2015 AUDI S3 SEDAN sensor

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smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear-facing child seats on the
rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of
exceptional circumstances and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear­
facing child seat in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash by interfer­
ing with the way the airbag unfolds or by be­
ing pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
- Never hold things in your hands or on your
lap when the vehicle is in use.
- Never transport items on or in the area of
the front passenger seat. Objects could
move into the area of the front airbags dur­
ing braking or other sudden maneuvers and
become dangerous projectiles that can
cause serious personal injury if the airbags
inflate.
- Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup holders, telephone
brackets, large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourself. These objects could cause injury in a crash, especially
when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger's seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the area of the side airbag or the front air­
bag during braking or in a sudden maneu­
ver. Objects near the airbags can become
projectiles and cause injury, particularly
when the seat is reclined.
- Never place or transport objects on the front passenger seat. Objects on the front passenger seat could cause the capacitive
sensor in the seat to signal to airbag system
Airbag system
that the seat is occupied by a person when it
in fact is not, or that the person on the seat
is heavier than he or she actually is. The
change in electric capacitance because of
such objects can cause the passenger front
airbag to be turned on when it should be off,
or can cause the airbag to work in a way that
is different from the way it would have
worked without objects on the seat.
-Always make sure that there is nothing on
the front passenger seat that will cause the
capacitive passenger detection system in
the seat to signal to the Airbag System that
the seat is occupied by a person when it is
not, or to signal that it is occupied by some­
one who is heavier than the person actually
sitting on the seat. The presence of an ob­
ject could cause the passenger front airbag to be turned on when it should be off, or
could cause the airbag to work in a way that is different from the way it would have
worked without the object on the seat.
_LD. WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can
cause breathing problems for people with a
history of asthma or other breathing condi­
tions.
- To reduce the risk of breathing problems,
those with asthma or other respiratory con­
ditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening win­
dows or doors.
- If you are in a collision in which airbags 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.
159

Airb ag syst em
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
:A Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag moni­
toring indicator light and the
PASSEN GER AIR
BAG OF F
light.
The Advanced Airbag System as we ll as the side
airbags and side curtain airbags with ejection
mitigation features (including the electronic con­
trol unit, sensors and system wiring) are all
monitored continuously to make sure that they
are functioning properly whenever the ignition is
on . Every time you turn on the ignition, the air­
bag system indicator light
fl will come on for a
few seconds (function check) .
The sy stem mu st be inspe cted when t he
indicato r lig ht
II:
- does not come on when the ignition is switched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you have
switched on the ignition, or
- comes on while driving.
If an airbag system ma lf u nction is detected, the
indicator light will first start flashing to catch the
driver's attention and then stay on continuously
to serve as a constant reminder to have the sys­
tem inspected immediately .
If a malfunction occurs that turns the front air­
bag on the passenger side off, the
PA SSE NGE R
A IR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.
.,&. WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ion ing prop­
erly cannot p rovide supplemental protect ion
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicato r light
c::> page 20
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by yo ur
authorized Aud i dealer .
It is possible t hat
the a irbag will inflate when it is not s up­
posed to, or wi ll not inf late when it should.
160
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
Fig. 131 Center console: passe nge r air bag off warning
light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in
the center of the instrument panel
r:!;> fig. 131.
The PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to te ll you when the front Advan ced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off by the electronic control unit. If the bulb fo r the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light b urns o ut, the
airbag indicator light
rl will come on to s ignal a
malfunction in the Advanced A irbag System. Al­
though the burned-out bulb will not change the
way the front passenger's frontal airbag works, it
will no longer be possible to use the
PASSENGER
A IR BAG OFF
light to make sure that the a irbag
on/off status is correct fo r the occupant on the
front passenger seat . Have the a irbag system in­
spected immed iately by your au thorized A ud i
dealer.
Th e P ASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will blink
for about 5 se cond s when :
- the ignition is sw itched on and
- the capacitive passenger detection system,
which switches the front seat passenger's fron ­
tal Advanced Airbag on and off, detects a
change in the status of the front passenger
seat.
As soon as the
PASS ENG ER AIR BAG O FF light
stops blinking, always make sure that the a irbag
status (on or off) as shown by the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light is proper for the age, size and
electrical capacitance of the person occupying
the front passenger seat . Always make sure that
the safety be lt for the front passenger seat is
proper ly fastened . .,..

Airb ag syst em
entered in your Audi Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet under
AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter .
- Work on the pyrotechnic circ uit inter rupt­
er must only be performed by a qualified
technicians w ho have the experience, in­
formation and special tools necessary to perform the work safely.
- If the veh icle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, a ll applicable safety precautions
must be followed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension ­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materia l
- specia l hand ling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate. W hen the veh icle or parts of the re­
straint system including a irbag modules and
safety belts with prete nsioners are scrapped ,
all applicable laws and regulat ions must be
observed. Your authorized A udi dealer is fa­
m iliar with the se requirements a nd we recom­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for yo u.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system ca n
change the way that the Advanced A irbag System
performs in a crash. For example, using t ire- rim
combinat ions not approved by Audi, lower ing the
ve hicl e, chang ing the stiffness of the suspension,
includ ing the spr ings, suspension s truts, shoc k
absorbers etc. can change the forces that are
measured by the a irbag sensors and sent to the
e lectronic control unit. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas ­
ured by the sensors and make the a irbag system
deploy in c rashes in which it wou ld not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other ki nds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
164
the sensors and p revent the airbag from dep loy ­
ing when it shou ld .
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac­
ter istics as the components origina lly instal­
led on you r vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbag s
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants .
Fig. 132 Driver 's knee a irbag
The driver knee airbag is i n the instrument panel
u nderneath the steer ing wheel ~
fig. 132 , the
airbag fo r the passenger is at abou t the same
height in the i nstr ument panel underneath the
glove comp artment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection to
the d river's and passenge r's kn ees and uppe r and
lower thigh areas and supplements the protec­
tion provided by the safety belts.
If the front a irbags deploy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fronta l co llisions when the dep loyment
th reshold stored in the con trol un it is met
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The side airbags installed for the front seating
positions have been designed and certified to
he lp reduce the risk of in jury that can be caused
by airbags when they inflate, part icu larly when
the occupant sitt ing next to it is not seated prop­
erly . The side airbag for the front passenger seat
can be used with properly i nstalled child re­
straints . Pl ease be sure to read the important in­
fo rmation and wa rnings whenever using a child
r estra int in a vehicle: Safety belts
q page 140,
Airbag system qpage 148, Child safety
qpage 172.
The s ide airba g syste m ba sicall y co nsis ts of :
-the e lectronic control module and external side
i mpact sensors
- the two airbags located in the sides of the front
backrests and the two a irbags* located in the
rear backrest
- the a irbag warning light in the inst rument clus-
te r.
The airbag system is monitored electron ica lly to
make certa in that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you switch on the ignition, the
ai rbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self d iagnost ics) .
The s ide airbag system supplements the safety
belts and can help to reduce the r isk of injury to
the dr iver's, front and rear passenger's upper to r­
so on the side of the veh icle that is struc k in a
side col lision. The airbag deploys only in s ide im­
pacts and o nly when the vehi cle acceleration reg­
is tered by the control unit is high enough . If this
rate is below t he reference value programmed in­
to the contro l unit, the side airbags will not be
tr iggered, even though the car may be badly
damaged as a result of the co llision. It is not pos­
sible to define an airbag tr igger ing range that
will cover every poss ible angle of impact, since
the circumstances wi ll vary considerably between
one co llision and another . Important factors in­
clude, for example, the nature (ha rd or soft) of
the impa cting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
q page 168, Important safety in ­
structions on the side airbag system.
Aside from the ir normal safety func tion, safety
be lts work to help keep the dr iver or front pas -
Airbag syste m
senger in posi tion in the event o f a side co llision
so that the side airbags ca n 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 occu ­
pant restrain t system in yo ur vehicle. A lways re ­
member that the side airbag system ca n only
help to protect yo u if you are wearing your safety
belt and wearing it properly. This is another rea­
son why you should a lways wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
so
q page 140, General notes .
It is important to remember that wh ile the sup ­
plemental side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the like lihood of serious injur ies, othe r inju­
ries, fo r example, swell ing, bruising, frict ion
burns and m inor abrasions can a lso be associated
with deployed side airbags. Remember too, s ide
airbags will deploy only once and only in cer tain
ki nds of accidents - yo ur safe ty belts are always
t h ere to offer protection.
Vehicle damage , repair costs o r even the lack of
vehicle dam age are no t necessari ly an indica tion
of over-sensitive o r failed airbag activation. In
some collisions, bo th front and side airbags may
inflate. Remember too, that ai rbags wi ll dep loy
on ly once and on ly in certa in kinds of co llisions -
your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
t ion in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignit ion is switched off
- in side co llisions when the acceleration meas -
ured by the senso r is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in re ar-en d co llisions
- in rollove rs.
In some types of accidents t he front airbags, side
cu rtain airbags and s ide a irbags may be tr iggered
togethe r.
&_ WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
p rovide p rotec tion when o ccupants are i n
the proper seating position
q page 1 68 .
167

Airb ag syst em
registered by the cont ro l unit is high enough. If
this rate is below the reference va lue program­
med into the control unit, the s ide curtain airbag
will not be triggered, even though the car may be
badly damaged as a result of the collision .
It is
not possib le to define an airbag triggering range
that will cover every possible angle of impact ,
since the circumstances will vary considerab ly be­
tween one col lis ion and another. Important fac­
tors include , for example , the nature (hard or
soft) of the impacting object, the angle of im­
pact , vehicle speed, etc.
9 page 170, How side
curtain airbags work.
Aside from the ir 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 occ u­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the airbag system can only he lp to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly . Th is is another reason
why you should a lways wear your safety belts,
not just because t he law requires you to do so
9 page 140, General notes.
It is important to remember that while the side
curta in a irbag system is designed to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injur ies, other injur ies,
for example, swe lling, bruising, fr iction burns
and minor abras ions can also be associated w it h
these airbags upon deployment . Remember too,
these airbags will deploy only once and only in
certain kinds of accidents -your safety belts are
always there to offer protection .
The side curt ain airbag sy stem basically
consist s of:
- The electronic control modu le and externa l side
impact sensors
- The side c urtain airbags above the fro nt and
rear side w indows with ejection mit igation fea­
tures
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
170
The airbag system is monitored electronically to
make certain it is functioning properly at all
times . Each time you sw itch on the ign ition, the
airbag system ind icator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag i s not acti vat ed :
- if the ign ition is switched off,
- in side collisions whe n the accelera tion meas-
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end col lis ions .
.&_ WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system wi ll only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
9 page 54,
Front seats.
- If the airbag indicator light~ page 20
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 infla te 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 ore properly re ­
strained .
Fig. 137 Illust rat ion of prin cip le: I nflated s ide curtain a ir­
bag s on t he le ft s ide
The side curtai n airbags infla te be tween the oc ­
cupant and the w indows on the side of the veh i­
cle that is st ruck in a side collision~
fig. 137.
When the system is triggered, the side curta in
airbag is filled with prope llant gas and breaks

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If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with t ire p ressure monitoring syste m
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
F ig. 172 Instrument cluster: in dicator light w ith message
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread circumference
and v ibration characterist ics of the ind ividual
tires.
If the pressure changes in one or mo re
tires, th is is indicated in the instrument cluster
d isp lay w ith an ind icator light
RE and a message
¢
fig. 172. If only o ne tire is affected, the loca ­
tion of that ti re will be indicated . The message
turns off after a few minutes . You can display the
message again
r::;,page 29.
The tire p ressu res m ust be stored in the menu
disp lay aga in each time the pressures change
(switching between partia l and full load pres­
sure) or after changing or replac ing a tire on your
ve hicle¢
page 234. The tire pressure monitor­
ing system only monitors the tire pressure you
have stored. You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on the
driver's door pillar¢
page 224.
Tire tread circumference and vibration character­
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn­
in g if:
- If the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- The tire was replaced or the tire pressure
changed and it was not stored again
¢ page 234.
-the spare tire is insta lled .
Tires and wheels
Indicator lights
RE -Loss of pressure in a t least one tire ¢ ,&.
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of all four t ires. Then
store the tire p ressu res in the MMI ¢
page 234.
film (T ire Pressure Mon itor ing Sys tem) Tire pres­
s ure: Sy stem malfunction!. If@m
appears after
switching the ignition on or while driving and the
RE ind icator light in the instr ument cluster
blinks for approximate ly one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction. Try to
store the correct tire pressures ¢
page 234. If
the indicator light does turn off or turns on aga in
after a short period of time, dr ive to an author­
i zed Audi dea ler or author ized Audi Serv ice Facili­
ty immed iate ly to have the malfunction corre ct­
ed.
,&. WARNING
- If the tire pressure warning light RE in the
i n str ument cluster turns on, the pressure in
one or more tires is too low . Reduce the ve­
h icle speed immediate ly and avoid any hard
steer ing or braking maneuvers. Stop as soon
as poss ible, check the tire and inf late the
tire to the correct pressure, which is speci­
fied on the t ire p ress ure label on the vehicle
r::;, page 224. Driv ing with a tire with Low
p ressu re causes the tire to overhea t and c an
resul t in fa il ur e of the tire . Low pressure can
a lso have a negative effect on the driving
and b rak ing behavior of t he vehicle .
- T he drive r is respons ib le for main taining the
correct ti re press ures . You must check the
tire pressures regu larly .
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
driving style, winter conditions or unpaved
roads), the pressure monitor indicator may
be de layed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on yo ur vehicle . Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
veh icle damage or acc idents.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system can al­
so stop working when t here is an ESC mal-
function. ..,.
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Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi ­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a req uirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from an a uthorized Audi dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Faci lity . Read and fo llow the instruc­
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
- Us ing clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
- Always store cleaning and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i­
soning.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not d ispose of leftover cleaning and care
p roducts with household trash.
Car washes
The longer that depos its s uch as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road sa lt rema in on the ve­
h icle, the more the surface can be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
in crease the damaging effect.
Before washing, rinse off heavy depos its with
p le nty of water.
Stubborn deposits s uch as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed w ith p lenty of water and a
m ic rofiber cloth.
Also, wash the underside of your vehi cle once
road salt stops being used for the season.
Pressure washers
W hen washi ng your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always fo llow the oper ating instr uctions
p rov ided wi th the p ress ure washer. This is espe­
cially importan t in rega rd to the p ress ure and
spraying distance . Do not aim the spray direct ly
Care and cleaning
at seals on side w indows, doors, t he hood, the
lu ggage compartment lid or the sunroof* or at
tires, rubber hoses, insulating material, sensors *
or camera lenses*. Keep a distance of at least 16
inches (40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washe r.
Neve r use rotary nozzles or high pressure no z­
zles .
T he wate r temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °( ).
Automatic car washes
Sp ray off the veh icle before washing.
Make sure that the w indows and roo f* are closed
and the windsh ield wipers are off. Follow instruc­
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
the re are accessor ies attached to you r vehicle .
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes .
Washing by hand
Clean the ve hicl e starting from the top and work ­
ing down using a soft sponge or cleani ng b rush.
U se solvent -free cleaning p rod ucts .
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid damaging the paint when was hing, first
remove dust and large particles from yo ur vehi ­
cle. Insects, g rease spots and fingerprints are
best removed with a spec ia l cleaner for matte
finish pai nt.
Apply the p rod uct us ing a microfiber cloth . To
avo id damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the vehi cle thoro ughly with water . Then
clean usi ng a neutra l shampoo and a soft micro­
fiber cloth.
Rinse the ve hicl e thoroughly again and le t it air
dry. Remove any wate r residue using a s ham my . .,.
235

Care and cleaning
& WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off an d follow the i nstructions fr om the car
wash operator to r educe the r isk of acci­
dents.
- To reduce the r isk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­ ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
hous ings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking effect
may be delayed due to moisture o n the
brake rotors or i ce in the winte r. T he bra kes
mus t be d ried first w ith a few caref ul bra ke
applications .
@ Note
-If you wash the ve hicle in an au tomatic car
wash, you m ust fold the e xterior m irrors in
to reduce the ris k of damage to the mirrors .
Power folding exterior mirrors* must only
be fo lded i n and out using the power folding
funct ion. -
To prevent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
- T o reduce the r is k of damage to the sur face,
do not use insect remov ing sponges, kitchen
sponges or similar items.
- Mat te finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use po lishi ng agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax.
It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith matte
finish paint. The pa int co uld be damaged
when the sticke rs o r mag nets are re­
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the ve hicle in facilities spec ially de­
s igned fo r that purpose. This w ill reduce the
r isk of dir ty wa ter co ntaminated w ith oil from
entering the sewe r system.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individua l vehicle
components, refer to the following tables. The
information contained there is simply recommen­
dations. For quest ions or for components that are not listed,
consult an authorized A udi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility . Also follow
the information found in
¢ _6.
Exterio r cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper
Deposits ¢ page 50, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap
solutiona)
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning so lution
camera len se s Camera le ·nses : soft clot h w ith a lcohol-free clea ning so lu-
tion
Snow/ ice Hand brush/solvent-free de- icing spray
Wheel s Road sa lt Water
Brake dust Acid-free specia l cleaning solution
E xhau st tail pipe s Road salt Water, clean
ing solution su itab le for stain less stee l, if nee -
essary
D ecorative parts / Deposits Mild soap solution al, a clean ing solution suitable for stain-
trim l ess stee l, if necessary
236