2014 AUDI S4 sensor

162 Airbag system
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 angle of impact,
vehicle speed, etc. c::>
page 163, Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system.
Aside from their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to help keep the driver or front passenger in position in the event of a side
coll is io n 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 ve hicle. Al­
ways remember that the side airbag system
can only help to protect you if you a re wearing
your safety be lt and wear ing it prope rly . T his
is another reason why you should a lways wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re ­
quires you to do soc::>
page 138, General
notes.
I t is important to remember that while the
supp lemental side airbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries,
othe r injuries, for example, swell ing, bruising,
and minor abrasions can also be associated
wi th deployed side airbags. Remember too,
side airbags will deploy on ly once and on ly in
certain k inds of acc idents -your safety belts
are a lways there to offer protect ion.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack
of vehicle damage are not necessari ly an indi ­
cation of over-sensit ive or failed airbag activa­
tion . In some co llisions, both front and s ide
a irbags may inflate. Remember too , that air­
bags will deploy only once and only in certa in
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 syst em will not depl oy:
- when the ign ition is turned off
- i n s ide collisions when the accelerat ion
measured by the sensor is too low
- i n front-end co llisions -
in rear -end collisions
- in rollovers.
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 airbag system wil l
only provide protection when occupants
are in the proper seating position
c::> page 163.
-If the airbag indicator light r:!:> page 20
comes when the vehicle is being used,
have the system inspected immediately
by y our authorized A udi dealer . It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should.
How supplemental side airbags work -
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained .
Fig. 158 In flated side a irbags o n left s ide of ve hicle
When the system is trigge red, the a irbag is
filled wi th propellan t gas an d 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
t h is addit ional protec tion, the side airbag
must inflate within a fraction of a second at
very h igh speed and with great force . The sup ­
plementa l side airbag could injure you if your
seat ing pos ition is not proper or up right or if
items are located in the area where the s up­
pleme ntal side airbag expands. This applies
especially to ch ild ren
c::> page 16 7, Child ..,.

164 Airbag system
always be repaired immediately by an au­
thorized Aud i dealer.
- If children are seated improper ly, their
risk of injury increases in the case of an
acc ident¢
page 167, Child Safety.
- Never attempt to modify any compo­
nents of the airbag system in any way.
- In a side co llision, side a irbags will not
function properly if sensors cannot cor­
rect ly measure increasing air pressure in­
side the doors when air escapes through
larger, unclosed openings in the door
panel.
- Never drive with interior door trim pan­
e ls removed .
- Never drive w hen 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 equ ipment is installed in the
ins ide door panels.
- Always have work on the doors done by
an author ized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop .
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide
supplemen tal prote ction to properly restrain­
ed occupan ts.
Fig . 159 Side curtain system, dr ive r's s ide: s ide curtain
a irbag locat ion
T he side curtain airbags are located on both
sides of the interior above the front and rear
side windows ¢
fig. 159. They are identified
by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshield
frame and the center roof pillar .
T he side curtain airbag system supplements
the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of in jury for occupants' heads and upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side coll ision . The side cu rtain airbag in ­
flates in side impacts and only when the vehi­ cl e acceleration registered by the control un it
is h igh eno ugh . If this rate is below the refer­
ence value p rogrammed in to the co ntrol uni t,
the side ai rbags wi ll not be triggered, even
though the car may be bad ly damaged as a re­
s ul t of the co llision. It is not possib le to de­
fine an airbag triggering range that will cover every possib le ang le of impact, since the cir­
cumstances will vary cons iderably between
one collis ion a nd another . Important factors
i nclude, fo r example, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the angle of impact,
vehicle speed, etc. ¢
page 165, How side cur­
tain airbags work .
Aside from their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to help k eep the drive r or front
passenge r in position in t he event of a coll i­
s io n so that the s ide cur tain airbags can pro ­
vide protection.
T he airbag system is not a substit ute for your
safety belt . Rather, it is part of the overa ll oc­
c u pan t restra int system in yo ur vehicle. Al­
ways remember that the a irbag system can
only he lp to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wearing it properly. This is another reason why you should always wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re­
quires you to do so¢
page 138, General
notes .
It is important to remember that wh ile the
side curtain airbag system is designed to help
reduce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other
i njur ies, for example , swelling, bru is ing, and
minor abrasions can also be assoc iated with
these a irbags. Remember too, these airbags
will deploy only once and on ly in ce rtain kinds
lill>

of accidents - your safety belts are always
there to offer protection .
The side curtain airbag system basically
consi sts of :
- The electronic control mod ule and externa l
side impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side windows
- T he airbag ind icator light in the ins trument
panel
The airbag system is monitored elect ron ica lly
to make certa in it is f unct ion ing properly at a ll
times. Eac h time you t urn on the ign ition, the
ai rbag system indicator light will come on for
a few seconds (se lf diagnostics) .
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the igni tion is turned off,
- in s ide collisions when the accelerat ion
measured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear -end collisions,
- in ro llovers.
_&. WARNING
- Safety belts and the a irbag system will
only p rov ide p rotection whe n occ upants
are in the p roper seating posit ion
~ page 58, Seats and storage.
- If the airbag indicato r light~ page 20
comes when the vehicle is being used,
have the sys tem inspected immediately
by your aut ho rized Aud i dea le r.
It is pos­
sible that the a irbag will inflate when it
is not s upposed to, or wi ll not inflate
when it sho uld .
A irba g sy stem 165
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head
and upper torso injuries for occupants who
are properly restrained.
Fig. 1 60 Illus trati on of pr in cip le: Inflat ed s ide curtain
airbags o n the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the
occupant and the windows on the s ide of the
vehicle that is struck in a side coll is ion
~ fig . 160.
When the system is trigge red, the side curta in
airbag is filled with prope llant gas and breaks
t hr ough a seam above the front and rear side
windows iden tified by the AIRBAG labe l. In or­
der to he lp prov ide this additional protection,
the side curtain ai rbag m ust inflate within the
blink of an eye at very high speed and with
great force. The side curtain a irbag co uld in­
jure you if your seating position is not proper
or upright or if items are located in the area
where the supplemental side curta in a irbag
inflates . This applies especially to ch ild ren
~ page 167.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side cur­
tain a irbags can "cushion " the impact and i n
th is way they can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury to the head and the uppe r part of the
body .
A f ine dust may deve lop when the airbag de­
ploys . T his is quite normal and does not mean
there is a fire in the vehicle.

168 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 .,.

same kind of child restraint offered by child
restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the ind iv idual types,
makes and models o f ch ild restra ints that the
NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typical in­
fants and typical 1 year-o ld child have been
stored in the control unit of the Advanced A ir ­
bag System. When a child res traint is being
used on the front passenger seat with a typi­
cal 1 year-old ch ild, the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem compares the we ight measured by the
weight sens ing mat with the informat ion s to r­
ed i n the electron ic cont rol unit.
The electronic control unit also registers the
tension on the front passenger safety be lt .
The tens io n on the safety be lt fo r the front
passenger seat will be d iffe rent fo r 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.
T he sensor below the latch for the safety belt
for the front seat passenger measures the
t ension on the be lt. The input from this sen­
sor is then used with the we ight to "decide",
whether there is a ch ild restrai nt with a typ ical
1 year-old child on the front passenger seat
and whether or not the airbag must be turned
off.
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regard less o f the child res traint that you use,
make sure that it has been certified to meet
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manu­
facturer for use with an airbag. Always be sure
that the child restraint is properly installed at
one of the rear seat ing pos itions .
If in excep­
tional c ircumstances you must use it on the
fro nt passenger seat, caref ully read all of the
information on ch ild safety and Adv anced A ir­
bags and heed a ll of the applicable WARN­
I NGS . Make certain that the child restraint is
correctly recognized by the weig ht-sensing
mat inside the front passenger seat, that the
front passenger airbag is turned off and that
Child Sa fet y 169
the ai rbag status is always cor rect ly signaled
by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
Many types and models of child restraints
have been available over the years, new mod­
els are introduced regu larly incorporating new
and improved designs and o lde r models are
taken o ut of product ion . Ch ild restraints are
not standa rd iz ed. Child restraints of the same
type typically have d ifferent weights and si zes
and different 'footpr ints, ' the size and shape
of the bottom of the ch ild restra int that sits
on the seat, when they a re insta lled on a vehi­
cl e sea t. T hese diffe rences make it v irtually
i mpossible to certify compl iance wi th the re­
quirements for advanced airbags with each
and every ch ild restraint that has ever been
sold in the past or wi ll be sold over the course
of the useful life of your veh icle.
For th is reason, the United S tates National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration has
published a list of specific type, makes and
models of child restraints that must be used
to certify comp liance of the Advanced Airbag
Sys tem in your vehicle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208. These child restraints are :
Subpart A - Car bed child restra ints
Model Manufactured on or
after
A ngel Guard A ngel September 25, 2007
Ride AA2403FOF
Subpart B -Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century Smart Fit Decembe r 1, 1999
4543
Cosco Arriva September 25, 2007 22-013PAW and base
22 -999WHO
Evenflo Discovery Ad -December 1, 1999
just Right 212
Evenflo First Choice December 1, 1999
204
Graco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999
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Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long period of time , the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e.g. immobilizer). In ce rtain c ircumstances it
can result in there being insuff icient ene rgy
avai lab le to start the engine .
Intell igent energy management in your vehi­
cle hand les the d istribution of electrical ener­
gy. Starting ab il ity is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy management consists of
batt ery di agno sis, idlin g current man ag e­
m ent
and dyn ami c en ergy m anage ment .
Batter y diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery . Sensors determ ine
battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This dete rm ines the current
state of charge and the powe r of the battery.
Idling curr ent man agement
Idling current management reduces ene rgy
consumption while the vehicle is stand ing .
W ith the ignition switched off, it cont ro ls the
energy supply to the va rious electr ical compo ­
nents . Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
i nd ividua l consumers are gradual ly t urned off
to prevent excess ive d ischarge of the bat tery
and thus maintain starting capability .
Dynamic en ergy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en­
e rgy management dist ributes the energy gen­
e rated according to the needs of the individu­
a l components.
It reg ulates cons umption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
Int ellig ent technolog y 193
than is being generated and ensures an opti ­
mal state of charge for the battery.
(0 Tips
- But even energy management canno t
negate the limits of physics . Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited .
- If starting ability is threatened, the indi­
cator light (•)
;:i ppears ~ page 17.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
T he bat tery is severe ly taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Ab undant electrical energy is re­
quired, but on ly a little is generated .
It is also
critica l if the engine is not running and electri­
ca l components are turned on . In this in­
stance energy is be ing consumed but none is
being generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you will
notice energy management active ly regulat­
ing the d istribution of energy.
V ehicle stand s for an ex tend ed peri od
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, e lectrica l compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and ma in­
ta ins start ing capability over a longer period .
Some of the convenience functions may not
operate, such as the interior l ights or the
power seat adjustme nt. The convenience
funct ions w ill be available again when you
swi tch on the ignition and sta rt the eng ine .
With the eng in e turn ed off
If you listen to the radio, for example, w ith
the engine tu rned off or use other MMI func­
tions, the battery is be ing d ischarged.
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en ­
ergy consumption, the following warning ap- pears in the MM I display: ..,.
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•

Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 205
A WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk of accidents .
- To reduce the r isk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp metal components when
wash ing the underbody or the inside of
t he wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fec t may be delayed due to mo isture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter. The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applications.
Q) Note
- If you wash t he vehicle in an automatic
car wash, yo u must fold the exterior m ir­
rors in to reduce the r is k of damage to
the mirrors. Power folding exterior mir­
rors* must only be folded in and out us­
ing the power folding function.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle in direct sunlight . -
To reduce the risk of damage to the sur­
face, do not use insect removing spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo­
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the surface, do not use polishing agents or hard wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply protective wax.
It can destroy the
matte fi nish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith
matte fi nish paint. The paint cou ld be
damaged when the stickers o r magnets
are removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehi cle in facilities spec ial ly
designed for that purpose . This will red uce
the risk of dirty water contam inated with
oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individual vehi­
cle components, refer to the fo llow ing tables .
The information contained there is s imply rec­
ommendations. For quest ions or for compo- nents
that are not listed, refer to an author­
ized Audi dea ler or qualified workshop. A lso
fo llow the information found inc>,& .
Cle anin g exter ior
Component Situation Solution
Wiper b lades
Dirty i=> page 54, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headligh ts / Dirty Soft
sponge with a m ild soap solutional
tail light s
S ensor s/
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a solvent-free cleaning product
camera l enses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
solution
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road sa lt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution
Exhau st t ail Road sa lt Water, cleaning solut ion suitable for sta inless steel, if
pi pes necessary
•
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Vehicle care and cleaning 207
Component Situation Solution
Te xtile s,
Stains adhering to Vacuum cleaner
Vinyl, the surface
Alcantara Water-based stains Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea, blood, etc.
Oil-based stains Apply a mild soap solutiona>, blot away the d issolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afterward w ith water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special stains such Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material,
as ballpoint pen, treat afterward with mild soap solutiona>, if necessary
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc.
Natural leather Fr es h stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solutiona)
Water-based stains Fresh sta ins: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dr ied stains: sta in remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oil-based stains Fresh sta ins: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc . dried sta ins: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such Stain remover suitable for leather
as ballpo int pen,
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc .
Care Regularly
apply conditioning cream that protects from
light and penetrates into the material. Use specially-col-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon parts Dirty Clean the same way as plastic parts
al Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons neut ral soap in a liter of water
& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with
water-repelling windshie ld coating agents .
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in­
creased glare. W iper blade chatter is also
possible.
- Headlights/tail lights
- Never clean headlights or tail lights
w ith a dry cloth or sponge. -
Do not use any cleaning product that
contains alcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form .
-Wheels
-Never use any paint polish or other
abrasive mater ials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches
must be repaired immediately.
- Sensors/camera lenses
- Never use warm or hot water to re-
move snow or ice from the camera
len s. This could cause the lens to crack .
IJII>
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