2020 AUDI R8 COUPE ECU

Safe driving

> Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
>/\.
The following bulletins list only some sample po-
sitions that will increase the risk of serious injury
and death. Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions that
are dangerous.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
— never stand up in the vehicle
— never stand on the seats
— never kneel on the seats
— never ride with the seatback reclined
— never lie down on the seats
— never lean up against the instrument panel
— never sit on the edge of the seat
— never sit sideways
— never lean out the window
— never put your feet out the window
— never put your feet on the instrument panel
— never rest your feet on the seat cushion or back
of the seat
— never ride in the footwell
— never ride in the cargo area

ZA\ WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
— Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a proper seating position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being used.


Driver and passenger
side footwell
acetic a mee soary
ZA\ WARNING
Always make sure that the knee airbag can in-
flate without interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can increase the risk
of injury in an accident by interfering with the



176

way the airbag deploys or by being pushed in-
to you as the airbag deploys.
— No persons (children) or animals should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat. If the airbag deploys, this can result in
serious or fatal injuries.
— No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the driver's or
passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping
bags, for example) can hamper or prevent
proper deployment of the airbag. Small ob-
jects can be thrown through the vehicle if
the airbag deploys and injure you or your
passengers.

Pedal area
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat or
any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without in-
terference and that nothing prevents them from
returning to their original positions.
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured with floor mat fasteners.
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav-
el is required to bring the vehicle to a full stop.

ZA\ WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri-
ous injury.
— Never place any objects in the driver's foot-
well. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere with pedal function. In case of
sudden braking or an accident, you would
not be able to brake or accelerate!
— Always make sure that nothing can fall or
move into the driver's footwell.

4S1012721BA
Safe driving

1a CoYey al Mela Mealy -lard (el
Always use floor mats that can be securely at-
tached to the floor mat fasteners and do not in-
terfere with the free movement of the pedals.
> Make sure that the floor mats are properly se-
cured and cannot move and interfere with the
pedals > A\.
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un-
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position. You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi
Dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor
mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Properly securing the floor
mats will prevent them from sliding into posi-
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im-
pair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.

ZA\ WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result ina
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of
serious personal injury.
— Always make sure that floor mats are prop-
erly secured.
— Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be
properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the ped-
als or the ability to control the vehicle.
— Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already installed
floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals.
— Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for cleaning.
— Always make sure that objects cannot fall in-
to the driver footwell while the vehicle is
moving. Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and accelerator pedal caus-
ing a loss of vehicle control.

Active rollover
protection system
Applies to: vehicles with active rollover protection system
The active rollover protection system helps pro-
tect vehicle occupants in the event of a rollover.
a gx
5 od x a


B4S-0173




Fig. 145 Rollbar deployment range
The active rollover protection system consists of:
— two rollbars
— the safety belts with belt tensioners
— the windshield frame
— the rollover sensors.
The active rollover protection system provides
additional safety in the event of a rollover. Within
milliseconds, sensors deploy two rollbars located
behind the head restraints > fig. 145.
The rollbars, reinforced windshield frame and
belt tensioners help protect vehicle occupants in
the event of a rollover.
The rollover protection system functions when
the power top is both open and closed.
177

Safe driving


A WARNING
Do not use the area behind the head restraints
> fig. 144 as a seat or storage area. This is the
area where the rollbars deploy. If the rollover
protection system is triggered, objects placed
there can be propelled through the vehicle
and make it more difficult for the rollbars to
deploy. This increases the risk for serious or
life-threatening injuries.
When is rollover protection deployed?
Applies to: vehicles with active rollover protection system

Rollover protection deploys in a collision or roll-
over.
Depending on the collision, sensors throughout
the vehicle and the control module trigger the
rollover system to deploy.
For safety reasons, rollover protection also de-
ploys during front, side and rear collisions above
a certain level of severity.
Retracting rollover protection
Applies to: vehicles with active rollover protection system




B4S-0174


B4S-0175

rh
Fig. 147 Deployed rollbar with power top frame facing up-
ward.
178
If the rollover protection has triggered but the
vehicle was not involved in an accident, you can
retract the rollover protection yourself in an
emergency. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
> Remove the wind deflector, if necessary
> page 34.
> Retract the rear window, if necessary
=> page 35.
> Pull the loop upward in the direction of the ar-
row and hold it in place @ © fig. 146.
> Push the rollbar downward @) => /A\.
> Release the loop just before the rollbar reaches
its end position at 1-2 inches (3-5 cm).
> Press the rollbar down firmly until it stops.
> Make sure the rollbar is secure before releasing
it.
> Close the cover @) © fig. 147.
> Repeat the procedure on the other rollbar.

ZA\ WARNING
— Make sure your head or other parts of your
body are not located in the area above the
rollbar
when pressing the rollbar down. If
the rollbar is not secured correctly, it could
deploy again as soon as you release it and
cause injuries.
— Have the rollover protection system checked
by an authorized Audi dealer if it malfunc-
tions. Otherwise the system may not deploy
correctly in a collision.
— Modifying the rollover protection system or
individual components is not permitted.
— Work on the rollover protection system
should only be performed by an authorized
Audi dealer. Otherwise the system may not
function correctly in a collision or it could
deploy unexpectedly.
— Have the system inspected at service inter-
vals. This ensures the system will always be
ready for use. Have an authorized Audi deal-
er check the rollover protection system ev-

ery two years at the latest.

4S1012721BA
Safety belts



— Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle
is moving. Doing so will increase your risk of
being injured or killed.
— Never wear belts twisted.
— Never wear belts over rigid or breakable ob-
jects in or on your clothing, such as eye
glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause
injury.
— Never allow safety belts to become dam-
aged by being caught in door or seat hard-
ware.
— Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of position.
— Several layers of heavy clothing may inter-
fere with correct positioning of belts and re-
duce the overall effectiveness of the system.
— Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latching
securely.
— Never use comfort clips or devices that cre-
ate slack in the shoulder belt. However, spe-
cial clips may be required for the proper use
of some child restraint systems.
— Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and
damaged belt hardware can break in an acci-
dent. Inspect belts regularly. If webbing,
bindings, buckles, or retractors are dam-
aged, have belts replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
— Safety belts that have been worn and loaded
in an accident must be replaced with the
correct replacement safety belt by an au-
thorized Audi dealer. Replacement may be
necessary even if damage cannot be clearly
seen. Anchorages that were loaded must al-
so be inspected.
— Never remove, modify, disassemble, or try
to repair the safety belts yourself.
— Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may
not work properly and can impair the func-
tion of the inertia reel > table Interior
cleaning on page 267.

Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety first - everybody buckle up!

|
B4H-0462



Fig. 153 Belt buckle and tongue on the driver's seat
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the wear-
er's body.
> Adjust the front seat properly > page 50, Front
seats.
> Pull the safety belt evenly across the chest and
pelvis > fig. 153, > A\.
> Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely.
> Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buckle.
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety belt is equipped with an automatic
belt retractor on the shoulder belt. This feature
locks the belt when the belt is pulled out fast,
during hard braking and in an accident. The belt
may also lock when you drive up or down a steep
hill or through a sharp curve. During normal driv-
ing the belt lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
Safety belts with pretensioners help to tighten
the safety belt and remove slack when the pre-
tensioners are activated > page 185. The func-
tion of the pretensioner is monitored by a warn-
ing light > page 17.
Convertible locking retractor
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a convertible locking retrac-
tor that must be used when the safety belt is
183
>

Safety belts

used to attach a child seat. Be sure to read the
important information about this feature
=> page 220.

ZA\ WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious injury in an accident > page 184,
Safety belt position.
— Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is upright and belts are
properly positioned on the body.
— Never attach the safety belt to the buckle
for another seat. Attaching the belt to the
wrong buckle will reduce safety belt effec-
tiveness and can cause serious personal in-
jury.
— A passenger who is not properly restrained
can be seriously injured by the safety belt it-
self when it moves from the stronger parts
of the body into critical areas like the abdo-
men.
— Always lock the convertible locking retractor
when you are securing a child seat in the ve-
hicle > page 221.
G@) Tips
For information on safety belt pretensioners,
refer to > page 185.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maxi-
mum protection from safety belts.


B4H-0751

Fig. 154 Safety belt position

Z\ WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause



serious personal injury in an accident.

184

— The shoulder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possible and
should fit well on the body. Hold the belt
above the latch tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest so that it sits as low as pos-
sible on the pelvis and there is no pressure
on the abdomen. The belt should always fit
snugly > fig. 154. Pull on the belt to tighten
if necessary.
—A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious
injuries by shifting its position on your body
from the strong bones to more vulnerable,
soft tissue and cause serious injury.
— Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information > page 182.
cer aU aM Le Co lel acral a
ee Xe)
The best way to protect the fetus is to make sure
that expectant mothers always wear safety belts
correctly - throughout the pregnancy.

el
hs
Fig. 155 Safety belt position during pregnancy
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the wear-
er's body > page 184.
> Adjust the front seat properly > page 50, Front
seats.
> Pull the safety belt evenly across the chest so
that it sits as low as possible on the pelvis and
there is no pressure on the abdomen
> fig. 155,> /\.
> Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
=> page 183, fig. 153.
> Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buckle.

Child safety


— Children on the front seat of any car, even
with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously in-
jured or even killed when an airbag inflates.
— Never let a child stand or kneel on the seat.
— Never let a child ride in the cargo area of
your vehicle.
— Always remember that a child leaning for-
ward, sitting sideways or out of position in
any way during an accident can be struck by
a deploying airbag. This will result in serious
personal injury or death.
— If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional
circumstances the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF %; light must come on and stay on,
whenever the ignition is switched on.
— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3; light
does not come on and stay on, perform the
checks described > page 198, Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System.
— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light
does not come on and stay on whenever the
ignition
is switched on the inflating airbag
will hit the child safety seat or infant carrier
with great force and will smash the child
safety seat and child against the backrest,
center armrest, door or roof. Have the air-
bag system inspected immediately by your
Audi dealer.
— Always read and heed all WARNINGS when-
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used = page 180, Safety belts,
=> page 187, Airbag system and > page 211,
Important information.

Securing child safety
seats
Trae e Mal CRT e REL ila
bys
Safety belts for the front passenger can be
locked with the convertible locking retractor to
properly secure child safety seats.
The safety belt emergency locking retractor for
the front passenger’s seat safety belt have a con-
vertible locking retractor for child restraints. The
safety belt must be locked so that belt webbing
220
cannot unreel. The retractor can be activated to
lock the safety belt and prevent the safety belt
webbing from loosening up during normal driv-
ing. A child safety seat can only be properly in-
stalled when the safety belt is locked so that the
child and child safety seat will stay in place.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, a
child should always ride in the seat properly re-
strained for its age and size.

ZA\ WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats in-
crease the risk of serious personal injury and
death in a collision.
— Always make sure that the safety belt retrac-
tor is locked when installing a child safety
seat. An unlocked safety belt retractor can-
not hold the child safety seat in place during
normal driving or in a crash.
— Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting init. A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or in a collision.
— If the backrest is not securely latched, the
child and the child restraint will be thrown
forward together with the backrest and will
strike parts of the vehicle interior. The child
can be seriously injured or killed.
— The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof.
— Forward-facing child safety seats or infant
carriers installed on the front passenger's
seat may interfere with the deployment of
the airbag and cause serious injury to the
child.
— Always read and heed all WARNINGS when-
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used > page 211. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat > page 188, Child
restraints on the front seat - some impor-
tant things to know.

4S1012721BA
Child safety


ZA\ WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must
install a forward or rearward-facing child re-
straint on the front passenger's seat in excep-
tional situations:
— Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front pas-
senger seat, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
#; light must come on and stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on.
— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light
does not come on and stay on, perform the
checks described > page 198, Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System.
— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light
does not come on and stay on whenever the
ignition is switched on the inflating airbag
will hit the child safety seat or infant carrier
with great force and will smash the child
safety seat and child against the backrest,
center armrest, door or roof. Have the air-
bag system inspected immediately by your
Audi dealer.
— Improper installation of child restraints can
reduce their effectiveness or even prevent
them from providing any protection.
— An improperly installed child restraint can
interfere with the airbag as it deploys and
seriously
injure or even kill the child.
— Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
— After checking to make sure that the child
restraint is properly installed, make certain
that the child restraint is correctly recog-
nized by the capacitive passenger detection
system in the front passenger seat and that
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light sig-
nals the correct front passenger frontal air-
bag status.


ZA\ WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
— 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.

— Never put the forward-facing child restraint
up, against or very near the instrument pan-
el
— Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air-
bag as possible before installing the for-
ward-facing child restraint. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position.
— Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF 3%; light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.

ZA WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
—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 inflates - even with an Ad-
vanced Airbag System.
— The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof.
— Always be especially careful if you must in-
stall a rearward facing child safety seat on
the front passenger seat in exceptional cir-
cumstances.
— 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, have the air-
bag system inspected by your Audi dealer.
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a
child restraint.

Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer's
instructions when installing a child restraint in
your vehicle. To activate the convertible locking
retractor:
> Place the child restraint on a seat.
> Slowly pull the belt all the way out.
221

4S1012721BA
Child safety

Tether anchors and tether straps
Applies to: vehicles with Tether anchors and tether straps
a
9° db
+ a

Fig. 171 Tether strap: proper routing and mounting (Ver-
sion A)
eS aS
9
db t a

Fig. 172 Tether strap: proper routing and mounting (Ver-
sion B)
The tether strap anchor bracket is located behind
the front passenger's seat at the rear panel to
the engine compartment.
A tether is a straight or V-shaped strap that at-
taches the top part of a child restraint to special
anchorage points in the vehicle.
The purpose of the tether is to reduce the for-
ward movement of the child restraint in a crash,
in order to help reduce the risk of head injury that
could be caused by striking the vehicle interior.
Forward facing child restraints manufactured af-
ter September 1, 1999, are required by U.S. fed-
eral regulations to comply with new child head
movement performance requirements. These
new performance requirements make a tether
necessary on most new child safety seats.
Installing a child restraint that requires a top
tether without one can seriously impair the per-
formance of the child restraint and its ability to
protect the child in a collision. Installing a child

restraint that requires a top tether without the
top tether may be a violation of state law.

Improper installation of child restraints will
increase the risk of injury and death in a crash.
— Always follow the instructions provided by
the manufacturer of the child restraint you
intend to install in your Audi.
— Improper use of child restraint anchors (in-
cluding tether anchors) can lead to injury in
a collision. The anchors are designed to
withstand only those loads imposed by cor-
rectly fitted child restraints.
— Never attach two child restraint systems to
one tether strap or tether anchorage.
— Never use child restraint tether anchorages
to secure safety belts or other kinds of occu-
pant restraints.
— Never secure or attach any luggage or other
items to the tether anchors.
— Ifa tether or other strap is used to attach a
child restraint to the front passenger seat,
make sure that it is not so tight, that it caus-
es the weight-sensing mat to measure more
weight than is actually on the seat.
— The heavier weight registered can make the
Advanced Airbag System work as though an
adult were on the seat and deploy the Ad-
vanced Airbag when it must be suppressed
causing serious or even fatal injury to the
child.
— Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light comes
on and stays on. If the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF 3%; light does not come on and stay
on the inflating airbag will hit the child safe-
ty seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof. Have the
airbag system inspected immediately by
your authorized Audi dealer.
— 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.

223