2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER ignition

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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- Always make sure the forward-facing seat
has been designed and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
-Always follow the manufacturer's instruc­
t ions provided with the child safety seat or
carrier.
-Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air­
bag as possib le befo re installing the child
restraint. The backrest must be ad justed to
an upr ight position.
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
lig ht comes on and stays on all the
t ime whe never the ignition is switched on.
(D Tips
Always rep lace child rest raints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle dur ing a crash. Damage to
a child rest rain t that is not v is ible could cause
it to fail in another collision situ ation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your veh icle is equipped with an "Advanced Air ­
bag System" in compliance with U nited States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was
manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your ve hicle has
been ce rtified to meet the " low-risk" requ ire­
ments for 3 -and 6-year-o ld children on the pas­
senger side and small adults on the driver side.
The low risk deployment criteria are intended to
reduce the r isk of injury throug h interaction with
the airbag t hat can occur, for examp le, by being
too close to the s teer ing wheel and instrumen t
p a nel when the a irbag inflates. In ad di tion, the
sys tem has been cert ified to comply with the
"s uppression" requirements of the Safety Stand ­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infa nts up to
12 months who are restra ined on the front pas­
se nger seat in chi ld restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
Even tho ugh yo ur vehicle is equi pped with an Ad­
vanced A irbag system, a ch ild should always ride
Child Sa fet y
in the seat properly restrained fo r its age and
size. The airbag on the passenger side makes the
f ront seat a potent ia lly dange ro us place for a
c h ild to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a ch ild in a forward-fac ing ch ild safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a
la rger child in a rearward-fac ing seat.
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
T he Advance d Airbag System in you r vehicle de­
tects the presence of an infant or child in a child
rest raint on the front passenger seat using the
weight-sensing mat in the seat c ushion and the
sensor below the safety belt latch o n the front
passenger seat that measures the tension on the
safety belt.
The we ight-sensing mat measures total weight of
the child and the child safety seat and a ch ild
blanket on the front passenger seat. The we ight
o n the front passenger seat is related to the de­
s ign of the child rest raint a nd its "footpr int", t he
s iz e and s hape of the bottom of the c hild re­
str aint as i t si ts on the seat. The weight of a ch ild
restrain t and its "foo tpr in t" vary fo r different
ki nds of child res traints and fo r th e d iffe rent
models of the same kind of chi ld restraint offered
by chi ld restraint man ufact urers.
T he we igh t ranges for the individu al types, ma kes
and mode ls of chi ld res traints t hat the NHT SA
has spec ified in the Safety Standard toget her
with t he weig ht ranges of typica l infants and typ ­
ica l 1 year-old child have been stored in the con­
trol unit of the Advanced Airbag System. When a
c h ild restra int is being used on the front passen­
ger seat with a typical 1 year-old ch ild , the Ad­
vanced Airbag Syste m compa res the we ight
measu red by the we ight sens ing mat with the in­
f o rmat io n sto red in the e lec tronic con trol un it.
T he elec tronic cont ro l unit also reg iste rs the ten­
s io n on the front passenger safety belt. The ten­
s io n on the safety be lt fo r th e front passe nger
sea t w ill be di fferent for an adul t who is properly
u sing the safety be lt as compare d to the tension
o n the bel t when it is used to attach a child re ­
stra int to the seat . The sensor be low the latch for
1iJ11-
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A WARNING ,~
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure
that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on whenever a child re­
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
- Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on and stay on the
inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat
or infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child safety seat and child against the backrest, door or roof. Have the
airbag system inspected immediately by
your authorized Audi dealer.
{!) Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been statically tested by Audi only for the Ad­
vanced Airbag function.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially re­
duces the risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety of
everybody in the vehicle, especially children:
.. Always use the right child safety seat for each
child and always use it properly
c;, page 127.
.. Always carefully follow the child safety seat
manufacturer's instructions on how to route
the safety belt properly through the child safe­
ty seat.
.. When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertible locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent the child safety seat from moving
c;, poge 130.
.. Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2 .5 cm) .
.. If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child
safety seat to the front passenger seat, make
Child Safety
sure that it is not so tight that it causes the
weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on the seat.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, a
child should always ride in the seat properly re­
strained for its age and size.
A WARNING
-Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
child safety seat or improperly installing a
child restraint increases the risk of serious personal injury and death.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children must always be restrained properly whenev­
er riding in a vehicle.
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child can be injured or killed by being
thrown against the inside of the vehicle or
by being ejected from it during a sudden
maneuver or impact.
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is at much greater risk of injury or
death by being struck by an inflating air­ bag .
- Commercially available child safety seats
are required to comply with U.S. Federal Mo­
tor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213 (in
Canada CMVSS 213).
- When buying a child restraint, select one
that fits your child and the vehicle .
- Only use child restraint systems that fully
contact the flat portion of the seat cush­
ion. The child restraint must not tip or
lean to either side. Audi does not recom­
mend using child safety seats that rest on
legs or tube-like frames. They do not pro­
vide adequate contact with the seat.
- Always heed all legal requirements per­
taining to the installation and use of child
safety seats and carefully follow the in­
structions provided by the manufacturer
of the seat you are using.
- Never let more than one child occupy a child
safety seat.
~
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Child Safety
-Never let babies or older children ride in a
vehicle while sitting on the lap of another
passenger.
- Holding a child in your arms is never a sub­
stitute for a child restraint system.
- The strongest person could not hold the
child with the forces that exist in an acci­
dent. The child will strike the interior of
the vehicle and can also be struck by the passenger.
- The child and the passenger can also in­
jure each another in an accident.
- Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on and stay on the
inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat
or infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof . Have the
airbag system inspected immediately by
your authorized Audi dealer.
- Forward-facing child safety seats installed
on the front passenger's seat can interfere
with the airbag when it inflates and cause
serious injury to the child.
- If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety
and well-being require that the following
special precautions be taken:
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has
been designed and certified by its manu­
facturer for use on a front seat with a pas­ senger front and side airbag.
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position of the passenger
seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and
as far away from the airbag as possible be­
fore installing the child restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its fore
and aft adjustment range.
126
- Always make sure that the backrest is in
the upright position.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or in a collision .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­ ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
c> page 95, Safety belts,
c;:, page 102, Airbag system and
c;:, page 122, Child Safety .
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure
that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on whenever a child re­
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
- Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on and stay on the
inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat
or infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof. Have the
airbag system inspected immediately by
your authorized Audi dealer.

Child Safety
Toddlers and children who are older than one
year up to about 4 years old and weigh more than 20 lbs. (9 kg) up to 40 lbs. (18 kg) must always
be properly restrained in a child safety seat certi­
fied for their size and weight¢
fig. 124 .
A WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
child safety seat or improperly installing a
child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision or oth­
er emergency situation.
- Children on the front seat of any car, even
with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously in­
jured or even killed when an airbag inflates.
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat will be
seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof.
- Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on and stay on
have the airbag system inspected immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used ¢
page 95, Safety belts,
¢ page 102, Airbag system
and
¢ page 122 , Important things to know.
A WARNING
If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the front
passenger's seat, the child's safety and well­
being require that the following special pre­
cautions be taken:
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has been
designed and certified by its manufacturer
for use on a front seat with a passenger
front and side airbag.
128
- Always follow the manufacturer's instruc­
tions provided with the child safety seat or infant carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position of the passenger seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and as
far away from the airbag as possible before installing the child restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents the
front passenger's seat from being moved to
the rearmost position in its fore and aft ad­
justment range.
- Always make sure the backrest is in an up­
right position .
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the light does not stay on, perform the
checks.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on have the airbag
system inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer.
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats can help protect
children weighing between about 40 lbs . and 80
lbs. (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4 ft. 9
in. (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall.
Fig. 125 Passenger seat : chil d properly restrained in a
boo ste r seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most
children until they are at least 4 ft. 9 in. (57 in­
ches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about 80 lbs.
(36 kg). Booster seats raise these children up so
that the safety belt will pass properly over the ..,.

Child Safety
any way during an accident can be struck by
a deploying airbag. This will result in serious personal injury or death.
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional
circumstances the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light must come on and stay on, when ­
ever the ignition is switched on .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, perform the
checks described .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on whenever the igni­
tion is switched on the inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant carrier
with great force and will smash the child
safety seat and child against the backrest,
door or roof. Have the airbag system in­
spected immediately by your Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
~ page 95, Safety belts,
¢ page 102, Airbag system
and
¢ page 122, Important things to know.
Installing a child safety
seat
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
Safety belts for the front passenger can be
locked with the convertible locking retractor to
properly secure child safety seats .
The safety belts emergency locking retractors for
the front passenger's seat safety belt have a con­
vertible locking retractor for child restraints . The
safety belt must be locked so that belt webbing
cannot unreel. The retractor can be activated to
lock the safety belt and prevent the safety belt
webbing from loosening up during normal driv­
ing. A child safety seat can only be properly in­
stalled when the safety belt is locked so that the
child and child safety seat will stay in place.
Always remember : Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, a
child should always ride in the seat properly re­
strained for its age and size.
130
A WARNING ,.
Improperly installed child safety seats in-
crease the risk of serious personal injury and
death in a collision .
-
-Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child safe ­
ty seat . An unlocked safety belt retractor
cannot hold the child safety seat in place
during normal driving or in a crash.
-Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or in a collision.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof.
- Forward-facing child safety seats or infant
carriers installed on the front passenger's
seat may interfere with the deployment of
the airbag and cause serious injury to the
child.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is being used
¢page 122. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat
¢ page 103, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor­
tant things to know.
A WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must
install a forward or rearward-facing child re­
straint on the front passenger's seat in excep­
tional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, perform the
checks described .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on whenever the igni­
tion is switched on the inflating airbag will
hit the child safety seat or infant carrier .,,.

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with great force and will smash the child
safety seat and child against the backrest,
door or roof. Have the airbag system in­
spected immediately by your Audi dealer.
- Improper installation of child restraints can
reduce their effectiveness or even prevent
them from providing any protection .
- An improperly installed child restraint can
interfere with the airbag as it deploys and
seriously injure or even kill the child.
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier .
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight registered
by the weight-sensing mat and can cause in­
jury in a crash.
A WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
-Always make sure the forward-facing seat
has been designed and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forward-facing child restraint
up, against or very near the instrument pan­
el.
-Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air­
bag as possible before installing the for­
ward-facing child restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
- A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat will be
seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System .
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
Child Safety
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof.
- Always be especially careful if you must in­
stall a rearward facing child safety seat on
the front passenger seat in exceptional cir­
cumstances.
- A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front passen­
ger seat can put too much pressure on the
weight -mat in the seat and register a heavi­
er weight in the Advanced Airbag System .
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 causing serious or
even fatal injury to the child.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on and stay on
have the airbag system inspected immedi­
ately by your Audi dealer .
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the conver tible locking re trac tor to secure a
child restraint.
Always h eed the child safety seat manufacturer's
instructions when installing a child restraint in
your vehicle. To ac tiva te the convertible locking
retractor:
.. Place the child restraint on a seat.
.. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out .
.. Route it around or through the child restraint
belt path
c:> ,&. .
.. Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight.
.,. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that
seating position.
.. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor un­
til the belt lies flat and snug on the child safety
seat. ..,.
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What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining start­
ing capability .
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time of
year . Abundant electrical energy is required, but
only a little is generated . It is also critical if the
engine is not running and electrical components
are turned on. In this instance energy is being
consumed but none is being generated.
It is in precisely these situations that you w ill no­
tice energy management actively regulating the
d istribution of ene rgy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks , electr ical components are
gradually cut back or switched off . This reduces
energy consumption and maintains starting ca­
pability over a longer pe riod .
Take into consideration that when you unlock
your veh icle, some convenience functions, such
as the remote key or power seat adjustment, may
not be available. The convenience functions will
be available again when you turn on the ignition
and start the engine .
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with the
engine turned off, the battery is being dis­
charged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to energy
consumption, a message appears in the driver in­
formation display .
You have to start the engine to charge the bat ­
tery .
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when the
vehicle is being driven, the battery can become
discharged. This happens mostly when little en­
ergy is be ing generated and a great deal con­
sumed and the battery's state of charge is not
optimal.
Intelligent technology
To bring the energy balance back into equilibri­
um, consumers which require especially large
amounts of energy are temporar ily cut back or
switched off. Heating systems in part icu lar re­
quire a great deal of energy. If you notice, for ex­
ample, that the heated seats* or the heated rear
window are not heating, they have been tempo­
rarily cut back or switched off . These systems w ill
be available again as soon as the energy balance
has been restored.
You w ill also not ice that engine idle speed has
been increased slightly . This is normal and not a
cause for concern. By incr easing eng ine idle
speed the additional energy required is generated
and the battery is charged.
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops in to the range where it
can limit the ability of the engine to start, this is
shown in the instrument cluster display w ith the
following driver message :
[•] low battery charge: battery will be charged
while driving
This notification reminds you that the starting
capability of the engine may be limited. As soon
as you start driving again, the battery will be re­
charged and the notificat ion will go out .
Driver notification appears and goes out
again
If this driver notification appears after the igni­
tion is turned on or while driv ing and it goes out
again after a while, the battery has been ade ­
quately recharged .
Driver notification appears and does not go
out again
If this driver notif ication appears after the ign i­
t ion is turned on or while dr iv ing and does not go
out again, the battery's state of charge is not in
t h e optimal range. Starting ability is restricted .
Have the battery checked as soon as possible by
an authorized Audi dea le r or qualified workshop.
141