2018 AUDI A8 ESP

Airbag syste m
passenger seat contains important parts of the
Advanced Airbag System, you must take care to
prevent it from being damaged . Damage to the
seat may prevent the Advanced A irbag for the
front passenger seat from doing its job in a
crash .
The front Ad vanced Airb ag S ystem con sist s
o f the follo wing :
-Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that
measure vehicle acceleration/decelerat ion to
provide information to the Advanced Airbag
System about the severity of the crash .
- An electron ic control un it, with integrated
crash sensors for front and side impacts . The
contro l unit "decides " whether to fire the front
airbags based on the information received from
the crash sensors. The contro l unit also "de ­
cides" whether the safety be lt pretensioners
sho uld be activated.
-An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
contro l valve for the driver inside the steering
whee l hub .
-An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
contro l valve inside the instrument pane l for
the front passenger.
- A weight -sensing mat unde r th e upho lstery
padding of the front passenger seat cushion
that meas ures the tota l weight on the seat . T he
information registered is sent continuously to
the e lec tronic control unit to regu la te dep loy­
ment of the front Adva need A irbag on the pas ­
senger side .
- An airbag monitoring system and indicator
light in the instrument cluster
c> page 23 7 .
- A sensor in each front sea t registers the dis­
tance between the respective seat and the
steering wheel or instrument panel. The infor­
mation reg istered is sent continuously to the
electronic cont rol u nit to regulate deployment
of the fro nt Advanced A irbags.
- T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on in the center of the instr ument
pane l
c> page 23 7, fig. 232 and tells you w hen
the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off.
-A sensor be low the safety belt latch fo r the
front seat passenger to meas ure the tension on
234
the sa fety be lt. The tension on the safety belt
and the weight registered by the weight -sens­
ing mat he lp the contro l unit "decide" whether
the front airbag for the front passenger seat
should be turned
off or not c> page 228, Child
restraints on the front seat -some important
things to know .
-A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver
and for the front seat passenger that senses
whether that safety belt is latched or not and
transmits this informat ion to the e lectronic
cont rol u nit.
_&, WARNING
Da mage to the front passenge r seat can pre ­
vent the front airbag from work ing prope rly .
- I mp roper repair or disassembly of the front
passenger and driver seat will p revent the
Advanced Airbag System from functioning
proper ly.
-Repairs to the front passenger seat mus t be
performed by qualified and proper ly trained
workshop personne l.
- Never remove the front passenger or driver seat from the vehicle.
-Never remove the upholstery from the front
passenger seat.
-N ever d is a ssemble o r remove pa rts from the
seat or disconnect wi res from it.
- N ever carry sharp objects in your pocke ts or
p lace them on the seat. If the weight-sens ­
ing mat in the passenger seat is p unctured
it ca nnot work proper ly.
- Never carry things on your lap or carry ob­
jects on the passenger seat. S uch items can
increase t he weight reg istered by the
weight-sensing mat and send the wrong in­ formation to the a irbag control u nit.
- Never store items under the front passenger
seat . Parts of the Advanced Airbag System
under the passenger seat cou ld be dam­
aged, preventing them and the airbag sys­
tem from worki ng p roperly.
- Never place seat covers or replacement up­
holstery that have not been specifically ap­
proved by A ud i on the front seats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced A ir­
bag System from recognizi ng ch ild

the doors, over or near the area marked
"AIRBAG" on the steering wheel, instru­
ment pane l, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourself . These objects
cou ld cause injury in a crash, especially
when the airbags inflate .
-Never recline the front passenge r's seat to
transport objects. Items ca n also move into
the area of the side airbag o r the front air­
bag during bra king or in a sudden maneu­
ver. Objects near the airbags can become
projectiles and cause in jury, particularly
when the seat is reclined.
A WARNING
T he fine dust created when airbags deploy can
cause breathing problems for people with a
history of asthma or other breathing condi­
tions.
-To reduce the risk of breathing problems,
those w ith asthma or other respiratory con­
ditions should get fresh air right away by
gett ing out of the veh icle or opening w in­
dows or doo rs.
-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 residue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
~ ( USA models )/!{ (Canada models )
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 Airbag System (including the elec­
tron ic control unit, sensor c ircuits and system
~ wir ing) is monitored continuously to make sure
;:::: that it is funct ion ing prope rly whenever the igni-
" ~ tion is on. Each time you switch on the ignition,
~ the airbag monitoring indicator light fl (USA ' Airbag system
models)/EI (Canada models) w ill come on for a
few seconds (se lf diagnostics).
The system must be inspected when the
indicator light
II (USA models)tE,I (Canada
models) :
-does not come on when the ignition is switched
on,
-does not go out a few seconds after you have
sw itched on the ignition, or
-comes on while driving.
If an airbag system malfunction is detec ted, the
indica tor light will come on to serve as a constant
reminder to have the system inspected immedi­
ately .
If a malfu nction occurs that turns the front air­
bag on the passenger side off, the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
erly cannot prov ide supplemental protect ion
i n a fronta l crash.
-If the airbag indicator light ¢ page 23
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer.
It is poss ible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or w ill not inf late when it should.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fi g. 232 Sect io n from th e instrument panel: PASSENGER
AIR BAG O FF lig ht
T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in
the center of the instrument
panel ¢ fig. 232. Ill>
237

u. co ..... N
" N ..... 0 0 :c ' his or her back up against the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined ¢
page 209, Correct
passenger seating positions,
- the adult is not taking weig ht off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or supporting
their we ight on the armrest,
- the safety be lt is being 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 incorrect read ing or
impression on the weight-sens ing mat under
the upholstery of the seat have been removed
from the front passenge r seat,
- a safety belt extender has not been left in the
safety belt latch for the front passenger seat.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light in the center of the instrument panel, the
message
PAS SENG ER AIR BAG OFF or PAS SEN­
GER AIR BAG ON
w ill br iefly appear in the instru­
ment cluster display . T his is to inform the dr iver
of the curre nt front passenge r airbag status.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental p rotection
in a frontal crash .
- If the airbag indicator l ight¢
page 23
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, have
the system inspected immed iate ly by yo ur
au thori zed Au di dealer. It is possible that
the a irbag will in flate when it is not s up­
posed to, or will not inflate when it shou ld .
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a
child restraint, or in a rearward-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-facing child re­
straint that has not been properly installed
w ill be seriously injured and can be killed.
- Even though your veh icle is equipped with
an Advanced Airbag System, make certain
that all ch ild ren, especially 12 years and
Airbag syste m
younger, always ride on the bac k seat prop­
erly rest rained for the ir age and s ize.
- Always install forward or rea r-facing child
seats on the rea r seat
-even w ith an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- If you must install a rea rward-facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because o f
except ional circumstances and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear and
s tay on, immed iate ly ins tall the rea r-facing
child sea t in a rear seat ing pos ition and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
deale r.
- A tight tether or other strap on a rearward­
facing ch ild restraint attached to the front
p a ssenger se at c an put too much pressure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and
register more weight than is actually on the
seat . The heav ier 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
serio us or even fatal injury to the child .
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenge r seat, always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat 's
fore and aft ad justment range, as far away
from the airbag as poss ible. The back res t
m ust be adjusted to an upr igh t position.
Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
wheneve r the ignit ion 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 tak ing the steps
described above, make sure the adult is p roperly sea ted and restra ined a t one of the
rear sea ting posit ions.
- Have the ai rbag system inspected by your
Aud i deale r before transpo rting anyone on
the front passenge r seat.
239

Airbag syste m
(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 w ill be turned off,
and the
PASSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light will
stay on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the a irbag system are installed at many
d ifferent p laces on your Aud i. Install ing, remov­
i n g, servic ing o r repa iring a part in an area of the
ve hicle can damage a pa rt of an airbag system
and prevent that system from working properly
in a co llision .
There are some important t hings yo u have to
know to make sure th at the effect iveness of the
system wi ll not be impaired and that dis carded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment .
A WARNING
Improper care, serv icing and repair proce­
dures can increase the r isk 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
i ng wheel horn pad or a irbag cover or the in­
strument pa ne l or mod ify them in any way.
-Never attach any objects such as cup holders
o r te lephone mount ings to the surfaces cov­
er ing the ai rbag units.
-For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
pane l, use on ly a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners cou ld damage the airbag cover or change
the stiffness or st rengt h of the materia l so
t h at the airbag cannot dep loy and protect
properly.
-Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
-All work on the stee ring wheel, i nstr ument
pane l, front seats or electrical system (in ­
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
ce llular telephones and CB rad ios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
240
who has the training and specia l equipment
necessary.
-F or any work on the airbag system, we
strong ly recommend that you see yo ur au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
-Never modify the front b umper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate w ithout interference:
-Never install seat covers or replaceme nt
upholstery ove r the front seatbacks that
have not bee n specific ally app roved by
A udi.
-Neve r use additional seat c ushi ons that
cover the areas where the side airbags in ­
flate.
-Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs o r to
t h e seam in the area of the s ide airb ag
module mus t always be repai red immedi ­
ate ly by an authorized Audi dealer.
-The airb ag sys tem can be act iv a ted only
once . A fter an airbag has in flated, it must
be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qua lified tech nic ian who has the technical
information, train ing and spec ial equ ipment
necessary.
-The airbag system can be deployed only
once. After an airbag has been deployed, it
must be replaced with new rep lacement
parts des igned and approved espec ially for
your Aud i model version. Replacement of
comp lete airbag systems or airbag compo­
nents must be perfo rmed by qualified work­
shops only. M ake sure that any a irb ag se rv ­
ice act ion is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE ­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
-For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
a lter nator and starter a re separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic circu it
interrupter.
-Wo rk on the pyrotechnic c ircuit inte rrupt­
e r must o nly be perfo rmed by a qua lified
dealer
-r isk of an a cciden t!
-If the vehicle or the c ircuit inte rr u pte r is
sc rapped, all appli cable safety p recau tions
mus t be followed.
..,.

lL t:0 ....
'"" ......
'"" .... 0 0 :c ' airbags have deployed. The airbags also inflate
with a great deal of force and it is important for
occupant safety that nothing should be in their
way when they deploy .
Full y inflated airbags in comb ination with proper­
ly worn safety belts slow down and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement and help to reduce
the risk of injury.
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
wear safety belts correctly and ride in a proper
seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
to provide supplemental protection .
A WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious in­
jury. Wearing safety belts incorrectly and im­
proper seating positions increase the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect you
properly if you are seated too close to any of
the airbag locations. When adjusting their
seat positions, it is important that both the
driver and the front passenger keep their
upper bodies and knees at the following
minimum safe distances :
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instrument
panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- The risk of personal injury increases if you
lean forward or to the side, or if the seat is
improperly positioned and you are not wear­
ing your safety belt. The risk increases even
more should the airbag deploy.
-Always make sure that the knee airbag can inflate without interference. Objects be­
tween you and the airbag can increase the risk of injury in an accident by interfering
Airbag system
with the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed into you as the airbag deploys.
- Never let anybody, especia lly children or
animals r ide in the footwell in front of the
passenger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can result in serious or fatal injuries.
- Never carry objects of any kind in the foot­
well area in front of the driver's or pas­
senger's seat . Bulky objects (shopping
bags, for example) can interfere with or
prevent proper deployment of the airbag.
Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you
or your passengers.
- 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 are incorrectly seated, their risk
of injury increases in a collision
<=> page 249, Child safety .
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 235 Side a irbag locatio n in the driver's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests
<=> fig . 235 and the rear back­
r est facing the doors . They are identified by the
word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
-the electronic control module and external side
impact sensors
.,..
243

lL t:0 ....
"' ......
"' .... 0 0 :c ' 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. 236 Inflated side airbags on left side of vehicle , rea r
side airbag
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 additional protection, the side airbag must inflate within a
fraction of a second at very high speed and with
great force. The supplemental side airbag could
injure you if your seating position is not proper or
upright or if items are located in the area where
the supplemental side airbag expands . This ap­
plies especially to children
~ page 249, 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
~ fig. 236.
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 the airbag deploys .
This is normal and does not mean there is a fire
in the vehicle.
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.
_&. 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
.,._
245

Airbag syste m
items are located in the area where the supp le­
mental side curtai n airbag inflates . This applies
especia lly to
children ¢ page 249 .
Although they a re not a soft p illow, s ide c urtain
airbags can "cushion" the impact and in this way
they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the head and the upper part of the body .
A fine dus t may deve lop when the airbag deploys.
This is quite normal and does not mean there is a
fire in the vehicle .
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain 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 do to help the safety be lts and airbags
do their job to provide supp lemental protect ion.
A WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper
seating posit ions increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death whenever a vehicle
is being used .
- Never let occ upants place any parts of the ir
bodies in the area from which the side cur­
ta in a irbags inflate.
- Always make sure that the side curtain air­
bags can inflate witho ut interference. Un­
s u itable accessories fit ted inside the expan­
sion range o f a side curtain airbag can dan­
gerously interfere with its function. A de ­
ploying head airbag develops enough force
to catapult any piece o f add-on component
o ut of its path of inflat ion and into the pas­
senger compartment. An occupant hit by
s u ch a projectile can suffer ser ious injury or
death ¢ page 339, Technical Modifications .
-Do not swivel the sun visors to the side if
yo u have any objects clipped onto them (for
example pens) . If the airbag should deploy,
you could be injured by these objects.
- Use the built- in coat hooks on ly for light­
weight cloth ing . Neve r leave any heavy or
sharp-edged objects in t he pockets that may
248
inter fere with a irbag deployment and can
cause persona l injury in an accident.
- Never use hangers to hang clothing from
the hooks.
- On ly use factory-insta lled sun shades or, in
the case of shades installed after the vehicle leaves the factory, only Audi roll-up
sunscreens may be
used¢ page 338, Addi­
tional accessories and parts replacement .
-Always sit in p roper seating position and
wear safety belts while traveling so that the
side curtain airbags can help p rovide protec­
tion .
- The a irbag system can only be triggered
once . If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an autho rized
Aud i dea le r o r qualified workshop.
- Always have wo rk involv ing the side curtain
airbag system, remova l and installat ion of
the airbag components, or other repairs pe rformed by a qualified dealers hip . Other­
wise the airbag system may not work cor­
rectly.
- Never attem pt to mod ify any com ponen ts of
the airbag system in any way .

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' Child safety
Important information
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision .
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash apply also to children
c> page 220, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults and
teenagers, their muscles and bones are not fully
developed. In many respects children a re at
greater r isk of se rious injury in c rashes than
ad ults .
Because ch ildren's bodies are not fully devel­
oped, they requ ire restra int systems especially
des igned for their size, we ight, and body struc ­
ture. Many coun tries and a ll states of the United
States and p rovinces of Canada have laws requi r­
ing the use of approved child restraint systems
for infants and small children .
In a frontal crash at a speed of 20 -3 5 mp h
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13-pound
(6 kg) infant will be more than 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the
child would sudden ly be more than 260 pounds
(120 kg) . Under these condit ions, only an appro­
priate ch ild restraint properly used can reduce
the r isk of serious injury . Child restra ints, like
adu lt safety belts, must be used properly to be
effect ive. Used imp roperly, they can increase the
risk of ser ious injury in an acc ident .
All ch ildren, especially those 12 years and young­
er must a lways r ide in the back seat properly re­
stra ined fo r their age and size. If you must insta ll
a child restra int on t he front passenger seat in
exceptional circumstances, be sure to read and h eed the important information and warnings
c> page 228. Infants and other chi ldren who are
properly restrained in an appropriate child re ­
stra int that is for their size and age can benefit
from the protection that supplemental s ide air­
bags provide in some kinds of crashes.
For more information please see information
provided by the:
Ch ild saf ety
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), currently at: http ://
www .safercar .gov (for the USA)
- Transport Canada Information Centre, current-
ly at: http://www .tc .gc .ca (for Canada)
Cons ult the ch ild safety seat manuf acture r's in­
structions in order to be sure t he seat is right for
yo ur chi ld's size
c> page 252, Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats .
Please
be sure to read and heed all of the important in­
format ion and WARNINGS about ch ild safety,
Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child
restra ints in this chapter .
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad­
vanced Airbags in your veh icle and how they work
whe n infants and children in child restraints are
on the fro nt passenger seat . Because of the large
amount of important informat ion, we cannot re­
peat it all he re . We u rge you to read the detailed
i nformat ion in this owner 's ma nual about airbags
and the Advanced Airbag Sys tem in yo ur veh icle
and the very important information about trans ­
porting children on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they are
extremely important for your safety and the safe­
ty of your passengers, especially infants and
small ch ildren .
A WARNING
-
-Accide nt statistics have shown that children
are generally safer in the rear seat area than
i n the front seat ing pos it ion. Always restrain
a ny child age 12 and unde r in t he rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children
m ust be restra ined prope rly whe never r id ing
i n a vehicle. An u nres tra ined o r improperly
rest rained chi ld cou ld be inju red by st riking
the interio r or by being ejected from the ve ­
hicle during a sudden maneuver or impact.
An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is a lso at greater r isk of injury or death
through contact w it h an inflating a irbag.
- A suitable ch ild restraint properly installed
and used at one of the rear seating positions
prov ides the h ighest degree of protect io n
for infants and small children in most acc i­
dent situat ions .
249