2016 AUDI A4 light

..... N
0 ::..:: co ..... ..... The PASSENGER AIR BAG O FF light is located in
the center of the instrument panel
¢ fig. 155 .
The PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off
by the electronic control unit . Each time you turn
on the ignition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will flash for a few seconds and:
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
- will stay on if the re is a sma ll child or child re­
straint on the front passenger seat,
- wi ll go out if the front passenge r seat is occu ­
pied by an adult as registered by the weight­
sensing mat.
The
PA SSENGER AIR BAG O FF light mu st c ome
on and sta y on
if the igni tion is on and
- a car bed has been insta lled on the front seat,
o r
- a rearward-facing child restrai nt has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat , or
- a forward-facing child restra int has been instal ­
led on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight reg istered on the front passenger
seat is equal to or less than the comb ined
weight of a typical 1 yea r-o ld restrained in one
of the rear-facing or forward-fac ing infant re­
strain ts listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 w ith which the Advanced A irbag
System in your vehicle was certified.
I f the front passenger seat is no t occupied, the
fron t air bag w ill not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on . Never inst all a
rearward -fac ing child restraint on the front pas ­
senger seat, the safest p lace for a child in any
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po­
sitions on the rear seat
¢page 139, Child re­
strain ts on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 158, Child safety .
If the PASSENGER AIR 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 BA G OFF light
stays on cont inuously whenever the ign ition is
on . If the
PASSENGER A IR BAG OFF lig ht does
Airb ag sys tem
not appear and not stay on all the time, stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
- react ivate the system by tur ning t he ignit ion
off and then t urn ing it on again ;
- remove and re insta ll the chi ld restrain t. M ake
sure that the chi ld restraint is properly ins ta l­
led and that the safety belt for the front pas­
senger seat has bee n correct ly routed around
the child restraint as desc ribed in the c hild re­
straint manufacturer's instruct ions;
- make sure that the convertible locking retrac­
tor on the safety belt for the front passenge r
seat has been activated and that the safety belt
has been pulled tight. The belt must not be
loose or have loops of slack so that the sensor
below the safety belt latch on the seat can do
its job
¢ page 167.
-make sure that th ings that may increase the
weight of the child and ch ild safety seat are not
be ing transported on the front passenger seat;
- make sure that the safety belt tens ion sensor is
not b locked . Shake the safety belt la tch on the
front passenger seat bac k and forth;
- If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child
safety seat to the front passenger seat, make
sure that it is not so tight t hat i t causes the
weight-sensing mat to me asu re more weight
than is actua lly on the sea t.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still do es
not come on
and does not stay on co nti nuously
(whe n the ignition is switched on),
- take the child restraint off the front passenge r
seat and install it p roper ly at one of the rear
seat pos itions . Have the airbag system inspect­
ed by yo ur au thori zed Audi deale r immedi ately .
- move the child to a rear seat pos ition and ma ke
sure that t he chi ld is proper ly rest rained in a
child restra int that is appropr iate for its s ize
and age .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht should NOT
come on when the ignit io n is on and an adu lt is
s itting in a prope r seat ing pos ition on the front
passenge r seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds whi le dr iv ing, under these c ircumstan-
ces, make sure that :
Ill-
149

Airbag syste m
-the adu lt on the front passenger seat is proper ­
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up against the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined
c> page 122, Correct
passenger 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 or supporting
their we ight on the armrest,
- the safety belt is being properly worn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web­
bing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other
th ings that may cause an incorrect read ing or
impression on the weight-sensing mat under
the upho lstery of the seat have been removed
from the front passenge r seat,
- a safety be lt extender has not been left in the
safety belt latc h for the front passenge r seat.
In addition to the
PASSE NGER AIR BAG OFF
light in the center of the instrument panel, the
message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG ON
w ill briefly appear in the inst ru­
ment cluster display . T his 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 funct ion ing prop­
er ly cannot p rovide supplemental p rotection
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicato r light
r=>page 19
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, h ave
the system inspected immediate ly by yo ur
authorized Aud i dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not s up­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child 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 .
150
-Even though your vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced A irbag System, make certain
that all children, espec ia lly 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat prop­
erly restrained for their age and s ize.
- Always install forward or rear-facing child
safety seats on the rear seat -even with an
Advanced A irbag System.
- If you must install a rearward-facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight does not
appear and s tay on, immedi ately ins tall the
rear-facing child safety seat in a re ar seat ing
position and have the a irbag system in ­
spected by your a uthorized Audi dea ler.
- A t ight tether or other s trap on a rearward­
facing chi ld restraint attached to the front
passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and
register more weight than is actually on the
seat. The heavier weight registered can
make the system work as thoug h an adu lt
were on the seat and deploy the Advanced
Airbag when it must be suppressed causing
serious or even f atal injury to the child.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-fa cing child res traint on
the front p assenge r seat, always move the
seat into i ts rearmost posi tion in the sea t's
fore and aft ad justment range, as far away
from the ai rbag as possible . The back rest
must be adjusted to an upr ight position.
Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
wheneve r the ignit 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 passenger seat afte r taking the steps
described above, make s ure the adult is
p roper ly sea ted and restra ined at one o f the
rear sea ting posit ions .
- Have the ai rbag system inspec ted by your
author ized Audi dealer befo re t ransporting
anyone on the front passenger seat.

Airbag system
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi­
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate . When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules safe­
ty belts with pretens ioners are scrapped, all
applicable laws and regulat ions must be ob­
served. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar
with these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this service
for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
cha nge the way that the Advanced Airbag System
pe rforms in a crash. For example, using tire-r im
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lower ing the
veh icle, changing the stiffness of the suspens ion,
including the spr ings, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control unit . Some suspens ion changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in wh ich it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other ki nds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and preven t the airbag from deploy­
ing when it should .
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced A irbag 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
teristics as the components originally insta l­
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim comb inations that have
not been approved by Audi.
152
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle
and the center console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong information
to the electronic control module and prevent
the Advanced A irbag System from working
properly.
- Always make sure that nothing can inte rfe re
w ith the safety belt buckles and that they
are not obstructed.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 156 S ide ai rbag locatio n in the dr ive r's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests
¢ fig . 156 and the rear back­
rest facing the doors. They are identified by the
word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag system basically consists of:
-the electronic control module and external side
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 clus-
ter.
The airbag system is monitored electronica lly to
make certain that it is functioning proper ly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignition, the air­
bag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics). .,,.

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The side airbag system supplements the safety be lts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to
the dr iver's and front passenger's upper torso on
the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side col­
lision . The airbag deploys on ly in side impacts
and only when the vehicle acceleration reg istered
by the control unit is h igh enough. If this rate is
be low the reference va lue programmed into the
control unit, the s ide airbags will not be tr ig­
gered, even though the car may be badly dam ­
aged as a result of the collision.
It i s not possib le
to define an airbag triggering range that wi ll cov­
er every possible angle of impact, since the cir ­
cumstances will vary considerably between one
coll is ion 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 .
r::;;, page 154, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to he lp keep the driver or front pas­
senger in pos it ion in the event of a side collision
so that the s ide a irbags can provide p rotection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt . Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system i n your veh icle . Always re­
member that the s ide airbag system can only
he lp to p rotect yo u if you a re wea ring your safety
be lt and wea ring it properly. This is another rea­
son why you shou ld always wear your safety
be lts, not just because the law requi res you to do
so
r::;;, page 130, General information.
It is important to remember that while the s up­
p lemental side ai rbag system is designed to re­
duce the like lihood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor
abrasions can a lso be associated with deployed
side airbags. Remember too , side airbags will de­
ploy only once and only in certain kinds of acci­
dents -your safety belts are always t here to offer
p rotection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessarily an indication
of over-sensitive o r failed airbag activation . In
some coll is io ns, both front and s ide a irbags may
in flate. Remember too, that airbags will deploy
only once and only in ce rtain k inds of coll is ions -
Airb ag sys tem
your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not
s u pposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed .
The side airbag system w ill n ot deploy:
- when t he ignit io n i s t urned off
- in side co llisions whe n the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end coll is io ns
- in rear-end col lisions
- in rollovers .
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side
curtain airbags and side airbags may be triggered
together .
A WARNING
--Safety belts and the airbag system will only
p rov ide protect ion when occupants are in
the prope r seat ing pos ition
r::;;, page 154 .
- If the ai rbag ind icator light r::;;, page 19
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immedia tely by your
a uthor ized Audi dealer.
It is possib le th at
the airbag will inflate when i t is not sup­
posed to, or w ill not inf late w hen it should.
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy ins tantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who ore properly restrained.
F ig. 157 In fla ted s ide airba gs on left side of vehicle
-,..
"' -~ a, Cl)
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat s urface area marked "AIRBAG" .
It ex-
pands between the side trim panel a nd the .,.
153

Airbag syste m
passenger. In order to he lp provide this add ition­
al protection, the side airbag must inflate within
a fraction of a second at very high speed and w ith
great force. The supplemental side airbag could injure you if your seating position is not proper or
upright or if items are located in the area where
the supplemental side airbag expands . This ap­
plies especially to children
q page 158, Child
safety.
Supplemental side ai rbags inf late be ­
tween the occ upan t and the door pane l on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certa in side
collision
q fig . 157.
Although they are not a sof t pillow, they ca n
"c ushion" the impact and in t his way they can
he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the upper part
of the body .
A fine dust may deve lop when the airbag deploys.
This is normal and does not mean there is a fire
in the vehicle.
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags ore only supplemental restraints . Always
properly wear safety belts and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that yo u and your passengers must
know and act accord ingly to help the safety be lts
and airbags do the ir job to provide supplemental
protection.
A WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or
fatal injury. Improperly wearing safety belts
and improper seating positions increase the
r isk of se rious personal injury and death
w henever a vehicle is being used.
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when
the supplemental s ide airbag inflates:
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean aga inst the area where the s upple-
mental side airbag is located.
- Never let a chi ld or anyone else rest their
head against the side trim panel in the
area where the supp lemental s ide airbag
inflates.
154 -
Always make sure that safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat
put their hand or any other parts of their
body out of the window.
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate w ithout interference.
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery ove r the front seatbacks that
have not been specifica lly approved by
A udi.
- Never use addi tional seat cush ions that
cover the areas where the side airbags de­
ploy .
- Damage to the orig inal se at cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the s ide airbag
module must a lways be repaired immedi ­
ate ly by an authorized Audi dealer.
- Objects be tween you and the airbag can in­
crease the r is k of injury in an acc ident by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by being p ushed into you as the airbag in­
flates.
- Never place or attach accessor ies or other
obje cts (s uch as cupholders, telephone
bracke ts, or even l arge, bulk y objec ts) on
the doors, over or near the area marked
"AIRBAG" on the seat backrests .
- Such objec ts and accessories can be come
dange rous projecti les and cause injury
when the supplemental side airbag de­ ploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the de­
ployment space between them and the
airbags or allow children or other passen­
gers to trave l in this position.
- Always use the b uilt-in coat hooks only fo r
lightweight clothing. Never leave any heavy
or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that
may inte rfere with s ide a irbag deployment
a nd can cause personal injury in an accident .
- Always prevent the side airbags from being
damaged by heavy objects knocking against
or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
- The a irbag system can only be triggered
once . If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an autho rized
Aud i dea le rship.
~

Airbag system
The airbag system is not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overa ll 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 wearing it properly . This is another reason
why you should always wear your safety belts, not just because the law requires you to do so
¢ page 130, General information.
It is important to remember that while the side
curtain airbag system is des igned to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swe lling, bruising, and m inor abra­
sions can also be associated with these airbags.
Remember too, these airbags will dep loy o nly
once and only in certain kinds of accidents -your
safety belts are always there to offer protection .
The side curtain airbag system basically
consists of:
- The electronic control module and external side
impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side windows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to
make ce rta in it is fun ction ing p roperly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignit ion , the air­
bag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignit ion is tu rned off,
- in s ide collisions when the accelerat ion meas-
ured by the senso r is too low,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in rollovers.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the a irbag system w ill only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position<>
page 59,
Seats and storage.
-If the airbag indicator light ¢page 19
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
156
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.
Fig. 159 Illustration of principle: Inflated sid e curtain air ­
bags on the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the windows on the side of the veh i­
cle that is struck in a side collision
¢ fig . 159 .
When the system is triggered, the s ide curtain
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
s ide curta in airbag must inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with g reat fo rce .
The side curtain airbag could injure you if yo ur
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supple­
mental side curtain airbag inflates. This applies
especially to chi ldren
¢ page 158.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain
airbags can "cushion" the impact and in this way
they can help to reduce the r isk of injury to the
head and the upper part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys.
This is quite normal and does not mean there is a
fire in the vehicle.

..... N
0 ::..:: co ..... ..... Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
properly wear safety belts and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
do their job to provide supplemental protection.
_& WARNING
-
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper
seating positions increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death whenever a vehicle
is being used.
- Never let occupants place any parts of their
bodies in the area from which the side cur­
tain airbags inflate.
- Always make sure that the side curtain air­
bags can inflate without interference. Un­
suitable accessories fitted inside the expan­
sion range of a head airbag can dangerously
interfere with its function. A deploying head
airbag develops enough force to catapult
any piece of add-on component out of its
path of inflation and into the passenger
compartment. An occupant hit by such a
projectile can suffer serious injury or death
¢ page 260, Technical Modifications.
- Do not swivel the sun visors to the side if
you have any objects clipped onto them (for
example pens). If the airbag should deploy,
you could be injured by these objects.
- Use the built-in coat hooks only for light­
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or
sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in an accident.
- Never use hangers to hang clothing from the hooks.
- Only use factory-installed sun shades or, in
the case of shades installed after the vehicle
leaves the factory, only Audi roll-up
sunscreens may be used
¢ page 260, Addi­
tional accessories and parts replacement.
- Always sit in proper seating position and
wear safety belts while traveling so that the
Airbag system
side curtain airbags can help provide protec­
tion.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once. If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
-Always have work involving the side curtain
airbag system, removal and installation of
the airbag components, or other repairs performed by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop. Otherwise the airbag
system may not work correctly.
- Never attempt to modify any components of
the airbag system in any way.
157

..... N
0 :,,:: co ..... ..... exceptional circumstances and the PASSEN·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately insta ll the rear­
ward-facing child safety seat in a rear seat­
ing posit ion and have the airbag system in­
spected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer.
A WARNING
If, in except ional circumstances, you must in­
stall a forward-facing chi ld restraint on the
front passenger's seat :
- Always make sure the forward-fac ing seat
has been designed and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and s ide airbag .
- Always follow the manufac turer 's instruc­
tions provided with the chi ld safety seat or
carrier.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air­
bag as possib le before installing the child
restra int. The backrest must be adjusted to
an upr ight position.
-Always make sure that the
PA SSENGER AIR
B AG OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
t ime whenever the ignition is switched on.
Always replace ch ild restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle dur ing a crash. Damage to
a child restraint that is not visib le could cause
it to fail in another collision situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your veh icle is equipped with a front "Advanced
A irbag System" i n compliance w ith United States
F edera l Moto r Vehicle Safety Standard ( FMVSS)
208, as well as Canada Motor Ve hicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time
your vehicle was manufactured .
The Advanced Airbag system in your ve hicle has
been ce rtified to meet the " low-risk" requ ire­
ments for 3 -and 6-yea r old children on the pas ­
senger side and sma ll adults on the driver side .
Child safety
The low risk deployment criteria a re 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 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 ch ild rest raints that are listed in
the Standard.
Even though your veh icle is equipped with an Ad·
vanced Airbag system, all ch ild ren, especially
those 12 yea rs and you nger, sho uld a lways ride
in the back seat proper ly restrained for their age
and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentially dangerous p lace for a
child to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a ch ild in a forward-fac ing ch ild safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a
larger ch ild in a rearward-facing seat .
' Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced A irbag System in you r vehicle de ­
tects the presence of an infant or chi ld in a chi ld
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 tens ion on the
safety belt.
The weight-sensing mat measures total weight of the child and the chi ld safety seat and a child
blanket on the front passenger seat . The weight
on the front passenger seat is related to the de­
s ign of the child restra int and its "footprint", the
s ize and shape of the bottom of the ch ild re-
straint as it sits on the seat. The weight of a ch ild
restra int and its "footprint" va ry for different
k inds of child restra ints and for the different
models of the same kind o f chi ld rest raint of -
fered by chi ld restraint manufacturers.
T he we igh t ranges for the indiv id ual types,
makes and mode ls of ch ild restraints that the
NH TSA has specified in the Safety Standard to­
gether with the weight ranges of typical infants .,.
159