Airbag system
restraints or occupants on the front passen
ger seat and prevent the side airbag in the
seat backrest from deploying properly.
- Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or
similar items on the front passenger seat.
The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from accu rately registering 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 or something else to
properly position the child restraint, make
certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the
child restraint is installed on the front pas
senger seat.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately in
stall child restraint in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the side
airbags supplement the protection offered by the
front three-point safety belts 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 belt pretensioners de
pend on the deceleration measured by the crash
sensors and registered by the electronic control
unit . Crash severity depends on speed and decel
eration as well as the mass and stiffness of the
vehicle or object involved in the crash.
On the passenger side, regardless 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 control unit . The front
136
airbag on the passenger side will also be turned
off if one of the child safety seats that has been
certified under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 has been recognized 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
¢ page 129, Child restraints on the front seat
some important things to know .
.&_ 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 risk of injury is much higher.
- You
will also receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if you are up against the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag
r::!;>page 128.
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fig. 133 Inflated front airbags
-,... N 0 :i: ;;i;
Safety belts are important to help keep front seat
occupants in the proper seated position so that
airbags can unfold properly and provide supple
mental protection in a frontal collision.
The front airbags are designed to provide addi
tiona l protection for the chest and face of the
driver 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, .,._
Airb ag syst em
-Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cupholders, telephone
brackets, large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steer ing wheel, instru
ment pane l, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourself. These obje cts
could cause injury in a crash, e specially
when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger's seat to
transport objec ts . Items can also move into
t h e area of the side airbag or the front air
bag dur ing braking or in a sudden maneu·
ver. Objects near the airbags can become
projectiles and cause injury, part icularly
when the seat is reclined.
A WARNING
The f ine dust created when a irbags dep loy can
cause breathing problems for people with a
history of asthma or other breathing condi
tions .
- To reduce the r isk of breathing problems,
those w ith asthma or other resp iratory con
ditions should g et fr esh air r ight away by
get ting out of the vehicle o r opening w in
dows or door s.
- If you are in a col lision in w hich a irbags de
p loy, wash your hand s and fa ce wi th mild
soap and water before eating.
- Be caref ul not to get the dus t into you r eyes,
or into any cuts or s cratches.
- If the residue should get into you r eyes,
flush them with water.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separa te indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag moni
toring indicator light and the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light.
The Advanced Airbag System (including the elec· tronic control unit, sensor circuits and system
w iri ng) is monitored cont inuous ly to make sure
that it is funct ion ing properly whenever the ign i·
138
tion is on . Each time you t urn on the ignit ion, the
fl airbag monitoring indicator light wi ll come on
for a few seconds (self diagnostics).
The sy stem must be inspected when th e II
indicator light :
-does not come on when the ignition is sw itched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you have
switched on t he ignit ion, or
- comes on wh ile driving.
If an airbag system malfunction is detected, t he
i ndic ator light will fi rst s tart flashing to catch the
dr ive r's at ten tion and the n stay on con tinuou sly
to serve as a constant reminder to have the sys
tem inspected immediately .
If a malfu nction occurs that turns the front air
bag on the passenge r side off, the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignit ion is on .
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop
erly cannot provide supp lemental protection
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag ind icator light
c> page 19
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer .
It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup·
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 134 Sec tion fro m t he in strument panel: PASSENGER
AIR BAG O FF ligh t
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is loca ted in
the center of the inst rument panel
c> fig . 134. ..,.
M N
0:: loo ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 ,....,
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been t urned
off
by the electron ic control unit. Each time you turn
on the ignition, the
P A SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF
light will flash for a few seconds and:
- wi ll stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
- will stay on if there is a small child or child re
straint on the front passenger seat,
- wi ll go out if the front passenger seat is occ u
pied by an adult as registered by the weight
sensing mat .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light mu st co me
on and st a y on
if the ignition is on and
- a ca r bed has been insta lled on the front seat ,
o r
- a rearward-fac ing c hild restraint has been in
stalled on the front passenger seat, or
- a fo rward-facing child restraint has been insta l
led on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight registered on the front passenger
seat is equal to o r less than the comb ined
weight of a typica l 1 yea r-old restrained in one
of the rear -facing or forwa rd-facing infant re
straints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 with which the Advanced Airbag
System in your vehicle was certified .
I f the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
fro nt airbag will not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-facing chi ld restraint on the front pas
senger seat, the safest place for a child in any
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po
sitions on the rear seat
¢ page 129, Child re
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 150, Child safety.
If the PA SSENGER AI R BAG OFF light comes on
when one of the condit ions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer
tain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on cont inuous ly whenever the ignition is
on.
If the PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not appea r and not stay on a ll the time , stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
Airbag syste m
- reactivate the system by t urning the ignition off
and then turning it on again;
- remove and reins tall the child restra int . Make
sure that the child restraint is properly installed
and that the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been correct ly routed around the chi ld
restraint as described in the c hild restraint
manufacturer's instruct ions;
- 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 pulled tight . T he belt must not be loose or
have loops of s lack so that the sensor below the
safety belt lat ch on the seat can do its job
~ page 159.
-make sure that things that may increase the
weight of the ch ild and c hild safety seat a re not
be ing transpo rted on the fro nt passenge r seat;
- make sure t hat the safety belt tension sensor is
not b locked. Shake the safety belt lat ch on the
front passenge r seat back and forth;
- I f a strap or tet he r is be ing used to tie the child
safety sea t to the front passenge r seat, make
sure that it is not so t ight that it causes the
weight -sensing mat to measure more weight
than is actually on the seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still d oes
not come on
and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on),
- t ake the child rest raint
off the front passenge r
seat and instal l it properly at one of the rea r
seat pos itions. Have the a irbag system inspec t
ed by your authorized Audi dealer immediately .
- move the child to a rear seat posi tion and make
sure that the child is properly rest ra ined in a
child restraint that is appropr iate for its size
and age .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light sho uld NO T
come on when the ignit ion is on and an adult is
s itting in a proper seating position on the front
passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght 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 t he front passenger seat is proper-
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion w ith ..,_
139
Airb ag syst em
@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension
ers m ight be classified as Perchlorate Mater ia l
-special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re
straint system including a irbag modules safe
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all
app licab le laws and regu lations must be ob
served. Your authori zed A udi dealer is fami lia r
w ith these requirements and we recommend
that you have yo ur dealer perform this service
for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle 's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced A irbag System
pe rforms in a crash. For example, using t ire-rim
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
ve hicl e, chang ing the stiffness of the suspension,
including the spr ings, suspension s truts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control un it. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in c rashes in which it wo uld not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other ki nds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and preve nt the airbag from deploy
i n g when i t should .
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's s uspension including
use of unapproved ti re -rim comb inations can
change Advanced A irbag pe rformance and in
crease t he risk of serious persona l injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that do not have the same performance charac
teristics as the components or iginally insta l
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
142
A WARNING
Items stored between t he safety be lt b uckle
and the center console can cause the sensors i n the buckle to send the wrong informat ion
to the electronic control module a nd prevent
the Adva nced Airbag System from wor king
properly.
- Always ma ke sure that nothing can interfere
w it h the safe ty belt bu ckles an d that they
are no t obstr ucted.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
F ig. 135 Driver"s kn ee airbag
The driver knee airbag is i n the instrument panel
u nderneath the steer ing whee l~
fig. 135, the
k nee a irbag for the passenger is at abou t the
same height in the instrument pane l unde rneath
the g love compartment.
The knee air bag offers addi tional protec tion to
t h e d river 's and passenge r's knees and uppe r and
l ower thigh areas and supplements the protec
tion provided by the safety belts.
If t he front airbags dep loy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fro ntal c ollisions when the dep loyment
th reshold stored in the control un it is me t
~ page 136, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In add it ion to their normal sa fe ty f unct io n, safe-
ty be lts he lp keep the driver or front passenger in ..,.
M N
0:: loo ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 ,....,
-the e lectronic control module and external side
impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides o f the
front backrests
- the a irb ag warning light in the inst rument cl us-
ter.
The airbag system is monitored elect ron ica lly to
make certa in th at it is func tioning properly at all
times. Each time you t urn on the ign ition, the a ir
bag system ind icator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics) .
The s ide a irbag system supp lements the safety
be lts and c an he lp to reduce the r is k of i njury to
the dr iver's and front passenger's upper torso on
the side of the vehicle that is struck in a s ide col
lision. The airbag dep loys only in side impacts
and only when the veh icle acce leration registered
by the control unit is high enoug h. If th is rate is
below the refe rence value programmed into the
control un it, the side a irbags will not be t rig
gered, even though the car may be bad ly dam
aged as a result of t he coll is ion. It is not poss ible
to define an airbag trigge ring range that will cov
e r every possib le ang le o f impact , since the c ir
cumstances wi ll vary considerably between one
collision and another . Important factors include,
for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the im
pacting object, the ang le of impact, vehicle
speed, etc. ¢
page 146, Impor tant safety in
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their norma l safety function, safety
be lts work to help keep the dr iver or front pas
senger in posit ion in the event of a side collision
so that the s ide a irbags can provide protect ion.
T he airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu pant res traint system in your veh icle. Always re
membe r th at the s ide a irbag system can only
h elp to p rotect you if yo u are wear ing your safety
be lt and wea ring it p roperly . T his is ano th er rea
son why you s hou ld always wea r yo ur safety
b e lts, no t just because the law req uires you to do
so ¢
page 1 20, General information.
It is important to remember that whi le the sup
p lemental s ide a irbag sys tem is designed to re
d uce the likelihood of serious i njuries, other inju-
Airbag syste m
ries, for example, swell ing, bruising, and minor
abrasions can a lso be associated with dep loyed
s ide airbags. Remember too, s ide a irbags w ill de
ploy only once and only in certain kinds of acci
dents -your safety belts are always there to offer
protection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs o r even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessari ly an indication
of over-sensitive or failed airbag activation . In
some collisions , both front and side airbags may
infla te. Remembe r too, that a irbags w ill dep loy
o n ly onc e and on ly in certa in ki nds of co llisions -
yo ur safety belts a re a lways the re to offer p rotec
t io n in those accidents in wh ich airbags are not
s u pposed to deploy or when they have a lready
deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignit ion is tu rned off
- in side co llisions whe n the acceleration meas -
ured by the senso r is too low
- in front -end collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollove rs.
In some types of ac cidents the front airbags, side
c ur tain airbags and s ide airbags may be triggered
togethe r.
A WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position¢
page 146.
- If the airbag ind icator light ¢ page 19
comes when the ve hicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate wh en it is not sup
posed to, or will not infla te when it shou ld.
145
Airbag system
the circumstances wi ll vary considerably between
one co llision and another. Important factors in
clude, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of
the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc. ¢
page 148, How side curtain air
bags work .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to help keep the driver or front pas
senger in position in the event of a collision so
that the side curtain airbags can provide protec
tion.
The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu
pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wear ing it prope rly. Thi s is another reason
why you should always wear your safety belts,
not just because the law requires you to do so
¢ page 120, General information.
It is important to remember that while the side
curta in air bag system is designed to help red uce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swe lling, bruising, and minor abra
sions can a lso be associated with these airbags.
Remember too, these a irbags w ill dep loy only
once and only in certa in kinds of acc idents -your
safety belts are always there to offer protect ion.
The side curtain airbag system basically
consists of:
- The electronic control modu le and external side
impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and rear side w indows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored electronica lly to
make certain 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).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignition is turned off,
-in sid e collisions when the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low,
148
- in rear-end collisions,
- in rollovers.
& WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position¢
page 53,
Seats and storage.
- If the airbag indicator light¢ page 19
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer.
It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who are properly re
strained .
E
Fig. 140 Illustra tion of princ ip le: Inflated side curtain a ir
bags on the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc
cupant and the w indows on the side of the veh i
cle that is struck in a side collision¢
fig. 140.
When the system is triggered, the side curta in
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
side curtain airbag must inflate w ithin the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with great force.
The side curtain airbag cou ld injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supple
mental s ide curtain airbag inflates. This applies
especially to children
¢ page 150. .,,.
M N
0:: loo ,...., \!) er,
N er, ,....,
exceptional circumstances and the PASSEN
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear
ward-facing child safety seat in a rear seat
ing position and have the airbag system in
spected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer.
A WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must in
stall a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat:
- 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.
- Always follow the manufacturer's instruc
tions 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 possible before installing the child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to
an upright 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.
Always replace child restraints that were in
stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage to
a child restraint that is not visible could cause
it to fail in another collision situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with United States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was
manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has
been certified to meet the "low-risk" require
ments for 3- and 6-year old children on the pas
senger side and small adults on the driver side.
The low risk deployment criteria are intended to
Child safety
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for example, by being
too close to the steering wheel and instrument
panel when the ai rbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been certified to comply with the "suppression" requirements of the Safety Stand
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to
12 months who are restrained on the front pas
senger seat in child restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad
vanced Airbag system, all children, especially
those 12 years and younger, should always ride in
the back seat properly restrained for their age
and size. The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a
child to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a child in a forward-facing child safety seat. It
can be a
very dangerous place for an infant or a
larger child in a rearward-facing seat.
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle de
tects the presence of an infant or child in a child
restraint on the front passenger seat using the
weight-sensing mat in the seat cushion and the sensor below the safety belt latch on the front
passenger seat that measures the tension on the
safety belt .
The weight-sensing mat measures total weight of
the child and the child safety seat and a child blanket on the front passenger seat. The weight
on the front passenger seat is related to the de
sign of the child restraint and its "footprint", the
size and shape of the bottom of the child re
straint as it sits on the seat. The weight of a child
restraint and its "footprint" vary for different
kinds of child restraints and for the different
models of the same kind of child restraint offered
by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes
and models of child restraints that the NHTSA
has specified in the Safety Standard together
with the weight ranges of typical infants and typ-
ical 1 year-old child have been stored in the ...,
151
Child safety
control unit of the Advanced Airbag System .
When a chi ld restraint is being used on the front
passenger seat with a typical 1 year-o ld chi ld, the
Advanced Airbag System compares the weight measured by the weight sensing mat with the in
formation stored in the electron ic control unit .
The electronic control unit a lso registers the ten
sion on the front passenger safety be lt. The ten
sion on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat will be d ifferent for an adult w ho is properly
using the safety belt as compared to the tens ion
on the belt when it is used to attach a child re
s traint to the seat. The senso r below the latch fo r
t he sa fety belt for the fron t se at passenge r
meas ures the tension on the be lt . T he inp ut from
this sensor is then used with the weight to "de
cide", whether there is a c hild restraint with a
typical 1 year -old chi ld on the front passenger
seat and whether or not the airbag must be
t urned off .
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restraint that you use,
make sure that it has been ce rtified to meet Un it
ed States Fede ral Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
and h as been ce rtified by its manufac turer for
use w ith an airbag . A lways be sure tha t the child
restraint is p roperly ins talled at one of the rear
seating positions . If i n exceptiona l circumstances
you must use it on the front passenger seat, care fully read all of the informat ion on child safety
and Advanced Airbags and heed all of the appli
cable WARNINGS . Make certain that the ch ild re
straint is correctly recognized by the weight-sens
ing mat inside the front passenger seat, that the
front passenge r airbag is t urned
off and t hat the
air bag s tatus is a lways cor re ctly s ignaled by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght .
M any types and models of child restra ints have
been ava ilable ove r the yea rs, new models a re in
t roduced regu larly incorporat ing new and im
p rove d des igns and o lder models are taken out o f
prod uction. Child restraints are not standardized .
Ch ild restrai nts of the same type typically have
d ifferent weights and s izes and different 'foot
prints,' the si ze and shape of the bottom of the
chi ld restraint that sits on the seat, w hen they
152 are
insta lled on a vehicle seat. These differences
make it virtua lly impossib le to certify compliance
with the requirements for advanced airbags with
each and every chi ld restraint that has ever been
sold in the past or will be sold over the course of
the usefu l life of your vehicle.
Fo r th is reason, the United States National High
way Traffic Safety Adm inistrat ion has published a
li st of specific type, makes and models of child
restraints that must be used to cert ify compli
ance of the Advanced Airbag System in your veh i
cle w ith the s uppression requirem ents of Federal
Motor Veh icle Safety S tanda rd 208. These child
rest rain ts are:
Subpart A -Car bed child restra ints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel Guar d Angel Septe mber 2S, 200 7
Ride AA 2403FO F
Subpart B - Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century Smart Fit 4 S4 3 December 1, 1999
Cosco Arriva September 2S, 2007
22-013PAW and bas e
22-999WHO
E venflo Discove ry Ad -December 1, 1999
just R ight 212
E ven flo Firs t Choi ce De cembe r 1, 1999
2 04
Graco Infant 84S7 December 1, 1999
Graco Sn ug ride Se
ptember 2S, 2 007
Peg Perego Pr imo Viag- September 2S, 2007
gio SIP I MUNOOUS
Subpart C -Forward-facing and convertible
child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
B ritax Round about September 2S, 200 7
E 9 L0 2xx
Cosco Tou riva 02Sl9 December 1, 1999