2018 AUDI TT ROADSTER Owners Manual

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met, be sure to check the light regularly to make
certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF "1;
light stays on continuously whenever the ignition
is on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF "1; light
does not appear on and does not stay on all the
time, stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
- reactivate the system by turning the ign ition
off for more than 4 seconds and then turning it
on again;
- remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make
sure that the child restraint is properly instal­ led and that the safety belt for the front pas­
senger seat has been correctly routed through
the child restraint as descr ibed in the child re­
straint manufacturer's i nstr uctions;
- make sure that the convertible locking retrac­
tor on the safety be lt for the front passenger
seat has bee n activated and that the safety belt
has been pulled tight.
- make sure that no electrical device (such as a
laptop, CD player, elect ronic games dev ice,
power inverter or seat heater for child seats) is
placed or used on the front passenger seat if
the device is connected to the 12 ·vo lt socket or
the cigarette lighter socket;
- make sure that no seat heater has been retro­
fitted or otherwise added to the front passen­
ger seat;
- make sure that nothing can interfere with the
safety belt buckles and that they are not ob­
structed;
- make sure that there are no wet objects (such
as a wet towel) and no water or other liquids on
the front passenger seat cush ion.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF~; light still
does not come on ...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF "1; light still
does not come on and does not stay on continu­
ously (when the ignition is sw itched on),
- take the child restraint off the front passenger
seat and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dealer immed iate ly.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ~; light
should NOT come on ...
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ~; light should
NOT come on when the ign ition is on and an
Airbag system
adult is sitting in a proper seating position on the
front passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG
OFF ~; light comes on and stays on whi le
driv ing, under these c ircumstances, make sure
that:
- the adult on the front passenger seat is proper ­
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion w ith
his or her back up against the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined,
- the adult is not taking weight off the seat by holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or support ing
their weight on the armrest,
- the safety belt is being properly worn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web­
b ing,
- there are no aftermarket seat covers or cush­
ions or other things (such as blankets) on the
front passenger seat that might cause the ca­
pacitive passenge r detection system to miscal­
culate e lectr ica l capacitance.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
-
-If the status of the Advanced Airbag System
has changed while the vehicle is moving, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF "1; ON@ light
blinks for about 5 seconds to catch the driv­
er 's attention. If this happens, always stop
as soon as it is safe to do so and check the
steps described above .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF "1; light
does not go off when an adult who is not
very small is sitting on the front passenger
seat after taking the steps described above,
have the airbag system inspected by your
author ized Audi dealer before transporting
anyone on the front passenger seat.
A WARNING
-
An air bag system that is not functioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental protection
in a fronta l crash.
- If the airbag indicator light <=> page 14
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
207

Airbag syste m
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Aud i dealer. It is possible that
the a irbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a
child restra int, or in a rearward-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-facing child re­
st raint that has not been p roperly installed
w ill be seriously injured and can be killed.
- If you must install a rearward-fac ing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of
exceptional c ircumstances and the
PA SSEN­
GER AIR BAG
OFF ,;; light does not appear
and stay on, have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your Audi dealer.
- If, in exceptiona l circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing chi ld restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into its rearmost pos ition in the seat's
fore and aft adjustment range, as far away
from the airbag as possible. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright posit ion .
Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF ,;; light comes on and stays on a ll the
t ime whenever the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ~; ligh t does
not go o ut when an adult is s itting on the
front passenger seat after taking the steps described above, have the airbag system in­
spected by your Audi dealer before transport­
ing anyone on the front passenger seat.
(D Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection system
determines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the frontal airbag on the passenger
side w ill be turned off, and the
PA SSENGER
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. Insta lling, remov-
208
ing, servicing or repair ing a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system
and prevent that system from work ing properly
i n a coll is ion.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system will not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment .
A WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
du res can increase the risk of personal in jury
and death by p reventing an airbag from de­
p loying when needed or deploy ing an a irbag
unexpectedly:
-
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­
ing wheel ho rn pad or airbag cover or the in­
s trumen t panel or modify them in any way.
- Never attach any objects s uch as c up ho lde rs
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
ering the a irbag un its.
- For cleaning the horn p ad or instr ument
panel, use only a soft, dry doth or one mois­
tened w ith plain water . Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change
the stiffness o r strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, ad just, or change any parts o f
the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instrument
panel, front seats or e lectr ica l system ( in­
cluding the installation of a udio eq uipment,
cellular te lephones and CB radios, etc.)
m ust be performed by a qualified techn ician
who has the training and spec ial equipment
necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strong ly recommend tha t you see you r au­
thori zed A udi dealer or qualified wo rkshop.
- Never modify the front bumper or pa rts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side a irbag can
inflate w ithout interfe rence:

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-Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
Aud i.
- Never use add itiona l seat cushions that
cover the areas where the s ide airbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the origina l 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
rep laced with new rep lacement parts de­
signed and approved especially fo r you r
Audi mode l 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 pyrotechn ic circuit
interrupter.
-Work on the pyrotechnic circu it 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 app licab le safety precautions
must be followed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perch lorate Materi­
al
-special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­
rate . When the veh icle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts with p retensioners are scrapped,
all appli cable laws and regulations must be
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
m il iar with these requi rements and we re com­
mend that you have you r dealer per form this
service for you.
Airbag syste m
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 cont rol u nit. Some suspension c hanges
can, for example, increase the fo rce leve ls meas­
u red by the sensors and make t he a irbag system
deploy in crashes in which it wou ld 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 a irbag from deploy­
ing when it should.
A WARNING
-
Changing the vehicle's suspension including use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag perfo rmance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac­
ter istics as the components o riginally instal­
led on your vehicle .
-Never use tire-rim combin ations that have
not been approved by Audi .
209

Airbag system
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants .
Fig. 165 Driver's k nee a irbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
underneath the steering
wheel ¢ fig. 165, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same
height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection to
the driver's and passenger's knees and upper and
lower thigh areas and supplements the protec­
tion provided by the safety belts.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collisions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control unit is met
¢ page 203, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keep the driver or front passenger in
posi tion in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can prov ide 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 . T his is why you should
always wear your safety belt, not just because
the law requires yo u to do so ¢
page 187, Gener­
al notes.
210
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
on ly 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 strikes or is struck by
another after the first collision .
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. Therefore, always wear your
safety belts correctly.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
plemental knee airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other inju­
ries, for example, swelling, bruising and minor
abras ions 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 warning light in the instrument clus-
ter
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignition is switched off
- in frontal collisions when the decelerat ion
measured by the control unit is too low
-in side collisions
-in rear-end collisions
-in rollovers
-in the event of a system malfunction (warning/
ind icator light is on)
¢ page 14 .
.&, WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
¢page 203 .
-If the airbag ind icator light ¢ page 14
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately 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 should.

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How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags.
Fig. 166 Inflated airbags protecting in a frontal collision
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger deploy in certain but not all frontal 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 propellant 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 ~ page 203, fig. 163.
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 lower ex­
tremities.
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the
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 .
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.
Airbag system
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 passenger must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
to provide supplemental protection.
_& 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 in (25 cm) between the chest
and the steering wheel/instrument panel.
-at least 4 in (10 cm) between the knees and the lower part of the instrument pan­
el.
-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
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
~
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 are incorrectly seated, their risk
of injury increases in a collision
c:> page 216, Child safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 167 Side airbag locat ion in t he drive r's se at
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests
c:> fig. 167 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 187,
Airbag system c:>page 194, Child safety
c:> page 216 .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
-the electronic control module and externa l side
impact sensors
212
-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 ically to
make certain that it is functioni ng properly 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 on
the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side col­
lision. The airbag deploys in side impacts and on­
ly when the vehicle acceleration registered by the
control unit is high enough. If this rate is below
the reference value programmed into the control
unit, the side airbags will not be tr iggered, even
though the car may be badly damaged as a result
of the collision.
It is not possible to define an air­
bag triggering range that w ill cover every possi­
ble angle of impact, since the circumstances will
vary considerably between one collision and an­
other. Important factors include, for example,
the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting object,
the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.
c:> page 214, Important safety instructions 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 protection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the side airbag system can only
help to protect you if you are 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 187, General notes.
It is impo rtant to remember that while the sup­
plemental side airbag system is designed 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 wi ll 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
ve hicle damage are not necessarily an indication
of over-sensitive or failed airbag act ivation. In
some collisions, both front and side a irbags may
inflate. Remember too, that airbags will deploy
only once and only in ce rtain kinds of coll is ions
-
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 already
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 214.
-If the airbag indicator light q page 14
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immed iate ly by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the a irbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
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. 168 Inflated side airbag on left 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. The supplemental sid e a irbag 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
¢ page 216, Child
safety.
Supplementa l side airbags inflate be ­
tween the occupant and the door panel on the
s ide of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collision ¢
fig. 168.
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 veh icle.
213

Airbag syste m
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
p roperly wear safety belts and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and act accord ingly to help t he safety be lts
and a irbags do the ir 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
r isk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used .
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when
the supplemental s ide airbag inflates:
- Always sit in an up right posit ion and never
lean ag ainst the area where the s upple­
mental side airbag is located.
-
- Never let a chi ld or anyone else rest the ir
head agains t the side t rim p anel in the
area whe re the supp lemental s ide a irbag
inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the fron t seat
put their hand or any other parts o f the ir
body out of the window .
- Always make sure tha t the side airbag can
inflate without inter ference.
- Never install seat covers or rep lacement
upho lstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
Aud i.
- Never use add itiona l seat cushions that
cover the areas where the s ide airbags de­
ploy .
- Damage to the origina l seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
mod ule m ust always be repaired immed i­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
- Objects between you and the airbag can in­
cr ease t he risk of inju ry in an accident by in­
te rfe ring w ith the way the airb ag unfo lds or
214 by being pushed
into you as the airbag in­
flates .
- Never place or attach accessor ies or other
ob jects (s uch as cup ho lde rs, telephone
bracke ts, or even l arge, b ulk y objec ts) on
the doors, over or near the area mar ke d
"A IRBAG" on the seat backrests .
- Such objec ts and accessories can become
dange ro us projecti les 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 trave l in this position .
- Always prevent the side airbags from being
damaged by heavy objects knocking against
or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
- The a irbag system can only be triggered
once . If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Aud i dealership.
- Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to the
or iginal seat covers or to the seam in the
area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized
Aud i dea le r.
- If ch ildren are seated imprope rly, thei r risk
of injury increases in the case of an accident
~ page 216, Child safety .
-Never attempt to mod ify 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 press ure inside the
doors when a ir e scapes th rough large r, un­
closed openings in the door p anel.
- Never dr ive with interior door t rim panels
removed.
- Never dr ive when parts have been re­
moved from the inside door panel and the
openings they leave have not been proper­
ly closed .
- Never dr ive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly closed .