2018 AUDI S3 SEDAN ESP

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occupant safety that nothing should be in their
way when they deploy.
Fully inflated airbags in combination 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
A ppl ies to: ve hicles with knee a ir b ags
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 posit ions increase the r isk 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 persona l 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, especially children or
animals ride 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 294, Child safety .
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 242 Side airbag loc atio n in the driver's se at
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests
<=> fig . 242 and the rear back­
rest* facing the doors.
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
.,.
287

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How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
App lies to: vehicles wi thout power to p
Fig . 2 43 Side impac t protection: inflated side a irbags (ex ·
ample)
Applies to: vehicles wit h powe r top
Fig. 244 Side impact protect ion: inf lated side a irbags
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 s ide trim pane l and the pas­
senger. In order to help prov ide this add itional
protection, the side airbag must inflate within a
fract ion of a second at very high speed and with
g reat force. The supplemental side airbag cou ld
i njure you if your seating position is not p roper or
upright o r if items a re located in the area where
the supplemen tal side airbag expands . This ap­
plies especially to children
c::> page 294, Child
safety.
Supp lemental side airbags inflate be­
tween the occ upant and the door pane l on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certa in side
collis ion
c::> fig. 243, c::> fig. 244.
Although they are not a soft pi llow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
Airbag system
help to reduce the risk of injury to the up per pa rt
of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the a irbag deploys.
Th is is no rma l and does not mean the re is a fi re
in the vehicle .
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 yo ur passengers must
know and act according ly to he lp the safety belts
and airbags do their job to provide supplementa l
protection.
..&. WARNING
-
An inflating s ide a irbag can cause serious or
fatal injury. Improperly wearing safety belts and improper seating posit ions increase the
r isk of ser ious perso na l inju ry and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when
the supplemental side airbag inflates:
- Always s it in an upr ight position and never
lean against the area where the supp le­
mental side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone e lse rest their
head against the side trim panel in the
area where the supplementa l 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 w ithout interference.
- Never install seat covers or repla ceme nt
u pholste ry ove r the front seatbacks that
have not been specif ica lly approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags de-
.
ploy . Ill>
289

Airbag system
How side curtain a irbags work
A pplies to: ve hicles w ith s ide curta in a irbags
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 . 246 Ill ustrat ion of pr inciple : In flated s ide curta in air ·
bags on the left side (example)
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the windows on the side of the vehi­
cle that is struck in a side collision
c::> fig. 246 .
When the system is triggered, the side curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
side curtain airbag must inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with great force .
The s ide curtain airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supple­
mental side curtain a irbag inflates . This applies
especially to children
c::> page 294.
Although they are not a soft pi llow, s ide curtain
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 dust may develop when the airbag deploys.
This is quite normal and does not mean there is a
fire in the vehicle.
292
Important safety instructions on the side
c urtain airbag system
Appl ies to : vehicles wi th side curtain airbags
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 belts and airbags
do their job to provide supplemental protection.
A WARNING
-Improperly wearing safety belts and improper
seating positions increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death whenever a vehicle
is being used.
- Never let occupants place any parts of their
bodies in the area from which the side cur­
tain airbag inflate.
- Always make sure that the side curtain air­
bags can inflate without interference.
- Use the bu ilt-in coat hooks only for light­
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or
sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in a collision.
- Never use hangers to hang clothes on the
hooks.
- On ly use factory-installed sun shades or, if
shades installed after the vehicle leaves the
factory, use only genu ine Audi sun shades.
- Never swing the sun visors over to the side
windows if things such as pens, garage door
openers, hands-free speakers, etc . are at­
tached to the sun visors. They could come
loose and cause serious injury if the side cur­
tain airbag inflates.
- A deploying airbag inflates in a fract ion of a
second and with great force.
- Never attach objects to the cover or in the
deployment zone of a side curtain airbag .
- The airbag deployment zones must be kept clear at al l times. Make sure there are no
objects, pets, or other persons in the space
between any vehicle occupant and any air­
bag at any time .
- Do not attach any accessories to the doors.

Child safety
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
¢ page 261, 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 are at
g reater r isk of serious injury in crashes than
adults .
Because children's bodies are not fully devel­
oped, they require restraint systems especially
designed for their size, weight, and body struc­
ture. Many countries and all states of the United
States and provinces of Canada have laws requir­
ing the use of approved child restraint systems
for infants and small children .
I n a frontal crash at a speed of 20-35 mph
(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 suddenly be more than 260 pounds
(120 kg) . Under these conditions, only an appro­
priate child restraint properly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury. Child restraints, like
adu lt safety belts, must be used properly to be
effect ive. Used improperly, they can increase the
risk of serious injury in an accident.
All ch ildren, especially those 12 years and young­
er must always ride in the back seat properly re­
strained for their age and size. If you must insta ll
a child restra int on the front passenger seat in
exceptional circumstances, be sure to read and
heed the important information and warnings
¢ page 270. Infants and other chi ldren who are
properly restrained in an appropriate child re­
straint that is for their si ze and age can benefit
from the protection that supplemental side air­
bags provide in some kinds of crashes .
For more information please see information
provided by the:
294
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), currently at: http://www.safe ­
rcar.gov (for the USA)
- Tr ansport Canada Information Centre, current-
ly at: http ://www.tc .gc.ca (for Canada)
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's in­
structions in o rder to be sure the seat is right fo r
your c hild's
size ¢ page 298, 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 child safety,
Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child
restraints in this chapter .
T here is a lot you need to know about the Ad­
vanced Airbags in your veh icle and how they work
when infants and children in child res traints are
on the front passenger seat . Because of the large
amount of important informat ion, we cannot re­
peat it all he re . We urge you to read the detailed
info rmat ion in this owner's manual about airbags
and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
and the very important information about trans­
porting children on the front passenger seat.
P lease be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they are
extremely important for your safety and the safe­
ty of your passengers, especially infants and
small children .
A WARNING
-Accident statistics have shown that children
are generally safer in the rear seat area than
in the front seating position. Always restrain
any child age 12 and under in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children
must be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly
restrained child could be injured by striking
the interior 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 ith an inflating airbag.
- A suitable ch ild restraint properly installed
and used at one of the rear seating positions
provides the highest degree of protection
for infants and small children in most acci­
dent situat ions.

Child safety
-Always make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on
all the time whenever the ignit ion is
sw itched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immediate­
ly install the forward-facing child seat in a
rear seating posit ion and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Aud i
dea le r.
- Always buckle the child seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitt ing in it. A
loose child seat can fly around during a
sudden stop o r in a collision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
wheneve r using a child restraint in a vehi­
cle ~ page 260, Safety belts, ~ page 269,
Airbag system
and ~ page 294, Impor­
tant information .
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle during a crash . Damage to
a child restraint that is not visib le could cause
it to fail in another collision situation .
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your veh icle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance w ith United States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208, as well as Canada Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time
your ve hicle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your veh icle has
been cert ified to meet the "low-risk" require­
ments for 3- and 6-year old children on the pas­
senger s ide and small adults on the driver side.
The low risk deployment cr iteria are intended to
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for examp le, by being
too close to the steering whee l and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been certified to comply with the
"suppress ion" requ irements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to
12 months who are restrained on the front pas-
296
senger seat in child restraints t hat are listed in
the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is eq uipped w it h an Ad­
vanced Airbag system, all childr en, especially
those 12 years and younger, shou ld always ride
in the back seat properly restrained for their age
and s ize. The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentially dangerous p lace for a
ch ild to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a ch ild in a forward -facing ch ild safety seat . It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a
larger child in a rearward-facing seat.
The vehicle's Advanced Airbag System has a ca­ pacit ive passenger detection system in the front
passenger seat cushion that can detect the pres­
ence of a baby or a ch ild in a child restraint sys­
tem on this seat.
The capacitive passenger detection system regis­
ters the changes that result in an electrical field
when a child, a chi ld restra int, and a baby b lanket
are on the front passenger seat. The change in
the measured capacitance due to the presence of
a chi ld, a child restraint, and a baby blanket on
the front passenger seat is related to the child
restraint system resting on the seat. The meas­
ured capacitance of a child restraint system var­
i es depending on the type of system and specific
make and model.
The electrical capacitance of the various types, makes, and models of child restraints specified
by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Ad­
ministration (NHTSA) in the relevant safety
standard are stored in the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem control unit together with the capacitances
typ ica l of infants and a 1-year old ch ild. When a
child restraint is used on the front passenger
seat with a typical 1 year-old infant, the Ad­
vanced Airbag System compares the capacitance
measured by the capacitive passenger detection
system with the data stored in the e lectronic con­
tro l unit .

Child sa fety
- Take the chi ld restraint off the front passen ­
ger seat and insta ll it proper ly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
PA SSEN GER AIR
BA G OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Aud i dealer immediately.
(D Tips
The chi ld seats listed in categories A to C have
been statica lly tested by Aud i 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 chi ldren:
~ A lways use the right chi ld safety seat for each
c h ild and a lways use it properly
c::> page 300.
~ Always carefully follow the child safety seat
manufacturer's instructions on how to route
the safety belt properly through the child safe ­
ty seat .
~ When using the vehicle safety be lt to insta ll a
c hi ld safety seat , you must first activate the
conve rtible locking retractor on the safety be lt
to prevent the child safety seat from mov ing
c::> page 305 .
~ Push the child safety seat down wit h your fu ll
weight to get the safety be lt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward or sideways
more than one inch (2.5 cm).
~ Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
c::> page 300 .
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equ ipped w ith an Advanced Airbag system, all
children, especially those 12 years and younger,
should always r ide in the back seat prope rly re­
stra ined fo r th eir age and size.
_& WARNING
N ot using a c hild safety seat, usi ng the w rong
c hild safety seat or imp roper ly installing a
298
chi ld restraint increases t he risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- All vehicle occ upants and especially children
must be restra ined properly whenever rid ing
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly
restrained child cou ld be injured by strik ing
the inter ior or by being ejected from the ve­
h icle dur ing a sudden maneuve r o r i mpact.
An unrest rained or imprope rly rest rai ned
child is a lso at g rea ter r is k of inj ury o r death
through con ta ct w it h an infl ati ng a irbag.
- Commerc ia lly availab le child safety seats
a re requ ired to comply with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle S afety Standard ( FMVSS) 2 13
(in Canada CMVSS 213).
- When buying a child restra int, select one
that fits your chi ld and the vehicle .
- Only use child restra int systems that fully
contact the flat port ion of the seat cush­
i o n. The ch ild restraint must not tip or
lean to e ither side . Audi does not recom­
mend using child safety seats that rest on
l egs or tube -like frames. They do not p ro­
v ide adequate cont act wi th t he seat.
- Always heed all lega l req uirements per­
ta in ing to the inst allation and use of child
sa fe ty seats and caref ully follow the in ­
str uctions provided by the manufact urer
of the seat you are using .
- Never a llow children under 5 7 inc hes
( 1. 45 meters) to wear a normal safety be lt.
They must a lways be restrained by a proper
child restraint system. Otherwise, they
could sustain injuries to t he abdomen and
neck areas dur ing sudden brak ing maneu­
vers or accidents .
- Never let more than one c hild occupy a chi ld
safety seat.
- Never let babies or o lder ch ildren ride in a
ve hicle w hile sitting on the lap of a nother
passenger.
- Holding a c hild in your a rms is never a s ub­
stitute fo r a ch ild restraint system .
- The s tronges t person cou ld no t hold the
c hil d with the forces tha t exist in an acc i­
dent. The c hild will strike the inte rior of
the ve hicle and can also be struck by the
passenger.

Child safety
-Take the child restraint off the front passen­ger 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.
Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
l8 , ,.,_ _ g
---0
Fig. 247 Schematic overv iew: keep unu sed safety belts
away from chi ldren in chil d safety seats. @-outer 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 restraint cannot reach
them
c::> ,&. .
-Guide the safety belt webbings @and ®* be­
hind the head restraint of the seat where the
c hild restraint is installed
c::>fig. 247. When do­
ing 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
300 head restraint of the seat where the child
restraint is installed .
- Never activate the convertible locking 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 re­
straint.
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old and
20 lbs. or
9 kg need special rearward-facing
child restraints that support the back, neck and
head in a crash.
Fig. 248 Sc hema tic ove rview : re arward -facing infan t seat ,
prope rly installed on th e rear 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 child safety seat from moving
c::> page 305 or install the seat using the LA TCH
attachments .
.,. Push the child 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) .
.,. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
c::> page 300 .
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg) are
best protected in special infant carriers and child
safety seats designed for their age group. Many
experts believe that infants and small ch ildren
should ride only in special restraints in which the
child faces the back of the vehicle. These infant
Ill-

Child sa fet y
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 . 2 51 Rea r seat: c hild proper ly restra ined in a booster
seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fi t most
chi ldren un til they are at least 4 ft. 9 in. (57 in­
ches/1. 45 meters) ta ll and weigh about 80 lbs.
(36 kg). Boos ter sea ts raise these chi ld ren up so
that t he safety bel t will pass properly over the
stronger parts of their bodies and the safety belt
can help protect them in a crash.
.. Do no t use the conve rtible locking retra ctor
when using the vehicle's safety belt to rest rai n
a chi ld on a booster seat.
.. The shoulder be lt must lie as close to the cen­
ter of the child's collar bone as possible and must lie flat and s nug on the upper body. It
must never lie across the throat or neck . The
lap belt must lie across the pelv is and never
ac ross the stomach or abdomen . Make sure the
belt lies flat and snug. Pull on the belt to tight­
en if ne cessa ry .
.. Applies to: vehicles with safety be lt height ad­
justment: If yo u must t ransport an older child
in a booster seat on the front passenger seat,
yo u can use the safety belt he ight adjustment
to help adjust the shoulder portion properly.
.. Secure unused safety belts o n the rear seat
¢ page 300.
Ch ild ren up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs or
18 kg) are best protected in ch ild safety seats de­
signed fo r thei r age and we ight . Experts say that
the skeleta l struct ure, particularly the pelvis, of
304 t
h ese children is not fully developed, and they
must not use the vehicle safety belts without a
s ui tab le child restraint .
It is usually best to put t hese chi ld ren in appro­
priate booste r seats. Be sure the booste r seat
meets a ll applicab le safety standards .
Booster sea ts raise the seating posi tion of the
c hi ld a nd reposi tion both the lap and shoulde r
parts of the safety belt so that t hey pass across
the child 's body in the rig ht places. The routing of
the be lt over the ch ild's body is very important
for the chi ld's protection, whether o r not a boos­
ter seat is used. C hildren age 12 and under must
always ride in the rear seat .
Children who are at least 4 ft. 9 in. (57 inches/
1.45 meters) tall can generally use the vehicle 's
three point lap and shoulder belts. Never use the
l ap belt portion of the veh icle's safety belt a lone
to restra in any ch ild, regard less of how big t he
c hil d is . Always remember that chi ldren do not
h ave t he p ronounced pelvic str ucture required fo r
the p roper function of lap be lt po rtion of the ve­
hicle's three point la p and shoulder belts. The
c hil d's safety abso lutely requi res that a lap belt
portion of the safety belt be fastened snug ly and
as low as possib le aro und the pe lvis. Never let
the lap belt portion of the safety be lt pass over
the child's stomach or abdomen .
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink of
an eye and with considerab le force. In order to do
its job , the airbag needs room to inflate so that it
will be there to protect the occupant as the occu­ pant moves forward into the airbag .
A vehicle occupant who is out of pos it ion and too
close to the a irbag gets in the way of an inflating
airbag. When an occupant is too close, he or she
will be struck vio lent ly and w ill rece ive serio us or
possibly eve n fatal injury .
In order for the a irbag to offer protect ion, it is
importa nt that all vehicle occupants, especially
any ch ildren, who must be in the front seat be ­
cause of exceptiona l cir cumstances, be prope rly
r estra ined and as far aw ay from the a irbag as
poss ible. By keeping room between the chi ld's
body and the fron t of the passenger compa rt-
ment, the a irbag can inflate completely and
..,.