2020 AUDI A3 light

Airbag system


fore and aft adjustment range, as far away
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, make sure the adult is
properly seated and restrained at one of the
rear seating positions.
— Have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer before transporting 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 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:

268

— 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
Audi.
— 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

Airbag system

Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only 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
abrasions 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 indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
— when the ignition is switched off
— in frontal collisions when the deceleration
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/
indicator light is on) > page 238.


Z\ WARNING
— Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position > page 263.
— If the airbag indicator light > page 238
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.

270
aa aT y1e meld
Applies to: vehicles with knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags.
B8V-0356

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
compressed 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 263, fig. 217.
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

— the electronic control module and external side
impact sensors
— the two airbags located in the sides of the front
backrests and the two airbags* located in the
rear backrest
— the airbag warning light in the instrument clus-
ter.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to
make certain that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you switch on the ignition, the
airbag 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, front and rear* passenger's upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck ina
side collision. The airbag deploys only in side im-
pacts and only when the vehicle acceleration reg-
istered by the control unit is high enough. If this
rate is below the reference value programmed in-
to the control unit, the side airbags will not be
triggered, even though the car may be badly
damaged as a result of the collision. It is not pos-
sible to define an airbag triggering range that
will cover every possible angle of impact, since
the circumstances will vary considerably between
one collision and another. Important factors in-
clude, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of
the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc. > page 273, Important safety in-
structions 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 wearing your safety
belt and wearing it properly. This is another rea-
son why you should always wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
so > page 245, General notes.
It is important to remember that while the sup-
plemental side airbag system is designed to re-
272
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other inju-
ries, for example, swelling, bruising, friction
burns and minor abrasions can also be associated
with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
airbags will deploy only once and only in certain
kinds of accidents - your safety belts are always
there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessarily an indication
of over-sensitive or failed airbag activation. In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may
inflate. Remember too, that airbags will deploy
only once and only in certain kinds of collisions -
your safety belts are always there to offer protec-
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
— when the ignition 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.
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side
curtain airbags and side airbags may be triggered
together.

ZA WARNING
— Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position > page 273.
- If the airbag indicator light > page 238
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.

Airbag system


— Damage to the original seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module must always be repaired immedi-
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
— Objects between you and the airbag can in-
crease the risk of injury in an accident by in-
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds or
by being pushed into you as the airbag in-
flates.
— Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone
brackets, or even large, bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked
“AIRBAG” on the seat backrests.
— Such objects and accessories can become
dangerous projectiles 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 air-
bags or allow children or other passengers
to travel in this position.
— Always use the built-in coat hooks only for
lightweight clothing. Never leave any heavy
or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that
may interfere with side airbag deployment
and can cause personal injury in an accident.
— Always prevent the side airbags from being
damaged by heavy objects knocking against
or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
— The airbag system can only be triggered
once. If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership.
— Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to the
original seat covers or to the seam in the
area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized
Audi dealer.
— If children are seated improperly, their risk
of injury increases in the case of an accident
= page 278, Child safety.
— Never attempt to modify any components of
the airbag system in any way.
— Ina side collision, side airbags will not func-
tion properly if sensors cannot correctly
measure increasing air pressure inside the

274
doors when air escapes through larger, un-
closed openings in the door panel.
— Never drive with interior door trim panels
removed.
— Never drive when parts have been removed
from the inside door panel and the open-
ings they leave have not been properly
closed.
— Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly closed.
— Always make certain that openings are
covered or filled if additional speakers or
other equipment is installed in the inside
door panels.
— Always have work on the doors done by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work-
shop.

Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
Applies to: vehicles with side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide sup-
plemental protection to properly restrained oc-
cupants.
10 rn
2 3
ro a

Fig. 224 A curtain airbags, driver's side: side curtain air-
bag location (example)
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides
of the interior above the front and rear side win-
dows > fig. 224. They are identified by the word
“AIRBAG” on the windshield frame and the cen-
ter roof pillar.
The side curtain airbags contain features that
provide ejection mitigation to help prevent vehi-
cle occupants or parts of their bodies from being
completely or partially ejected from the vehicle >

8V2012721BK
Airbag system

interior in certain side impacts and vehicle roll-
overs.
The side curtain airbag system supplements the
safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of in-
jury for occupants’ heads and upper torso on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in a side colli-
sion. The side curtain airbag inflates in side im-
pacts and only when the vehicle acceleration reg-
istered by the control unit is high enough. If this
rate is below the reference value programmed in-
to the control unit, the side curtain airbag will
not be triggered, even though the car may be
badly damaged as a result of the collision. It is
not possible to define an airbag triggering range
that will cover every possible angle of impact,
since the circumstances will vary considerably be-
tween one collision and another. Important fac-
tors include, for example, the nature (hard or
soft) of the impacting object, the angle of im-
pact, vehicle speed, etc. > page 276, How side
curtain airbags work.
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 collision so
that the side curtain airbags can provide protec-
tion.
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. This is another reason
why you should always wear your safety belts,
not just because the law requires you to do so
= page 245, General notes.
It is important to remember that while the side
curtain airbag system is designed to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swelling, bruising, friction burns
and minor abrasions can also be associated with
these airbags upon deployment. Remember too,
these airbags will deploy only once and only in
certain kinds of accidents - your safety belts are
always there to offer protection.
The side curtain airbag system basically
consists of:
— The electronic control module and external side
impact sensors
— The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side windows with ejection mitigation fea-
tures
— The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to
make certain it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you switch on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
— if the ignition is switched off,
— in side collisions when the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low,
—in rear-end collisions.

ZA\ WARNING
— Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position > page 54,
Front seats.
— If the airbag indicator light > page 238
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.


275

Airbag system

How side curtain airbags work
Applies to: vehicles with side curtain airbags
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.

©.
=
<| = & a

Fig. 225 Illustration of principle: Inflated side curtain 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 > fig. 225.
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 side 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 airbag inflates. This applies
especially to children > page 278.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side 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.
276
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Applies to: vehicles with 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.

ZA 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 built-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.
— Only use factory-installed sun shades or, if
shades installed after the vehicle leaves the
factory, use only genuine 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 fraction 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 all times. Make sure there are no ob-
jects, pets, or other persons in the space be-
tween any vehicle occupant and any airbag
at any time.
— Do not attach any accessories to the doors.

8V2012721BK
Child safety


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.
— Always install rear-facing child safety seats
on the rear seat.
— If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat in
exceptional circumstances and the PASSEN-
GER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear-
facing child safety seat in a rear seating po-
sition and have the airbag system inspected
immediately by your Audi dealer.



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 install a child restraint without a
properly attached top tether strap if the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions
require the top tether strap to be used.


— Never put the forward-facing child re-
straint up against or very near the instru-
ment panel.
— Applies to: vehicles with safety belt height
adjustment: Always set the safety belt up-
per anchorage to the adjustment position
that permits proper installation in accord-
ance with the child restraint manufactur-
er's instructions.
— 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.

279

Child safety


— Always make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on
all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immediate-
ly install the forward-facing child seat ina
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer.
— 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 ina collision.
— Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restraint in a vehi-
cle > page 245, Safety belts, > page 253,
Airbag system and = page 278, Important

information.
@) 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.
ONE eRe emma Cle)
Your vehicle is equipped with a front “Advanced
Airbag System” in compliance with 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 vehicle was manufactured.

The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has
been certified to meet the “low-risk” require-
ments for 3- and 6-year old children on the pas-
senger side and small adults on the driver side.
The low risk deployment criteria are intended to
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for example, by being
too close to the steering wheel and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been certified to comply with the
“suppression” requirements of the Safety Stand-
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to
12 months who are restrained on the front pas-
280
senger seat in child restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad-
vanced Airbag system, all children, especially
those 12 years and younger, should always ride in
the back seat properly restrained for their age
and
size. The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a
child to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a child in a forward-facing child 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-
pacitive passenger detection system in the front
passenger seat cushion that can detect the pres-
ence of a baby or a child 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 child restraint, and a baby blanket
are on the front passenger seat. The change in
the measured capacitance due to the presence of
a child, a child restraint, and a baby blanket on
the front passenger seat is related to the child re-
straint system resting on the seat. The measured
capacitance of a child restraint system varies de-
pending 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
typical of infants and a 1-year old child. When a
child restraint is used on the front passenger seat
with a typical 1 year-old infant, the Advanced Air-
bag System compares the capacitance measured
by the capacitive passenger detection system
with the data stored in the electronic control
unit.
Ce eMetrics Raceli alia es-Te)
system
Regardless of the child restraint that you use,
make sure that it has been certified to meet >