2018 AUDI A8 ignition

Airbag system
position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can provide supplemental 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 airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly . This is why you should
always wear your safety belt, not just because
the law requires you to do
so c:> page 219, Gener ­
al information .
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents
-your safety
belts are always there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
example when your vehicle str ikes or is struck by
another after the first collis ion.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The airbag
system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts . Th erefore , always wear your
safety belts correctly.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental knee air bag system is des igned to re­
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other inju­
ries, for example, swelling, bruising and minor
abrasions and friction burns can also occur when
an airbag inflates .
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
- The electronic control module
- Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the driver and one for the front
passenger
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
pane l
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignition is switched off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollove rs
242
-in the event of a system malfunction (warning/
indicator light is
on) ¢ page 23 .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the proper seating position
r::;> page 235 .
- If the airbag indicator light c:> page 23
comes when the vehicle 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 will not inflate when it should.
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags .
Fig. 234 Inflated a irbags protec ting in a fronta l co llis io n
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger dep loy in certain but not all fronta l collisions.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collisions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control unit is met .
When the system deploys, the airbags fill with a
prope llant gas, and inflate between the lower
part of the instrument panel and the driver and
the lower part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger
c:> page 235 , fig. 231.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of inj ury to the lower ex­
tremities.
All of this takes pla ce in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the
.,,.

lL t:0 ....
'"" " '"" .... 0 0 :c ' the circumstances will vary considerably between
one co llision 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 247, How side curtain air­
bags work .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in posit ion in the event of a collision so
that the side curta in airbags can provide 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 t hat the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wea ring your safety belt
and wear ing it properly . T his is anothe r reason
why you should always wear your safety be lts,
not just because the law requi res you to do so
¢ page 219, General information.
It is important to remember that while the s ide
curta in a irbag system is des igned to he lp reduce
the likelihood of ser ious injur ies, other injuries,
for example, swe lling, bruising, and minor abra ­
sions can a lso be associated with these airbags
upon dep loyment. Remember too, these airbags
will deploy only once and only in certa in kinds of
accidents
-your safety belts are a lways there to
offer protect ion.
The side curtain airbag system basically
consists of:
- The electronic contro l module and external side
impact senso rs
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear s ide windows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The airbag system is monitored e lectronically to
make certain it is funct ioning properly at all
times. Each time you switch on the ign ition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The side curtain a irbag is not a ctivated:
- if the ignition is switched off,
Airbag system
- in side co llisions whe n the acceleration meas­
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear -end co llisions .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
c> page 54,
Seats and storage.
- If the airbag ind icator light i=> page 23
comes when the vehicle 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 w ill not inf late when it should .
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who are properly re­
strained.
F ig . 2 38 Illus trat io n of pr incip le: Inflated side curta in a ir­
bags o n the left s ide
T he side cu rtain airbags inflate between the oc­
c u pant and the w indows in a side coll is ion
¢fig. 238.
When the system is triggered, the s ide curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
th rough a seam above the front a nd rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional pro tect io n, the
s ide curtain airbag must inflate w ithin the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with great force.
The side curtain airbag could injure you if your
seat ing pos ition is not proper or upright or if
247

Child safety
Subpart B - Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century SmartFit 4543 December 1, 1999
Cosco Arriva September 2S, 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 84S7 December 1 , 1999
Graco Snug ride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Primo Viag- September 2S, 2007
gio S IP IMUN00US
Subpart C -Forward -facing and convertible
child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout September 2S, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco Tour iva 02S19 December 1, 1999
Cosco Summ it Deluxe September 25, 2007
High Back Booster
22-262
Cosco High Back Boos-
September 25, 2007
ter 22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion 254 December 1, 1999
E venflo Generations September 25, 2007
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety September 25, 2007
Seat Step 2
Graco Platinum Cargo September 25, 2007
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injur y, make sur e
that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ig ht
co mes on and stays on whenever a chi ld re­
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
252
-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
author ized Audi dealer immed iately.
(D Tips
The child seats listed in categories 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 dr iver, you are responsible for the safety
of everybody in the vehicle, especia lly children:
.,. Always use the right child safety seat for each
child and always use it properly
q page 255 .
.,. Always carefully follow the chi ld safety seat
manufacturer's instructions on how to route
the safety belt properly through the ch ild safe ­
ty seat .
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertible locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent the chi ld safety seat from moving
qpage 259.
.,. Push the chi ld safety seat down with your 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
weigh t-sens ing mat to measure more weight
than is actually on the seat.
.,. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
,=;,page 254.
Always remembe r: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag sys tem, all
children, especially those 12 years and younger,
shou ld always ride in the back seat proper ly re -
strained for their age and size.
.,,.

Child safety
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible, before installing
the forward- facing child restraint.
- Always make sure that the safety belt up­
per anchorage is behind the child restraint
and not next to or in front of the child re­
straint 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 position in its fore
and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest is in
the upright 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 during
a sudden stop or in a collision.
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
c::> page 219, Safety belts,
c::> page 22 7 , Airbag system and
c::> page 249, Child safety.
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.
- 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 immediately.
254
Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
Fig. 239 Schematic overview: keep unused safety belts
away from children in child safety seats. @· ou ter rear
safety belt,® -center rear safety belt
If a ch ild 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 restraint cannot reach
them
c::> .&. .
-Guide the safety belt webbing behind the head
restraint of the adjacent seat
c::> fig. 239 . When
doing so, do not engage the convertible locking
retractor! You should not hear a "clicking "
sound when winding up the safety belt.
- Let the belt retractor wind up the safety belt
webbing.
A WARNING
A child in a child safety seat installed with the
LATCH lower anchorages or with the standard
safety belt or a child in a booster seat on the
rear seat could play with unused rear seat
safety belts and become entangled. This
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 routing them around the
head restraint of the seat where the child
restraint is installed .
- Never activate the convertible lock ing re­
tractor when routing the safety belts around
the head restraints.
- Never let anyone sit at the center rear seat­
ing position if the center rear safety belt has
been routed around a rear head restraint.

lL t:0 ....
'"" " '"" .... 0 0 :c ' place c:> page 211. Driving with head
restraints that are not properly adjusted in­
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck in­
jury dramatically.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
c:> page 219, Safety belts,
¢ page 22 7, Airbag system and
¢ page 249, Important information.
A 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-being require that the following special
precautions 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 to
the highest position in the up and down ad­
justment range and move it back to the
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air­ bag as possible, before installing the for­
ward-facing child restraint.
-Always make sure that the safety belt upper anchorage is behind the child restraint and
not next to or in front of the child restraint
so that the safety belt will be properly posi­
tioned.
- 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.
- 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 light does not stay on, perform the
checks
c:> page 2 3 7, Monitoring the Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
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 whenever
the ignition is switched on.
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats can help protect
children weighing between about 40 lbs. and 80
lbs . (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4
ft . 9
in . (57 inches/1 .45 meters) tall.
Fig. 243 Rear seat: c hild properly restrain ed in a boos ter
seat
The vehicle 's safety belts alone will not fit most
children until they are at least 4 ft . 9 in. (57 in­
ches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about 80 lbs.
(36 kg). Booster seats raise these children up so
that the safety belt will pass properly over the
stronger parts of their bodies and the safety belt
can help protect them in a crash.
" Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when using the vehicle's safety belt to restrain
a child on a booster seat.
"The shoulder belt must lie as close to the cen­
ter 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 the
belt lies flat and snug . Pull on the belt to tight­
en if necessary.
"If you must transport an older child in a boos­
ter seat on the front passenger seat, you can
use the safety belt height adjustment to help
adjust the shoulder portion properly.
" Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
c:> page254.
257

any way during an accident can be struck by
a deploying air bag. This will result in ser ious
persona l injury or deat h.
- If you mus t install a boos ter seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional
c ircumstances the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light must com e on and stay on, wh en­
e v er th e ignition is switch ed o n.
- If the
PA SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light does
not com e on and stay on, perform t he
c hecks d escribed
¢ page 237, Monitoring
t he A dvanced Airbag Syste m.
-Take the ch ild restraint off the front passen­
ger seat and install it p roperly at one of the
rea r seat positions if the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
l ight does not stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS when­
ever using a child res trained in a veh icle is
being used ¢
page 219, Safety belts,
¢ page 22 7, Airbag system and
¢ page 249, Important information.
Securing child safety
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 safe ty be lts eme rgency locking ret racto rs fo r
the rear seats safety belts and for the front pas ­
senger's seat safety belt have a convertib le 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 loose ning up du ring normal driving . A child
safety seat can only be p roperly installed w hen
the safety belt is locked so that the child and
chi ld safety seat w ill stay in pla ce.
A lways remember: Even though yo ur vehicle is
~ equ ipped w it h an Advanced A irbag system, all
~ chi ld ren, espe cially those 12 years and younge r,
g should always r ide in t he back se at prope rly re -
~ stra ined fo r their age and size .
Child s af ety
_& WARNING
= -
Imp roperly installed child safety seats in-
crease the risk of serious personal injury and
death in a co llision .
- Always make sure that the safety be lt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An un locked safety belt retrac­
tor cannot hold t he ch ild safety seat in p lace
du ring normal driving or in a crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat fi rm ly in
p lace even if a ch ild is not si tting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly a round dur ing
a sudden s top or in a co llision .
- Always make sure that the rear seat back­
rest to which the center rear safety belt is
at tached is securely lat ched whenever the
rear center safety belt is bein g used to se­
cure a child restra int .
- If the backrest is not securely latched, the
child and the ch ild restraint will be thrown
forward togethe r with the backrest and w ill
strike parts of the veh icle inter io r. The child
can be seriously injured or killed.
- Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant car riers on the front passenger
seat . A child w ill be seriously injured and
can be killed when the passenger a irbag in­
flates .
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild safety
seat o r infant carr ier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the backrest, cente r arm res t, door
o r roof.
- Always install rear-fac ing child safety seats
or infant c arriers on t he rear se at.
- Forward-facing child safety seats o r infant
car riers installed on the front passenger's
se at m ay interfere w ith the deployment of
the airbag and ca use serio us in jury to the
child.
- I t is sa fer to install a forw ard- facing child
safety sea t on the rear seat.
- Always read and hee d all WARNINGS when­
eve r using a child restrained in a vehicle is
be ing used ¢
page 249 . Special p recautions
apply when install ing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat ¢
page 228, Child ~
259

Child sa fety
restraints on the front seat -some impor­
tant things to know .
A WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must
install a forward or rearward-facing child re­
straint on the front passenger's seat in excep­
tional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front pas ­
senger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on.
- If the PASSENGER AI R BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on , perform the
checks descr ibed
~page 237, Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System.
- T ake the ch ild restraint off the front passen­
ger seat and install it p roperly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
PASSENGER AIR
B A G OFF
light does not stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on.
- Improper installation of chi ld restraints can
reduce their effectiveness or even prevent
them from providing any protection .
- An improper ly installed chi ld restraint can
interfere with the airbag as it deploys and
seriously injure or even kill the child.
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight registered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause in­
jury in a crash .
A WARNING
Forward-facing ch ild restraints:
- Always make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed and cert ified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side a irbag .
- Never put the forward-facing child restraint
up, against or very near the instrument pan ­
el.
-Always move the front passenger seat to
the h ighest position in the up and down
ad-
2 6 0
-
justment range and move it back to the
rearmost posit ion in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the a ir­
bag as poss ible, before install ing the for­
ward-facing child restraint .
- Always make sure that the safety belt upper
anchorage is behind the ch ild restraint and
not next to or in front of the child restraint
so that the safety be lt will be properly posi­
tioned.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
l ight comes on and stays on a ll the time
wheneve r the ignit ion is switched on.
A WARNING
Rearward-facing chi ld restraints:
- A child in a rearward-fac ing ch ild safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat will be
serious ly injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even with an Ad ­
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof.
- Always be especially carefu l if you must in­
stall a rearward facing child safety seat on
the front passenger seat in exceptiona l cir­
cumstances .
- A t ight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front passen­
ger seat can put too much pressure on the
weight-mat in the seat and reg ister a heav i­
er weight in the Advanced Airbag System .
The heavier weight reg istered can make the
system work as though an ad ult were on the
seat and deploy the Advanced A irbag when
it must be suppressed causing serious or
even fata l injury to the child.
- Ma ke sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght 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 rear-facing child safety seat in a rear seating posit ion and have the airbag
system inspected by your Audi dealer.

Checking and Filling
Emissions control
systems
Catalytic converter
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith gasoline engines
The vehicle may on ly be driven with unleaded
gasoline, otherwise the catalyt ic converter will be
destroyed.
Never d rive until the tank is comp letely empty .
The irregular supp ly of f uel that results from that
can cause engine m isfires. Uncombusted fuel will
enter the exhaust system , w hich can cause over­
heating and damage to the catalyt ic converter .
A WARNING
The temperature o f the exha ust system is
hig h, bo th whe n driving and after stopping
t he engine.
-
- Never touch the exha ust ta il pi pes once they
h ave become ho t. This could resul t in burns.
- Do no t park you r vehicle ove r flammable
m aterials such as g rass or leaves because
t h e hi gh te mperat ure of the emiss io ns con­
t rol sys te m c ould star t a fire.
- D o no t apply u nder bod y p rote ctant in the
exha ust syste m are a, bec au se t his in cre ases
t h e ris k of fire .
Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special core is required if you ore working in the
engine comportment
For work in the engine compartment such as
checking and filling fluids, there is a risk of in­
jury , scalding , accidents, and burns . For this
reason, follow all the warnings and general
safety precautions provided in the following in­
formation . The engine compartment is a dan ­
gerous area on the vehicle .
~ ,&..
A WARNING
- T urn the engine off.
- Switch the ign ition off .
- Set the parking b rake .
- Select the P selector leve r pos ition.
272
- Let the eng ine cool down .
- Never open the hood when there is steam o r
coo lant escapin g from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that yo u could
be burned. Wait unt il no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- Keep children away from the eng ine com­
pa rtment.
- Never sp ill fluids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the anti-freezing agent con­
tained in the coolant) can ignite .
- Avoid short c ircuits in the electrical system.
- When working in the engine compa rtment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, wh ich
increases the r isk of persona l injury.
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm. The
cooli ng system is under p ressure .
- To protect your face, hands, and a rms from
hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening.
- Do not remove the engine cove r under any
circumstances . T his increases the risk of
burns.
- If tests need to be perfo rmed with the en­
gine running, there is add itiona l danger due
to mov ing components (such as the r ibbed
be lt, alterna tor and rad iator fan) and from
the high-voltage ignition system.
- Do not unde r any circ ums tances activate the
throttle inadvertently (for example, by hand
from t he e ngine compartment) if the veh i­
cle is stat ionary but the en gine is r un ning
an d a gea r is en gaged. Otherwise, the veh i­
cle will start to move immediately and this
could result in an acc ident .
- Pay a ttent ion to the following wa rnings lis t­
e d w hen wor k on the fue l system o r on the
electrical equipment is require d.
- Do no t smoke.
- Never work near open flames .
- Always have a working fire extinguisher
nearby.
- All work on the battery or elect rical system
in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi ­
cal b urns, acc idents or bu rns. Because o f
this, all work m ust be perfo rmed
only b y an ~