
Parking syste m s 
Parking  systems 
General  information 
A pplies  to:  ve hicles w ith  rear  park in g syste m/pa rk in g system 
p lus 
Depending  on  your  vehicle 's  equipment , various 
parking  aids  will  help  you  when  parking  and  ma 
neuvering. 
The 
r ea r p arki ng  sys te m is an  aud ible  parking  a id 
that  warns  you  of  obstacles 
behind the  vehicle 
¢ page 81. 
The parki ng sys te m  plu s assists  you  when  park 
ing  by aud ibly and  visually  indicating  objects  de
tected 
in front  of and behind the  veh icle 
¢ page 81. 
The rea rv iew  ca mera shows  the  area  behind  the 
veh icle  in the  Infotainment  system  d isplay . The 
lines  in the  rearv iew  camera  image  he lp you  to 
pa rk or  maneuve r 
¢page 82. 
_& WARNING 
-Always  look  for  traff ic and  check  the  area 
around  your  vehicle  by  looking  at  it  direct ly 
as  well.  The  parking  system  cannot  replace 
the  driver's  attention . The  driver  is always 
responsib le when  entering  or  leaving  a  park
ing  space  and  during  similar  maneuvers. 
- Please  note  that  some  surfaces,  such  as 
clothing,  are  not  detected  by the  system. 
-
- Sensors  and  cameras  have  blind  spots  in 
which  people  and  objects  cannot  be  detect
ed . Be especially  cautious  of  small  children 
and  animals. 
- The  sensors  can  be  displaced  by  impacts  or 
damage  to  the  radiator  gr ille,  bumper, 
wheel  housing  and  the  underbody . The  park 
i ng  system  may  be  impa ired  as  a  result . 
Have  an  authorized  Audi dealer  or  author
ized  Audi  Serv ice  Facility  check  their  func 
t ion. 
- Make  su re the  senso rs a re  not  obst ructed  by 
st ickers,  depos its  or  othe r ma ter ia ls. 
If they 
are,  the  senso r funct io n  could  be  impai red . 
For  additiona l information  on  cleaning,  see 
¢ page 266 . 
80 
@ Note 
-Some  objects  are  not  detected  or  disp layed 
by t he system  under  certain  c ircumstances: 
- objects  such  as  barrier  cha ins,  tra iler  draw 
bars,  vertical  po les  or  fences 
- objects  above  the  sensors  such  as  wall  ex 
tensions 
- objects  with  certain  surfaces  or  structures 
such  as  cha in  link fences  or  powder  snow 
- If you  continue  driving  closer  to  a  low  ob
ject,  it  may  disappear  from  the  sensor  range . Note  that  you  will  no  longer  be 
wa rned  about  th is  obstacle. 
- Keep  enough  distance  from  the  curb  to  re
duce  the  risk  of  damage  to  the  rims . 
(D Tips 
-The  system  may  provide  a warning  even  
though  there  are  no  obstacles  in the  cover
age  area  in some  situations,  such  as : 
- certain  road  surfaces  or  when  there  is tall  grass 
- externa l ultrasonic  sources  such  as  from 
cleaning  vehicles 
- in  heavy  rain,  snow,  or  th ick vehicle  ex
h a u st 
- We  recommend  that  you  practice  par king  in 
a traffic -free  location  or  parking  lot  to  be 
come  familiar  with  the  system . When  doing 
this,  there  shou ld  be  good  light  and  weath 
er  conditions. 
- You can  change  the  vo lume  of  the  signa ls. 
- What  appea rs  in the  disp lay  is slight ly de -
layed. 
- Th e sensors  m ust  be  kept  clean  and  free  of 
snow  and  ice for  the  parking  aid  to  operate .  

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Rear  parking  system 
Description 
A pplies  to:  ve hicles  with  rear  park ing  system 
The rear  parking  system  is an  audible  parking 
aid . 
Desc ripti on 
There  is a sensor  in the  rear  bumper  cover.  If 
these  detect  an  obstacle,  audible  signals  warn 
you . 
Make sure  the  sensors  are  not  covered  by stick
ers,  deposits  or  any other  obstructions  as  it  may 
impair  the  sensor  function.  For  informat ion  on 
cleaning,  see 
c::;.page 266 . 
The  range  at  which  the  sensors  begin  to  measure 
is approximately: 
side 3  ft  (0.90  m) 
rear 
center  5.2  ft  (1.60  m) 
The closer  you  get  to  the  obstacle,  the  shorter 
the  interval  between  the  audible  signals . A con
tinuous  tone  sounds  when  the  obstacle  is  less 
than  approximately  1 foot  (0.30  meters)  away. 
Do not  cont inue  back ing  up 
c::;. &. in  General  infor
mation  on page  80, 
c::;. @ in  General  information 
on page  80! 
If the  distance  to  an  obstacle  remains  constant,  
the  volume  of the  distance  warning  gradually 
drops  after  about  four  seconds  (this  does  not  ap ply in the  continuous  tone  range). 
Acti vat ing 
The  rear  parking  assist  activates  a utomatically 
when  the  reverse  gear  is engaged.  A brief  confir 
mat ion  tone  will sound. 
Parking  systems 
Parking  system  plus 
Description 
App lies to:  vehicles  wit h parking  system  pl us 
Parking  system  plus  provides  audio  and  visual  
signals  when  parking. 
Fig . 86 Illust rat io n: 
Sensors  are  located  in the  front  and  rear  bump 
ers.  If these  detect  an  obstacle,  audib le  and  visu 
al signals  warn  you . 
Make  s ure the  sensors  are  not  covered  by st ick
ers,  deposi ts or  any  other  obstruc tions  as  it  may 
impa ir the  se nsor  function.  For information  on 
cleaning,  see 
c::;. page  266 . 
The  display  fie ld  beg ins  approx ima tely at: 
CD 4  ft  (1.20  m) 
0 3 ft  (0.90  m) 
® 5.2  ft  (1.60  m) 
© 3 ft  (0.90  m) 
T he  close r you  get  to  the  obstacle,  the  shorter 
t h e  i nte rval  be twee n the  audible  signa ls . A con
t in u ous  tone  sounds  when  the  obs tacle  is  less 
than  appro ximately  1 foot  (0.30  meters)  away. 
Do not  continue  dr iving forward  or  in reverse 
c::;. &. in  General  information  on page  80, c::;. (D in 
General  information  on page  80! 
If  the  distance  to  an  obstacle  remains  constant, 
the  volume  of the  distance  warn ing  gradua lly 
drops  after  about  four  seconds  (this  does  not  ap
ply in the  continuous  tone  range). 
81  

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the  ignition,  the LED  in the P•1~ button  will blink 
the  next  time  you switch  on the  parking system 
by shifting  into  reverse.  As long as the  error  is ac
tive, you can display the  error  messages  in the  
second  tab  of the  dr iver information  system. 
Parking  system plus* 
If a sensor  or speaker  is fau lty, t he J;l4 symbol 
will appear  in front  of/behind  the  vehicle in the  Infotainment  disp lay. If a  rear  sensor  is faulty, 
only obstacles  that  are  in areas 
(D and @ 
¢ page 81, fig. 86 are  shown.  If a front  sensor  is 
faulty,  only obstacles  that  are  in areas ® 
and@ 
are  shown . 
Drive  to  an authorized  Aud i dea ler  or authorized 
Aud i Service Facility immediately  to  have the 
malfunct ion corrected. 
Parking  systems 
85  

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adjustment  range,  as  far  away  from  the  air 
bag  as  possib le,  before  insta lling  the  for
ward-facing  child  restra int. 
- Always  make  sure  that  the  safety  belt  upper 
anchorage  is  beh ind  the  child  restraint  and 
not  next  to  or  in front  of the  chi ld  restraint 
so  that  the  safety  belt  will be  properly  pos i
t ioned. 
- Always  make  sure  that  there  is  nothing  on  
the  front  passenger  seat  that  w ill cause  the 
capacit ive  passenger  detection  system  in 
the  seat  to  signa l to  the  Airbag  System  that 
the  seat  is occupied  by a  person  w hen  it  is 
not,  or  to  sign al  that  it  is occ upied  by some
one  who  is  heavier  than  t he  pe rson  actua lly 
sitting  on  the  seat . The  presence  of addi
tiona l objects  could  ca use  the  passenge r 
front  airbag  to  be  turned  on  when  it shou ld 
be  off,  or  could  cause  the  airbag  to  work  in  a 
way  that  is  different  from  the  way  it  would 
have  worked  wi tho ut  the  object  on  t he  seat . 
- Make  sure  that  the 
PASSENGER AIR BAG 
OFF ~; light  comes  on  and  stays  on  all  the 
t ime  w henever  the  ignition  is sw itc hed  on. 
Advanced  Airbag System  components 
The front  passenger  seat  in you r vehicle  has  a  lot 
of very  impo rtant  parts  of  the  Advanced  Airbag 
Sys tem  in  it.  These  pa rts  in cl ude  the  capaci tive 
passenger  detection  system,  w iring,  brac kets, 
and  more.  The  control  unit  monitors  the  system 
on  the  front  passenger  seat  when  the  ignition  is  
switched  on  and  turns  the  airbag  indicator  light 
on  when  a  malfunct ion  in the  one  of  the  system 
components  is detected 
¢ page 206. Because 
the  front  passenger  seat  contains  important 
pa rts  of the  Advanced  Airbag  System,  you  must 
take  ca re to  prevent  it  from  be ing  damaged . 
D amage  to  the  seat  may  p reve nt  the  Advanced 
A irbag  System  fo r the  fron t passenger  seat  from 
doi ng  its  job  in a  crash. 
The front  Advanced  Airbag System  consists  
of  the  following : 
-Cr ash  sensors  in the  front  of  the  vehicle  t hat 
measure  vehicle  accelerat ion/dece lerat ion  to 
Airbag  syste m 
prov ide  information  to  the  Advanced  A irbag 
System  about  the  severity  of the  cras h. 
- An electronic  contro l uni t, with  integrated 
cras h sensors  for  front  and  side  impacts . The 
control  unit  "decides"  whether  to  fire  the  front  
airbags  based  on  the  information  rece ived  from 
the  crash  sensors . The  control  unit  also  "de
cides"  whether  the  safety  belt  pretensioners 
should  be  activated. 
- An Advanced  A irbag  w it h  gas  generator  for  the 
driver  inside  the  steering  wheel  hub . 
- An Advanced  A irbag  w ith  gas  generator  inside 
the  instrument  panel  for  the  front  passenger. 
- A capacit ive  passenger  detection  system  under 
neat h the  front  passenger  seat  cover.  This  sys
tem  meas ures  the  e lectr ica l capacitance  of  the 
person  in the  seat.  The  informat ion  registered 
is sent  cont inuously  to  the  elect ronic  contro l 
un it  to  reg ulate  dep loymen t of  the  front  Ad
vance d Airbag  on  the  p assenger  side. 
- An airbag  monitor ing  system  and  ind icator 
ligh t 
El in the  inst rument  cl uste r. 
- A sensor  in  each  front  seat  registe rs the  d is
t ance  betwee n the  respective  seat  and  the 
s teer ing  whee l o r i nst rument  p anel.  The  infor
mation  registered  is sent  con tinuous ly to  the 
elect ronic  contro l unit  to  regu late  dep loyment 
of the  front  Advanced  Airbags . 
- The 
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ~; lig ht  comes 
on  and  stays  on  in the 
headliner¢ page 206, 
fig. 164 and  tells  you  when  the  front  Advanced 
Airbag  on  the  passenger  side  has  been  turned 
off. 
- A sensor  in the  safety  be lt  latch  for  the  driver 
and  for  the  front  seat  passenger  that  senses 
whether  that  safety  be lt  is  latched  or  not  and 
transmits  this  information  to  the  e lectronic 
control  un it . 
A WARNING 
-
Damage  to  the  front  passenge r seat  can  pre
vent  the  front  airbag  from  wo rk ing  prope rly. 
- Imp roper  repair  or  d isassembly  of  the  front 
passenger  and  driver  seat  will  p reve nt  the 
Advanced  A irbag  Sys tem  from  f unct io ni ng 
p roperly . 
201  

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front  three-point  safety  belts  to help  reduce the 
risk of  injury  in a wide  range  of  accident  and 
crash  situations.  Be sure  to  read  the  important 
information  about  safety  and  heed the  WARN
INGS in this  chapter. 
Deployment  of the  Advanced  A irbag  System  and 
the  activation  of the  safety  belt  pretensioners  de
pend  on  the  deceleration  measured  by the  crash 
sensors  and  registered  by the  electronic  control  
unit . Crash  severity  depends on  speed  and  decel 
eration  as  well  as  the  mass  and  stiffness  of the 
vehicle  or  object  involved in the  crash . 
On the  passenger  side,  regardless of  safety  belt 
use,  the  front  passenger  frontal  airbag  will  be 
turned  off  if the  electrical  capacitance  measured 
by the  capacitive  passenger  detection  system  on 
the  front  passenger  seat  is less  than  the amount 
programmed  in the  electronic control  unit.  The 
front  passenger  frontal airbag will  also  be  turned 
off  if the  capacitance  measured  by the  system  for 
the  front  passenger  seat  equals  that  of  an  infant  
of  about  one  year  of  age  in  one  of the  child  seats 
that  was  used to  certify  the  Advanced  Airbag  Sys
tem  under  Federal  Motor Vehicle  Safety  Standard 
208.  The 
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF '1; light 
comes  on  and  stays  on  to  tell  you  when  the  front 
Advanced  Airbag  System on  the  passenger  side 
has  been  turned  off 
Q page 206. 
A WARNING 
To reduce  the  risk of injury  when  an  airbag in
flates,  always  wear  safety  belts properly. 
- If you  are  unrestrained,  leaning  forward, sit
ting  sideways  or  out  of  position  in  any way, 
your  risk of  injury  is  much  higher. 
- You will  also receive  serious  injuries  and 
could  even  be  killed  if you  are up against  the 
airbag  or  too  close  to  it when  it  inflates 
-
even  with  an  Advanced  Airbag Qpoge 194. 
Airbag  system 
More important  things  to  know about  front 
airbags 
Fig. 163 Inflated  front  airbags 
Safety  belts  are  important  to  help keep  front 
seat  occupants  in  the proper  seated  position so 
that  airbags  can  unfold  properly and provide  sup
plemental  protection  in a frontal  collision. 
The  front  airbags  are  designed  to  provide  addi
tional  protection  for  the  chest  and  face  of  the 
driver  and  the  front  seat  passenger  when: 
- safety  belts  are  worn  properly, 
- the  seats  have  been  positioned  so  tha t the  oc-
cupant  is  properly  seated  as  far  as  possible 
from  the  airbag. 
Because  airbags  inflate  in the  blink  of an  eye  with  
great  force,  things  you  have  on  your  lap  or  have 
placed  on  the  seat  could  become dangerous  pro 
jectiles,  and  be  pushed  into  you  if  the airbag  in
flates.  
When  an  airbag  deploys , fine  dust  is  released. 
This  is normal  and  is  not  caused  by a  fire  in the 
vehicle . This dust  is  made  up  mostly  of  a  powder 
used  to lubricate  the airbags  as  they deploy. 
It 
could  irritate  skin. 
It is important  to  remember that  while  the  sup 
plemental  airbag  system  is designed  to  reduce 
the  likelihood  of serious  injuries,  other  injuries, 
for  example  swelling,  bruising  and  minor  abra
sions,  can also  happen  when  airbags inflate. Air
bags  do  not  protect  the arms  or the  lower  parts 
of the  body.  Front airbags  supp lement  the  three 
point  safety  belts  only  in some  frontal  collisions  
in  which  the  vehicle  deceleration  is high  enough 
to  deploy  the  airbags. 
IJII,-
203  

Airbag  syste m 
Front  airbag s will  not  d eploy: 
- i f the  ig nition  is switched  off  whe n a cr ash  oc-
cu rs, 
- i n  s ide  collisions, 
- in  rear-end  collisions, 
- in  rollovers, 
- when  the  crash  decelerat ion  measured  by the 
airbag  system  is less  than  the  minimum  thresh 
old  needed  for  airbag  deployment  as  registered 
by the  electronic  contro l unit . 
The front  p assenger  airb ag  will  also  not 
deploy: 
- when  the  front  passenger  seat  is not  occup ied, 
- whe n the  electrical  capac itance  measured  by 
the  capacitive  passenger  detect ion  system  for 
the  front  passenger  seat  indicates  that  the  pas
senger  side  frontal  airbag  must  be  switched  off  
by the  electronic  contro l unit  (the 
PASSENGER 
A IR  BAG 
OFF ~; ligh t~ page 206 and  how 
they  work  comes  on  and  stays  on) . 
.&_ WARNING 
Sitting  in the  wrong  position  can increase the 
risk  of  serious  injury  in  crashes. 
- To reduce  the  risk  of  injury  when  the  airbags  inflate,  the  driver  and  passengers  must  al
ways  sit  in an  upright  position,  must  not 
lean  against  or  p lace  any  part  of  their  body 
too  close  to  the  area  where  the  airbags  are  located. 
- Occupants  who  are  unbelted,  out  of  position  
or  too  close  to  the  a irbag  can  be  seriously 
injured  by an  airbag  as  it  unfolds  with  great 
force  in the  b link of  an 
eye <=;> page 195. 
.&_ WARNING 
A child  in a  rearward-facing  chi ld  seat  insta l
led  on  the  front  passenger  seat  will  be  ser i
ously  inju red  and  can  be  killed  if the  front  air
bag  inflates 
-even  with  an  Advanced  Airbag 
System. 
- T he  inflating  a irbag  w ill hit  the  child  seat  or 
infant  carrier  with  great  force  and  will  
smash  the  chi ld  seat  and  child  against  the 
backrest,  center  armrest,  door  or  roof. 
204 
-
- Never  install  a  rearward  facing  chi ld  safety 
seat  on  the  front  passenger  seat  unless  the 
PAS SEN GER  AIR  B AG OFF ~; light  comes 
on  and  stays  on . If  the 
PA SSENGER AIR 
BAG 
OFF ~; light  does  not  come  on  and  stay 
on,  the  inflat ing  airbag  will  hit  the  chi ld 
safety  seat  or  infant  carrie r wi th great  force 
and  will  smash  the  child  safety  seat  and 
child  against  the  bac krest,  door  or  roof . 
Have the  airbag  system  inspected  immedi
ately  by your  authorized  Audi  dealer . 
.&_ WARNING 
Objects  between  you  and  the  airbag  will  in 
crease  the  r isk  of  injury  in a  crash  by  interfer
ing  with  the  way  the  airbag  unfolds  or  by be 
ing  pushed  into  you  as  the  airbag  inflates. 
- Never  hold  things  in your  hands  or  on your  lap  when  the  veh icle  is  in  use. 
- Never  transport  items  on  or  in the  area  of 
the  front  passenger  seat.  Objects  could 
move  into  the  area  of  the  front  airbags  dur
ing  braking  or  other  sudden  maneuver  and 
become dangerous  projectiles that can 
cause  serious  persona l injury  if the  airbags 
inflate. 
- Never  place  or  attach  accesso ries  o r othe r 
objects  (such  as  cup  holders,  telephone  brackets,  large,  heavy  or  bulky  ob jects)  on 
the  doo rs,  ove r or  near  the  area  ma rked 
"AIRBAG" on  the  steering  wheel,  instru 
ment  panel,  seat  backrests  or  between 
those  areas  and  yourself.  These  objects  
could  cause  injury  in a  crash,  especially 
when  the  a irbags  inflate. 
- Never  recl ine  the  front  passenger's  seat  to 
transport  objects.  Items  can  also  move  into  
the  area  of  the  side  a irbag  or  the  front  air
bag  during  brak ing  or  in a  sudden  maneu
ver.  Objects  near  the  airbags  can  become  projecti les  and  cause  injury,  part icularly 
when  the  seat  is  reclined. 
- Never  p lace  or  t ransport  objects  on  the 
-
front  passenger  seat.  Objects  on  the  front 
passenger  seat  could  ca use  the  capaci tive 
sensor  in  the  seat  to signal  to airbag  system 
that  the  seat  is occ upied  by a  person  when  it 
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-Never  install  seat  covers  or  replacement 
upholstery  over  the  front  seatbacks  that  
have  not  been  specifically  approved  by 
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 
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 
...,