2016 AUDI A8 warning

-the two side airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests
- two rear side airbags
- the a irbag warning light in the inst rument clus-
te r.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you sw itch on the ign it ion, the
a ir bag sys tem indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics).
The s ide a irbag system supp lements the safety
be lts and can he lp to reduce the risk of injury to
the dr iver's, front and rear p assenger's upper to r­
so on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a
side col lision . The airbag dep loys only in side im­
pacts and on ly when the vehicle acceleration reg­
istered by the control un it is h igh enough. If this
rate is below the reference value programmed in­
to the control un it, the s ide curta in a irbag w ill
not be triggered, even though the car may be
badly damaged as a result of the collision.
It is
n ot possib le to define an airbag triggering range
that will cover eve ry poss ible angle of impa ct,
since the c ircums tances will vary considerab ly be­
tween one collision and a nother. Impo rtant fac­
tors incl ude, fo r example, the nature (hard or
soft) of the impacting object, the ang le of im­
pact, vehicle speed, etc .
c> page 164, Important
safety instructions 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 position in the event of a side collision
so that the s ide a irbags can provide protection.
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 veh icle. Always re­
member that the s ide airbag system can only
help to protect you if you are wearing your safety
belt 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 requ ires yo u to do
so
c> page 138, General information.
It is important to remember that wh ile the sup­
p lemental side a irbag system is designed to re­
duce the likeli hood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries, fo r example, swell ing, b ruising, and m inor
Airb ag sys tem
abras ions can also be assoc iated wit h deployed
side airbags . Remember too, side airbags will de­
ploy only once and only in ce rtain k inds of acci­
dents - yo ur 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 it ive or fa iled a irbag activation. In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may
i nflate . Remember too, that a irbags w il l deploy
only once and only i n certai n kinds of collisions -
you r safety belts are always there to offer protec­
t io n in those accide nts in wh ich airbags are no t
s u pposed to deploy o r when they h ave al re ady
deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when t he ignit io n is switched off
- in side co llisions whe n the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collis ions
- in rear -end co llisions
- in rollovers.
In some types of accidents t he front a irbags, s ide
c urt ain airbags and side airbags may be triggered
togethe r.
.&, WARNING ~
- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the proper seat ing pos ition
c> page 164.
- If the ai rbag ind icator light c> page 18
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.
163

Airbag syste m
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained .
Fig . 1 70 In fla ted side airbags o n lef t s ide of vehicle , rear
side a irbag
When the system is triggered, the a irbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat surface area ma rked "AIRBAG". It ex ­
pands between the side trim pane l and the pas­
senger. In order to help provide th is additiona l
protection, the side ai rbag must inflate within a
fraction of a second at very h igh speed and with
great force . The supplementa l 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
~ page 168, Child
safety .
Supplemental side a irbags inflate be­
tween the occupant and the door pane l on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certa in side
coll is ion
~ fig. 170.
A lthough they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the uppe r 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 .
164
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 your passengers must
k now and act according ly to help the safety belts
and airbags do their job to prov ide supplemental
protect ion .
_& 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 persona l 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
l ean agains t the area where the supple­
mental s ide airbag is located .
- Never let a child or anyo ne 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 t hat safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do no t let anyone s itting in the front seat
p ut their hand or any other parts of their
body out of the window.
- Always make sure that the side a irbag can
inflate w ithout interference.
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not bee n specifical ly approved by
A udi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags de­ ploy.
- Damage to the orig inal seat 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 autho rized Aud i dealer .
-
-Objects between you and the a irbag can in­
crease the r isk of injury in an acc iden t by in­
t erfering wi th the way the airbag unfolds or
~

Airbag system
the circumstances will vary considerably between
one collision and another. Important factors in­
clude, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of
the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
c:;, page 166, How side curtain air­
bags work .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
belts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in position in the event of a collision so
that the side curtain airbags can provide protec ­
tion .
The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re ­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you a re 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
c:;, page 138, General information.
It is important to remember that whi le the s ide
curtain airbag system is designed to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abra ­
s ions can a lso be associated with these airbags
upon deployment. Remember too, these a irbags
will deploy only once and only in certa in kinds of
accidents - your safety belts are always there to
offer protect ion .
The side curtain airbag system ba sically
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 certain it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you switch on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignition is switched off,
166
- in side collisions when the acceleration meas­
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
c:;, page 58, Gen­
eral information .
-If the airbag ind icator light c:;, page 18
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or wi ll 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. 172 Illus trat io n of princ iple: I nflated s ide c urtain a ir­
bags o n the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the windows in a side collision
¢ fig. 172.
When the system is triggered, the side curta in
airbag is filled w ith propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above t he front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
s ide curtain 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 your
seat ing 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 children¢
page 168.
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 side curtain airbag can dan­ gerously interfere with its function. A de­
ploying head airbag develops enough force
to catapult any piece of add-on component
out of its path of inflation and into the pas­
senger compartment. An occupant hit by
such a projectile can suffer serious injury or
death ¢
page 283, 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
Airbag system
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
c:> page 283, 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 a qualified dealership . Other­
wise the airbag system may not work cor­
rectly.
- Never attempt to modify any components of
the airbag system in any way.
167

Child safety
Child safety
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
¢ page 139, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults and
teenagers, their muscles and bones are not fully
developed. In many respects children are at
g reater r isk of serious injury in crashes than
adults .
Because children's bodies are not fully devel­
oped, they require restraint systems especially
des igned for their size, weight, and body struc­
ture. Many countries 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 20-35 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 restra ints, like
adu lt safety belts, must be used properly to be
effect ive. Used improperly, they can increase the
risk of serious injury in an acc ident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's in­
structions in order to be sure the seat is right for
your child's size¢
page 171, Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats .
Please
be sure to read and heed all of the impo rtant in­
formation and WARNINGS about child safety,
Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child
restraints in this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad­
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they work
when infants and children in child restraints are
on the front passenger seat . Because of the large
amount of important information, we cannot re-
168 peat it all here.
We urge you to read the detailed
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 importa nt for your safety and the safe­
ty of your passengers, especia lly infants and
small chi ldren.
.&_ 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
must be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly
restrained child cou ld be injured by striking
the inter ior or by being ejected from the ve­
hicle during a sudden maneuver or impact.
An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is a lso at greater r isk of injury or death
through contact w ith an inf lating airbag.
- A suitable ch ild restraint properly installed
and used at one of the rear seating positions
provides the highest degree of pro tect ion
for infants and small children in most acci­
dent sit uations.
.&_ 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 injured and can be killed if the front airbag in­
flates.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carr ier with great force and
w ill smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the backrest , center armrest, or
door.
- Always install rear-facing child safety seats
on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat in

exceptional circumstances and the
PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immed iately install
the rear-fac ing ch ild safety seat in a rear
seating pos it ion and have the airbag system
inspected immediately by your Audi dealer .
A WARNING
If, in exceptio nal 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 ce rtified by its man­
ufact urer fo r use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag .
- Always follow the manufact urer's instruc­
tions prov ided with the ch ild 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
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to
an upr ight position.
- Always make sure that the
PA SSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
t ime whenever the ignition is switched on.
{D) Tips
Always replace chi ld restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle dur ing 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 veh icle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System " in compliance w ith United States
F edera l Moto r Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208, as well as Canada Motor Ve hicle Safe ty
Stand ard (CMVSS) 208 as appli cable at the t ime
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-year old children on the pas­
senger side and small adults on the driver side .
The low risk deployment criteria are intended to
Ch ild safety
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for example, by being
too close to the steering wheel and instr ument
panel when the airbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been cert ified 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 lis ted in
the S tanda rd .
Even thoug h your veh icle is equipped with an Ad­
vanced Airbag system, all ch ildren, especially
those 12 yea rs and younger, sho uld a lways ride
i n the back seat properly restra ined for their age
and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentia lly 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
T he Advanced A irbag System in you r vehicle de­
tects the presence of a n in fan t or child in a ch ild
restra int 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 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 c hild re ­
straint as it s its on the seat. The weight of a chi ld
r estra int and its "footprint " va ry for different
k inds of child restra ints and for the different
models of the same kind of ch ild rest raint of ­
fered by child restraint manufacturers.
T he weight ranges for the individ ual types,
makes and mode ls of chi ld restrain ts that the
N HT SA has spec ified in the Safety Standard to­
gether with the weight ranges o f typical infants
and typical 1 year-old chi ld have been stored in .,.
169

Child safet y
the control unit of the Advanced Ai rbag System.
When a chi ld restraint is being used on the front
passenger seat with a typical 1 year-old child, the
Advanced Airbag System compares the we ight
measured by the weight sensing mat with the in­
formation stored in the electronic control unit.
The electronic cont rol un it also registers the ten­
sion on the front passenger safety belt. The ten­
sion on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat will be d ifferent fo r an adult who is properly
using the safety belt as compared to the tension
on the belt when it is used to attach a ch ild re­
stra int to the seat. The senso r below the la tch fo r
the safety belt for the fro nt sea t passe nger
meas ures the tens io n on the belt. The inp ut from
this sensor is then used with the weight to "de­
cide", whether there is a child restraint with a
typical 1 year-old child on the front passenger
seat and whethe r or not the a irbag must be
turned off.
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restra int tha t you use,
make sure that it has been cert ified to meet Safe­
ty Standa rds and has been certified by its manu­
facturer for u se wi th an a irb ag. Always be sure
t ha t th e chi ld res tra in t i s properly insta lled at
one o f th e rear seating posit ions . If i n excep tion ­
a l ci rcumstances yo u must use it on the front
passenger seat, carefully read all of the informa­
tion on child safety and Advanced Airbags and heed a ll of the app licab le WARNINGS. Make cer­
tain that the child restra int is correctly recog­
n ized by the we ight-sens ing mat inside the front
passenger seat, that t he fron t passenger a irbag
is tu rned off and tha t the airbag status is a lways
cor rect ly signa led by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF ligh t.
M any types and models of c hild rest rai nts have
been available ove r th e yea rs, new models are in­
t roduced regularly incorporat ing new and im ­
p roved designs and o lder mode ls are taken o ut o f
p roduction . Chi ld restraints a re not standardized .
Ch ild rest raints of the same type typica lly have
d ifferent weights and s izes and d ifferent 'foot­
prints, ' the size and shape of the bottom of the
chi ld restraint that s its on the seat, when they
170
are ins talled on a vehicle seat . These d ifferences
make it virtua lly impossib le to certify compliance
with the requirements for advanced a irbags w ith
each and every child restra int that has eve r been
sold in the past or will be so ld over the course of
the usefu l life of your vehicle.
Fo r thi s reason, the United States Nationa l H igh­
way Traffic Safety Administration has published a li st of specific type, makes and mode ls of ch ild
r estra ints that must be used to certify compli­
ance of the Advanced Airbag System in your ve hi­
cle w ith the s uppress ion requirements of Federa l
Motor Ve hicl e Safety Standa rd 208. These child
r es trai nts are:
Subpart A - Car bed child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel Guard Angel Septe mber 25, 2 007
R ide AA2 403FO F
Subpart B - Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Cent ury SmartFi t 454 3 Decembe r 1, 1999
Cosco Arriva September 25, 2007
22-013PAW and base
22- 999WHO
Evenf lo Discove ry Ad -December 1, 1999
just R ight 212
E venflo First Choi ce Decembe r 1, 1999
2 04
Graco I nfant 8457 December 1, 1999
Graco Snugr ide September 25, 20 07
Peg Perego Primo Viag- September 25, 2007
g io SIP I MUNOOUS
Subpart C -Forward-facing and convertible
child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
B rit a x Roun dabo ut September 25, 200 7
E 9 L02xx
Cosco Touriva 02519 December 1, 1999

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 Tr ibute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion 254 December 1, 1999
Evenflo Generations September 25, 2007
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety September 25, 2007
Seat Step 2
Graco Platinum Cargo September 25, 2007
.&, WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious inju ry, make sure
that the
PA SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on whenever a child re ­
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
- Take the child restraint off the front passen ­
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
P A SSEN GER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer immediately.
(D Tips
The chi ld seats listed in categories A to C have
been statically tested by Audi 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 an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety
of everybody in the veh icle, especially children:
.,. Always use the right chi ld safety seat for each
child and a lways use it properly
q page 173.
Child safety
.,. Always carefully follow the chi ld safety seat
manufacturer's instructions on how to route
the safety belt properly through the ch ild safe ­
ty seat.
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertible locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent the chi ld safety seat from moving
q page 177.
.,. Push the ch ild safety sea t down with yo ur full
weight to get the safety belt really tight so that 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 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 .
.,. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
q page 173.
Always remember: Even though your veh icle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
c hi ldren, especia lly t hose 12 yea rs and younger,
sho uld a lways ride in th e back seat p roper ly re·
strained for their age and s ize.
A WARNING
=
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
chi ld safety seat or improperly insta lling a
chi ld restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children
must always be restrained properly whenev­
er riding in a vehicle.
- An unrestra ined o r improperly restrained
c hi ld can be injured o r killed by being
thrown aga inst the inside of the veh icle or
by being ejected from it during a sudden
maneuver or impact.
- An unrestra ined or improperly restrained
child is at much greater risk of injury or
death by being struck by an inflating air­ bag.
- Commercially availab le child safety seats
are requi red to comply with U .S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213
(in Canada CMVSS 213). ..,_
17 1