2020 AUDI A3 instrument panel

Airbag system


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.


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 or by be-
ing pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
— Never hold things in your hands or on your
lap when the vehicle 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 maneuvers and
become dangerous projectiles that can
cause serious personal injury if the airbags
inflate.
— Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone
brackets, large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked
“AIRBAG” on the steering wheel, instrument
panel, seat backrests or between those
areas and yourself. These objects could
cause injury in a crash, especially when the
airbags inflate.
— 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, particularly when the
seat is reclined.
— Never place or transport objects on the front
passenger seat. Objects on the front passen-
ger seat could cause the capacitive sensor in
the seat to signal to airbag system that the
seat is occupied by a person when it in fact is
not, or that the person on the seat is heavier
than he or she actually is. The change in
electric capacitance because of such objects
can cause the passenger front airbag to be
turned on when it should be off, or can
cause the airbag to work in a way that is dif-
ferent from the way it would have worked
without objects on the seat.
— 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 an ob-
ject could cause the passenger front airbag
to be turned on when it should be off, or
could cause the airbag to work in a way that
is different from the way it would have
worked without the object on the seat.


ZA\ WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can
cause breathing problems for people with a
history of asthma or other breathing condi-
tions.
—To reduce the risk of breathing problems,
those with asthma or other respiratory con-
ditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening win-
dows or doors.
— If you are in a collision in which airbags de-
ploy, wash your hands and face with mild
soap and water before eating.
— Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes,
or into any cuts or scratches.
— If the residue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water.


264

8V2012721BK
Airbag system

Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System

‘oring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the ka light and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
The Advanced Airbag System as well as the side
airbags and side curtain airbags with ejection
mitigation features (including the electronic con-
trol unit, sensors and system wiring) are all
monitored continuously to make sure that they
are functioning properly whenever the ignition is
on. Every time you turn on the ignition, the air-
bag system indicator light ka will come on fora
few seconds (function check).
The system must be inspected when the
indicator light Ba:
— does not come on when the ignition is switched
on,
— does not go out a few seconds after you have
switched on the ignition, or
— comes on while driving.
If an airbag system malfunction is detected, the
indicator light will come on to serve as a constant
reminder to have the system inspected immedi-
ately.
If a malfunction occurs that turns the front air-
bag on the passenger side off, the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.

ZA\ WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop-
erly cannot provide supplemental protection
in a frontal crash.
- 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.

PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light


B8V-0215

Fig. 218 Center console: passenger airbag off warning
light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in
the center of the instrument panel > fig. 218.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off
by the electronic control unit. If the bulb for the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light burns out, the
airbag indicator light 2 will come on to signal a
malfunction in the Advanced Airbag System. Al-
though the burned-out bulb 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 light to make sure that the airbag
on/off status is correct for the occupant on the
front passenger seat. Have the airbag system in-
spected immediately by your authorized Audi
dealer.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will blink
for about 5 seconds when:
— the ignition is switched on and
— 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 light
stops blinking, always make sure that the airbag
status
(on or off) as shown by the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF 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.
265

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

8V2012721BK
Airbag system


entered in your Audi Warranty & Mainte-
nance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD.
— Applies to plug-in hybrid* vehicles: In the
event of a collision where the airbags de-
ploy, the electrical connection to the high
voltage battery is automatically disconnect-
ed. This prevents a short circuit.
Other things that can affect Advanced
ONY em ace lie
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 control unit. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas-
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it would 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 airbag from deploy-
ing when it should.

ZX, WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in-
crease the risk of serious personal injury ina
crash.
— Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac-
teristics as the components originally instal-
led on your vehicle.
— Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.


Knee airbags
Pregl) aCe ola ACLs eh)
Applies to: vehicles with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen-
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.

Fig. 219 Driver's knee airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
underneath the steering wheel > fig. 219, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same
height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection to
the driver's and passenger's knees and upper and
lower thigh areas and supplements the protec-
tion provided by the safety belts.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collisions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control unit is met
=> page 263, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In addition to their normal safety function, safe-
ty belts help keep the driver or front passenger in
position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can provide supplemental protection.
The airbag system is not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu-
pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re-
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly. This is why you should al-
ways wear your safety belt, not just because the
law requires you to do so > page 245, General
notes.
269

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.

8V2012721BK
Airbag system
Important safety instructions on the knee bags, for example) can interfere with or
airbag system prevent proper deployment of the airbag.


Applies to: vehicles with knee airbags Small objects can be thrown through the
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you
wear safety belts correctly and ride in a proper or your passengers.
seating position. — Make sure there are no cracks, deep scratch-
es or other damage in the area of the instru-
There is a lot that you and your passengers must ment panel where the knee airbags are lo-
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags cated.
to provide supplemental protection. —If children are incorrectly seated, their risk



A WARNING of injury increases in a collision > page 278,
Child safety.
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious in-
jury. Wearing safety belts incorrectly and im- Side ai rbags
proper seating positions increase the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a Description of side airbags
hicle is bei .
weteleis beingiuced The airbag system can provide supplemental
—Thek i . .
Boao eau otecuy cu protection to properly restrained occupants.
properly if you are seated too close to any of
the airbag locations. When adjusting their
seat positions, it is important that both the
driver and the front passenger keep their
upper bodies and knees at the following
minimum safe distances:
i KR R
Ry 2 eS oO
—at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instrument

panel.
—at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru- Fig. 221 Side airbag location in the driver's seat
ment panel.
—The risk of personal injury increases if you The side airbags are located in the sides of the
lean forward or to the side, or if the seat is front seat backrests > fig. 221 and the rear back-
improperly positioned and you are not wear- rest* facing the doors.
ing your safety belt. The risk increases even The side airbags installed for the front seating
more should the airbag deploy. positions have been designed and certified to
— Always make sure that the knee airbag can help reduce the risk of injury that can be caused
inflate without interference. Objects be- by airbags when they inflate, particularly when
tween you and the airbag can increase the the occupant sitting next to it is not seated prop-
risk of injury in an accident by interfering erly. The side airbag for the front passenger seat
with the way the airbag deploys or by being can be used with properly installed child re-
pushed into you as the airbag deploys. straints. Please be sure to read the important in-
— Never let anybody, especially children or formation and warnings whenever using a child
animals ride in the footwell in front of the restraint in a vehicle: Safety belts > page 245,
passenger seat. If the airbag deploys, this Airbag system > page 253, Child safety
can result in serious or fatal injuries. => page 278.
5 vetcary ables el any Ar einite jeer The side airbag system basically consists of: >
well area in front of the driver's or pas-
senger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping

271

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

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 >