2015 AUDI A4 sensor

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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 ..,

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 .,.

same kind of child restrain t offered by child
restraint manufacturers.
T he weight ranges for the ind iv idual types,
makes and models o f ch ild restra ints tha t 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 info rmat ion s to r­
ed i n the electron ic cont rol unit.
The electron ic control unit a lso registers the
tension on the front passenger safety be lt .
The te nsio n on the safety be lt fo r the front
p assenger seat will be d iffe ren t 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 be lt
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-o ld child on the front passenge r seat
and whether or no t 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 insta lled at
one of the rear seat ing pos itions .
If in excep­
tional c ircumstances you must use it on the
fr ont passenge r seat, caref ully read all of the
information on c hild safety and Adv ance d Air­
bags an d heed a ll of the app licable WAR N­
I NGS . Make certai n that the child restraint is
'"" "' correctly recognized by the weig ht-sensing 0
11'5 mat inside the front passenger seat, that the ,....,
~ front passenger airbag is turned off and that
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Child Sa fet y 167
the a irbag s tat us is a lways cor rect ly signaled
by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
Many types and models of child res traints
have been available over t he years, new mod ­
els are introduced regu larly incorporating new
and improved designs and o lde r models are
ta ken 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 d iffe rences make i t vir tually
i mpossible to certify compl ian ce wi th t he re­
quiremen ts for advanced airbags with each
and every ch ild restraint that has eve r been
so ld in the past or wi ll be sold over the course
of the useful life of your veh icle.
For t his reason, the United S tates Na tional
Hig hway T raffic 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 veh icle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208. These child res traints are :
Subpart A - Car bed child restraints
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
Ce ntury Smart Fit Decembe r 1, 1999
4 543
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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The all-wheel drive concept is designed fo r
high engine power. Your vehicle is exception ­
ally powerful and has exce llent dr iving charac­
ter istics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice . Always read and follow
safety precautions
c> & .
Winte r tir es
When driving in the winter, your ve hicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with
regular t ires. In winter road conditions it may
be adv isable to mount winter tires (or all-sea­
son t ires) for imp roved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
a ll four
w heel s.
See also c> page 254, Winter tires.
Tire chain s
Where tire cha ins are mandatory on certain
roads, th is normally also applies to vehicles
with all-wheel drive
c> page 255, Snow
chains.
R eplacing wheel s/tire s
Vehicles with all-wheel drive must a lways
have tires of the same size. Also avoid t ires
with d ifferent tread depths . For details see
page ~
page 248, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
Off-Ro ad dri ving ?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear­
ance to be used as an off-road veh icle. It is
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un­
even terrain as much as possible . Also refer to
c> page 193.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traf­
fic condit ions . Do not let the ext ra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks .
- Although the all-whee l dr ive is very ef­
fective, a lways remember that b raking
capacity is limited by tire traction. Yo u
sho uld therefore not drive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
Int ellig ent technolog y 191
could begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If th is should occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in­ crease in engine speed as w ith a front­
wheel drive veh icle . Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con­
ditions - risk of crash.
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 conventiona l energy system
is not driven for a long period of time, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers (e .g. immobilizer). In certain circumstances it
can resu lt in there being insuffic ient energy
available to start the eng ine .
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle handles the distribution of e lectr ica l ener­
gy. Start ing ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Basically, energy management consists of
battery diagnosis , idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic ene rgy management .
Batte ry diagnos is
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery . Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing.
With the ign ition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrical compo­
nents. Data from battery diagnos is is cons id­
ered .
Depend ing on the battery's state of charge,
individual consumers are gradually turned
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Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 203
& 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 risk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp meta l components when
washing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fect may be delayed due to moisture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter . The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applicat ions .
{[) Note
-If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, you must fold the exterior m ir­
rors in to reduce the r isk of damage to
the mirrors . Power folding exterior m ir­
ro rs* must only be folded in and out us­
i ng the power folding function.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash
the veh icle in direct sunl ight. -
To reduce the r isk 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 clean ing and caring for individua l vehi­
cle components, refer to the fo llow ing tab les .
The informa tion contained there is s imply rec­
ommendations. For questions or for compo- nents that are not listed
, refer to an author­
ized Audi dea ler or qua lified workshop. A lso
fol low the information fo und in ¢ ,&. .
Cleanin g exte rior
Component Situation Solution
Wiper blade s
Dirty ¢ page 5 6, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Hea dlight s/ Dirty Soft sponge with a mild soap solution a>
t a il light s
Sen sors /
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a so lvent-free cleaning product
came ra lens es Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
solution
Snow/ice Hand brush/so
lvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road sal t Water
Brake d ust Acid-free special cleaning so
lution
Ex haust tail Road sa lt Water, cleaning solut io n suitable for sta inless steel, if
pipe s necessary
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Vehicle care and cleaning 205
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 1 quart (I 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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