2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER warning light

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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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When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released.
This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the
veh icle. This dust is made up mostly of a powder
used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy . It
could irr itate skin.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental a irbag system is designed to reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injur ies,
for example swel ling, bruising and minor abra­
sions , can also happen when a irbags inflate . Air­
bags do not protect the arms or the lower parts
of the body . Front airbags only supp lement the
three point safety belts in some frontal col lisions
in which the ve hicle deceleration is high eno ugh
to deploy the airbags .
Front airbags will not d eploy:
- i f the ignit ion 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.
The front pa ssenger airbag will a lso not
deplo y:
- when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
- when the we ight 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 SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on) .
A WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the
r is k of se rious injury in crashes .
- To reduce the r isk of injury when the airbags
inflate, the d river and passengers must al­
ways s it in an upr ight position, must not
lean against or place any part of their body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located .
Airbag syste m
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be serio usly
injured by an airbag as it unfolds with great
force in the blink of an eye
c'.> page 103.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-fac ing ch ild safety seat
i nstalled on the front passenge r seat w ill be
seriously inju red and can be killed if the front
a ir bag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
- The inflating airbag will h it the c hild safety
seat o r infant ca rr ier with great force and
will sm ash the child s afety seat and child
aga inst the backrest, center arm rest, door
or roof.
- Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght comes on
and stays on.
If the PASSENG ER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght does not come on and stay on, the
inflating a irbag will hit the child safety seat
or infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst th e backrest, door or roof. Have the
ai rbag system inspected immediately by
your author ized A udi dealer.
A WARNING
Obje cts between you and the airbag will in­
crease the risk of in jury in a crash by inte rfe 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 area of
the front passenger seat. Objects could
move into the area of the front a irbags dur­
ing brak ing or other sudden maneuver and
become dangerous project iles that can
cause serious persona l injury if the a irbags
i n flate.
- Never p lace or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone
b rackets, large , heavy o r bulky objects) on
the doors, over or nea r the a rea marked
-
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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. ..,.

Airbag syste m
backrest is not reclined ~ page 87, Proper
occupant 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,
- the safety belt is being properly worn and that there is not a lot of s lack in the safety belt web­
bing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other th ings that may cause an incorrect reading or
impression on the weight-sensing 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
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OF F
light in the center of the instrument panel, the
message
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF or PA SSEN­
GER AIR B AG ON
will briefly appear in the instru­
ment cluster display . Th is 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 function ing prop­
erly cannot prov ide supplemental protect ion
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator light comes on, it
means that there may be someth ing wrong
with the Advanced Airbag System . It is pos­
sible that the a irbag will inflate when it is
not supposed to, or will not inflate when it
sho uld.
- Have the airbag system inspected immedi­
ately by your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a ch ild without a
child restraint, in a rearward-facing child safe­
ty seat or in a forward-facing child restraint
that has not been properly 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 years and
114
younger, a lways ride proper ly restrained for
their age and size.
- If you must install a rearwa rd 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 have the a irbag system
inspected by your Audi dealer .
- A tight tether or other strap on a rearward­
facing child restraint attached to the front
passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-sens ing mat in the seat and
reg iste r more weight th an is actually on the
seat. The heav ier we ight registered can
make the system work as though an adult
were on the seat and deploy the Advanced
Airbag when it must be suppressed ca using
serious or even fatal injury to the child.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forwa rd- facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into its rearmost pos ition in the seat's
fore and aft adjustment range, as far away
from the airbag as possib le. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upr ight position.
Ma ke sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
wheneve r the ign it ion is switched on .
A WARNING
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an adult is sitting on the
front passenge r seat after tak ing the steps
described above, have the airbag system in­
spected by your Audi dealer before trans­
port ing anyone on the front passenger seat.
(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen­
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air­ bag on the passenger s ide will be turned off,
and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many
different places on your Audi . Installing, remov­
i ng, se rv ic ing or repair ing a pa rt in an a rea of the ..,_

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Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents -your safety
be lts are a lways there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
examp le when your vehicle str ikes or is struck by
another after the first collision .
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The airbag
system works most effective ly when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your
safety belts correctly .
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental knee a irbag system is designed to re ­
duce the likelihood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries, for examp le, swe lling, bruising, minor ab ra­
sions and fr iction burns can also occur when an
airbag inflates.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
- The electronic control module
- Two inflatab le airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the driver and one for the front passenger
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignition is turned off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the contro l unit is too low
- in s ide collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
- in the event of a system malfunct ion (warning/
indicator light is on)
<::.>page 13 .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
<=> page 110.
- If the airbag indicato r light comes on when
the vehicle is being used, have the system
inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer .
Airbag system
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully deployed knee airbags .
Fig. 120 Inflated airbags protecting in a frontal collision
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger deploy in certain but not all fronta l co llisions .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in fronta l collisions when the dep loymen t
threshold stored in the control un it is met .
When the system deploys fill the airbags with a
propellant gas, and inflate between the lower
part of the in str ument panel and the driver and
the lowe r part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger
<=> page 110, fig. 117.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower ex­
tremities .
All o f this takes place in the b link of an eye, so
fa st that many people don't even realize that the
airbags have deployed . The airbags also inf late
with a great deal of force and it is important for
occupant safety that nothing should be in their
way when they dep loy.
Fully inflated airbags in combination with proper­
ly worn safety belts s low down and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement and help to reduce
the risk of injury .
117

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).
II>

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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