2011 AUDI TT ROADSTER ignition

124 Airbag system
More important things to know about
front airbags
F ig. 121 Inflated fro nt airbags
Safety belts are impo rtant to help keep fro nt
seat occupants in the p roper seated pos it io n
so that airbags can unfo ld prope rly and pro­
vide supp lemental protection in a fronta l co l­
lision .
The front a irbags are designed to provide ad­
d itiona l protect ion for the chest a nd face of
the dr iver and the front seat passenger when:
- safety belts are worn properly,
- the seats have been positioned so that the
occupant is properly seated as far as possi­
ble from the a irbag,
- and the head restraints have been proper ly
adjusted .
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye
with great force, things you have on your lap or have placed on the seat could become dan­
ge rous projectiles, and be pushed into you if
the airbag inflates .
When an a irbag deploys, fine dust is released.
This is normal and is not caused by a fire in
the vehicle . This d ust is made up mostly of a
powder used to lubricate the airbags as they
deploy. It cou ld irritate s kin .
It is important to remember that while the
supp lemental airbag system is designed to re­
d uce the l ikelihood of serious in juries, other
in juries, fo r example swelling, bruisi ng and
m inor abras ions, ca n also happe n when air­
bags in flate. Airbags do not protect the a rms
or the lower pa rts of the body. Front airbags
only s upplement the t hree point safety belts
in some frontal collisions in which the vehicle deceleration
is high eno ugh to deploy the air ­
bags .
Front airbags will not deploy:
- if the ignition is sw itched off when a c rash
occu rs,
- in side co llisions,
- in rear-end co llisions,
- in rollovers,
-when the crash dece leration measured by
the airbag system is less than the min imum
threshold needed for a irbag deployment as
reg istered by the electronic control unit .
The front passenge r airbag will al so not
deploy:
- when the front passenger seat is not occu­
p ied,
- when t he weight on the front passenger
seat as sensed by the Advanced Airbag Sys ­
tem ind icates that the front ai rbag on the
passenger side has to be turned off by the
elec troni c con trol un it (the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
li ght comes on and st ays on) .
_&. WARNING ~
Sitting in the wrong position can increase
the r isk o f se rious injury i n crashes.
- To reduce the risk of inju ry w he n t he air ­
bags i nflate, the drive r and passengers
m ust always sit in an upr ight position,
m ust not lean aga inst or place any part
of their b ody too close to the area where
the airbags a re located .
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the a irbag can be se­
rio usly injured by a n airbag as it unfolds
wit h great force i n the blink of an eye
¢page 116 .
_&. WARNING ~ -
A child in a rearward-fac ing c hild safety
seat in stalle d on the fron t passe nger s eat
will be serio usly inju re d and ca n be killed if
the front air bag in fla tes -even with an Ad­
vanced A irbag Sys tem.

-The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
arm rest, door or roof.
- 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 no t come on and stay on, im­
med iately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
&_ WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will
increase the risk of in jury in a crash by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by being pushed into you as the a irbag
inflates.
- Never hold th ings in your hands or on
your lap when the vehicle is in use .
- Never transport items on or in the area
of the front passenger seat. Objects
could move into the area of the front air­
bags dur ing braking or other sudden ma­
neuver and become dange rous projec­
t il es that can cause serious personal in­
jury if the airbags inflate.
- Never place o r attach accessories or oth­
er objects (such as cup ho lders, tele­
phone brackets, large, heavy or b ulky ob­
jects) on the doors, over or near the area
marked "AIRBAG" on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, seat backrests or be­
tween those areas and yourself. These
objects could cause injury in a crash, es­
pecially when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger's seat
to transport objects. Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or
the front airbag dur ing braking or in a
sudden maneuver. Objects near the air­
bags can be come project iles and cause
injury, part icularly when the seat is re­
cl ined.
-
A irbag sys tem 125
&_ WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy
can cause breathing prob lems fo r people
with a history of as thma or other breath­
ing cond itions.
- To reduce the risk of breath ing problems,
those with asthma o r other respiratory
conditions s hou ld get fresh air r ight
away by getting o ut of the veh icle or
open ing windows or doors.
- If you are in a collision in which airbags
deploy, wash your hands and fa ce with
mild soap and wate r before eating.
- Be ca reful not to get the dust in to your
eyes, o r into any c uts or sc ratches.
- If the residue should get into your eyes,
f lush them w ith wate r.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
fl~ Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function
of the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag
monitoring indicator light and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG O FF
light.
T he Advanced A irbag System (includ ing the
electron ic co ntro l unit, sensor circu its and sys­
tem wiring) is monitored continuously to
make sure that it is function ing properly
whenever the ignition is on. Each time you
turn on the ignition, the airbag mon itoring in­
dicator light
I will come on for a few seconds
(self diagnostics).
Th e syste m mu st b e in spected when the
indicator light
I :
- does not come on when the ignition is
sw itched on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you
have switched on the ignit ion, or
- comes on while driving.
If an airbag system malfunction is detected,
the indicator light wi ll first start flashing to
catch the driver's attention and then stay on
llo-
•
•

126 Airbag system
con tinuously to serve as a constant remin der
to have the system inspected immed iately.
I f a malfu nction occurs that turns the front
a ir bag on the passenger side off, the
PAS SEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
li ght will come on and stay
on whenever the ignition is on .
.&_ WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning
properly cannot provide supplemental pro­
tection in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator light comes on, it
means that the re may be somet hing
wrong with the Advanced Airbag System.
It is possible that the airbag will inflate
when it is not s upposed to, or w ill not in­
flate when it should.
- Have the airbag system inspected imme­
diat ely by your Au di dealer .
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 122 Sect ion from the instr um ent pa nel: PASS EN ­
GER AIR BA G OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF Light is Located
in the cen ter of the instr ument panel
~ fig. 122 .
The PAS SENGE R AIR BAG OFF Light will come
on and stay on to tell you when the front Ad·
vanced A irbag on the passenger side has been
turned off by t he e lectronic control unit. Each
time you tu rn on the ig nition, the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
li ght will flash for a few
seconds and:
- wi ll stay on if the fron t passenger seat is not
occupied,
- will stay on if there is a small child or ch ild
rest raint on the front passenger seat, -
will go out i f the front passenge r seat is oc­
cup ied by an adult as registered by the
weight -sensing mat .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light mu st
come on and stay on
if the ignition is on and
- a ca r bed has been installed on the front
seat , or
- a r earward-facing child rest raint has been
installed o n the front passenger seat, or
- a forward-fac ing ch ild restra int has b een in·
stalled on the front passenger seat , o r
- the weight reg iste red on the front passen­
ger seat is equal to o r less than the com·
b in ed weight o f a typical 1 year-old restra in­
ed in one of the rear-facing or forwa rd-fac ­
ing infant restraints Listed in Federal Motor
Ve hicle Safety Standard 208 with which the
Advanced A irbag System in you r vehicle was
certified .
If the front passenger seat is not occupied,
t h e front airbag wi ll not deploy, and the
PAS­
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
Light will stay on . Nev ­
er install a rea rward -facing child restraint on
t h e front passenger seat, the safest p lace for
a chi ld in any kind of ch ild restraint is at one
of the seating posit io ns on t he rear seat
~ page 116, Child restraints on the front seat
- some important things to know
and
~ page 136, Child Safety.
If the PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light come s
on
when one of the cond itions Listed above is
met, be sure to check the Light regu larly to
make ce rtain tha t t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
Light stays on con tinuously wheneve r th e
ignition is on . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
Light does not appear and not stay on a ll
the time, stop as soon as it is safe to do so a nd
- reactivate the system by t urning the ign ition
off and then turning it on again;
- remove and reins tall the ch ild res tra int.
Make s ure that the ch ild restra int is properly
installed and that the safety belt for the
front passenger seat has been correctly .,.

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),

The safety belt buckle for the driver and front
seat passenger have switches that tell the air­
bag control mod ule if the safety belt is being
used or not. If the safety belt is being used,
the knee airbag will deploy at a slightly higher
rate of deceleration than if the belt is not be­
i ng used. Therefo re, i n a pa rtic ular collision, it
is poss ible that an airbag will not deploy at a
seating position whe re the safety belt is being
used but will inflate at the position whe re the
safety be lt is not being used .
R emembe r too, airbags will deploy only once
and on ly in ce rtain kinds of accidents -your
safety be lts are a lways there to offer pro te c­
t ion in those acc idents in which airbags are
not supposed to deploy or when they have a l­
ready deployed, fo r example when your vehi­
cle strikes or is struck by another after the
f irst coll is ion.
This is just one o f th e reasons why an ai rbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt . The airbag
system works most effective ly when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your
safety belts correctly .
It is important to remember that while the
supp lemental airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serio us inj uries, other
in juries, for example, swel ling, bruising, and
minor abrasions can also be associated with
a ir bags .
The knee airbag sy stem ba sically consist s
of:
- The electronic control modu le
- Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas gen-
erator), one for the driver and one for the
front passenger
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag sy stem will not deploy :
-when the ignition is turned off
- in fron t-end col lisions w hen the dece lerat ion
measured by the control unit is too low
- in s ide collisions
- i n rear-end colli sions
- in ro llovers
A irbag system 131
- in the event of a system mal function (warn ­
ing/indicator light illuminated)
r=>poge 16.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide pr otection w hen occupants
are in the proper seating position
r=>poge 124.
-If the ai rbag ind icator light comes when
the vehicle is be ing used, have the sys­
tem inspected immediate ly by yo ur au­
thori zed A udi deal er. The airbag may not
wo rk p roperly when the vehicle a ccele ra­
tion in a side col lision i s high enough to
dep loy the airbag. See also
c=:> page 16.
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area is reduced by
fully deployed knee airbags.
Fig. 1 24 In flated a irbags protec ting in a fronta l coll i­
sio n
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the a irbags for the driver and front pas­
senger are dep loyed in certa in but not a ll
fron tal coll is io ns.
If the front a irbags dep loy, the knee a irbags
also dep loy in fronta l co llisions above ace r­
ta in seve rity .
When the system is dep loyed, the a irbags
start to fill w ith a propellant gas, and inflate
betwee n the lower pa rt of the instrument
panel and the driver and the lowe r part of the
in strume nt pa nel and the fron t passenger
r=> page 124 , fig . 12 1.
Although they are not a soft p illow , they can
"c ushion" the impact and in th is way they can
Ill>

The side airbags are located in the sides of the
fro nt seat backrests ¢
fig. 125 facing the
doors. They are identified by the word "AIR ­
BAG".
The side airbag system basically consists of:
-the e lectronic control module and external
s ide impact senso rs
- the two side airbags located in the sides of
the front backrests
- the a irbag warning light in the instrument
cluster.
The airbag system is monitored electron ically
to make certain that it is functioning properly
at all times . Each time you turn on the igni­
tion, t he a irbag system indicator light will
come on for a few seconds (self diagnos tics) .
The s ide a irbag system supplements the safe­
ty belts and can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury to the driver's and front passenge r's up­
per torso on the side of the vehicle that is
struck in a side collision. The airbag deploys in
side impacts and only when the vehicle acce l­
eration registered by the control unit is hig h
enough. If this rate is below the reference val ­
ue programmed into the control un it, the side
airbags w ill not be triggered, even though the
car may be badly damaged as a result of the
coll is ion . It is not poss ible to define an airbag
triggering range that will cover every possible
angle of impact, since the circumstances w ill
va ry considerably between one collis ion and
another. Important factors include, for exam­
ple, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting
object, the angle of impact, vehicle speed,
etc.
c> page 134, Important safety instruc­
tions on the side airbag system.
Aside from their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in posit ion in the event of a side
coll is ion so that the side a irbags 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 veh icle. Al­
ways remember that the side airbag system
can only help to protect you if you are wear ing
Airbag system 133
your safety be lt and wearing it properly. This
is another reason why you should always wear
your safety be lts, not just because the law re­
quires you to do soc;,
page 107, General
notes.
It is important to remember that wh ile the
supplementa l side airbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of ser ious injuries,
other injur ies, for example, swelling, bru is ing,
and minor abrasions can also be associated
with deployed s ide airbags. Remember too,
s ide airbags wi ll dep loy only once and only in
certain kinds of accidents -your safety belts
a re always there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack
of veh icle damage are not necessarily an indi­
cation of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
tion. In some collision s, both front and side
airbags may inflate. Remember too, that air­
bags will deploy only once and only in certain
kinds of collisions -your safety belts are al­
ways there to offer protection in those acci­
dents 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
meas ured by the sensor is too low
- in rea r-end co llision s
- in rollove rs.
In some types of accidents the front airbags
and s ide a irbags may be triggered together .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide protection when occupants
are in th e proper seating position
c;,page 134.
- 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 ac­
celeration in a side coll is ion is high
enough to activate the a irbag. •
•

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. ..,. •
•