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@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and preten
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate Material -special handling may app ly, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per chlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
and safety belts w ith pretens ioners are
scrapped, a ll applicable laws and regula
tions must be observed. Your authori zed
Aud i dea ler is familiar w ith these require
ments and we recommend that you have
your dea ler 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 Sys
tem pe rforms in a crash. For example, us ing
tire-r im combinations not approved by Aud i,
l owering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the springs, suspen
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag
sensors and sent to the electronic control
unit. Some suspension changes can, for exam
ple, increase the force levels measured by the
se nsors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in wh ic h it would not dep loy if the
changes had not been made. Other k inds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas
ured by the sensors and prevent the airbag
from deploying when it sho uld .
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension includ
ing use of unapproved tire-rim combina
tions can change Advanced Airbag per
formance and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash.
- Never install suspens ion components
that do not have the same performance characteristics as the components origi
nally installed on you r vehicle.
- Never use tire- rim combinat ions that
have not been approved by A udi.
A irba g sy stem 19 7
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety be lt
buckle and the center console can cause
the sensors in the b uckle to send the
wrong informa tion to the e lectronic con
trol module and prevent the Advan ced Air
bag System from wo rking properly.
- Always ma ke sure that nothing can inter
fe re with the safety belt buckles and that
they are not obs truc ted.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fi g. 212 Side airbag location in t he drive r's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests~ fig. 212 and the rear
backrest* facing the doors . They are identified
by the wo rd "AIRBAG".
Th e side a irbag sy stem ba sic ally consi st s of :
-the electron ic control module and external
side impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the s ides of
the front backrests
- two rear side airbags (as an ordered option)
- the airbag warn ing light in the instrument
cl uster .
T he airbag system is mon itored e lec tronically
t o m ake ce rtain that it is f unction ing pro perly
at all times . Each time you turn on the ig ni
tion, the airbag system indicator light will
come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics) . ..,.
198 Airbag system
The s ide airbag system supplements the safe
ty b elts and can help to reduce the risk of in
jury to the driver's, front and rear* passeng er's upper torso on the side of the vehicle that
is struck in a side collision . The airbag deploys
only in s ide impacts and on ly when the veh icle
acceleration registered by the control un it is
h igh enough .
If this rate is below the refer
ence va lue programmed into the control u nit,
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 airbag triggering range that will cover
every possible angle of impact, since the cir
cumstances wi ll vary considerably between
one collision and another. Important fac tors
include, for examp le, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the angle of impact,
vehi cle speed, etc.
9 page 199, Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system.
Aside from the ir normal safety function, safe
ty belts work to help keep t he driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a side
coll is io n so that the side a irbags can provide
p rotec tion .
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is pa rt of the overall oc
cupa nt res traint system in your ve hicle. Al
ways remember tha t the side airbag system
can only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wearing it properly. This
is another reason w hy you sho uld a lways wear
your safety belts, not just beca use the law re
quires you to do so
9 page 173, General
notes.
It is important to remember that whi le the
supp lemental s ide a irbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of serious injur ies,
other injuries, for example, swelling, bruising,
a nd minor abras io ns can also be associated
with deployed side a irbags . Remember too,
side ai rbags wi ll deploy on ly once and on ly in
cer tain k inds of acc idents -your safety belts
ar e a lways there to offer protect io n.
Vehicle damage, repa ir costs or even the lack
of vehicle damage are not necessar ily an indi
cation of over -sensitive or failed airbag activa- t
io n. In some coll is ions, both front and side
airbags may inflate . Remember too, that air
bags will deploy only once and on ly in certain
k inds of co llisions -yo ur safety be lts are a l
ways there to offer protection in those acc i
dents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have al ready deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignit ion is t urned off
- in side co llisions when the acce leration
measured by the sensor is too low
- in front -end collisions
- in rear -end co llisions
- in rollove rs.
In some types of accidents the front airbags,
s ide curtain airbags and s ide a irbags may be
t rigge red togethe r.
A WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide pro te ct ion when occup ants
are in the proper sea ting posi tion
9 page 199.
- If th e air b ag ind icator light 9 page 16
comes when the vehicle is being used,
have the system ins pected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is pos
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed 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 are properly restrained.
Fi g. 213 In flated s ide a irbags on le ft side of ve hicle,
rear sid e airba g opt io na l eq uipment
200 Airbag system
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 airbags from be
ing damaged by heavy objects knocking
against or hitting the sides of the seat
backs.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once.
If the a irbag 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 203, 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
larger, unclosed openings in the door
panel.
- Never drive with inter ior door trim pan
els removed.
- Never drive when parts have been re
moved from the inside door panel and
the openings they leave have not been
properly closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly
closed.
- Always make certain that openings are
covered or filled if additional 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 airbags can provide supple
mental protection to properly restrained oc
cupants.
Fig. 214 S ide curtain air bags, driver's side: location
The side curtain airbags are located on both
sides of the interior above the front and rear
side windows ~
fig. 214. They are identified
by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshield
frame and the center roof pillar .
The 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
in a side collision. The side curtain airbag in
flates in side impacts and only when the vehi cle acceleration registered by the control unit
is high enough . If this rate is below the refer
ence value programmed into the control unit,
the side curtain airbag will not be triggered,
even though the car may be badly damaged as
a result of the collision. It is not possible to
define an airbag triggering range that will
cover every possible angle of impact, since the
circumstances will vary considerably between
one collision and another. Important factors
include, for example, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the angle of impact,
vehicle speed, etc. ¢
page 201, How side cur
tain airbags work .
Aside from their normal safety function, safe
ty belts work to help keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a colli
sion so that the side curtain airbags can pro
vide protection.
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The airbag system is not a substitute for yo ur
safety be lt. Rathe r, it is part of the overall oc
cupant restraint system in your veh icle. Al
way s remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wear ing it prope rly . Th is
i s another reason w hy you shou ld always wear
your safety belts, not just beca use the law re
qu ires you to do so~
page 173 , General
notes.
It is important to remember that while the
side curta in a irbag system is designed to he lp
r educe the like lihood of serious injur ies, other
i nj uries, fo r example , swelling , bruising, and
minor abrasions can also be associated w ith
these airbags upon deployment . Remember
too, these airbags wi ll dep loy on ly once and
only in certain kinds of accidents -your safety
be lts are always there to offer protection.
The side curta in airbag system basically
con sist s o f:
- The electronic contro l mod ule and externa l
s ide impa ct sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side w indows
- The airbag indicator l ight in the instrument
panel
The a irbag system is monitored ele ct ron ically
to make certain it is functioning proper ly at a ll
times. Eac h time you t urn on the ignition, the
a irbag system indicator light will come on for
a few seconds (se lf diagnostics).
The side curtain airb ag is not activated:
- if th e ign it io n is turned off
- i n s ide collisions when t he accelerat ion
measure d by the sensor is too low
- in rear-end co llisions.
_& WARNING
- Sa fe ty belts and t he a irbag sys tem w ill
only p rov ide p rotection whe n occu pan ts
are in the proper seating position
~ page 74, General recommendations .
- If the airbag indicator ligh t¢ page 16
comes when the vehicle is be ing use d,
.
A irba g sy stem 201
have the system inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi 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 wi th
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head
and upper torso injuries for occupants who
are properly restrained .
Fig. 2 15 Illus trati on of p rinc ip le: I nflat ed s ide curtain
a ir bags o n the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the
occupant and the windows on the s ide of the
vehicle that is struck in a side coll is ion
Q fig . 215 .
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 labe l. In or
der to he lp p rovide this additional protection,
the side curta in a irbag m ust in flate withi n the
blink of an eye at ve ry high speed and with
great fo rce. The side curta in a irbag could in
jure you if your seating posit io n is not proper
or upright or if items are located in the area
where the supplemental side curta in a irbag
inflates. This applies especially to ch ildren
¢ page 203.
Although they are not a soft p illow, side cur
ta in ai rbag s can "cushion" the impact and in
th is way they can help to reduce the risk of in
jury to the head and the upper part of the
bod~
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204 Child Saf ety
- Always install rear-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing
ch ild safety seat on the front passenger
seat in exceptiona l circumstances and
the
PAS SENGER AIR BA G OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immed iately
install the rear-facing child safety seat in
a rear seating posit ion and have the air
bag system inspec ted immediately by
yo ur Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
If, in exceptional c ircumstances, you mus t
install a forward -facing child restra int on
the front passenger's seat:
- Always make su re the forward-fac ing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the man ufacturer's in
struct ions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
- Always move t he passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat 's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the a irbag as poss ible before installing
the ch ild restraint. The backrest must be
adjusted to an upr ight 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 rep lace child rest raints that were
installed in a vehicle during a crash. Dam
age to a child rest raint that is not visible
could cause i t to fail i n another collisio n
si tua tion.
Advanced front airbag system and
children
Your veh icle is equipped with an "Advanced
A irbag System" in compliance w ith United
States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time you
r
vehicle was manufacture d.
T he Adv anced Airbag system in yo ur vehicle
has been certified to mee t the "low-risk" re
quirements for 3-and 6-year old children on
the passenger side and sma ll adults on the
drive r side. The low r is k dep loyment cr iteria
are intended to red uce the risk of in jury
through interact ion w it h the airbag that can
occur, for example, by being too close to the
steering wheel and instrument panel when
the a irbag inflates . In addition, the syst em
has been ce rtified to comply wit h the "sup
pression" re quirements o f th e Safety Sta nd
ard, to t urn off the fron t airbag for infan ts up
to 12 months who are res trained on the front
passenger seat in child restraints that a re list
ed in the Standard.
E ven though your veh icle is eq uipped wit h an
Advanced Airbag system , a ll children, espe
cia lly those 12 years and yo unger, should a l
ways ride in the back seat properly restrained
for their age and size. The airbag on the pas
senger side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a ch ild to ride . The front
seat is not the safest p lace for a ch ild in a for
ward-fac ing ch ild safety seat. It can be a ve ry
dange rous place fo r an infan t or a large r child
i n a rea rward-f acing se at.
Advanced Airbags and the weight
sensing mat in the front seat
The Advanced A irbag System in your vehicle
detects the presence of an infant or child in a
c h ild restra int on the front passenge r seat us
i ng the weig ht-sens ing mat in the seat cush
ion and the sensor be low th e safe ty belt latch
o n the front passenge r seat that measures t he
tens ion on the s afety be lt.
T he we ight -sensi ng mat measures total
we ight of t he chi ld and the ch ild safety seat
and a c hild b la nk et on the front passenger
seat. The we igh t on the fron t pa sse nger se at
is re late d t o the desig n of the ch ild res trai nt
and its "f ootprint", the s ize and shape o f the
bottom of the chi ld restraint as it sits on the .,..
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seat. The weight of a child restraint and its
"footprint" vary for different kinds of child re
straints and for the different models of the
same kind of child restraint offered by child restra int manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes and mode ls of ch ild restra ints that the
NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the we ight ranges of typical in
fants and typical 1 year-old child have been
stored in the control unit of the Advanced A ir
bag System. When a chi ld restraint is being
used on the front passenge r seat with a typi
cal 1 year -old ch ild, the A dvanced Airbag Sys
tem compares the we ight measured by the
weight sensing mat with the information stor
ed in the electronic control unit.
The electron ic contro l unit al so registers the
tension on the front passenger safety be lt.
The tension on the safety be lt for the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult
who is properly using the safety belt as com
pared to the tension on the be lt when it is
used to attach a child restraint to the seat.
The sensor below the latch for the safety belt
for the front seat passenger measures the
tension on the belt. The input from this sen
sor is t hen used w ith the we ight to "decide",
whether there is a ch ild restraint with a typ ica l
1 year-o ld child on the front passenger seat
and whether or not the airbag must be turned
off .
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regard less of the child restraint that you use,
make sure that it has been certified to meet
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manu
facturer for use with an airbag . Always be sure
that the chi ld restraint is p roperly instal led at
one of the rear seat ing pos itions. If in excep
tional ci rcumstances you must use it on the
front passenger seat, carefu lly read all of the
information on child safety and Advanced Air
bags and heed a ll of the app licable WARN
INGS. Make certain that the child restraint is
correctly recognized by the weight-sensing
Child Sa fet y 205
mat inside the front passenger seat, that the
front passenger airbag is turned off and that
the a irbag status is always correct ly signaled
by the
PAS SENGE R AIR BAG OFF light.
Many types and models of child restraints
have been available over t he years, new mod
els are introduced regu larly incorporating new
and improved des igns and o lder models are
taken out of product ion. Ch ild restraints are
not standard ized . Child restraints of the same
type typ ically have d ifferent weights and sizes
and different 'footpr ints,' the size and shape
of the bottom of the ch ild restrai nt that sits
o n the seat, when they a re insta lled on a veh i
cle seat. These diffe rences make it v irtually
impossible to certify compliance with the re
quirements for advanced airbags with each
and every ch ild restraint that has ever been
sold in the past or will be sold over the course
of the useful life of your veh icle.
For this reason, the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Adm inistrat ion has
published a list of spec ific type, makes and
models of child restraints that must be used
to certify comp liance of the Advanced Airbag
System in your veh icle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standa rd 208. These chi ld restraints are:
Subpart A - Car bed child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel Guard Angel September 25, 2007 R ide AA 2403FOF
Subpart B - Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century Smart Fit December 1, 1999
4543
Cosco Arriva September 25, 2007 22-013PAW and base
22-999WHO
Evenflo Discovery Ad- December 1, 1999
just Right 212
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228 Intelligent technology
will have no warning from a sudden in
crease in engine speed as with a front
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at speeds wh ich are suited to the road con
ditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting
the engine.
I f a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long period of time, the bat
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e.g. immobilizer) . In certain circumstances it
can result in there being insufficient energy
available to start the engine.
I ntelligent energy management in your vehi
cle handles the distribution of electrical ener
gy . Starting ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Basically , energy management consists o f
battery diagnosis, idling current manage
ment
and dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery. Sensors determine
battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
I dling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing.
With the ignition switched off, it contro ls the
energy supply to the various e lectrica l compo
nents. Data from battery diagnosis is consid
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
individual consumers are gradually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus ma intain starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en
ergy management distributes the energy gen
erated according to the needs of the individu
al components.
It regulates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti
mal state of charge for the battery.
(!) Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited.
- If start ing ability is threatened, you are
informed by a warning
¢ page 229,
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driv ing, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Abundant electrical energy is re
quired, but only a little is generated . It is also
critical if the engine is not running and electri
cal components are turned on. In this in
stance energy is being consumed but none is
being generated.
It i s in precise ly these s ituations that you will
notice energy management actively regu lat
ing the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, e lectr ica l compo
nents are gradually cut back or sw itched off.
T his reduces energy consumption and ma in
ta ins starting capability over a longer period.
T ake into consideration that when you unlock
your vehicle, some convenience functions,
such as the interior lights or the power seat
adjustment, may not be availab le. The con
venience functions will be availab le again
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Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 243
& WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your
self from sharp meta l components when
washing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef
fect may be delayed due to moisture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter . The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applicat ions .
{[) Note
-If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, you must fold the exterior m ir
rors in to reduce the r isk of damage to
the mirrors . Power folding exterior m ir
ro rs* must only be folded in and out us
i ng the power folding function.
- Compare the track of your vehicle w ith
the d istance between the gu ide ra ils of
the faci lity- there is a risk of damage to
the wheels and tires.
- Compare the height and width of you r
vehicle with the he ight and width of the
tunnel at the facility. -
To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the r isk o f damage to the sur
face, do not use insect removing spong
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishing agents or
ha rd wax .
- Never use car wash cycles that apply
protective wax.
It can destroy the
matte fin ish effect .
- Do not place any stickers o r magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith
matte fin ish paint. The pai nt cou ld be
damaged when the stickers o r magnets
a re removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the ve hicl e in facilities spe cially
designed for that purpose . This will red uce
the r is k of dirty water contam ina ted with
oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When cle aning and caring for individua l vehi
cle components, refe r to the fo llowing tab les.
The information contained there is simply rec
ommendations. For questions or for compo -nents that are not listed,
re fer to an author
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop . Also
follow the information fo und in¢.& .
Cle aning ex terio r
Component Situation Solution
Wipe r bla des
Dirty c:> page 69, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
H eadligh ts/ Dirty Soft sponge with a m ild soap solutiona >
tail lights
S ensors /
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a so lvent-free cleaning product
camera l enses Came ra lenses : soft cloth with an alcohol -free cleaning
solution
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
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