2017 AUDI A8 ignition

Airbag syste m
-Ne ver t ransport items on or in the area of
t h e fr ont passenger seat. Objects could
m ove into the area of the front airbags dur­
ing brak ing or oth er sudden maneuvers and
become dangerous projectiles that can
cause serious pe rsonal injury if the a irbags
inflate.
- Never place or attach accessor ies or other
objects (such as cup holders, te lephone
brackets, large, heavy o r bulky objects) on
the doors, over or ne ar the area marked
"AIRBAG" on the steering wheel, instru ­
ment pane l, seat bac krests or between
t h ose areas and yourself. These objects
could cause injury in a crash, especially
when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenge r's seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the area of the side airbag o r the front a ir­
bag dur ing braking or in a s udden maneu­
ver. Objects near the airbags can become
projectiles and cause in ju ry, particularly
when the sea t is re clin ed.
.8, WARNING
The f ine dust create d when airbags deploy can
cause breathing problems for people w ith a
his tory of asthma or o ther breathing condi­
tions .
- T o reduce the risk o f brea thing pro blems,
those w ith asthma or o ther respiratory con ­
ditions should get fresh air right away by
gett ing out of the vehicle o r opening w in­
dows o r doors.
- If you are in a collision in which airbags de­
ploy, wash your hands and face with mild
soap and water before eat ing.
- Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes,
or into any cuts or scratches.
- If the resid ue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water.
236
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
tli (USA models )/!{' (Canada model s)
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag moni­
toring indicator light and the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light.
The Advanced A irbag System ( including the e lec ­
tronic control unit, sensor circuits and system
wiring) is monitored continuously to make sure
that it is functioning properly whenever the igni­
tion is o n. Each time you sw itch on the ig nition,
the a irbag mo nitor ing indica to r light
II (U SA
models)/ fll (Canada models) w ill come o n for a
few seconds (se lf d iagnost ic s) .
The system must be inspected when the
indicator light
fl (USA models) /E,I (Canada
models) :
-does not come on when the igni tion is sw itched
on,
- does not go out a few se co nd s afte r you h ave
sw itched on the ignit ion, or
- comes on while driv ing.
If an airbag system malfunction is detected, the
i ndica to r light will come on to se rve as a constant
r em inder to have t he system inspected immedi­
ate ly.
If a ma lfunction occurs that turns the front air­
bag on the passenge r side off, the
PASSENGER
A IR BAG OFF
light w ill come on and stay o n
whe never the ignition is on.
_& WARNING
A n a ir b ag system t hat i s no t functioning prop­
e rly cannot provide sup plemental pro te ct ion
in a fronta l crash .
- If the air bag ind icator ligh t<=? page 23
comes when the vehicle i s being u sed, 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 will not inflate when it should.

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c - PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 233 Section from the instrument panel: PASSENGER
AIR BAG O FF light
The PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in
the center o f the instrument panel¢
fig. 233 .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to tell you when the front Advanced
Ai rbag on the passenger side has been turned off
by the electronic control unit . Each time you
switch on the ignition, the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG
O FF
light will flash for a few seconds and :
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
- will stay on if there is a small ch ild or chi ld re­
straint on the front passenger seat,
- will go out if the fro nt passenge r seat is occu­
pied by an adul t as reg istered by the weight­
sensing mat .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light m ust c ome
on and st a y on
if the ignition is on and
- a car bed has been installed on the front seat, or
- a rearward-facing child restraint has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat, or
- a forward-facing child restra int has been instal­
led on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight reg istered on the front passenger
seat is equal to or less than the combined
we ight of a typical 1 year -old restrained in one
of the rear-facing or forward-fac ing infant re­
straints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 w ith w hich the Advanced A irbag
System in your ve hicle was certified .
I f the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
front a irbag w ill not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
Airb ag sys tem
AIR BAG OFF light wi ll stay on . Never insta ll a
rearward -facing child restraint on the front pas­
senger seat, the safest place for a chi ld in any
k ind of child restraint is at one of the seating po ­
s itions on the rear seat¢
page 22 7, Child re­
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 248, Child safety.
If the PA SSENGER AIR BAG OF F light come s on
when one of the conditions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer ­
ta in that the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on continuously whenever the ignition is
o n . If the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not appea r on and does no t stay on all the time ,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
- reactivate the system by sw itching the ign ition
off and then switching it on aga in ;
- remove and re install the child restraint . Make
sure that the child restra int is properly insta l­
led and tha t the safety belt for the front pas­
senger seat h as bee n correct ly routed th rough
the child restraint as desc ribed in the chi ld re ­
straint manufacturer's instructions;
- make sure that the convert ible lock ing retrac­
to r on the safety belt for the fro nt passenge r
seat has been activated and that the safety belt
has been pulled tight. The belt m ust not be
loose or have loops of slack so that the sensor
be low the safety belt latch on the seat can do
its job ¢
page 258 .
-make su re that th ings that may increase the
weight of the child and ch ild seat are not being
transported o n the front passenge r seat;
- make su re that the safety be lt tens ion sensor is
not blocked. Shake the safety belt latch on the
front passenger seatback and forth;
- If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child
seat to the front passenger seat, make su re
that it is not so tight that it causes the weight­
sensi ng mat to measure more weight than is
act ually on the seat.
If th e PA SS ENGER AIR BA G OFF light still does
not come on
and does not stay on co ntinuously
(whe n the ign ition is sw itc hed on),
- take the child restra int off the front passenger
seat and install it properly at one of the rear ..,_
237

Airbag syste m
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your Audi dealer immediately.
- move the chi ld to a rear seat position and make
sure that the child is properly restrained in a
c h ild restraint that is appropriate for its size
and age .
The
PA SSENGER AIR BAG O FF light shou ld 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
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while driving, under these circumstan­
ces, make sure that:
- the adu lt on the front passenger seat is proper­
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up aga inst the backrest and the
backrest is not recl ined
r=> page 208, Correct
passenger seating positions,
-the adult is not taking weight off the seat by
hold ing on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or supporting
their we ight on the arm rest,
- the safety be lt is be ing properly worn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web­
bing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other
th ings that may cause an inco rrect read ing o r
imp ression on the weight-sens ing mat under
the upho ls tery of the seat have been removed
from the front passenger seat,
- a safety be lt extende r has not been left in the
sa fety belt latch for the front passenge r seat .
I n addition to the
PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF
light in the center of the inst rument panel, the
message
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF or PA SSEN­
GER AIR BAG ON
wi ll briefly appear in the inst ru ­
ment cluster display. This is to inform the driver
of the current front passenger airbag status.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
_& WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ion ing prop­
er ly cannot provide supplemental p rotection
in a frontal crash.
238
-If the airbag indicator light r=> page 23
comes when the veh icle 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.
_& WARNING
I f the front a irbag inflates, a ch ild without a
chi ld restraint, or in a rea rwa rd-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-fa cing c hild re­
stra int that has not been properly insta lled
will be seriously injured and can be killed.
- Even tho ugh you r vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced A irbag System, make certain
that all children, espec ia lly 12 years and
younge r, always ride on the back seat prop­
erly restrained for their age and s ize.
- Always install forward or rear-facing child
seats on the rear seat -even with an Ad ­
vanced Airbag System.
- If you must insta ll a rearwa rd-facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of
except ional circumstances and the PASSEN·
GER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and
stay on, immediate ly install the rear-facing
child seat in a rea r seat ing pos ition and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dea le r.
- A t ight tether or other strap on a rearward­
facing chi ld restraint attached to the front
passenger sea t can put too much pressure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and
register more weight than is actually on the
seat. The heavier weight registered can
make the system work as though an adu lt
were on the seat and deploy the Advanced
Airbag when it must be suppressed causing
serious or even fatal injury to the child.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat 's
fore and aft ad justment range, as far away
from t he air bag as poss ible. The back re st
m ust be adjus ted to an upr ight position.
Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG

0 co .... N ,..._
N .... 0 0 :c ' OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition 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 taking the steps described above, make sure the adult is
properly seated and restrained at one of the
rear seating positions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer before transporting anyone on
the front passenger seat.
{D) Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen­
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air­
bag 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.
Airbag system
-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
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 be activated only
once. After an airbag has inflated, it must
be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical
information, training and special equipment
necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once. After an airbag has been deployed, it
must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially for
your Audi model version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag compo­nents must be performed by qualified work-
shops only. Make sure that any airbag
Ill-
239

C) C0 ....
"' " "' .... 0 0 :r Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 236 S id e airbag location in the driver's seat
N N
I
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests¢
fig. 236 and the rear back­
rest facing the doors. They are identified by the
word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag system basically consists of:
-the electronic control module and external side
im pact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests
- two rear side airbags
- the a irbag warning light in the instrument clus-
ter .
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 ition, the
a ir bag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diag nostics).
The side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to
the dr iver's, front and rear passenger's upper tor­
so on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a
side coll is ion. The airbag deploys only i n side im­
pacts and only when the vehicle acceleration reg­
i stered by the control unit is high enough.
If this
r ate is below the reference value programmed in­
to the control unit, the side curtain ai rbag 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 poss ible angle of impact,
Airbag system
since the circumstances will vary considerably be­
tween one collision and another. Important fac ­
tors include, for example, the nature (hard or
soft) of the impacting object, the angle of im­
pact, vehicle speed, etc. ¢
page 244, Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety funct ion, safety
belts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in position in the event of a side collision
so that the side airbags can provide protection.
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 side airbag system can only
help to protect you if you are wearing your safety
belt and wear ing it prope rly . This is another rea­
son why you should always wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
so
¢ page 218, General information .
It is important to remember that while the sup­
plementa l side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other inju­
ries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor
abrasions can also be associated with deployed
side airbags . Remember too, side airbags will de­
ploy only once and only in certain k inds of acci ­
dents - your safety belts are always there to offer
protection.
Veh icle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessar ily an ind ication
of over-sens itive or fa iled a irbag activation. In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may inflate . Remember too, that air bags w ill deploy
only once and only in certa in kinds o f collisions -
you r safety belts 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 switched off
- in side collisions when the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collis ions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers .
243

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' A WARNING
Child ren on the front seat of any car even w ith
Advanced Airbags can be seriously injured 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 in­
flates.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the ch ild safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, or
door.
- Always install rear-facing child safety seats
on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward fac ing ch ild
safety seat on the front passenger seat in
exceptiona l circumstances and the
PA SSEN ­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately insta ll the rear ­
facing child safety seat in a rear seating po­
sition and have the airbag system inspected
immediately by your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
If, in except ional 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 certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and s ide a irbag .
- Always follow the manufacturer's instruc­
tions prov ided with the ch ild safety seat or
carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat to
the highest position in the up and down ad­
justment range and move it back to the
rea rmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as fa r away from the air­
bag as possib le, before insta lling the for­
ward- facing child restra int .
- Always ma ke sure that the s afety bel t upper
anchorage is beh ind the child restraint and
not next to or in front of the chi ld restraint
so that the safety belt will be properly pos i­
t ioned.
Ch ild safety
-Always make sure that the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
@ Tips
A lways replace child restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle du ring a c rash. Damage to
a child restraint that is not v is ible could cause
i t to fai l in another co llision situat ion.
Advanced front airbag system and children
You r vehicle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with Un ited States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standa rd (FMVSS)
208, as we ll as Canada Moto r Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) 208 as app licab le a t the time
your vehicle was manufactured.
T he Advanced A irbag system in yo ur vehicle has
been certified to meet the "low-risk" require­
ments fo r 3- and 6-year old ch ild ren on the pas­
senger side and sma ll adu lts on the driver side.
T he low risk deployment criter ia are intended to
red uce the risk of inju ry t hrough interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for example, by be ing
too close to the steering wheel and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been cert ified to comply with the
"supp ression" requirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front a irbag fo r infants up to
12 months who are restrained on the front pas­
senger seat in c hild res traints t hat are lis ted in
t h e Standard.
E ven though your veh icle is eq uipped wit h an Ad­
vanced Airbag system, all ch ild ren, especially
those 12 yea rs and you nger, sho uld a lways ride
in the back seat proper ly restrained for their age
and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentia lly dange rous p lace for a
child to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a child in a forward-fac ing ch ild safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place fo r an infant o r a
larger ch ild in a rearward-facing seat .
249

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' Subpart B - Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century SmartFit 4543 December 1, 1999
Cosco Arriva September 25, 2007
22-013PAW and base
22-999WHO
Evenflo Discovery Ad- December 1, 1999
just Right 212
Evenflo First Choice December 1, 1999
204
Graco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999
Grace Snug ride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Primo Viag- September 25, 2007
gio S IP IMUNOOUS
Subpart C -Forward-facing and convertible
child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout September 25, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco Tour iva 02519 December 1, 1999
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007
High Back Booster
22-262
Cosco High Back Boos-
September 25, 200 7
ter 22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion 2S4 December 1, 1999
Evenflo Generations September 25, 2007
352xxxx
Grace ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Grace Toddler Safety September 25, 2007
Seat Step 2
Grace Platinum 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 child re­
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
Child safety
- 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.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer immed iately.
(D Tips
The child seats listed in categor ies 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 vehicle, especially children:
.,. Always use the right child safety seat for each
child and always use it properly ¢
page 254 .
.,. Always carefully follow the chi ld safety seat
manufacturer's instructions on how to route
the safety belt properly through the child safe­ ty seat .
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertible locking r etractor on the safety belt
to prevent the chi ld safety seat from moving
~page 258.
.,. Push the chi ld safety seat 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 measu re more weight
than is actually on the seat.
.,. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
~page 253.
Always remember: Even though your veh icle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
children, especia lly those 12 years and younger,
shou ld a lways ride in the back seat proper ly re-
strained for their age and s ize.
liJJ..
251

C) C0 ....
"' " "' .... 0 0 :r aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible, before installing
the forward-facing child restraint.
- Always make sure that the safety be lt up­
per anchorage is behind the child restraint
and not next to or in front of the child re­
stra int so that the safety belt will be prop­
erly positioned.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from be ing
moved to the rearmost posit ion in its fore
and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest is in the upr ight position.
-Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around du ring
a sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS when­
ever using a child res tra ined in a veh i. cl e is
being used~
page 218, Safety belts,
~ page 226, Airbag system and
~ page 248, Child safety.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make s ure
that the
PASSENGER 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 sw itched on.
- Take the child restraint off the front passen­
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
PASSEN GER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer immediately.
Ch ild sa fety
Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
F ig. 2 40 Sc hema tic overv iew: keep unused safety belts
away from children in ch ild safety seats.@· ou ter rear
safety belt ,@ -center rear safety belt
If a child safety seat is used on the rear bench,
especially with LATCH universal lower anchorag­
es, the unused safety belts
must be secured so
that the child in the child restra int cannot reach
them ~.&. -
- Guide the safety belt webbing behind the head
restraint of the adjacent seat~
fig. 240 . When
doing so, do no t engage the conve rt ible lock ing
ret ractor ! You should not hear a "clicking"
sound when wind ing up the safety belt.
- Le t the bel t re tracto r wind up the safety belt
webbing.
& WARNING
A child in a chi ld safety seat i nstalled with the
L ATCH lower anchorages o r with the s tandard
safety belt or a child in a booster seat on the
rear seat could play with unused rear seat
safety be lts and become entangled. Th is
could cause the child serious personal injury
and even death .
- Always secure unused rear seat safety belts
out of reach of children in child seats such
as by properly ro uting them around the
head restraint of the seat where the child
restraint is installed .
- Never activate the convert ible lock ing re­
tractor when rout ing the safety belts a round
the head restraints.
- Never let anyone sit at the center rear seat­
ing position if the center rear safety belt has
been ro uted a ro u nd a rear head restra int.
253