system can change the way that
t he A dvan ced Airbag Sys tem pe rfo rms in a crash . For examp le, using
tire -rim combinations not approved by Audi, lower ing t he veh icle,
c hang ing the st iffness o f th e suspens ion, including the sp rings,
suspension str uts , shoc k absorbers etc . ca n change the forces tha t
are meas ured by the a irbag sensors and sent to the electronic control
unit. Some suspension changes ca n, for examp le, increase the force levels measured by the senso
rs and make the airbag system deploy in
c ra shes in w hich i t wo uld not deploy if the ch an g es h ad not b een
made . Other ki nds of changes may reduce the force levels meas ured
by the sensors an d prevent the airbag from dep loying when it should .
Th e sensors in t he safety bel t buckle for the drive r and fro nt
passenger seat tell the e lectronic control mo dule if the sa fety belt is
la tch ed o r not. If the safety belt is being u sed, t he fron t airbag w ill
dep loy at a sl ightly h igher rate of vehicle deceleration than if the
s afety belt is not be ing use d. T herefo re, in a pa rticular collis io n, it is
possible that an a irbag w ill not deploy at a seati ng position where the
sa fety belt is being used but w ill inflate at the posit ion where the
safety belt is not be ing used . It is importa nt that nothi ng inte rfere
w ith the safety belt buck les so that t he sensors can send the co rrect
info rmation abou t safety b elt use to t he electron ic co ntro l unit .
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's suspension including use of unapproved
tire-rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performance and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash .
• Never install suspension components that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehicle.
• Never use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Item s stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electroni c control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from work ing properly.
• Always 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 p retensioners might be classified as
Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswas te/perchlorate . When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules and safety
belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regula­
tions must be observed. Your authorized Audi dea ler is familiar with
these requirements and we recommend that you have your dealer
perform this service for you .•
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 140 Side airbag
loc ation in the driver's
seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
=> fig. 140 and the rear backrest* facing the doors. They are identi­
fied by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag system basically consists of:
• the electronic control module and externa l side impact sensors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
• two rear side airbags (as an ordered option)
• the airbag warning light in the instrument clus ter.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that it
is funct ion ing properly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni­
tion, the airbag system indicator light w ill come on for a few seconds
(self diagnostics).
Th e side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help to
reduce the risk of injury to the dr iver's, front and rear* passenger's
upper torso and head on the sid e of the vehicle that is struck in a side
collision . The airbag deploys only in side impacts and only when the
vehicle accelerat ion registered by the contro l unit is high enoug h. If
this rate is below the reference value programmed into the contro l
unit , the side airbags will not be triggered, even though the car may
be badly damaged as a result of the collision . It is not possible to
def ine an a irbag triggering range that will cover every possible angle
of impact, since the circu mstances will vary considerably between
one collision and another. Important factors include, for example,
the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting object, the angle of impact,
vehicle speed, etc.=>
page 163, "Important safety instructions on
the sid e airbag system".
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts work to help keep the driver or front passenger in position in the event of a side
collision so that the side airbags can prov ide p rotection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it is
part of the overall occupant restraint system in your veh icle. Always
remember that the side airbag system can only help to protect you if
you are wearing yo ur safety belt and wearing i t properly. This is
another reason why you shou ld always wear your safety belts, not just
because the law requires yo u to do so=>
page 135, "Genera l notes" .
It is important to remember that while the supp lemental side airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injur ies, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
also be assoc iated with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
airbags will dep loy only once and only in certain kinds of accidents -
your safety belts are always there to offer protection.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

-Airbag system -
--=---=----------------
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of veh icle damage are
not necessarily an indication of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
tion . In some collisions, both front and side airbags may inflate.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and only in certain
kinds of collisions -your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or
when they have already deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
• when the ignition is turned off
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor is
too low
• in front-end collision s
• 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 163.
• 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. 141 Inflated side
airbags on left side
of
vehicle, rear side
airbag optional equip­
ment
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 at very high speed and with
great for ce. The supplemental side airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upr ight or if items are located in the
area where the supplemental s ide a irbag expands. This applies espe ­
cially to children=>
page 167, "Child Safety". Supplemental s ide
airbags inflate between the occupant and the door panel on the side
of the vehicle that is struck in certain side collision=> fig. 141.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can "cushion" the impact
and in th is 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 dep loys. This is normal and
does not mean there is a fire in the vehicle. •

----------------------------------------------~A....::..:.... ir:....: b.::..:;; a..::g ~ s~y -=s:....: t:...: e:...: m...:....:.. __ fflll
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.
Th ere is a lot that you and your passengers must know and act accord­
ing ly to help the safety be lts and a irbags 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:
- Always sit in an upright position and never lean against the
area where the supplemental side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone else rest their head against the
side trim panel in the area where the supplemental side airbag
inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat put their hand or
any other parts of their body out of the window.
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without
interference.
-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 deploy.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(continued)
- Damage to the original 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.
• Objects between you and the airbag can increase the risk of
injury in an accident by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the airbag inflates. -Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as
cup holders, telephone brackets, or even large, bulky objects)
on the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the
seat backrests.
- Such objects and accessories can become dangerous projec­
tiles and cause injury when the supplemental side airbag
deploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the deployment space
between them and the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position.
• Always use the built-in coat hooks only for lightweight
clothing. Never leave any heavy or sharp -edged objects in the
pockets that may interfere with side airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in an accident.
• Always prevent the side airbags from being damaged by heavy
objects knocking against or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
• The airbag system can only be triggered once. If the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership.
• Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to the original seat covers
or to the seam in the area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• If children are seated improperly, their risk of injury increases
in the case of an accident~
page 167, "Child Safety".
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in any way. .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Airbag system -
--=---=----------------
& WARN ING (con tin ue d)
• In a side colli sion , side airbag s will not funct ion properl y if
sen sors cannot correctly measure increa sing air pressure inside
the door s when air escapes th rough larger , unclosed openings in
the door panel.
-Never drive with interior door trim panels removed.
- Ne ver drive when parts have been removed from the inside
door panel and the openings they lea ve have not been properly
clo sed .
- Never drive when loudspeaker s in the do ors have been
removed unless the speaker holes have been properly closed.
- Always make certain that openings are covered or filled if
additional speakers or other equipment is installed in the
inside door panel s.
- Always have work on the doors done by an autho rized Aud i
deal er or qualified workshop. •
Side curtain airbags
Description of curtain airbags
The curtain airbags can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants.
F ig . 1 42 C urtain
a irb ag, dr iver 's side:
s ide c urt ain ai rbag
loc ation
The side curtain airbags are located on bot h sides of t he interior
a b ove the fro nt an d rear side windows ~ fig. 1 42. T hey ar e identified
by the word "AIRBAG" on t he w indshield frame and the center roo f
pillar .
Th e side curtain a irbag system supplements t he safety belts and ca n
help to reduce the risk of injury for occupants' heads and upper torso
on t he side of the vehi cle th at i s st ru ck in a s ide collision. The s ide
curtain airbag inflates in side impacts and only when t he veh icle
accele ration registe red by the co ntrol u nit is high enoug h. If t his ra te
is below the reference va lue programmed into the control unit, the
side airbags w ill not be triggered, eve n though the car may be badly
damaged as a result of the co llision . It is not possib le to define an
airbag trigger ing range that w ill cover every possible ang le of impact,
sinc e the circumstances will vary co nsiderab ly between one col lision
and another . Important factors incl ude, for example, the nature
(hard or soft) of the impact ing object, the a ngle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.~
page 165.
Aside from the ir normal safety fu nction, safe ty be lts work to he lp
keep the driver or front passenger in posit ion in the event of a co lli­
sion so that the side curtain airbags can provide protection.
T he airbag system is not a substitute for your safe ty belt. Rathe r, it is
part of the overall occupant restraint system in your veh icle. Always
remembe r th at the airbag system can on ly help to protect you if yo u
are wear ing your safety belt and wearing it proper ly . This is another
reaso n why yo u sho uld always wea r your sa fety be lts, no t jus t becau se
the law requires you to do so~
page 135, "General notes".
It is impo rtan t to remember that while the side curtain airbag sys tem
is des igned to he lp reduce the like lihood of ser ious injur ies, other
injuries, for example, swe lling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
also be assoc iated with t hese airbags upon deployment . Remembe r
too, these airbags w ill dep loy only once and on ly in certain kinds of
a cci den ts -your safe ty belts a re always there to offer protection .
The side curtain airbag system basically consists of:
• The e lec tron ic cont rol mo dule and e xte rnal si de impact sensors
• The side curtain air bags above the front and rear side windows
~

• The airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain it is
functioning properly at all times. Each time you turn on the ignition,
the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few seconds (self
diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
• if the ignition is turned off,
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor is
too low,
• in rear-end collisions,
• in rollovers.
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position =>
page 73,
"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. •
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
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. 143 Illustration
of principle: Inflated
s ide curtain airbags on
the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the occupant and the
w indo ws on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side collision
=> fig . 143.
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 identif ied by the AIRBAG label. In order to help provide
this additional protection, the side curtain airbag must inflate with in
the blink of an eye at very high speed and with great force. The side
curtain 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 curtain airbag inflates. This applies especially to ch ildren
::::>page 167.
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 no rmal
and does not mean there is a fire in the vehicle. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

........ _A_ i_rb _ a_,g,:;._ s_, y'- s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Airbags are only su pple mental restra ints . Alwa ys prop­
erl y we ar s afe ty belts and ride in a proper se ating posi ­
tion .
There i s a lot t hat you an d your pass eng ers m ust kno w and do to help
the saf ety be lts and airbags do t heir j ob to provide supp lemental
protec tion.
in. 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 curtain 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 projectile can suffer serious injury or death :::::,
page 302, "Tech­
nical Modifications".
• Do not swivel the sun visors to the side if you have any objects
clipped onto them (for example pens). If the airbag should
deploy, you could be injured by these objects. • Use the built-in coat hooks only for lightweight clothing. Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can cause per sonal injury in
an accident.
• Never use hangers to hang clothing from the hooks.
• Only use factory-installed sun shades or , in the case of shades
installed after the vehicle leave s the factory, only Audi roll-up
& WARNING (co ntinued )
sunscreens may be used:::::, page 301, "Additional accessories and
parts replacement ".
• Always sit in proper seating position and wear safety belts
while traveling so that the side curtain airbags can help provide
protection.
• The airbag system can only be triggered once . If the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Always have work involving the side curtain airbag system,
removal and installation of the airbag components, or other
repairs performed by a qualified workshop. Otherwise the airbag
system may not work correctly.
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in any way .•