Airbag syste m
Front airbag s will not deploy:
- if the ignit ion is switched off when a crash oc -
curs,
- in s ide collisions,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in rollovers,
- when the crash deceleration measured by the
airbag system is less than the minimum thresh
old needed for airbag deployment as registered
by the electronic contro l unit.
Th e front p asse nger airb ag w ill also not
depl oy:
- when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
- when the electrical capacitance measured by
the capacitive passenger detect ion system for
the front passenger seat indicates that the pas
senger side frontal airbag must be switched off
by the electronic contro l unit (the
PASSENGER
AIR B AG OFF ~;
light~ page 208 and how
they work comes on and stays on) .
A WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the
risk of serious injury in crashes.
- To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags inflate, the driver and passengers must al
ways sit in an upright position, must not
lean against or place any part of their body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located.
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the a irbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds with great
force in the blin k of an eye~
page 197.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing chi ld seat insta l
led on the front passenger seat will be ser i
ously inju red and can be killed if the front air
bag inf lates - even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
- T he inflating a irbag w il l hit the child seat or
infant carrier with great force and will
smash the chi ld seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
206
-
- Never install a rearward facing chi ld safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PAS SEN GER AIR BA G OFF ~; light comes
on and stays on . If the
PA SSE NGER AIR
BAG OFF~;
light does not come on and stay
on, the inflat ing airbag will hit the chi ld
safety seat or infant carrie r with great force
and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the bac krest, door or roof.
Have the airbag system inspected immedi
ately by your authorized Audi dealer .
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in
crease the risk of injury in a crash by interfer
ing with the way the airbag unfolds or by be
ing pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
- Never hold things in your hands or on your
lap when the vehicle is in use.
- Never transport items on or in the area of
the front passenger seat. Objects could
move into the area of the front airbags dur
ing braking or other sudden maneuver and
become dangerous projectiles that can
cause serious persona l injury if the airbags
inflate.
- Never place or attach accessories o r other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone
brackets, large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doo rs, ove r or near the area ma rked
"AIRBAG" on the steering wheel, instru
ment panel, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourself. These objects
could cause injury in a crash, especially
when the a irbags inf late.
- Never recline the front passenger's seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the area of the side a irbag or the front air
bag during brak ing or in a sudden maneu
ver . Objects near the airbags can become
projecti les and cause injury, part icularly
when the seat is reclined.
- Never p lace or t ransport objects on the
-
front passenger sea t. Objects on the front
p assenger sea t could ca use the capaci tive
sensor in the seat to signal to ai rbag system
that the seat is occ upied by a person when it ..,
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-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.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretension
ers might be classified as Perchlorate 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
miliar with these requirements and we recom
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for you.
Airbag system
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-rim
combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehicle, changing the stiffness of the suspension, including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control 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 which it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy ing when it should.
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 personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac
teristics as the components originally instal
led on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
211
Airbag system
prevent proper deployment of the airbag.
Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you
or your passenger .
- Make sure there are no cracks, deep scratch
es or other damage in the area of the instru
ment panel where the knee airbags are lo
cated.
- If children a re incorrect ly seated, their risk
of injury increases in a collision
c::> page 218, Child safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
F ig. 169 Side airbag locat ion in t he drive r's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests
c::> fig. 169 facing the doors .
They are identified by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbags installed for the front seating
positions have been designed and certified to
help reduce the risk of injury that can be caused
by airbags when they inflate, particularly when
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
c::> page 189,
Airbag system c::>page 196, Child safety
c::> page 218 .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
- the electronic control modu le and external side
impact sensors
214
- the two side airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests
- the airbag warning light in the instrument clus-
ter.
The airbag system is mon itored electron ical ly to
make certain that it is functioni ng p roperly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignition, the air
bag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics) .
The side airbag system supplements the safety
belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to
the driver's and front passenger's upper torso
and head on the side of the vehicle that is struck
in a side collision. The airbag deploys in side im
pacts and only 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 unit, the side airbags will not be
trigge red, even though the car may be badly
damaged as a result of the collision .
It is not pos
sible to define an airbag triggering range that
will cover every possible angle of impact, since
the circumstances will vary conside rably 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.
c::> page 216, Important safety in
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function, 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 protect ion.
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 wear ing your safety
belt and wear ing it properly. This is another rea
son why you sho uld always wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
so
c::> page 189, General notes.
It is impo rtant to remember that while the sup
plemental side airbag system is desig ned to re
duce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other inju
ries, for example, swelling, bruising , friction
burns and minor abrasions can also be associated ..,.
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with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
airbags will deploy on ly once and on ly in certain
kinds of acc idents -your safety be lts are always
there to offer protection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessarily an indication
of over-sensitive or failed airbag activation. In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may
inflate. Remember too, that airbags will deploy
only once and only in certain kinds of coll isions -
your safety belts are always there to offer protec
tion in those acc idents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have a lready
deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ign ition is switched off
- in side collisions when the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers.
I n some types of accidents the front airbags and
side airbags may be triggered together.
_& WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position ¢
page 216.
-If the airbag indicator light q page 14
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup
posed to, or will not inflate when it shou ld.
Airbag system
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu
pants who are properly restrained.
Fig. 170 Inflated side a irbags on lef t side of vehicle
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat surface area marked "AIRBAG". It ex
pands between the side trim panel and the pas
senger . In order to help provide this addit ional
protect ion, the side airbag must inflate w ith in a
fraction of a second at very high speed and with
great force . Th e supp lemental s ide airbag could
injure you if you r seating position is not proper or
u pr ight or if items are located in the area where
the supp lemental side airbag expands. This ap
plies especially to children
c> page 218, Child
safety.
Supplemental side airbags inflate be
tween the occupant and the door panel on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side collision
c> fig . 170.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper part
of the body .
A fine dust may develop when t he airbag deploys .
This is normal and does not mean there is a fire
in the veh icle.
215
Airbag system
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are 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 act accordingly to help the safety belts
and airbags do their job to provide supplemental protection .
A WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or
fatal injury. Improperly wearing safety belts
and improper seating positions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used .
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when
the supplemental side airbag inflates:
-Always sit in an upright position and never
lean against the area where the supple-
mental side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone else rest their
head against the side trim panel in the
area where the supplemental side airbag
inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat
put their hand or any other parts of their
body out of the window.
- 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 de
ploy .
- 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.
- Objects between you and the airbag can in
crease the risk of injury in an accident by in
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds or
216
-
by being pushed into you as the airbag in
flates .
- Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cup holders , telephone
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 injury
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 position .
- 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 authorized
Audi dealership.
- Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to the
original seat covers or to the seam in the
area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized
Audi dealer .
- If children are seated improperly, their risk
of injury increases in the case of an accident
~ page 218, Child safety .
-Never attempt to modify any components of
the airbag system in any way .
- In a side collision, side airbags will not func
tion properly if sensors cannot correctly
measure increasing air pressure inside the
doors when air escapes through larger, un
closed openings in the door panel.
- Never drive with interior door trim panels
removed.
- Never drive when parts have been re moved from the inside door panel and the
openings they leave have not been proper
ly closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the speaker holes have been properly closed .
Wheels
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
proper ly .
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 malfunction.
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor
ing system compares the tire tread circumfer
ence and vibration characteristics of the individu
al tires. If the pressure changes in one or more
tires, this is indicated in the Infotainment system
disp lay with an indicator light
RR and a message.
If only one tire is affected , the location of that
tire will be indicated.
The tire pressures must be stored in the Infotain
ment system again each time the pressures
change (switching between partial and full load pressure) or after changing or replacing a tire on
your vehicle ¢
page 265 . The tire pressure moni
toring system only monitors the tire pressure you
have stored. Refer to the tire pressure label for
the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle
¢ page 256, fig.191.
Tire tread circumference and vibration character
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn
ing if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too low.
- the tire has structural damage .
- the tire was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored¢
page 265.
-the spare tire* is installed.
Indicator lights
RR -Loss of pressure in at least one tire ¢ ,& .
Check the tires and replace o r repair if necessary.
Check/correct the p ressures of a ll four tires and
store the pressure again in the Infotainment sys
tem ¢
page 265.
264
mm (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure: malfunction! See owner's manual -
If
mm appears after switching on the ignit ion or
while driving and then the indicator light
RR in
the instrument cluster also starts to blink for
about one minute and then stays on permanent ly, there is a system malfunction. Try to store the
correct tire pressures¢
page 265. If the indica
tor light does turn off or turns on again after a
short period of time , drive to an authorized A udi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility immedi
ate ly to have the ma lfunction corrected.
_& WARNING
-If the tire pressure indicator appears in the
disp lay, reduce your speed immediately and
avoid any hard steering or brak ing maneu
vers. Stop as soon as poss ible and check the
tires and their pressure .
- The driver is responsible for maintain ing the
correct tire pressures . You must check the
tire pressures regularly .
- Under certain cond it ions (such as a sporty
driving style, w inter condit ions or unpaved
roads), the pressure monitor indicator may
be delayed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle . Us
ing them when not perm itted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system can al
so stop working when there is an ESC mal
function.
- Us ing snow chains may result in a system
ma lfunction.
- The tires w ith the identification "AO"
¢
page 253 have been matched w ith your
Audi t ire pressure monitoring system. We
recommend that you use these tires.
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wash operator to reduce the risk of accidents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings .
- After washing the vehicle, the brak ing effect
may be delayed due to mo isture on the
brake rotors or ice in the w inter . This in
creases the risk of an acc ident. The brakes
must be d ried fi rst w ith a few careful b rake
applications.
(D Note
- If you wash t he vehicle in an automatic car
wash, yo u m ust retract the extendable rear
spo iler* if necessary, and fold the exter ior
mir rors in to red uce the risk of damage.
Power folding e xte rior m irrors * mus t onl y
be fo lded in and ou t using the power folding
f u nct ion .
- To reduce the risk of pai nt d amage, do no t
wash the vehicle in di rect sunlig ht.
Ca re and cleaning
- To re duce the risk of damage, do not wash
the power top with a pressure washer .
- T o red uce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitche n
sponges o r similar items .
- Matte finish painted veh icle components:
- To reduce the risk 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 painted with matte
finish paint . The paint could be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash t he veh icle in facili ties s pec ially de
s igned for that pu rpose . This will reduce the
r isk of dirty wate r contamina ted with o il from
ente ring the sewe r sys tem.
Cleaning and care information
W hen cle aning and ca ring for individua l vehicle
components, refer to the following tables . The
info rmation contained there is simply recom
mendations. Fo r questions or for components t
h at are not l isted, cons ult an autho riz e d Aud i
dealer or au thorized A udi Service Fac ility . Also
fo llow the information found in¢& .
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper
Deposits c::- page44
blades
Headlights /
Deposit s So
ft sponge wi th a m il d soap solutiona )
Tail light s
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning solut ion
Camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth w ith alcohol -free cleaning solu -
tion
Snow/ice H
and brus h/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special clean ing solution
Exhaust tail pipes Road salt Water, clea ning solution su itab le for stainless stee l, if nee-
essa ry
267
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Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
C ont rols
Deposits Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solu-
tiona)
Saf ety be lts Deposits Mi
ld soap solution a), allow to dry before letting
them retra ct
T ex til es Deposits adhering to the Vacuum cleaner
artificial l eather, surface
Alcantar a Water-based deposits such Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutiona)
as coffee, tea, blood, etc.
O il-based depos its s uch as App ly a mild soap solut ion a), blot away the dis-
oil, make-up, etc. solved oi l o r dye, treat afterwa rd with water, if nee-
essary
Special deposits such as ink, Special stain remover, blot with absorbent materi-
na il polish, latex paint, shoe al, treat afterward with mild soap solution, if neces-
polish, etc. sary
a)
Natu ral lea the r Fresh stains Wool cloth with a mi
ld soap solutiona >
Water-based deposits such Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
as coffee, tea, b lood, etc. dr ied stains: sta in remove r su itable for leathe r
Oi l-based deposits such as Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover
oil, make-up, etc. suitable for leather
dr ied stains: oil cleaning spray
Specia l deposits such as ink, Spot remover suitable for leather
nai l polish, latex paint, shoe
polish, etc.
Care Regularly apply conditioning cream that protects
from light and penet ra tes into the mater ial. Use
specially-colored conditioning cream, if necessa ry.
Carbon parts Deposits clean the same way as plastic parts
•> Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quart (1 liter ) of water
A WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with wa
t er-repelling windshield coating agents. Un
favorable cond itions such as wetness, dark
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare .
Wiper blade chatter is also possib le.
{U) Note
- Headligh ts /t ail li ghts
- Never clean headlights or tai l lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con
tains alcohol, because they cou ld cause
cracks to form.
-Whe els
-
- Never use any pa int polish or other abra
sive materials.
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately.
- Sensors /cam era lenses
- Neve r use warm or hot water to remove
s n ow or ice from the came ra lens. This
could ca use the lens to crack.
- Neve r use ab rasive cleaning materials or
a lcohol to clean the camera lens. Th is
could cause scratches and cracks .
-Power top
- Remove bird droppings immediately.
269