2015 AUDI A4 Owners Manual

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example, increase the force levels measured
by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it wo uld not deploy
if the changes had not been made. Other
kinds of changes may reduce the force levels
measured by the sensors and p revent the air ­
bag from deploying when it should.
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension includ­
ing use of unapproved tire-rim combina­
tions can change Advanced Airbag pe r­
formance and increase the risk of ser ious
personal injury in a crash.
- Never ins tall suspe nsio n components
that do not have the same per formance
characteristics as the components origi­
nally insta lled on your vehicle .
- Never use ti re -rim combinations that
have not bee n approved by A udi.
A WARNING 1= -
Items stored between the safety belt
buckle and the center console can cause
the sensors in the buckle to send the
wrong informat io n to the electronic con­
trol modu le and prevent the Advanced A ir­
bag System from work ing proper ly.
- Always make sure that noth ing can inter-
fere w ith the safe ty belt buckles and that
they are not obst ructed.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 157 Side a irbag locat ion in the driver' s seat
A irba g sy stem 159
The side airbags are located in the sides o f the
front seat backrests
r=> fig . 157 and the rear
backrest facing the doors . They are ident if ied
by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag system b asically con sis t s o f:
- the electron ic cont rol module and external
side impa ct sensors
- t he two a irbags located in the s ides of the
front backrests and the two a irbags* loca ted
in the rear backrest
- the airbag warning light in the instrumen t
cluste r.
The airbag system is mon itored electronically
to make ce rtain that it is f unctioning p roperly
at all times. Each time you turn on the ign i­
ti on, the airbag system ind icator light will
come on for a few seconds (se lf diagnostics).
T he side airbag system supplements the safe­
ty belts a nd can help to reduce the risk of i n­
jury to the driver's and front passenger's up­
per torso on the s ide of the vehicle th at is
struck in a s ide collision . The airbag deploys
only in side impacts and only when the vehicle
acce lerat ion reg istered by the control unit is
high enough. If this rate is be low the refer­
ence value programmed into the control unit,
the side airbags will not be triggered,
even
though the car may be badly damaged as a re­
sult of the co llision .
It is not possib le to de­
fine an airbag trigge ring range that will cover
every possib le ang le of impact, s ince the c ir ­
c u mstances will vary cons iderably be tween
one collis ion and another . Important factors
include, for example, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the angle of impact,
vehicle speed, etc.
r::!> page 161, 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
collision so that the side airbags 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 vehicle. Al-
ways remember that the side airbag system
IIJJ,

160 Airbag system
can only help to protect you if you a re wearing
your safety belt and wearing it properly. This
i s another reason why you should always wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re­
quires you to do so
r:::> page 136, General
notes .
It is important to remember that whi le the
supp lemental side a irbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries,
other injuries, for example, swell ing, bruising,
and minor abras ions can also be associated
with deployed side a irbags . Remember too,
side ai rbags wi ll deploy on ly once and on ly in
cer tain k inds of accident s -yo ur safety belts
are a lways there to offer protect io n.
Vehicle damage, repa ir costs or even the lack
of veh icle damage are not necessar ily an indi­
cation of over-sensi tive or failed airbag activa­
tion . In some co llisions, both fron t and side
airbags may inflate. Remember too, that air­
bags will dep loy 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 airb ag syst em will not depl oy :
- when the ignition is turned off
- in side collisions when the acce leration
measured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end col lisions
- i n rear-end co llisions
- i n ro llovers .
In some types of accidents the front airbags,
side curtain airbags and side airbags may be
tr iggered together .
A WARNING
-Saf ety belts and the a irbag system w ill
only p rov ide protection when oc cupan ts
are in the p roper seating posit ion
c:!;>page 161.
-If the airbag indicator light c:!;> page 20
comes whe n the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immediate ly
by your authorized Audi dea ler . 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.
F ig. 158 In flated sid e airbags on left s ide of vehicle
When the system is trigge red, the a irbag is
filled wi th propellant gas and b reaks through
a seam in the seat su rface area marked "AIR ­
BAG".
It expands between the side trim panel
and the passenger. In order to help provide
t hi s addit ional protection, the side airbag
must inflate within a fraction of a second at
very h igh speed and with great force. The sup­
pleme ntal side airbag could injure you if your
seat ing position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the sup­
plementa l side airbag expands . This applies
especially to ch ildren
c:!;> page 165, Child Safe­
ty.
Supplemen tal side ai rbags inflate be tween
the oc cupant and the door panel on the side
of the vehicle that is struck in certain side col ­
li sion ¢
fig. 158.
Although they are not a soft p illow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body .
A fine d ust may deve lop when the a irbag de­
ploys . This is normal and does not mean there
is a fire in the vehicle.

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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.
Airbag system 161
- Objects between you and the airbag can
increase the risk of injury in an accident
by interfering with the way the airbag
unfolds or by being pushed into you as
the airbag inflates.
- Never place or attach accessories or
other objects (such as cup holders, tele­
phone brackets , or even large, bulky
objects) on the doors, over or near the
area marked "AIRBAG" on the seat backrests .
- Such objects and accessories can be­ come dangerous projectiles and cause
injury when the supplemental side air­
bag deploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the
deployment space between them and
the airbags or allow children or other passengers to travel in this position .
-Always use the built -in coat hooks only
for lightweight clothing . Never leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the
pockets that may interfere with side air­
bag deployment and can cause personal
injury in an accident.
- Always prevent the side airbags from be­
ing damaged by heavy objects knocking
against or hitting the sides of the seat­
backs.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once. If the airbag has been triggered,
the system must be replaced by an au­
thorized Audi dealership.
- Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc .) to
the original seat covers or to the seam in
the area of the side airbag module must always be repaired immediately by an au­
thorized Audi dealer .
- If children are seated improperly, their
risk of injury increases in the case of an
accident
~ page 165, Child Safety.
- Never attempt to modify any compo­
nents of the airbag system in any way .
- In a side collision, side airbags will not
function properly if sensors cannot cor­ rectly measure increasing air pressure in-
side the doors when air escapes through .,.. •
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162 Airbag system
larger, unclosed openings in the door
panel.
- Never drive w ith inter ior door trim pan­
e ls removed.
- Never drive when parts have been re­ moved from the ins ide doo r panel and
the openings they leave have not been p roperly closed.
- Never d rive when loudspeakers in the
doors have bee n removed unless the
spea ker holes have been properly
closed.
-Always ma ke certa in that openings are
covered or fi lled if additional speakers
or other equipment is installed in the
inside door panels.
- Always have work on the doors done by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop .
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide
supplemental protection to properly restrain ­
ed occupants.
Fi g. 1 59 Side curtain system , dr ive r's side: side curtain
a ir bag location
The s ide curtain airbags are located on both
sides of the interior above the front and rear
side windows
c:.> fig. 159. They are ident ified
by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshield
frame and the center roof p illar.
The s ide curtain airbag system supplements
the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury for occupants' heads and upper
torso o n the side of the vehicle tha t is struc k in
a side collision . The side curtain airbag in­
flates in side impacts and only when the vehi­
cle acceleration registered by the control unit
is high enough . If this rate is below the refer­
ence value programmed into the control unit,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
t h ough the car may be bad ly damaged as a re­
su lt 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, s ince the cir­
cumstances will vary cons iderably between
one collision and another. Important factors
include, for example, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the angle of impact,
vehicle speed, etc.
c:,, page 163 , How side cur­
tain airbags work .
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 colli­
sion so that the side curtain airbags can pro­
vide protection .
The airbag system is not a substit ute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your vehicle. Al­
ways remember that the a irbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wear ing
you r saf ety belt and wearing it properly . This
is anothe r reason why yo u should always wear
yo ur safe ty belts, no t just because the law re ­
quires yo u to do soc:.>
page 136, General
notes .
It is important to remember that w hile the
s ide cur tain airbag system is designed to help
reduce the likelihood of ser ious injur ies, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and
minor ab rasions can also be associated with
these airbags. Remember too, these airbags
will deploy only once and only in certain kinds
of accidents -your safety belts are always
there to offer protection .
The s ide curtain a irbag system basic ally
cons ist s of:
- The e lectronic control module and external
side impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear s ide windows

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-The airbag indicator light in the instrument
pane l
The airbag system is monito red ele ct ro ni ca lly
t o make certain it is f unct ion ing properly a t all
times. Each time you tu rn on the ign ition, the
ai rbag sys tem indicator light w ill come on for
a few seconds (se lf d iagnost ics) .
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignit io n is turned off,
- i n s ide collisions when the acceleration
measured by the sensor is too low,
- i n rear-end collisions,
- in rollovers.
A WARNING
- Safety belts and the a irbag system will
o nly p rov ide protection whe n oc cupants
are in t he p roper sea ting posit io n
c::> page 60, Seats and storage.
- If the airbag indicato r light c::> page 20
comes whe n the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immedia tely
by you r aut ho rized Audi dea le r. I t is pos ­
sible that the airbag will inf late when it
is not s upposed to, or wi ll not inflate
when it should.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags con work together with
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head
and upper torso injuries for occupants who
are properly res trained.
-
Fi g. 160 Ill ust rat ion of princip le: In fl ated side cu rt a in
airbags on t he left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the
occupant and the windows on the side of the
A irba g system 163
vehicle that is struck in a side col lision
c::> fig. 160 .
When the system is t riggered, the side curta in
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
th ro ugh a seam above the front and rear side
w indows identified by the AIRBAG labe l. In or­
der to he lp provide this additional protection,
the side curtain a irbag must inflate within the
blink of an eye at very high speed and with
great force . The side curtain a irbag could in ­
jure you if your seating pos it io n is not prope r
o r upright or if items are located in the area
whe re the supplemen tal side curta in a irbag
infl ates. This applies espe cially to ch ildren
c::> page 165 .
Although they are not a soft p illow, side cur­
ta in a irbags can "cushion" the impact and in
th is way they can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury to the head a nd the upper part of the
body.
A fine dust may deve lop w hen the ai rbag de­
ploys . Th is is qui te no rma l and does not mean
t h ere is a fire in the vehicle .
Important safety instructions on the
side curtain airbag system
Airbags ore only supplemental restraints. Al­
ways properly wear safety belts and ride in a
proper seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and do to he lp the safety belts and
airbags do their job to provide supplemental
protection .
A WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and im­
p roper seating posit ions increase the risk
of ser ious personal inju ry and death when­
eve r a vehicle is being used .
- Never let occupants place any parts of thei r bod ies in the area from which the
side curta in a irbags inflate.
- Always make sure that the s ide curtain
airbags can inflate without interference.
-
Unsuitable accessor ies fitted inside the ..,

164 Airbag system
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
c::>page 286,
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
c::> page 285,
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.

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Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision .
The physical principles of what happens when
your veh icle is in a crash app ly also to chi ldren
q page 13 7, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults their
muscles and bones are not fully developed. In
many respects children are at greater risk of
serious injury in crashes than adults.
Because children's bodies are not fully devel­
oped, they require restraint systems especial ­
l y designed for their size, weight, and body
structure. Many countries and all states of th e
United States and provinces of Canada have
laws requiring the use of approved child re­
straint systems for infants and small children .
In a frontal crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13-pound
(6 kg) infant will be more than 20 times the
weight of the child . Th is means the weight of
the child would suddenly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg). Under these conditions,
only an appropriate chi ld restraint properly
used can reduce the risk of ser ious injury.
Ch ild restraints must be used properly to be
effective. Used improperly, they can increase
the risk of serious injury in an accident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's
instructions to be sure the seat is right for
your chi ld's size
q page 168, Important safe­
ty instructions for using child safety seats .
Please be sure to read and heed all of the im­
portant information and WARNINGS about
child safety, Advanced Airbags, and the ins tal­
lation of child restraints in this chapter.
T here is a lot you need to know about the Ad ­
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they
work when infants and children in child re­
straints are on the front passenger seat . Be ­
cause of the large amount of important infor-
Child Sa fet y 165
mation, we cannot repeat it all here . We urge
you to read the detailed information in this
owner 's manual about airbags and the Ad ­
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle and the
very important information about transport­ ing children on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they
are extremely important for your safety and
the safety of your passengers, especially in­
fants and small children.
A WARNING
-Accident statistics have shown that chil­
dren are generally safer in the rear seat
area than in the front seating position.
Always restrain any child age 12 and un­
der in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially chil­
dren must be restrained properly when­
ever riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by str iking the interior or by be­
ing ejected from the vehicle during a
sudden maneuver or impact. A n un re­
strained or improperly restrained ch ild is
a lso at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
- A suitable child restraint properly instal­
led and used at one o f the rear seating
positions provides the highest degree of
protection for infants and small children
in most accident situations.
A WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even
with Advanced Airbags can be seriously in­
jured or even killed when an a irbag in­
flates. A child in a rearward-facing child
safety seat installed on the front passen­
ger seat w ill be ser iously injured and can
be killed if the front airbag inflates.
- The inflating airbag will hit the ch ild
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest or door .
- Always install rearward-facing chi ld safe-
ty seats on the rear seat .
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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 .,.