2015 AUDI A8 light

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-Occ upants who are unbelted, out of posi­
t ion or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un­
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye
¢ page 153.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat i n­
stalled on the front passenger seat will be
ser iously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System .
- The inflati ng a irbag w ill hit the child sea t
or infant carrier w ith great force and w ill
smash the ch ild seat and child against
the backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear -facing child sea ts on
the rear seat .
- If you mus t install a rearward facin g
child seat on the front passenger seat
because of exceptiona l circumstances
and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi ·
ately install the rear-facing chi ld seat in a
rear seating position and have the a irbag
system inspected by your Aud i deale r.
A WARNING
Objects be tween you and the a irbag will
increase the risk of i njury in a crash by i n­
terfering wi th the way the air bag unfolds
or by being pushe d in to yo u as the airbag
inflates.
- Never hold th ing s in your hand s or on
yo ur lap when the vehicle is in use.
- Never tran sport i tems on or in the are a
o f the front passenge r seat. Objects
cou ld move into the area of the front air ­
bags during braking or other s udden ma­
neuvers and become dangerous projec­
t il es that can cause serious persona l in­
jury if the airbags inflate.
- Never place or attach accessories or oth­
er objects (such as cup ho lders, tele­
phone brackets, large, heavy or bu lky ob­
jects) o n the doors, over or near the area
-
-
A irbag system 16 1
marked "AIRBAG" on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, seat bac krests or be­
tween those areas and yo urself . These
objects could cause in ju ry in a crash, es­
pecia lly when the airbags inflate .
- Never recline the front passenger 's seat
to transport objects. Items can a lso
move into the area of the s ide a irbag or
the front a irbag du ring braking or in a
sudden maneuve r. Obje cts near the air­
b ags can become projec tiles and c ause
in jur y, partic ula rly when the sea t is re ­
clined .
& WARNING
-=
The fine dust created when airbags deploy
can cause breathing prob lems fo r people
with a history of asthma or ot her breath­
ing cond itions.
- To reduce the risk of breath ing problems,
those with asthma or other respiratory
conditions shou ld get fresh air r ight
away by getting out of the veh icle or
ope ning windows or doors .
- If you are in a collision in which airbags
deploy , was h your hands a nd face with
mild soap and water before eating .
- Be careful not to get the dust into your
eyes, or into any c uts or sc ratches .
- If the residue should get into your eyes,
f lush them w ith wate r.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag
System
tli (USA models)/!f (Canada models)
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function
of the Advan ced Airbag System: the airbag
moni toring indicator light and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light.
T he Adva nced A irbag System ( in cl uding the
electron ic co ntro l u nit, se nsor circu its and sys­
t em wir ing) is mo nitore d con tinuously to
make su re that it is funct ion ing properly
•
•

162 Airbag system
whenever the ignit ion is on. Each time you
switch on the ignition, the airbag monitoring
indicator light
II (USA models) ;fll (Canada
models) will come on for a few seconds (self
diagnostics).
The system must be inspected when the
indicator light
II (USA models)/E,I
(Canada models):
-does not come on when the ignition is
switched on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you
have switched on the ign ition, or
- comes on wh ile driving.
If an airbag system malfunction is detected ,
the indicator light will first start flashing to catch the driver's attention and then stay on
continuously to serve as a constant reminder
to have the system inspected immediately .
If a malfunction occurs that turns the front
airbag on the passenger side off, the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay
on whenever the ignition is on .
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning
properly cannot provide supplemental pro­
tection in a frontal crash.
-If the airbag indicato r light ¢ page 18
comes when the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immediate ly
by your aut horized Aud i dealer. It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it shou ld.
-
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
Fig. 168 Sectio n fro m the instrument panel : PASSEN ­
G ER AIR BAG OFF lig ht
T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located
in the center of the instrument panel
~fig. 168.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come
on and stay on to tell you when the front Ad­
vanced Airbag on the passenger sid e has been
turned off by the electronic control unit. Each
time you switch on the ignition, the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light will flash for a few
seconds and:
- wi ll stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
- will stay on if there is a small child or child
restraint on the front passenger seat,
-will go out if th e front passenge r seat is oc­
cupied by an adult as registered by the
weight -sensing mat .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must
come on and stay on
if the igni tion is on and
- a car bed has been installed on the front
seat, or
- a rearward-facing child restraint has been
installed on the front passenger seat, or
- a forward-facing ch ild restra int has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat , or
- the weight reg istered on the front passen­
ger seat is equal to or less than the com­
b ined weight of a typical 1 year-old restrain­
ed in one of the rear-facing or forwa rd-fac­
ing infant restraints listed in Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which the
Advanced A irbag System in you r vehicle was
cert ified.
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If the front passenger seat is not occupied,
the front airbag will not deploy, and the
PAS­
SENGER AIR BAG OF F
light will stay on. Nev­
er insta ll a rearward-fac ing ch ild restra int on
the front passenger seat, the safest place for
a child in any kind of child restraint is at one
of the seating positions on the rear seat
¢ page 153, Child restraints on the front seat
- some important things to know
and
¢ page 174, Child Safety .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light c omes
on
when one of the conditions listed above is
met, be sure to check the light regularly to
make certa in that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
O FF
ligh t stays on cont inuous ly whenever the
ignition is on . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not appear on and does not
stay on all the time, stop as soon as it is safe
to do so and
- reactivate the system by switc hing the igni­
tion off and then switching it on again;
- remove and reinstall the chi ld restraint .
Make sure that the child restraint is properly
insta lled and that the sa fety be lt for the
front passenger seat has been correct ly
ro uted th roug h the child restraint as descri­
bed in the chi ld restraint manufacturer 's in­
structions;
- make sure that the convertible locking fea­
ture on the safety be lt for the front passen ­
ger seat has been activated and that the
safety belt has been pulled t ight . The belt
mus t not be loose o r have loops of slack so
that the senso r below the safety be lt latch
on the seat can do its job ¢
page 184.
-make su re that th ings that may increase the
weight of t he ch ild and child sea t are no t be­
ing transported on the front passenger sea t;
- make su re that the safety be lt tension sen­
so r is not b locked . Shake the safety be lt
latch on the front passenger seatbac k and
forth;
- If a st rap or tether is being used to tie the
child seat to the front passenger seat , make
s ur e that it is not so tig ht that it ca uses the
weight-sensing mat to meas ure more
weight than is actually on the seat.
A irbag system 163
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still
does not come on
and does not stay on con­
ti nu ous ly (when the ignition is switched on),
- take the child restra int off the front passen -
ge r seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspected by yo ur Audi dealer immed iate ly .
- move the child to a rear seat position and
make s ure that the c hild is properly restrain­
ed in a ch ild rest ra int that is appropriate for
its si ze and age.
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht sho uld
NOT come on when t he ignitio n is on and an
adult is s itting in a proper seating position on
the front passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or
flashes fo r about 5 seconds wh ile driving, un­
der these c ircumstances, make sure that:
- the adult on the front passenger seat is
properly seated on the center of the seat
cushion with his or her back up aga inst the
backrest and the backrest is not recl ined
¢ poge 134, Prope r occupant seating posi­
tions,
-the adult is not tak ing weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
a bove the fron t passenger door o r su pport­
ing their weight on the armres t,
- the safe ty be lt is be ing properly wo rn and
t ha t the re is no t a lot o f sla ck in the safety
be lt webb ing ,
- acce sso ry sea t covers or cushions or other
t hings tha t may cause an in correct reading
or imp ression on the weight-sensing mat
unde r th e upho lstery of the seat have been
removed from the front passenger seat,
- a safety belt extender has not bee n left in
the safety be lt latch for the front passenger
seat.
I n add ition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght in the center of the instrument panel,
the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON wi ll briefly appear
i n the instrument cluster disp lay. This is to in­
form the dr iver of the current front passenge r
a irbag status.
•
•

164 Airbag sys te m
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning
properly cannot provide supplemental pro­
tect ion in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator light¢
page 18
comes when the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immediate ly
by you r autho rized Aud i dea le r. It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not s upposed to, or w ill not inflate
when it should .
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a ch ild witho ut
a child restra int, or in a rearward-facing
child safety seat, or in a forward-facing
child restraint that has not been properly
installed will be seriously injured and can
be killed.
- Even though your veh icle is equipped
with an Advanced Ai rbag System, make
certain that a ll children , especially 12
years and younge r, a lways ride on the
back seat properly restra ined fo r their
age and size.
- Always install forwa rd or rea r-facing
c hild seats on the rea r seat- even w ith
an Adv anced Airb ag System.
- If you must install a rearward-fac ing
c hild sea t on the front pas senge r seat
bec ause of except iona l circumstances
and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t
does not appea r and stay on, immediate ­
ly install the rea r-faci ng chi ld seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your Aud i dealer.
- A tight tet her or other st rap on a rear ­
ward-facing child restra int attached to
the front passenger seat can put too much pressure on the weight-sens ing
mat in the seat and register more weight
than is actually on the seat. The heavier
we ight registe red can make the system
wor k as though an a dult were on the seat
-
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
m ust be suppressed causing ser ious or
even fata l injury to the ch ild.
- If, in exceptiona l circumstances, you
must install a forward-fac ing ch ild re­
straint on the front passenger seat, al­
ways move the seat i nto its rearmost po­
sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust­
ment range, as fa r away from the a irbag
as poss ible. The backrest mus t be ad just­
ed to an upright pos ition. M ake sure that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on all t he time when ­
eve r the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
=
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not go out when an ad ult is sitting
on the front passenger seat after taking
the steps described above, make sure the
adu lt is prope rly seated a nd restra ined at
one of the rea r seat ing pos itions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your Aud i dea le r before t ransporting
a nyone on the front passenger seat.
(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front pas­
senger seat detects an empty seat, the
front a irbag on the passe nger side wi ll be
turned off, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light will stay on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Pa rts of the airbag system are i nstalled at
many different p laces on your Aud i. Insta lling,
removing, servicing or repairing a part in an
area of the veh icle can damage a part of an
airbag system and prevent that system from
working properly in a coll is io n.
There are some important t hings yo u have to
know to ma ke sure that the effectiveness of
the system w ill not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or pol-
lute the environment. .,,_

Remember too, airbags will deploy only once
and only in certain kinds of accidents -your
safety belts are a lways there to offer protec ­
tion in those acc idents in which airbags are
not supposed to deploy or when they have al­
ready deployed, for example when your vehi ­
cle str ikes or is struck by another afte r the
fi rst coll is ion.
This is just one of the reasons why an a irbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt . The airbag
system wo rks most effectively when used with
the safety belts . Therefore, always wear your
safety bel ts correctly .
It is important to remember that while the
supplemental knee a irbag system is des igned
to reduce the like lihood of serious injur ies,
o ther in juries , fo r example, swel ling , bruising
and minor abras io ns and frict ion bu rns ca n al ­
so occur when an airbag in flates.
The knee airbag system basically consists
of :
-The elec tronic control mod ule
- T wo inf latab le airbags (airbag and gas gen-
erato r), one for the driver and one for the
front passenger
- T he airbag ind icator light in the instrument
pane l
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ign ition is switc hed off
- in frontal collisions w hen the decelerat ion
measured by the control unit is too low
- in s ide collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in ro llovers
- in the event of a system malfunct io n (wa rn -
i ng/indicator ligh t is on)
r::!> page 18.
& WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system can
only p rov ide protection when occ upants
are in the proper seating posit ion
c::>page 160.
-If the airbag indicator light c::> page 18
comes when the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immediately
A irba g sy stem 16 7
by your authorized A udi dealer. It is pos­
sib le that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to , or will not inflate
when it should .
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be re­
duced by fully inflated knee airbags.
Fi g. 170 In flated a irbags protect ing in a fronta l co lli·
s ion
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front pas­
senger deploy in certain but not all frontal
collisions.
If the front a irbags dep loy, the knee a irbags
also dep loy in fronta l co llisions when the de­
ployment thresho ld stored in the control unit
is met.
When the system deploys, the ai rbags fill
with a propellant gas, and inflate between the lower part of the instrument panel and the
driver and the lower part of the instrument
panel and the front passe nger
c::> page 160,
fig . 167 .
Although they are not a soft p illow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower
extremit ies .
A ll of this takes place in the blink of an eye , so
fast that many people don't even realize tha t
the a irbags have deployed . The airbags a lso
inflate with a great deal of force and it is im­
portant fo r occupant safety that nothing
shou ld be in their way when they deploy.
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-the two side airbags located in the sides of
the front backrests
- two rear side airbags
- the a irbag warn ing light in the inst rument
cl us ter.
The airbag system is monitored electron ically
to make certain that it is functioning prope rly
at all times . Each time you swi tch on the igni­
tion, the ai rbag system indica tor ligh t will
come on for a few seconds (sel f diagnostics).
The s ide a irbag system supp lements the safe­
ty belts and can help to reduce the risk of in­
ju ry to the dr ive r's, front and rear passenger's
upper to rso on the side of the vehicle that is
struck in a side co llision . The airbag deploys
only in side impacts and on ly when the vehicle
acceleration registered by the control unit is
h igh enough . If this rate is below the refer­
ence value programmed into the control un it,
the side cu rtain airbag will not be trigge red,
even thoug h the ca r may be badly damaged as
a result of the collision. It is not possible to
define an airbag trigge ring range that will
cover eve ry possible angle of impact, since the
circumstances will vary considerably between
one co llision and another . Important factors
include, for examp le, the nat ure (hard or soft)
of the impac ting object, the angle of impact,
veh icle speed, etc.
c::, page 170 , Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system.
Aside from the ir norma l safety function, safe­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in posit ion i n the event of a side
coll is ion so that the side a irbags can provide
p rotection .
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system i n your veh icle. Al ­
ways remember that the side airbag system
can only help to protect you if you a re wear ing
your safety belt a nd wear ing it prope rly. Thi s
i s another reason w hy you sho uld always wear
your safety belts, not jus t beca use the law re­
q uires you to do so
c::, page 143, General
notes.
A irbag system 169
It is important to remembe r that wh ile the
suppleme nta l side airbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of ser io us injuries,
other injur ies, for example, swelling, bru is ing,
and minor abrasions can also be associated
with deployed side airbags . Remember too,
s ide a irbags w ill dep loy only once and only in
ce rtain kinds of accidents -your safety belts
are always the re to offe r protection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack
of ve hicle damage are not necessarily a n in d i­
cation of ove r-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
tion. In some coll is ions, bot h front and side
a irbags may inflate. Remember too, t hat ai r­
bags will deploy only once and on ly in certain
k inds of col lisions -yo ur sa fety belts are a l­
ways there to offer protection in those acci­ dents in which 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 switched off
- in side co llisions whe n the accele ra tion
meas ured by t he sensor is too low
- in front-e nd collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers.
In some types of accidents the front airbags,
s ide curtain airbags and s ide 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 170 .
- If the ai rbag ind icator light c::, page 18
comes when the veh icle is being used,
h ave the system inspected immediately
by your au thori zed Audi dealer.
It is pos­
sible t hat the air bag will inflate when i t
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should. •
•

-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 , tel­
ephone 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 a irbags from be­
ing damaged by heavy objects knocking
against or hitting the sides of the seat­
backs.
- The airbag system can only be trigge red
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 17 4 , 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
Airbag system 1 71
larger, unclosed openings in the door
panel.
- Never drive with interior door trim pan­
els removed .
- Never drive when parts have been re­
moved from the inside door panel and
the open ings they leave have not been
properly closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been p roperly
closed.
- Always make certain that openings are
covered or filled if additiona l 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 sy stem can provide
supplemental protection to properly restrain ­
ed occupants .
Fig. 173 Side curta in a irbags, driver' s sid e: s ide cur ta in
airb ag loc ation
The side curtain airbags are located on both
sides of the interior above the front and rear
side windows ~ fig . 173 . They are identified
by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshield
frame and the center roof pillar.
T he side curtain airbag system supplements
the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury for occupants' heads and upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck .,.

17 2 Airbag system
in a side collision. The side curtain airbag in­
f lates in side impacts and on ly when the vehi­
cle acce lerat ion reg istered by the contro l 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
though the car may be badly damaged as a re­
sult of the collision .
It is not possible to de­
fine an a irbag tr igger ing range that will cover
every possible angle of impact , since the c ir­
cumstances w ill vary considerably between
one co llision and another . Important factors
include, for examp le, the nat ure (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the ang le of impact,
vehicle speed, etc.
c:> page 172, How side cur­
tain airbags work.
Aside from their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a co lli­
sion so that the side curtain airbags can pro­
vide p rotection .
The airbag system is not a subst itute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your veh icle. Al­
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wea ring
your safety be lt and wear ing it prope rly . T his
i s ano ther reason why you sho uld always wear
your safety be lts, not jus t be ca use the law re­
qu ires you to do soc;,
page 143, General
notes.
It
is impor tant to remember that whi le the
side curta in ai rbag sys tem is designed to he lp
reduce the like lihood o f serious injuries, other
inj uries, for example, swelling, bruising, and
minor abrasions can also be associated wit h
these airbags upon deployment . Remember
too, these airbags w ill deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents - your safety belts are a lways there to offer p rotection .
The side curtain airb ag system basic ally
consists of:
- The electronic control module and externa l
s ide impact senso rs
- The side curtai n airbags above the front and
rear side w indows - The airbag indicator light in the
instrument
panel
T he airbag system is mo nitored e lec tronically
to make certain i t is func tioning properly at all
t imes . Each time yo u sw itch on the ign ition,
t h e ai rbag system indicator light will come on
for a few seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
- if the ignition is sw itched off,
- in side co llisions whe n the accele ration
measured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end col lisions.
A WARNING
- Safety belts a nd the airbag system will
only provide pro te ction when occup ant s
are i n the proper seating posi tion
c:> page 58, General recommendations.
- If th e airb ag ind ic a tor light~ page 18
comes when the veh icle is being used,
have the system ins pected immediately
by your authorized A udi dealer. It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should .
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 restrained .
Fig. 174 Illust rat ion of p rincip le : I n flated side curtai n
airbags o n th e left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the
occupant and the windows in a side co llisi on
u, N g
± .. 03
c:> fig . 174 . ..,_