2013 AUDI S4 SEDAN warning light

dealer is familiar with these requi rements
and we recommend that you have your
dea ler perform this serv ice for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced A irbag Sys­
tem performs in a crash. For example, us ing
tire-r im combinations not app roved by Aud i,
l owering the vehicle, changing the stiffness o f
the suspension, incl uding the sp rings, s uspen­
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the electronic control
un it. Some suspension changes can, for exam­
ple, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in wh ic h it would not dep loy if the
changes had not been made. Other k inds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas ­
u red by the sensors and prevent the a irbag
from deploying when it shou ld .
The senso rs in the safety belt buckle fo r the
d river and front passenger sea t 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 dep loy at a slightly high­
er rate of vehicle deceleration than if the safe­
ty belt is not being used. Therefore, in a par­
ticular co llision, it is poss ible that an airbag
will not deploy at a seating position where the
safety belt is being use d but will inflate at the
position whe re the safety belt is not being
used. It is important tha t nothing i nterfe re
w it h the safety belt buckles so t hat the sen ­
sors can send t he correct information abo ut
safety belt use to the electronic contro l unit.
.&_ WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's s uspension includ­
ing use of unapproved tire-rim c ombina­
tions can change Advanced Airbag pe r­
formance and increase the risk of ser ious
personal i njury in a crash.
- Never install suspens ion components
that do not have the same performance
A irba g sy stem 159
characteristics as the components o rigi­
na lly installed on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim com binations that
have not been approved by Audi.
.&_ WARNING
= -
Items stored between the safety be lt
b uckle and the center console can cause
the sens ors in t he buckle to send the
wrong information to the e lectronic con­
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air­ bag Syst em from wo rking properly.
- Always make s ure that nothing can in ter-
fe re with the safety b elt buckles and that
they are no t obstructed.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fi g. 144 Side airbag location in t he drive r's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests¢
fig. 144 and the rea r
backrest faci ng the doors. They are ident ified
by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag system basically consists of :
-the electronic control modu le and external
side impact sensors
- the two a irbags located in the sides of the
front backrests and the two a irbags* located
in the rear backrest
- the airbag warn ing light in the instrument
cl uster .
T he airbag system is mo nitored e lec tronically
t o make ce rtain tha t it is f unction ing p ro perly
Ill-

160 Airbag sys te m
at all times . Each time you turn on the igni­
tion, the airbag system indicato r light will
c o me on for a few seconds (self diagnostics).
T he s ide airbag sys tem supp lemen ts the safe­
ty belts and can help to reduce the risk of in ­
jury to the driver's and front passenger's up­ per torso on the side of the vehicle that is
struck in a side col lision. The airbag deploys
only in s ide impacts and only when the veh icle
acceleration registered by the control un it is
h igh enough .
If this rate is below the refer­
ence va lue programmed i nto the control u nit,
the side airbags will not be t riggered, even
though the car may be badly damaged as a re ­
sult of the collision . It is not possible to de­
fine an a irbag tr iggering range that will cover
every possible angle of impact, since the cir­
cumstances wi ll vary considerably between
one co llision and another. Important factors
include, for examp le, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the ang le of impact,
ve hicle speed, etc. ¢
page 161, Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system.
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 side
coll is io n so that the side a irbags can provide
p rotection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety bel t. Rathe r, it is pa rt of the overall oc­
cupa nt restraint system in your ve hicle. Al­
ways remember tha t the side airbag system
can only help to protect yo u if you are wear ing
your safety be lt and wear ing it prope rly. This
is another reason w hy you sho uld always wear
your safety be lts, not just beca use the law re­
q ui res you to do so¢
page 136, General
notes.
It is important to remember that whi le the
supp lemental side airbag system is designed
to reduce the like lihood of serious injur ies,
other inj uries, for example, swell ing, bruising,
and minor abras ions can also be associated
with deployed s ide a irbags . Remember too,
side a irbags w ill deploy on ly once and on ly in
certain kinds of accidents -your safety belts
a re a lways there to offer pro tec tion. Vehicle damage,
repair costs o r even the lack
of ve hicle damage are not necessarily a n in di­
cation o f ove r-sensitive or failed airbag act iva ­
t ion. In some coll is ions, both front and side
airbags may inflate. Remember too, that air­
bags will deploy only once a nd only in ce rtain
k inds of col lisions -you r sa fety belts are al­
ways there to offe r protection in those acc i­
den ts in which a irbags a re not supposed to
deploy or when they have a lready deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignit io n is t urned 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 t he fro nt airbags,
s ide cu rtain air bags and s ide a irb ags may be
t rigge red togethe r.
A WARNING ~
- Safety belts an d the air bag system will
only provide protection when occupants
are in the proper seating position
¢page 161.
-If the ai rbag ind icator light ¢ page 20
comes when the veh icle is being used,
have the system inspected immediately
by your authorized A udi dealer. It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not suppos ed to, or will not infla te
when it should.

in a side collision. The side curtain a irbag 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 this 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 163, How side cur­
tain airbags work.
Aside from thei r normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in position 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 ubst itute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your veh icle. Al­
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect yo u if you are wea ring
your safety belt and wear ing it prope rly. This
i s ano ther reason w hy you sho uld a lways wear
your safety bel ts, not jus t be ca u se the law re­
qu ires you to do soc:>
page 136, General
notes.
It
is impor tant to remember tha t while the
side curt ain airbag sys tem is designed to he lp
red uce the likelihood o f serious injuries, othe r
i nj uries, for example, swell ing, bruising, and
minor abrasions can a lso be associated wit h
these airbags. Remember too, these a irbags
will deploy only once and only in certain kinds
of accidents - your safety belts are always
there to offer protection .
The side curtain airbag system basically
consists of:
- The electronic control modu le and externa l
s ide impact sensors
- The side curtai n airbags above the front and
rear side w indows
A irba g system 163
- The a irbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
T he airbag syste m 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 (sel f diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated :
-if the ignition is tur ned 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 position
c:> page 54, Seats and s torage.
- I f the air bag ind icator lig ht c:> page 20
comes w hen the veh icle is being used,
have the system ins pect ed imme diately
by your authorized A udi dealer.
It is pos ­
sible that the air bag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should .
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags c an work together with
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head
and upper torso injuries for occupants who
are properly restrained.
Fi g. 147 Illustrat io n o f pri nc iple: I nflated s ide curtai n
a irbags on the left sid e
The side c urtai n airbags inflate betwee n the
occupant and the windows on the s ide of the ..,.

164 Airbag system
vehicle that is struck in a side collision
~fig. 147.
When the system is triggered , the side curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In or­
der to help provide this additional protection,
the side curtain airbag must inflate within the
blink of an eye at very high speed and with
great force. The side curtain airbag could in­
jure you if your seating position is not proper
or upright or if items are located in the area
where the supplemental side curtain airbag
inflates . This applies especially to children
~ page 165.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side cur­
tain airbags can "cushion" the impact and in
this way they can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury to the head and the upper part of the
body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de­ ploys. This is quite normal and does not mean
there is a fire in the vehicle.
Important safety instructions on the
side curtain 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 do to help the safety belts and
a irbag s do their job to provide suppl ementa l
protection.
A WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and im­
proper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a vehicle is being used .
- Never let occupants place any parts of
their bodies in the area from which the side curtain airbags inflate.
-A lways make sure that the side curtain
airbags can inflate without interference .
Unsuitable accessories fitted inside the expansion range of a head airbag can
dangerously interfere with its function. A
deploying head
airbag develops enough
force to catapult any piece of add-on
component out of its path of inflation
and into the passenger compartment. An
occupant hit by such a projectile can suf­
fer serious injury or death~
page 275,
Technical Modifications.
- Do not swivel the sun visors to the side if
you have any objects clipped onto them
(for example pens). If the airbag should
deploy, you could be injured by these ob­
jects.
- Use the built-in coat hooks only for light­
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that
may interfere with airbag deployment
and can cause personal injury in an acci­
dent.
- Never use hangers to hang clothing from
the hooks.
- Only use factory-installed sun shades or,
in the case of shades installed after the
vehicle leaves the factory, only Audi roll­ up sunscreens may be used~
page 2 74,
Additional accessories and parts re­
placement.
-Always sit in proper seating position and
wear safety belts while traveling so that the side curtain airbags can help provide
protection.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once .
If the airbag has been triggered,
the system must be replaced by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Always have work involving the side cur­
tain airbag system, removal and installa­
tion of the airbag components, or other repairs performed by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop . Otherwise
the airbag system may not work correct­
ly .
- Never attempt to modify any compo­
nents of the airbag system in any way .

166 Child Safety
-If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat in exceptional circumstances and
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately
install the rearward-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer.
.&, 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.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were
installed in a vehicle during a crash. Dam­
age to a child restraint that is not visible
could cause it to fail in another collision
situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Ad­
vanced 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.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, espe­
cially those 12 years and younger, should al­
ways ride in the back seat properly restrained
for their age and size. The airbag on the pas ­
senger 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 for­
ward-facing child safety seat.
It can be a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child
in a rearward-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 .,.

168 Child Saf ety
-Model Manufactured on or
a fter
Graco Snugride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Primo V i- September 25, 200 7
aggio SIP IMUN00US
Subpart C -Forward -facing and
con vertibl e child r estra in ts
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout September 25, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco Touriva 02519 December 1, 1999
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007
High Back Booster
22-262
Cosco High Back September 25, 2007
Booster 22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion December 1, 1999
254
Evenflo Generations September 25, 200 7
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety September 25, 2007
Seat Step 2
Graco Platinum Cargo September 25, 2007
_&. WARNING
T o reduce the risk of serious injury, make
sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever a
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
- Take the child restraint off the front pas­ senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN­
G ER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Aud i dealer immediate­
ly.
(!) Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been statically tested by Audi on ly for
the Advanced A irbag function.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially
reduces the risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsib le for the safe­
ty of everybody in the veh icle, especially ch il­
dren:
... Always use the right chi ld safety seat for
each child and always use it properly
c::;,page 171 .
... Always carefully fo llow the child safety seat
manufacturer's instruct ions on how to route
the safety belt properly through the c hild
safety seat.
... When using the veh icle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you m ust first ac tivate
the convertib le locking retractor on the
safety belt to p revent the child safety seat
from moving
¢ page 175.
... Push the ch ild safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety be lt really tight
so that the seat cannot move forwa rd or
sideways mo re than one inch (2.5 cm) .
... If a strap o r tether is be ing used to tie the
child safety seat to the front passenger
seat, make sure tha t it i s n ot so tight th at i t
causes the weight -sensing mat to measure
more weight than is act ually on the seat.
... Secure unused safety be lts on the rear seat
c::;, page 170.
Always remember : Even tho ugh yo ur vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
c h ildren, especially those 12 years and young­
er, shou ld always r ide in the back seat proper-
ly restrained for their age and size. .,.

1 70 Child Safety
range, and as far away from the airbag
as possible before installing the child
restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing pre­
vents the front passenger's seat from
being moved to the rearmost position
in its fore and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest is
in the upright position .
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c::> page 136, Safety
belts,
c::> page 144, Airbag system and
¢ page 165, Child Safety.
.,&. WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make
sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever a
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
- Take the child restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer immediate­
ly.
Secure unused safety belts on the rear
seat
Fig. 148 Schematic overview : keep unused safety belts
away from chil dren in child sa fety seats. @· outer rear
safety belt,
®-center rea r safety belt
.
If a child safety seat is used on the rear bench,
especially with LATCH universal lower ancho­
rages, the unused safety belts
must be se­
cured so that the child in the child restraint
cannot reach them
c::> &.
-Guide the safety belt webbing behind the
head restraint of the adjacent seat
c::> fig. 148 . When doing so, do not engage
the switchable locking retractor! You should not hear a "clicking" sound when winding up
the safety belt .
- Let the belt retractor wind up the safety belt
webbing.
.,&. WARNING
-A child in a child safety seat installed with
the LATCH lower anchorages or with the
standard safety belt or a child in a booster
seat on the rear seat could play with un­
used rear seat safety belts and become en­
tangled. This could cause the child serious
personal injury and even death.
-Always secure unused rear seat safety belts out of reach of children in child
seats such as by properly routing them
around the head restraint of the seat
where the child restraint is installed.
- Never activate the switchable locking re­
tractor when routing the safety belts
around the head restraints.
- Never let anyone sit at the center rear
seating position if the center rear safety
belt has been routed around a rear head
restraint.

Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old
and 20 lbs. or 9 kg need special rearward -fac ­
ing child restraints that support the back,
neck and head in a crash.
Fig . 149 Sche matic overv iew: rearward-fac ing infant
seat, properly installed o n the rear seat
~ When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you must first activate
the convertible locking retractor on the
safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving
¢ page 175 or install the seat
using the LA T CH attachments.
~ Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt rea lly tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
~ Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢page 170.
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs . or 9 kg)
are best protected in special infan t carriers
and child safety seats designed for their age
group . Many experts believe that infants and
small children should ride only in spec ial re­
straints in which the ch ild faces the back of
the vehicle. These infant seats support the ba­
by's back, neck and head in a crash
¢fig . 149.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
front seat a po tentially dangerous place for a
child to r ide . The front seat is not the safest
p lace for a child in a forward -facing child seat.
It is a very dangerous p lace for an infant or a
l arger child in a rearward-facing seat.
Child Safety 1 71
A WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong child safety seat or improperly in ­
stall ing a ch ild restraint increases the risk
of ser ious personal injury and death in a
crash.
- Never install rearwa rd-facing child safety
seats or infant ca rrie rs on the front pas­
senger seat -even with an Advanced Air ­
bag Sys tem. A ch ild will be ser iously in­
jured and can be killed when the inflat­
ing airbag hits the child safety seat or in­
fant carrier with great force and smashes the child safety seat and child against
the backrest, center armrest, door or
roof ¢
page 145, Child restraints on the
front seat- some important things to
know .
-Always install rearward -facing chi ld safe­
ty seats or infant carriers on the rear seat .
- Never install a rearward -facing ch ild re­
straint in the forward-facing direction .
Such rest ra ints are designed for the spe­
cial needs of infants and ve ry sma ll chil­
dren and cannot pro tect them properly if
the seat is forward -facing.
- If you must insta ll a rearwa rd fac ing
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 th e rearward-facing
child safety seat in a rear seating posi­
tion and have the airbag system inspect­ ed by your authorized Audi dealer .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
wheneve r us ing a child restrained in ave­
h icle is being used ¢
page 136, Safety
belts,
Q page 144, Airbag system and
¢ page 165, Importan t things to know .