2016 AUDI A5 COUPE airbag off

Airbag syste m
greater detail below. Because the front passen ­
ger seat contains important parts of the Ad­
vanced Airbag System, you must take care to pre ­
vent it from being damaged. Damage to the seat m ay prevent the Advanced Airbag for the front
passenger seat from doing its job in a crash .
The front Advanced Airba g Sy stem con sists
of the follo wing :
-Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that
measure vehicle acceleration/deceleration to
provide information to the Advanced Airbag
System about the seve rity of the crash .
- An electronic control un it, with integrated
crash sensors for front and side impacts . The
contro l unit "decides " whethe r to fire the front
airbags based on the information received from
the crash sensors. The control unit a lso "de­
cides" whether the safety be lt pretensioners
shou ld be activated.
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
contro l valve for the driver ins ide the steering
whee l hub .
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
contro l valve inside the instrument pane l for
the front passenger .
- A weight -sensing mat under the upho lstery
padding of the front passenger seat cushion
that measures th e total weight on the seat . T he
information registered is sent continuously to
the e lec tronic control unit to regu la te dep loy­
ment of the front Advanced A irbag on the pas ­
senger side .
- An airbag monitoring system and indica tor
l ight in the instrument cluster
r=> page 139.
-A sensor in each front sea t registers the dis­
tance between the respective seat and the
steering wheel or instrument panel. The infor­ mation reg istered is sent continuous ly to the
electronic control u nit to regulate deployment
of the front Advanced A irbags.
- T he
PASSEN GE R AIR B AG OFF light comes on
and stays on in the center of the inst rument
pane l
c> page 139, fig . 134 and tells you when
the front Advan ced Airbag on the passenger
side has been turned off .
- A sensor below the safety belt la tch fo r the
front seat passenger to meas ure the tension on
136
the safety belt. The tension on the safety belt
and the weight reg istered by the weight-sens­
ing mat help the contro l unit "decide" whether
the front airbag for the front passenger seat
should be turned
off or not c> page 130, Child
restraints on the front seat -some important
things to know .
-A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver
and for the front seat passenger that senses
whether that safety belt is latched or not and
transmits this information to the e lectronic
cont rol u nit.
_&. WARNING
Damage to the front passenge r seat can pre­
vent the front airbag from work ing properly .
- Improper repair or disassembly of the front
passenger and driver seat will prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from f unctioning
proper ly.
- Repairs to the front passenger seat mus t be
performed by qualified and proper ly trained
wo rkshop personne l.
- Never remove the front passenger or driver
seat from the vehicle.
- Never remove the upholstery from the front
passenger seat.
- Never d isassemble or remove pa rts from the
seat o r disconnect wi res from it.
- Never carry sharp objects in your pocke ts or
place them on the seat. If the weight-sens­
ing mat in the passenger seat is p unctured
it cannot work proper ly.
- Never carry things on your lap or carry ob­ jects on the passenger seat. Such items can increase the weight reg istered by the
weight-sensing mat and send the wrong in­
formation to the airbag control unit.
- Never store items under the front passenger
seat . Parts of the Advanced Airbag System
under the passenger seat could be dam­
aged, preventing them and the airbag sys­
tem from working properly .
- Never p lace seat covers or replacement up­
holstery that have not been specifically ap­
proved by Audi on the front seats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced A ir­
bag System from recognizing child

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restraints or occupants on the front passen­
ger seat and prevent the side airbag in the
seat backrest from deploying properly.
- Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or
similar items on the front passenger seat.
The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from accu­
rately registering the child restraint or per­
son on the seat and prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from functioning properly .
- If you must use a child restraint on the front passenger seat and the child restraint man­
ufacturer's instructions require the use of a
towel, foam cushion or something else to
properly position the child restraint, make
certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately in­
stall child restraint in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer .
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the side
airbags supplement the protection offered by the
front three-point safety belts with pretensioners
and load limiters and the adjustable head re­
straints to help reduce the risk of inju ry in a wide
range of accident and crash situations. Be sure to
read the important information about safety and
heed the WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Advanced Airbag System and
the act ivation of the safety be lt pretensioners de­
pend on the deceleration measured by the crash
sensors and regis tered by the electronic control
unit . Crash severity depends on speed and decel­
eration as well as the mass and stiffness of the
vehicle or object involved in the crash .
On the passenger side, regardless of safety belt
use, the airbag will be turned off if the weight on
the passenger seat is less than the amount pro­ grammed in the elect ronic control unit. The front
Airbag system
airbag on the passenger side will also be turned
off if one of the child safety seats that has been
certified under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 has been recognized on the seat.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off
q page 130, Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know .
_&. WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag in­
flates, always wear safety belts properly.
- If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sit­
ting sideways or out of position in any way,
your risk of injury is much higher.
- You will also receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if you are up against the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag
qpage 129.
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fig. 133 Inflated front airbags
-.... N 0 :i:
~
Safety belts are important to help keep front
seat occupants in the proper seated position so
that airbags can unfold properly and provide sup­
plemental protection in a frontal collision .
The front airbags are designed to provide addi­
tional protection for the chest and face of the
driver and the front seat passenger when:
- safety belts are worn properly,
- the seats have been positioned so that the oc-
cupant is properly seated as far as possible
from the airbag, ..,.
137

Airbag syste m
-and the head restraints have been properly ad -
justed .
Because airbags i nflate i n the blink of an eye w ith
g reat for ce, th ings you have on your lap or have
p laced on the seat cou ld become dangerous pro ­
jectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag in­
flates .
When an a irbag deploys, fine dus t is re leased.
This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the
vehicle . This dust is made up mostly of a powder
used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy. It
could irr itate sk in.
It is important to remember that whi le the sup ­
p lemental airbag system is designed to reduce
the likelihood of serious injur ies, other in juries,
for example swelling, bruising and m inor abra­
sions, can also happen when airbags inflate. Air­ bags do not protect the arms or the lower parts
of the body . Front airbags only supplement the
three po int safety belts in some fronta l co llisions
i n which the veh icle decelerat ion is high enough
to deploy the airbags.
Fr ont airbags w ill not deploy:
- if the ignit ion is switched off when a crash oc -
curs ,
- in s ide collisions,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in rollovers,
- when the crash decelerat ion measured by the
airbag system is less than the minimum thresh­
o ld needed for airbag deployment as registered
by the electronic control unit.
The front pass eng er airbag will also not
depl oy :
- when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
- when the weight on the front passenger seat as
sensed by the Advanced A irbag System indi­
cates that the front airbag on the passenger
s ide has to be turned off by the electronic con­
trol unit (the
PAS SENGER AIR B AG OFF light
comes on and stays on) .
A WARNING
Sitting in the wrong pos ition can increase the
r is k of se rious i njury in c rashes.
138
- To reduce the risk o f injury when the airbags
inflate, the driver and passengers must al­
ways sit in an upright position, must not
lean aga inst or place any part of their body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located.
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posit ion
or too close to the airbag can be serious ly
in ju red by an airbag as it unfolds wit h great
force in the blink of an eye
c:> page 130.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-fa cing child safety seat
installed on the front p assenger sea t will be
seriously injured and can be killed if the front
airbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the chi ld safety
seat o r infant ca rrier with great force and
w ill smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the backrest, center a rmrest, door
or roof.
- Always install rear-fac ing ch ild safety seats
on the rear seat.
- If you must insta ll a rearwa rd facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptional circumstances and the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rea r-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the ai rbag system
inspected by your au thori zed Au di d ealer.
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will i n­
crease the r is k of injury in a crash by interfer­
ing with the way the airbag unfolds or by be ­
ing p ushed into you as the airbag inflates .
- Never hold things in yo ur hands o r 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 maneuver and
become dangerous projectiles that can
cause serious persona l injury if the airbags
inflate.

- Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cupholders, telephone
brackets, la rge, heavy or bulky objects) on
t h e doors, over or near th e area marked
"AIRBAG" on t he s teering wheel, instru­
ment pane l, seat backrests or between
those areas and you rself. These objects
cou ld cause injury in a crash, especially
when the airbags inflate.
- Never re cline the front passenger's seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the area of the side airbag or t he front a ir ­
bag during braking or in a sudden maneu­
ver . Objects near the airbags can become
projectiles and cause injury, particular ly
when the seat is reclined.
A WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can
cause breathing problems for people w ith a
history of asthma or other breathing condi­
tions.
-To reduce the risk of breathing problems, those w ith asthma or other respiratory con­
ditions should get fresh air right away by
gett ing out of the veh icle o r opening w in­
dows or doo rs.
- If you are in a collision in which airbags de­
ploy, wash your hands and face with mild
soap and wa ter before eat ing.
- Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes,
o r in to any cuts or s cratches.
- If the resid ue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
fA (USA models) /!f (Canada models)
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag moni­
toring indicator light and the
PASSENGER AIR
,..., BAG OFF
light. N
0
~ The Advanced Airbag System ( includ ing the elec-,...,
~ tro nic control un it, senso r cir cuits and system
~ w iri ng) is monitored continuously to make su re ......
Airb ag sys tem
that it is functioning properly whenever the igni­
tion is on . Every time you turn on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light
fl (USA models)/
El (Canada models) will come on for a few sec­
onds (function check).
The system must be in spected when the
indicator light
II (USA models) , m
(Canada models ):
- does not come on when the ignition is sw itched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you have
sw itched on the ignit ion, or
- comes on while driv ing .
If an airbag system malfunction 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 rem inder to have the sys­
tem inspected immediately.
If a malfunction occurs that turns the front air­
bag on the passenger side off, the
PAS SENGER
AIR BAG OFF
lig ht will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on .
A WARNING
f-
An airbag system that is not functioning prop-
e rly cannot provide supplemental protect ion
in a fronta l crash.
-If the ai rbag ind icator light~ page 19
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspec ted immedia tely by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possi ble that
the air bag will inflate when it is not sup ­
posed to, or w ill not inflate when it should.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 1 34 Sect ion from the instrument panel: PASSENGER
AIR BAG O FF light ...
139

Airbag system
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in
the center of the instrument panel
r::;, fig. 134.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been 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 there is a small child or child re­
straint on the front passenger seat,
- will go out if the front passenger seat is occu­
pied by an adult as registered by the weight­
sensing mat.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come
on and stay on
if the ignition is on and
- a car bed has been installed on the front seat,
or
- a rearward-facing child restraint has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat , or
- a forward-facing child restraint has been instal­
led on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight registered on the front passenger
seat is equal to or less than the combined
weight of a typical 1 year-old restrained in one
of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant re­
straints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 with which the Advanced Airbag
System in your vehicle was certified.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
front airbag will not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-facing child restraint on the front pas­
senger seat, the safest place for a child in any
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po­
sitions on the rear seat
r::;, page 130, Child re­
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and <=> page 151, Child safety.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when one of the conditions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer­
tain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on continuously whenever the ignition is
on . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
140 not appear and not stay on all the
time, stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
- reactivate the system by turning the ignition
off and then turning it on again ;
- remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make
sure that the child restraint is properly instal­
led and that the safety belt for the front pas­
senger seat has been correctly routed around
the child restraint as described in the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions;
- make sure that the convertible locking retrac­
tor on the safety belt for the front passenger
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
r::;, page 160 .
-make sure that things that may increase the
weight of the child and child safety seat are not
being transported on the front passenger seat;
- make sure that the safety belt tension sensor is
not blocked . Shake the safety belt latch on the
front passenger seat back 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 that it causes the
weight-sensing mat to measure more weight
than is actually on the seat.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does
not come on
and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on),
- take the child restraint off the front passenger
seat and install it properly at one of the rear
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
- move the child to a rear seat position and make
sure that the child is properly restrained in a
child restraint that is appropriate for its size
and age.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should NOT
come on when the ignition is on and an adult is
sitting in a proper seating position on the front
passenger seat.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while driving, under these circumstan-
ces, make sure that:
1111>

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0 I­co .... .... -the adult 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
9page 113, Correc t
passenger seating positions,
- the adult is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assis t handle
above the front passenger door or suppor ting
their weight on the armrest,
- the safety bel t 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
things that may cause an incorrect reading or
impression on the weight-sensing mat under
the upholstery of the seat have been removed
from the front passenger seat,
- a safety belt extender has not been left in the
safety belt latch for the front passenger seat.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light in the center of the instrument panel, the
message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG ON
will briefly appear in the instru­
ment cluster display . This 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 functioning prop­ erly cannot provide supplemental protection
in a frontal crash .
- If the airbag indicator light
9 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.
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
seriously injured and can be killed.
Airbag system
-Even though your vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced Airbag System, make certain
that all children, especially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat prop­ erly restrained for their age and size .
- Always install forward or rear-facing child
safety seats on the rear seat -even with an
Advanced Airbag 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 light does not
appear and stay on, immediately install the
rear-facing child safety seat in a rear seating
position and have the airbag system in­
spected by your authorized Audi dealer.
-A tight tether or other strap on a rearward­
facing child 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 though an adult
were on the seat and deploy the Advanced
Airbag when it must be suppressed causing
serious or even fatal injury to the child.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's
fore and aft adjustment range, as far away
from the airbag as possible. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position .
Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition 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 after taking the steps
described above, make sure the adult is
properly seated and restrained at one of the rear seating positions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer before transporting
anyone on the front passenger seat .
141

Airbag system
(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen­
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air­
bag on the passenger side will be turned off,
and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.
Repair , care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many
different places on your Audi. Installing , remov­
ing, servicing or repairing a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system and prevent that system from working properly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system will not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de­
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly:
-
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­
ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in­
strument panel or modify them in any way .
- Never attach any objects such as cupholders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
ering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners could damage the airbag cover or change
the stiffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust , or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instrument
panel, front seats or electrical system (in­
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
142
who has the training and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
- The airbag system can be activated only
once . After an airbag has inflated, it must
be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical
information, training and special equipment
necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once . After an airbag has been deployed, it
must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially for
your Audi model version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag compo­
nents must be performed by qualified work­
shops only. Make sure that any airbag serv­
ice action is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- In accidents when an airbag is deployed, the
vehicle battery separates the alternator and
the starter from the vehicle electrical sys­
tem for safety reasons with a pyrotechnic
circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt­
er must only be performed by a qualified
dealer - risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions
must be followed.
llll-

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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