2020 AUDI A3 airbag off

Driving safety

> ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions.
> Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch.
> Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres-
sure or when you are stressed.

ZX WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Safety systems monitoring
The Ba indicator light in the instrument cluster
monitors the safety systems such as the airbags
(including the control modules, sensors, and wir-
ing) and the belt tensioners. It turns on when you
switch the ignition on and turns off after several
seconds.

If the Ea indicator light does not turn on when
the ignition is switched on, does not turn off af-
ter several seconds, or turns on or flashes while
driving, there may be a malfunction in one of the
safety systems. Drive to an authorized Audi deal-
er or authorized Audi Service Facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.

Z\ WARNING
Have the malfunction in the safety systems in-
spected immediately. Otherwise, there is a
risk that the systems may not activate during
an accident, which increases the risk of seri-
ous or fatal injury.

238
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.

B4G-0375



Fig. 198 Correct seating position
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in-
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver's seat to the following
position:
> Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keeping your knee(s) slightly bent > A\.
> Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact with it when you drive.
> Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis-
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering wheel and your breast bone © fig. 198.
If not possible, see your authorized Audi deal-
ership about adaptive equipment.
> Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at your face.
> Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent.
> For adjustable head restraints: Adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi-
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos-
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible. Move the
head restraint so that it is as close to the back
of the head as possible.
> Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
=> page 248.

Driving safety


— Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi-
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri-
ously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
— Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front pas-
senger‘s breastbone and the instrument
panel.
— Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen-
ger‘s knees and the lower part of the instru-
ment panel.
— Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat.
— Before driving, always adjust the front pas-
senger seat properly.
— For adjustable head restraints: before driv-
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly.
— Always keep your feet on the floor in front of
the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in-
strument panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in-
crease the risk of injury in a crash.
— Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilt-
ed far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted
back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
— Children must always ride in child seats
= page 278. Special precautions apply when
installing a child seat on the front passenger
seat > page 253.

Proper seating positions for passengers in
israel -r- 1}
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the ve-
hicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking
maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow-
ing:
240
> For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi-
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos-
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
=> page 57.
> Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
> Fasten and wear safety belts properly
=> page 248.
> Make sure that children are always properly re-
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age > page 278.

ZA WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash.
— Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat.
— Safety belts only offer maximum protection
when the safety belts are properly posi-
tioned on the body and securely latched. By
not sitting upright, a rear seat passenger in-
creases the risk of personal injury from im-
properly positioned safety belts!
— For adjustable head restraints: always adjust
the head restraint properly so that it can

give maximum protection.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated.

Improper seating positions can cause serious in-
jury or death. Safety belts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body. Im-
proper seating positions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and will even increase the risk of
injury and death by moving the safety belt to crit-
ical areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seating position. A driver
is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu-
pants and especially for children. Therefore: >

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Airbag system

Airbag system
Important information
area e eo MIT a a Lee)
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For
airbags to do their job, occupants must always
properly wear their safety belts and be in a prop-
er seating position.
For your safety and the safety of your passen-
gers, before driving off, always:
> Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel
properly > page 238,
> Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
=> page 239,
> Wear safety belts properly > page 248,
> Always properly use the proper child restraint
to protect children > page 278.
Ina collision, airbags must inflate within the
blink of an eye and with considerable force. The
supplemental airbags can cause injuries if the
driver or the front seat passenger is not seated
properly. Therefore in order to help the airbag to
do its job, it is important, both as a driver and as
a passenger to sit properly at all times.
By keeping room between your body and the
steering wheel and the front of the passenger
compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and
completely and provide supplemental protection
in certain frontal collisions > page 238, Correct
passenger seating positions. For details on the
operation of the seat adjustment controls
=> page 54.
It's especially important that children are proper-
ly restrained > page 278.
There is a lot that the driver and the passengers
can and must do to help the individual safety fea-
tures installed in your Audi work together as a
system.
Proper seating position is important so that the
front airbag on the driver side can do its job. If
you have a physical impairment or condition that
prevents you from sitting properly on the driver
seat with the safety belt properly fastened and
reaching the pedals, or if you have concerns with
regard to the function or operation of the Ad-
vanced Airbag System, please contact your au-
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop, or
call Audi Customer Relations at 1-800-822-2834
for possible modifications to your vehicle.
When the airbag system deploys, a gas generator
will fill the airbags, break open the padded cov-
ers, and inflate between the steering wheel and
the driver and between the instrument panel and
the front passenger. The airbags will deflate im-
mediately after deployment so that the front oc-
cupants can see through the windshield again
without interruption.
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 nothing should be
in their way when they deploy. Front airbags in
combination with properly worn safety belts slow
down and limit the occupant's forward move-
ment. Together they help to prevent the driver
and front seat passenger from hitting parts of
the inside of the vehicle while reducing the forces
acting on the occupant during the crash. In this
way they help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and upper body in the crash. Airbags do not
protect the arms or the lower parts of the body.
Both front airbags will not inflate in all frontal
collisions. The triggering of the airbag system de-
pends on the vehicle deceleration rate caused by
the collision and registered by the electronic con-
trol unit. If this rate is below the reference value
programmed into the control unit, the airbags
will not be triggered, even though the car may be
badly damaged as a result of the collision. Vehi-
cle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehi-
cle damage is not necessarily an indication of
whether an airbag should inflate or not.
Since the circumstances will vary considerably
between one collision and another, it is not possi-
ble to define a range of vehicle speeds that will
cover every possible kind and angle of impact
that will always trigger the airbags. Important
factors include, for example, the nature (hard or
soft) of the object which the car hits, the angle of
impact, vehicle speed, etc. The front airbags will >
253

Airbag system

also not inflate in side or rear collisions, or in roll-
overs.
Always remember: Airbags will deploy only once,
and only in certain kinds of collisions. Your safety
belts are always there to offer protection in those
situations 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 vehicle after the first collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is a
supplementary restraint and is not a substitute
for a safety belt. The airbag system works most
effectively when used with the safety belts.
Therefore, always properly wear your safety belts
=> page 245.


ZA WARNING
Sitting too close to the steering wheel or in-
strument panel will decrease the effective-
ness of the airbags and will increase the risk
of personal injury in a collision.
— Never sit closer than 10 inches (25 cm) to
the steering wheel or instrument panel.
— If you cannot sit more than 10 inches
(25 cm) from the steering wheel, investi-
gate whether adaptive equipment may be
available to help you reach the pedals and
increase your seating distance from the
steering wheel.
— 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.
— 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 -
—To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag
inflates, always wear safety belts properly
=> page 248, Safety belts.
— Always make certain that children age 12 or
younger always ride in the rear seat. If chil-
dren are not properly restrained, they may
be severely injured or killed when an airbag
inflates.
— Never let children ride unrestrained or im-
properly restrained in the vehicle. Adjust the
front seats properly.
— Never ride with the backrest reclined.
— Always sit as far as possible from the steer-
ing wheel or the instrument panel
> page 238.
— Always sit upright with your back against
the backrest of your seat.
— Never place your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both feet
on the floor in front of the seat to help pre-
vent serious injuries to the legs and hips if
the airbag inflates.
— Never recline the front passenger's seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the area of the side airbag or the front air-
bag during braking or in a sudden maneuver.
Objects near the airbags can become projec-
tiles and cause injury when an airbag in-
flates.

ZA WARNING
Airbags that have deployed in a crash must be
replaced.
— Use only original equipment airbags ap-
proved by Audi and installed by a trained
technician who has the necessary tools and
diagnostic equipment to properly replace
any airbag in your vehicle and assure system
effectiveness ina crash.
— Never permit salvaged or recycled airbags to
be installed in your vehicle.



even with an Advanced Airbag.

254
Child restraints on the front seat - some

important things to know
> Be sure to read the important information and
heed the WARNINGS for important details >

8V2012721BK
Airbag system

about children and Advanced Airbags
=> page 278.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad-
vanced Airbag System, make certain that all chil-
dren, especially those 12 years and younger, al-
ways 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
seat.
It can be a very dangerous place for an in-
fant or a child in a rearward-facing seat.
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has
been certified to comply with the requirements
of United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (FMVSS) 208, as well as Canada Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applica-
ble at the time your vehicle was manufactured.
According to requirements, the front Advanced
Airbag System on the passenger side has been
certified for “suppression” for infants of about
12 month old and younger and for “low risk de-
ployment” for children aged 3 to 6 years old (as
defined in the standard).
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the instru-
ment panel tells you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off
by the electronic control unit.
Each time you switch on the ignition, the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on for a
few seconds and:
— will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
—will stay 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 280.
— will stay on if there is a small child or child re-
straint on the front passenger seat,
— will go off if the front passenger seat is occu-
pied by an adult as registered by the capacitive
passenger detection system > page 265, Moni-
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when electrical capacitance registered on the
front passenger seat is equal to or less than the
combined capacitance of a typical 1 year-old in-
fant and one of the rearward-facing or forward-
facing child restraints listed in Federal Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standard 208 with which the Ad-
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certi-
fied.
If the total electrical capacitance registered on
the front passenger seat is more than that of a
typical 1 year-old child but less than the weight
of a small adult, the front airbag on the passen-
ger side can deploy (the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light does not come on).
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on, the front airbag on the passenger side
has not been turned off by the electronic control
unit and can deploy if the control unit senses an
impact that meets the conditions stored in its
memory.
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
—asmall child that is heavier than a typical 1
year-old child is on the front passenger seat (re-
gardless of whether the child is in one of the
child seats listed > page 280), or
—a child who has outgrown child restraints is on
the front passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on in the
instrument cluster and stays on.
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal
Standard requires the airbag to meet the “low
risk” deployment criteria to reduce the risk of in-
jury through interaction with the airbag. “Low
risk” deployment occurs in those crashes that
take place at lower decelerations as defined in
the electronic control unit > page 265, PASSEN-
GER AIR BAG OFF light.
255
>

Airbag system

Always remember, a child seat or infant carrier
installed on the front seat may be struck and
knocked out of position by the rapidly inflating
passenger's airbag in a frontal collision. The air-
bag could greatly reduce the effectiveness of the
child restraint and even seriously injure the child
during inflation.
For this reason, and because the back seat is the
safest place for children - when properly restrain-
ed according to their age and size - we strongly
recommend that children always sit in the back
seat > page 278, Child safety.


Z\ WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat instal-
led on the front passenger seat will be seri-
ously injured and can be killed if the front air-
bag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
— The inflating airbag will hit the child seat or
infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
— Always install rear-facing child seats on the
rear seat.
— If you must install a rearward facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of
exceptional circumstances and the PASSEN-
GER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear-
facing child seat in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dealer.
— Forward-facing child seats installed on the
front passenger's seat may interfere with
the deployment of the airbag and cause seri-
ous personal injury to the child.
— Never put the forward-facing child restraint
up against or very near the instrument pan-
el,
— Always move the front passenger seat to the
highest position in the up and down adjust-
ment range and move it back to the rear-
most position in the seat's fore and aft ad-
justment range, as far away from the airbag
as possible, before installing the forward-
facing child restraint.
— Always make sure that the safety belt upper
anchorage is behind the child restraint and
not next to or in front of the child restraint
so that the safety belt will be properly posi-
tioned.
— 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, in exceptional circumstances, you must in-
stall a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat:
— Always 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.

ZA\ WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure
that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will
be displayed whenever a child restraint is in-
stalled on the front passenger seat and the ig-
nition is switched on.
— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not stay on, perform the checks described
= page 265, Monitoring the Advanced Air-
bag System.
— Take the child restraint off the front passen-
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on.
— Have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer immediately.
— Always carefully follow instructions from
child restraint manufacturers when instal-
ling child restraints.


ZA, WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must in-
stall a forward or rearward-facing child re-
straint on the front passenger's seat:
— Improper installation of child restraints can
reduce their effectiveness or even prevent
them from providing any protection.

256

8V2012721BK
Airbag system


— An improperly installed child restraint can
interfere with the airbag as it deploys and
seriously
injure or even kill the child - even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
— Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child seat or
carrier.
— Always make sure that there is nothing on
the front passenger seat that will cause the
capacitive passenger detection system in
the seat to signal to the Airbag System that
the seat is occupied by a person when it is
not, or to signal that it is occupied by some-
one who is heavier than the person actually
sitting on the seat. The presence of addi-
tional objects could cause the passenger
front airbag to be turned on when it should
be off, or could cause the airbag to work ina
way that is different from the way it would
have worked without the object on the seat.



Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat occu-
pants.

B8U-0376


Fig. 215 Location of driver airbag: in steering wheel
oO
x
g > @ a
Fig. 216 Location of front passenger's airbag: in the instru-
ment panel
Your vehicle is equipped with an “Advanced Air-
bag 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 airbag for the driver is in the steering wheel
hub > fig. 215 and the airbag for the front pas-
senger is in the instrument panel > fig. 216. The
general location of the airbags is marked “AIR-
BAG”.
There is a lot you need to know about the airbags
in your vehicle. We urge you to read the detailed
information about airbags, safety belts and child
safety in this and the other chapters that make
up the owner's literature. Please be sure to heed
the WARNINGS - they are extremely important
for your safety and the safety of your passengers,
especially infants and small children.

Z\ WARNING
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
— Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
supplemental protection.
— Airbag work most effectively when used
with properly worn safety belts.
— Therefore, always wear your safety belts and
make sure that everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained.
— Always hold the steering wheel with both
hands on the outside of the steering wheel
rim at the 9:00 o'clock and 3:00 o'clock po-
sitions to help reduce the risk of personal in-
jury if the driver's airbag inflates. >


257

Airbag system


— Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands any-
where inside the steering wheel or on the
steering wheel hub. Holding the steering
wheel the wrong way increases the risk of
severe injury to the arms, hands, and head if
the driver airbag deploys.

ZA\ WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in-
crease the risk of injury in a crash by interfer-
ing with the way the airbag unfolds and/or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
— Always make sure nothing is in the front air-
bag deployment zone that could be struck
by the airbag when it inflates.
— Objects in the zone of a deploying airbag can
become projectiles when the airbag deploys
and cause serious personal injury.
— Never hold things in your hands or on your
lap when the vehicle is in use.
— Never place accessories or other objects
(such as cup holders, telephone brackets,
note pads, navigation systems, or things
that are large, heavy, or bulky) on the doors;
never attach them to the doors or the wind-
shield; never place them over or near or at-
tach them to the area marked ,, AIRBAG“ on
the steering wheel, instrument panel or the
seat backrests; never place them between
these areas and you or any other person in
the vehicle.
— Never attach objects to the windshield
above the passenger front airbag, such as
accessory GPS navigation units or music
players. Such objects could cause serious in-
jury in a collision, especially when the air-
bags inflate.
— Never recline the front passenger seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the deployment area of the side airbags or
the front airbag during breaking or in a sud-
den maneuver. Objects near the airbags can
fly dangerously through the passenger com-
partment and cause injury, particularly
when the seat is reclined and the airbags in-
flate.

258
Z\ WARNING
A person on the front passenger seat, espe-
cially infants and small children, will receive
serious injuries and can even be killed by be-
ing too close to the airbag when it inflates.
— Although the Advanced Airbag System in
your vehicle is designed to turn off the front
passenger airbag if an infant or a small child
is on the front passenger seat, nobody can
absolutely guarantee that deployment un-
der these special conditions is impossible in
all conceivable situations that may happen
during the useful life of your vehicle.
— The Advanced Airbag System can deploy in
accordance with the ,,low risk“ option for 3-
and 6-year-old children under the U.S. Fed-
eral Standard if a child with electrical capac-
itance greater than the combined capaci-
tance of a typical one-year old infant re-
strained in one of the forward facing or rear-
ward-facing child seats with which your ve-
hicle was certified is on the front passenger
seat and the other conditions for airbag de-
ployment are met.
— Accident statistics have shown that children
are generally safer in the rear seat area than
in the front seating position.
— For their own safety, all children, especially
12 years and younger, should always ride in
the back properly restrained for their age
and
size.
Advanced front airbag system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front Advanced
Airbag System in compliance with United States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208, as
well as Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(CMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your vehi-
cle was manufactured.

The front Advanced Airbag System supplements
the safety belts to provide additional protection
for the driver's and front passenger's heads and
upper bodies in frontal crashes. The airbags in-
flate only in frontal impacts when the vehicle de-
celeration is high enough.