8S8012721BA
Airbag system
will not change the way the front passenger's
frontal airbag works, it will no longer be possible
to use the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; ON @
light to make sure that the airbag on/off status is
correct for the occupant on the front passenger
seat. Have the airbag system inspected immedi-
ately by your authorized Audi dealer.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3%; ON @ light
will blink for about 5 seconds when:
— the capacitive passenger detection system,
which switches the front seat passenger's fron-
tal Advanced Airbag on and off, detects a
change in the status of the front passenger
seat.
As soon as the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 7¥; ON
® light stops blinking, always make sure that the
airbag status (on or off) as shown by the light is
proper for the age, size and electrical capacitance
of the person occupying the front passenger seat.
Always make sure that the safety belt for the
front passenger seat is properly fastened.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %¥; / PASSENGER
AIR BAG ON @ light will show the status of the
front seat passenger's frontal Advanced Airbag.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light:
—will come on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied;
— will come on if the electrical capacitance meas-
ured by the capacitive passenger detection sys-
tem for the front passenger seat equals the
combined capacitance of an infant up to about
one year of age and one of the rearward-facing
or forward-facing child restraints listed in Fed-
eral Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
which the Advanced Airbag System in your vehi-
cle was certified; For a listing of the child re-
straints that were used to certify your vehicle's
compliance with the U.S. Safety Standard
> page 212.
— will go out if the front passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult as registered by the capacitive
passenger detection system.
— The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; light must
come on and stay on if the ignition is on and...
—acar bed has been installed on the front pas-
senger seat, or
—arearward-facing child restraint has been in-
stalled on the front passenger seat, or
—a forward-facing child restraint has been instal-
led on the front passenger seat,
—and if the electrical capacitance registered on
the front passenger seat is equal to or less than
the combined capacitance of a typical 1 year-
old infant and one of the rearward-facing or
forward-facing child restraints listed in Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was
certified.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
front airbag will not deploy, and the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF 3; light will stay on.
Never install a rearward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat > page 190, Child re-
straints on the front seat - some important
things to know and & page 210, Child safety.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; light
comes on...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3%; light comes
on when one of the conditions listed above is
met, be sure to check the light regularly to make
certain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #;
light stays on continuously whenever the ignition
is on. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; 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 ignition 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 installed
and that the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been correctly routed through the
child restraint as described in the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions;
— make sure that the convertible locking retractor
on the safety belt for the front passenger seat
has been activated and that the safety belt has
been pulled tight.
— make sure that no electrical device (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child seats) is
placed or used on the front passenger seat if
201
>
8S8012721BA
Airbag system
from the airbag as possible. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position.
Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF %; light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
ZA WARNING
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light does
not go out when an adult is sitting 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.
@ Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection system
determines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the frontal airbag on the passenger
side will be turned off, and the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF 3; light will stay on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many
different places on your Audi. Installing, remov-
ing, servicing or repairing a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system
and prevent that system from working properly
in a collision.
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.
ZA WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce-
dures can increase the risk 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-
ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in-
strument panel or modify them in any way.
— Never attach any objects such as cup holders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov-
ering the airbag units.
— For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois-
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change
the stiffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and protect
properly.
— Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
— All work on the steering wheel, instrument
panel, front seats or electrical system (in-
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
who has the training and special equipment
necessary.
— For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au-
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
— Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
— 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 Au-
di.
— Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags in-
flate.
— 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.
— The airbag system can deploy only once. Af-
ter an airbag has been deployed, it must be
replaced with new replacement parts de-
signed and approved especially for your Audi
model version. Replacement of complete
airbag systems or airbag components must
be performed by qualified workshops only.
Make sure that any airbag service action is
entered in your Audi Warranty & Mainte-
nance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD.
— For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
203
Child safety
Child safety
Important information
Introduction
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash apply also to children
=> page 183, 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
greater risk of serious injury in crashes than
adults.
Because children's bodies are not fully developed,
they require restraint systems especially de-
signed for their size, weight, and body structure.
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.
Ina frontal crash at a speed of 20-35 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13 lbs (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 lbs (120 kg).
Under these conditions, only an appropriate child
restraint properly used can reduce the risk of seri-
ous injury. Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
must be used properly to be effective. Used im-
properly, they can increase the risk of serious in-
jury in an accident.
If you must install a child restraint on the front
passenger seat in exceptional circumstances, be
sure to read and heed the important information
and warnings > page 190. Infants and other chil-
dren who are properly restrained in an appropri-
ate child restraint that is for their size and age
can benefit from the protection that supplemen-
tal side airbags provide in some kinds of crashes.
For more information please see information pro-
vided by the:
— National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), currently at : http://www.safercar.gov
(for the USA)
— Transport Canada Information Centre, currently
at: http://www.tc.gc.ca (for Canada)
210
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's in-
structions in order to be sure the seat is right for
your child's size > page 213, Important safety
instructions
for using child safety seats. Please
be sure to read and heed all of the important in-
formation and WARNINGS about child safety, Ad-
vanced Airbags, and the installation of child re-
straints in this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad-
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they work
when infants and children in child restraints are
on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
amount of important information, we cannot re-
peat it all here. We urge you to read the detailed
information 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.
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 children.
ZA WARNING
All vehicle occupants and especially children
must be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly re-
strained child could be injured by striking the
interior or by being ejected from the vehicle
during a sudden maneuver or impact. An un-
restrained or improperly restrained child is al-
so at greater risk of injury or death through
contact with an inflating airbag.
ZA WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with
Advanced Airbags can be seriously injured or
even killed when an airbag inflates. A child in
a rearward-facing child safety seat installed
on the front passenger seat will be seriously
injured and can be killed if the front airbag in-
flates.
— The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, or
door.
8S8012721BA
Child safety
— Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat if the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG OFF 3%; light does not
turn on and stay on. Have the system in-
spected immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
ZA\ WARNING
— Forward-facing child seats installed on the
front passenger seat may interfere with the
deployment of the airbag and cause serious
personal injury to the child.
— If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety and
well-being require the following special pre-
cautions to be taken:
— Always make sure that the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by its
manufacturer for use on a front passenger
seat with a front and side airbag.
— Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child seat or
infant carrier.
— Never put the forward-facing child re-
straint up against or very near the instru-
ment panel.
— Always move the front passenger seat to
the highest position in the up and down
adjustment range and move it back to the
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible, before installing the
forward-facing child restraint.
— Always make sure that the safety belt up-
per anchorage is behind the child restraint
and not next to or in front of the child re-
straint so that the safety belt will be prop-
erly positioned.
— Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its fore
and aft adjustment range.
— Never place objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child
seats). These may influence the electrical
capacitance measured by the capacitive
passenger detection system and can also
fly around in an accident and cause serious
personal injury.
— Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heat-
er for child seats) on the front passenger
seat if the device is connected to the 12-
volt socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
— Ifa seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger
seat, never install any child restraint sys-
tem on this seat.
— Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or oth-
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.
— Always make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF #; light comes on and stays
on all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
— Never install a forward-facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat if the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light does
not turn on and stay on. Have the system
inspected immediately by an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa-
cility.
— Always buckle the child seat firmly in place
even if a child is not sitting in it. A loose
child seat can fly around during a sudden
stop or in a collision.
— Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restraint in a vehi-
cle > page 182, Safety belts, > page 189,
Airbag system and > page 210, Important
information.
G) Tips
Always replace child restraints that were in-
stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage to
a child restraint that is not visible could cause
it to fail in another collision situation.
211
8S8012721BA
Child safety
For this reason, the United States National High-
way Traffic Safety Administration has published a
list of specific type, makes and models of child
restraints that must be used to certify compli-
ance of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehi-
cle with the suppression requirements of Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. These child
restraints are:
Subpart A - Car bed child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Evenflo Medallion 254 |December 1, 1999
Evenflo Generations
352xxxx
September 25, 2007
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety
Seat Step 2
September 25, 2007
Model Manufactured on or
after
Graco Platinum Cargo | September 25, 2007
Angel Guard Angel September 25, 2007
Ride AA2403FOF
Subpart B - Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century SmartFit 4543 | December 1, 1999
Cosco Arriva
22-013PAW and base
September 25, 2007
ZA WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure
that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light
comes on and stays on whenever a child re-
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
— Never install a reward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat if the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG OFF 3; light does not
turn on and stay on.
— Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer immediately.
22-999WHO
Evenflo Discovery Ad- |December 1, 1999
just Right 212
Evenflo First Choice December 1, 1999
204
Graco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999
Graco Snugride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Primo Viag- | September 25, 2007
gio SIP IMUNOOUS
Subpart C - Forward-facing and convertible
child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout
ESLO2xx
September 25, 2007
Cosco Touriva 02519 December 1, 1999
Cosco Summit Deluxe
High Back Booster
September 25, 2007
22-262
Cosco High Back Boos- | September 25, 2007
ter 22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
37 9Xxxx
@ Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have
been statically tested by Audi only for the Ad-
vanced Airbag function.
a acetamide om eCd ile)
nema aes TL)
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 children:
> Always use the right child safety seat for each
child and always use it properly > page 215.
> 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 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
=> page 219.
213
Child safety
> Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward and sideways
more than 1 in (2.5 cm).
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, a
child should always ride in the seat properly re-
strained for its age and size.
Z\ WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
child safety seat or improperly installing a
child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
— 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 also at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
— Commercially available child safety seats are
required to comply with U.S. Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213 (in
Canada CMVSS 213).
— When buying a child restraint, select one
that fits your child and the vehicle.
— Only use child restraint systems that fully
contact the flat portion of the seat cush-
ion. The child restraint must not tip or
lean to either side. Audi does not recom-
mend using child safety seats that rest on
legs or tube-like frames. They do not pro-
vide adequate contact with the seat.
— Always heed all legal requirements per-
taining to the installation and use of child
safety seats and carefully follow the in-
structions provided by the manufacturer
of the seat you are using.
— Never let more than one child occupy a child
safety seat.
— Never let babies or older children ride ina
vehicle while sitting on the lap of another
passenger.
214
— Holding a child in your arms is never a sub-
stitute for a child restraint system.
— The strongest person could not hold the
child with the forces that exist in an acci-
dent. The child will strike the interior of
the vehicle and can also be struck by the
passenger.
— The child and the passenger can also injure
each other in an accident.
Never install rear-facing child safety seats or
infant carriers on the front passenger seat.
A child will be seriously injured and can be
killed when the passenger airbag inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag System.
The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof.
If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety and
well-being require that the following special
precautions be taken:
— Make sure the forward-facing seat has
been designed and certified by its manu-
facturer for use on a front seat with a pas-
senger front and side airbag.
— Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
— Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position of the passenger
seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and
as far away from the airbag as possible be-
fore installing the child restraint.
— Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its fore
and aft adjustment range.
— Always make sure that the backrest is in
the upright position.
— Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heat-
er for child seats) on the front passenger
seat if the device is connected to the 12-
volt socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
8S58012721BA
Child safety
— If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger
seat, never install any child restraint sys-
tem on this seat.
— Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or oth-
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.
— Never place objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child
seats). These may influence the electrical
capacitance measured by the capacitive
passenger detection system and can also
fly around in an accident and cause serious
personal injury.
— Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or ina collision.
— Always read and heed all WARNINGS when-
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used > page 182, Safety belts,
=> page 189, Airbag system and > page 210,
Child safety.
ZA WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure
that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3%; light
comes on and stays on whenever a child re-
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
— Never install a reward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat if the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light does not
turn on and stay on.
— Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer immediately.
Child safety seats
Tat h
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.
2 ©
S
> c a
the passenger 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
=> page 219.
» Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight so that
the seat cannot move forward and sideways
more than 1 in (2.5 cm).
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 children
should ride only in special restraints in which the
child faces the back of the vehicle. These infant
seats support the baby's back, neck and head ina
crash > fig. 163.
ZA\ WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
child safety seat or improperly installing a
child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a crash.
— Never install a rear-facing child restraint in
the forward-facing direction. Such restraints
are designed for the special needs of infants
and
very small children and cannot protect
them properly if the seat is forward-facing.
215
Child safety
— Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3%; light comes
on and stays on. If the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF #¥; light does not come on and stay
on the inflating airbag will hit the child safe-
ty seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof. Have the airbag system inspected
immediately by your Audi dealer.
— Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heater
for child seats) on the front passenger seat
if the device is connected to the 12-volt
socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
— If a seat heater has been retrofitted or oth-
erwise added to the front passenger seat,
never install any child restraint system on
this seat.
— Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or other
liquids on the front passenger seat cushion.
— Never place objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child
seats). These may influence the electrical
capacitance measured by the capacitive pas-
senger detection system and can also fly
around in an accident and cause serious per-
sonal injury.
— Always read and heed all WARNINGS when-
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used > page 182, Safety belts,
=> page 189, Airbag system and > page 210,
Important information.
216
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats can
help protect toddlers and children over age one
who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs (9 and 18 kg)
inacrash.
BFV-0192
Fig. 164 Schematic overview: installation of the seat using
the vehicle's safety belt system
> 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
> page 219.
> 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 1 in (2.5 cm) > page 219.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an in-
fant restraint if it is more than one year old and
weighs more than 20 lbs (9 kg).
Toddlers and children who are older than one
year up to about 4 years old and weigh more than
20 lbs (9 kg) up to 40 Lbs (18 kg) must always be
properly restrained in a child safety seat certified
for their size and weight and > fig. 164.
Z\ WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
child safety seat or improperly installing a
child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision or oth-
er emergency situation.
— Children on the front seat of any car, even
with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously in-
jured or even killed when an airbag inflates.
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat willbe |>