2012 AUDI A3 warning

132 Airbag system
of their body too close to the area where
the airbags are located.
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be se­ riously injured by an airbag as it unfolds
with great force in the blink of an eye
r=> page 123 .
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
will be seriously injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Ad ­
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
- 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 because of exceptional circumstan ·
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer .
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will
increase the risk of injury in a crash by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the airbag
inflates.
- Never hold things 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 during braking or other sudden ma­
neuvers and become dangerous projec­
tiles that can cause serious personal in­
jury if the airbags inflate.
-
- Never place or attach accessories or oth­
er objects (such as cup holders, tele­
phone brackets, large, heavy or bulky 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 during brak ing or in a
sudden maneuver. Objects near the air­
bags can become projectiles and cause
injury, particularly when the seat is re­
clined.
A WARNING
-T he fine dust created when airbags deploy
can cause breathing problems for people
with a history of asthma or other breath­
ing 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 vehicle or
opening windows or doors.
- If you are in a collision in which airbags
deploy, wash 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
I Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function
of the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag
monitoring indicator light and the
PAS SEN ­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light.
The Advanced Airbag System (including the
e lectronic control unit, sensor circuits and sys­
tem wiring) is monitored continuously to
make sure that it is functioning properly
whenever the ignit ion is on . Each t ime you
turn on the ignition, the airbag monitor ing in­
d icator light
I will come on for a few seconds
(self diagnostics) .
t!i The syste m mus t be insp ected when the
indicato r light:
- does not come on when the ignit ion is
switched on,
- does not go out a few seconds after yo u
have switched on the ignition, o r
- comes on while d riving .
If an airbag system malfunction is detected,
the
I indicator light will first start flashing to
catch the driver's attention and then stay on
continuously to serve as a constant reminder
to have the system inspected immediately.
If a malfunction occurs that turns the front
a irbag on the passenger side off, the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BA G OFF
light will come on and stay
on whenever the ignition is on.
_& WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ioning
properly cannot provide supp lemen tal p ro­
tection in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator l igh t comes on, it
means that there may be something
wrong wit h the Advanced Airbag System.
It is possible that the airbag will inflate
when it is not s upposed to, or wi ll not in­
flate when it should.
-
Airba g sy stem 133
-Have the airbag system inspected imme­
diate ly by you r authorized Aud i dea ler.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
F ig . 1 34 Sect ion from th e ce nter console: PASSENGER
AIR BAG O FF light
The PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located
in the center console
c::> fig. 134.
The PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come
on and stay on to tell you when the front Ad­
vanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned off by the electron ic control unit. Each
time you turn on the ignit ion, the
PAS SEN­
GER A IR BAG OFF
light will flash for a few
seco nds and:
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
- will stay on if there is a small ch ild or child
restraint on the front passenger seat,
- will go out if the front passenger seat is oc­
cupied by an adult as registered by the
weight-sensi ng mat.
The
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must
come on and st ay on
if the ignition 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 passenger seat, or
- a forward -facing chi ld restraint has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat, or
- t he weight reg iste red on the fron t passen-
ger seat is equal to or less than the com -
bined weight of a typical 1 year-old restrain­
ed in one of the rear-facing or forward -fac-
ing infant restraints listed in Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which the ..,_

PASSENGER AIR B AG ON will briefly appear
in the instrument cluster display. This is to in­
form the driver of the current front passenger
airbag status .
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A 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 there may be someth ing
wrong with the Advanced Airbag System .
It is possible that the airbag will inflate
when it is not supposed to, or w ill not in ­
flate when it should .
- Have the airbag system inspected imme­
diately by your author ized Audi dealer .
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a ch ild without
a child restra int, or in a rearward-fac ing
child safety seat, or in a forward-facing
child restraint that has not been prope rly
installed will be serio usly injured and can
be killed.
- E ven though your veh icle is equipped
with an Advanced Airbag System , make
certain that a ll children, especially 12
years and younger, a lways ride on the
back seat properly restrained for their
age and si ze.
- Always install forward or rea r-facing
child safety seats on the rear seat -even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
- If you must install a rearward-facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PAS SENG ER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear and stay on, imme­
diately install the rear-fac ing ch ild safety
sea t in a rear seating position and have
the a irbag sys tem inspected by you r au­
tho rized Aud i dea ler.
-
A irbag system 135
-A t ight tether or other strap on a rea r­
ward-facing child rest raint attached to
the front passenger seat can put too much pressure on the weight-sensing
mat in the seat and reg iste r more weight
than is actually on the seat . The heavie r
weight registered can make the system
wo rk as tho ugh an adult we re on the seat
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
m ust be suppressed causing serious or
even fata l injury to the chi ld .
- If , in exceptiona l c ircumstances , you
m ust 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 a irbag
as poss ible. The backrest must be adjust ­
ed to an upright pos ition. Make su re that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on all the time when­
eve r the ignit ion is switched on.
A WARNING
-
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not go o ut when an ad ult is sitting
on the front passenger seat after taking
the steps described above, make sure the
adu lt is properly seated and restra ined at
one of the rear seating pos itions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your author iz ed Audi dealer before trans­
port ing anyone on the front passenger
seat .
(j) 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 the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light will stay on.
Repair , care and disposal of the airbags
Pa rts of the airbag system are installed at
many different places on your Aud i. Insta lling,
removing, servicing or repa iring a part in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an ..,.
•
•

136 Airbag system
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.
.&_ 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
moi5tened with plain water. Solvent5 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
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc .) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training
and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts
of the vehicle body .
-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
inflate.
- 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 .
- The airbag system can be activated only
once . After an airbag has inflated, it
must be replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified technician who has
the technical information, training and
special equipment necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once. After an airbag has been deployed,
it must be replaced with new replace­
ment parts designed and approved espe­
cially for your Audi model version. Re­
placement of complete airbag systems
or airbag components must be per­
formed by qualified workshops only. Make sure that any airbag service action
is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet under
AIRBAG REPLACE­
MENT RECORD .
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material - special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per­
chlorate. 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 dealer is familiar with these require­ ments and we recommend that you have
your dealer perform this service for you.

Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem performs in a crash. For example, us ing
tire-r im combinations not approved by Aud i,
lowering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the springs, suspen­ sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the a irbag
se nsors and sent to the electron ic control
u ni t. Some suspens ion changes c an, for exam­
p le, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in w hic h it would not dep loy if the
changes had not been made. Other k inds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and prevent the airbag
from deploying when it shou ld .
The sensors in the safety belt buckle for the
driver and front passenger seat tell the elec­
tronic control module if the safety belt is
l atched or not. If the safety belt is being used,
the front airbag will deploy at a slightly high­
e r rate of vehicl e deceleration than if the safe­
ty belt is not being used. Therefore, in a par­
ticular co llision, it is poss ible th at an a irbag
will not deploy at a seating position where the
safety be lt is bei ng used but will inflate at the
position whe re the safety belt is not being
used. It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety belt buckles so t hat the sen­
sors can send the correct information about
safety belt use to the electron ic cont rol unit.
A WARNING
Cha nging the vehicle's s uspension inclu d­
ing use of u napproved t ire-rim comb ina­
ti ons can change Advan ced A irb ag pe r­
formance and incre ase the risk of ser io us
personal in jury in a crash.
- Never ins tall suspe nsion compone nts
t h at d o not h ave the same per forman ce
characteristics as the components origi ­
nally installed on you r vehicle .
- Never use t ire-r im combinat ions that
have not bee n approved by A udi.
A irba g sy stem 13 7
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety be lt
buckle and the center console can cause
the sensors in the b uckle to send the
wrong informa tion to the e lectronic con­
trol module a nd prevent t he A dvan ced Air­
bag System from wo rking properly.
- Always ma ke sure t ha t nothing can inter­
fe re wi th the safety belt buckles and that
t hey are not obs truc te d .
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fi g. 135 Side a irbag location in t he drive r's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests~
fig. 135 and the rear
back rest* facing the doors . Th ey are id entified
by the wo rd "AIRBAG".
The side airbag sy stem basically consi st s of :
-the electron ic control modu le and external
side impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the s ides of
the front backrests
- two rear side airbags (as an ordered
option)
- t he airbag warn ing light in the ins trument
cl uste r.
T he airbag system is mo nitored e lec tronically
t o m ake ce rtain tha t it is fu nction ing p ro perl y
at all times . Each time you turn on the ig ni­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will
come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics) . ..,.

138 Airbag sys te m
The 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* passeng­
er's upper torso and head on the side of the
vehicle that is struck in a side collision. The
a irbag dep loys only in side impacts and only
when the vehicle acceleration registered by
the contro l unit is high enough. If th is rate is
below the refe rence value p rogrammed into
the contro l unit, the side airbags will not be
tr iggered, even though the car may be badly
damaged as a result of the collision.
It is not
possible to define an airbag triggering range
that will cover every possible angle of impact,
since the c ircumstances will vary considerab ly
between one collision and another. Important
factors include, fo r example, the nature (hard
or soft) of the impacting object, the angle of
impact, veh icle speed, etc.
q page 139, Im­
portant safety instructions on the side airbag
system.
As ide from the ir normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a side
coll is ion so that the side a irbags can provide
p rotection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rathe r, it is pa rt of the overall oc­
cupant res traint system in your ve hicle. Al­
ways remember that the side airbag system
can only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety be lt and wearing it properly. This
is another reason why you sho uld always wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re­
qu ires you to do so
<=')page 113, General
notes.
It is important to remember that while the
supp lemental s ide a irbag system is designed
to reduce the like lihood of serious injur ies,
other i njuries, for example, swell ing, bruising,
and minor abras ions can also be associated
with deployed side a irbags. Remember too,
side a irbags wi ll deploy on ly once and on ly in
cer tain k inds of ac cidents -yo ur sa fety belts
are a lways there to offer protection .
Vehicle damage, repa ir costs or even the lack
of vehicle damage a re not necessar ily an ind i- cation o
f over -sensitive or failed airbag activa­
tion . In
some collisions, both front and side
airbags may inflate . Remember too, that air ­
bags will deploy only once and only in certain
k inds of collisions -your safety belts are al­
ways there to offer protection in those acc i­
dents in which a irbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have a lready deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignit ion is turned off
- in side co llisions when the acceleration
measured by the sensor is too low
- in front -end collisions
- in rear -end co llisions
- in rollove rs.
In some types of accidents the front airbags,
s ide curtain airbags and s ide a irbags may be
t rigge red togethe r.
&, WARNING
- Safety belts and the air bag system will
only provide pro tection when occupants
are in the proper seating posi tion
¢page 139.
- If the airbag ind icator light comes on
when the vehicle is being used, have the
system inspected immediately by you r
author ized 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.
-

How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
Fig. 136 Inflated s ide airbags on left side of veh icle,
rear side airbag optional equipmen t
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 a irbag expands. This app lies
especially to children
~ page 143, 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 side col­
l ision
~fig. 136.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cush ion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
pa rt 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.
Airbag system 139
Important safety instructions on the
side airbag system
Airbags are 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 supplemental 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.

in a side collision. The side curtain ai rbag in ­
f lates in side impacts and on ly when the vehi­
cle acce lerat ion reg istered by the contro l unit
is high enough. If th is rate is be low the refer ­
ence value programmed into the control un it,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
though the car may be badly damaged as a re­ sult of the collision . It is not possible to de­
f ine an a irbag tr igger ing range that will cover
every possible angle of impac t, since the ci r­
cumstances wi ll vary conside rably between
one co llision and another . Important factors
include, for examp le, the nat ure ( hard o r soft)
of the impacting object, the ang le of impact,
veh icle speed, etc.
c:> page 141.
Aside from the ir normal safety function , safe ­
ty belts 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 pro­
vide protection.
The airbag system is not a s ubstitute for yo ur
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your vehicle. Al­
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wear ing it prope rly. Thi s
i s another reason why you sho uld always wear
your safety bel ts, not just beca use the law re­
q uir es you to do so
<=:>page 113, General
notes.
It
is important to rememb er that while the
side curta in a irbag sys tem is designed to he lp
r educe the like lihood of se rious injur ies, other
in ju ries, for example, swell ing, bruising, and
minor abrasions can a lso be associated with
these airbags upon deployment. Remember
too, these a irbags w ill dep loy on ly once and
only in certain kinds of accide nts - your safety
be lts are a lways there to offer protection .
The side curtain airbag sy stem ba sically
consi sts of:
- The electronic control mod ule and external
s ide impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags ab ove the front and
rear side w indows
A irba g sy stem 141
- The a irbag indicator light in the instrument
pane l
T he airbag system is mon itored e lec troni cally
to make ce rtain i t is func tioning prope rly at all
times . Each time you turn on the ignit ion, 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 co llisions whe n the accele ration
meas ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rea r-end collisions,
- in rollovers.
A WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide protection w hen occupants
a re in the proper seating posi tion
c:> page 61, General re commendation s.
- If th e air bag ind icator lig ht comes on
when the vehicle is being used, h ave the
sys tem inspected immedi ately by your
author ized A udi dealer. The s ide cur tain
airbag may not wo rk proper ly even w hen
the vehicle acce lerat ion in a side collision
is high enoug h to activate the airbag.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags ca n work together with
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head
and upper torso injuries for occupants who
are properly restrained.
Fi g. 13 8 Illust rat io n o f pri nc iple: I nflated s ide c urtai n
a irbags o n the le ft sid e
The side c urtai n airbags inflate betwee n the
occupant and the windows on the s ide of the ..,.