2011 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET service

Airbag system --------------------------------------------- -=---=----
lowe r pa rts of the body . Front a irbags only supp lemen t th e t hree
po int saf ety b elt s in som e frontal col lisions in which t he vehicl e decel­
erat io n is high en ough to d ep loy the a irbags.
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off w hen a cras h occ urs ,
• in side co llisions,
• in re ar- end collisions,
• in rollove rs,
• when t he cra sh d ecelera tion m easur ed by the airbag sys te m is le ss
than the min imum threshold needed fo r airbag deployme nt as reg is­
t ere d by t he e lectr onic c ontrol u nit.
The front passenger airbag will also not deploy:
• when t he fro nt p ass eng er s eat i s not o ccupi ed,
• when the weight on the front passenge r seat as sense d by the
A dvanc ed Airba g Sy stem indicat es that t he front a irbag o n the
passenge r s id e has to be turned off by the e lectro nic con trol unit (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht c om es on an d sta ys on).
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase 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 area
where the airbags are located.
• Occupants who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the
airbag can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye=>
page 201.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat.
• 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,
immediately 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 airbag will increase the risk of injury
in a cra sh by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
• Never hold things in your hands or on your lap when the vehicle
is in use.
• Never transport items on or in the area of the front passenger
seat. Objects could move into the area of the front airbags during
braking 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 brackets, large , heavy or 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. These objects could cause injury in a crash, especially
when the airbags inflate .
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects .
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front
IIJ,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_______________________________________________ A_ ir_ b_ a_,,,g ~ s,,._y _s _t_ e _ m ___ _
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 199 Section from
the in strument pa nel:
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center of the
ins trume nt panel ~ fig. 199 .
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t will come on and stay on to tell
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
t ur ne d off by the ele ct ronic control unit. Each t ime you t urn on t he
ign ition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will flash fo r a few
se conds a nd:
• will stay on if t he front passenger seat is not occupied,
• will stay on if th ere is a small c hild or child re strain t on the front
passenger seat,
• will go ou t if th e fron t passe nger sea t is o ccup ied by an adul t as
registe red by t he weight-sens ing mat.
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on if the
ign ition is on and
• a car bed has been insta lled on t he front seat, o r
• a rearward-facing c hild rest raint has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• a forward-faci ng chi ld restraint has bee n in stalled on the front
passenge rseat,or
• the weight reg istered on the front passenger seat is equal to or
less th an the co m bined we ig ht of a ty pical 1 year-o ld re strained in
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
one of the rear-facing or forward- facing infa nt restraints listed in
F ede ral Mo tor Ve hicl e Sa fe ty S tan dard 20 8 wit h w hich th e Adv anced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified .
If the front passenger seat is not occ upied, the front a irbag w ill not
dep loy, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l igh t will s tay o n. N ever
install a rearward -facing chi ld restraint on the front passenge r seat,
t he s afest pla ce f or a ch ild in any kind o f ch ild re st ra int is at one of the
seating positions on t he rear seat~
page 201, "Child restra ints on
t he fr ont sea t- som e impo rtant t hings to know" and ~
page 2 21,
"Ch ild Safety" .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when one of t he
co ndi tion s list ed above is m et, be sur e to che ck the light re gu la rly to
ma ke certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht stays on
con tinu ously wheneve r the ignition is o n.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
lig ht does not appear and not stay on all the t ime, stop as soon
as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turni ng the ignition off and then t urning
it on agai n;
• remove and reinstall the ch ild restraint. Make sure that the ch ild
restra in t is prope rly installed and tha t the sa fety belt fo r the fron t
passenger seat has bee n correctly routed around the c hild restra int as
desc rib ed in the c hild restraint manufacturer's i nstr uctions;
• make s ure that the convertib le loc kin g feature o n the safety belt
for the front passenge r seat has been a ct ivated and t hat t he safety
belt has bee n pulled t ight. The be lt must not be loose or have loops
of slac k so that the senso r be low t he safety belt latch on the seat ca n
do its job~
page 23 1.
• make s ure tha t thi ngs tha t may inc rease the wei ght o f th e chi ld
and c hild safety seat are not bei ng transported on the front
passenge r seat;
• make s ure that the safety belt tension sensor is not blocked.
S hake the sa fety belt la tch on the front passen ger seat back an d
fort h;
• If a strap or teth er i s be ing used to tie the chi ld sa fe ty se at to the
front passe nger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Airbag system Ill
----------------=--=---
& 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-sens ing 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 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.•
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system a
re insta lled at many different places on
your Audi. I nstall 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 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 . 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

-Airbag system ------=-~-----------------------------------
& 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 .
• In accidents when an airbag is deployed, the vehicle battery
separates the alternator and the starter from the vehicle electrical
system for safety reason s with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupte r.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is sc rapped , all appli ­
cable safety precautions must be followed.
W For the sake of the environment
Un deployed ai rbag modu les and p retensione rs might be class ified as
Perch lorate Materia l -special handling may ap ply, see
www.dts c.ca.gov/ha za rdouswas te/pe rchlorate. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system includ ing a irbag modu les safety belts
w it h pretensioners are s crapped, all appli cable laws and regula tions
must be observed. Your author ized Aud i dealer is familiar with these
req uiremen ts and we recommen d that you have your dealer perfo rm
this serv ice for you. •
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Chang ing the vehicle's suspension system can change the way that
t h e Advan ced Airbag System pe rforms in a cr ash . For e xamp le, usi ng
tire-rim combinations not app roved by Audi, lowering the vehicle,
c hang ing the stiffness o f th e suspension, incl uding the sp rings,
suspension struts, shock absorbers etc. can change the forces that
are meas ure d by the a irba g sensors and sent to the ele ct ronic contro l
unit . Some suspension changes can, fo r exam ple, increase the force
levels measured by the senso rs and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which i t would not deploy if the changes had no t been
ma de . Other kinds of changes may reduce the force levels meas ured
by the sensors and p revent the airbag from dep loying when it should.
T he sensors in the safety belt b uckle for the drive r and front
p as senge r se at tell the e lectroni c cont rol mo dule if the sa fe ty belt is
latched or not . If the safety belt is being used, t he front a irbag w ill
dep loy a t a s lightly h igher r ate o f vehicle decele ration t han if t he
safety belt is not be ing used . Therefo re, in a par ticular collis io n, it is
possible that an a irba g w ill not dep loy at a seating position where the
safety belt is being used but w ill inflate at the posit ion where the
safety belt is not be ing use d. It is im portant that nothing interfere
w it h t he safety belt bu ckles so that the sensors can se nd the co rrect
info rmation about safety be lt use to the electronic contro l unit.
~

& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's susp ension including use of unapproved
tire -rim combination s can change Advan ced Airbag performance
and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash .
• Never install suspension component s that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehicle.
• Ne ver use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electronic control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly.
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they a re not obstructed .
<£> For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretensioners might be class ified as
P erch lo rate Mate rial -special handling m ay app ly, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate . When the vehicle or
parts o f th e re st ra int system includin g airb ag modu les s afety belts
with pretens io ners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regulat ions
must be observed . Your authorized Aud i dealer is fam iliar with these
req uirements and we recommend that you have your dealer perform
this service for yo u.•
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
Knee airbags
App lies to ve hi cle s: w ith K nee air b ags
Description of knee airbags
The airbag system can provid e su pplemental protection
to properly restrained front seat occupants .
....
! 00 m
Fig . 2 00 Driv er' s knee
a ir bag
T he kne e airbag fo r the driver is located in the instrument panel
undernea th the s teer ing whee l~ fig. 20 0, the knee airbag for the
passenge r is at about the same height in the instr ument pane l u n de r­
neath the g love compa rtment.
Th e knee air bag offers ad diti onal protec tion t o th e driver's and
passenger 's knees and upper and lower thigh areas as a supplement
t o the sa fety belts .
If the front airbags deploy , the knee airbags also deploy i n frontal
co llisions above a certain severity ~
pag e 208, "M ore important
things to know about front airbags" .
Bes ides the ir no rmal safety function, safety be lts work to help keep
t he drive r o r fro nt pa ssenger i n posi tion in cas e o f a fr ontal coll isio n
so that the airbags can prov ide p rotect io n.
Th e a irbag system is not a substitute for your safety be lt. Rather, it is
part o f the ove rall occ upant rest rai nt system in your veh icle . Always
r emember t hat the airbag system can only help to protect you if you •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

----------------------------------------------~A....::..:.... ir:....: b.::..:;; a..::g ~ s~y -=s:....: t:...: e:...: m...:....:.. __ lffll
If the front air bags deploy, th e knee a irbags also dep loy i n fronta l
coll is ions ab ove a c ertain s everity.
When the sys tem is d epl oyed , the ai rb a gs s ta rt to fill wi th a propel­
lant gas, a nd inflate between the lowe r pa rt of t he instr ument pane l
and th e drive r an d th e l owe r part of the in strum ent pan el a nd t he
front passenger ~
page 208, fig. 198.
Al th ou gh they are no t a soft pil low, they can cus hion th e impact and
in t his way th ey can help to red uce the risk of in jury to t he lower
extremities.
A ll thi s t akes pla ce in stan tan eously , so fas t th at ma ny pe opl e don 't
even rea lize that t he airbags have deployed. The airbags a lso inflate
w ith a g reat d eal o f for ce and it is im portant for o ccupa nt saf ety th at
nothing sh ould be in their way when t hey deploy .
F ully in flated airba gs i n com binatio n with pr ope rly wo rn safety belts
slow dow n and limit the occ upant's forwa rd movement a nd he lp to
re duce the risk. •
Applies to veh icles : w it h Kn ee air ba gs
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
Airbags ar e only supp lem en tal r estra ints . Alw ays wear
s a fe ty be lts cor re ctly and ride in a proper seating pos i­
ti on .
Th ere is a lot that you an d yo ur passe ngers m ust know an d do to help
the sa fet y b elts and airbags to p rov id e su pp lemen tal protec tio n.
& WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious injury. Wearing safety
belts incorrectly and improper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is being
used.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(cont inued )
• 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 following
minimum safe distances:
- 10 inches (25 cm) between the chest and the steering
wheel/instrument panel.
-4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the lower part of
the instrument panel.
• The risk of personal injury increases if you lean forward or to
the side, or if the seat is improperly positioned and you are not
wearing your safety belt. The risk increases even more should the
airbag deploy .
• Always make sure that the knee airbag can inflate without
interference. Objects between yourself and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by interfering with the way the
airbag deploys or by being pushed into you as the airbag deploys.
-No persons (children) or animals should ride in the footwell
in front of the passenger seat. If the airbag deploys, this can
result in serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried in the footwell area
in front of the driver's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shop­
ping bags, for example) can hamper or prevent proper deploy­
ment of the airbag. Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you or your passengers.
• Make sure there are no cracks, deep scratches or other damage
in the area of the instrument panel where the knee airbags are
located.
• If children are incorrectly seated, their risk of injury increases
in the case of an accident~
page 221, "Child Safety". •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

• in rear-end collisions
• in rollover s.
In some types of accide nts the front a irbags a nd side a irbags may be
t rig gere d together.
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only provide prote ction
when occupants are in the proper seating position=> page
219 .
• 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 ins tan tly an d can help reduce the risk
o f upper torso injuries for occupants who are properly
restrained.
Fig . 203 I nflated side
a ir ba gs on left side of
v eh icle
Wh en the system is trigge red, the airbag is filled w ith prop ellan t gas
and breaks through a seam in the seat s urface area marked
" AIR BAG".
It expand s between the side trim panel and the pa ssenger.
In order to he lp provide this additional protection, the s ide airbag
Safety
first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
must inflate w ith in a fract ion of a seco nd at ve ry high speed and w it h
great for ce. T he supp lemen tal side air bag cou ld injure you if yo ur
seating position is not proper or upr ight o r if items ar e located in the
area w here the s upplementa l side ai rbag expands. This applies espe­
cially to children=>
page 221, ''Child Safety" . S upplementa l side
air bags inflate between the occupant and the door panel on the side
of the ve hicl e that is st ruck in certain side collision=> fig. 203 .
Altho ugh they are not a soft pillow, they can "cushion" the impact
and in this way they ca n help to re duc e the ris k of injury to the u pper
part of the body.
A fine dust may develo p when the airbag deploys. This is normal an d
does not mea n the re is a fire in the vehicle. •
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbag s are o nly su pplemen tal rest raints . A lway s pr op ­
e rl y wear safety b elts and ride i n a pr op er se ating p osi­
tion .
There is a lot that you and yo ur passengers must k now and act accord­
ingly to help t he safety be lts and a irbags do t he ir job to provide
supplementa l protection.
& WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cau se serious or fatal injury. Improp­
erly wearing safety belts and improper seating position s increase
the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is
being used .
• In order to redu ce the risk of injury when the supplemental
side airbag inflate s:
- Alway s sit
in an upright position and never lean against the
area where the supplemental side airbag is located . •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

Child Safety -
-------------------"'---.,,.
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a collision.
The physical pr in ci ples o f wha t happens w hen yo ur vehicl e is in a crash
app ly a lso to children=>
page 191, "What happens to occupants not
wearing safety be lts?". But unlik e adu lts and teenagers, the ir
muscles and bones are not fully developed. In many respects c hildren
are at greate r risk of ser io us injury in cras hes than adults .
Because children 's bodies a re not f ully deve loped, they require
restraint systems especially designed fo r their size, weight, and body
st ruct ure. Many cou ntries and all states of t he Unite d States and
prov inces of Canada have laws req uiring the use of approved ch ild
restrain t sys tems for infan ts an d sm all ch ild ren .
I n a fronta l crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph (30-56 km/h) the forces
act ing o n a 13- pound (6 kg) infant w ill be more than 20 times the
we ight of the ch ild . This means the we ight of the child wo uld
suddenly be more than 260 po unds (120 kg). Unde r these conditions,
only a n app ropr iat e child restra int proper ly used can red uce the risk
o f serious injury. Child restrai nts must be used properly to be e ffec­
t ive. Used i mpro perly, t hey can increase the risk of serio us injury in an
acc ident.
C onsult the ch ild safety seat manufacturer's instr uctions in order to
be sure the seat is r ight for you r child's size=>
page 224, "Important
safety instructions fo r using child safety seats". P lease be s ure to
read and heed a ll of the important informa tion and WAR NINGS
about chi ld safety, Advanced Airbags, an d the installation of child
restra in ts in this chapte r.
There is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
vehicle and how t hey wo rk when inf ants and childre n in child
restra ints are on the front passenger seat. Beca use of t he large
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
amou
nt of importa nt info rmation, we cannot repeat i t all he re. We
urge you to read the detailed information in th is owne r's man ua l
abou t airbags and t he Advanced A irbag Syste m in your vehicle and the
very important information abo ut transporting c hildren on the front
p assenger se at. P lea se be sure to heed the WARNIN GS - they a re
extremely important for your safety and the safety of your passe n­
gers, especially infan ts and small ch il dre n.
& WARNING
• Accid ent statisti cs have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position. Always
re strain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
• All vehicle occupants and especially children must be
restrained properly when ever riding in a vehicle. An unre strained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the
interior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuver or impact. An unrestrained or improperly rest rained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death through contact with
an inflat ing airbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating posi tions 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
c hild in a rearward -facing child safety seat ins talled on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflate s.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
c arrier with great force and will sma sh the child safety seat and
child aga inst the backrest, or door. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data