2015 AUDI A5 warning light

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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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 .

Child safety
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.
_& 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.
(D Tips
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
152
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
"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 .,..

Child safety
Model Manufactured on or
after
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007
High Back Booster
22-262
Cosco High Back Boos -September 25, 200 7
ter 22-209
Evenflo Tr ibute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion 254 December 1, 1999
E venflo Generations September 25, 2007
352xxxx
Grace ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Grace To ddler Sa fe ty Sep
tember 25, 200 7
Seat Step 2
G race Platinum Cargo September 25, 2007
.&_ WARNING
To reduce the ris k of serious injury, make sure
t ha t the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on whenever a child re­
st raint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
- Take the child rest raint off the front passen­
ger seat and insta ll it properly at one of the
rear seat pos itions if the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by yo ur
autho rized Audi dealer immediately.
(D Tips
The ch ild sea ts listed in catego ries A to C have
been statica lly tested by Audi only for the Ad­
vanced Airbag function.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially re­
duces the risk of injury in on occident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety of
everybody in the vehicle, espec ially children:
... Always use the right child sa fety seat for each
c h ild and a lways use it properly
¢ page 156.
154 ...
Always carefully fo llow the child safety seat
manufact urer's instructions on how to ro ute
the sa fety belt proper ly through the c hild safe­
ty seat.
... When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first act ivate the
convert ible lock ing ret ractor on the safety belt
to prevent the child safety seat from moving
¢ page 160.
... Push the ch ild safety sea t down wi th yo ur fu ll
weigh t to get the safety belt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2.5 cm).
... If a strap or tether is be ing used to tie the child
safety seat to the front passenger seat, make
sure that it is not so tight that it causes the
weight-sensi ng mat to measure more we ight
than is actually o n the seat .
... Secu re unused safety belts on the r ear seat
¢ page 156.
Always remember : Even tho ugh you r vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
c hi ld ren, espe cially those 12 years and younge r,
shou ld always r ide in the back seat prope rly re ­
stra ine d f or t heir age an d size.
.&_ WARNING
-
N ot using a child safe ty seat, using t he wrong
chi ld safety seat or improper ly installing a
chi ld restraint increases the risk of ser ious
personal injury and death.
- All vehicle occ upants and especially children
m ust always be restrained properly whenev­
er riding in a vehicle.
- An un rest rained or imp rope rly res trained
chi ld ca n be inju red or killed by being
t h rown ag ains t the i nsid e of the vehicle or
b y being ejected from it du ring a s udden
mane uver o r impact.
- An unrestrained or im properly res trained
ch ild is at much greater risk of i nju ry or
death by being struck by an inflating air ­
bag.
- Commercially available ch ild safety seats
are req uired to comply with U.S. Federal Mo ­
tor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213 (in
Canada CMVSS 213). .,_

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N 1.1'1 ,....,
-When buying a child restraint, select one
that fits your child and the vehicle.
- Only use child restraint systems that fully
contact the flat portion of the seat cush­
ion. The child restraint must not tip or
lean to either side. Audi does not recom­
mend using child safety seats that rest on
legs or tube-like frames. They do not pro­
vide adequate contact with the seat.
- Always heed all legal requirements per­
taining to the installation and use of child
safety seats and carefully follow the in­
structions provided by the manufacturer
of the seat you are using.
- Never allow children under 57 inches
(1.45 meters) to wear a normal safety belt.
They must always be restrained by a proper
child restraint system. Otherwise, they
could sustain injuries to the abdomen and
neck areas during sudden braking maneu­
vers or accidents.
- Never let more than one child occupy a child
safety seat.
- Never let babies or older children ride in a
vehicle while sitting on the lap of another
passenger.
- Holding a child in your arms is never a sub­
stitute for a child restraint system.
- The strongest person could not hold the
child with the forces that exist in an acci­
dent. The child will strike the interior of
the vehicle and can also be struck by the
passenger.
- The child and the passenger can also in­
jure each other in an accident.
- Never install rearward-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front passen­
ger seat. A child will be seriously injured and
can be killed when the passenger airbag in­
flates -even with an Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safe­
ty seat or infant carrier with great force
and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm
rest, door or roof.
-Always install rearward-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat.
Child safety
-Forward-facing child safety seats installed
on the front passenger's seat can interfere
with the airbag when it inflates and cause serious injury to the child . Always install for­
ward-facing child safety seats on the rear seat .
- If exceptional circumstances require the use of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety
and well-being require that the following
special precautions be taken :
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has
been designed and certified by its manu­
facturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag .
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier .
- Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position of the passenger
seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and
as far away from the airbag as possible be­
fore installing the child restraint.
-Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its fore
and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest is in
the upright position.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
¢page 121, Safety belts,
¢ page 129, Airbag system and
¢ page 151, Child safety.
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure
that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on whenever a child re­
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
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155

Child safety
-Take the child restraint off the front passen­
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not stay on .
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer immediately .
Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
Fig. 142 Schemat ic overview : keep unus ed sa fety belt s
away from chil dren in chil d safety seats .@ · outer rea r
sa fety belt
If a child safety seat is used on the rear bench,
especially with LATCH universal lower anchorag­
es, the unused safety belts
must be secured so
that the child in the child restraint cannot reach
them ¢,& .
- Guide the safety belt webbing @ behind the
head restraint of the seat where the child re­
straint is installed
¢fig. 142. When doing so,
do not engage the convertible locking retractor!
You should not hear a "clicking" sound when
winding up the safety belt .
- Let the belt retractor wind up the safety belt webbing .
.,&. WARNING
A child in a child safety seat installed with the
LATCH lower anchorages or with the standard
safety belt or a child in a booster seat on the
rear seat could play with unused rear seat
safety belts and become entangled. This
could cause the child serious personal injury
and even death.
- Always secure unused rear seat safety belts
out of reach of children in child seats such
as by properly routing them around the
156
head restraint of the seat where the child re­
straint is installed.
- Never activate the convertible locking re­
tractor when routing the safety belts around
the head restraints.
Child seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old and
20 lbs . or
9 kg need special rearward-facing
child restraints that support the back, neck and
head in a crash.
Fig. 143 Sc hem atic ove rview: rearward-facing infant seat,
prope rly installe d on the rea r seat
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertible locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent the child safety seat from moving
¢
page 160 or install the seat using the LATCH
attachments.
.,. Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm) .
.,. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢page 156.
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg) are
best protected in special infant carriers and child
safety seats designed for their age group. Many experts believe that infants and small children
should ride only in special restraints in which the
child faces the back of the vehicle. These infant
seats support the baby's back, neck and head in a
crash
¢ fig. 143. .,.

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The airbag on the passenger side makes the front
seat a potentially dangerous place for a chi ld to
ride . The front seat is not the safest place for a
chi ld in a forward-facing child seat. It is a very
dangerous place for an infant or a large r child in
a rearward -facing seat .
& WARNING
Not using a ch ild safety seat, using the w rong
child saf ety seat or improperly installing a
child rest raint in cr eases the r is k of serious
pe rsonal in jury and death in a crash.
- Never install rea rward-faci ng ch ild safety
seats or infant car riers on the front passe n­
ger seat -even wit h an Adv anced A irbag Sys­
tem . A child w ill be seriously injured and can
be k illed when the inflat ing airbag hits the
child safety seat or infant carr ier with great
force and smashes the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest,
door or roof¢
page 130, Child restraints on
the front seat -some important things to
know .
- Always install rearward -facing child safety
seats or infant car riers on the rear seat .
- Never install a rearward-facing child re­
straint in the forward -fac ing direct ion . Such
rest raints a re des igned for the special needs
of infants and very sma ll childre n and can­
not p rotect them p roperly if the seat is fo r­
w ard-fac ing .
-If you must install a rea rward faci ng chi ld
s afety sea t on t he front passenger sea t be ­
ca use of exceptional ci rcumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rearward-fac ing ch ild safety seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your author ized Audi
dealer .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS w hen­
ever using a child restra ined in a vehicle is
being used¢
page 121, Safety belts,
¢ page 129, Airbag system and
¢ page 151, Important information.
Child sa fe ty
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats con
help protect toddlers and children over age one who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs. (9 and 18 kg)
in a crash.
F ig . 144 Sc hemat ic ove rv iew: installat io n of t he attach­
me nts applicable to a LATCH seat
F ig . 14 S Schemat ic ove rv iew: insta llat io n of th e sea t usi ng
t he ve hicle's sa fety be lt system
.,. W hen us ing the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convert ible lock ing retractor on the safety be lt
t o prevent the child safety seat from mov ing
¢
page 160 or insta ll the seat using the LATC H
attachments .
.,. Push the ch ild safety seat down with you r full
we ight to ge t the safety belt re ally tigh t so that
t he seat can not move forward or sideways mo re
than one inch (2.5 cm)¢
page 160.
.,. If the child safety seat is equ ipped with a tether
strap, attach it to the tether anchors
¢ page 166.
.,. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢page 156.
A todd ler or child is usua lly too large for an in­
fant restraint if it is more than one year old and
weighs more than 20 lbs. (9 kg).
IIJ,,,
157