routed around the child restraint as descri
bed in the chi ld restraint manufacturer's
instruct ions;
- make sure that the convertible locking fea
ture on the safety belt for the front passen ger seat has been activated and that the
safety belt has been pulled tight. The belt must not be loose or have loops of slack so
that the sensor below the safety belt latch
on the seat can do its job
~ page 144 .
-make sure that th ings that may increase the
weight of the ch ild and child safety seat are
not being transpo rted on the front passen
ger seat;
- make sure that the safety belt tension sen
sor is not b locked. Shake the safety belt
latch on the front passenge r sea t back and
forth;
- If a st rap or tether is being used to tie the
child safety seat to the front passenger
seat, ma ke s ure that i t is not so tight tha t it
ca uses the weight -sensing mat to meas ure
more weight than is actually on the seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still
d oes not come o n
and does not stay on con
tinuously (when the ignition is switched on),
- ta ke the ch ild restraint off the front passen-
ger seat and insta ll it p roperly at one of the
rear seat pos itions. Have the a irb ag system
inspected by your A udi dealer immediately.
- move the chi ld to a rea r seat posi tion and
make su re that the ch ild is p roperly res train
ed in a child restraint that is appropriate for
its size and age .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light shou ld
NO T come on when the ign ition is on and an
ad ult is sitting in a proper seating position on
the front passenger seat.
If the PASSENGER
AIR B AG O FF
light comes on and stays on or
flashes for about 5 seconds while dr iv ing, un
der these circumstances, make sure that:
- the ad ult on the front passenger seat is
properly seated on the center of the seat
c u shi on with h is or her back up against the
backrest and the backrest is not reclined
A irbag system 127
~ page 99, Proper occupant seating posi
tions,
- the adult is not tak ing we ight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or support
ing their weight on the armrest,
- the safety be lt is being properly worn and
that there is not a lot of s lack in the safety
be lt webbing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other
things that may cause an incorrect reading
or impression on the weight-sensing mat
under the upho lstery of the seat have been
removed from the front passenger seat,
- a safety belt extender has not been left in
the safety belt latch for the front passenger
seat .
In add ition to the
PA SSEN GER AIR BAG O FF
light in the center of the instrument panel,
the message
PASS ENGE R AIR BAG O FF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON w ill briefly appear
i n the instrument cluster d isp lay . This is to in
form the dr iver of the current front passenge r
a irbag sta tus.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An ai rbag system that is not functioning
p roperly cannot provide supplemental pro
tection in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag ind icator light comes on, it
means that there may be something
wrong wi th the Advanced Airbag Sys tem.
It is poss ible that the ai rbag w ill inflate
when it is not supposed to, or will not in
f late when it sho uld .
- Have the airbag system inspected imme
diate ly by yo ur Audi dealer.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without
a child restraint, in a rearward -facing child
safety seat or in a forward-facing child re
straint that has not been proper ly installed
-
will be ser ious ly injured and can be killed. ~
•
•
128 Airbag system
-Even though your vehicle is equipped
with an Advanced Airbag System, make
certain that all children, especially 12
years and younger, always ride on the
back seat properly restrained for their
age and size.
- If you must install a rearward-facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear and stay on, imme
diately install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer.
- A tight tether or other strap on a rear
ward-facing child restraint attached to
the front passenger seat can put too
much pressure on the weight-sensing
mat in the seat and register more weight
than is actually on the seat. The heavier
weight registered can make the system
work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
must be suppressed causing serious or
even fatal injury to the child.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you
must install a forward-facing child re
straint on the front passenger seat, al
ways 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 adjust
ed to an upright position . Make sure that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on all the time when
ever the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not go out when an adult is sitting
on the front passenger seat after taking
the steps described above, have the air
bag system inspected by your Audi deal
er before transporting anyone on the
front passenger seat.
-
(!) Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front pas
senger seat detects an empty seat, the
front airbag on the passenger side will be
turned
off, and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
will stay on.
Repair , care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at
many different places on your Audi. Installing,
removing, servicing or repairing a part in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an
airbag system and prevent that system from
working properly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system will not be impaired and that dis
carded components do not cause injury or pol
lute the environment.
A WARNING
-Improper care, servicing and repair proce-
dures can increase the risk of personal in
jury and death by preventing an airbag from deploying when needed or deploying
an airbag unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the
steering wheel horn pad or airbag cover
or the instrument panel or modify them
in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup
holders or telephone mountings to the
surfaces covering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one
moistened with plain water. Solvents or
cleaners could damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness or strength of the material so that the airbag cannot de
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instru
ment panel, front seats or electrical sys-
tem (including the installation of audio
II),
132 Airbag system
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower
extremit ies.
All this takes place instantaneously, so fast
that many people don 't even realize that the
airbags have deployed. The airbags also in
flate with a great deal of force and it is impor
tant 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.
Important safety instructions on the
knee airbag system
Airbags are only supplemen tal res traints. Al
ways wear safety belts correctly and ride in a
proper seating position.
The re is a lot tha t you and your passengers
must know and do to help the safety belts and
airbags to provide supplemental protection .
A 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 airbag system cannot protect you
properly if you are seated too close to
any of the airbag locations. When adjust
ing their seat positions, it is important
that both the driver and the front pas
senger 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 in- creases even more should the airbag de
ploy
.
- Always make sure that the knee airbag
can inflate without interference. Objects
between yourself and the airbag can in
crease the risk of injury in an accident by
interfering with the way the airbag de
ploys 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 de
ploys, this can result in serious or fatal
injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be car
ried in the footwell area in front of the
driver 's or passenger's seat . Bulky ob
jects (shopping bags, for example) can
hamper 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 the case of an
accident
c:> page 136, Child Safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
T he airbag system can provide supplemen tal
protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig. 12S S ide a irba g locatio n in the d river's seat
134 Airbag system
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and con help reduce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu
pants who ore properly restrained.
Fig. 126 Inflated s ide airbags on left side of vehicle
When the system is triggered, the airbag is
filled with propellant gas and breaks through
a seam in the seat surface area marked "AIR
BAG". 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 force. The sup plemental side airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the sup
plemental side airbag expands. This applies
especially to children
Q page 136, Child Safe
ty.
Supplemental side airbags inflate between
the occupant and the door panel on the side
of the vehicle that is struck in certain s ide col
lision
Q fig. 126.
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 upper
part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de
ploys. This is normal and does not mean there
is a fire in the vehicle. Important safety instructions on the
side airbag system
Airbags ore only
supplemental restraints. Al
ways properly wear safety belts and ride in a
proper seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and act accordingly to help the
safety belts and airbags do their job to pro
vide supplementa l protection .
A WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious
or fatal injury. Improperly wearing safety
belts and improper seating positions in
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death whenever a vehicle is being
used.
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when
the supplemental side airbag inflates:
- Always sit in an upright position and
never lean against the area where the
supplemental side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone else rest
their head against the side trim panel
in the area where the supplemental
side airbag inflates.
-Always make sure that safety belts are worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front
seat put their hand or any other parts
of their body out of the window.
- Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate without interference.
- Never install seat covers or replace ment upholstery over the front seat
backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
deploy.
- Damage to the original seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air
bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer.
-Objects between you and the airbag can
increase the risk of injury in an accident
by interfering with the way the airbag
unfolds or by being pushed into you as
the airbag inflates .
- Never place or attach accessories or
other objects (such as cup holders, tel
ephone brackets, or even large, bulky
objects) on the doors, over or near the
area marked "AIRBAG" on the seat
backrests.
- Such objects and accessories can be
come dangerous projectiles and cause
injury when the supplemental side air
bag deploys .
- Never carry any objects or pets in the
deployment space between them and
the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position.
- Always use the built-in coat hooks only
for lightweight clothing . Never leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the
pockets that may interfere with side air
bag deployment and can cause personal
injury in an accident.
- Always prevent the side airbags from be
ing damaged by heavy objects knocking
against or hitting the sides of the seat
backs.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once.
If the airbag has been triggered,
the system must be replaced by an au
thorized 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 au
thorized Audi dealer .
- If children are seated improperly, their
risk of injury increases in the case of an
accident ~
page 136, Child Safety .
-Never attempt to modify any compo
nents of the airbag system in any way.
- In a side collision, side airbags will not
function properly if sensors cannot cor rectly measure increasing air pressure in
side the doors when air escapes through
Airbag system 135
larger, unclosed openings in the door
panel.
- Never drive with interior door trim pan
els removed.
- Never drive when parts have been re
moved 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.
•
•
136 Child Safety
Child Safety
Important things to
know
Introduction
The physical princip les of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash app ly also to children
c:> page 108, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults and
teenagers, their muscles and bones are not
fully developed . In many respects children are
at greater risk of serious injury in crashes than
adults.
Because children's bodies are not fully devel
oped, they require restraint systems especial
ly designed for the ir s ize, weight, and body
structure . Many countries and all states of the
United States and provinces of Canada have
l aws requ iring the use of approved ch ild re
straint systems for infants and small children.
In a frontal crash at a speed of 20-35 mph
(30-56 km/ h) the fo rces acting on a 13-pound
(6 kg) infant w ill be more than 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of
the child would suddenly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg) . Under these conditions,
only an appropriate ch ild restraint properly
used can reduce the risk of serious injury.
Child restra ints, like adult safety belts, must
be used properly to be effective. Used improp
erly, they can increase the risk of ser ious in
ju ry in an accident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's instructions in order to be sure the seat is
right for your ch ild's s ize
c:> page 139, Impor
tant safety instructions for using child safety
seats.
Please be sure to read and heed all of
the important information and WARN INGS
about child safety, Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child restraints in this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they
work when infants and children in chi ld re
straints are on the front passenger seat. Be
cause of the large amount of important infor- mation, we cannot repeat it all here
. We urge
you to read the detailed information in this owner's manua l about airbags and the Ad
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle and the
very important information about transport
ing children on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS - they
are extremely importa nt for your safety and
the safety of you r passengers, especially in
fants and small chi ldren.
A WARNING
-
A ll vehicle occupants and especially chi l
dren must be restrained properly whenev
e r riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained or
improperly restrained child could be in
jured by str ik ing the interior or by being
ejected from the veh icle dur ing a sudden
maneuver or impact. An unrestra ined or
i mproperly restra ined child is also at great
er risk of injury or death through contact
with an inflat ing airbag.
_& WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even
with Advanced Airbags c an be ser ious ly in
ju red or even ki lled when an airbag in
f lates. A child in a rearward-fac ing child
safety seat insta lled on the front passen
ger seat will be ser iously injured and can
be killed if the front airbag inflates.
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child aga inst the backrest, door or
roof.
- Never install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
un less the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on. If the PAS
SENGER AIR BAG OF F
light does not
come on and stay on, have the airbag
system inspected immediately by you r
Audi deale r.
.
A WARNING ,~
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install 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 passenger front and side airbag.
-Always follow the manufacturer's in
structions 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 airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint. The backrest must be
adjusted to an upright 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 an "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with United
States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your
vehicle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle
has been certified to meet the "low-risk" re
quirements for 3- and 6-year old children on
the passenger side and small adults on the
driver side. The low risk deployment criteria
are intended to reduce the risk of injury
through interaction with the airbag that can
occur, for example, by being too close to the
steering wheel and instrument panel when
the airbag 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 airbag for infants up
to 12 months who are restrained on the front
passenger seat in child restraints that are list
ed in the Standard.
Child Safety 137
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, a child should al
ways ride in theseat properly restrained for its
age and si ze . The airbag on the passenger side
makes the front seat a potentially dangerous
place for a child to ride . The front seat is not
the safest place for a child in a forward-facing
child safety seat . It can be a very dangerous
place for an infant or a larger child in a rear
ward-facing seat.
Advanced Airbags and the weight
sensing mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle detects the presence of an infant or child in a
child restraint on the front passenger seat us
ing the weight -sensing mat in the seat cush
ion and the sensor below the safety belt latch
on the front passenger seat that measures the
tension on the safety belt.
The weight -sensing mat measures total
weight of the child and the child safety seat
and a child blanket on the front passenger
seat. The weight on the front passenger seat
is related to the design of the child restraint
and its "footprint", the size and shape of the
bottom of the child restraint as it sits on the
seat. The weight of a child restraint and its
"footprint" vary for different kinds of child re
straints 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 child restraints that the
NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typical in
fants and typical 1 year-old child have been
stored in the control unit of the Advanced Air
bag System. When a child restraint is being
used on the front passenger seat with a typi
cal 1 year-old child, the Advanced Airbag Sys
tem compares the weight measured by the
weight sensing mat with the information stor
ed in the electronic control unit.
The electronic control unit also registers the
tension on the front passenger safety belt. ..,. •
•
138 Child Safety
The tension on the safety be lt for the front
passenger seat will be different for an ad ult
who is properly using the safety belt as com
pared to the tension on the be lt 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 measu res the
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regard less of the ch ild restraint t hat you use,
make sure tha t it has been ce rtified to mee t
United States Fede ral Motor Vehicle S afety
Standar ds and has been certified by i ts manu
facture r fo r u se with an ai rbag . If in excep
tional c ircu mstances you m ust use it on the
fro nt passenge r seat, caref ully read all of the
information on c hild safety and Advanced A ir
bags a nd heed a ll of the applicable WARN
INGS . Make certa in that t he child restraint is
correctly recognized by the w eig ht-sens ing
mat i nside the front passenge r seat, that the
fro nt passenger air bag is tur ned off and tha t
the airbag st atus is al ways correc tly signaled
by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG O FF light.
M any types and mo dels of ch ild rest ra ints
have been availab le over the years, new mo d
e ls are in trodu ced regularly incorporat ing new
and improved designs an d older models a re
taken out of p ro du ction. Child restraints a re
Subpart A -Car bed child restraints
Model
Ange l Guard Ange l Ride AA2 403 FO F
Subpart B -Rear-facing child restraints
Model
C en tury SmartFit 4543
Cosco Arriva 22-013PAW and base 22-999W HO
Evenflo D iscovery Adjus t Right 2 12
Evenflo First Cho ice 204
Graco Infant 8457
Graco Snugrid e
Peg Perego Primo V iaggio SIP IMUN00 US tens
ion on the belt. The input from th is sen
sor is then used with t he weight to "decide",
whethe r the re is a child restra int with a typical
1 year-old chi ld on the front passenger seat
and whether or not the airbag must be turned
off .
not standard ized . Child rest rain ts of the same
ty pe typ ically have diffe rent weights and sizes
and differe nt 'foo tpr ints,' the si ze and shape
of the bo ttom of the ch ild restra int tha t sits
on the seat, when they are insta lled on a vehi
cle seat. These diffe rences make it virtually
impossible to certify compliance with the re
quirements for advanced airbags with eac h
and every ch ild restra int that has eve r been
sold in the past or wi ll be so ld over the course
of the useful l ife of your veh icle .
Fo r thi s reason, the United States National
Hig hway T raffic Safety Adm inistrat ion has
published a list of spec ific type, makes and
models of chi ld restraints that must be used
to ce rtify comp lian ce of the Advanced Airbag
System i n your veh icle w ith the su ppression
r equirements of Fe d eral Motor Vehicle Safe ty
Stan dard 208. These chi ld res traints are:
Manufactured on or after
September 2 5, 2 007
Manufactured on or after
December 1, 19 99
September 25, 2 007
D ecember 1, 1999
D ecembe r 1, 1999
D ecember 1, 1999
September 25, 2 007
September 25, 2007