Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supple
mental protection to properly restrained
front seat occupants.
Fi g. 1 52 Driver's a irbag
The drive r knee airbag is in the instr ume nt
panel underneath the steeri ng wheel
¢ fig . 152, th e ai rbag for the passenger is at
about the same height in the instrument pan
e l underneath the g love compartment.
The knee a irbag offers add itiona l pro tect io n
to the driver's and passenger 's knees and up
per and lower thigh areas as a supp lements
the protect ion provided by the safety belts.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags
a lso deploy in frontal collisions when the de
p loyment thresho ld stored in the contro l unit
is met
r::!;> page 154, More important things to
know about front airbags.
In addition to t heir normal safety function,
safety be lts he lp keep the driver or front pas
se nger in posit ion in a frontal coll is ion so that
the airbags ca n prov ide supplemental protec
tion .
T he airbag system is not a s ubst itute for yo ur
safety be lt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc
cupa nt restraint system in your veh icle. Al
ways remember that the airbag system ca n
only help to pro tect you if you are wea ring
your safety belt and wear ing it prope rly. Thi s
i s w hy you sho uld always wea r yo ur safety
be lt, not just because the law requires yo u to
do so
¢ page 137, General notes .
Airbag system 161
The safety belt buckle fo r the driver a nd front
seat passe nger have switches that tell the air
bag control module if th e safety belt is being
u sed or not . If the safety belt is being used,
the knee airbag w ill deploy at a s light ly higher
rate of deceleration t han if t he be lt is not be
i ng used. Therefore, in a pa rticular co llision, it
is possible that an airbag will not dep loy at a
seat ing pos ition w he re t he safety be lt is being
u sed b ut w ill infl ate a t the po sition where the
safety belt is no t being used.
Remember too, a irbags wi ll deploy o nly once
and on ly in certa in kin ds of ac ciden ts -yo ur
sa fe ty belts a re a lw ay s there t o offer p rotec
t ion in those accide nts in which airbags are
not supposed to dep loy o r when they have al
ready dep loyed, for example when your vehi
cle strikes or is struck by another after the
first collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a s ubstitute fo r th e safety be lt . T he airbag
system works most effect ively when used with
the safety be lts. Therefore, always wea r your
safety belts correct ly.
It is important to remember that while the
supplementa l knee airbag system is designed
to reduce the li kelihood of ser ious injuries ,
other injur ies, for example, swelling, bru is ing,
minor abras ions and frict ion bu rns can a lso
occur when an airbag in flates.
The knee airbag system basically consists
of:
- The electronic control module
- Two inflatable a irbags (a irbag an d gas gen-
erator), one for the d river and one fo r the
front passenge r
- The a irbag indicator lig ht in t he i nstrument
pane l
The knee airbag system will not deploy :
-when the ignit io n is switched off
- in frontal collisions when the de celera tion
meas ured by the contro l unit is too low
- in side co llisions
- in rear-end col lis ions
- in rollove rs
162 Airbag system
-in the event of a system malfunction (warn
ing/indicator light is on)
r=:> page 18.
.&_ WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide protection when occupants
are in the proper seating position
¢page 154 .
-If the airbag indicator light comes when
the vehicle is being used, have the sys
tem inspected immediately by your au
thorized Audi dealer.
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be re
duced by fully inflated knee airbags.
Fig. 153 Infla ted airbags pro tecting in a fron ta l coll i
sio n
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front pas
senger deploy in certain but not all frontal
collisions .
If the front ai rbags deploy, the knee ai rbags
also deploy in frontal collisions when the de
ployment threshold stored in the control unit
is met .
When the system deploys, the ai rbags fill
with a propellant gas, and inflate between the lower part of the instrument panel and the
driver and the lower part of the instrument
panel and the front passenger~
page 154,
fig. 150.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower
extremities . All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don
't even realize that
the airbags have deployed. The airbags also inflate with a great deal of force and it is im
portant for occupant safety that nothing
should be in their way when they deploy .
Fully inflated airbags in combination with
properly worn safety belts slow down and lim
it the occupant's forward movement and help
to reduce the risk of injury .
Important safety instructions on the
knee airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Al
ways wear safety belts correctly and ride in a
proper seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and do to help the safety belts and
airbags to provide supplemental protection .
.&_ 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.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect
you properly if you are seated too close
to any of the airbag locations. When ad
justing their seat positions, it is impor
tant that both the driver and the front passenger keep their upper bodies and
knees at the following minimum safe
distances:
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instru ment panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru
ment 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 in
creases even more should the airbag de
ploy .
-Always mak e sure that the knee airbag
can inflate without interference. Objects
between you and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by inter
fering with the way the airbag deploys or by being pushed into you as the airbag
deploys.
- Never let anybody, especially children
or animals ride in the footwell in front
of the passenger seat.
If the airbag de
ploys, this can result in serious or fatal
injuries .
- Never carry objects of any kind in the
footwell area in front of the driver's or
passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shop
ping bags, for example) can interfere
with or prevent proper deployment of
the airbag. Small objects can be
thrown through the vehicle if the air
bag deploys and injure you or your pas
sengers.
- Make sure there are no cracks, deep
scratches or other damage in the area of
the instrument panel where the knee air
bags are located.
- If children are incorrectly seated, their
risk of injury increases in a collision
Q page 169, Child Safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
T he airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 154 Side airbag location in t he d river 's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests
Q fig. 154 and the rear
Airbag system 163
backrest facing the doors. They are identified
by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag system basically consists of:
- the electron ic control module and external
side impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
- two rear side airbags
- the airbag warning light in the instrument
cluster.
The airbag system is monitored electronically
to make certain that it is functioning properly
at all times. Each time you switch on the igni
tion, the airbag system indicator light will
come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics) .
T he side airbag system supplements the safe
ty belts and can help to reduce the risk of in
jury to the driver's, front and rear passenger's
upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is
struck in a s ide collision . The airbag deploys
only in side impacts and only when the vehicle
accelerat ion reg iste red by the control unit is
high enough.
If this rate is be low the refer
ence value programmed into the control unit,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
though the car may be badly damaged as a re
sult of the co llision . It is not possib le to de
fine an airbag triggering range that will cover
every possible angle of impact, since the cir
cumstances will vary considerably between
one collis ion and another . Important factors
include, for example , the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the angle of impact,
vehicle speed , etc.
¢ page 165, Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function, safe
ty 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 provide
protection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc
cupant restraint system in your vehicle. A l-
ways remember that the side airbag system
can only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wearing it properly. This
Ill>
170 Child Safety
-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 in exceptiona l circumstances and
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immed iately
install the rear-facing child safety seat in
a re ar seating posit ion and have the air
bag system inspec ted immediately by
yo ur Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward -facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat:
- Always make su re the forward-fac ing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the man ufacturer's in
struct ions provided 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 a irbag as poss ible before installing
the ch ild restraint. The backrest must be
adjusted to an upr ight position .
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays
on all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
Advanced front airbag system and
children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Ad
vanced A irbag System" in compliance wit h
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (FMVSS) 208 as app licab le at the
time your veh icle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle
has been certified to meet the " low-risk" re
qu irements for 3- and 6-year old ch ildren on
the passenger s ide and small adults on the
driver side . The low risk deployment criter ia are intended
to red uce the risk of in jury
thro ugh interaction with the airbag that can
occur, for examp le, by being too close to the
steering wheel and instrument panel when
the a irbag inflates. In addition, the system
has been certified to comply with the "sup
pression" requirements of the Safety Stand
ard, to turn off the front a irbag for infants up
to 12 months who are restrained on the front
passenge r seat in child restra ints that are list
ed in the Standard .
Even though your veh icle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, a ll children, espe
cially those 12 years and younger, should al
ways ride in the back seat properly res trained
for their age and size . The airbag on the pas
senger side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a ch ild to ride . The front
seat is not the safest p lace for a child in a for
ward-fac ing ch ild safety seat. It can be a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child
in a rearward-fac ing seat .
Advanced Airbags and the weight
sensing mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in you r vehicle
detects the presence of an infant or child in a
child restraint on the front passenger seat us
ing the weight-sens ing mat in the seat cush
ion and the sensor below the safety belt latch
on the front passenger seat that measures the
tens ion on the safety belt .
The weight-sensing mat measures total
weight of the child and the child safety seat and a ch ild blanket on the front passenger
seat. The we ight on the front passenger seat
is related to the design of the ch ild restraint
and its "footp rint", the s ize and shape of the
bottom of the child res traint as it sit s on the
seat. The weight of a ch ild restra int and its
"footprint" vary for different kinds of child re
straints and for the different mode ls of the
same kind of chi ld restraint offered by ch ild
restraint manufacturers.
T he weight ranges fo r the individual types,
makes and models of child restraints that the .,._
Normal cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a lint -free microfiber cloth to the clean fab
ric . Brushes should only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Normal surface stains can be cleaned using a
commercially available foam cleaner. Spread
the foam on the surface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gent ly. Do not sat u
rate the fabric. Then pat the foam dry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g . microfiber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dr ied completely.
Cleaning st ain s
Stains caused by beverages (e.g. coffee, fruit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter
gent solution. Apply the detergent solution
with a sponge. In the case of stubbor n stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric. After
wards, use copio us amounts of clea n water to
remove t he remain ing detergent. Apply the
water with a damp cloth or 5ponge and pat
the fabric d ry with an absorbent, dry cloth.
Stains from chocolate o r make up s hou ld have
dete rgent paste (e.g . ox-gall soap) r ubbed in
to them. Afterwards, remove the soap w ith
water (damp sponge).
A lcohol can be used to t reat stains from
grease, oi l, lipstic k or a ballpo int pen. Me lted
grease or dye must be patted
off using ab
sorbent materia l. It may be necessary to re
treat the areas with dete rgent paste and wa
ter.
I n the case of genera l so iling of the uphols
tery and cover materia l, we recommend hiring
a specialist that has the equ ipment to clean
the seat covers and other fabric surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
c> page 206.
Cleaning and protec tion 213
(D Tips
Open Ve lcro fasteners on yo ur clothing can
damage the seat cover . Please ma ke su re
that Ve lcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For pe rsistent d irt
u se an Aud i app roved
solvent-free plastic
cleaner/p rotectant.
A WARNING
Solven ts can change the proper ties of
some p las tics and make it harde r fo r the
a ir bag to deploy .
-
-Never clean the inst rument panel or the
surface of airbag modu les with cleaning
prod ucts that contain solvents .
- P roducts con tain ing solvents will make
the s urface of this part poro us.
- Ser ious i njuries ca n resu lt if p lastic parts
come loose when the ai rbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed a ll WAR NINGS a nd
o ther info rm ation
c> page 206.
(D Note
C leaning age nts conta ining so lvents w ill
attack the mate rial and can cha nge t he
way it beh aves.
Trim and molding
T rim and molding in the vehicle interior can
be cleaned wi th a dry microfiber cloth. To pre
vent scratches, do not use any cleaning so lu
tions.
Natural leather
Applies to vehicles : wit h natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather.
General
We offe r ma ny d iffe ren t types o f leathe r o n
our vehicles. Most are diffe rent types o f nappa
1J1>
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222 Checking and filling
Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 175 Driver foo twell: release lever
AUD I
Fig. 176 Rocker switch un der the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up
from the windshield. Otherwise the paint
could be damaged.
.,. Pull the lever under the instrument panel in
the direction of the arrow
¢ fig. 175.
.,. Raise the hood slightly¢,&. .
... Press the rocker switch under the hood up
ward ~
fig. 176. This releases the catch.
... Open the hood.
&_ WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care
fully opening the hood .
' Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent per
sonal injury always observe the following
WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
¢ ,&. .
/n.. WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Switch off the ignition .
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to "P" (Park) .
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com
partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo
nents . They can cause a fire .
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm . The cool
ant system is pressurized and hot cool
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
Fuse panel@ (red)
No. Equipment
= '
I 6 Right headlight (headlight
with adaptive light)
I
7 ESP control module
8
9 Adaptive cruise control
Transmission control mod-
10 ule
11 Climate control system sen
sors
Fuse panel @ (brown)
No
. II Equipment
Electromechan ical parking
1 brake
2 Suspension control system
sensor
Right rear door control mod-
3 ule
4 Smart-Modul Tank
5 Front climate control system
controls
6 Rear climate control system
controls
7 Networking gateway
8 Refrigerator
Interface for spec ial func-
9 tions
12 Selector lever
13 Ambient lighting
14 Rear exterior lighting
15 Fuel pump
16 Electromechanical parking
brake
Fuse panel @ (black)
Equipment
3 Rear sockets*
5 adaptive air suspension
6 115-V socket
7 Electromechanical parking
brake
II
Amps
10
s
5
10
5
5
Amps
5
5
7,5 5
15
10 5
15
5
10
10
20
25
30
Amps
20
15
25
30
=
Fuses and bulbs 271
Fuse panel @ (black)
No. Equipment
8 Rear seat heating
9 Rear exterior lighting
10 Rear
climate control system
blower
Rear sun shade, closing aid,
11 luggage compartment lock,
keyless
go/entry, fuel filler
door
12 luggage compartment lid
control module
Fuse panel E (red)
No. Equipment
1 Rear
seat adjustment but-
tons
3 Left rear seat
(pneumatics)
5 Trailer hitch control modu le*
6 Left rear seat
7 Right rear seat
8 Trailer hitch control module*
9 Trailer hitch control module*
10 Right rear seat (pneumatics)
Fuse panel ® (brown)
No. Equipment
1 Radio receiver/sound ampli-
fier
Sound amplifier, Bang&
2 Olufsen Advanced Sound
System
Rear Seat Enterta inment, ra-
3 dio receiver/sound amplifier
Automatic dimming interior
5 rearview mirror, rearview
camera (parking aid)
6 DVD changer
7 TV tuner
8 MMI unit/drives
9
Instrument cluster, analog
clock
10 MMI Display
Amps
25
20
20
20
30
Amps
s
7,5
20
30
30
20
15
7,5
30
30 10
5
5
5
7,5
5
5
•
•
....
How do I properly install a child safety
seat in my vehicle? .............. .. . 172
Infant seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4
Installing .. ............. .... .. ... 178
Installing a child restraint us in g the
LATCH system ..................... 184
LATCH system .... .. ... ... .. .. .. .. . 184
Lower anchorages ............... .. 182
Mounting and releasing the anchorage
hook .... .. ................. .. ... 184
Safety instructions ............ .. .. . 172
Clean ing and protection ......... .. .. . 206
A lcantara (synthet ic suede) .......... 215
Cooler ... .. ................. .. ... 216
Engine compartment ............... 216
Exhaust tail pipes ............ ... .. . 212
Fabrics and fabric coverings . ... .. .. . 212
Instrument panel ............ ... .. . 213
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
MMI display/controls ............... 212
Plastic and vinyl ................. .. 210
Plastic parts ..... .. ... ... .. .. .. .. . 213
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
tr im strips . ............. .. .. .. .. . 210
Trim strips . ............. .... .. ... 209
Climate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 4
Clock ....... .. ................ ..... 26
Closing Panoramic sunroof ........ .. .. .. .. .. 41
Sliding/tilting sunroof ............... 40
Sun shade (panoramic sunroof) ... .. .. 42
Cold tire inflation pressure ... .. .. .. .. . 242
Coming home ............. .... .. .. .. 45
Compact spare tire .................. 261
Compartments .... .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. 70
Compass in the mirror ......... ... .. .. 52
Compliance .. .. ........... .. .. .. ... 286
Consumer Information . . . . . . . . . . 135, 283
Consumption (fuel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Contacting NHTSA .................. 135
Convenience key .............. ... .... 33
Starting the engine ................. 79
Stopping the engine (START ENGINE
STOP button) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Switching the ignition on ............ 79
Unlocking and locking vehicle ........ . 33
Index 289
Convertib le child safety seats
Convertible locking retractor 17S
Activating . .. .. .. ................. 180
Deact ivating . .. .. .... ........... .. 181
Using to secure a child safety seat 1.78, 180
Coolant
refer to Engine coolant ............. 229
Cooler ....... .. .. .... ............. . 72
Cleaning .. .. .. .. .. ............... 216
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Cooling mode (automatic climate control) 75
Cornering light ........... .......... 106
Cruise control Changing speed .. .................. 84
Presetting your speed ............... 85
Switching off .. .. .. . .. ... .... ..... . 85
Switching on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Warning/ind icator lights ............ . 22
(upholder .. .. .. .. ................. . 70
D
Data .............................. 282
Data recorder . .. .. .. .. ........... .. 190
Date display .. .. .. ... ... ...... ..... . 26
Daytime running lights .............. .. 43
Declaration of compliance Adaptive cruise control ............. 286
Audi s ide ass ist .. ............. .... 286
Cell phone package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Convenience key .. .. .............. . 286
Electronic immobilizer .............. 286
Homelink ® universal remote control .. 286
Remote control key ... ......... .. .. 286
Tire pressure monitoring system ..... 286
DEF What does this mean when it appears in
the trip odometer display? ........... 26
Defective light bulb warning ........... 21
Defrosting (windows) .. .. ... .... ..... . 76
Deluxe automatic climate control ..... .. 75
Determining correct load limit ........ 247
Digital compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Dimensions ....... .. . .............. 280
Dimming the rearview mirror .......... 51
Distance ....... .... ................ 24
Door/rear lid warning ... ............. . 23
•
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