2015 AUDI Q5 light

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-and the head restraints have been p roperly ad -
justed.
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye w ith
great force, things you have on yo ur lap o r have
p laced on the seat cou ld become dangerous p ro­
jectiles, and be pushed into yo u if the airbag in­
flates.
When an a irbag deploys, fine dust is released.
This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the
vehicle. This dust is made up mostly of a powder
used to lubricate the airbags as they dep loy. It
could irr itate skin.
It is important to remember that whi le the sup ­
p lemental airbag system is designed to reduce
the likelihood of serious in juries, other injur ies,
for example swell ing, bruising and minor abra­
sions, can also happen when a irbags inf late. Air­
bags do not protect the arms or the lower parts
of the body. Front airbags o nly supplement the
three point safety belts in some frontal col lisions
i n which the veh icle deceleration is high enough
to deploy the airbags.
F ront airbags will not deploy:
- if the ign it io n is switched off when a crash oc -
curs,
- in s ide collisions,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in ro llovers,
- when the crash deceleration measured by the airbag system is less than the minimum thresh ­
o ld needed for airbag deployment as registered
by the electronic control un it.
Th e front pa ssenger airbag will al so not
depl oy:
-when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
- when the weight on the front passenger seat as
sensed by the Advanced Airbag System indi­
cates that the front airbag on the passenger
s ide has to be turned off by the electronic con­
trol unit (the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on) .
A WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the
risk of se rious injury in crashes .
Airbag syste m
- To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags
inflate, the driver and passengers must al­
ways sit in an upright pos ition, must not
lean aga inst or place any part of the ir body
too close to the area where the a irbags are
located.
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
in ju red by an a irbag as it unfo lds with great
for ce in the blink ofan eye
Qpage 153.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-fac ing ch ild safety sea t
i nsta lled on the front passenger seat w ill be
se riously inju red and can be killed if the front
a irbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag
System .
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat o r infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof.
- Always install rear-fac ing ch ild safety seats
on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearwa rd fac ing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of except ional circumstances and the
PASS ENG ER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating posi tion and have the airbag system
inspected by your authori zed Audi dealer .
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash by interfe r­
ing with the way the airbag unfolds or by be ­
ing p ushed into you as the airbag inflates .
- Never hold things in yo ur hands or on your
lap when the vehicle is in use .
- Never transpo rt items on or in the a rea of
the front passenger seat. Objects could move into the area of the front airbags dur­
ing brak ing or other sudden maneuver and
become dangerous project iles that can
cause serious persona l injury if the a irbags
inflate.
161

Airb ag syst em
-Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cupholders, telephone
brackets, large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steer ing wheel, instru­
ment pane l, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourself. These obje cts
could cause injury in a crash, e specially
when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger's seat to
transport objec ts . Items can also move into
t h e area of the side airbag or the front air ­
bag dur ing braking or in a sudden maneu·
ver. Objects near the airbags can become
projectiles and cause injury, part icularly
when the seat is reclined.
A WARNING
The f ine dust created when a irbags dep loy can
cause breathing problems for people with a
history of asthma or other breathing condi­
tions .
- To reduce the r isk of breathing problems,
those w ith asthma or other resp iratory con­
ditions should g et fr esh air r ight away by
get ting out of the vehicle o r opening w in ­
dows or door s.
- If you are in a col lision in w hich a irbags de­
p loy, wash your hand s and fa ce wi th mild
soap and water before eating.
- Be caref ul not to get the dus t into you r eyes,
or into any cuts or s cratches.
- If the residue should get into you r eyes,
flush them with water.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separa te indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag moni­
toring indicator light and the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light.
The Advanced Airbag System (including the elec· tronic control unit, sensor circuits and system
w iri ng) is monitored cont inuous ly to make sure
that it is funct ion ing properly whenever the ign i·
162
tion is on . Each time you t urn on the ignit ion, the
airbag monitoring indicator light
II wi ll come on
for a few seconds (self diagnostics).
The sy stem must be inspected when th e
indicat or light
fB :
-does not come on when the ignition is sw itched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you have
switched on t he ignit ion, or
- comes on wh ile driving.
If an airbag system malfunction is detected, t he
i ndic ator light will fi rst s tart flashing to catch the
dr iver's at ten tion and the n st ay on con tinuo usly
to serve as a constant reminder to have the sys ­
tem inspected immediately .
If a malfu nction occurs that turns the front air ­
bag on the passenge r side off, the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignit ion is on .
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag ind icator light
c> page 16
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 inflate when it is not sup·
posed to, or will not inflate when i t should.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 168 Sec tion fro m t he in strument panel: PASSENGER
AIR BAG O FF ligh t
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is loca ted in
the center of the inst rument panel
c> fig . 168. ..,.

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The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been t urned
off
by the electron ic control unit. Each time you turn
on the ignition, the
P A SSEN 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 re­
straint on the front passenger seat,
- wi ll go out if the front passenger seat is occ u­
pied by an adult as registered by the weight ­
sensing mat .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light mu st co me
on and st a y on
if the ignition is on and
- a ca r bed has been insta lled on the front seat ,
o r
- a rearward-fac ing c hild restraint has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat, or
- a fo rward-facing child restraint has been insta l­
led on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight registered on the front passenger
seat is equal to o r less than the comb ined
weight of a typica l 1 yea r-old restrained in one
of the rear -facing or forwa rd-facing infant re­
straints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 with which the Advanced Airbag
System in your vehicle was certified .
I f the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
fro nt airbag will not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-facing chi ld restraint on the front pas­
senger seat, the safest place for a child in any
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po­
sitions on the rear seat
¢ page 153, Child re ­
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 172, Child safety.
If the PA SSENGER AI R BAG OFF light comes on
when one of the condit ions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer­
tain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on cont inuous ly whenever the ignition is
on.
If the PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not appea r and not stay on a ll the time , stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
Airbag syste m
- reactivate the system by t urning the ignition off
and then turning it on again;
- remove and reins tall the child restra int . Make
sure that the child restraint is properly installed
and that the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been correct ly routed around the chi ld
restraint as described in the c hild restraint
manufacturer's instruc tions;
- make sure that the convertible locking feature
on the safety belt for the front passenger seat
has been activated and that the safety belt has
been pulled tight . T he belt must not be loose or
have loops of s lack so that the sensor below the
safety belt lat ch on the seat can do its job
~ page 181.
-make sure that things that may increase the
weight of the ch ild and c hild safety seat a re not
be ing transpo rted on the fro nt passenge r seat;
- make sure t hat the safety belt tension sensor is
not b locked. Shake the safety belt lat ch on the
front passenge r seatback and forth;
- I f a strap or tet he r is be ing used to tie the child
safety sea t to the front passenge r seat, make
sure that it is not so t ight that it causes the
weight -sensing mat to measure more weight
than is actually on the seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still d oes
not come on
and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on),
- t ake the child rest raint
off the front passenge r
seat and instal l it properly at one of the rea r
seat pos itions. Have the a irbag system inspec t­
ed by your authorized Audi dealer immediately .
- move the child to a rear seat posi tion and make
sure that the child is properly rest ra ined in a
child restraint that is appropr iate for its size
and age .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light sho uld NO T
come on when the ignit ion is on and an adult is
s itting in a proper seating position on the front
pass enger seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while dr iv ing, unde r these circumstan­
ces, make sure that :
- the adult on t he front passenger seat is proper-
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion w ith ..,_
163

Airbag syste m
his or her back up against the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined
r::!>page 136, Correct
passenger seating positions,
- the adu lt is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or supporting
their weight on the armrest,
- the safety belt is being properly worn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web­
bing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other
things that may cause an incorrect reading or impression on the weight-sens ing mat under
the upholstery of the seat have been removed
from the front passenger seat,
- a safety be lt extender has not been left in the
safety belt latch for the front passenger seat .
In addition to the
P ASS ENGER AIR BA G OF F
light in the center of the instrument panel, the
message
PASSE NGER A IR BAG OFF or PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG ON
will briefly appear in the instru­
ment cluster display . Thi s is to inform the driver
of the current front passenger airbag status.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ion ing prop ­
erly cannot prov ide supplementa l protect ion
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator light
r:!> page 16
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by your
authorized Aud i dealer.
It is possible that
the a irbag will inflate when it is not s up­
posed to, or wi ll not inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front airbag in flates, a chi ld without a
child restraint, in a rearward-facing child safe­
ty seat or in a forward-facing child restraint
that has not been proper ly installed will be
ser iously injured and can be killed.
- Even though your veh icle is equipped with
an Advanced Airbag System, make certa in
that all ch ildren, especially 12 yea rs and
164
younger, a lways ride on the back seat prop­
erly restrained for their age and size.
- Always install forward or rear-facing child
safety seats on the rear seat -even with an
Advanced A irbag System.
- If you must install a rearward-facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptiona l circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
appear and stay on, immediately insta ll the
rea r-facing chi ld safety seat in a rear seating
position and have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your authori zed Audi dealer .
- A t ight tether or other s trap on a rea rward­
facing chi ld restraint attached to the front
p assenger sea t can put too much pressure
on the weight-sens ing mat in the seat and
reg ister more weight than is actually on the
seat. The heavier weight registered can make the system work as though an adult
were on the seat and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed caus ing
serious or even fatal injury to the child .
- If, in exceptiona l circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the seat into i ts rearmost pos ition in the seat's
fore and aft ad justmen t range, as fa r away
from the airbag as possib le. The backrest
m ust be adjusted to an upr ight position.
Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignit ion is switched on.
A WARNING
- If the PASS ENGER AIR BAG OF F light does
not go out when an adult is s itting on the
front passenger seat after tak ing the steps
described above, make sure the adult is
prope rly seated and restra ined at one of the
rea r seat ing pos itions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
author ized Audi dealer befo re transpo rting
anyone on t he fro nt passenger seat.

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 leve ls 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 .
166
A WARNING
Items stored between the 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.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
F ig. 169 S ide ai rbag locat io n in th e dr ive r's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
fron t seat backrests ~
fig. 169 and the rear back­
res t* fa cing the doors. They are identified by the
word "AIRBA G".
The side airbag sy stem bas ically consi st s of :
-the electron ic control module and external side
impact sensors
- the two airbags located in the s ides of the front
backrests and the two airbags* located in the
rear backrest
- the airbag warning light in the instrument clus-
ter.
The airbag system is monitored e lectronically to
make certain that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignit ion, the air­
bag system indicator light w ill come on for a few
seconds (self d iagnost ics) .
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The side airbag system supplements the safety be lts and can he lp to reduce the risk of injury to
the dr iver's and front passenger's upper torso on
the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side col­ lision . The airbag deploys only in side impacts
and only when the veh icle acceleration registe red
by the control unit is high enough . If th is rate is
be low the reference value programmed into the
control unit, the side ai rbags wi ll not be trig­
gered, even though the car may be bad ly dam­
aged as a result of the collision .
It is not possible
to define an airbag triggering range that will cov­
er every possible angle of impact, since the cir­
cumstances will vary considerably between one
coll is ion 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 .
r::;:,page 168, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to help keep the driver or front pas ­
senger in pos it ion in the event of a side collision
so that the s ide 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 side airbag system can only
he lp to p rotect you if you are wear ing your safety
be lt and wearing i t properly. This is ano ther rea­
son why you shou ld always wear your sa fety
be lts, not just because the law requires you to do
so
r::;;, page 144, General information.
It is important to remember that while the sup ­
p lemental side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other inju­ ries, for examp le, swe lling, bruising, and minor
abrasions can also be associated with deployed
side airbags. Remember too, side airbags will 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 -sens itive or fa iled a irbag activation . In
some coll isions, both front and s ide airbags may
i nflate. Remember too, that airbags will deploy
only once and only in ce rtain kinds of collisions -
Airb ag system
you r safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed .
The side airbag sy ste m w ill not deploy :
-when the ignit ion is turned off
- in side co llisions whe n the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers .
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side
curtain airbags and side airbags may be triggered
together.
A WARNING
-- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide p rotection when occ upants are in
the proper seating position
r::;;, page 168.
- If the airbag ind icator light r::;:, page 16
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immedia tely by your
author ized Audi dealer.
It is possib le tha t
the airbag will inflate when i t is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who ore properly restrained.
Fig. 170 Inflated s ide a irbags o n left s ide o f vehicle
9 a: (D Cl)
When the system is triggered, the a irbag 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
ll>
167

Airbag syste m
passenger. In order to help provide this addition­
al protection, the side airbag must inflate within
a fraction of a second at very high speed and w ith
great force. The supplemental side airbag cou ld
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
q page 172, Child
safety.
Supplemental side airbags inflate be ­
tween the occupant and the door pane l on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collision
q fig . 170.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cush ion" the impact and in th is 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 vehicle.
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags ore 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 the ir job to provide s upplementa l
protection.
A WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause ser ious or
fatal injury . Improperly wearing safety belts
and improper seating positions increase the
r isk of se rious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used .
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when
the supplemental s ide airbag inflates:
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean aga inst the area where the supple-
mental side airbag is located.
- Never let a chi ld or anyone else rest their
head against the side trim panel in the
area where the supplementa l side airbag
inflates .
168
-Always make sure that safety be lts 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 s ide a irbag can
inflate w ithout interference .
- Never install seat covers or rep lacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
A udi.
- Never use addi tional 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 ai rbag
module must a lways be repaired immedi ­
ate ly 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
by being pushed into you as the airbag in­
flates.
- Never place or attach accessor ies or other
obje cts (such as cupho lde rs, telephone
brackets, or even large, bu lky obje cts) on
the doors, ove r o r near the area marked
"AIRBAG" on the seat backrests.
- Such objec ts and accessories can become
dangerous projectiles and cause injury
when the supplemental side airbag de­ ploys .
- Never carry any objects o r pets in the de­
ployment space between them and the
airbags or allow children or other passen­
gers to travel in this posit ion.
- Always use the bu ilt-in coat hooks only for
lightweight clothing. Never leave any heavy
or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that
may interfere with side airbag dep loyment
and can cause personal injury in an accident .
- Always prevent the side airbags from being
damaged by heavy objects knock ing against
or hitting the sides of the seatbacks .
- The a irbag system can only be triggered
once . If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Aud i dea le rship.
~

Airbag system
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 airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wearing it prope rly. This is another reason
why you should always wear your safety belts, not just because the law requires you to do so
~ page 144, General information.
It is important to remember that while the side
curta in a irbag system is designed to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abra­
sions can also be associated with these airbags.
Remember too, these airbags wi ll dep loy only
once and only in certain kinds of accidents -your
safety belts are always there to offer protection.
The side curtain airbag system basically
consists of:
-The electronic control modu le and externa l side
impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side w indows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrumen t
panel
The airbag system is monitored electron ically to
make certa in it is f uncti oning properly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignition, the air­
bag system indicator light wi ll come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignit ion is tu rned off,
- in s ide collisions when the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the ai rbag system will on ly
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper sea ting position
~ page 63, Gen­
eral information .
-If the airbag indicato r ligh t ~page 16
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by your
authorized Aud i dealer. It is possible that
170
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed 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 ore properly re­
strained.
Fig. 172 Illustration of principle: Inflated side curtain air ­
bags on the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the windows on the side of the vehi­
cle that is struck in a side collision
~ fig. 172.
N 0
s ri: (X) m
When the system is triggered, the side curta in
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
side curtain airbag must inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with great force .
The side curtain airbag could injure you if your
seat ing position is not proper or upright or if
i tems are located in the area where the supple­
mental sid e curtain airbag inflates. This applies
especially to chi ld ren
~ page 172.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain
a irbags can "cush ion" the impact and in this way
they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and the upper pa rt of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys.
This is quite normal and does not mean there is a
fire in the vehicle.