Safety belts are important to help keep front
seat occupants in the proper seated position so
that airbags can unfold properly and provide sup p lemental 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 prope rly,
- the seats have been positioned so that the oc -
c u pant is properly sea ted as far as possible
from the airbag,
- and for adjustable head restraints: the head re-
straints have been properly adjusted.
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye w ith
g reat fo rce , things you have on your lap or have
p laced on the seat cou ld become dangerous pro
jectiles , and be p ushed into you if the ai rbag in
flates.
When an a irbag deploys, fine dust is released.
This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the
ve hicl e. Thi s dust is made up mostly of a powder
used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy. It
could irritate skin.
I t is important to remember that whi le the s up
p lemental airbag sys tem is designed to reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other inj uries,
for example swelling , bruising and minor abra
sions, can a lso happen when airbags inflate . Air
bags do not protect the arms or the lower parts
of the body. Front airbags supplement the three
point safety belts only in some frontal collisions
i n which the ve hicle decelerat io n is high enough
to deploy the airbags .
Front airbag s will not deploy:
- if the ignit ion is switched off when a crash oc-
curs,
- in side collisions,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in rollove rs,
- when the c rash decelerat io n meas ured by the
airbag system is less than the minimum thresh-
;::: old needed for airbag deployment as registered
er: u by the electronic contro l unit. 'SI: ,....,
The front passenge r airbag also will not
deplo y:
-when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
- when the e lectrica l capaci tance measured by
the capacitive passenger detection system for
the front pass enger seat indicates that the pas
senger s ide frontal airbag must be switched off
by the electronic control un it (the
PA SSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light c:> page 147 and how they
work comes on and stays on) .
A WARNING ,..__ -Sitting in the wrong position can increase the
r isk of ser ious injury in crashes.
- To reduce the r isk of injury when the ai rbags
inflate, the drive r and passenge rs must al
ways sit in an up right posit ion, m ust 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 serio usly
injured by an airbag as it unfolds with great
force in the blink of an eye c:> page 136.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat instal l ed on the front passenger seat will be seri
ously injured and can be killed if the front air
bag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag
System .
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild seat or
infant carrier with great force and wi ll
smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, doo r o r r oof.
- Always install rear-fac ing child seats on the
rear seat .
- If you must install a rea rwa rd facing child
seat on the front passenge r seat because of
except ional circumstances and the
PASSEN
GER AIR BAG OFF
l ight does not come on
a nd stay on, immed iate ly install the rear
facing child seat in a rear seating posit ion
and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dea ler.
145
Airbag system
restraints that were used to certify your vehi
cle's compliance with the U.S . Safety Standard
~ page 161.
-will go out if the front passenger seat is occu
pied by an adult as registered by the capacitive
passenger detection system.
- 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 pas
senger seat, or
- a rearward -facing child restraint has been in
sta lled on the front passenger seat, or
- a fo rwa rd-facing child restraint has been instal
led on the front passenger seat,
- and if the electrica l capacitance registered on
the front passenger seat is equa l to or less than
the comb ined capacitance of a typica l 1 year
o ld infant and one of the rearward-facing or
forward-facing child restraints 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 w ill not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-fac ing ch ild 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~
page 136, Child re
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 159, Child safety .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light comes
on ...
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 continuous ly whenever the ign ition is
on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not appear on and does 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 for more than 4 seconds and then turning it
on again;
- remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make
sure that the child restraint is properly instal-
148
led and that the safety belt for the front pas
senger seat has been correctly routed through
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.
- make sure that no electrical device (such as a laptop, CD player, electron ic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child seats) is
placed or used on the front passenger seat if
the device is connected to the 12-volt socket or
the cigarette lighter socket;
- make sure that no seat heater has been retro
fitted or otherw ise added to the front passen
ger seat;
- make sure that noth ing can interfere with the
safety belt buckles and that they are not ob
structed;
- make sure that there are no wet objects (such
as a wet towe l) and no water or other liquids on
the front passenger seat cushion.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light still does
not come on ...
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 restra int off the front passenger
seat and insta ll it p roperly at one of the rear
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect
ed by yo ur Audi dealer immediate ly.
- 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 light should NOT
come on .. .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should NOT
come on when the ignition is on and an adu lt 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 dr iv ing, under these c ircumstan-
ces, make sure that: ..,.
-the adult on the front passenger seat is proper
l y seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up aga inst the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined ,
- the adult is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or supporting
their we ight on the armrest,
- the safety be lt is be ing properly worn and that
there is not a lo t of slack in the safety belt web
bing,
- there are no aftermarket seat covers or cush
ions or other things (such as blankets) on the
front passenger seat that might cause the ca
pacit ive passenger detection system to miscal
cu late elect rical capac itance.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
- If the status of the Adva need A irbag System
has changed while the vehicle is moving, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light blinks fo r
about 5 se conds to cat ch the driver's atten
t ion. If th is happens , al ways stop as soon as
it is safe to do so and check the steps descri
bed above.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go of f when an adult who is not very
small is sitting on the front passenger seat
after taking the steps descri bed above,
make sure the adult is properly seated and
restra ined at one of the rear seating posi
t ions. Have the airbag system inspected by
yo ur authorized Aud i dealer before trans
porting anyone on the front passenger seat .
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop
e rl y cannot provide supplemental p rotection
in a frontal cra sh .
-If the airbag indicato r light ¢ page 17
comes when the vehicle is be ing use d, have
the system inspected immed iate ly by yo ur
authorized Au di dealer. It is possible that
Airb ag sys tem
the airbag will in flate when it is not sup
posed to, or w ill not inf late when it should.
A WARNING
-
If the front a irbag inflates, a ch ild witho ut a
chi ld restraint, or in a rea rward-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-fac ing child re
stra int that has not been properly insta lled
will be serious ly injured and can be killed .
- Even tho ugh your vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced A irbag System, make certain
that all children, espec ially 12 years a nd
younge r, always ride on t he bac k sea t prop
erly rest raine d for the ir age and s ize.
- Always install fo rwa rd o r rea r-fa cing child
seats on the rea r seat -even w ith an Ad
van ce d Ai rbag System.
- If you must install a rea rw ar d-facing child
se at o n the fron t passenge r seat because of
except ional circumstances an d the
PASSEN
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear an d
stay on, immed iate ly install the rea r-facing
child seat in a rear seat ing pos ition and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
deale r.
- If, in exceptional circ umstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into i ts rearmost posi tion in the seat 's
fore and aft a djustment range, as far away
fr om the a irbag as poss ible. The back res t
m ust be adjus ted to an upr igh t position .
Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
wheneve r the ignit ion is switched on .
A WARNING
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an adult is sitting on the
front passenger seat after tak ing the steps
described above, make sure the adult is
proper ly seated and restra ined a t one of the
rear seating posit ions .
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
Aud i deale r before transporting anyone on
the front passenge r seat .
149
Airbag system
(D Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection system
determines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the frontal airbag on the passenger
side will be turned off, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light 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 cup holders 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
150
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 deploy only once. Af
ter an airbag has been deployed, it must be
replaced with new replacement parts de
signed and approved especially for your
Audi model version. Replacement of com plete airbag systems or airbag components
must be performed by qualified workshops
only . Make sure that any airbag service ac
tion is entered in your Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic circuit
interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt
er must only be performed by a qualified
technicians who have the experience, in
formation and special tools necessary to perform the work safely.
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions must be followed.
~
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
c:> page 128, 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
greater r isk of serious injury in crashes than
adults .
Because children's bodies are not fu lly devel
oped, they requ ire 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 .
In a frontal crash at a speed of 20-3 5 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
adult safety belts, must be used properly to be
effect ive. Used improperly, they can increase the
risk of serious injury in an accident .
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's in
structions in order to be sure the seat is right for
your child's size
c:> page 162, Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats .
Please
be sure to read and heed all of the important 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 chi ld restraints are
on the front passenger seat . Because of the large
amount of important information, we cannot re-
Ch ild safety
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 important 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
h icle during a sudden maneuver or impact .
An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is a lso at greater risk of injury or death
through contact w ith an inflating a irbag.
-A suitable ch ild 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 situat ions .
_& WARNING
f"-"----
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 rear-fac ing child safety seats
on the rear seat .
- If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat in
159
Child safety
exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi dealer .
A WARNING
-Forward-facing child seats installed on the
front passenger seat may interfere with the deployment of the airbag and cause serious
personal injury to the child.
- 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 the following special
precautions to be taken:
- Always make sure that the forward-facing seat has been designed and certified by its
manufacturer for use on a front passenger
seat with a front and side airbag.
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child seat
or infant carrier.
- Never install a child restraint without a
properly attached top tether strap if the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions require the top tether strap to be used.
- Never put the forward-facing child re
straint up against or very near the instru
ment panel.
-Always set the safety belt upper anchor
age to the adjustment position that per
mits proper installation in accordance
with the child restraint manufacturer's in
structions.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing the
child restraint. The backrest must be ad
justed to an upright position .
- Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being moved to the rearmost position in its fore
and aft adjustment range .
160
-Never place objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games de
vice, power inverter or seat heater for
child seats) . These may influence the elec
trical capacitance measured by the capaci
tive passenger detection system and can
also fly around in an accident and cause
serious personal injury.
- Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heat
er for child seats) on the front passenger
seat if the device is connected to the 12-
volt socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
- If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger seat, never install any child restraint sys
tem on this seat.
- Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or oth
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.
- Always 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
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immediate ly install the forward-facing child seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer.
- Always buckle the child seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child seat can fly around during a
sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restraint in a vehi
cle
¢ page 12 7, Safety belts, ¢ page 135,
Airbag system
and ¢ page 159, Impor
tant information.
(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.
Child safet y
sold in the past or will be sold ove r the course of
the useful life of your vehicle.
F or this reason, the U nited States National High
way Traffic Safety Adm inis tration has p ublished a
list of specific type, makes and models of child
restraints that must be used to certify compli
ance of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehi
cle with the suppression requ irements of Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. These child
restraints are:
Subpart A - Car bed child re straint s
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel Guard Angel September 25, 2007
Ride AA2403FOF
Subp art B -Rear-facing child restr aint s
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century SmartFit 4543 December 1, 1999
Cosco Arriva September 25, 2007
22-013PAW and base
22-999WHO
E venflo Discovery Ad- December 1, 1999
jus t Right 21 2
Evenflo First Cho ice December 1, 1999
204
Graco Infant 8457
December 1, 1999
Graco Snug ride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Primo V iag- September 25, 2007
gio SIP IMUNOOUS
Subpart C - Forward -facing and convertib le
child restraint s
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout September 25, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco Touriva 02519 December 1, 1999
Cosco S umm it Deluxe September 25, 2007
High Back Booste r
2 2-262
Cosco High Back Boos- September 25, 2007
ter 22-209
162
Model Manufactured on or
after
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
E venflo Meda llion 254 December 1, 1999
Evenflo Generat ions September 25, 2007
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety September 25, 2007
Seat Step 2
Graco Plat inum Cargo September 25, 2007
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure
that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on whenever a ch ild re
stra int is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ign ition is swi tched on.
- Take the child restra int off the front passen
ge r seat and install it prope rly at one of the
rear sea t positions i f the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG
OFF light does no t stay on .
-Have the ai rbag system in spec ted by y our
author ized Audi dealer immed iate ly.
(D Tips
The child seats listed in categor ies A to C have
been statically tested by Audi only for the Ad
van ced A irbag fun ction.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety sea ts substantially re
duces the risk of injury in an accident!
As the dr iver, yo u are responsib le for the safety
of eve rybody in the veh icle, e speci ally childre n:
.,. Always use the right c hild safety seat for each
child and always use it properly
~ page 165.
.,. Always carefully follow t he chi ld safety seat
man ufac turer's ins truc tions on how to route
t he sa fety belt properly th ro ugh the ch ild safe
ty seat.
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child sa fety seat, yo u must first activate the
convertib le locking retracto r on the safety belt
Ill-
to prevent the child safety seat from moving
¢page 169.
~ Push the child safety seat down with your 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).
~ Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢ page 164.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
children, especially those 12 years and younger,
should always ride in the back seat properly re
strained for their age and size.
_& 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.
-All vehicle occupants and especially children must be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly
restrained child could be injured by striking
the interior or by being ejected from the ve
hicle during a sudden maneuver or impact.
An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
- Commercially available child safety seats
are required to comply with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213
(in Canada CMVSS 213).
- When buying a child restraint, select one
that fits your child and the vehicle.
- Only use child restraint systems that fully
contact the flat portion of the seat cush
ion. The child restraint must not tip or
lean to either side. Audi does not recom
mend using child safety seats that rest on
legs or tube-like frames. They do not pro
vide adequate contact with the seat.
-Always heed all legal requirements per
taining to the installation and use of child
safety seats and carefully follow the in
structions provided by the manufacturer
of the seat you are using.
Child safety
- Never allow children under 57 inches
(1.45 meters) to wear a normal safety belt.
They must always be restrained by a proper child restraint system. Otherwise, they
could sustain injuries to the abdomen and
neck areas during sudden braking maneu
vers or accidents.
- Never let more than one child occupy a child
safety seat.
- Never let babies or older children ride in a
vehicle while sitting on the lap of another passenger.
- Holding a child in your arms is never a sub
stitute for a child restraint system.
- The strongest person could not hold the
child with the forces that exist in an acci
dent. The child will strike the interior of
the vehicle and can also be struck by the
passenger.
- The child and the passenger can also in
jure each other in an accident.
- Never install rear-facing child safety seats
or infant carriers on the front passenger
seat. A child will be seriously injured and
can be killed when the passenger airbag in
flates -even with an Advanced Airbag Sys
tem.
- 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 rear-facing child safety seats
or infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Forward-facing child safety seats installed
on the front passenger's seat can interfere
with the airbag when it inflates and cause serious injury to the child. Always install for
ward-facing child safety seats on the rear
seat.
- 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: ..,.
163