2020 AUDI A3 Owner´s Manual

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Airbag system


airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag > page 253.
TCM tee MoM dalla iol tLs
airbags



B4H-0271





Fig. 217 Inflated front airbags
Safety belts are important to help keep front seat
occupants in the proper seated position so that
airbags can unfold properly and provide supple-
mental protection in a frontal collision.
The front airbags are designed to provide addi-
tional protection for the chest and face of the
driver and the front seat passenger when:
— safety belts are worn properly,
— the seats have been positioned so that the oc-
cupant is properly seated
—and for adjustable head restraints: the head re-
straints have been properly adjusted.
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye with
great force, things you have on your lap or have
placed on the seat could become dangerous pro-
jectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag in-
flates.
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released.
This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the
vehicle. This dust is made up mostly of a powder
used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy. It
could irritate skin.
It is important to remember that while the sup-
plemental airbag system is designed to reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example swelling, bruising and minor abra-
sions, can also happen when airbags inflate. Air-
bags do not protect the arms or the lower parts
of the body. Front airbags supplement the three-
point safety belts only in some frontal collisions
in which the vehicle deceleration is high enough
to deploy the airbags.
Front airbags will not deploy:
— if the ignition is switched off when a crash oc-
curs,
— in side collisions,
—in rear-end collisions,
—in rollovers,
— when the crash deceleration measured by the
airbag system is less than the minimum thresh-
old needed for airbag deployment as registered
by the electronic control unit.
The front passenger airbag also will not
deploy:
— when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
— when the electrical capacitance measured by
the capacitive passenger detection system for
the front passenger seat indicates that the pas-
senger side frontal airbag must be switched off
by the electronic control unit (the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light > page 265 and how they
work comes on and stays on).

ZA\ WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the
risk of serious injury in crashes.
—To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags
inflate, the driver and passengers must al-
ways sit in an upright position, must not
lean against or place any part of their body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located.
— Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously in-
jured by an airbag as it unfolds with great
force in the blink of an eye > page 254.

ZA\ 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


263

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

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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.
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Airbag system

The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will show
the status of the front seat passenger's frontal
Advanced Airbag a few seconds after the igni-
tion is switched on and the airbag indicator
light goes off. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light:
— 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 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...
—a car 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 light will stay on. Never installa
rearward-facing child restraint on the front pas-
senger seat, the safest place for a child in any
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po-
sitions on the rear seat > page 254, Child re-
266
straints on the front seat - some important
things to know and > page 278, Child safety.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light comes
on...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when one of the conditions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer-
tain 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
the device is connected to the 12-volt socket or
the cigarette lighter socket;
— make sure that no seat heater has been retrofit-
ted or otherwise added to the front passenger
seat;
— make sure that nothing can interfere with the
safety belt buckles and that they are not ob-
structed;
— 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.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light still does
not come on...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does
not come on and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on),

8V2012721BK
Airbag system

— take the child restraint off the front passenger
seat and install it properly at one of the rear
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect-
ed by your Audi dealer immediately.
— move the child to a rear seat position and make
sure that the child is properly restrained ina
child restraint that is appropriate for its size
and age.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG light should NOT
come on...
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should NOT
come on when the ignition is on and an adult is
sitting in a proper seating position on the front
passenger seat. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while driving, under these circumstan-
ces, make sure that:
— the adult on the front passenger seat is proper-
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up against the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined,
— the adult is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or supporting
their weight on the armrest,
— the safety belt is being properly worn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web-
bing,
— there are no aftermarket seat covers or cush-
ions or other things (such as blankets) on the
front passenger seat that might cause the ca-
pacitive passenger detection system to miscal-
culate electrical capacitance.
Mu elas see)
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System

— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go off when an adult who is not very
small 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 posi-
tions. Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer before trans-
porting anyone on the front passenger seat.

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.


Z\ WARNING
— If the status of the Advanced Airbag System
has changed while the vehicle is moving, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light blinks for
about 5 seconds to catch the driver's atten-
tion. If this happens, always stop as soon as
it is safe to do so and check the steps descri-


bed above.


Z\ WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a
child restraint, or in a rearward-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-facing child re-
straint that has not been properly installed
will be seriously injured and can be killed.
— Even though your vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced Airbag System, make certain
that all children, especially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat prop-
erly restrained for their age and size.
— Always install forward or rear-facing child
seats on the rear seat — even with an Ad-
vanced Airbag System.
— 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 appear 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.
— If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's

267

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.