2016 AUDI A5 COUPE warning

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@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed 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 veh icle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules safe­
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all
app licable laws and regulations must be ob­
served. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar
w ith these req uirements 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
change the way that the Advanced Airbag System pe rforms in a crash. For examp le, using tire-r im
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
veh icle, chang ing the stiffness of the suspens ion,
including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag 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 airbag system
deploy in crashes in wh ich it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made . Other kinds of
changes may reduce the fo rce levels measured by
the sensors and prevent 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 Airbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspens ion components that
do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components or iginally instal­
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Airb ag sys tem
A WARNING
-Items stored between the safety belt buckle
and the center console can cause the sensors
i n the buckle to send the w rong information
to the electronic contro l modu le and prevent
the Advanced A irbag System from wo rking
p roperly.
- Always make sure that nothing can interfe re
with the safety belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Appl ies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig. 13S D river 's knee ai rbag
T he driver knee airbag is in the ins trumen t panel
u nderneath t he steer ing whee l~
fig. 135, the
knee a irbag for the passenger is at abou t the
same height in the instrument pane l underneath
the g love compartment.
T he knee airbag offers add itiona l protec tion to
the driver's and passenger's knees and uppe r and
lower thigh areas and supp lements the protec­
tio n provided by the safety belts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in fron tal coll is io ns when the deploymen t
th reshold stored in the cont rol un it is met
~ page 13 7, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In add ition to their norma l safety fun ct ion, safe-
ty belts he lp keep the driver or front passenge r in ..,_
143

Airbag system
position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can provide supplemental protection.
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 wearing it properly . This is why you should
always wear your safety belt, not just because
the law requires you to do soc::>
page 121, Gener ­
al information.
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents - your safety
belts are always there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
example when your vehicle strikes or is struck by
another after the first collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The airbag
system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your
safety belts correctly.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
plemental knee airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other inju­
ries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor
abrasions and friction burns can also occur when
an airbag inflates .
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
- The electronic control module
- Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the driver and one for the front
passenger
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignition is turned off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
144
- in the event of a system malfunction (warning/
indicator light is on)
c::> page 19.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
r::;> page 13 7.
- If the airbag indicator light
c::> page 19
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized 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 knee airbags work
App lies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully deployed knee airbags.
Fig. 136 Inflated a irbags prot ectin g in a frontal coll is io n
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger deploy in certain but not all frontal collisions.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collisions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control unit is met.
When the system deploys, the airbags fill with a
propellant gas, and inflate between the lower
part of the instrument panel and the driver and
the lower part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger
c::> page 13 7, fig. 133.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
cushion the impact and in this way they can help
to reduce the risk of injury to the lower extremi­
ties.
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All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many peopl e don't even realize that the
airbags have deployed . The airbags also inflate
with a great deal of force and it is important for
occupant safety that nothing should be in their
way when they deploy .
Fully inflated airbags in comb ination with proper­
ly worn safety belts slow down and limit the o c­
cupant 's forward movement and help to reduce
the r isk of injury .
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Always
wear safety belts correctly and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and do to help the safety be lts and airbags
to provide supplemental protection .
& WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause ser ious in­
jury. Wearing safety bel ts incorrec tly and im­
proper seating positions increase the r isk o f
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect you properly if you are seated too close to any of
the airbag locat ions. When adj usting their
seat positions, it is important that both the
driver and the front passenger keep their
upper bod ies a nd knees at the following
min imum safe distances :
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instrument
panel.
- at least 4 inc hes (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- The risk of persona l injury inc reases if you
lean forward or to the side, or if the seat is
improperly positioned and you are not wear ­
ing your safety belt. The r isk increases even
more should the a irbag deploy.
-
Airb ag sys tem
-Always make sure that the knee a irbag can
inflate w ithout interference. Objects be­
tween you and the airbag can increase the
risk of injury in an accident by interfering
with the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed into yo u as the a irbag deploys .
- Never let anybody, especia lly children or
anima ls ride in the footwell in front of the
passenger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can result in serious or fatal in juries.
- Never carry objects of any kind in the foot­
well area in front of the driver's or pas­
senger's seat. Bulky objects (shopp ing
bags , for example) can interfere with or
prevent proper deployment of the airbag .
Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag dep loys and injure you
o r your passengers.
- Ma ke sure there a re no c racks, deep scratch­
es o r othe r damage in the area of the i nst ru­
men t panel where the knee airbags are lo­
ca ted.
- If c hi ldren are incorrectly se ated, their ris k
of injury increases in a coll is io n
~ page 151, Child safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can prov ide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupan ts .
F ig. 137 Side a irbag locat io n in the dr ive r's seat
T he side airbags are located in the s ides of the
front seat b ackrests
~ fig . 13 7. They are identi­
fied by t he word "AIR BAG".
The side airbag sy stem basi cally con sist s of: .,._
145

Airbag syste m
-the e lectronic contro l modu le and external side
impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests
- the a irbag warning light in the inst rument cl us-
ter.
The airbag system is monito red elect ronically to
make certa in that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you t urn on the ignit ion, the air­
bag system ind icator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The s ide a irbag system supplements the safety
be lts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to
the driver'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 registered
by the control unit is high enough. If this rate is
below the reference value programmed into the
control u nit, the s ide a irbags will not be tr ig­
gered, even though the car may be badly dam­
aged as a result of the collision.
It is not possib le
to define an airbag triggering range that w ill cov­
er every poss ible angle of impact, since the cir ­
cumstances will vary considerably between one
collision and another. Important factors include,
for examp le, the nature (hard or soft) of the im­
pacting object, the ang le of impact, vehicle
speed, etc. ¢
page 147, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
belts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in pos it ion in the event of a s ide collision
so that the side a irbags can provide protection .
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 s ide airbag system can only
he lp to protect you if you are wearing your safety
be lt and wearing it properly. This is another rea­
son why you should always wear yo ur safety
be lts, not just because the law req uires you to do
so ¢
page 121, General information.
It is important to remember that whi le the sup­
p lemental side a irbag system is des igned to re­
duce the likelih ood of se rious injuries, other inju-
146 ries, for example, swelling, bruis
ing, and minor
abrasions can also be associated with deployed s ide a irbags . Remember too, s ide a irbags wi ll de­
ploy only once and only in certain k inds of acci­
dents - your safety belts are always there to offer
protect ion.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessar ily an ind ication
of over-sens itive or fa iled airbag activat ion. In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may i nflate . Remember too, that a irbags w ill deploy
o nl y once and only in certai n kinds of collisions -
you r safety be lts are always there to offe r protec­
tion in those accidents in wh ich airbags are no t
supposed to deploy or when they have a lready
deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ign it io n is tu rned off
- in side collisions whe n the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front -end coll is ions
- in rear-end co llisions
- in rollovers .
In some types of ac cidents the front ai rbags, side
curtain airbags and side a irbags may be triggered
together.
A WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the proper seat ing pos ition¢
page 147.
- If the airbag ind icator 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.

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How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
F ig . 138 Inflated side airbags on left side of vehicle
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat surface area marked "AIRBAG". It ex­
pands between the side trim panel and the pas­
senger. In order to help provide this additiona l
protection, the side airbag must inflate within a
fract ion of a second at very high speed and with
great force. The s upplemental side airbag cou ld
injure you if your seating position is not p roper or
upright or if items are located in the area where
the supplemental side airbag expands. This ap­
plies especially to children
¢ page 151, Child
safety.
Supplemental side airbags inflate be­
tween the occupant and the door panel on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collis ion
¢ fig . 138 .
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper part
of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys .
This is normal and does not mean there is a fire
in the vehicle .
Airbag sys tem
Important safety instructions on the side
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 yo ur passengers must
know and act according ly to he lp the safety belts
and airbags do their job to prov ide supplementa l
pro tect ion .
A WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or
fatal injury. Improperly wearing safety be lts
and improper seating posit ions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when
the supplemental side airbag inflates:
- Always s it in an upr ight position and never
lean against the area where the supp le­
mental s ide airbag is located .
- Neve r let a child or anyone e lse rest their
head against the side tr im panel in the
area where the s upplementa l side airbag
inflates.
- Always make s ure tha t safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do no t let anyone s itting 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 without interference .
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholste ry over the front seatbacks that
have not been specif ically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cu shions that
cover the areas where the side airbags de­ ploy.
- Damage to the orig inal seat covers 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 between you and the a irbag can in­
crease the r is k of injury in an ac ciden t by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds o r _,.
147

.... N
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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 149 , 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 posit ion in the event of a collision so
that the side curtain airbags can provide protec­
tion .
The airbag system is not a subst itute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overa ll occu­
pant restraint system in your veh icle . Always re ­
member that the airbag system can only help to
p rotect you if you a re wea ring your safety belt
and wear ing it properly. Th is is anot he r reason
why you should always wea r your s afety be lts ,
not just because the law requires you to do so
¢ page 121, General information.
It is important to remember that wh ile the s ide
curta in a irbag system is des igned to he lp red uce
the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other in juries,
for example, swelling, 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 be lts are always there to offer protection.
The side curtain airbag sy stem ba sically
consists of :
-The electronic contro l module and external s ide
impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and rear s ide windows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored e lectronically to
make certain it is f unctioning properly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignit ion, the air­
bag system ind icator light will come on for a few
seconds (self d iagnost ics).
The side curtain a irbag is not activated:
- if t he ignition is turned off,
- in s ide collisions when the acce lerat io n meas -
ur ed by the senso r is too low,
Airb ag sys tem
-in rea r-end col lisions,
- in rollover s.
A WARNING
-- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating posit ion
¢ page 54,
Seats and storage.
- If the ai rbag in dicator light¢ page 19
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup ­
posed to, or w ill not inflate w hen 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 Ill us tratio n of prin cip le: Inflated s ide c urtain a ir ­
bags o n the left s ide
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc ­
cupant a nd the w indows on the side of the ve hi­
cl e that is st ruck i n a side collision ¢
fig. 140.
When the system is t riggered, the s ide curta in
airbag is filled w ith propellant gas and breaks
th rough a seam above the front a nd rear side
windows iden tified by the AIR BAG label. In o rder
to help provide this addition al pro te ct ion, the
s ide cu rtain a irb ag m ust infl ate w ith in the blink
of a n eye a t ve ry high spee d and with g reat fo rce.
The side c urtain airbag cou ld injure you if yo ur
seating position is not prope r or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supple ­
mental s ide curtain a irbag inflates. This applies
especially to ch ildren
¢ page 151. ..,.
149

Airbag system
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain
airbags can "cushion" the impact and in this way
they can help to reduce the risk 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.
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.
A 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 246, 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.
150
- 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 246, Addi­
tional accessories and parts replacement.
- Always sit in proper seating position and
wear safety belts while traveling so that the 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.

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Important information
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision .
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash apply also to children
c:> page 122, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults their
muscles and bones are not fully developed. In
many respects ch ildren are at greater risk of seri­
ous injury in crashes than adults.
Because children's bodies are not fully devel­
oped, they require restraint systems especially
des igned for their size, we ight, and body struc­
ture. Many countr ies and all states of the United
States and provinces of Canada have laws requir­
ing the use of approved child restraint systems
for infants and small children .
I n a frontal crash at a speed of 20-3S mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13-pound
(6 kg) infant will be more than 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the
child would suddenly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg) . Under these conditions, only an appro­
priate child restraint properly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury . Child restraints must be
used properly to be effective. Used improperly,
they can increase the risk of serious injury in an
accident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's in ­
structions to be sure the seat is right for your
child's size
c:> page 154, Important safety in­
structions for using child safety seats.
Please be
sure to read and heed all of the important infor­
mation and WARNINGS about child safety, Ad­
vanced Airbags, and the installation of chi ld re­
straints in this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad­
vanced Ai rbags in yo ur vehicle and how they work
when infants and children in chi ld restraints are
on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
amount of important information, we cannot re­
peat it all here. We urge you to read the detailed
Child safety
information in this owner 's manual about airbags
and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
and the very important information about trans­
porting children on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS - they are
extremely important for your safety and the safe ­
ty of you r passengers, especially infants and
small ch ildren.
,&. WARNING
-Accident statistics have shown that children
are generally safer in the rear seat area than
in the front seating position. Always restrain
any child age 12 and under in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children
m ust be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly
restrained child could be injured by striking
the interior or by be ing ejected from the ve­
hicle dur ing a sudden maneuver or impact.
An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater r isk of injury or death
through contact w ith an inf lating a irbag.
- A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of the rear seating positions
provides the h ighest degree of protect ion
for infants and small children in most acci­
dent situations.
,&. WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with
Advanced Airbags can be seriously injured or
even killed when an airbag inflates . A child in
a rearward-facing chi ld safety seat installed
on the front passenger seat will be seriously
i njured and can be killed if the front airbag in­
flates.
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild safety
seat or infant carr ier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the backrest, center armrest or
door .
- Always install rearward-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat in
151