
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>

.... N
0 Ico ....
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
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.
..

.... N
0 I-co ....
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

Child safety
exceptional circumstances and the PASSEN·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear
ward-facing child safety seat in a rear seat
ing position and have the airbag system in
spected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must in
stall a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-facing seat
has been designed and certified by its man
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas
senger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's instruc
tions provided with the child 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 possible before installing the child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to
an upright position.
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were in
stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage to
a child restraint that is not visible could cause
it to fail in another collision situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with United States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208, as well as Canada Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time
your vehicle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has
been certified to meet the "low-risk" require
ments for 3- and 6-year old children on the pas
senger side and small adults on the driver side.
152 The low risk deployment criteria are intended
to
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for example, by being
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 child restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad
vanced Airbag system, all children, especially
those 12 years and younger, should always ride
in the back seat properly restrained for their age
and size. The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a child in a forward-facing child safety seat. It can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a
larger child in a rearward-facing seat.
· Advanced Airbags and the weight -sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle de
tects the presence of an infant or child in a child
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 tension on the
safety belt .
The weight-sensing mat measures total weight of the child and the child safety seat and a child
blanket on the front passenger seat. The weight
on the front passenger seat is related to the de
sign of the child restraint and its ' 'footprint", the
size and shape of the bottom of the child re- straint as it sits on the seat. The weight of a child
restraint and its "footprint" vary for different
kinds of child restraints and for the different
models of the same kind of child restraint of-
fered by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types,
makes and models of child restraints that the
NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard to
gether with the weight ranges of typical infants .,.

Child safet y
Model Manufactured on or
after
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007
High Back Booster
22-262
Cosco High Back Boos -
September 25, 200 7
ter 22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion 254 December 1, 1999
E venflo Generations September 25, 200 7
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety Sep tember 25, 200 7
Seat Step 2
Graco P latinum Cargo September 25, 2007
,& WARNING
T o red uce the risk of serio us i njur y, m ake s ure
t ha t the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht
comes o n and stays on wheneve r a child re
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is sw itche d on.
- Take the ch ild rest raint off the front passen
ger seat and insta ll it p roperly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspecte d by your
autho rized Aud i dealer immediately.
(D Tips
The ch ild seats listed in catego ries A to C have
been statica lly tested by Au di only for the Ad
vanced Airbag function.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially re
duces the risk of injury in on occident!
As the driver, you are respons ible for the safety
of everybody in the vehicle, especially chi ldren:
... Always use the r ight chi ld safety seat for each
c h ild and a lways use it properly
¢ page 156.
154 ...
Always carefully follow the chi ld safety seat
manufact urer 's instructions on how to route
the sa fety be lt properly thro ugh the ch ild safe
ty seat.
... When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first act ivate the
convertib le lock ing retracto r o n the safety belt
to prevent the chi ld safety seat from moving
¢ page 160.
... Push the ch ild sa fety sea t down wi th yo ur fu ll
weigh t to get the safety belt rea lly tight so tha t
the seat cannot move forward or sideways
more than one inch (2 .5 cm).
... If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child
safety seat to the front passenge r seat, make
sure that it is not so tight t hat it causes the
weight -sensing mat to measure more weight
t han is actually o n the seat .
... Secu re unused safety belts on the rear s eat
¢ page 156.
Always remember : Even though your veh icle is
equipped wi th an Advanced Airbag system, all
c hi ld ren, especially those 12 yea rs and you nger,
s h ould always ride in th e back sea t proper ly re
strained for their age and s ize.
,& WARNING
-
Not usin g a child sa fe ty seat, us ing t he wrong
c h ild safety seat or imprope rly installing a
chi ld restraint inc reases t he risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- All vehicle occupants and es pecially children
m ust always be restra ined properly whenev
er riding in a vehicle.
- An unrestra ined o r imprope rly restrained
c h ild ca n be injured or killed by bei ng
t h rown ag ai nst the inside of the vehicle or
b y being ejected from it durin g a sudden
maneuver o r impact.
- An unrestra ine d or i mprope rly restrained
ch ild is at much g reater risk of injury or
death by being struck by an inflating air
bag .
- Commerc ia lly available child safety seats
are required to comply with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213
(in Canada C MVSS 213). ...

Child safety
Toddlers and children who are older than one
year up to about 4 years old and weigh more than 20 lbs. (9 kg) up to 40 lbs. (18 kg) must always
be properly restrained in a child safety seat certi
fied for their size and weight¢
fig. 143 and
¢fig. 144 .
The airbag on the passenger side makes the front
seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to
ride. The front seat is not the safest pl ace for a
child in a forward-facing child safety seat . It is a
very dangerous place for an infant or a larger
child in a rearward-facing seat.
.8, WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
child safety seat or improperly installing a
child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision or oth
er emergency situation.
- Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously in
jured or even killed when an airbag inflates. A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat will be
seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Ad
vanced Airbag System .
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child against the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof.
- 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 be
cause of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rearward-facing child safety seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer.
- The rear side of the child safety seat should be positioned as close as possible to the
backrest on the vehicle seat. Adjust or re
move the rear seat head restraint if it is dif-
158
ficult to install the child seat with the head
restraint in place
¢page 58. Install the
head restraint again immediately once the
child seat is removed . Driving without head
restraints or with head restraints that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of
serious or fatal neck injury dramatically.
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS when
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
¢page 121, Safety belts,
¢page 129, Airbag system
and
¢ page 151, Important information.
.8, WARNING
If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety and
well-being require that the following special precautions be taken:
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has been
designed and certified by its manufacturer
for use on a front seat with a passenger
front and side airbag .
-Always follow the manufacturer's instruc
tions provided with the child safety seat or
infant carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position of the passenger
seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and as
far away from the airbag as possible before
installing the child restraint .
- Always make sure that nothing prevents the
front passenger's seat from being moved to
the rearmost position in its fore and aft ad
justment range .
- Always make sure the backrest is in an up
right position .
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the light does not stay on, perform the
checks ¢
page 139, Monitoring the Ad
vanced Airbag System.
- Take the child restraint off the front passen
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
PASSENGER AIR

,-1 N
0 1-CX)
,-1 I.Cl U"I
,-1 I.Cl ......
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on .
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats can help protect
children weighing between about 40 lbs . and 80
lbs. (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4 ft .
9
in. (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall .
Fig. 145 Rear seat: c hild prope rly rest rai ned in a booste r
sea t
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most
children until they are at least 4
ft. 9 in. (5 7 in
ches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about 80 lbs.
(36 kg). Booster seats raise these chi ldren up so
that the safety belt will pass properly over the
stronger parts of the ir bodies and the safety belt
can help protec t them in a crash.
.,.. Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when usi ng the vehicle's safety belt to restrain
a ch ild on a booster seat .
.,.. The shoulder belt must lie as close to the cen
ter of the child 's collar bone as possible and
must lie flat and snug on the upper body. It
must never lie across the throat or neck. The
lap belt must lie across the pelvis and never
across the stomach or abdomen. Make sure the
belt lies flat and snug. Pull on the belt to tight
en if necessary .
.,.. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
<=>page 156.
Children up to about 40 lbs. (18 kg) are best pro
tected in ch ild safety seats des igned for their age
and weight . Experts say that the skeletal str uc
ture, pa rticular ly the pe lv is , of these children is
no t fully developed, and they must not use the
Child safety
vehicle safety be lts wi thout a suitable child re
straint.
It is usually best to put these childr en in appro
priate booster seats. Be su re the booster seat
meets all applicab le safety standards .
Booster seats raise the seating position of the
child and reposition both the lap and shoulder
parts of the safety belt so that they pass across
the child's body in the right places. The routing o f
the belt over the chi ld's body is very important
for the ch ild's protection, whether or not a boos
ter seat is used. Children age 12 and under must
always ride in the rear seat.
Ch ildren who are at least 4
ft. 9 in. (57 inches/
1.45 meters) tall can generally use the vehicle 's
three point lap and shoulder belts . Never use the
lap belt portion of the vehicle 's safety belt alone
to restrain any ch ild, regard less of how big the
ch ild is. Always remember that childr en do not
have the pronounced pelvic structure required for
the proper function of lap belt portion of the ve
hicle's three point lap and shoulder belts . T he
child's safety absolutely requires that a lap belt
portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and
as low as possible around the pe lvis. Never let
the lap belt portion of the safety belt pass over
the child 's stomach or abdomen .
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink of
an eye and with considerab le force. In order to do
its job, the airbag needs room to inflate so that it
will be there to protect the occupant as the occu pant moves forward into the airbag .
A vehicle occ upant who is out of position and too
close to the a irbag gets in the way of an inflating
airbag. When an occupant is too close , he or she
will be struck violently and w ill receive serious or
possibly even fata l injury .
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is
important that all vehicle occupants, especially
any children, who must be in the front seat be
cause of exceptiona l circumstances, be properly
restrained and as far away from the airbag as
possible. By keeping room between the child's ..,.
159