2015 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET warning

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@ Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen­
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air­
bag on the passenger side will be turned off,
and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many
different places on your Audi. Installing, remov­ ing , servicing or repairing a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system and prevent that system from working properly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system will not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
-
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de­
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­
ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in­
strument panel or modify them in any way .
- Never attach any objects such as cup holders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
ering the airbag units .
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners could damage the airbag cover or change
the stiffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and protect
properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instrument
panel, front seats or electrical system (in­
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
Airbag system
who has the training and special equipment
necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
- The airbag system can be activated only
once. After an airbag has inflated, it must
be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical
information, training and special equipment
necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once . After an airbag has been deployed, it
must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially for
your Audi model version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag compo­nents must be performed by qualified work­
shops only. Make sure that any airbag serv­
ice action is entered in your Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- In accidents when an airbag is deployed, the
vehicle battery separates the alternator and
the starter from the vehicle electrical sys­ tem for safety reasons with a pyrotechnic
circuit interrupter .
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt­
er must only be performed by a qualified
dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions
must be followed.
145

Airb ag syst em
@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers m ight be classified as Perchlorate Mater ia l
-special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including a irbag modules safe­
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all
app licab le laws and regu lations must be ob­
served. Your authori zed A udi dealer is fami lia r
w ith these requirements and we recommend
that you have yo ur dealer perform this service
for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle 's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced A irbag System
pe rforms in a crash. For example, using t ire-rim
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
ve hicl e, chang ing the stiffness of the suspension,
including the spr ings, suspension s truts, 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 example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in c rashes in which it wo uld not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other ki nds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and preve nt the airbag from deploy­
i n g when i t should .
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's s uspension including
use of unapproved ti re -rim comb inations can
change Advanced A irbag pe rformance and in ­
crease t he risk of serious persona l injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components or iginally insta l­
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
146
A WARNING
Items stored between t he safety be lt b uckle
and the center console can cause the sensors i n the buckle to send the wrong informat ion
to the electronic control module a nd prevent
the Adva nced Airbag System from wor king
properly.
- Always ma ke sure that nothing can interfere
w it h the safe ty belt bu ckles an d that they
are no t obstr ucted.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
F ig. 151 Driver"s kn ee airbag
The driver knee airbag is i n the instrument panel
u nderneath the steer ing whee l~
fig. 151, the
k nee a irbag for the passenger is at abou t the
same height in the instrument pane l unde rneath
the g love compartment.
The knee air bag offers addi tional protec tion to
t h e d river 's and passenge r's knees and uppe r and
l ower thigh areas and supplements the protec ­
tion provided by the safety belts.
If t he front airbags dep loy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fro ntal c ollisions when the dep loyment
th reshold stored in the control un it is me t
~ page 140, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In add it ion to their normal sa fe ty f unct io n, safe-
ty be lts he lp keep the driver or front passenger in ..,.

M
position in a frontal co llision so that the airbags
can provide supp lemental protection.
The airbag system is not a s ubst itute for yo ur
safety belt. Rathe r, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wear ing your safety belt
and wearing it properly. Th is is why you should al­
ways wear your safety belt, not just because the law requ ires you to do soc::>
page 124, General in ­
formation .
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents -you r safety
be lts are a lways there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
examp le when yo ur vehicle str ikes or is struck by
anothe r after the first collision .
This is just one of the reasons why an a irbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt . The airbag
sys tem works most effective ly when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your
safety bel ts correctly .
It is important to remember that whi le the sup­
p lemental knee a irbag sys tem is designed to re­
d uce the likelihood of serious i njur ies , o ther inj u­
ries, for examp le, swe lling, bruising, and mino r
abrasions and friction b urns can a lso occur when
an airbag inf lates.
The knee airbag system basically consist s of:
- T he elec tronic control mod ule
- Two inflatab le airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the dr ive r and one fo r the front
passenge r
- T he airbag ind icator light in the instrument
pane l
The knee airb ag system will not deploy:
- when the ign it ion is turned o ff
- in frontal collis ions when the dece lerat ion
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side collisions
6 -in rear -end collisions LL 00
-in rollovers rl I.O
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Ai rb ag system
- in the event of a system malfunction (warning/
indicator light is on)
c::> page 19.
A WARNING
-
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
c::> page 140.
- If the airbag indicator light c::>page 19
comes w hen the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
How knee airbags work
Applies to veh icles: w it h knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully deployed knee airbags.
F ig . 1 52 Inflated a irbags p rotect ing in a fro ntal co llis ion
T he knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger dep loy in certain but not all fronta l co llisions .
If the front a irbags dep loy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fronta l co llisions when the dep loyment
threshold stored in the control unit is met.
When the system deploys, the a irbags fill with a
propellan t gas, and inf late be tween the lower
part o f the instr ument pane l and the driver and
the lowe r part of the instr ument pane l and the
front passenger
c::> page 140, fig. 149 .
Although they are not a soft p illow , they can
cus hion the impact and in this way they can help
to reduce the risk of injury to the lower extremi-
ties.
1111>
147

Airb ag syst em
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the
airbags have deployed. The airbags also inflate
with a great deal of force and it is important for
occupant safety that nothing should be in their
way when they deploy .
Fully inflated airbags in comb ination with proper­
ly worn safety belts slow down and lim it the oc­
cupant's forward movement and help to reduce
the risk of injury.
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
A pp lies to veh icles : w ith k nee a irbags
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Always
wear safety belts correctly 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 airbags
to prov ide supplemental protection.
,&. WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause ser ious in ­
jury. Wearing safety belts incorrectly and im­ proper seating positions increase the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect you properly if you are seated too close to any of
the airbag locations. When adjusting their
seat positions, it is important that both the
driver and the front passenger keep the ir
upper bodies and knees at the following
min imum safe distances:
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering whee l/instrument
panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- The risk of persona l injury increases if you
lean forward or to the s ide, or if the seat is
improperly positioned and you are not wear­
ing your safety belt. The risk increases even
more should the airbag deploy.
148
- Always make sure that the knee airbag can
inflate w ithout interference. Objects be­
tween you and the airbag can increase the
risk of injury in an accident by interfering
w ith the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed into you as the a irbag deploys .
- Never let anybody, especia lly children or
anima ls ride in the footwell in front of the
passenger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can resu lt in serious or fatal injuries.
- Never carry objects of any kind in the foot­
well area in front of the driver's or pas ­
senger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping
bags, for examp le) can interfere with or
prevent proper deployment of the airbag.
Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you
or your passengers.
- Make sure there are no cracks, deep scratch­
es o r other damage in the area of the instru­
ment panel where the knee airb ags a re lo­
cated.
- I f ch ildren are incorrectly seated, their risk
of injury in creases in a coll is ion
~ page 152, Child safety.
S ide airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 153 Side airbag location in the driver 's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests~
fig. 153 . They a re ident i­
fied by the word "A IRBAG" .
The si de airbag system b asically con sists o f: ll>-

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-the e lectronic control module and external side
impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides o f the
front backrests
- the a irb ag warning light in the inst rument cl us-
ter.
The airbag system is monitored elect ron ica lly to
make certa in th at it is func tioning properly at all
times. Each time you t urn on the ign ition, the a ir ­
bag system ind icator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics) .
The s ide a irbag system supp lements the safety
be lts and c an he lp to reduce the r is k of i njury to
the dr iver's and front passenger's upper torso on
the side of the vehicle that is struck in a s ide col ­
lision. The airbag dep loys only in side impacts
and only when the veh icle acce leration registered
by the control unit is high enoug h. If th is rate is
below the refe rence value programmed into the
control un it, the side a irbags will not be t rig­
gered, even though the car may be bad ly dam­
aged as a result of t he coll is ion. It is not poss ible
to define an airbag trigge ring range that will cov­
e r every possib le ang le o f impact , since the c ir­
cumstances wi ll vary considerably between one
collision and another . Important factors include,
for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the im ­
pacting object, the ang le of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.¢
page 150, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their norma l safety function, safety
be lts work to help keep the dr iver or front pas­
senger in posit ion in the event of a side collision
so that the s ide a irbags can provide protect ion.
T he airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­ pant restraint system in your veh icle. Always re­
membe r th at the s ide a irbag system can only
h elp to p rotect you if yo u are wear ing your safety
be lt and wea ring it p roperly . T his is ano th er rea­
son why you s hou ld always wea r yo ur safety
b e lts, no t just because the law req uires you to do
so ¢
page 1 24, General information.
It is important to remember that whi le the sup­
p lemental s ide a irbag sys tem is designed to re­
d uce the likelihood of serious i njuries, other inju-
Airbag syste m
ries, for example, swell ing, bruising, and minor
abrasions can a lso be associated with dep loyed
s ide airbags. Remember too, s ide a irbags w ill de­
ploy only once and only in certain kinds of acci­
dents -your safety belts are always there to offer
protection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs o r even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessari ly an indication
of over-sensitive or failed airbag activation . In
some collisions , both front and side airbags may
infla te. Remembe r too, that a irbags w ill dep loy
o n ly onc e and on ly in certa in ki nds of co llisions -
yo ur safety belts a re a lways the re to offer p rotec­
t io n in those accidents in wh ich airbags are not
s u pposed to deploy or when they have a lready
deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignit ion is tu rned off
- in side co llisions whe n the acceleration meas -
ured by the senso r is too low
- in front -end collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollove rs.
In some types of ac cidents the front airbags and
s ide airbags may be tr iggered together.
A WARNING ~
- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide p rotection when occupants are in
the proper seating position¢
page 150 .
-If the ai rbag ind icator light ¢ page 19
comes when the ve hicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup ­
posed to, or will not infla te when i t should.
149

Airb ag syst em
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 . 154 Infl ated s id e airbag s on left side of ve hicle
When the system is triggered, the airbag is f illed
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat surface area marked "AIRBAG" . It ex­
pands between the side trim panel and the pas­
senger . In order to help provide th is add itional
protection , the side airbag must inflate within a
fraction of a second at ve ry high speed and with
g rea t force. The supplemental side airbag cou ld
inj ure you if yo ur seating pos ition is not prope r or
up right or if items a re located in the area where
the s upplemental side airbag expands . This ap ­
plies especially to children ¢
page 152, Child
safety .
Supplemental side airbags inflate be­
tween the occupant and the door panel on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collis ion
¢ fig . 154 .
Although they are not a soft pi llow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the upper part
of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys .
This is normal and does not mean there is a fire in the veh icle.
150
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Always
properly wear safety bel ts and ride in a proper
seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
k now and act accordingly to help the safety bel ts
and airbags do their job to provide supp lemental
protection.
_& WARNING
-
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or
fata l injury. Improperly wear ing safety be lts
and improper seating positions increase 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 posi tion and never
l ean again st the area where the supple­
mental s ide airbag is located .
- Never let a child or anyone else res t the ir
head against the side tr im panel in the
area where the supplemen tal side airbag
inflates .
- Always make sure tha t safety be lts are
worn correctly,
- Do no t let anyone s itting in the fron t seat
pu t their hand or any other parts of their
body out of the window.
- Always m ake sure that the s ide airb ag can
inflate without interference .
- Never install seat covers or rep lacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
A udi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side a irbags de­
ploy.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module mu st always be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an autho rized Au di dealer .
- Ob jects between you and the a irbag can in­
crease the risk of inj ury in an a cciden t by i n­
t erfer ing wi th the way the airbag unfolds or ..,_

Child safety
Child safety
Important information
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision .
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash apply also to children
¢ page 125, 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 seri­
ous injury in crashes than adults .
Because children's bod ies are not fully developed,
they requ ire restraint systems especially de­
signed fo r their size, weight, and body structure.
Many countries and all states of the United
States and prov inces of Canada have laws requi r­
ing the use of approved child restraint systems
for infants and small children.
I n a frontal crash at a speed o f 20-35 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13 -po und
(6 kg) infant will be more than 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the
child would sudden ly be more than 260 pounds
(120 kg). Under these conditions, only an appro­
priate ch ild restraint properly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury. Child restraints must be
used properly to be effective . Used improperly,
they can increase the risk of serious injury in an
accident.
Consult the ch ild safety seat manufacturer's in­
structions to be sure the seat is right for your
child's size¢
page 155, Important safety in­
structions for using child safety seats.
Please be
sure to read and heed all of the important infor­
mation and WARN INGS about child sa fety, Ad­
vanced Airbags, and the installation of child re­
straints in this chapter.
There 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 restraints are
on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
amount of important information, we cannot re­
peat it all here. We urge you to read the detailed
152
information in this owner 's manual about airbags
and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
and the very important information about trans­
porting children on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they are
extremely important for your safety and the safe ­
ty of your passengers, especially infants and
small chi ldren .
&_ WARNING
-Accident statistics have shown that children
are generally safer in the rear seat area than
in the front seating position. Always restrain
any child age 12 and under in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children
m ust be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly
restrained chi ld could be injured by striking
the interior or by be ing ejected from the ve­
hicle dur ing a sudden maneuver or impact.
An unrestra ined or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
-A suitable ch ild restraint properly installed
and used at one of the rear seating posit ions
provides the highest degree of protect ion
for infants and small children in most acci­
dent situations.
&_ WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with
Advanced Airbags can be seriously injured or
even killed when an airbag inflates. A child in
a rearward-facing child safety seat installed
on the front passenger seat will be serious ly
injured and can be killed if the front airbag in­
f lates .
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild safety
seat or infant carr ier with great force and
w ill smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the backrest, center armrest or
door .
-Always install rearward-facing child safety seats on the rear seat .
- If you must install a rearward fac ing ch ild
safety seat on the front passenger seat in

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exceptional circumstances and the PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear­
ward-facing child safety seat in a rear seat­
ing position and have the airbag system in­
spected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer.
A WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must in­
stall 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 man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's instruc­
tions 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 air­
bag 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.
Always replace child restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage 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 "Advanced
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" require­
ments for 3- and 6-year old children on the pas­
senger side and small adults on the driver side.
The low risk deployment criteria are intended to
Child safety
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 ai rbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been certified to comply with the "suppression" requirements of the Safety Stand ­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to
12 months who are restrained on the front pas­
senger seat in child restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad­
vanced Airbag system, all children, especially
those 12 years and younger, should always ride in
the back seat properly restrained for their age
and size. The airbag on the passenger 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 forward-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 de­
tects the presence of an infant or child in a child
restraint on the front passenger seat using the
weight-sensing mat in the seat cushion 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 de­
sign of the child restraint and its "footprint", the
size and shape of the bottom of the child re ­
straint as it sits on the seat. The weight of a child
restraint and its "footprint" vary for different
kinds of child restraints and for the different
models of the same kind of child restraint offered
by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes
and models of child restraints that the NHTSA
has specified in the Safety Standard together
with the weight ranges of typical infants and typ-
ical 1 year-old child have been stored in the ...,
153