
-An Advanced  Airbag  with  gas  generator  and 
control  valve  for  the  driver  inside  the  steering 
wheel  hub. 
- An Advanced  Airbag  with  gas  generator  and 
control  valve  inside  the  instrument  panel  for 
the  front  passenger . 
- A capacitive  passenger  detection  system  under
neath  the  front  passenger  seat  cover. This  sys
tem  measures  the  electrical  capacitance  of the 
person  in the  seat.  The  information  registered 
is sent  continuously  to  the  electronic  control 
unit  to  regulate  deployment  of  the  front  Ad
vanced  Airbag  on  the  passenger  side . 
- An airbag  monitoring  system  and  indicator 
light  in the  instrument  cluster~ 
page 154. 
-A sensor  in each  front  seat  registers  the  dis
tance  between  the  respective  seat  and  the  steering  wheel  or  instrument panel.  The  infor
mation  registered  is  sent  continuously  to  the 
electronic  control  unit  to regulate  deployment 
of  the  front  Advanced  Airbags. 
- The 
PASSENGER  AIR  BAG OFF light  comes  on 
and  stays  on  in the  center  of the  instrument 
panel ~ 
page 155, fig. 160 and  tells  you  when 
the  front  Advanced  Airbag  on  the  passenger  side  has  been  turned 
off. 
- 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  electronic  control  unit. 
A WARNING 
Damage  to  the  front  passenger  seat  can  pre
vent  the  front  airbag  from  working  properly. 
- Improper  repair  or  disassembly  of the  front 
passenger  and  driver  seat  will  prevent  the 
Advanced  Airbag  System  from  functioning  properly. 
- Repairs  to  the  front  passenger  seat  must  be 
performed  by qualified  and  properly  trained 
workshop  personnel. 
- Never  remove  the  front  passenger  or  driver 
seat  from  the  vehicle. 
~ - Never  remove  the  upholstery  from  the  front <( 
~ passenger  seat. 
~ -Never  disassemble  or  remove  parts  from  the 1.1'1 
N seat  or  disconnect  wires  from  it. ID ...... 
Airbag  system 
-Never  carry  sharp  objects  in your  pockets  or 
put  them  on  the  seat.  The  capacitive  pas
senger  detection  mat  in the  front  passenger 
seat  will  not  function  properly  if it  is  punc
tured. 
- Never  carry  things  on your  lap  or  carry  ob
jects  on  the  front  passenger  seat . Such  ob
jects  can  influence  the  capacitance  regis
tered  by the  capacitive  passenger  detection 
system,  so that  incorrect information  is  pro
vided  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  place  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  Air
bag  System  from  recognizing  child  re
straints  or  occupants  on  the  front passenger 
seat  and  prevent  the  side  airbag  in the  seat 
backrest  from  deploying  properly. 
- If  a  seat  heater  has  been  retrofitted  or oth
erwise  added  to  the  front  passenger  seat, 
never  install  any  child  restraint  system  on 
this  seat. 
- Never  use  cushions,  pillows,  blankets,  or 
similar  items  on  the  front  passenger  seat . 
The  additional  layers prevent  the  capacitive 
passenger  detection  system  from  accurately 
measuring  the  capacitance  of  the  child  safe
ty seat  and/or  the person  on  the  seat  and 
thus  keep  the  Advanced  Airbag  System  from 
working  properly. 
- Never  place  or  use  any  electrical  device 
(such  as  a  laptop, CD player,  electronic 
games  device,  power inverter  or  seat  heater 
for  child  seats)  on  the  front  passenger  seat  if the  device  is connected  to  the  12-volt 
socket  or  the  cigarette  lighter  socket.  Such 
devices  can  influence  the  capacitance  regis
tered  by the  capacitive  passenger  detection 
system,  so  that  incorrect information  is  pro
vided  to  the  airbag  control  unit. 
- If  you  must  use  a  child  restraint  on  the  front 
passenger  seat  and  the  child  restraint 
~ 
151  

Airbag system 
compliance  with  the  U.S. Safety  Standard 
¢page  169 . 
-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 
stalled  on  the  front  passenger  seat,  or 
- a  fo rward -facing  child restraint  has  been instal
led  on  the  front  passenger  seat, 
- and  if the  e lectrica l capacitance  registered  on 
the  front  passenger  seat  is equal  to or  less  than 
the  combined  capacitance of  a typical 1 year
o ld  infant  and  one  of the  rearward-facing  or 
forward-facing  chi ld  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  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 ¢ 
page  144,  Child re
straints  on the  front  seat  -some  important 
things  to  know 
and ¢ page  167,  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  contin uously  whenever  the  ignition  is 
on.  If  the 
PASSENGER  AIR  BAG OFF light  does 
not  appear  on  and  does  not  stay  on all  the  t ime, 
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  chi ld restraint  is  properly  installed 
and  that  the  safety  belt for  the  front  passenger 
156 
seat  has  been  correctly routed  through  the 
child  restraint  as  described  in the  chi ld restraint 
manufacture  r's  instruct ions; 
- make  sure  that  the  convertib le  locking  retractor 
on  the  safety  be lt  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  dev ice, 
power  inverter  or seat  heater  for  ch ild  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  retrofit 
ted  or  otherwise  added  to  the front  passenger 
seat; 
- make  sure  that nothing  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  fron t 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 restraint 
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 your  Audi dealer  immed iately. 
- move  the  child  to a rear  seat  position  and  make 
sure  that  the child  is pro pe rly  restrained  in a 
child  restraint  that  is appropriate  for  its  siz e 
and  age . 
The  PASSENGER AIR  BAG light  should  NOT 
come on  ... 
The PASSENGER  AIR  BAG OFF light should  NOT 
come  on  when  the ignit ion  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 
S seconds  while  dr iv ing,  under  these  c ircumstan
ces,  make  sure  that: 
- the  adult  on  the  front  passenger  seat  is proper-
ly seated  on  the  center  of  the  seat  cushion  with  ..,.  

M N <( (.J 
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 
N \!) ,...., 
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  arm  rest,  door 
or  roof. 
- 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  be
cause  of  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  by your  Audi dealer . 
- The  rear side  of the  child  safety  seat  should 
be  positioned  as  close  as  possible  to  the 
backrest  on  the  vehicle  seat . 
- For adjustable  head  restraints:  adjust or  re
move  the  rear seat  head  restraint if it  is dif
ficult  to install  the  child  seat  with  the  head 
restraint  in place 
r=;.page  56. 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 
r=;, page  135,  Safety  belts, 
r=;, page  143,  Airbag  system and 
9 page  167,  Important  information. 
_&. 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-
Child  safety 
being  require  that  the  following  special  pre
cautions  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. 
- Never  place  or  use  any  electrical  device 
(such  as  a  laptop, CD player,  electronic 
games  device,  power inverter  or  seat heater 
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 oth
erwise  added  to  the  front  passenger  seat,  never  install  any  child  restraint  system  on 
this  seat. 
- Make sure  that  there  are  no  wet  objects 
(such  as  a wet  towel)  and  no water  or  other 
liquids  on  the  front  passenger  seat  cushion. 
- Never  place  objects  on  the  seat  (such  as  a 
laptop,  CO player,  electronic  games  device, 
power  inverter  or  seat  heater  for  child 
seats).  These  may  influence  the  electrical 
capacitance  measured  by the  capacitive  pas
senger  detection  system  and  can  also  fly 
around  in an  accident  and  cause serious  per
sonal  injury. 
- 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,  immediately  in
stall  the  forward-facing  child seat  at  a  seat-
ing  position  on  the  rear  seat  and  have  the 
Ill-
175  

M N <( (.J 
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 
N \!) ,...., 
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 exceptional  circumstances,  be  properly 
restrained  and  as  far  away from  the  airbag  as 
possible . By keeping  room  between  the  child's 
body  and  the  front  of  the  passenger  compart
ment,  the  airbag  can  inflate completely  and  pro
vide  supplemental  protection  in certain  frontal 
collisions . 
A WARNING 
Not using  a  booster  seat,  using the  booster 
seat  improperly,  incorrectly  installing  a  boos
ter  seat  or  using  the  vehicle  safety  belt  im
properly  increases  the  risk  of serious  personal 
injury  and  death  in a collision  or  other  emer
gency  situation.  To help  reduce  the  risk of  se
rious  personal  injury  and/or  death: 
- The  shoulder  belt  must  lie as  close  to  the 
center  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  that  the  belt  lies flat  and  snug. 
Pull  on  the  belt  to  tighten  if necessary. 
- Failure  to  properly  route  safety  belts  over  a 
child's  body  will cause  severe  injuries  in an 
accident  or  other  emergency  situation 
¢ page  135. 
-The  rear  side  of  the child  safety  seat  should 
be  positioned  as  close  as  possible  to  the 
backrest  on  the  vehicle  seat. 
- For adjustable  head  restraints : adjust  or  re
move  the  rear seat  head  restraint if it  is dif
ficult  to  install  the  child  seat  with  the  head  restraint  in place¢ 
page  56. 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 . 
- Children  on  the  front  seat  of  any  car,  even 
with  Advanced  Airbags,  can  be  seriously  in
jured  or  even  killed  when  an  airbag  inflates. 
- Never  let  a  child  stand  or  kneel  on  any  seat, 
for  example  the front  seat. 
-
Child  safety 
-Never  let  a  child  ride  in the  cargo  area  of 
your  vehicle. 
- Always remember  that  a  child  leaning for
ward,  sitting  sideways  or  out  of  position  in  any way  during  an  accident  can  be  struck  by 
a  deploying  airbag.  This  will  result  in serious 
personal  injury or  death. 
- If you  must  install  a  booster  seat  on  the 
front  passenger  seat  because  of  exceptional 
circumstances  the 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG 
OFF 
light  must  come  on  and  stay  on,  when
ever  the  ignition  is switched  on. 
- If  the 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG OFF light  does 
not  come  on  and  stay  on,  perform  the 
checks  described ¢ 
page  154,  Monitoring 
the Advanced  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 
BAG OFF 
light  does  not  stay  on  whenever 
the  ignition  is switched  on. 
- Always read  and heed  all  WARNINGS  when
ever  using  a  child  restrained  in a vehicle  is 
being  used 
¢ page  135,  Safety  belts, 
¢ page  143,  Airbag system and 
¢ page  167,  Important  information. 
Securing  child  seats 
Securing a child safety  seat  using  a safety 
belt 
Safety  belts  for  the rear seats  and  the  front  pas
senger  can be locked with  the convertible  locking 
retractor  to properly  secure child safety  seats. 
The  safety  belts  emergency  locking  retractors  for 
the  rear  seats  safety  belts  and  for  the  front  pas
senger's  seat  safety  belt  have  a  convertible lock
ing  retractor  for  child  restraints.  The safety  belt 
must  be  locked so  that  belt  webbing  cannot  un
reel.  The  retractor  can  be  activated  to  lock the 
safety  belt  and  prevent  the  safety  belt  webbing 
from  loosening  up during  normal  driving.  A child 
safety  seat  can  only  be  properly  installed  when 
the  safety  belt  is locked  so  that  the  child  and 
child  safety  seat  will stay  in place . 
Always  remember:  Even though  your  vehicle  is  equipped  with  an  Advanced  Airbag  system,  all 
177