AUDI A3 CABRIOLET 2015 Owners Manual
Page 141 of 302
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-Failure  to  pay attention  to  the  warning 
light  that  come  on,  could  lead  to  person
al  injury. 
Why  safety  belts? 
Frontal collisions  and the  law  of  physics 
Frontal  crashes  create  very strong  forces  for 
people  riding  in vehicles . 
Fig.  1 31 Unb elt e d  oc cupan ts in a ve hicle  h ead ing for  a 
wall 
Fig. 132 T he  vehicle  c ras hes  into  the  wall 
The  physical  principles  are  simple.  Both  the 
veh icle and  the  passengers  possess  energy 
which  varies  w ith  veh icle  speed  and  body 
weight . Engineers  call  this  energy  "kinetic  en
e rgy." 
T he  higher  the  speed  of the  vehicle  and  the 
greater  the  vehicle's  weight,  the  more  energy 
that  has  to  be  "absorbed"  in the  crash . 
Vehicle speed  is the  most  significant  factor . If 
the  speed  doubles  from  15  to  30  mph  (25  to 
50  km/h),  the  ene rgy  increases  4  t imes! 
Because  the  passengers  of th is  veh icle  are  not 
using  safety  belts 
c:::;, fig.  131, they  will  keep 
mov ing  at  the  same  speed  the  vehicle  was 
mov ing just  befo re the  crash,  unt il something 
stops  them  - here,  the  wall ¢ 
fig. 132 . 
Safety  belts  139 
The  same  principles  apply  to  people  s itting  in 
a  vehicle  that  is involved  in  a frontal  coll ision . 
Even at  c ity  speeds  of  20  to  30  mph  (30  to 
SO km/h),  the  forces  acting  on  the  body  can 
reach  one  ton  (2,000  lbs,  or  1,000  kg) or 
more . At greater  speeds,  these  fo rces  are  even 
highe r. 
Peop le  who  do  not  use  safety  belts  are  also 
not  attached  to  their  vehicle . In  a frontal  colli
s ion  they  will also  keep  moving  forward  at  the 
speed  their  veh icle was  travel ling just  before 
the  crash . Of co urse,  the  laws  of  physics  don't 
just  app ly  to frontal  collisions,  they  determine 
what  happens  i n all  k inds  of  a cc ident s and  col
li s ions . 
What  happens  to  occupants  not  wearing 
safety  belts? 
In  crashes  unbelted  occupants  cannot  stop 
themselves  from  flying  forward  and  being  in
jured  or killed . Always  wear your  safety  belts! 
Fi g. 1 33 A drive r not  wear ing  a  safety  bel t is v io len tly 
t hrown  forward 
Fig . 1 34 A rear  pa sse nger  not  wearing  a safety  be lt 
w ill fl y forw ar d a nd  str ike t he  dr ive r 
Unbelted  occupants  are  not  able  to  resist  the 
tremendous  forces  of  impact  by holding  tight 
or  bracing  themselves . Without  the  benefit  of 
safety  restra int  systems,  the  unrestra ined  ..,_  
Page 142 of 302
140  Safety  belts 
occupant  will slam  violently  into  the  steering 
wheel,  instrument  panel,  windshield,  or  what
ever  else  is in the  way 
c::> fig.  133. This  imp act 
with  the  vehicle  interior  has  all  the  energy 
t hey  had  just  before  the  crash. 
Never  rely on  a irbags  alone  for  protection. 
Even when  they  deploy,  airbags  provide  only 
additional  protection.  Airbags  are  not  sup
posed  to  deploy  in  all  kinds  of  accidents.  Al
though  your  Audi  is equipped  with  airbags,  all 
vehicle  occupants,  including  the  driver , must 
wear  safety  belts  correctly  in order  to  mini
mize  the  risk of severe  injury  or  death  in a 
crash. 
Remember  too,  that  airbags  will  deploy  only 
once  and  that  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 . Unbelted 
occupants  can  also  be thrown  out  of  the  vehi
cle  where  even  more  severe  or fatal  injuries 
can  occur. 
It  is also  important  for  the  rear  passengers  to 
wear  safety  belts  correctly.  Unbelted  passen
gers  in the  rear  seats  endanger  not  only  them
selves  but  also  the  driver  and  othe r passen
gers ~ 
fig.  134. In  a frontal  collision  they  will 
be  thrown  forward  violently,  where  they  can 
hit  and  injure  the  driver  and/or  front  seat  pas
senger . 
Safety  belts  protect 
People  think it's  possible  to  use  the  hands  to 
brace the  body in a minor collision . It's  simply 
not  true ! 
Fig. 135  Driver  is  co rr ect ly  re strain ed  in  a sudd en brak
ing  maneuve r 
Safety  belts  used  properly  can  make  a  big  dif
ference.  Safety belts help  to  keep  passengers 
in their  seats,  gradually  reduce  energy  levels 
applied  to  the  body  in an  accident,  and  help 
prevent  the  uncontrolled  movement  tha t can 
cause  serious  injuries . In  addition,  safety  belts 
reduce  the  danger  of  being  thrown  out  of  the 
vehicle . 
Safety  belts  attach  passengers  to  the  car  and 
give them  the  benefit  of  being  slowed  down 
more  gently  or  "softly"  through  the "give"  in 
the  safety  belts,  crush  zones  and  other  safety 
features  engineered  into  today's vehicles. By 
"absorbing " the  kinetic  energy  over  a  longer 
period  of ti me,  the  safety  belts  make  the 
forces  on  the  body  more  "tolerable"  and  less 
likely to  cause  injury. 
Although  these examples  are  based  on  a fron
tal  collision,  safety  belts can  also  substantial
ly reduce  the  r isk of  injury  in other  kinds  of 
crashes.  So, whether  you're  on  a  long  trip  or 
just  going  to  the  corner  store,  always  buckle  up  and  make  sure  others  do,  too.  Accident  sta
tistics  show  that  vehicle  occupants  properly 
wearing  safety  belts  have  a  lower risk of  being 
injured  and  a  much  better  chance  of surviving 
an  accident.  Properly using  safety  belts  also 
greatly  increases  the  ability  of  the  supplemen
tal  airbags  to  do  their  job in a collision . For 
this  reason,  wearing  a  safety  belt  is  legally re
quired  in  most  countries  including  much  of 
the  United  States  and  Canada. 
Although  your  Audi is  equipped  with  airbags, 
you  still  have  to wear  the  safety  belts  provid
ed.  Front  airbags , for  example,  are  activated 
only  in  some  frontal  collisions.  The  front  air
bags  are  not  activated  in all  frontal  collisions, 
in side  and  rear  collisions,  in roll  overs  or  in 
cases  where  there  is no t enough  decelera tion 
through  impact to  the  front  of the  vehicle . 
The  same  goes  for  the  other  airbag  systems  in 
your  Audi . So,  always  wear  your  safety  belt 
and  make  sure  everybody  in your  vehicle  is 
properly  restrained!  
Page 143 of 302
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Important  safety  instructions  about 
safety  belts 
Safety  belts  must  always  be correctly posi
tioned  across  the  strongest  bones  of your 
body. 
~ Always wear  safety  belts  as  illustrated  and 
described  in this  chapter. 
~ Make sure  that  your  safety  belts  are  always 
ready  for  use  and  are  not  damaged. 
A WARNING 
Not wearing  safety  belts  or wearing  them 
improperly  increases  the  risk of  serious 
personal  injury  and  death.  Safety  belts  can 
work  only when  used  correctly. 
- Always  fasten your  safety  be lts  correctly 
before  driving  off and  make  sure  all  pas
sengers  are  correctly  restrained. 
- For maximum  protection,  safety  belts  must  always  be  positioned  properly  on 
the  body . 
- Never  strap  more  than  one  person,  in
cluding  small  children,  into any  belt. 
- Never  place  a  safety  belt  over  a  child  sit ting  on  your  lap. 
- Always keep  feet  in the  footwell  in front 
of the  seat  while  the  vehicle  is being  driv
en . 
- Never  let  any  person  ride  with  their feet 
on the  instrument  panel  or  sticking  out 
the  window  or  on  the  seat. 
- Never  remove  a  safety  belt  while  the  ve
hicle  is moving.  Doing so  will  increase 
your  risk of  being  injured  or killed. 
- Never wear  belts  twisted. 
- Never wear  belts  over  rigid  or  breakable 
objects  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 
hardware . 
- Do not  wear  the  shoulder  part  of the  belt 
under  your  arm  or  otherwise  out  of  posi 
tion . 
Safety  belts  141 
-Severa l layers  of  heavy clothing  may  in
terfere  with  correct  positioning  of  belts  and  reduce  the  overall  effectiveness  of 
the  system . 
- Always keep  belt  buckles  free  of  anything 
that  may  prevent the  buckle  from  latch
ing securely . 
- Never  use  comfort  clips  or  devices that 
create  slack  in the  shoulder  belt . Howev
er,  special  clips  may be  requ ired  for  the 
proper  use of  some  child  restraint sys
tems . 
- Torn or frayed  safety  belts  can  tear,  and 
damaged  belt  hardware  can  break  in an 
accident.  Inspect belts regularly. 
If web
bing , bindings,  buckles,  or  retractors  are 
damaged,  have  belts  replaced  by  an  au
thorized  Audi dealer  or  qualified  work shop. 
- Safety  belts that  have  been  worn  and 
loaded  in an  accident  must  be  replaced 
with  the  correct  replacement  safety  belt 
by an  authorized  Audi dealer . Replace
ment  may  be  necessary  even  if damage 
cannot  be  clearly  seen . Anchorages  that 
were  loaded  must  also  be  inspected. 
- Never  remove,  modify,  disassemble,  or 
try  to  repair  the  safety  belts  yourself. 
- Always keep  the  bel ts clean.  Dirty belts 
may  not  work  properly  and  can  impair 
the  function  of  the  inertia reel~ 
ta
ble  Internal  cleaning  on page  206. 
Safety  belts 
Fastening  safety  belts 
Safety  first  -everybody  buckle  up! 
Fig.  136 Bel t  b uckle  and to ngue  on  the  drive r's seat  
Page 144 of 302
142  Safet y belt s 
To provide  maximum  protection,  sa fety  belts 
must  always  be  positioned  correctly  on  the 
wearer 's  body . 
.,.  Adjust  the  front  seat  and  head  restr aint 
properly ¢ 
page  60,  Front seats . 
.,. Make sure  the  seatback  of the  rear  seat 
bench  is  in an  upright  pos ition  and  securely 
latched  in place  befo re  using  the  belt¢.&, . 
.,.  Hold the  belt  by  the  tongue  and  pull  it  even
l y across  the  chest  and  pelvis¢.&, . 
.,.  Inse rt  the  tongue  into  the  correct  buckle  of 
you r seat  until  you  hea r it  latch  securely 
¢ fig . 136. 
.,.  Pull on  the  be lt  to  m ake s ure th at  it  is se-
curely  latched  in the  b uckle . 
Automatic  safety  belt  retractors 
Every safety  belt  is eq uipped  w ith  an  automat
ic belt  retractor  on  the  shoulder  be lt . T his fea
ture  locks  the  be lt  when  the  belt  is pulled  out 
fast,  dur ing  hard  bra king and  in an  acci dent. 
The  belt  may  also  lock when  yo u drive  up or 
down  a  steep  hill or through  a  sharp  curve.  During  normal  driving  the  belt  lets  you  move 
freely . 
Safety  belt  pret ensioners 
The  sa fe ty belts  are  equippe d wi th a  be lt  pre
tensioner  that  helps  to  tigh ten  the  safety  bel t 
and  remove  s lack when  the  pretensioner  is ac 
tivated  ¢ 
page  144. The function  of the  pre
tensioner  is monitored  by a warning  light 
¢page  20. 
Convert ible  locking  ret ractor 
E very  sa fe ty belt  except  the  one  on  the  dr iver 
seat  is eq uipped  with  a  convertib le  locking  re
tractor  that 
must be  used  when  the  safety 
be lt  is used  to  attach  a  child  seat.  Be s ure  to 
read  the  important  information  about  this 
feature ¢ 
page  180 . 
A WARNING 
Improperly positioned  safety  belts  can 
cause  se rious  injury  in an  accident 
¢ page  142,  Safety  bel t p osition. 
- Saf ety  belts  offe r optim um  pro te ction 
only wh en the  seatba ck is upr ight  and  be
lts  are  properly  posit ioned  on  the 
body. 
- Never attach  the  safety  be lt  to  the  buck
le  for  another  seat.  Attaching  the  belt  to 
the  wrong  buckle  will  reduce  safety  be lt 
effectiveness  and  can  cause  serious  per 
sonal  injury . 
- A  passenger  who  is not  proper ly restrain
ed  can  be  seriously  injured  by t he  safety 
be lt  itse lf w hen  it  moves  from  the  stro n
ge r parts  of the  body  into  cr itica l areas 
like the  abdomen . 
- Always lock the  conve rtible  locking  re
tracto r when  you  are  secu ring  a  child 
seat  in t he  ve hicl e¢ 
page  182. 
© Tips 
Fo r information  on  safety  belt  pretens ion
ers,  refer  to¢ 
page  144. 
Safety  belt  position 
Correct belt  position  is the  key  to getting 
maximum  protection  from  safety  belts . 
Fig. 137 Safet y bel t pos it ion 
Stan dard  fea tures  o n your  veh icle  he lp yo u ad 
ju st  the  pos ition  o f th e  safety  be lt  to  ma tch 
your  body  s ize . 
- he ight-adjus table  fron t seats. 
A WARNING 
Imp ro pe rl y pos it io ned  safety  be lts  ca n 
cause  ser ious  perso nal  injury  in an  a cci
dent. 
-
- T he  s hou lder  be lt  should  lie  as  close  to 
the  center  o f the  collar  bone  as  possible 
an d should  fit  well  on  the  body.  Hol d the 
~  
Page 145 of 302
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belt  above the latch  tongue  and  pull  it 
evenly  across  the  chest  so that  it sits  as 
low as  possible  on  the  pelvis  and  there  is 
no  pressure  on  the  abdomen.  The  belt 
should  always  fit snugly 
r=:> fig. 137 . Pull 
on  the  belt  to  tighten  if necessary. 
- The  lap  belt  port ion  of  the safety  belt 
must  be  positioned  as low as  possible 
across  pelvis  and  never  over the abdo
men.  Make sure  the belt  lies flat  and 
snug 
c:> fig . 137. Pull on  the  belt  to  tight
en  if necessary. 
- A  loo se-fitting  safety belt  can  cause  seri
ous  injuries  by sh ifting  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 
r::;, page  141. 
Pregnant  women  must  also  be correctly 
restrained 
The best  way  to protect  the  fetus  is to  make 
sure  that  expectant  mothers  always  wear 
safety  belts  correctly  -throughout  the  preg
nancy. 
Fig. 138 Safety  belt  pos itio n during  pregnancy 
To provide  maximum  protection,  safety belts 
must  always  be  positioned  correctly  on  the 
wearer's  body 
c:> page  142 . 
.. Adjust  the  front  seat  and  adjustable  head 
restraint*  correctly 
c:> page  60, Front seats . 
.. Hold  the  belt  by the  tongue and  pull  it even 
ly across  the  chest  and  pelvis 
r:!> fig.  138, 
QA . 
Safety  belts  143 
.. Insert  the  tongue  into  the  correct  buckle  of 
your  seat  until you hear  it  latch  securely 
<=:>page  141,  fig.  136. 
.. Pull on  the  belt  to  make  sure  that  it  is se
curely  latched  in the  buckle. 
A WARNING 
Improperly  positioned  safety  belts  can 
cause  ser ious  personal  injury  in an  acc i
dent. 
- Expectant  mothers  must  always  wear  the 
lap  portion  of the  safety  belt  as  low as 
possible  across  the  pelvis and  below  the 
round ing of  the  abdomen. 
- Always read  and  heed all WARNINGS  and 
other  important  information 
c:> & in Fas
tening  safety  belts  on  page 142. 
Unfastening  safety  belts 
Unbuckle the  safety  belt  with  the  red release 
button  only  a~er the  vehicle  has  stopped. 
.. J_ 
Fig.  139 Releas ing  the  tongue  fro m the  buck le 
..  Push  the  red  release  button  on  the  buckle 
r=:> fig.  139. The belt  tongue  will spring  out 
of the  buckle 
r::;, ,&.  . 
.. Let  the  belt  wind  up  on  the  retractor  as  you 
guide  the  belt  tongue  to  its  stowed  position . 
A WARNING 
--Never unfasten  safety  belt  while  the vehi
cle  is  moving . Doing  so  will  increase your 
risk  of  being  injured or kill ed.  
Page 146 of 302
144  Safety belts 
Improperly  worn  safety  belts 
Incorrectly  positioned  safety  belts  can cause 
severe  injuries . 
Wearing  safety  belts  improperly  can  cause  se
rious  injury  or  death.  Safety  belts  can  only 
work  when  they  are  correctly  positioned  on 
the  body . Improper  seating  positions  reduce 
the  effect iveness  of  safety  belts  and  will even 
i ncrease  the  r isk of  injury  and  death  by mov
ing  the  safety  belt  to  cr itical  areas  of the 
body . Improper  seating  positions  also  in
crease  the  risk of  serio us  inj ury and  death 
when  an  airbag  deploys  and  strikes  an  occu pant  who  is not  in  the  correct  seating  posi
tion . A driver  is responsible  for  the  safety  of 
all  vehicle  occupants  and  especially  for  ch il
dren . Therefore: 
..  Never  permit  anyone  to  assume  an  incorrect 
sitting  position  in the  vehicle  wh ile  traveling 
¢ _& . 
A WARNING 
Improperly  worn  safety  belts  increase  the 
risk  of  se rious  personal  injury  and  death 
whenever  a veh icle  is  being  used . 
- Always  make  sure  that  al l vehicle  occu-
pants  are  cor re ct ly restrained  a nd  stay  in 
a  corre ct  seating  posit ion  wheneve r the 
vehicle  is  be ing  used. 
- Always  read  and  heed  all WARNI NGS and 
other  important  informat ion 
¢page  141. 
Safety  belt  preten
sioners 
How safety  belt  pretensioners  work 
In front,  side  and  rear -end  collisions  above  a 
particular  severity  and  in a rollover , safety 
belts  are  tensioned  automatically. 
R ev er sible  s afety belt  ten sioners 
The safety  belts  on  the  front  seats  are  equip
ped  with  power  reve rsible  tensioners . The  fol
low ing  funct ions  are  available  when  the  driv -er's/front  passenger's  safety  belts  are  fas
tened: 
- Automatic  tens ioners : at  the  start  of  a  dr ive, 
t he  sa fe ty belts  automat ica lly adjust  to  the 
passenger  after  a  certain  time  period  or ve 
hicle  speed. 
- In  certain  driving  situations,  the  safety  belts 
may  tighten  w ith  a  reversible  tensioning 
function 
¢ page  95. 
-The safety  be lts  may  a lso  tighten  with  this 
reversible  tensioning  function  in  minor  co lli
sions . 
Pyrotechnic  s afety  belt  pretens ioners 
T he  safety  belts  are  equipped  with  sa fety  belt 
pretensioners.  The  system  is  ac tivated  by sen
sors  in front,  side  and  rear-end  co llisions  of 
great  severity  and  in  a  rollover.  This tightens 
the  belt  and  takes  up  belt  slack ¢.&. 
in Service 
and  disposal  of  safety  belt  pretensioner  on 
page  145. 
Taking  up  the  slack  helps  to  reduce 
forward  occupant  movement  dur ing  a  colli 
s ion . 
A WARNING 
-- It  is  poss ible  for  the  pretens ioners  to  de-
p loy inco rrectly. 
- The  pyrotechnic  system  can  only  provide 
p rotection  fo r one  coll is ion.  If  the  pyro
technic  pretensioners  deploy,  the  preten sioning  sys tem  must  be  replaced . 
{!) Tips 
The  pyrotechnic  safety  be lt  pretensioners 
can  only  deploy  once. 
- The  safety  belt  pretensioners  do  not  de
ploy  in  minor  frontal  and  s ide  collisions, 
in  rear-end  co llisions,  in  rollovers  and  in 
co llisions  involving  very  little  impact 
force. 
- A fine  dust  is released  when  the  py ro
t echnic  safety  be lt  pretensioners  dep loy. 
T his  is normal  and  is not  caused  by a fire 
in the  vehicle . 
- T he  re levant  safety  requ irements  must 
be  observed  when  the  vehicle  or compo 
nents  of the  system  are  scrapped.  A  
Page 147 of 302
M N 
" > co ,...., \!) ..,., 
,...., ..,., ,...., 
qualified  dealership  is familiar  with 
these  regulations  and  will  be  pleased  to pass  on  the  information  to  you. 
- Be sure  to  observe  all  safety,  environ
mental  and  other  regulations if the  vehi
cle  or  individual  parts  of the  system,  par
ticularly  the  safety  belt  or airbag,  are  to  be  disposed.  We  recommend  you  have 
your  authorized  Audi  dealer  perform  this 
service  for  you. 
Service and  disposal  of  safety  belt 
pretension er 
The  safety  belt  pretensioners  are  parts  of  the 
safety  belts  on  your  Audi.  Installing,  remov ing,  servicing  or  repairing  of  belt  pretension
ers  can  damage  the  safety  belt  system  and 
prevent  it  from  working  correctly in  a colli
sion. 
There  are  some  important  things  you  have  to 
know  to  make  sure  that  the  effectiveness  of 
the  system  will  not  be  impaired  and  that  dis
carded  components  do  not  cause  injury or  pol
lute  the  environment . 
A WARNING 
Improper  care,  servicing  and  repair  proce
dures can increase  the  risk of  personal  in
jury  and  death  by  preventing a  safety belt 
pretensioner  from activating  when  needed 
or  activating  it unexpectedly: 
- The  belt pretensioner  system can  be acti
vated  only once.  If  belt  pretensioners 
have  been  activated,  the  system  must  be 
replaced. 
- Never  repair,  adjust,  or  change any  parts 
of the  safety  belt  system. 
- Safety  belt  systems  including  safety  belt 
pretensioners  cannot  be  repaired.  Spe
cial  procedures  are  required  for  removal, 
installation  and  disposal  of  this  system. 
- For  any  work  on  the  safety  belt  system, 
we  strongly  recommend  that  you  see 
your  authorized  Audi dealer  or  qualified  technician  who  has  an  Audi approved  repair  manual,  training  and  special  equip
ment  necessary. 
Safety  belts  145 
@:) For the  sake of the  environment 
Undeployed  airbag  modules  and  preten
sioners  might  be  classified  as  Perchlorate 
Material  -special  handling  may  apply,  see 
www. dtsc. ca.gov/hazard  o u swa ste/  per-
ch  lo rate.  When  the  vehicle  or  parts  of the 
restraint  system  including  airbag  modules 
safety  belts  with  pretensioners are  scrap
ped,  all  applicable  laws  and  regulations 
must  be  observed.  Your authorized  Audi 
dealer  is familiar  with  these  requirements 
and  we  recommend  that you  have  your 
dealer  perform  this  service  for  you.  • 
• 
•  
Page 148 of 302
146  Airbag system 
Airbag  system 
Important  things  to know 
Importance  of  wearing  safety belts  and 
sitting  properly 
Airbags are only supplemental  restraints.  For 
airbags  to do  their job , occupants  must  al
ways properly  wear  their safety  belts  and  be 
in a proper seating  position. 
F or your  safety  and  the  safety  of your  passen
gers,  before  driving off,  always: 
•  Adjust  the driver's  seat  and steering  wheel 
properly 
¢ page  127, 
• Adjust  the  front  passenger's  seat  properly 
¢ page  60, 
• Wear  safety  be lts  properly ¢ page  141, 
• Always  properly  use  the  proper  child  re-
straint  to  protect  children  ¢ 
page  169. 
In  a  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 
a ir bag  to  do  its job,  it  is  important,  both  as  a 
d river and  as  a passenger  to sit  prope rly  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 
comp letely  and provide  supplemental  protec
tion  in ce rtain  frontal  collisions 
¢page  127, 
Proper occupant  seating  positions. 
F or  details 
on  the  operation  of  the  seat  adjustment  con
t rols ¢ 
page  60. 
It's  especially  important  that  children  are 
properly  restrained  ¢ 
page  169. 
There is a  lot  that  the driver  and  the passen
ge rs  can  and  must  do to help  the  individual 
safety  features  installed  in your  Audi work  to
gether  as  a  system. 
Proper  seating  pos ition  is  important  so  that 
the  front  airbag  on  the  driver side  can  do  its 
job.  If you  have  a  physical  impairment or con- dition  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  Advanced  Airbag  System , 
please  contact  your  author ized  Audi  dealer  or 
qualified  workshop,  or  call  Audi  Customer  Re
lations  at  1-800-822-2834  for  possible  modi
ficat ions  to your  veh icle. 
When  the  airbag  system  deploys,  a  gas  gener 
ator  will f ill the  a irbags,  break  open  t he  pad
ded  cove rs,  and  inflate  between  the  steering 
whee l and  the  dr iver  and  between  the  instru
ment  panel  and  the  front  passenger. The air
bags  will  deflate immediately  after  deploy
ment  so  that the  front  occupants  can see 
t hr ough  the  windshie ld  again  without  inter
ruption . 
All of  this  takes  pla ce  in the  blink  of an  eye,  so 
fast  that  many  peop le  don't  even  realize  tha t 
the  airbags  have  deployed.  The  airbags  a lso 
inflate  with  a  great  dea l of force  and  nothing 
should  be  in their  w ay when  they  deploy. 
Front  airbags  in  combination  with  properly 
worn  safety  belts  slow  down  and  lim it  the  oc
cupant's  forward  movement . T ogether  they 
help  to  prevent  the  drive r and  front  seat  pas
senger  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  wi ll not  inflate  in  all  fronta l 
collisions . The triggering  of the  airbag  system 
depends  on  the  vehicle  dece lerat ion  rate 
caused  by the  co llision  and  registered  by the 
electron ic control  unit.  If  this  rate  is  below 
the  reference  value  programmed  into  the  con 
t rol  unit , the  airbags  will  not  be triggered, 
even  though  the  car  may  be  badly  damaged  as 
a  res ult  of  the  collision . Vehicle  damage,  re
pair  costs  or even  the lack of  vehicle  damage 
is  not  necessari ly an  indication  of whether  an 
airbag  shou ld inflate  or  not. 
IJll- 
Page 149 of 302
Airbag  system  147 
Since  the  circumstances  will vary  considerab ly 
also  at  greater  risk of  injury  or  death 
between  on e collision  and  another , it  is  not 
through  contact  with  an  inflating  airbag . 
possible  to  define  a  range  of veh icle  speeds 
-If  you  are  unrestrained,  leaning  forward, 
that  will cover  every  possible  k ind  and  angle 
sitting  sideways  or  out  of  position  in any 
of  impact  that  will always  trigger  the  a irbags . 
way, your  risk of  injury  is  much  higher. 
Important  factors  include,  for  example,  the  -You will a lso  receive  serious  injuries  and 
nature  (hard  or  soft)  of the  object  which  the  could  even  be  killed  if you  are  up  against 
• 
car  h its,  the  ang le  of  impact,  vehicle  speed , 
• the  airbag  or  too  close  to it  when  it  in-
etc.  The  front  airbags  will a lso  not  inflate  in 
flates  - even  with  an  Advanced  A irbag. 
side  or  rea r collisions,  or  in  ro ll-overs . 
-To reduce  the  risk of  injury  when  an  air-
Alwa ys re memb er: Airbags  will deploy  only  bag  inflates,  always  wear  safety  belts 
once,  and  only  in certa in  kinds  of  co llisions.  properly 
c::;, page  141,  Safety  belts
. 
Your safety  belts  are  always  there  to  offe r pro- -
Always  make  certain  that  ch ildren  age  12 
tection  in those  s ituations  in which  airbags  or younger  always  ride  in the  rear  seat.  If 
are  not  supposed  to  deploy , or  when  they  have  children  a
re  not  properly  restrained , they 
already  deployed ; for  example , when  your  ve- may  be  severe
ly inju red  or  killed  when  an 
hide  strikes  or  is  struck  by another  vehicle  af- airbag  inf
lates. 
ter  the  first  collision .  -
Never  let  ch ildren  ride  un restra ined  o r 
This  is just  one  of the  reasons  why  an  a irbag  is  improperly  restrained 
in the  vehicle . Ad-
just  the  front  sea ts prope rly. 
a  supp lementary  restraint  and  is not  a  s ubsti -
-Never  ride  with  the  back rest  reclined . 
tute  for  a  safety  belt . The  airbag  system 
-Always sit  as  far  as  possible  from  the 
works  most  effect ively when  used  with  the 
steering  whee l or the  instrument  panel 
safety  belts.  Therefore,  always  properly  wear 
c::;, page 127 . your  safety  belts c::;, page  138 . 
- Always sit  upright  with  your  back  against 
A WARNING the  backrest  of yo ur seat. 
- Never  p lace  your  feet  on  the  instrument 
Sitting  too  close  to  the  steer ing  whee l or 
panel  or  on  the  seat . Always  keep  both 
instrument  panel  will dec rease  the  effec-
feet  on  the  floor  in front  of  the  seat  to 
tiveness  of the  airbags  and  will  inc rease 
help prevent  serious  in ju ries  to  the  legs 
the  risk of  pe rsonal  injury  in a  co llision. 
and  hips  if  the  airbag  in fla te s. 
- Never  si t closer  than  10  inches  (2S  cm) 
-Never  recline  the  front  passenger's  sea t 
to  the  stee ring  wheel  or  instr ument  pan-
to  transport objects.  Items  can  a lso 
el.  move  into  the  area  of the  s ide  a irb ag  or 
- If you  cannot  si t mo re than  10  inches 
the  front  airbag  during  bra king  or  in a 
( 2 5  cm) from  the  steer ing  whee l,  investi-
sudden  maneuver. Objects  near  the  air-
ga te whethe r adap tive equipmen t may 
bags  can  become  projectiles  and  cause 
be  available  to  help  you  reach  the  pedals  injury when  an  airbag  inflates. 
and  increase  your  seating  distance  from 
the  steering  wheel. 
A WARNING 
- All veh icle  occupants  and  especia lly chil -
dren  m ust  be  restrained  properly  when- A
irbags  that  have  deployed  in a  crash  must 
ever  riding  in  a vehicle . An unrestra ined  be  replaced. 
or  improperly  restrained  child  could  be  -
Use on ly orig inal  equipment  airbags  ap-
M injured  by striking  the  inter ior  or  by be- proved  by Audi and  installed  by a  trained • N technician  who  has  the  necessary  too
ls ~ ,.... ing  ejected  from  the  vehicle  during  a > co sudden  maneuver  or  impact . An unre-...... \!) ..,., strained  or  imp roperly  rest rained  child  is ...... ..,., ......  
Page 150 of 302
148  Airbag  sys tem 
and  dia gnostic  equipment  to  properly  re
place  any  a irbag  in your  vehicle  and 
assure  system  effectiveness  in  a crash. 
- Never  permit  salvaged  or  recycled  a ir
bags  to  be  installed  in your  veh icle. 
Child restraints  on  the  front  seat  - some 
important  things  to  know 
~ Be sure  to  read  the  impo rtant  informat ion 
and  heed  the  WARNINGS for  impo rtant  de
ta ils  about  ch ild ren  and  Advanced  Airbags 
Qpage  169. 
Even though  you r vehicle  is equ ipped  with  an 
Advanced  Airbag  Sys tem,  ma ke  certain  that 
all  c hildren,  especially  those  12  years  and 
younger,  a lways  ride  in the  back  sea t 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 
ve ry dangerous  p lace  for  an  infant  or  a ch ild  in 
a  rearward-facing seat. 
The  Advanced  Airbag  System  i n your  veh icle 
has  been  certified  to  comply  with  the  require
ments  of  United  States  Federa l Motor  Ve hicle 
Safety  Standard  208  as  applicable  at  the  time 
your  ve hicle was  manufactured. 
The  Standard  requires  the  front  a irbag  on  the 
passenger  side  to  be  turned  off  ("sup 
p ressed")  if a c hild  up  to  about  one  year  of 
age  restra ined  in one  of  the  rear-facing  o r fo r
ward -facing  infan t  restra ints  listed  in  Federal 
M otor  Vehicle  Safety  Standard  208  with  w hich 
the  Advanced  A irbag  System  in your  vehicle 
was  certified  has  been  installed  on  the  front 
passenger  seat.  Fo r a  listing  of  the  child  re
straints  that  were  used  to  certify  compliance 
with  the  US Safety  Standard 
Q page  171. 
The PASSENGER  AIR  BAG OFF light  in the  in
strument  panel  te lls you  when  the  front  Ad
vanced  Airbag  on  the  passenger  side  has  been  turned  off  by the  e lectronic  control  unit.  E
ach  time  you  switch  on  the  ignition,  the 
PAS
SENGER  AIR  BAG O FF 
light  will  come  on  for  a 
f ew  seconds  and : 
- w ill  stay  on  if the  fro nt  passenge r seat  is not 
occupied, 
- w ill  stay  on  i f the  e lec tric al  ca pacit ance 
meas ured  by the  capacitive  passenger  de 
tection  system  for  the  front  passenger  seat  equa ls the  combined  capacitance  of  an  in 
fant  up  to  about  one  year  of  age  and  one  of 
the  rearward-facing  or  forward-fac ing  ch ild 
restraints  listed  in  Federal  Motor  Vehicle 
Safety  Standard  208  with  wh ich  the  Ad 
vanced  Airbag  System  in your  vehicle  was 
c e rt ified . Fo r a  listing  of  t he chi ld  restraints 
t ha t were  used  to  certify  you r vehi cle's  com
p lian ce  w it h t he  U.S. Safety  Stand ard 
Q page  171. 
-w ill  stay on  if there  is  a  small  ch ild  or  child 
restr aint  on  the  front  passenge r seat, 
- will  go  off  if t he  front  pa ssenge r seat  is oc 
cupied  by  an  adult  as  regis tered  by  the  ca 
pacitive  passenge r de tection  sys tem 
c::> page  158,  Monitoring  the Advanced  Air· 
bag System. 
The PASSENGER  AIR  BAG OFF light  comes  on 
when  e lec trica l capacitance  registered  on  the 
front  passenger  seat  is eq ua l to  or  less  tha n 
t h e comb ined  capacitance  of  a typica l  1 year
o ld  infant  and  one  of  the  rearward-facing  or 
forward-facing  chi ld  restraints  listed  in  Fede r
al  Motor  Vehicle  Safety  Standard  208  w ith 
wh ich the  Advanced  Airbag  System  in your  ve
hicle  was  certified. 
If  the  total  e lectr ica l capacitance  registered 
on  the  front  passenger  seat  is  more  than  that 
of  a  typical  1 year -o ld  child  but  less  than  the 
weight  of  a small  adu lt ,  the  front  airbag  on 
t h e  passenger  side  can  deploy  (the 
PASSEN
GER AIR  BAG OFF 
light  does  not  come  on). 
If  the 
PASSENGER  AIR  BAG OFF light  does 
not  come  on,  the  front  airbag  on  the  passen
ger  side  has  not  been  turned  off  by t he e lec
t ro nic  cont ro l unit  a nd can  deploy  if  the  con
t ro l u nit se nses  an  impact  tha t mee ts the  con-
di tions  s tored  in  its  memory . 
1J1>