instrument panel AUDI RS5 CABRIOLET 2013 Owners Manual

Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger. Adjust
your seat properly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
- your body is properly supported thus reduc­ ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offe r
maximum protection
¢ page 137.
In the following sections, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for installing a child safety seat on the front passenger's seat. Always follow the informa­
tion regard ing child safety provided in
¢ page 158, Child Safety.
.&_ WARNING
-
Refer to ¢ page 118, Driving Safely for
important information, tips, suggestions
and warnings that you should read and fol­
low for your own safety and the safety of
your passengers.
.&_ WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the dr iver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury.
- Always keep your feet on the floor when
the vehicle is in motion -never put your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion. This app lies especially to the passen-
S eat s an d sto rage 61
gers . If your seating position is incorrect,
you increase the risk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an accident . If the
airbag inflates and the seating position
is incorrect, this cou ld result in pe rsonal
in jury or even death.
- It is important for both the driver and front passenger to keep a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
s trumen t panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the airbag system can ­
not protect you properly. In addition, the
front seats and head restraints m ust be
adj usted to your body height so that they
can give you max imum protect ion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the steer­
ing wheel or instrument panel.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas­ senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your seat may move unexpectedly, caus­
ing sudden loss of veh icle control and
pe rsonal injury. If you adjust you r seat
while the veh icle is moving, you are ou t
of po sit ion.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving .
We recommend that you adjust the dr iver's
seat in the follow ing manner:
.., Adjust the seat in fore and aft direction so
that you can easily push the pedals to the
floor wh ile keeping your knees slightly bent
¢ .&, in Why is your seat adjustment so im ­
portant? on page 61 .
""Adjust the seatback so that when you sit
w ith your back against the seatback , you can
s ti ll grasp the top of t he steering wheel.
... App lies to veh icles with adjustab le head re­
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the up­
per edge is as even as possible wit h the top
of your head. If that is not possib le, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as .,.

82 On the road
watch the speedometer to make sure you
are not driving faster than the speed limit.
Speed warning 1: setting a speed limit
Warning threshold 1 is set by the ISE T! but­
ton.
Fig. 93 SE T butto n in the instrument cluste r
Storing the maximum speed
.. Drive at the desired maximum speed .
.. Press the ISET ! button in the instrument
panel display ¢
fig. 93 for 1 second.
Resetting the maximum speed
.. Drive the vehicle at a speed of at least
3 mph (5 km/h)
.. Press the ISET ! button for more than 2 sec-
onds.
The . (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
speed warning symbol will appear briefly in
the display when you release the !SET! button
to indicate that the maximum speed has been
stored successfully .
The maximum speed remains stored until it is
changed by pressing the !SE T! button again
briefly or until it is de leted by a lengthy push
on the button .
Speed warning 2: setting a speed limit
The radio or MMI* control unit is used to set,
change or delete warning threshold 2.
.. Se lect : ICAR ! function button> Instrument
cluster > Speed warning.
Or
.. Select : ICAR !function button> Car systems *
control button > Driver assist > Speed warn­
ing .
Warning threshold 2 can be set in the speed
range starting from 20 mph to 150 mph (30
km/h to 240 km/h). Settings can each be ad­
justed in intervals of 6 mph (10 km/h).
Cruise control
Switching on
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at
20 mph
(30kmlh).
0
f
~
0
Fig. 94 Co ntro l leve r wit h pus h-butto n
Fig. 95 Display : Se lected speed
.. Pull the lever to position (D ¢ fig. 94 to
switch the system on.
.. Drive at the speed to be controlled.
.. Press button @ to set that speed .
T he stored speed and t he green symbol
ci!;\l)~i~ (US mode l)/ i'I (Canadian mode l) are
shown in the display ¢
fig. 95 . The display
may vary , depending on the type of display in
your vehicle.
The speed is kept constant by modifying en ­
gine power or through an active brake inter­
vention.
...

120 Driving Safely
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢page 62.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag de­
ploys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision.
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving . Your seat may move unexpect­
edly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in- jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 158. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat¢
page 13 7.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom ­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
• Move the front passenger seat back as far as
possible . There must be a minimum of
10 inches (25 cm) between the breastbone
and the instrument panel¢,&. .
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
• Applies to vehicles with adjustable head re­
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the up­
per edge is as even as possible with the top
of your head. If that is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this position as possible.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 132.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 61.
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­ bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:

-Passengers must always sit in an upright
posit ion and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located .
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un­
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye .
- Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenge r's breastbone and the instru­
ment pane l.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of the ir own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat .
- Before driv ing, a lways adjust the front
passenger seat and head restra int prop­
er ly .
- Always keep your feet on the f loor in
front of the seat . Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win ­
dow, etc . The airbag system and safety
belt will not be ab le to protect you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
t ion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
c::> page 158 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenge r seat
c::> page 13 7.
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical size and be properly restrained
whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor­
rect seat ing position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas-
Dr ivin g Sa fely 121
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
'" Make su re that the seatba ck is secure ly
latched in the upright position
c::> page 67 .
'" Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
'" Fasten and wear safety belts proper ly
c::>page 132.
'"Make sure that children are always properly
restrai ned in a child restraint that is appro ­
pr iate for the ir s ize and age
c::> page 158 .
.&, WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on
the rea r seat can be seriously inj ured in a
crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protec­
tion when the seatback is sec urely latch ­
ed in the upright position and the safety
be lts are properly positioned on the
body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
injury from improperly positioned safety
belts!
Proper adjustment of head restraints
App lies to vehicles: with adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im­
portant part of your vehicle's occupant re­
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations .
Fig . 1 35 Head restra int: vi ewed fro m the front

122 Driving Safel y
The head restraints must be correctly adjust­
ed to achieve the best protection. ... Adjust the head restra ints so the upper edge
is as even as poss ible w ith the top of yo ur
head.
If that is not possib le, try to ad just
the head restraint so that it is as close to
t h is position as possible
¢ fig. 135.
Adjusting head restraints ¢ page 64 .
.&, WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re­
straints . Driving without head restraints or
w ith head restra ints that are not proper ly
adjusted increases the risk of ser ious or fa­
tal neck injury dramat ically . To help reduce
the risk of in ju ry:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and proper ly adjusted .
- Every person in the veh icle must have a
properly ad justed head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the ve­
hicle properly adjusts the ir head re­
straint. Ad just the head restraints so the
upper edge is as even as possib le wit h
the top of your head . If that is not possi­
ble, try to adju st the hea d restra int so
that it is as close to this position a s pos ­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjus t head rest raint
wh ile driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the dr iver head rest for any
reason, first stop the ve hicle safe ly be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
straint.
- Children must always be properly re­
strained in a ch ild restraint that is appro­
pr iate for their age and size ¢
page 158.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
I mproper seating positions can ca use serio us
in ju ry or death . Safety belts can on ly work
when they are properly positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduce the
effectiveness of safety belts and wi
ll even in­
c rease the r is k of i njury and death by mov ing
the safety belt to crit ica l areas of the body.
Imprope r seating positions a lso increase the
risk of serious inju ry and death when an a ir ­
bag deploys and str ikes an occupa nt w ho is
not in the proper s eating posit ion . A dr iver is
responsible for the safety of all ve hicle occu­
pants and espe cially for child ren. The re fo re :
... Never allow anyone to assume an incor rect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used ¢& .
T he following bullet ins list o nly some sample
pos itions tha t w ill increase the r isk of serious
i njury and dea th . O ur hope is that t hese exam­
ples will ma ke yo u more aw are o f seat ing po­
s itions tha t ar e dangerous.
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- neve r sta nd u p in t he vehicle
- neve r stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride wit h the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- neve r sit on the e dge of the seat
- neve r sit s ideways
- neve r 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 cush ion or
back of the seat
- neve r ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo a rea
.&, WARNING
Imp roper seating posit ions increase the
risk of ser ious persona l injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occ u-
pants stay in a proper seating position
and are properly restrained whenever the
veh icle is being used.

area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
-If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power top,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power top and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
-After closing the rear lid, always make sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­ bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­ mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
.
Driving Safely 125
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
¢page 226.
Tie-downs
App lies to vehicles : wi th t ie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly ¢
page 124, Loading the luggage com­
partment .
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­ ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­
ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help prevent items from flying
•
•

130 Safety belts
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles .
Fig. 142 Unbelted occupants in a ve hicle heading for a
wall
Fig. 143 The vehicle c ras hes into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the
vehicle and the passengers possess energy
which varies with vehicle speed and body
weight . Engineers call this energy ''kinetic en­
ergy ."
The 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 energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of this vehicle are not
using safety belts
c::> fig. 142, they will keep
moving at the same speed the vehicle was
moving just before the crash, until something
stops them -here, the wall
c::> fig . 143 .
The same principles apply to people sitting in
a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision .
Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to
50 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 forces are
even
higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also
not attached to their vehicle. In a frontal colli­
sion they wi ll also keep moving forward at the
speed their vehicle was travell ing just before
the crash. Of course, the laws of physics don't
just apply to frontal collisions, they determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and col ­
lisions .
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!
Fig. 144 A driver not wea ring a safety belt is violen tly
th rown fo rwa rd
Fig . 145 A rear passenger not wearing a safety belt
will
fl y fo rwa rd and strike the drive r
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the
tremendous forces of impact by holding tight
or bracing themselves. Without the benefit of
safety restraint systems, the unrestrained oc­
cupant will slam violently into the steering
wheel , instrument panel, windshield, or what ­
ever else is in the way c::> fig. 144. This impact .,..

13 2 Safety belts
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.
,&. 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 belts 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 be ing 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 pa rt of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of pos i­
tion . -
Several 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 required 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, buck les, 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 belts clean. Dirty belts
may not work properly and can impair
the function of the inert ia reel
c:> page 200, Safety belts .
Safety belts
Belt positioner
The driver and front passenger seats are
equipped with belt positioners .
Fig. 14 7 Driver 's se at: Be lt positio ner

138 Airbag sys te m
angle of im pact that will always trig ger the
airbags, since the circumstances wi ll vary con­
siderably between one collision and another.
Important factors include, for example, the
nature (hard or s oft) of the object which the
car h its, the angle of impact, vehicle speed,
etc. The front airbags will also not inflate in
side or re ar collisions, or in roll-overs .
Always remember : Airbags will deploy only
once, and only in certa in kinds of collisions .
Your safety belts are always there to offe r pro­
tection in those s ituations in which airbags
a re not supposed to deploy , or when they have
a lready deployed; for example , when yo ur ve­
h icle strikes or is st ruck by another after the
first collision .
This is just one of the reaso ns why an a irbag is
a supplementary restra int and is not a s ubst i­
tute for a safety be lt. The airbag system
works most effective ly when used with the
safety be lts. Therefore, always properly wear
you r safety belts ¢
page 129 .
A WARNING
Sitting too close to the steer ing wheel or
instrument panel will decrease the effec­
tiveness of the airbags and will increase
the risk of pe rsonal injury in a collision .
- Never sit closer than 10 inches (25 cm)
to the stee ring wheel or instr ument pan­
el.
- If you cannot sit more than 10 inches
(25 cm) from t he steer ing wheel, investi­
gate whethe r adaptive equipment may
be available to help you reach the pedals
and incre ase your sea ting dis tance from
the steering wheel.
- If you are unrestr ained, lean ing fo rward,
s itting sideways or out of posi tion in any
way, your risk of injury is much higher.
- Yo u w il l a lso receive serio us in juries and
co uld even be killed if you are up against
the airbag or too close to it when it in ­
flates -even with an Advanced Airbag.
- To reduce the r is k of i njury when an air ­
bag inf lates, a lways wear safety belts
properly
c::> page 132, Safety belts .
-Always make certain that ch ild ren age 12
or younger always ride in the rear seat. If
children are not properly restrained, they
may be severe ly injured or killed when an
airbag inflates .
- Never let c hildren ride unrestrained or
improperly restrained in the vehicle . Ad­
just the front seats prope rly .
- Never ride with the back rest reclined.
- Always sit as far as possible from the
steer ing whee l or the instrument pane l
¢page 119.
-Always sit upright with your back against
the backrest of your seat.
- Never p lace your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both
feet on the floor in front of the seat to
he lp prevent serious in ju ries to the legs
and h ips if the airbag inflates .
- Never recline the front passenger 's seat
to transport objects . Items can a lso
move i nto the a rea of the s ide airbag or
the front a irbag d uring br akin g or in a
sudden maneuve r. Obje cts ne ar the air ­
bags can become projec tiles and cause
inj ury when an airbag inflates.
.&, WARNING
A irbags that have deployed in a crash must
be replaced.
- Use on ly original eq uipment airbags ap ­
proved by Audi and installed by a trained
technician who has the necessary too ls
and d iagnost ic equipment to properly re­
p lace any airbag in your vehicle and as­
sure system effectiveness i n a crash .
- Never permit salvaged or recycled air­
bags to be installed in your vehicle .
Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
.,. Be s ure to read the importa nt information
and head the WAR NINGS for important de­
t ails about children and Advanced A irbags
c::> page 158 . ..,.

Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag System, make certain that
all ch ildren, especially those 12 years and
younger, a lways ride in the back seat 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 safety seat.
It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or
a child in a rearward-facing seat.
The Advanced Airbag System in your veh icle
has been certified to comply w ith the Requ ire­
ments of United States Federa l Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 as applicable at the time
your vehicle was manufactured.
The Standard requires the front ai rbag on the
passenger side to be turned off ("sup­
p ressed") if a ch ild up to about one year of
age restrained in one of the rear-facing or for­
ward -facing infant restraints listed in Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with wh ich
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
was certified has been installed on the front passenger seat . For a listing of the child re­
straints that were used to certify compliance
with the US Safety Standard
Q page 160.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the in­
strument panel tells you when the front Ad­
vanced A irbag on the passenger side has bee n
turned off by the electronic control unit.
Each t ime you turn on the ignition, the
PAS ­
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will come on for a
few seconds and :
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
- will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front passenger seat,
- will go off if the front passenger seat is oc­
cupied by an adult as registered by the
weight-sensing mat
Q page 148, Monitor­
ing the Advanced Airbag System .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when the control un it detects a total weight
on the front passenger seat that requires the
front airbag to be turned off.
Airbag system 139
If the total weight on the front passenger
seat is more than that of a typical 1 year-o ld
c hild but less than the weight of a small
adult, the front airbag on the passenger side
can deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on). If the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on, the
front a irbag on the passenger side has not
been turned off by the electronic con trol unit
and can deploy if the contr ol unit senses an
impact that meets the cond itions stored in its
memory .
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
-a small ch ild that is heav ie r than a typical 1
year-old ch ild is o n the front passenger seat
(regard less of whether the child is in one of
the child safety seats listed
Q page 160), or
- a child who has outgrown child restraints is
on the front passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on in
the instrument cluster and stays on.
The front airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not illum inate and stay lit) even if a
small adult or teenager, or a passenger who is
not sitting uprig ht with their back against a
non-reclined backrest w ith their feet on the
vehicle floor in front of the seat is on the front
passenger seat
~ page 119, Proper seating
position for the driver.
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the
Federal Standard requires the airbag to meet
the "low risk" deployment criteria to reduce
the risk of injury thro ugh interaction with the
airbag . "Low risk" deployment occ urs in those
crashes that take place at lower dece lerat ions
as defined in the electronic control unit
Q page 148, PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
Always remember, a child safety seat or infant
carr ier installed on the front seat may be
struck and knocked out of posit ion by the rap­
idly inflating passenger's airbag in a frontal
collision . The airbag could greatly reduce the
effectiveness of the child restraint and even
seriously injure the child during inflation. •
•