2017 AUDI A4 sensor

-If the residue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the
E,I light and
the
PA SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF ~; ON @ light.
The Advanced Airbag System as we ll as the side
a irbags and side curtain airbags with eject io n
mitigation feat ures (incl uding the e lectronic con­
trol unit, sensors and system wiring) are all
monitored continuously to ma ke sure that they
are functioning properly whenever the ign ition is
on . Every t ime you turn on the ign ition, the air­
bag system indi cator light
m will come on for a
few seconds (function check) .
The s yste m must b e in spect ed wh en th e
indicato r light
El:
- does no t come on when the igni tion is sw itched
on
- doe s not go out a few seconds after you have
switched on the ign ition, or
- comes on while driving
I f an airbag system malfunction is detected , the
indicator light wi ll come o n to serve as a constant
reminder to have the system inspected immedi­
ately .
I f a malfunction occurs that turns the front air­
bag on the pass enger side off, the
PA SSENGER
AIR BAG OFF~;
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental protection
in a frontal crash .
-If the airbag indicato r light c> page 33
comes when the vehicle is be ing used , have
t he system inspected immed iate ly by yo ur
authori zed Audi dealer.
It is possible that
the a irbag will inf late when it is not s up­
posed to, or will not infla te whe n it shou ld .
Airb ag sys tem
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF '1; ON @ light
Fig. 222 Sect io n fro m th e he adliner : PASS ENGER AIR BAG
O FF ~; ON
@ lig ht
T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF~; ON @ light is
located in t he headliner
c> fig . 222.
T he PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF~; light will come
o n and stay on to tell you when the fron t Ad­
vanced Airbag on the passenger s ide has been
turned off by t he e lectron ic control unit . If the
bulb for the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF~; ON @
light b urns out, the a irbag ind icator light m w ill
come on to signal a malfunction in the Advanced
Airbag System. Although the burned-out bu lb
will not change the way the front pa ssenger's
frontal a irbag works , it w ill no longer be possible
to use the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF~; ON @
ligh t to make su re that the airbag on/off status is
correct fo r the oc cupan t on the front passenge r
seat. Have the airbag system inspected immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF~; ON @ light
will blink for about
S s econd s when :
- the capacit ive passenger detection system,
which switc hes the front seat passenger's fron­
tal Advanced Airbag o n and off, detects a
change in the status of the front passe nger
seat.
As soon as the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF~; ON
@ light s tops blin king, always make sure that the
airbag status (on or off) as shown by the ligh t is
proper fo r the age, size and e lec trica l ca pa citance
of the person occ upying the front passenger
seat . Always make su re that the safety be lt for
th e front passenger seat is prop erly fast ened .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF~;/ PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON
@ light will show the st atu s of the ..,.
265

-For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechn ic circuit
interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circ uit 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 app licab le safety precautions
must be followed .
@) For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les a nd pretension ­
ers might be classified as Perch lorate Materi­
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­
rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts with pretensioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regulations must be
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
m iliar with these requi rements a nd we recom­
mend t hat you have you r dealer perform this
service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag System
performs in a crash . For example, using tire-r im
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
ve hicl e, chang ing the stiffness of the suspens io n,
in clud ing the spr ings, suspens ion str uts, shock
absorbers et c. can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
e lectronic contro l unit. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in wh ich it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other ki nds of
changes may reduce the fo rce levels meas ured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­
in g when i t should .
Airbag sys tem
A WARNING
-Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious persona l injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that
do not have the same pe rformance charac­
teristics as the components o rigina lly ins tal­
led on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations t hat have
not been approved by Audi.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to prop erly restrained front sea t
occupants.
F ig. 223 D river 's knee a irbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
u nderneath the steering whee l
~fig. 223, the
airbag fo r the p asse nger is at about the same
height in the instr ument pane l underneath the
glove compa rtment.
T he knee airbag offers add itiona l protection to
the driver's and passenge r's knees and uppe r and
lower thigh areas and supp lements the protec­
tion provided by the safety be lts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags a lso
deploy in fron tal coll is ions when the deploymen t
threshold stored in the cont rol un it is me t
~ page 263, More important things to know
about front airbags.
269

Airbag system
the occupant sitting next to it is not seated prop­
erly. The side airbag for the front passenger seat
can be used with properly installed child re­
straints. Please be sure to read the important in­
formation and warnings whenever using a child
restraint in a vehicle: Safety belts
Qpage 245,
Airbag system Q page 253, Child safety
c::;, page 2 7 7.
The side airbag system basically consists of:
-the e lectronic control modu le and externa l side
impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests
- two rear side airbags*
- the airbag warning light in the inst rument clus -
ter.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certa in that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ign it ion, the air­
bag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The side airbag system supplements the safety
be lts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to
the driver's, front and rear* passenger's upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a
side co llision. The a irbag dep loys only in side im­
pacts and on ly when the vehicle acceleration reg­
istered by the control unit is high enough . If this
rate is below the reference value programmed in­
to the control un it, the side airbags w ill not be
tr iggered, even though the car may be badly
damaged as a result of the collision.
It is not pos­
sib le to define an a irbag tr igger ing range that
will cover every possible angle of impact, since
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.
Q page 2 73, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system.
Aside from their normal safety function, safety be lts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in pos it ion in the event of a s ide collision
so that the side a irbags can provide protection.
The airbag system is
not a subst itute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu-
272
pant res traint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the side airbag system can only
help to protect you if you are wear ing your safety
belt and wearing it properly. This is another rea­
son why you should a lways wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
so c::;,
page 245, General information .
It is important to remember that while the sup­
plemental side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other inju­
ries, for example, swelling, bru is ing, friction
burns and minor abrasions can also be assoc iated
with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
a irbags w ill dep loy only once and only in certa in
kinds of accidents -your safety belts are always
there to
offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessarily an ind icat ion
of over-sens itive or fa iled airbag activation. In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may
inflate. Remember too, that airbags wi ll deploy
on ly once and only in certain kinds of collisions -
your safety be lts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignition is turned off
- in side co llisions when the acceleration meas -
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rea r-end collisions
- in rollovers.
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side
curta in airbags and side a irbags may be triggered
together .
&_ WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
Q page 2 7 3.
- If the airbag indicato r light Q page 33
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is possible that

Airbag syste m
by being pushed into you as the airbag in­
flates.
- Never p lace or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cupho lders, te lephone
brackets, or even large, bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked
"AIRBAG" on the seat backrests.
- Such objects and accessories can become
dangerous projectiles and cause in ju ry
when the supplemental side airbag de­ ploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the de­ ployment space between them and the
airbags or allow children or other passen­
gers to travel in this posit ion.
- Always use the built-in coat hooks only for
lightweight clothing. Never leave any heavy
or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that
may interfere w it h side airbag deployment
and can cause personal i njury in an accident.
- Always prevent the side airbags from being
damaged by heavy objects knocking against
or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once. If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an author ized
Audi dealership.
- Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to the
orig inal seat covers or to the seam in the
area of the side a irbag mod ule m ust always
be repa ired immed iate ly by an authorized
Audi dealer .
- If children are sea ted improperly, their r is k
of injury increases in the ca se of an ac ciden t
¢ page 2 77, Child safety .
-Never attempt to modify any components of
the a irbag sys tem in any way.
- In a side collision, side a irbags w il l not fu nc­
t ion properly if sensors cannot correct ly
measure increasi ng air pressure ins ide the
doo rs when air escapes through larger, un­
closed openings in the door panel.
- Never drive w ith inter io r door tr im panels
removed .
- Never drive when parts have been re­
moved from the inside doo r panel and the
open ings they leave have not been proper­
ly closed.
274
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly closed.
- Always make certain that openings are
covered or filled if additional speakers or
other equipment is installed i n the inside
door panels.
- Always have work on the doors done by an
authorized Aud i dealer or q ualified work­
shop.
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbags can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained oc cupants.
Fig. 227 S id e curta in airbags, driver 's side : locatio n
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides
of the interior above the front and rear side win­
dows
¢ fig. 227.
The side curtain airbags contain features that
provide ejection mitigation to help prevent vehi­
cle occupants or parts of their bodies from be ing
completely or part ially ejected from the vehicle
i nterior i n certa in side impacts and vehicle roll­
ove rs .
The side curtain airbag system supplements the
safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury for occupants' heads and upper torso in a
side collision . The s ide curtain a irbag inflates in
s ide impacts and on ly when the veh icle ac celera­
tion registered by the control unit is high
eno ugh . If this ra te is be low the refere nce va lue
programmed into the contro l unit, the side cur ­
tain airbag will not be triggered, even though the
car may be badly damaged as a result of the ..,_

collision. It is not possible to define an airbag
triggering range that will cover every possible an­
g le of impact, s ince the circumstances will vary
considerably between one collision and another.
Important factors include, for example, the na­
ture (hard or soft) of the impacting object, the
angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.
¢ page 2 75,
How side curtain airbags work .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to he lp keep the driver or front pas­
senger in pos it ion in the event of a collision so
that the side curtain airbags can p rovide 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 veh icle . Always re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
p rotect you if you are wearing your safety bel t
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
<::;> page 245, General information.
It is important to remember that whi le the s ide
curtain airbag system is designed to he lp reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swelling, bruising, friction burns and minor abrasions can also be associated with
these airbags upon deployment . Remember too,
these airbags will deploy only o nce and only in
certa in ki nds of acc idents -your safety belts are
always there to offer protection .
The side curtain airba g sy stem ba sically
consists of:
- The electronic control module and external s ide
impact senso rs
- The side curtain airbags above the w indows of
the outer seating positions with ejection miti­
gation feat ures
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain it is funct ion ing 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) .
Airb ag sys tem
The side curta in airbag is not activ ated:
- if the ignition is turned off
- in side co llisions whe n the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in rear-end col lisions .
_&. WARNING
-Safe ty bel ts and the airbag system will only
provide pro tect ion when occupants are in
the proper seating position
¢ page 61,
Front seats.
- I f the airbag ind ic a tor light q page 33
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or w ill not inf late when it should.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags con work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who are properly re­
strained .
Fig. 228 Illustration of pr incip le: Inflated s ide curta in air­
bags o n the left s ide
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the w indows in a side collis ion
c> fig . 228 .
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 protect ion, the
s ide curtain a irbag must inf late w ithi n the blink
of a n eye at very high speed and with g reat fo rce .
T he side c urtain airbag could injure you if yo ur
Ill>
275

<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-infla­
tion also reduces fue l eff ic iency and tire tread
life, and may affect the vehicle's hand ling and
stopping ab ility.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsib ility to ma intain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the leve l
to tr igger illum inat io n of the TPMS low tire p res­
sure telltale .
Your veh icle has also been equ ipped w ith a TPMS
malfunct ion indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operat ing properly. The TPMS mal­
function ind icator is combined w ith the low tire
p ressure tellta le. Whe n the system detects a
malfunct ion, the te lltale will flash fo r approxi­
mate ly one m inute and then remain cont inuo usly
illum inated. This sequence will continue upon
subseq uent ve hicle start -ups as long as the ma l­
function exists.
When t he mal funct io n ind icator is ill umin ated,
the system may not be ab le to detec t or signal
l ow tire pressure as intended. TPMS ma lfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, incl uding the
installation of replacement or alternate t ires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after rep lacing one or
more t ires or whee ls on your ve hicle to ensu re
that the replacement or alte rnate ti res and
wheels a llow the TPMS to con tinue to func tion
p roperly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system mo/function.
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure mo nitor ­
ing system compa res the tire tread circ umfe r­
ence an d vib ration cha racteristics of the individ u­
a l tires. If the pressure changes in one or more
tires, this is ind icated in the instrument cluster
d isp lay with an
RE indicator light and a message.
Wh eel s
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
t ir e will be indicated.
T he tire press ures mus t be store d in the Infot ain­
ment system again each t ime the pressures
change (switching between partia l and full load
pressure) or after changing or replacing a tire on
yo ur vehicle ¢
page 336 . The tire p ressure mon i­
toring indicator only monitors the t ire press ure
you have sto red. Refer to the tire pressure labe l
for the recommended tire press ure for your vehi­
cle
¢page 327, fig. 256 .
Tire tread circumference and vibration cha racter ­
istics can change and cause a tire pressu re warn­
i ng if:
- the t ire pressure in one or more tires is too low.
- the ti res have structure damage .
- t he t ire w as rep lace d or the t ire pressu re
changed and it was no t store d aga in
¢page 336.
-only partially used tires a re rep laced w it h new
tires .
Indicator lights
RE-Loss of pressu re in at leas t one tire¢ &.
Check the tires and repla ce or repair if necessary.
C heck/co rrect the pressures on all fou r tires and
store the pressure again in the Infotainment sys­
tem ¢
page 336 .
m (T ire Pressure Moni tor ing Sys tem) Tire
pres sure: malfunction! See owner' s manual.
If
m appea rs a fter swi tching the ignition on or
whi le driving and the
RE indicator light in the in ­
strument cl uster b links for app roximately one
minute and then stays on, the re is system ma l­
funct ion. Try to store the correct tire pressu res
¢
page 336. In some cases, yo u m ust dr ive fo r
severa l m inu tes after s toring the pressu res unt il
the indicator lig ht turns off . If the indica tor light
does not turn off or turns on agai n afte r a short
per io d of t ime, dr ive to a n author ized Audi dealer
o r auth o rized Aud i Serv ice F acili ty immedia tely to
have the mal func tion cor rected.
IJI.
335

<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a requirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The required cleaning and care products can be
obtained from an authorized Audi dealer or au ­
thoriz ed Service Facility. Read and follow th e in­
structions for use on the packaging .
A WARNING
-Us ing clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
- Always store clean ing and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i­
soning .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably buy environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with household trash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits such as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road salt remain on the ve­
h icle, the more the surface can be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
i ncrease the damag ing effect .
Before washing, r inse off heavy depos its with
p lenty of water.
Stubborn deposits such as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of wate r and a
microfiber cloth.
Also, wash the underside of your vehicle once road sa lt stops being used for the season .
Pressure washers
When washing your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always follow the ope ra ting inst ructions
p rovided w ith the pressure washe r. This is espe­
cially important in regard to the pressure and
spraying distance. Do not aim the spray directly
Ca re and cleaning
at seals on side w indows, doo rs, the hood, the
lu ggage compartment lid or the sunroof* or at
t ires, rubber hoses, insulating material, sensors *
or camera lenses*. Keep a distance of at least 16
in
(40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use rota ry nozzles or high pressure noz ­
zles .
T he wate r temperatu re must not be above
140 °F
(60 °() .
Automat ic car washe s
Spray off the vehicle before washing .
Make s ure that the windows and roof * are closed
and the windsh ield wipers are off. Follow instruc­
t ions from the car wash operator, especially if
there are accessories attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Washing by hand
Clean the ve hicl e starting from the top and work­
ing down using a soft sponge or cleaning br ush .
U se solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing, first
remove d ust and large particles from your vehi­
cle. Insects, grease spots and f ingerprints are
best removed w ith a special cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth . To
avo id damag ing the pa int surface, do not use too
much pressure .
Rinse the vehicle thorough ly with water. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft mic ro­
fiber cloth.
Rinse the ve hicl e thorough ly agai n and let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a sham my.
IIIJ,,
337

Care and cleaning
& WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off or follow the instruct ions from the car
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci­ dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself from sha rp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of t he wheel
hous ings.
- After was hing the vehicle, the braking effect
may be delayed due to mo isture on the
bra ke rotors o r ice i n the winte r. This in­
c reases the risk of an a cciden t. The bra kes
must be dried first with a few care ful brake
applications .
@ Note
-If you wash the ve hicle in an automa tic car
wash, yo u must fold the exterior m irrors in
to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors.
Power folding exterior mirrors * must on ly
be fo lded in and out us ing the power folding
funct ion.
- To reduce the risk of damage to the rims
and tires, compare the width between the
whee ls on your vehicle w ith the distance be­
tween t he gu ide rai ls in the car wash. -
To red uce the risk of damage, compare the
heig ht and width of your vehicle with the
heig ht and w idth of the inside of the car
wash.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, k itchen
sponges or s imilar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the r isk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polishing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic signs on vehicle parts pain ted with matte
finish paint. The paint could be damaged
when the stickers or magne ts are re­
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the veh icle in facilities spe cially de­
signed for that pu rpose. This will reduce the
r isk of dirty wate r contamina ted with o il from
entering the sewer system .
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individual vehicle
components, refer to the fo llowing tables. The
information conta ined there is s imply recom ­
mendations . For quest io ns or for components that are not
listed, consult an authorized Aud i
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility . Also
follow the information found in c> & .
Exter io r cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wind shi eld wip er
Deposits c> page 5 7, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solutiona>
Tail light s
S ensor s/
Deposi ts Sensors: soft cloth w ith solven t-free cleaning sol ution
Camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with alcohol -free cleaning so lu-
tion
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
338