2015 AUDI S3 airbag off

162 Airbag system
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once
and on ly in certain k inds of accidents -your
safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are
not supposed to deploy or when they have al­
ready deployed, for example when your veh i­
cle strikes or is struck by another after the
first coll is ion .
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt . The airbag
system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts . Therefore, always wear your
safety be lts correctly .
It is important to remember that while the
supplemental knee airbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries,
other injuries , for example , swell ing, bruising
and minor abrasions and friction burns can al­
so occur when an airbag inflates.
The knee airbag system basically consists
of:
- The elec tronic con trol module
- T wo inflatab le airbags (airbag and gas gen-
erator), one fo r the driver and one for the
front passenger
- T he airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ign ition is switched off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
- i n the event of a system malfunction (warn-
i ng/indicator light is on)
Q page 21.
.8, WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide protection when occupants
are in the proper seating posit ion
Q page 154.
-If the airbag indicator light¢ page 21
comes when the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immediately
-
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should .
How knee airbags work
Applies to vehicles: wi th knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be re ­
duced by fully inflated knee airbags.
Fig . 134 Inflated a irbags protecting in a fronta l co lli­
sion
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front pas ­
senger deploy in certa in but not all frontal
collisions.
If the front airbags dep loy, the knee airbags
also dep loy in frontal collisions when the de­
ployment threshold stored in the control unit
is met.
When the system deploys, the airbags fill
with a compressed propellant gas, and inf late
between the lower part of the instrument
panel and the driver and the lower part of the
instrument panel and the front passenger
Qpage 154, fig. 131 .
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower
extremit ies .
All of th is takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that
the a irbags have deployed . The airbags also
i nflate with a great deal of force and it is im­
portant for occupant safety that nothing
shou ld be in their way when they deploy. ..,.

164 Airbag sys te m
caused by airbags when they inflate, particu ­
l ar ly when the occupant sitting next to it is
not seated proper ly. The s ide a irbag for the
front passenger seat can be used with proper­ ly installed child restraints. Please be sure to
read the important information and warnings
wheneve r us ing a ch ild restrai nt in a vehicle:
Safety belts~
page 135, Airbag system
~ page 144, Child safety ~ page 170.
The si de ai rbag system ba sically con sists of:
- the e lectronic control module and external
s ide impact sensors
- the two airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests and the two airbags* located
in the rear backrest
- the airbag warning light in the instrument
cluster.
The airbag system is monitored elect ronica lly
to make certain that it is functioning properly
at all times . Each time you switch on the igni­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will
come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics).
T he side airbag system supplements the safe­
ty belts and can help to reduce t he risk of in­
jury to the driver's, front and rear passenger 's
upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is
struck in a side collision . The airbag deploys
only in s ide impacts and o nly when the veh icle
acceleration registered by the control un it is
h igh enough . If this rate is below the refer­
ence va lue programmed into the control u nit,
the side airbags will not be triggered , even
though the ca r may be badly damaged as a re ­
sult of the collision . It is not possible to de­
f ine an a irbag tr igger ing range that will cover
every possible angle of impact, since the cir­
cumstances will vary considerably between
one co llision and another . Important factors
include, for examp le, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the ang le of impact ,
ve hicl e speed, etc.
~ page 165, Impor tant
safety instructions on the side airbag system.
Aside from the ir normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a side collision so that the side airbags can provide
protection.
T he airbag system is
not a substi tute for you r
sa fety belt . Rather, it is part o f the overa ll oc­
c u pant restra int system in you r vehicle . A l­
ways remember that the side airbag system can only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wearing it proper ly. This
is another reason why you should always wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re ­
quires you to do so~
page 135, General
notes.
I t is important to remember that w hile the
supplementa l side airbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of ser ious inju ries,
other injur ies, for example, swelling, bru is ing ,
fr iction burns and m ino r abrasions can a lso be
associated w ith dep loyed side airbags. Re­
member too, side a irbags w ill dep loy on ly
once and on ly in ce rtain kinds of accidents -
your safety belts a re always the re to offer pro­
tection .
Vehicle damage , repair costs or even the lack
of ve hicle damage are not necessarily an indi ­
cation of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
t ion. In some coll is ions, both front and side
airbags may inflate. Remember too, that air­
bags will deploy only once and only in certain
k inds of collisions -your safety belts are a l­
ways the re to offer p rotection in those acc i­
dents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have a lready deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignit ion is switched off
- in side co llisions when the acceleration
measured by t he senso r is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rear-end co llisions
- in rollove rs .
In some types of accidents the front airbags,
s ide cu rtain airbags and s ide a irbags may be
t rigge red togethe r.
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The inflatable side curtain airbags are located
on both sides of the interior above th e front
and rear side windows . T hey are identified by
the word "AIRBAG" on the windsh ield frame
and the center roof pillar.
The side curtain airbags contain features that prov ide ejection m itigation to he lp prevent ve­
h icle oc cupant s or parts of their bodies from
being comple tely or partially ejected from the
vehicle interior in certain side impacts and ve ­
h icle rollovers .
The s ide curtain airbag system supp lements
the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury for occupa nts ' heads and upper
torso on the side of the veh icle that is struck
i n a side collision . T he side curta in a irbag in­
flates in s ide impacts and on ly w hen the veh i­
cle acce le rat ion reg iste red by the cont ro l u nit
is high enough . If this rate is below the refer ­
ence value programmed into t he control unit,
the side c urtain airbag will not be t riggered,
even though the car may be badly damaged as
a result of the collision. It is not possible to
define an airbag triggering range tha t will
cover every possible angle of impact, since the
circumstances will vary considerably between
one co llision and another. Important factors
i nclude, for examp le, the natu re (hard o r soft)
of the impacting object, the ang le o f impact ,
ve hicl e speed, et c.
q page 168, How sid e cur ­
tain airbags work .
Besides their normal safety f unction, safety
be lts work to help keep the dr iver or front
passenger in position in the event of a frontal
collision so that the side curtain airbags can provide protection.
The airbag system is not a s ubst itute for yo ur
safety be lt . Rathe r, it is pa rt of the overall oc ­
cupant restraint system in your vehicle . Al­
ways rememb er that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wear ing it properly. Th is
is another reason why you shou ld always wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re ­
q uir es you to do so
q page 135, General
~ notes .
M l/'I ,....,
Airbag system 167
It is important to remembe r that wh ile the
side curtain airbag system is designed to help
reduce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other
injur ies, for example, swelling, bru is ing, fric­
tion burns and minor abras ions can also be as­
sociated w ith these airbags upon deployment .
Remember too , these airbags will deploy only
once a nd only in ce rtain kinds of accide nts -
you r safety be lts a re a lways the re to offer p ro­
tection .
The side curtain airbag system basically
consists of:
-The e lectronic control module and external
side impact sensors
- The side curta in a irbags above the front and
rear s ide windows w it h ejection mitigation
featu res
- The a irbag indicator light in the instr ument
p ane l
The airbag system is mon itored e lectronically
to make ce rtain it is func tioning prope rly at all
times. Each time you sw itch on the ig nition,
the air bag system indicator light will come on
f o r a few se conds (sel f diagnos tic s) .
The side curtain airbag is not activat ed:
- if the ignition is sw itched off,
- in side collisions whe n the acceleration
measured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide pro tection when occupa nts
are in the proper seating position
q page 57, Front seats .
-If the ai rbag ind icator light q page 21
comes when the veh icle is being used,
have the system inspected imme diately
by your au thori zed A udi dealer.
It is pos­
sible tha t the airbag will inflate when i t
is not supposed to , or will not inflate
when it should .
•
•
•

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-Always install rear-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat in exceptional circumstances and
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately
install the rear-facing child safety seat in
a rear seating position and have the air­
bag system inspected immediately by
your Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
- Forward-facing child safety seats instal­
led on the front passenger's seat may in­
terfere with the deployment of the air­
bag 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 the follow­ ing special precautions to be taken:
- Always make sure that the forward-fac­
ing seat has been designed and certi­
fied by its manufacturer for use on a
front passenger seat with a front and
side airbag.
- Always carefully follow the manufac­
turer's instructions provided with the
child seat or infant carrier.
- Never install a child restraint without a
properly attached top tether strap if
the child restraint manufacturer's in­
structions require the top tether strap
to be used.
- Never put the forward-facing child re­
straint up against or very near the in­
strument panel.
- Always set the safety belt upper an­
chorage to the adjustment position
that permits proper installation in ac ­
cordance with the child restraint manu­
facturer's instructions.
- Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in the seat's fore
and aft adjustment range, as far away
from the airbag as possible before in-
Child Safety 1 71
stalling the child restraint. The back­
rest must be adjusted to an upright po­
sition.
- Always make sure that nothing pre­
vents the front passenger's seat from
being moved to the rearmost position
in its fore and aft adjustment range.
- Never place objects on the seat (such
as a laptop, CO player, electronic games device, power inverter or seat
heater for child seats) . These may in­
fluence the electrical capacitance
measured by the capacitive passenger
detection system and can also fly
around in an accident and cause serious personal injury.
- Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CO player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat
heater for child seats) on the front pas­
senger seat if the device is connected
to the 12-volt socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
- If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passen­ ger seat, never install any child re­
straint system on this seat.
- Make sure that there are no wet objects (such as a wet towel) and no water or
other liquids on the front passenger
seat cushion .
- Always 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 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install the rearward-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi dealer.
- Always buckle the child seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose child seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restraint in ave-
hicle
¢ page 135, Safety belts, ..,
•
•
•

172 Child Saf ety
c::> page 144, Airbag system and
c::> page 170 , Important things to
know.
Always rep lace child restraints that were
installed in a vehicle during a crash . Dam ­
age to a child restraint that is not visible
could cause it to fail in another collision
situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your veh icle is eq uipped with a front "Ad­
vanced Airbag System" in compliance with
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard ( FMVSS) 208 as applicab le at the
time your vehicle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to meet the " low -risk" re­
quirements for 3 and 6 year-o ld children on
the passenger side and small adults on the
driver side. The low risk deployment criter ia
are intended to reduce the risk of injury
through interaction with the a irbag that can
occur, for example, by be ing too close to the
steering wheel and instrument panel when
the airbag inflates. In addi tion, the system
h as been certified to comply w ith the "sup­
pression" requirements of the Sa fety Stand­
ard, to turn
off the front airbag for infants up
to 12 months who a re restrained on the front
passenger seat in chi ld restraints that are list­
ed in the Standard.
Even though yo ur vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all chi ldren, espe­
cially those 12 years and younger, shou ld al­
ways ride in the back seat properly restrained
for the ir age and s ize . The a irbag on the pas­
senger side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a child to ride. The front
seat is not the safest place fo r a ch ild in a fo r­
ward-facing child safety seat. It can be a ve ry
dangerous place for an infan t or a large r ch ild
in a rearward- facing seat. The vehicle's Advanced Airbag System has a
capacitive passenger detection system i n the
front passenger seat cush ion that can detect
the presence of a baby or a ch ild in a child re­
stra int system on this seat.
The capacitive passenger detection system registers the changes that result in an electri ­
ca l fie ld when a chi ld, a child restra int, and a
baby blanket are on the front passenger seat.
The change in the measured capac itance due
to the p resence of a child, a ch ild restraint,
and a baby blanket on the front passenge r
seat is related to the chi ld restraint system
rest ing o n the seat. The meas ured capa cit an ce
of a child restrain t system varies depend ing
on the type of system and specific make and
model.
T he electrical c apa citan ce of the various
types, makes, and models of child restraints
specified by the U .S . Nationa l Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NH TSA) in the re levant
safety standard are stored in the Advanced
Airbag System contro l unit together with the
capacitances typical of infants and a 1-year
o ld child . When a child restraint is used on the
front passenger seat with a typical 1 year-old
infa nt, the Advanced Airbag System compa res
the capacitance measu red by the capacitive
passenge r de tection system wi th the data
stored in the electron ic cont ro l unit . Child restraints and Advanced front
airbag system
Regardless of the c hild restra int that you use,
make sure that it has been cert ified to meet
U nited States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been ce rtified by its manu­
factu rer for use with an airbag. A lways be sure
t h at the c hild restr aint is properly installed at
one of the rear seating posi tions. If in excep­
t iona l circumstances yo u must use it on the
front passenger seat, carefully read a ll of the
information on child sa fety and Advanced Air­
bags and heed all of the applicable WARN­
INGS . Make certain that the c hild and chi ld re­
stra int are correctly recognized by the capac i­
t ive passenger detection system in the front .,.

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passenger seat, that the front passenger air­
bag is turned off, and that the airbag status is
always correctly signaled by the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
li ght.
Many types and models of child restraints
have been avai lable over the years, new mod­
e ls are introduced regular ly incorporating new
and improved designs and older models are
taken out of production. Child restraints are
not standardized. Ch ild restra ints of the same
type typically have different we ights and s izes
and d ifferent "footprints", the size and shape
of the bottom of the child restraint that sits
on the seat, when they are installed on a veh i­
cle seat . These differences make it virtually
imposs ible to certify compliance with the re ­
quirements for advanced airbags with each
and every child restraint that has ever been
sold in the past or will be sold over the course
of the useful life of your vehicle.
F or this reason, the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration has
published a list of specific type, makes and
models of child restraints that must be used
to certify compliance of the Advanced Airbag
System in you r vehicle with the supp ress io n
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standa rd 208. These child rest raints are:
These c hild restr aints are:
Subpart A -Car bed child rest raints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel G uard Ange l September 25, 200 7
Ride AA2403 FOF
Subpart B -Rear -facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century SmartFit December 1, 1999
4543
Cosco Arriva September 25, 2007
2 2-0 13PAW a nd base
22-999WHO
Evenflo Discovery Ad- December 1, 1999
just Right 212
Child Sa fet y 173
Model Manufactured on or
after
Evenflo First Choice December 1, 1999
204
Gr aco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999
Graco Snug ride September 25, 2007 P eg Perego Pr imo Vi-
September 2 5, 2007
aggio SIP IMUNOOUS
Subpart C -Forward-facing and
convertible child re straint s
Model Manufactured on or
after
Br itax Roundabout September 25, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco Touriva 025 19
December 1, 1999
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007 H igh Back Booster
22- 262
Cosco High Back September 25, 2007
Booster 22-209
E venflo T ribute V September 2 5, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion December 1, 1999
254
Evenf lo Generations
September 25, 2007
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 2 5, 200 7
Graco Toddler Safety September 25, 2007
Seat Step 2
Gr aco P lat inum Cargo September 25, 2007
_& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make
sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever a
chi ld restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat and the ignit ion is switched
on.
- Take the chi ld restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it prope rly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN -
GER AIR BAG OFF
li ght does not stay on. ~
•
•
•

Child Safety 175
-The child and the passenger can also heater for child seats) on the front pas-
injure each other in an accident . senger seat if the device is connected
- Never install rear-facing child safety to the 12-volt socket or the cigarette
seats or infant carriers on the front pas- lighter
socket.
senger seat. A child will be seriously in- -If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
jured and can be killed when the passen- otherwise added to the front passen-
ger airbag inflates - even with an Ad -ger seat, never install any child re-
•
vanced Airbag System. straint system on this seat.
•
-The inflating airbag will hit the child -Make sure that there are no wet objects
safety seat or infant carrier with great (such as a wet towel) and no water or
force and will smash the child safety seat other liquids on the front passenger
and child against the backrest, center seat cushion.
armrest, door or roof. -Never place objects on the seat (such
- Always install rear-facing child safety as a laptop, CD player, electronic
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat. games device, power inverter or seat
- Forward-facing child safety seats instal- heater for child seats). These may
in-
led on the front passenger's seat can in- fluence the electrical capacitance
terfere with the airbag when it inflates measured by the capacitive passenger
and cause serious injury to the child. Al- detection system and can also fly
ways install forward-facing child safety around in an accident and cause serious
seats on the rear seat. personal injury.
- If exceptional circumstances require the -
Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
use of a forward-facing child restraint on in place even if a child is not sitting
in it.
the front passenger's seat, the child's A loose child safety seat can fly around
safety and well-being require that the during a sudden stop or in a collision
.
following special precautions be taken: -Always read and heed all WARNINGS
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has whenever using a child restrained in ave-
been designed and certified by its man- hide is being used
c> page 135, Safety
ufacturer for
use on a front seat with a belts, ¢ page 144, Airbag system and
passenger front and side airbag.
¢ page 170, Child Safety .
-Always carefully follow the manufac-
A WARNING turer's instructions provided with the
child safety seat or carrier. To reduce the risk of serious injury, make
- Always move the front passenger seat
sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
into the rearmost position of the pas-
light comes on and stays on whenever a
senger seat's fore and aft adjustment child restraint is installed on the front pas-
range, and as far away from the airbag senger seat and the ignition is switched
as possible before installing the child on.
restraint. - Take the child restraint off the front pas-
- Always make sure that nothing pre-
senger seat and install it properly at one
vents the front passenger's seat from of the rear seat positions if the
PASS EN-
being moved to the rearmost position GER AIR BAG OFF light does not stay on.
in its fore and aft adjustment range .
-Have the airbag system inspected by
- Always make sure that the backrest is
your authorized Audi dealer immediate-
M • N in the upright position. ly. 0 > - Never place or use any electrical device co ,....,
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic \!) 1.1"1
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It is a very dangerous place for an infant or a
la rger child in a rearward-facing seat.
A WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong child safety seat or improperly in­ stalling a child restraint increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death in a
crash.
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat -even with an Advanced Air­
bag System. A child will be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the inflat­
ing airbag hits the child safety seat or in­
fant carrier with great force and smashes
the child safety seat and child against
the backrest, center armrest, door or
roof
c::> page 146, Child restraints on the
front seat -some important things to
know.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the forward-facing direction. Such re­
straints are designed for the special
needs of infants and very small children
and cannot protect them properly if the
seat is forward-facing .
-If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
- Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat
heater for child seats) on the front pas­
senger seat if the device is connected to
the 12-volt socket or the cigarette light­
er socket .
- If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger
Child Safety 177
seat, never install any child restraint sys­
tem on this seat.
- Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or
other liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.
- Never place objects on the seat (such as
a laptop, CD player, electronic games de­
vice, power inverter or seat heater for
child seats). These may influence the
electrical capacitance measured by the
capacitive passenger detection system
and can also fly around in an accident
and cause serious personal injury.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c::> page 135, Safety
belts,
c::> page 144, Airbag system and
c::> page 170, Important things to know.
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats
can help protect toddlers and children over
age one who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs. (9
and 18 kg) in a crash.
Fig. 141 Schematic overview: installat ion of the at­
tachments applicable to a LATCH seat
Fig. 142 Schematic overview: installation of the seat
using the vehicle 's safety be lt system
I),,