2011 AUDI S3 sensor

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& WARNING (conti nued)
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects.
Items can also move into the area of the s ide airbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden maneu ver. Objects near the
airbags can become projectiles and cause injury, particularly when
the seat is reclined .
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cause breathing
problems for people with a history of asthma or other br eathing
conditions.
• To reduce the risk of breathing problems, those with asthma or
other respiratory conditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the veh icle or opening windows or doors.
• If you are in a colli sion in which airbags deploy, wa sh your
hands and face with mild soap and water before eating .
• Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes, or into any cuts or
scratches.
• If the residue should get into your eyes, flush them with
water .•
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light f!G
Two separate indicat ors m onit or the func tion of the
Advanc ed A irb ag Sys tem: the airbag mo nit ori ng in dic ato r
li g ht and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
The Advanced Airbag System (incl uding the electronic control unit,
sensor circui ts and system wiring) is mo nito red cont inuous ly to make
sure that it is f unctioning p roper ly whenever the ignition is on. Each time you t
urn on the ignit ion, the a irbag monitoring indicator light
:A
w ill come o n fo r a few secon ds (self diagnos tic s).
The system must be inspected when the indicator light ~:
• does not come on when the ignition is switched on,
• does not go out a few seconds aft er you have switc hed on the igni­
tion, or
• comes on while driving.
If an airbag system malfunction is detected, the indicator light w ill
fir st start flashing to c atch t he d river's attention and then stay on
continuously to serve as a constant reminder to have the system
inspec ted immedia tely .
If a ma lfunct io n occ urs that t urns the fron t air bag on the passenger
side off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght will come on and stay on
w henever the igni tion is on.
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System . It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should.
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your autho ­
rized Audi dealer .•

_______________________________________________ A_ ir_ b_ a_,,,g '--- s.:.y _s _t_ e _ m ___ lJ'II
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 139 Section from
the center console:
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center console
=> fig. 139.
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 infant 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 147, "Child restraints on
t he front seat -some impo rtan t things to know" and=>
page 167,
"Child Safety" .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when one of the
condit ions 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 177.
• 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 be lt latch on the front passenger seatback and forth;
• If a strap or tether is being used to t ie the child safety seat to the
front p assenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes •
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. •

-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

-----------------------------------------~C~ h~il ~d ~ S~a _!fe ~ t !;YL __
and for the different models of the same kind of child restraint
offered by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes and models of ch ild
restraints that the NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typical infants and typical 1 year­
old child have been stored in the control unit of the Advanced Airbag
System. When a child restraint is being used on the front passenger
seat with a typical 1 year-old chi ld, the Advanced Airbag System
compares the weight meas ured by the weight sensing mat with the
information stored in the electronic control unit .
The electronic contro l unit a lso registers the tension on the front
passenger safety belt. The tension on the safety belt for the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult who is properly using the
safety belt as compared to the tension on the belt when it is used to
attach a child restraint to the seat . The sensor below the latch for the
safety belt for the front seat passenger measures the tension on the
belt. The input from this sensor is then used with the weight to
"decide", whether there is a child restraint with a typical 1 year-old
child on the front passenger seat and whether or not the airbag must
be turned off .•
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restraint that you use, ma ke sure that it has
been certified to meet United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been ce rtified by its manufacturer for use with an
airbag . Always be sure that the child restraint is properly installed at
one of the rear seating positions. If in exceptional circumstances you
must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully read all of the infor­
mation on ch ild safety and Advanced Airbags and heed all of the
app licab le WARNINGS. Make certain that the child restra int is
correctly recognized by the weight-sensing mat inside the front
passenger seat, that the front passenger airbag is turned off and that
the airbag status is always correctly signaled by the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Many types and models of child restra
ints have been available over
t he years, new models are introduced reg ularly incorpo rating new
and improved designs and older models are taken out of product ion.
Chi ld restraints are not standardized. Child restraints of the same
type typ ically have d ifferent weights and sizes and differe nt 'foot­
prints,' the size and shape of the bottom of the child restraint that
sits on the seat, when they are installed on a vehicle seat . These
differences make it virtually impossib le to certify compliance with
t he requirements for advanced airbags with each and every chil d
restra int that has ever been sold in the past or will be sold over the
course of the useful life of your vehicle.
For this reason, the United States Nationa l Highway Traffic Safety
Administration has published a list of specific type, makes and
mode ls of child restra ints that must be used to cert ify compliance of
the Advanced Airbag System in yo ur vehicle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Veh icle Safety Standard 208. These
child restraints are:
A. Car beds, manufactured on or after September 1,
2004:
• Cosco Dream Ride 02-719
B. Rear facing child restraint systems,
manufactured on or after September 1, 2004:
(When the restraint system comes equipped with a removable base,
compliance has to be cert ified with or without the base) .
• Britax Handle with Care 191
• Century Assura 4553
• Century Smart Fit 4543
• Cosco Arriva 02727
• Evenflo Discovery Adjust Right 212
• Evenflo First Choice 204
• Graco Infant 8457
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data