Airbag system
CO
< o rN
iv
rN
•-i
•H
00
The head-protection airbag system is triggered in
certain types of side collision
^>Fig.
235. Further
airbag systems may also be triggered, depending
on the circumstances.
When the system is triggered, the airbag fills
with a propellant gas and covers the entire area
in front of the side windows, including the door
pillars. The head-protection airbag inflates to
soften the impact if an occupant strikes parts of
the interior or objects outside the vehicLe with
their head. By reducing the head impact and re
straining uncontrolled movement of the head,
the airbag also reduces the forces acting on the
neck.
In order to provide the desired extra protection in
an accident, the airbags have to inflate extremely
rapidly (within fractions of
a
second).
Important safety notes on the head-
protection airbags
There
are a number of safety points concerning
the airbag system which you should remember.
This will help to reduce the risk of injury in an ac
cident.
A WARNING
- It is important to ensure that the area
around the openings for the head-protec
tion airbags remains unobstructed at all
times,
so that the airbags can infLate prop
erly if needed.
- The built-in coat hooks should only be used
for lightweight clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.
When using the coat hooks, do not hang the
clothes on coat hangers.
- The space between the passengers and the
head-protection airbags must never be oc
cupied by children, other passengers or
pets.
Passengers should never lean out or
put
a
hand
or
arm out of the window while
the vehicle is in motion.
- Do not move the sun visors out to cover the
side windows if there is anything attached
to them (such as pens or
a
garage door
opener). These objects could cause injury if
the head-protection airbag is triggered.
The sensors for the airbags are Located in
the front doors. You must therefore not
make any modifications to the doors or door
trim (e.g. retrofitting loudspeakers),
as
this
could impair the function of the side air-
bags.
Any damage to the front doors could
Lead to faults in the system. Repairs or any
other work on the front doors must there
fore always be carried out by
a
qualified
workshop.
Sun blinds fitted on the rear doors must not
obstruct or impair the airbags in any way.
If unsuitable accessories are installed near
the head-protection airbag, the protection
afforded by the airbag can be seriously im
paired if the system is triggered. When the
head-protection airbag opens, parts of
these accessories could be thrown into the
vehicle and injure passengers
^>page
340.
Any work involving the head-protection air-
bags,
or removal and installation of the air-
bag components for other repairs (such as
repairs to the roof liner), must always be
performed by
a
qualified workshop. Other
wise the airbag system may fail to work
properly.
287
Wheels
DOT ...2216...
means, for example, that the tyre was produced
in the 22nd week of 2016.
Audi Genuine Tyres
Audi Genuine Tyres with the marking "AO" are
specially matched to your Audi. When used prop
erly, these tyres meet the highest standards in
safety and handling. Your specialist retailer will
be glad to provide more information.
Tyre wear / damage
A
WARNING
- Use only tyre/rim combinations and match
ing wheel bolts approved by Audi. Otherwise
damage to the vehicLe and an accident could
result.
- For technical reasons, it is not possible to
use wheels from other vehicles. In certain
cases, it is not even possible to use wheels
from another vehicle of the same model.
- It is very important to ensure that the tyres
you have chosen have adequate clearance.
When selecting replacement tyres, do not
rely entirely on the nominal tyre size
marked on the tyre; with some makes of
tyre the effective tyre size can differ signifi
cantly from the nominal dimensions, even
though the tyres have the same size desig
nation.
Inadequate tyre clearance can result
in damage to the tyres or the vehicle, caus
ing a serious safety risk.
- Avoid running the car on tyres that are more
than 6 years old. If
you
have no alternative,
you should drive slowly and with extra care
at all times.
- The use of run-flat tyres on your vehicle is
NOT authorised! Unauthorised use can cause
an accident or damage your vehicLe.
- If wheel trims are fitted after the car is pur
chased,
ensure that there is an adequate
flow of air for cooling the brakes - risk of ac
cident!
Fig.
252 Tyre tread: Tread wear indicators
Tyre wear
Inspect the tyres regularly for damage.
- The wear on under or over-inflated tyres is
sig
nificantly higher.
- Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard
braking all increase tyre wear.
- If
you
notice excessive tyre wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by a qualified work
shop.
- Have your tyres rebalanced if steering wheel vi
brations indicate an imbalance. Otherwise, the
tyres and other parts of the vehicLe may wear
faster.
Tread wear indicators
The original tyres on your vehicle have 1.6 mm
high tread wear indicators
^>Fig.
252 running
across the tread at regular intervals. The letters
"TWI"
or triangles on the sidewall indicate the
positions of the tread wear indicators.
The minimum tread
depth1)
is reached
at
the lat
est when the tread is worn down to the tread
wear indicators. Replace the tyres with new ones
Changing wheels round
Wheels should be changed round regularly to en
sure that the wear is equal on all tyres. Fit the
wheels from the rear axle on the front axle and
vice-versa. All the tyres will then last for about
the same time.
x)
Please observe the applicable regulations in the country in
which you are travelling.
306
