Airbag syste m
How side curtain airbags work
Applies to: ve hicles w ith s ide curta in a irbags
Side curtain airbags con work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who ore properly re
strained.
F ig. 251 Illustration of principle: Inflated side curta in air
bags on the left s ide (examp le}
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc
cupant and the windows on the side of the vehi
cle that is struck in a side collision
c::;, fig. 251.
When the system is triggered, the side curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
side curtain airbag must inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with great force.
The side curta in a irbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supp le
mental side curtain a irbag inflates. This applies
especially to children
c::;, page 292.
Although they are not a soft pi llow, side curtain
ai rbags can "cushion" the impact and in this way
they can help to red uce 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 veh icle.
290
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Appl ies to : vehicles wi th side curtain airbags
Airbags ore 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 p rovide supplementa l protection .
A WARNING
-Improperly wearing safety be lts 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 airbag inflate.
- Always make sure that the side curtain air
bags can inflate without interference.
- Use the bu ilt-in coat hooks only for light
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or
sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with a irbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in a collision.
- Never use hangers to hang clothes on the
hooks.
- On ly use factory-insta lled sun shades or, if
shades installed after the vehicle leaves the
factory, use on ly genu ine Audi su n shades.
- Never swing the sun visors over to the side
w indows if things such as pens, garage door
openers, hands-free speakers, etc. are at
tached to the sun v isors. They could come
loose and cause serious injury if the side cu r
tain airbag infla tes.
- A deploying airbag inflates in a fract ion of a
second and with great force.
- Never attach objects to the cover or in the
deployment zone of a s ide curtain airbag .
- The airbag deployment zones must be kept
clear at al l t imes. Make sure there are no
objects, pets, o r othe r persons in the space
between any vehicle occupant and any air
bag at any time.
- Do not attach any accesso ries to the doors.
