AUDI R8 SPYDER 2015 Owners Manual

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- An electronic control uni t, with integrated
crash sensors for front an d side impacts. The
control unit "decides" whether to fire the front
airbags based o n the information received from
the cras h sensors . The control un it also "de­
c ides" whether the safety be lt pretensioners
should be activated .
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator for the
driver inside the steering wheel hub .
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator inside
the instrument panel for the front passenger .
- A weight-sens ing mat under the upholstery
padd ing of the front passenger seat cush ion
that measures the total we ight on the seat . The
information registered is se nt cont inuously to
the e lectronic control unit to regulate dep loy­
ment of the front Advanced Airbag on the pas­
se nger side.
- An a irbag monito ring system and indicator
li ght in the inst rumen t cluster
¢page 112.
-The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on in the cen ter of t he instrument
pane l
¢page 112, fig . 118 and te lls you when
the front Advanced Ai rbag on the passenger
side has been turned
off .
-A sensor be low the safety belt la tch for the
front seat passenger to measure the tension on
the safety be lt . The tension on the safety belt
and the weight registered by the weight-sens­
ing mat help the control unit "dec ide" whether
the front airbag for the front passenger seat
shou ld be turned
off or not ¢ page 103, Child
restraints on the front seat -some important
things to know.
- A sensor in the safety belt latch for the dr iver
and for the front seat passenger that senses
whether that safety belt is latched or not and
t ransmits th is info rmation to the electronic
control unit.
~ WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can pre ­
vent the front airbag from work ing proper ly .
- Improper repair or disassembly of the front
passenger and driver seat will prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from functioning properly .
Airbag syste m
- Repairs to the front passenger seat must be
pe rformed by qualified and properly t rained
workshop personne l.
- Never remove the front passenger or driver
seat from the vehicle.
- Never remove the upho lstery from the front
passenger seat.
- Never disassemble o r remove parts from the
seat or disconnect w ires from it.
- Never carry sharp objects in yo ur pockets or
place them on the seat. If the weight-sens­
ing mat in the passenger seat is punctured
it cannot work properly.
- Never carry things on your lap or carry ob­
jects on the passenger seat. S uch items can
increase the we ight registered by the
weight-sens ing mat and send the w rong in­
formation to the a irbag con trol unit .
- Never store items under the front passenger
seat . Pa rts of the Advanced Airbag System
under the passenger seat could be dam­
aged, p reventing them and the airbag sys­
tem from wo rking prope rly.
- Never p lace seat covers or rep lacement up­
hols tery that have not been specifically ap­
p rove d by Aud i on t he front se ats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Air­
bag Sys tem from recogni zing child re­
s traints or oc cupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent t he side a irbag in the seat
backrest from deploying properly.
- Never use cushions, pillows, b lan kets or
similar items on the front passenger seat .
The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sens ing mat in the seat from accu­
rately register ing the child restraint or per­
son on the seat and prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from functioning properly.
- If you must use a child restraint on the front
passenger seat and the child restraint man­
ufacturer 's instructions require the use of a
towel, foam cushion o r some thing else to
p roperly pos ition the c hild restra int , ma ke
certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on an d stays on whenever the
child restraint is installed on the front pas ­
senger seat .
109

Airbag system
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, have the airbag
system inspected by your Audi dealer.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the side
ai rbags supplement the protection offered by the
front three-point safety be lts with pretensioners
and load limiters and the adjustable head re­
straints to help reduce the risk of injury in a wide
range of accident and crash situations. Be sure to
read the important information about safety and
heed the WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Advanced Airbag System and
the activation of the safety be lt pr etensioners de­
pend on the deceleration measured by the crash
sensors and registered by the electronic control
unit. Crash sever ity depends on speed and decel­
eration as well as the mass and stiffness of the
veh icle or object involved in the crash.
When the electronic control unit registers a low
severity crash and the safety belt is being used,
the airbag will not deploy . If the safety belt is not
be ing used , the first stage deploys, followed by
the second stage after a much later time in the
crash sequence.
If the electronic control un it reg isters a crash of
medium severity, the first stage of the airbag de­
p lo ys followed by the second stage at a much lat­
er time in the crash sequence -regardless of
whether the safety belt is being used or not. In
h ig her severity crashes as registered by the elec­
tronic control unit, both the first and second
stages deploy almost at the same time .
On the passenger side, regard less of safety belt
use, the airbag will be turned off if the weight on
the passenger seat is less than the amount pro­
grammed in the electronic contro l unit. The front
airbag on the passenger side w ill also be turned
off if one of the child safety seats that has been
cert ified under Federal Motor Veh icle Safety
Standard 208 has been recogn ized on the seat.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off
110
q page 103, Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know.
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag in­
flates, always wear safety belts properly.
- If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sit­
ting sideways or out of position in any way,
your r isk of injury is much higher .
- You will also receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if you are up aga inst the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag
q page 102.
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fig. 117 Infla ted fro nt airbags
Safety belts are important to help keep front seat
occupants in the proper seated pos ition so that
airbags can unfold properly and prov ide supple­
mental protection in a fronta l collision .
The front airbags are des igned to provide addi­
tional protect ion for the chest and face of the
dr ive r and the front seat passenger when:
- safety belts are worn properly,
- the seats have been positioned so that the oc -
cupant is properly seated as far as possible
from the airbag,
- and the head restraints have been properly ad-
justed .
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.
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When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released.
This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the
veh icle. This dust is made up mostly of a powder
used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy . It
could irr itate skin.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental a irbag system is designed to reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injur ies,
for example swel ling, bruising and minor abra­
sions , can also happen when a irbags inflate . Air­
bags do not protect the arms or the lower parts
of the body . Front airbags only supp lement the
three point safety belts in some frontal col lisions
in which the ve hicle deceleration is high eno ugh
to deploy the airbags .
Front airbags will not d eploy:
- i f the ignit ion is switched off when a crash oc-
curs,
- in s ide collisions,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in ro llovers,
- when the crash deceleration measured by the
airbag system is less than the minimum thresh­
o ld needed for airbag deployment as registered
by the electronic control un it.
The front pa ssenger airbag will a lso not
deplo y:
- when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
- when the we ight on the front passenger seat as
sensed by the Advanced Airbag System indi­
cates that the front airbag on the passenger
s ide has to be turned
off by the electronic con­
trol unit (the
PA SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on) .
A WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the
r is k of se rious injury in crashes .
- To reduce the r isk of injury when the airbags
inflate, the d river and passengers must al­
ways s it in an upr ight position, must not
lean against or place any part of their body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located .
Airbag syste m
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be serio usly
injured by an airbag as it unfolds with great
force in the blink of an eye
c'.> page 103.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-fac ing ch ild safety seat
i nstalled on the front passenge r seat w ill be
seriously inju red and can be killed if the front
a ir bag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
- The inflating airbag will h it the c hild safety
seat o r infant ca rr ier with great force and
will sm ash the child s afety seat and child
aga inst the backrest, center arm rest, door
or roof.
- Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght comes on
and stays on.
If the PASSENG ER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght does not come on and stay on, the
inflating a irbag will hit the child safety seat
or infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst th e backrest, door or roof. Have the
ai rbag system inspected immediately by
your author ized A udi dealer.
A WARNING
Obje cts between you and the airbag will in­
crease the risk of in jury in a crash by inte rfe r­
ing with the way the airbag unfolds or by be­
ing p ushed into you as the airbag inflates .
- Never hold things in yo ur hands or on your
lap when the vehicle is in use .
- Never transpo rt items on or in the area of
the front passenger seat. Objects could
move into the area of the front a irbags dur­
ing brak ing or other sudden maneuver and
become dangerous project iles that can
cause serious persona l injury if the a irbags
i n flate.
- Never p lace or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone
b rackets, large , heavy o r bulky objects) on
the doors, over or nea r the a rea marked
-
111

Airbag syste m
"A IRB AG" on the s teering whee l, instr u­
me nt pane l, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourself. These objects could cause injury in a crash, especially
when th e airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front pass enger's seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the a rea of the side airbag or the front air­
bag dur ing braking or in a sudden maneu­
ver. Objects near the airbags can become project iles and cause injury, part icularly
when the seat is reclined .
A WARNING
The f ine dust created when a irbags dep loy can
cause breathing problems for people with a
history of asthma o r other breathing condi­
tions.
- To reduce the risk of breathing problems,
those w ith asthma or other resp iratory con­
ditions should get fresh air r ight away by
gett ing out of the vehicle or opening w in­
dows or doors.
- If you are in a coll is ion in w hich a irbags 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.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
~ Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag moni­
toring indicator light and the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light.
The Advanced Airbag System (including the elec ­
tronic control unit, sensor circuits and system
wiring) is monitored cont inuo usly to make sure
that it is funct ion ing properly whenever the ign i­
tion is on. Each time you turn on the ignition, the
ai rbag mon itor ing indicator light . will come on
for a few seconds (self d iagnostics).
112
The system must be inspected when the
indicat or light •=
-does not come on when the ignition is switched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after yo u have
sw itched on the ignit ion, or
- comes on while driv ing.
If an airbag system malfunction is detec ted, t he
i ndica tor l igh t will fi rst start flashing to catch the
drive r's attention and then stay on cont inuo usly
to serve as a constant rem inder to have the sys ­
tem inspected immediately .
If a ma lfunction occurs that turns the front air­
bag on the passenger side off, the
PA SSENGER
AIR BAG O FF
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental protection
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag ind icator light comes on, it
means that there may be something wrong
w ith the Advanced Airbag System . It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it is
not supposed to, or will not inflate when it
should.
- Have the airbag system inspected immedi­
ately by your Audi dealer.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fi g. 118 Sect io n fro m the instru ment pa nel: PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light
The PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light is lo ca ted in
the center of the inst rument panel
r=;, fig . 118. ..,.

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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 t urned
off
by the electron ic control unit. Each time you turn
on the ignition, the
P A SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF
light will flash for a few seconds and:
- wi ll stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
- will stay on if there is a small child or child re­
straint on the front passenger seat,
- wi ll go out if the front passenger seat is occ u­
pied by an adult as registered by the weight ­
sensing mat .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light mu st co me
on and st a y on
if the ignition is on and
- a ca r bed has been insta lled on the front seat,
o r
- a rearward-fac ing c hild restraint has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat, or
- a fo rward-facing child restraint has been insta l­
led on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight registered on the front passenger
seat is equal to o r less than the comb ined
weight of a typica l 1 yea r-old restrained in one
of the rear -facing or forwa rd-facing infant re­
straints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 with which the Advanced Airbag
System in your vehicle was certified .
I f the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
fro nt airbag will not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-facing chi ld restraint on the front pas­
senger seat
c::> page 103, Child restraints on the
front seat -some important things to know
and
c::>page 122, Child Safety .
If the PASSENG ER AIR BAG O FF light c omes on
when one of the condit ions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer­
tain that the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on cont inuous ly whenever the ignition is
on. If the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not appear and not stay on a ll the time, stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
- r eact ivate the system by turning the ignition
off
and then tu rning it on aga in;
Airbag syste m
- 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 correct ly routed aro und the child
restraint as described in the child restra int
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 pu lled tight . T he belt must not be loose or
have loops of s lack so that the sensor below the
safety belt latch on the seat can do its job
c::>page 130.
-make sure t hat things that may i ncrease the
weight of the ch ild and ch ild safety seat are not
be ing transpor ted on the front passenge r seat;
- ma ke s ure t hat the safety belt tension sensor is
not b locked. Shake the safety bel t latch on the
front passenger seat back and forth;
- I f a s trap o r tether is be ing used to tie the child
safety seat to the front passenger seat, ma ke
sure that it is not so tight that it causes the
weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on the seat.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still doe s
not come on
and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on),
- t ake the child restraint
off the front passenge r
seat and insta ll it properly at one o f the rea r
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your Audi dealer immed iate ly .
- move the child to a rear seat position and make
sure that the child is properly restrained in a
child restraint that is appropr iate for its size
and age.
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should NO T
come on when the ignition is on and an ad ult is
sitting in a proper seating position on the front
passenger seat. If the
PA SS ENG ER A IR BAG O FF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while dr iv ing, 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 w ith
his or her back up against the backrest and the .,..
113

Airbag syste m
backrest is not reclined ~ page 87, Proper
occupant seating positions,
- the adu lt is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door,
- the safety belt is being properly worn and that there is not a lot of s lack in the safety belt web­
bing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other th ings that may cause an incorrect reading or
impression on the weight-sensing mat under
the upholstery of the seat have been removed
from the front passenger seat,
- a safety be lt extender has not been left in the
safety belt latch for the front passenger seat .
In addition to the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OF F
light in the center of the instrument panel, the
message
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF or PA SSEN­
GER AIR B AG ON
will briefly appear in the instru­
ment cluster display . Th is is to inform the driver
of the current front passenger airbag status .
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not function ing prop­
erly cannot prov ide supplemental protect ion
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator light comes on, it
means that there may be someth ing wrong
with the Advanced Airbag System . It is pos­
sible that the a irbag will inflate when it is
not supposed to, or will not inflate when it
sho uld.
- Have the airbag system inspected immedi­
ately by your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a ch ild without a
child restraint, in a rearward-facing child safe­
ty seat or in a forward-facing child restraint
that has not been properly installed will be
ser iously injured and can be killed .
- Even though your veh icle is equipped with
an Advanced Airbag System, make certa in
that all ch ildren, especially 12 years and
114
younger, a lways ride proper ly restrained for
their age and size.
- If you must install a rearwa rd facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptiona l circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
appear and stay on have the a irbag system
inspected by your Audi dealer .
- A tight tether or other strap on a rearward­
facing child restraint attached to the front
passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-sens ing mat in the seat and
reg iste r more weight th an is actually on the
seat. The heav ier we ight registered can
make the system work as though an adult
were on the seat and deploy the Advanced
Airbag when it must be suppressed ca using
serious or even fatal injury to the child.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forwa rd- facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into its rearmost pos ition in the seat's
fore and aft adjustment range, as far away
from the airbag as possib le. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upr ight position.
Ma ke sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
wheneve r the ign it ion is switched on .
A WARNING
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an adult is sitting on the
front passenge r seat after tak ing the steps
described above, have the airbag system in­
spected by your Audi dealer before trans­
port ing anyone on the front passenger seat.
(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen­
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air­ bag on the passenger s ide will be turned off,
and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 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
i ng, se rv ic ing or repair ing a pa rt in an a rea of the ..,_

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vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system
and prevent that system from working properly
in a co llision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system wi ll not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by prevent ing an a irbag from de­
ploying when needed or dep loying an airbag
unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, o r change the steer­
ing wheel horn pad or a irbag cover or the in­
strument panel or mod ify them in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup holders
or te lephone moun tings to the su rfaces cov­
er ing the airbag units.
- F or cleaning the ho rn pad or instrument
pane l, use only a soft, d ry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners
cou ld damage the a irbag cover or change
the stiffness o r strength of the mater ial so
that the airbag cannot dep loy and protect
properly.
- Never repa ir, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All wo rk on the stee ring wheel, inst rument
pane l, front seats or elect rical system (in­
cluding the installation of aud io equipment,
cellu lar telep hones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
who has the train ing and special eq uipment
necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see you r au­
tho rized Aud i dea le r o r qualified workshop.
- Never mod ify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body .
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate without inte rfe rence:
- N ever install seat covers or replacement
up ho lstery over the front seatbacks that
Airbag syste m
have not been specif ically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side a irbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module must a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an authorized Aud i dealer .
- The airbag system can be activated only
once. After an airbag has inflated, it must
be rep laced by an authorized A udi dealer or
qualified technic ian who has the technical
info rmation, t raining and specia l equipment
necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once. After an airbag has been deployed, it m ust be replaced w ith new repla cemen t
p ar ts des igned and app roved especially for
your Aud i model version . Replacement of
comp lete airbag systems or airbag compo­
nents must be perfo rmed by qualified wor k­
shops only. Make sure that any airbag serv­
ice action is entered in your Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance book let under AIRBAG RE­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starte r are separated from
the vehicle batte ry w ith a pyrotechnic circuit
interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt­
er must on ly be performed by a qua lified
dealer - risk of an acc ident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interr upter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions
must be followed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretension ­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Material
-specia l hand ling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
stra int system including airbag modules and
safety belts with pretensioners are scrapped,
a ll applicable laws and regulations must be ..,_
115

Airb ag syst em
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
miliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag System
pe rforms in a crash. For example, us ing t ire-rim
comb inat ions 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 wou ld 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.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's s uspension including
use of unapproved t ire-rim comb inat ions can
change Advanced A irbag performance and in­
crease the risk of ser ious persona l injury in a
crash .
- Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac­
te ristics as the components or iginally insta l­
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved by A udi.
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle
and the center console can cause the senso rs
in the b uck le to send the wrong information
t o the electron ic contro l modu le and prevent
t he Advanced Airbag System from working
properly.
- Always make sure that nothing can interfere
with the safety be lt b uckles and that they
are not obstructed.
116
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants .
Fig. 119 D river 's airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
u nderneath the steer ing whee l
~fig. 119, 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 lower thigh
areas as a supplement to the protection by the
safety belts.
If the front a irbags dep loy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fronta l co llisions when the dep loyment
threshold stored in the control unit is met
~ page 110 , More important things to know
about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keeping the driver or front passen­ ger in posit ion 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 restra int system in your vehicle. A lways re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wea ring it p roperly. This is why you sho uld a l­
ways wear your safety be lt, not just because the
l aw requires yo u to do so¢
page 95, General
notes .
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Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents -your safety
be lts are a lways there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
examp le when your vehicle str ikes 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 effective ly when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your
safety belts correctly .
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental knee a irbag system is designed to re ­
duce the likelihood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries, for examp le, swe lling, bruising, minor ab ra­
sions and fr iction burns can also occur when an
airbag inflates.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
- The electronic control module
- Two inflatab le 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 turned off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the contro l unit is too low
- in s ide collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
- in the event of a system malfunct ion (warning/
indicator light is on)
<::.>page 13 .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
<=> page 110.
- If the airbag indicato r light comes on when
the vehicle is being used, have the system
inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer .
Airbag system
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully deployed knee airbags .
Fig. 120 Inflated airbags protecting in a frontal collision
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger deploy in certain but not all fronta l co llisions .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in fronta l collisions when the dep loymen t
threshold stored in the control un it is met .
When the system deploys fill the airbags with a
propellant gas, and inflate between the lower
part of the in str ument panel and the driver and
the lowe r part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger
<=> page 110, fig. 117.
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 o f this takes place in the b link of an eye, so
fa st that many people don't even realize that the
airbags have deployed . The airbags also inf late
with a great deal of force and it is important for
occupant safety that nothing should be in their
way when they dep loy.
Fully inflated airbags in combination with proper­
ly worn safety belts s low down and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement and help to reduce
the risk of injury .
117

Airbag system
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
wear safety belts correctly and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passenger must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
to provide supplemental protection.
,8. WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious in­
jury. Wearing safety belts incorrectly and im­ proper seating positions increase the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect you
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 :
- 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
ment panel.
- The risk of personal injury increases if you
lean forward or to the side, or if the seat is
improperly positioned and you are not wear­
ing your safety belt . The risk increases even
more should the airbag deploy .
- Always make sure that the knee airbag can
inflate without interference . Objects be­
tween you and the airbag can increase the
risk of injury in an accident by interfering
with the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed into you as the airbag deploys.
- Never let anybody, especially children or
animals in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger 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
118
bags, for example) can hamper or prevent
proper deployment of the airbag. Small
objects can be thrown through the vehicle
if the airbag deploys and injure you or your
passengers.
- Make sure there are no cracks, deep scratch­
es or other damage in the area of the instru ­
ment panel where the knee airbags are lo­
cated .
- If children are incorrectly seated, their risk
of injury increases in a collision
r::-, page 122, Child Safety .
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat occu­
pants.
Fig . 121 Sid e airb ag locatio n in the driver's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests~
fig. 121 facing the doors .
They are identified by the word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
-the ele ctronic control module and external sid e
i mpact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests
- the airbag warning light in the instrument clus-
t e r.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to
make certain that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignition, the air ­
bag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
II>