service AUDI S8 2008 Owner's Manual

as defined in the elec tronic control unit~ page 230 , "PA SSENGER
AI R BAG OFF ligh t".
A lways r em ember, a ch ild seat or infant carrier install ed on th e front
seat may be st ruck and knocked out of position by the rap idly
i n fl ating pass enger's airbag in a fr ontal co llisio n. T he airb ag co uld
greatly reduce the effectivenes s of the chi ld restraint and even seri ­
ously inju re t he c hild duri ng i nflatio n .
F or this reason, and because the bac k seat is the safest place for
chi ldr en -w hen pro perly res traine d acc ording to th eir age an d size
- w e stron gly recomm end that c hildren a lways sit in th e bac k seat
~ page 243, "C hil d Safe ty" .
& WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child seat or infant car rier with
great force and will smash the child seat and child against the
backrest , center arm rest, door or roof .
• Always install rear-facing child seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child seat on the front
passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
immediately install the rear-facing child seat in a rear seating posi­
tion and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer.
• Forward -facing child seats installed on the front passenger's
seat may interfere with the deployment of the airbag and cause
serious personal injury to the child .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat:
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Airbag system
&, WARNING (continued )
• Always make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag .
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up against or very
near the instrument panel .
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position .
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will be displayed whenever a child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not stay on , perform
the checks described
~ page 229 , "Monitoring the Advanced
Airbag System" .
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer immedi ­
ately .
• Always carefully follow instructions from child restraint manu­
facturers when installing child restraints .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward or
rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat:
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Airbag system -
--------------=---=--
& WARNING (continued)
• Airbag work most effectively when used with properly worn
safety belts.
• Therefore, always wear your safety belts and make sure that
everybody in your vehicle is properly restrained.
& WARNING
A person on the front passenger seat, especially infants and small
children, will receive serious injuries and can even be killed by
being too close to the airbag when it inflates.
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front passenger airbag if an infant or a
small child is on the front passenger seat, nobody can absolutely
guarantee that deployment under these special conditions is
impossible in all conceivable situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle.
• The Advanced Airbag System can deploy in accordance with
the
"low risk" option under the U.S. Federal Standard if a child that
is heavier than the typical one-year old child is on the front
passenger seat and the other conditions for airbag deployment
are met.
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position.
• For their own safety, all children, especially 12 years and
younger, should always ride in the back properly restrained for
their age and size. •
Advanced front airbag system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front Advanced Airbag System in
compliance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan ­
dard 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manufactured.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
The
front Advanced Airbag System supplements the safety belts to
provide additional protection for the driver's and front passenger's
heads and upper bodies in frontal crashes . The airbags inflate only
in frontal impacts when the vehicle deceleration is high enough.
The front Advanced Airbag System for the front seat occupants is
not a substitute for your safety belts . Rather, it is part of the overall
occupant restraint system in your vehicle. Always remember that
the airbag system can only help to protect you, if you are sitting
upright, wearing your safety belt and wearing it properly. This is why
you and your passengers must always be properly restrained, not
just because the law requires you to be.
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the "low risk" requirements for 3 and 6 year -old children on the
passenger side and very small adults on the driver side. The low risk
deployment criteria are intended to help reduce the risk of injury
through interaction with the front airbag that can occur, for
example, by being too close to the steering wheel and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates.
In addition, the system has been certified to comply with the
"suppression" requirements of the Safety Standard, to turn off the
front airbag for infants 12 months old and younger who are
restrained on the front passenger seat in child restraints that are
listed in the
Standard=> page 245, "Child restraints and Advanced
Airbags".
"Suppression" requires the front airbag on the passenger side to be
turned off if:
• a child up to about one year of age is restrained on the front
passenger seat in one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant
restraints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
which the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certified. For
a listing of the child restraints that were used to certify your
vehicle's compliance with the US Safety
Standard => page 245,
• weight less than a threshold level stored in the control unit is
detected on the front passenger seat.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Airbag system -
--------------=---=--
& WARNING (continued)
• If you must install a rearward facing child seat on the front
passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
immediately install the rear-facing child seat in a rear seating posi­
tion and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer.
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat:
• Always make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up against or very
near the instrument panel.
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible, before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on. •
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very important
parts of the Advanced Airbag System in it. These parts include the
weight -sensing mat, sensors, wiring, brackets, and more. The func ­
tion of the system in the front passenger seat is checked by the elec­
tronic control unit when the ignition is on. The control unit monitors
the Advanced Airbag System and turns the airbag indicator light on
when a malfunction in the system components is detected. The
function of the airbag indicator light is described in greater detail below . Because the front passenger seat contains important parts
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
of the Advanced Airbag System, you must
take care to prevent it
from being damaged. Damage to the seat may prevent the
Advanced Airbag for the front passenger seat from doing its job in
a crash.
The front Advanced Airbag System consists of the
following:
• Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that measure vehicle
acceleration/deceleration to provide information to the Advanced
Airbag System about the severity of the crash.
• An electronic control unit, with integrated crash sensors for front
and side impacts. The control unit "decides" whether to fire the
front airbags based on the information received from the crash
sensors. The control unit also "decides" whether the safety belt
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 -sensing mat under the upholstery padding of the front
passenger seat cushion that measures the total weight on the seat.
The information registered is sent continuously to the electronic
control unit to regulate deployment of the front Advanced Airbag on
the passenger side .
• An airbag monitoring system and indicator light in the instru­
ment
cluster => page 229.
• The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on in the
center of the instrument
panel => page 230, fig. 233 and tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned off .
• A sensor below the safety belt latch for the front seat passenger
to measure the tension on the safety belt . The tension on the safety
belt and the weight registered by the weight-sensing mat help the
control unit
"decide" whether the front airbag for the front
passenger seat should be turned off or
not=> page 220, "Child
restraints on the front seat
-some important things to know". .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a-' g=- s_ y=- s_t _e _m __ fflll
& WARNING (continued )
airbags can become projectiles and cause injury , part icularly when
the seat is reclined .
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cause breathing
problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing
conditions.
• To reduce the risk of breathing problems, those with asthma or
other respiratory conditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening windows or doors.
• If you are in a collision in which airbags deploy, 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 s epa rate i ndic a tors mon itor the fu nction of the
Adv anc ed A irbag S ystem: the airbag monitor ing indi cator
light and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l igh t.
The Adva nce d A irbag S yst em ( includ ing t he e lec tronic co ntrol un it,
se nsor circuits and system wiring) is monitored continuously to
ma ke sure t hat it is fu nctio nin g properl y whene ver th e ig niti on i s on.
E ach time you t urn on the ignition, the airbag monitoring in dicator
lig ht ~ will co me on f or a few s econ ds (se lf diagnos tics).
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
The system must be inspected when the indicator
light
:l t
• does not come on when the i gnition is switched on,
• do es no t go out a few se conds after you have sw itch ed o n the
ign it ion, or
• comes on while d riv in g.
I f an airbag syst em malfunction is d etected, the indicator light will
fi rs t sta rt fl ash ing to catch the d rive r's a tten tion an d th en s tay on
cont in uousl y to serve as a constant rem inder to have the system
i nspec ted i mm ed ia tely.
If a ma lfunction o ccurs that turns t he fro nt a irbag o n th e passe nger
side off, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on
w heneve r the ig nit io n is on.
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash .
• If the airbag indicator light comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System . It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to , or
will not inflate when it should .
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on the
seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does not come on and does
not stay on continuously (when the ign ition is switched on) ,
• t ake the chil d re stra int off th e front passeng er seat and i nstall it
proper ly at one of the rear seat pos it ions . Have the a irbag system
i nspec ted by y our Audi d ealer im mediately.
• move the child to a rear seat position and make sure that the
c h ild is pro perl y restrai ned i n a c hild rest ra in t t ha t is ap prop ria te fo r
its s ize and age .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light s hou ld NOT come on when the
ignition is on and an adult is sittin g in a proper seating position on
the fro nt passenger seat . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
co me s on a nd stays o n or flas hes fo r abou t 5 s econds whi le d rivin g,
under these ci rcumstances , ma ke su re that :
• th e adult on the front passeng er sea t is pro pe rly s eate d on the
cent er of the seat cushion with his or her back up again st th e back ­
res t and the bac kres t is no t recl ined => page 20 0, "Pr oper o ccupa nt
seating positions",
• the adult i s not ta king w eight off the se at b y ho ld in g on to the
passenger assist handle above the front passenger door or
su ppo rtin g th eir we ig ht on t he ar mrest,
• the safety belt is being p roper ly worn and that there is not a lot
o f slac k in th e safety bel t webb ing,
• accessory seat covers or c ushions or other things that may cause
an incorrect r ead ing o r impre ss io n on th e w eight-s en sin g m at
unde r the upho lste ry of the seat have been removed from the front
p ass enger sea t,
• a safety belt extender has not been left in t he safety be lt latc h for
the fr ont pass enge r se at.
I n addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the center of th e
in stru men t p ane l, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF o r
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON wi ll briefly appe ar in the instrum ent c luster
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Airbag system
d
isplay . This is to inform the driver of the current front passenger
a irb ag stat us.•
Important safety instructions on monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System . It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to , or
will not inflate when it should.
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflates , a child without a child restraint , in a
rearward-facing child seat or in a forward-facing child restraint
that has not been properly installed will be seriously injured and can be killed.
• Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System , make certain that all children , especially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat properly restrained for their
age and size .
• Always install forward or rear -facing child seats on the rear
seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• If you must install a rearward-facing child seat on the front
passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on , imme ­
diately install the rear-facing child seat in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer .
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Airbag system -
--------------=---=--
& WARNING (continued )
-Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi ­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
• The airbag system can be activated only once. After an airbag
has inflated , it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary .
• The airbag system can be deployed only once . After an airbag
has been deployed , it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially for your Audi model
version . Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only .
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• For safety reasons in severe accidents , the alternator and
starter are separated from the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic
circuit interrupter .
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer
-risk of an accident!
- If the vehi cle or the circuit interrupter is scrapped, all appli ­
cable safety precautions must be followed .
<i> For the sake of the environment
Undeployed ai rbag mod ule s and pr etensione rs mi ght b e cla ssi fied
as Perchlorate Material -sp ecial handling may ap ply, s ee
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle or
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
parts of th
e restraint syst em incl uding airbag modules saf ety be lts
w ith preten sio ne rs a re sc rapped, a ll a pp lic ab le laws a nd re g ul a­
tions must be observ ed. Your authorized Audi deale r is fam iliar with
t hese req uir e m ents a nd we rec ommend tha t yo u have yo ur dea ler
perfor m this service for you .•
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
C han ging the vehic le 's suspens ion system can change the way that
t h e Ad va n ce d Ai rbag Sys tem perfo rm s in a crash. F or e xam ple,
using ti re -r im comb inations not app rov ed by Audi, lower ing the
ve hic le , ch angi ng th e st iff ne ss of the su sp en sion , in cludin g the
springs, suspension struts, shock absorbers etc . can cha nge the
forc es that are measu re d b y th e a irbag sens ors a nd sen t to the e lec ­
t ronic con trol un it. Some suspens ion chan ges can, for exa mple,
i nc rea se the force le v e ls mea sured by the sen so rs and make the
a irb ag sys tem de plo y i n cras hes in whi ch it wo uld not de plo y if the
changes had not been made . Other kinds of changes may reduce
t h e force leve ls m easured by t he se nso rs a nd p reve nt t he a irba g
from deploy ing when it should .
T he se nsor s in th e safe ty bel t buc kle for th e dr ive r a nd fr ont
passen ger seat te ll th e electron ic control module if t he safety belt is
l a tc h e d or n ot. If t he safety belt is b ein g use d, th e fr ont ai rbag will
dep loy at a s lig htly h igher rate of veh ic le dece lerat ion t han if t he
safety belt is not being use d. Therefore, in a partic ular collision, it is
poss ible t hat an airba g w ill not deplo y at a s eat ing pos itio n where
the safety be lt is being used but wi ll inflate at the position where t he
sa fe ty be lt is no t bein g used. It i s im por ta nt th at n othi ng i nterfe re
with t he safety belt buc kles so that the sensors can send the correct
info rm ati on abou t sa fet y bel t use to th e ele ctr on ic co ntrol unit.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;::;_ s-=-- y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's su spension includ ing use of un approved
tire -rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performance
and increase the ris k of serious pe rsonal injury in a crash .
• Never install suspen sion components that do not have the
same performance chara cteristi cs as the components or iginally
installed on your vehicle.
• Never use tire-r im combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
c onsole can cause the sensors in the buc kle to send the wrong
information to the electroni c control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly .
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed .
W For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretensioners might be c lassified
as Pe rchlora te Mat erial -s pecia l handling may a pply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle or
par ts o f the res train t syst em inclu ding airbag mod ules sa fety be lts
with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regu la ­
tions must be o bse rved. You r au thor ize d A udi d ealer is fami liar wi th
these requirements and we recommend that you have you r dea ler
perfo rm this service for you. •
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Th e a irba g sys tem ca n prov id e suppl emen tal prot ect ion
t o pro perly res tra ined front s eat occ upa nts.
0
Fig . 2 34 Dri ver' s
airba g
The airbag for the driver is located in the instrument panel under ­
neath the steering
whee l=> fig . 234 , the airbag for the passenger is
at about the same height in th e instrument panel und erneath the
glove compartment.
T he k nee air bag offer s addi tio nal pr otec tion to the driver 's a nd
passenger 's knees and upper and lower thi gh areas as a supple ­
me nt to t he safet y belts.
I f the front airbags deploy , the knee airbags also deploy in frontal
collisions above a certain
se verity => page 227, "M ore important
thi ngs to know about fron t a irba gs" .
B esides their normal safety function, safety be lts wor k to help keep
th e drive r o r fr on t pas seng er in pos itio n in case of a fro ntal co llis io n
so that the airbags can provide protection .
T he airbag system is not a su bstitute for your safety belt . Rathe r, it
i s part o f the overa ll occupa nt res traint system i n yo ur veh icl e.
A lwa ys re member that the airbag system can on ly help to protect
you if you a re weari ng your safe ty belt and wea ring it p roperly . T hi s
liJ,,

---------------------------------------------~A~ ir'..!b!: a:! g~ s~ yr_; s::!. t~ e~ m~ _lffllll
& WARNING (continued)
• In order to reduce the risk of injury when the supplemental side
airbag inflates:
-Always sit in an upright position and never lean against the
area where the supplemental side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone else rest their head against the
side trim panel in the area where the supplemental side airbag
inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat put their hand or any other parts of their body out of the window.
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter­
ference.
-Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seat backs that have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags deploy .
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
• Objects between you and the airbag can increase the risk of
injury in an accident by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the airbag inflates .
- Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup holders, telephone brackets, or even large, bulky objects}
on the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the
seat backrests .
- Such objects and accessories can become dangerous projec­
tiles and cause injury when the supplemental side airbag
deploys.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
-Never carry any objects or pets in the deployment space
between them and the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position .
• Always use the built -in coat hooks only for lightweight
clothing. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the
pockets that may interfere with side airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in an accident.
• Always prevent the side airbags from being damaged by heavy
objects knocking against or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
• The airbag system can only be triggered once. If the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership.
• Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.} to the original seat covers
or to the seam in the area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• If children are seated improperly, their risk of injury increases
in the case of an
accident => page 243, "Child Safety".
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in any way.
• In a side collision , side airbags will not function properly if
sensors cannot correctly measure increasing air pressure inside
the doors when air escapes through larger, unclosed openings in
the door panel.
-Never drive with interior door trim panels removed.
- Never drive when parts have been removed from the inside
door panel and the openings they leave have not been properly
closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the doors have been
removed unless the speaker holes have been properly closed .
- Always make certain that openings are covered or filled if
additional speakers or other equipment is installed in the
inside door panels .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_______________________________________________ C_h _ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t..a y __ ffllll
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a collision.
The physical principles of what happens when your vehicle is in a
crash apply also to children
=> page 211, "What happens to occu­
pants not wearing safety belts?". But unlike adults and teenagers,
their muscles and bones are not fully developed. In many respects
children are at greater risk of serious injury in crashes than adults.
Because children's bodies are not fully developed, they require
restraint systems especially designed for their size, weight, and
body structure. Many countries and all states of the United States
and provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of approved
child restraint systems for infants and small children.
In a frontal crash at a speed of 20-35 mph (30-56 km/h) the forces
acting on a 13-pound (6 kg) infant will be more than 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the child would
suddenly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg). Under these condi ­
tions , only an appropriate child restraint properly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury. Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
must be used properly to be effective. Used improperly, they can
increase the risk of serious injury in an accident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's instructions to be sure
the seat is right for your child's
size=> page 246, " Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats". Please be sure to read and
heed all of the important information and WARNINGS about child
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child restraints in
this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
vehicle and how they work when infants and children in child
restraints are on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
amount of
important information, we cannot repeat it all here. We
urg e you to read the detailed information in this owner's manual
about airbags and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle and
the very important information about transporting children on the
front passenger seat. Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they
are extreme ly important for your safety and the safety of your
passengers, especially infants and small children.
& WARNING
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position. Always
restrain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
• All vehicle occupants and especially children must be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the inte­
rior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuver or impact . An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death through contact with
an inflating airbag.
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating positions provides the highest degree of protec­
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations.
& WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with Advanced Airbags
can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates . A
child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, or door. ..,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-----------------------------------------~C:_! h~ i~ l d~ S~a !!f ~e _!:t YL _ffllll
restraints and for the different models of the same kind of child
restraint offered by child restraint manufacturers .
The weight ranges for the individual types , makes and mode ls of
child restraints that the NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typ ical infants and typica l 1 year­
old child have been stored in the control unit of the Advanced
Airbag System. When a ch ild restra int is being used on the front
passenger sea t wi th a typical 1 y ear-old child, the Advanced Airbag
System compares the weight measured by the weight sensing mat
with the information stored in the e lectronic control unit .
The electronic contro l unit also registers the tension on the front
passenger safety be lt . The tens ion on the safety belt for the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult who is properly using
the safety belt as compared to the tension on the belt when it is used to attach a chi ld restraint to the seat. The sensor below the
latch for the safety belt for the front seat passenger measures the
t e nsion on th e be lt . The input from this sensor is then used with the
weight to "decide" , w hether there is a child restraint with a typical 1
year-o ld child on the front passenger seat and whether or not the
airbag must be turned off .•
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regard less of the child restraint that you use, make sure that i t has
been certified to meet United States Federa l Motor Vehic le Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manufacturer for use with
an airbag . Always be sure that the chi ld restraint is properly
insta lled at one of the rear seating positions . If in exceptiona l
circumstances you must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully
read all of the information on child safety and Advanced Airbags
and heed a ll of the app licable WARNINGS. Make certain that the
child restraint is correct ly recognized by the weight -sensing mat
inside the front passenger seat, that the front passenger airbag is
turned off and that the airbag status is always correct ly signa led by
t he
P ASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF light .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Many types and mode
ls of chi ld restraints have been available over
t he years, new mode ls are introduced regular ly incorpora ting new
and improved designs and older models are taken out of produc­
tion. Child rest raints are not standardized . Child restraints of the
same type typically have different weights and sizes and different
'footprints,' the size and shape of the bottom of the chi ld restra int
that sits on the seat, when they are insta lled on a veh ic le seat. These
differences make it virtua lly impossible to certify comp liance with
the requirements for advanced airbags with each and every child restraint that has ever b een sold in th e past or will b e sold over the
course of the usefu l life of your veh ic le .
For this reason, the Uni ted S tates National Highway Traffic Safety
Admin istration has pub lished a lis t of spec ific type, makes and
models of child restra ints that must be used to cert ify compl iance
of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle with the suppression
requ irements of Federa l Motor Veh ic le Safety Standard 208. These
child restraints are:
A. Ca r beds, man ufac tured on or afte r Sept ember 1 ,
20 0 4:
• Cosco Dream R ide 02-719
B . Rea r fa cin g c hild re straint syste ms, manu factured
o n or aft er Se ptemb er 1 , 20 04:
(When the restraint system comes equipped with a removab le base,
compliance has to be certified with or without the base) .
• Britax Handle with Care 191
• Century Assura 4553
• Century Smart F it 4543
• Cosco Arriva 02727
• E venflo Discovery Adjust R ig ht 212
• Evenflo First Choice 204
• Graco lnfant8457
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data