2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER sensor

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- An electronic control uni t, with integrated
crash sensors for front an d side impacts. The
control unit "decides" whether to fire the front
airbags based o n the information received from
the cras h sensors . The control un it also "de­
c ides" whether the safety be lt pretensioners
should be activated .
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator for the
driver inside the steering wheel hub .
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator inside
the instrument panel for the front passenger .
- A weight-sens ing mat under the upholstery
padd ing of the front passenger seat cush ion
that measures the total we ight on the seat . The
information registered is se nt cont inuously to
the e lectronic control unit to regulate dep loy­
ment of the front Advanced Airbag on the pas­
se nger side.
- An a irbag monito ring system and indicator
li ght in the inst rumen t cluster
¢page 112.
-The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on in the cen ter of t he instrument
pane l
¢page 112, fig . 118 and te lls you when
the front Advanced Ai rbag on the passenger
side has been turned
off .
-A sensor be low the safety belt la tch for the
front seat passenger to measure the tension on
the safety be lt . The tension on the safety belt
and the weight registered by the weight-sens­
ing mat help the control unit "dec ide" whether
the front airbag for the front passenger seat
shou ld be turned
off or not ¢ page 103, Child
restraints on the front seat -some important
things to know.
- A sensor in the safety belt latch for the dr iver
and for the front seat passenger that senses
whether that safety belt is latched or not and
t ransmits th is info rmation to the electronic
control unit.
~ WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can pre ­
vent the front airbag from work ing proper ly .
- Improper repair or disassembly of the front
passenger and driver seat will prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from functioning properly .
Airbag syste m
- Repairs to the front passenger seat must be
pe rformed by qualified and properly t rained
workshop personne l.
- Never remove the front passenger or driver
seat from the vehicle.
- Never remove the upho lstery from the front
passenger seat.
- Never disassemble o r remove parts from the
seat or disconnect w ires from it.
- Never carry sharp objects in yo ur pockets or
place them on the seat. If the weight-sens­
ing mat in the passenger seat is punctured
it cannot work properly.
- Never carry things on your lap or carry ob­
jects on the passenger seat. S uch items can
increase the we ight registered by the
weight-sens ing mat and send the w rong in­
formation to the a irbag con trol unit .
- Never store items under the front passenger
seat . Pa rts of the Advanced Airbag System
under the passenger seat could be dam­
aged, p reventing them and the airbag sys­
tem from wo rking prope rly.
- Never p lace seat covers or rep lacement up­
hols tery that have not been specifically ap­
p rove d by Aud i on t he front se ats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Air­
bag Sys tem from recogni zing child re­
s traints or oc cupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent t he side a irbag in the seat
backrest from deploying properly.
- Never use cushions, pillows, b lan kets or
similar items on the front passenger seat .
The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sens ing mat in the seat from accu­
rately register ing the child restraint or per­
son on the seat and prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from functioning properly.
- If you must use a child restraint on the front
passenger seat and the child restraint man­
ufacturer 's instructions require the use of a
towel, foam cushion o r some thing else to
p roperly pos ition the c hild restra int , ma ke
certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on an d stays on whenever the
child restraint is installed on the front pas ­
senger seat .
109

Airbag system
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, have the airbag
system inspected by your Audi dealer.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the side
ai rbags supplement the protection offered by the
front three-point safety be lts with pretensioners
and load limiters and the adjustable head re­
straints to help reduce the risk of injury in a wide
range of accident and crash situations. Be sure to
read the important information about safety and
heed the WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Advanced Airbag System and
the activation of the safety be lt pr etensioners de­
pend on the deceleration measured by the crash
sensors and registered by the electronic control
unit. Crash sever ity depends on speed and decel­
eration as well as the mass and stiffness of the
veh icle or object involved in the crash.
When the electronic control unit registers a low
severity crash and the safety belt is being used,
the airbag will not deploy . If the safety belt is not
be ing used , the first stage deploys, followed by
the second stage after a much later time in the
crash sequence.
If the electronic control un it reg isters a crash of
medium severity, the first stage of the airbag de­
p lo ys followed by the second stage at a much lat­
er time in the crash sequence -regardless of
whether the safety belt is being used or not. In
h ig her severity crashes as registered by the elec­
tronic control unit, both the first and second
stages deploy almost at the same time .
On the passenger side, regard less of safety belt
use, the airbag will be turned off if the weight on
the passenger seat is less than the amount pro­
grammed in the electronic contro l unit. The front
airbag on the passenger side w ill also be turned
off if one of the child safety seats that has been
cert ified under Federal Motor Veh icle Safety
Standard 208 has been recogn ized on the seat.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off
110
q page 103, Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know.
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag in­
flates, always wear safety belts properly.
- If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sit­
ting sideways or out of position in any way,
your r isk of injury is much higher .
- You will also receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if you are up aga inst the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag
q page 102.
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fig. 117 Infla ted fro nt airbags
Safety belts are important to help keep front seat
occupants in the proper seated pos ition so that
airbags can unfold properly and prov ide supple­
mental protection in a fronta l collision .
The front airbags are des igned to provide addi­
tional protect ion for the chest and face of the
dr ive r and the front seat passenger when:
- safety belts are worn properly,
- the seats have been positioned so that the oc -
cupant is properly seated as far as possible
from the airbag,
- and the head restraints have been properly ad-
justed .
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye with
great force, things you have on your lap or have
placed on the seat could become dangerous pro­
jectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag in-
flates.
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Airbag syste m
"A IRB AG" on the s teering whee l, instr u­
me nt pane l, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourself. These objects could cause injury in a crash, especially
when th e airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front pass enger's seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the a rea of the side airbag or the front air­
bag dur ing braking or in a sudden maneu­
ver. Objects near the airbags can become project iles 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 o r other breathing condi­
tions.
- To reduce the risk of breathing problems,
those w ith asthma or other resp iratory con­
ditions should get fresh air r ight away by
gett ing out of the vehicle or opening w in­
dows or doors.
- If you are in a coll is ion in w hich a irbags de ·
ploy, wash your hands and face with mild
soap and water before eating .
- Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes,
or into any cuts or scratches.
- If the residue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
~ Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate 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
wiring) is monitored cont inuo usly to make sure
that it is funct ion ing properly whenever the ign i­
tion is on. Each time you turn on the ignition, the
ai rbag mon itor ing indicator light . will come on
for a few seconds (self d iagnostics).
112
The system must be inspected when the
indicat or light •=
-does not come on when the ignition is switched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after yo u have
sw itched on the ignit ion, or
- comes on while driv ing.
If an airbag system malfunction is detec ted, t he
i ndica tor l igh t will fi rst start flashing to catch the
drive r's attention and then stay on cont inuo usly
to serve as a constant rem inder to have the sys ­
tem inspected immediately .
If a ma lfunction occurs that turns the front air­
bag on the passenger side off, the
PA SSENGER
AIR BAG O FF
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition 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 comes on, it
means that there may be something wrong
w ith the Advanced Airbag System . It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it is
not supposed to, or will not inflate when it
should.
- Have the airbag system inspected immedi­
ately by your Audi dealer.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fi g. 118 Sect io n fro m the instru ment pa nel: PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light
The PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light is lo ca ted in
the center of the inst rument panel
r=;, fig . 118. ..,.

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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
c::> page 103, Child restraints on the
front seat -some important things to know
and
c::>page 122, Child Safety .
If the PASSENG ER AIR BAG O FF light c omes on
when one of the condit ions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer­
tain that the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on cont inuous ly whenever the ignition is
on. If the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not appear and not stay on a ll the time, stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
- r eact ivate the system by turning the ignition
off
and then tu rning it on aga in;
Airbag syste m
- remove and reinstall the child restraint . Make
sure that the child restraint is properly installed
and that the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been correct ly routed aro und the child
restraint as described in the child restra int
manufacturer's instructions;
- make sure that the convertible locking retractor
on the safety belt for the front passenger seat
has been activated and that the safety belt has
been pu lled tight . T he belt must not be loose or
have loops of s lack so that the sensor below the
safety belt latch on the seat can do its job
c::>page 130.
-make sure t hat things that may i ncrease the
weight of the ch ild and ch ild safety seat are not
be ing transpor ted on the front passenge r seat;
- ma ke s ure t hat the safety belt tension sensor is
not b locked. Shake the safety bel t latch on the
front passenger seat back and forth;
- I f a s trap o r tether is be ing used to tie the child
safety seat to the front passenger seat, ma ke
sure that it is not so tight 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 doe s
not come on
and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on),
- t ake the child restraint
off the front passenge r
seat and insta ll it properly at one o f the rea r
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your Audi dealer immed iate ly .
- move the child to a rear seat position and make
sure that the child is properly restrained in a
child restraint that is appropr iate for its size
and age.
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should NO T
come on when the ignition is on and an ad ult is
sitting in a proper seating position on the front
passenger seat. If the
PA SS ENG ER A IR BAG O FF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while dr iv ing, under these circumstan­
ces, make sure that:
- the adult on the front passenger seat is proper- ly seated on the center of the seat cushion w ith
his or her back up against the backrest and the .,..
113

Airb ag syst em
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
miliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag System
pe rforms in a crash. For example, us ing t ire-rim
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehicle, changing the stiffness of the suspension, including the springs, suspension 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 example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it wou ld not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy ­
ing when it should.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's s uspension including
use of unapproved t ire-rim comb inat ions can
change Advanced A irbag performance and in­
crease the risk of ser ious persona l injury in a
crash .
- Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac­
te ristics as the components or iginally insta l­
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved by A udi.
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle
and the center console can cause the senso rs
in the b uck le to send the wrong information
t o the electron ic contro l modu le and prevent
t he Advanced Airbag System from working
properly.
- Always make sure that nothing can interfere
with the safety be lt b uckles and that they
are not obstructed.
116
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants .
Fig. 119 D river 's airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
u nderneath the steer ing whee l
~fig. 119, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection to
the driver's and passenger's knees lower thigh
areas as a supplement to the protection by the
safety belts.
If the front a irbags dep loy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fronta l co llisions when the dep loyment
threshold stored in the control unit is met
~ page 110 , More important things to know
about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keeping the driver or front passen­ ger in posit ion in a frontal collision so that the
airbags can provide supplemental protection .
The airbag system is not a substitute for your
safety belt . Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restra int system in your vehicle. A lways re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wea ring it p roperly. This is why you sho uld a l­
ways wear your safety be lt, not just because the
l aw requires yo u to do so¢
page 95, General
notes .
llll-

Airbag system
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
wear safety belts correctly and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passenger must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
to provide supplemental protection.
,8. WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious in­
jury. Wearing safety belts incorrectly and im­ proper seating positions increase the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect you
properly if you are seated too close to any of
the airbag locations. When adjusting their
seat positions, it is important that both the
driver and the front passenger keep their
upper bodies and knees at the following
minimum safe distances :
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instrument
panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- The risk of personal injury increases if you
lean forward or to the side, or if the seat is
improperly positioned and you are not wear­
ing your safety belt . The risk increases even
more should the airbag deploy .
- Always make sure that the knee airbag can
inflate without interference . Objects be­
tween you and the airbag can increase the
risk of injury in an accident by interfering
with the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed into you as the airbag deploys.
- Never let anybody, especially children or
animals in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat .
If the airbag deploys , this can
result in serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the driver's or
passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping
118
bags, for example) can hamper or prevent
proper deployment of the airbag. Small
objects can be thrown through the vehicle
if the airbag deploys and injure you or your
passengers.
- Make sure there are no cracks, deep scratch­
es or other damage in the area of the instru ­
ment panel where the knee airbags are lo­
cated .
- If children are incorrectly seated, their risk
of injury increases in a collision
r::-, page 122, Child Safety .
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat occu­
pants.
Fig . 121 Sid e airb ag locatio n in the driver's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests~
fig. 121 facing the doors .
They are identified by the word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
-the ele ctronic control module and external sid e
i mpact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests
- the airbag warning light in the instrument clus-
t e r.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to
make certain that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignition, the air ­
bag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
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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
and head injuries on the side of the vehicle that is
struck in a side collision. The airbag deploys in
side impacts and only when the vehicle accelera ­
tion registered by the control u nit is high enough .
If th is rate is below the reference value program­
med into the control unit, the side airbags will
n ot be triggered , even though the car may be
badly damaged as a result of the co llision.
It is
not possib le to define an airbag triggering range
that will cover every possible angle of impact, since the c ircumstances will vary considerab ly be ­
tween one collis ion and another. Important fac­
tors include, for example, the nature (hard or
soft) of the impact ing object, the angle of im ­
pact, vehicle speed, etc.
9 page 120 , Important
safety instructions 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 s ide 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 restrai nt system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that th e side airbag system can only
he lp to p rotect you if yo u 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
9 page 95, General notes .
It is impor tan t to remember tha t while the sup ­
p lemental side a irbag sys tem is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serious inj uries, other inj u­
ries, for examp le, swe lling, bruising, and minor
abrasions can also be associated with deployed
side airbags. Remember too, side airbags will de­
p loy only once and only in certa in kinds of acci­
dents -your safety belts are a lways there to offer
protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
ve hicle damage are not necessarily an indication
of over -sens itive or fa iled a irbag activa tion . 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 the re to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not
s u pposed to deploy or when they have a lready
deployed.
The side airbag system w ill not deploy:
- when the ignit io n i s tu rned off
- in side co llisions whe n the a ccelera tion meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in re ar-end collisions
- in rollovers .
In some types of accidents the front airbags and
s ide airbags may be triggered together.
A WARNING
-- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide p rotection when occupants are in
the proper seating position~
page 120.
-If the ai rbag ind icator light comes on when
the vehicle is be ing used, have the system
inspected immed iate ly by yo ur autho riz ed
Aud i dea le r. T he airbag may no t wo rk prop­
erly when the vehicle acceleration in a side
coll is ion is high enough to activate the air­
bag .
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.
Fi g. 122 In flated s ide airbags on left s ide of ve hicle
When the system is triggered, the a irbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat s urface area mark ed "A IRBAG" . It ex­
pands be tween the side trim panel a nd the pas-
senger. In or der to help provide this addi tional .,.
119

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- If children are seated improper ly, their risk
of injury increases in the case of an acc ident
Q page 122, Child Safety.
- Never attempt to modify any components of
the a irbag system in any way.
- In a side collision, side airbags will not func­
t ion properly if sensors cannot correctly
measure increasing air pressure inside the
doors when air escapes through large r, un­
closed openings in the doo r panel.
- Never drive w ith inter io r door trim pane ls
removed.
- Never drive when parts have been re­
moved from the ins ide door panel and the
openings they leave have not been proper­
ly 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 equ ipment is insta lled in the inside
door panels .
- Always have work on the doors done by an
author ized Audi dealer or qualif ied work­
shop .
Airbag syste m
121