2015 AUDI A5 Owner´s Manual

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@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Mater ial
-special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system includ ing a irbag modules safe­
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, a ll
app licable laws and regu lations must be ob­
served. Your author ized Audi dealer is fam iliar
w ith these requirements and we recommend
that you have your 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
performs in a crash. For example, using t ire-rim
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehicle, chang ing the stiffness of the s uspension,
including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
e lectronic 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 crashes in which it wou ld not deploy if
the changes had not been made . Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­ ing when it should.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's s uspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in ­
crease the risk of ser ious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspens ion components that
do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components or iginally instal­
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Ai rb ag system
A WARNING
-Items stored between the safety be lt buckle
and the center console can cause the sensors i n the buckle to send the w rong informat ion
to the electronic control module and prevent
the Advanced A irbag System from wor king
properly.
- Always ma ke sure that nothing can interfere
wit h the safety belt buckles a nd that they
are not obstr ucted.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig. 136 Dr iver 's knee ai rbag
T he driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
u nderneath the steer ing whee l~
fig. 136, the
knee airbag for the passenger is at abou t the
same height in the instrument pane l underneath
the g love compartment.
T he knee airbag offe rs additional p rotection to
the driver's and passenge r's knees and uppe r and
lower thigh areas and supp lements the protec­
tion provided by the safety belts.
If the front a irbags dep loy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fronta l co llisions when the dep loyment
th resho ld stored in the control unit is met
~ page 13 7, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In add ition to their normal sa fety f unct ion, safe-
ty be lts he lp keep the driver or fro nt passenger in .,.
143

Airb ag syst em
position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can provide supp lemental protection.
The airba g system is not a s ubstitute for yo ur
safety belt. Rathe r, it is part of the overall occ u­
pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re ­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety be lt
and wear ing it properly. This is why you should al­
ways wear your safety belt, not just because the
law requ ires you to do so
¢page 121, General in ­
formation .
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents -your safety
belts are always there to offer protection in those
accide nts in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
examp le when your vehicle str ikes o r is s truck by
another after the first collision .
This is just one of the reasons why a n airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The airbag
system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts . T he refore, always wear your
safety belts correctly.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental knee airbag system is des igned to re­
duce the likelihood of serio us inj uries , other inju ­
ries, for examp le, swelling, bruising, and mi nor
abrasions and friction burns can a lso occur when
an airbag inflates .
The kn ee airbag system basically consists of:
- T he electronic con tro l module
- Two inflatab le airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the drive r and one fo r the front
passenger
- T he airbag indicator light in the instrument
pane l
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
-whe n the ignition is turned off
- in fronta l coll isions when the dece leration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in ro llovers
144
- in the event of a system malfunction (warning/
indicator light is on)
r::;, page 19.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection whe n occupants are in
the proper seating position
r::;, page 137.
- If the airbag indicator light r::;, page 19
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer .
It is possible that
the airbag will i nflate when it is not sup­
posed to, o r will not inflate when it should.
How knee airbags work
App lies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully deployed knee airbags.
Fig . 13 7 Inflated airbags protect ing in a fro nta l collis ion
The knee airbag system has been des igned so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger dep loy in certain but not all fronta l co llisions.
If t he fron t air bags dep loy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fro nta l collisions whe n the dep loyment
thresho ld stored in the contro l unit is met .
When the system deploys, the ai rbags fill with a
propellan t gas, and inflate be tween the lower
part o f the instr ument panel and the d rive r and
the lowe r part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger
¢ page 137, fig . 134 .
Although they are not a soft p illow, they can
cush io n the impact and in this way they can help
to reduce the risk of injury to the lower extremi­
ties .

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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 .
Fu lly inflated airbags in comb ination with proper­
l y worn safety belts slow down and limit the oc­
cupant 's forward movement and help to reduce
the r isk of injury.
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
A pp lies to vehicles: with 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 be lts and airbags
to provide supplementa l protection.
& WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause ser ious in­
jury. Wear ing safety belts incorrect ly and im­
proper seati ng 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 locat ions. When adjusting the ir
seat positions, it is important that both the
driver and the front passenger keep their
upper bod ies and knees at the followi ng
min imum safe distances:
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instr ument
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 dep loy.
-
Ai rb ag system
- 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 interfer ing
with the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed into yo u as the a irbag deploys.
- Never let anybody, especia lly children or
animals 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 (shoppi ng
bags, for example) can i nterfere with or
preve nt proper deployment of the airbag.
Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag dep loys and injure yo u
or you r passengers.
- Ma ke sure there are no cracks, deep scratch­
es or othe r damage in the area of the instr u­
men t pa nel where the knee a irb ags are lo­
ca ted.
- If ch ildren are inco rrectly se ated, their r isk
of injury in creases in a coll is io n
~ page 151, Child safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 138 Side a irbag location in the drive r's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
fron t seat backres ts
q fig. 138 . They are iden ti­
fied by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag sy stem basi cally con sis t s of : ..,.
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Airbag syste m
-the e lectronic control module and external side
impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests
- the a irbag warning light in the inst rument clus-
ter.
The airbag system is monitored electron ica lly to
make certa in that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you tu rn on the ignition, the a ir­
bag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (se lf diagnostics).
The s ide a irbag system supplements the safety
be lts and can he lp to reduce the r isk of injury to
the driver's and front passenger's upper torso on
the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side col­
lision. The airbag dep loys only in side impacts
and only when the vehicle accelerat ion registered
by the control unit is high enough. If this rate is
below the reference value programmed into the
control unit, the side airbags will not be trig­
gered, even though the car may be bad ly dam­
aged as a result of the coll is ion. It is not poss ible
to define an airbag triggering range that will cov­
er every possible ang le o f impact , since the c ir­
cumstances wi ll vary considerably between one
collision and another . Important factors include,
for examp le, the nature (hard or soft) of the im ­
pacting object, the ang le of impact, vehicle
speed, etc. ¢
page 147, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to help keep the dr iver or front pas­
senger in pos it ion in the event of a s ide collision
so that the side a irbags can provide protect ion.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­ pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re­
member that the s ide airbag system can only
help to protect you if you are wear ing your safety
be lt and wearing it properly . This is another rea­
son why you should always wear you r safety
be lts, not j ust because the law requ ires you to do
so ¢
page 121, General information.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental side a irbag system is des igned to re­
duce the likelihood of serio us in juries, o ther inj u-
146
ries , fo r example, swelling, bruising, and minor
abrasions can a lso be associated with dep loyed
s ide a irbags. Remember too, side 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 or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessarily an indication
of over-sensitive or failed airbag activation . In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may i nflate . Remembe r too, that a irbags w ill deploy
o nl y once and only in certa in kinds of collisions -
you r safety be lts a re a lways there to offer p rotec­
t ion in those accidents in wh ich airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have a lready
deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignit ion is turned off
- in side collisions when the accelerat ion meas -
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collis ions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers.
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side
cu rtain airbags and side a irbags may be triggered
together .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position¢
page 147.
-If the airbag ind icator light¢ page 19
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.

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How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
Fig. 139 Inflated side a irbags on left side of veh icle
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled
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 this additional
protection, the side airbag must inflate within a
fraction of a second at very high speed and with great force. The supplemental side airbag could injure you if your seating position is not proper or
upright or if items are located in the area where
the supplemental side airbag expands. This ap­
plies especially to children
¢page 151, 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. 139.
Although they are not a soft pillow, 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 dust may develop when the airbag deploys.
This is normal and does not mean there is a fire
in the vehicle .
Airbag system
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
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 provide supplemental
protection.
A WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or
fatal injury. Improperly wearing safety belts
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 position and never
lean against the area where the supple­
mental 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 replacemen t
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 de­ploy.
- 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.
-
- Objects between you and the airbag can in­
crease the risk of injury in an accident by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds or
~
147

Airb ag syst em
by being pushed into you as t he airbag in­
flates.
- Never p lace or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cupholders, telephone brackets, or even large, bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the seat backrests.
- Su ch ob jects and ac cessories can become
dangerous projecti les and cause injury
when the supplemental side airbag de ­
p loys .
- Never carry any objects or pets in the de ­
p loyment space between them and the
airbags or allow chi ldren or other passen­
gers to trave l 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 airbag deployment
and can cause personal injury in an accident .
- Always prevent the side a irbags from be ing
damaged by heavy objects knocking against
o r hitting the sides of the seatbacks .
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once . If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be rep laced by an authorized
Audi dealership.
- Damage (c racks, deep scratches etc.) to the
o riginal seat covers or to the seam in the
area of the side airbag module must a lways
be repaired immedia tely by an authori zed
Audi dealer .
-If children a re seated improperly, their risk
of injury i ncreases in the case of an a ccident
~ page 151, Child safety .
-Never a ttempt to modify any com po nents of
the a irbag sys tem in any way .
- In a side collision, s ide a irbags w il l not fu nc­
t ion prope rly if sensors canno t correc tly
measure increas ing air pressure inside the
doors when air escapes through larger, un­
closed openings in the door panel.
- Never drive w ith inter io r doo r tr im panels
removed .
- Never drive when parts have been re ­
moved from the ins ide door panel and the
open ings they leave hav e not bee n prope r­
ly closed.
148
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker ho les have bee n properly closed.
- Always make certain that openings are
covered or f illed if add itiona l speakers or
other equipment is installed i n the inside
door panels.
- Always have work on the doors done by an
autho rized Aud i dea le r or q ualified work­
shop .
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide sup­
plemental protection to properly restrained oc­
cupants .
Fig. 1 40 Sid e curt ain system , driver's s ide : side c urtain ai r­
bag loca tion
The side curtai n airbags are located on both sides
of the inter ior above the front and rear side win­
dows
~ fig. 140 . They are identif ied by the word
"AIRBAG" on the windsh ield frame and the cen ­
ter roof pi llar.
The side curtai n airbag system supplements the
safety belts and can help to reduce the risk o f in­
jury for occupants' heads and upper torso on the s ide of the vehicle that is struck in a side coll i­
s io n. The side curtain ai rbag inflates in side im­
pacts and only when the veh icle acceler ation reg­
istered by the cont ro l unit is high enough . If t his
rate is below the reference value prog ram med in­
to the control un it, the side a irbags w ill not be
trigge red, even thoug h the ca r may be bad ly
damaged as a resul t of t he coll is ion. It is no t po s­
s ible to define an airbag triggering range that
will cover every possible angle of impact, since .,._

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the circumst ances wi ll vary considerably between
one co llision and another . Important facto rs in­
clude, for example, t he nature (hard or soft) of
the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc .
¢ page 149, How side curtain air­
bags work .
Aside from the ir norma l safety func tion, safety
be lts work to help keep the dr iver or front pas­
senger in posit ion in the event of a collision so
that the side curta in a irbags can provide protec ­
tion .
The airbag system is not a subst itute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
p rotect you if you are wear ing your safety be lt
and wear ing it prope rly. This is another reason
why you should a lways we ar your safety belts,
not just because the law req uires you to do so
¢ page 121, General information.
It is impor tant to remember that whi le the side
cur tain a irbag sys tem is designed to he lp redu ce
the like lihood o f serious injuries, other injur ies,
for example, swe lling, bruising, and minor abra ­
sions can a lso be associated with these airbags .
Remember too, these airbags wi ll dep loy only
once and only in certain k inds of accidents -yo ur
safety belts are always there to offer protect ion.
The side curt ain airbag sy stem basically
con sists of :
-The electronic control mod ule and externa l side
impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side w indows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored elect ronica lly to
make certain it is f unctioning proper ly at a ll
times. Eac h time you turn on the ign ition, the a ir­
bag system ind icator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curt ain airbag is not activated:
- if the ignitio n is turned off,
~ - in s ide coll isions when the acce leration meas-.,.,
~ u red by the sensor is too low, ,....,
Airbag syste m
- in rear -end co llisions,
- in rollove rs.
A WARNING
-
- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
p rovi de p rotection when occ upants are in
the proper seating position
¢ page 54,
Seats and storage.
- If the ai rbag indicator light ¢ page 19
comes when 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 infla te when it s hould.
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 re ­
strained .
E
Fig. 14 1 Illus trati on of pr inc ip le : Inf lat ed s ide curtain a ir­
bags o n the left s ide
The side curtai n airbags inflate betwee n the oc­
cupant a nd the w indows on the side of the ve hi­
cl e that is st ruck in a side collision
¢ fig. 141.
When the system is triggered, 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 ident ified by the AIR BAG label. In o rder
to help provide this addi tional p rotec tion , the
s ide cu rtain airbag mus t in flate w it hi n the blin k
of an eye at very high speed and wi th great force.
The side c urtain airbag co uld inj ure you if yo ur
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the s upple­
mental s ide curtain airbag inflates. This applies
especially to ch ildren
¢ page lSl. .,..
149

Airbag syste m
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain
airbags can "cushion" the impact and in this way
they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and the upper part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys.
This is quite normal and does not mean there is a
f ire in the vehicle.
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
properly wear safety belts and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
do their job to provide supplemental protection.
A WARNING
Improperly wear ing safety belts and improper
seating posit ions increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death whenever a veh icle
is being used.
- Never let occupants p lace any parts of their
bodies in the area from which the side cur­
ta in a irbags inflate.
- Always make sure that the side curta in a ir­
bags can inflate witho ut interference. Un­
s u itable accessories fit ted inside the expan­
sion range of a head ai rbag can dangerous ly
interfere with its function. A deploying head
airbag develops enough force to catapu lt
any piece of add-on component out of its
path of inflation and into the passenger
compartment . An occupant hit by such a
project ile can suffer ser ious injury or death
¢ page 246, Technical Modifications.
- Do not swivel the sun visors to the side if yo u have any objects clipped onto them (fo r
example pens).
If the airbag should deploy,
yo u could be injured by these objects.
- Use the built-in coat hoo ks only for light­
weight cloth ing. Neve r leave a ny heavy or
sharp-edged objects in the pocke ts that m ay
in terfere with airbag deploymen t and can
ca use pe rsonal injury in an accident.
150
- Never use hangers to hang cloth ing from
the hooks.
- On ly use factory-installed sun shades or, in
the case of shades installed after the vehicle leaves the factory, on ly Audi roll-up
sunscreens may be used
¢ page 246, Addi­
tional accessories and parts replacement.
- Always sit in prope r seat ing pos ition and
wear safety belts wh ile traveling so that the
side curta in airbags can help provide protec­
tion .
- The a irbag system can only be triggered
once . If the airbag has been tr iggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Aud i dea le r o r q ualified works hop.
- Always have work involving the side cu rtain
airbag system, removal and installation of
the airbag component s, or other repai rs per­
formed by an au thorized Aud i dealer or
qualified workshop . Othe rwise the ai rbag
system may not wo rk cor rectly.
- Never attempt to mod ify any components of
the airbag system in any way .