2011 AUDI A6 Weight

Airbag system 1111
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lower parts of the body . Front a irbags s upplement the t hree-poi nt
sa fety belts o nly in some fro ntal collis ions in which the vehicle decel­
eration is high enough to dep loy the a irbags .
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,
• in s ide collisions ,
• in rea r-end collisions,
• in rollovers,
• when the crash decelerat io n me asured by the a irbag system is less
than the min imum threshold needed for a irbag deployment as reg is­
tered by the e lectron ic con trol un it.
The front passenger airbag also will not deploy:
• when the fron t passe nger seat i s not oc cupied,
• when the weight on the front passenger seat as sensed by the
Advanced Ai rbag System in dicates that the front airbag o n the
passenger side has to be turned off by the e lectronic control unit (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght comes on and stays on).
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the ri sk of ser iou s injury
in crashes.
• To redu ce the risk of injury when the airbags inflate, the driver
and pas sengers mu st always sit in an upright position , mu st not
lean against or place any part of th eir body too close to the area
where the airbags are lo cated.
• Occupants who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the
airbag can be seriou sly injured by an airbag a s it unfolds with
great force in th e blink of an eye =>
page 199 .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child
safety se at installed on the front
pa sseng er seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflat es - ev en with an Ad van ced Airbag System .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
c arrier with great force and will smash the child safety s eat and
c hild against the backre st, center armre st, d oor or roof .
• Always install rear -facing child safet y seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger se at because of e xceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light do es not come on and stay on ,
immediately install the rear -facing child s afety seat in a rear
s eating po sition and h ave the airbag system inspe cted by your
Audi d eal er.
& WARNING
Object s between you and the airbag will increase th e risk of inju ry
in a cra sh by int erfering with the way the airb ag unfold s or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
• Never hold things in your hand s or on your lap when the vehicle
i s in use.
• Never tran sport items on o r in the are a of the fr ont pa ssenger
seat. Obje ct s c ould move into the area of the front ai rbag s during
braking or other sudden maneu ver s and become dang erous
projectiles that can c au se se rious per sonal injury if the ai rb ags
infl ate.
• Never pla ce o r attach accessories or othe r objects (s u ch a s
cupholders, telephone brac kets, large , heavy or bulk y object s) on
the doo rs, over o r near the are a marked
"AIRBAG " on the stee ring
wheel, in strum ent panel , se at ba ckre sts or between th ose ar ea s
and yourself . These objects could cause injur y in a crash , especially
when the airbags infl ate .
9"'
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_______________________________________________ A_ ir_ b_ a_,,,g '--- s.:.y _s _t_ e _ m ___ _
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
·~ ­.~~I f -
-a• -· ... JI •
-a II .. ~ ----- -
• II _, -
MSSENGEIIAIRBAGOfF
Fig. 184 Section from
the instrument panel:
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center of the
instrument panel~ fig. 184.
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on to tell
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been turned
off by the electronic control unit. Each time you turn on the
ign ition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will flash fo r a few
seconds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied,
• will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front
passenge r seat,
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registe red by the weight-sens ing mat.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on if the
ign ition 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
passengerseat,or
• a forward-facing child restraint has been insta lled on the front
passenger seat, or
• the weight registe red on the front passenger seat is equal to or
less than the combined weight of a typical 1 year-o ld restrained in
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infa nt restraints listed in
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with w hich the Adva nced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified .
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag wi ll not
dep loy, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on. Never
install a rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
the safest pla ce fo r a child in any kind of chi ld restraint is at one of the
seating positions on the rear seat~
page 199, "Child restraints on
t he front seat-some impo rtant things to know" and~
page 219,
"Child 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 regu larly to
make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht stays on
continuously whenever the ignition is on.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not appear on and does not stay on all the t ime, 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 reinstall the ch ild restraint. Make sure that the child
restraint is properly installed and that the safety belt fo r the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed through 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 passenge r seat has been activated and that the safety
belt has been pulled t ight. The belt must not be loose or have loops
of slack so that the senso r be low the safety belt latch on the seat can
do its job~
page 229.
• make sure that things that may increase the weight o f the chi ld
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 passenge r seat back and
forth;
• If a strap or tether is be ing used to tie the child safety seat to the
front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

........ _A_ i_rb _ a_,g,:;._ s_, y'- s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actua lly on
t he seat.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does not come on and
does not stay on cont inuous ly (when the ignition is switched on),
• t ake the child res tra int off the fr ont p assenger seat an d ins ta ll it
properly at one of t he rear seat positions. Have the a irbag system
inspec ted by yo ur Aud i d ea le r imme diat ely.
• move the child to a rea r seat position and ma ke s ure that the child
is properly res trained in a c hild rest rain t th at i s appr opriate fo r its
size and age .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light shou ld NOT come on when the
ignition is on a nd an adult is sitt ing in a proper sea ting pos ition on the
front passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and s tays on o r flashes fo r abo ut 5 seconds while d riving, unde r these
circumstances, make sure that:
• t he adul t on the front passenger se at is pro perly seate d on the
center of the seat cushi on with his or her back up against the backrest
an d t he bac krest is not reclined => page 178, "P roper occ upan t
seating posit ions",
• t he adult is not tak ing weig ht o ff t he sea t by holding on to th e
passenge r assist handle above the front passe nger door or
supporti ng their weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is be ing properly wor n and that there is not a lot of
s la ck in th e s afe ty be lt webb ing,
• accessory seat cove rs or cushions o r othe r th ings that may ca use
an in co rre ct re ading o r impre ss io n on th e weigh t-sensin g m at un der
the upholstery of the seat have been removed from the front
p as senge r se at,
• a sa fety be lt extender has not been left in th e safety belt latch for
th e fr ont pas senger se at.
In addit io n to t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in t he center of the
instrument pane l, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF o r
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON w ill briefly appea r in th e inst rument cluster display
. This is to inform the dr ive r of the current front passenger
a irb ag s tat us.•
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on, it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System.
It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should.
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer.
& WARNING
• If the front airbag inflates, a child without a child restraint , or
in a rearward-facing child safety seat, or in a forward-facing child
restraint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
injured and can be killed.
• Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that all children, especially 12 years and
younger, always r ide on the back seat properly restrained for their
age and size.
• Always install forward or rear-facing child safety seats on the
rear seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• If you must install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
~

Airbag system -----------------=--=---
& WARNING (co ntinued )
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
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 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 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 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

Ill Airbag system
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& WARNING (continued)
• 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 219, "Child Safety".
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in any way.
• In a side collision, side airbags will not function properly if
sensors cannot correctly measure increasing air pressure inside
the doors when air escapes through larger, unclosed openings in
the door panel.
-Never drive with interior door trim panels removed.
- Never drive when parts have been removed from the inside
door panel and the openings they leave have not been properly
closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the doors 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 panels.
- Always have work on the doors done by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop. •
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fig . 187 Side curtain
airbags , driver 's side:
locati on
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides of the interior
above the front and rear side windows =:> fig. 187 . They are identif ied
by the wo rd "AIRBAG" on the windshield frame and the cente r roof
pillar.
Th e side curtain airbag system supplements the safety belts and can
he lp to reduce the risk of injury for occupants' heads a nd upper torso
on the side of the vehicle th at is struck in a si de collis ion. The side
curtain airbag inflates in side impacts and only when t he veh icle
acceleration registered by the control u nit is high enoug h.
If this rate
is below the reference va lue programmed in to the control unit, the
side airbags wi ll not be triggered, even though the car may be badly
damaged as a result of the collision. It is not possible to define an
airbag triggering range that wi ll cover every possible angle of impact,
since the circumstances will vary consid erably between one collision
and another. Important factors include, for example, the nature
(h ard or soft) of the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.=:>
page 217, "H ow s ide curta in a irbags wor k". .,_

........ _A_ i_rb _ a_,g,:;._ s_, y'- s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
cu rtain airbag co uld injure you if your sea ting pos ition is no t proper or
u prigh t o r if items a re locat ed in the area w here the supp leme ntal
side c urtain a irbag i nflates . T hi s applies especially to chi ldren
=> pa ge 2 19.
Al thoug h they are not a so ft pill ow, s ide cur tain air bags can " cushi on"
the im pact an d in this way they can help to reduce the risk of injury to
t he he ad an d th e upp er part of th e bod y.
A fine d ust may develop when t he airbag deploys . Th is is quite norma l
and does not mea n the re is a fire in the vehicle .•
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Airb ags are on ly su ppleme ntal r estraints. Always pr op­
e rl y w ear s afet y belt s and rid e i n a prop er sea ting posi ­
tion.
T he re is a lot that yo u and your passe nge rs must know and do to help
the safety be lts and airbags do t heir job to provi de supp lemental
prot ection .
& 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 oc cupant s 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 side 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 infla­
tion and into the passenger compartment. An occupant hit by
& WARNING (co ntinued )
such a projectile can suffer serious injury or death=> page 349,
"Technical Modifi cations ".
• Do not swivel the sun viso rs 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 personal injury in
an accident.
• Never use hangers to hang clothing from the hooks .
• Only use factory-in stalled sun shades or, in the case of shades
installed after the vehicle leaves the factory, only Audi roll-up
sunscreens may be used=>
page 348, "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 tr iggered 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 dealership. Otherwise the airbag
system may not work correctly.
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in any way. •

___________________________________________ C_ h_il _d _ S_a _f _e _t =c,. y __ _
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 189, "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
of serious injury. Child restraints, like adult sa fety be lts, must be used
pro perl y to be effective. Use d imprope rly, they can i ncrease t he ris k
of serious injury in an accident.
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 222, "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, center armrest , or door . •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Child Safety ------ ~---------------------------------
& WA RNING (conti nued)
• Always install rear-facing child safet y seat s on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat in exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light do es not come on and stay on,
immediately in stall the rear-facing child safety seat in a rea r
seating position and have the airbag system inspected immedi­
ately by you r Audi deale r.
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances , you must in stall a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger' s seat:
• Always make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
pa ssenger front and side airbag.
• Always follow the manufacturer 's instructions p rovided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible before install ing the child restra int . The back­
re st must be adju sted to an upright position .
• Always make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
c omes on and stays on all the time whenever the ignition i s
switched on .•
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Airbag System" in compli­
ance wi th Uni ted St ates Federa l Mo to r Vehicle Safety St andar d
(FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your veh icle was manufac­
tu red . The Advanced A
irbag system in yo ur vehicle has been certif ied to
mee t the "low -r is k" requiremen ts fo r 3-and 6-ye ar old ch ildre n on
t he passenger side and small adults on the dr iver side . The low risk
dep loyment criteria are inten ded to reduce the risk of injury through
interaction with the a irbag t hat can occur, for example, by being too
close to the stee ring wheel an d instr ument panel when the airbag
inflates. In addi tion, the sy stem has been certified to comp ly with t he
"suppression" requirements of the Safety Standa rd, to t urn off the
fron t air bag for infan ts u p to 1 2 months who a re res tra ined on the
front passenger seat in child restrai nts that are listed in the Stan­
d ar d.
Even thoug h your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system , a ll ch ildren, especially those 12 years and yo unger, should
always r ide in t he back seat p roperly restrained for t heir ag e and si ze .
Th e ai rbag on the passenge r si de makes the front seat a potentia lly
dange rous p lace for a child to r ide. Th e front seat is not th e safest
place fo r a child in a forward- facing c hild safety seat. It can be a very
d an ge rous p lace for a n infan t or a large r chil d i n a re arwa rd-facing
seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
Th e Advanced A irbag System i n your ve hicle de tects t he p resence o f
an infa nt o r ch ild in a child rest rai nt on the fro nt passenger sea t using
the we ight-sens ing mat in the seat cushion and the senso r be low the
saf ety belt la tch o n th e front passenge r seat tha t measur es t he
tension on the safety belt.
Th e weigh t-sens ing ma t me asures tot al we ight of the child and the
child safety seat and a child blanket on the fro nt passe nger seat . The
we ight on the fro nt passenger se at is re late d t o the desi gn of the
child res traint and i ts "footpri nt", the size and shape of t he bottom
of the ch ild restraint as it sits o n the seat . The weight of a child
restrain t an d its "foo tpr int" vary for differe nt kinds of child res tra ints .,_