steering wheel AUDI TT 2013 Owner´s Manual

(!) Power window switches
@
®
©
Door handle
Power locking sw itch
Adjuster control for outside mir- rors ... . ............. .... .
® Air outlets ............... . .
@ Light switch . ... .... ... .. .. .
(J) Turn signa l and high beam . .. .
@ Mu ltifunction stee ring wheel
with:
- Horn
- Drive r's ai rbag .... ... .. .. .
- Shift buttons ..... ... .. .. .
® Instrument cluster
@ Sw itches for
- Windshield wiper/washer
- Menu disp lay ..... ... .. .. .
39
36
47
68
4 2
44
1 12
84
10
48
24
- T rip computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
© Steering lock/ignition/starter
switch (in the steering wheel
column) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
@ Adjustab le s teer ing column . . . 71
@ Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
€3J H ood re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
@ Data L ink Connector (DLC) for
On Board Diagnostics ( OBD II) 30
@ Instrument lighting . . . . . . . . . 46
@ Switches for
- Fuel filler flap release 178
- Rea r lid re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
@ Depending on opt ions: Rad io or
nav igat ion system
@ Glove compar tment ( lockable) 6 4
@ Front passenger's a irbag . . . . . 112
@ Rear window defogger sw itch 70
@ C limate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6
@ Ashtray w ith cigarette lighter . . 62
@ Selecto r l ever o r gears hift lever
- Se lector lever (S tronic) . . . . . 80
- Gearsh ift leve r
@ Switches for
- Audi magnet ic r ide or Sport 80
mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78, 78
Cockpi t 9
- Electron ic Stabilization Con -
trol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
- Emergency flasher . . . . . . . . . 45
- Ret ractable rear spo iler . . . . . 153
@ Parking brake lever . . . . . . . . . . 7 3
@ Cup holde r .. . . .. . . . . .. .. .. . 62
@ Tips
-Some of the equipment or features
show n in the genera l illustration may be
s tandard equ ipment on your vehicle or
may be opt ional equ ipment depending
on your model. A lways as k your author­
ized Aud i de aler if you have a q ues tion
abou t your vehicle .
- A separate bro ch ure is p rov ided fo r yo ur
fac tory-i nstalled audio sys tem and/or
the A udi Nav igat ion System .

44 Clear vis ion
The benefit o f adaptive light is that the curve
and the edge of the road are better illuminat­
ed
c::> fig. 41. The adaptive light is controlled
automatically, depend ing on vehicle speed
and steering wheel angle.
When driving around bends, the head lights
are controlled according to steering wheel an ­
g le. So that there is no black area ahead of the
vehicle, the two main beams pivot at different
angles.
@ Tips
The system works above a speed of about
6 mph (10 km/h).
Front fog lights
Use the light switch to turn on the front fog
lights.
Fi g. 4 2 Fog light act ivation : light switc h position on
veh icles WITHOUT sensor light
Switching on the f ront fog lights }D
0
0
en ~ ci. a,
"'
.. Do not turn the light switch -'ti.-c::> fig . 42 to-
ward the fog light symbol
iD.
.. Turn the light switch to ;oo: or to io.
.. Pull the light switch to the first stop@.
When the front fog lights are on, the symbol
}D next to the light switch will i lluminate.
(D Tips
With the switch in AUTO front fog lights
cannot be turned on in addit io n.
Turn signals and high beam lever
The lever on the left side of the steering col­
umn is used to operate the turn signals and
the high beam as well as the headlight flash­
er.
t
'
Fi g. 4 3 Tu rn signal and high beam lever
The turn signa l and hig h beam lever has the
following functions:
Turn signals ¢¢ CD@
.. Push the leve r up as far as it can go to t urn
on t he right tu rn s ignal or down to tu rn on
the left tu rn s ignal
~ fig. 43 .
.. Move the lever briefly unti l you meet resist­
ance and release it to flash three times .
.,. Move the lever (up or down) until you meet
resistance and hold it there to determine
the flashing time for the turn signals.
High beam gD @
.,. Push the lever forward to sw itch on the high
beam .
.. Pull the lever back towards you to switch off
the high beam .
Headlight fla sher gD ©
.,. Pull the lever toward the steering wheel to
use t he headlight flasher.
Not es on thes e features
- The turn signals on ly work w ith the ignition
sw itched on . The indica to r l ights
II or Bin
the instrument cluster c::> page 12 also blink.
- After you have t urned a co rner, the turn s ig -
na l switches off au toma tic ally.
- The
high beam wo rks on ly when the head-
lights are o n. The indicator light
Bl in the .,..

54 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
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 adjust ing 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 prope rly supported thus reduc­
ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety be lts and airbag system can offer
maximum protection
¢ page 108 .
In the following sec tions, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust you r seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for insta lling a child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat. Always heed the informa­
tion rega rd ing child safety provided in
~ page 130, Child Safety.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal in jury.
- Always keep your feet on the floor when
the vehicle is in motion -never p ut your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion! This applies espec ially to the passen­
gers .
If your seating position is incorrect
yo u increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident.
If the
airbag infla tes and the seating position
is incorrect this could result in personal
injury or even death.
- It is import ant for bo th 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
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the a irbag system can­
not protect you properly . In addition to
this, the front seats and head restra ints
must be adjusted to your body height so
that they can give you max imum protec­
tion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the s teer­
ing wheel or instrument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's o r fron t pa s­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your seat may move unexpected ly, caus ­
ing sudden loss of vehicle contro l and
personal injury . If you ad just yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, you are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend that you adjust the driver's
seat in the fo llowing manner:
.,. Adjust the seat in fore and aft direction so
t ha t you can easily p ush the peda ls to the
floor wh ile keeping your knee slightly bent
~ A in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page 54 .
.,. Adjust the seatback so that when you sit
w ith your back against the seatback, you can
still grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.,. Posit ion the head restraint accord ing to the
occupant 's height~
page 57 . For maxi­
mum protection, t he top of the head re­
s t raint shou ld be a t least at eye level, pref ­
erably higher and idea lly level with the top
of the head
¢ page 94, fig. 92.
A WARNING "--
Never place any objects in the dr iver's foot-
well. An object could get into the pedal
area and interfere with pedal function. In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate!

On the road
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel column
The steering wheel position can be continu­
ously adjusted in height and distance.
Fig. 70 Lever under the stee ring column
• Push the lever~ fig. 70 -Arrow-~ .&,..
• Move the steering wheel to the desired po­
sition.
• Push the lever against the steering column
until it locks.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­ tween your chest and the center of the steer­
ing wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steering wheel.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's sea t, see
Q page 56 .
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury.
- Adjust the steering wheel column only
when the vehicle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of vehicle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel so that there is a minimum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel
~page 91, fig. 91. If
you cannot maintain this minimum dis­
tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you properly.
On the road 71
-If physical limitations prevent you from
sitt ing 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
the steering wheel, check with your au­
thorized Audi dealer to see if adaptive equipment is ava ilable .
- If the steering wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplemental dr iver 's airbag
cannot provide as much protection in an
accident. Always make sure that the
steering wheel is al igned with your
chest .
-Always hold the steer ing wheel w ith your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of persona l injury
if the driver's airbag deploys .
- Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands inside
the steering wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel
the wrong way can cause serious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv­
er's airbag deploys.
Ignition lock and ignition switch
Ignition lock
The ignition key starts or stops the engine.
Fig. 71 Ignit ion lock posit ions
Ignition off @
In position ~ fig. 71 @both the ignition and
engine are off, and the steering is locked .
To
lock the steering after you have removed
the ignition key , turn the steering wheel in ei­
ther direction until you hear it lock into place .
You should always lock the steering whenever ..,.

72 On the road
you leave your veh icle . This makes a vehicle
theft even more difficult ¢ .&. .
Ignition ke y saf ety lock
After swi tching off the ignition, the ig nit ion
key can on ly be removed from the ign it ion
lock when the se lector lever is in the "P"
(Park) position . After you have removed the
key, the selector lever is locked and cannot be
moved.
Ignition on @
If it is diffic ult to turn the key after you have
inserted it into the ignition lock, turn the
steering wheel back and forth. This will take
the load
off the steering lock mechanism and
you will be able to turn the key freely and
start the engine.
Starting the engine @
In this position the engine starts . While the
engine is starting, the power supply to the headlights and other e lectrica l consumers is
temporari ly interrupted to conserve battery
power. After the engine has started, release
the key and it will return to posit ion
(D .
Before the starter can be operated again the
key must be turned back to position @. The
non -repeat loc k prevents you from damaging
the starter when the engine is runn ing .
A WARNING
-Never remove the key from the ign ition
lock whi le the vehicle is moving. The
steeri ng wheel will lock causing loss of
c ontrol.
- If you have to leave your vehicle -even
for just a m inute -always remove t he ig­
nition key and take it with you. This is es­
pecially important if you a re going to
leave ch ildren behind in the vehicle. The
children co uld start the engine or use
other vehicle controls. Unsupervised use
of vehicle controls (for examp le, power
windows) can cause serious personal in­
jur ies .
(!) Tips
If the vehicle battery has been disconnect­
ed and then reconnected, then you must
l eave the key in position
(D for about 5
seconds before you can start the engine.
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with an origi­
nal Audi key.
.,. Set the park ing brake.
.,. Move the se lector lever to the neutral posi ­
tion (automatic transmission): selector lever
in
P or N) ¢ .&_ .
.,. On vehicles with manua l transmission, fully
depress the clutch pedal.
.,. Turn the ignition key to pos it ion @
¢ page 71, fig . 71 -do not depress the gas
pedal when starting the engine!
.,. Let go of the key as soon as the engine
starts.
A cold engine may at first be loud after it has
been sta rted. This is due to the hydrau lic
valves bu ild ing up the oil pressure. This nor­
mal and no need for co nce rn .
If the engine does not start immediately, stop
trying after 10 seconds and then try to restart
the engine abou t 30 seconds late r.
A WARNING
Neve r star t or let the eng ine run in a con­
f ined or enclosed area . Exhaust fumes
from the engine contain carbon monoxide,
a colorless and odor less gas . Ca rbon mon ­
oxide can be fatal if inhaled.
- Never leave the engine id ling unattend­
ed. An unattended veh icle w ith a runn ing
engine poses a danger of personal injury
or theft.

84 Transmission
tiptronic operation
Applies to vehicles: with S tron ic
Tiptronic allows the driver to shift gears man­
ually.
--
-
Fig. 83 Center conso le : Manual shift in g (tiptronic)
Fig . 84 Display : Manual sh ift ing (tipt ron ic)
Switching to manual
.,. Move the selector lever to the right out of
the D position. The disp lay changes once the
transmission has switched to manual mode.
For example,
M4 indicates that 4th gear is
engaged.
Upshifting
.,. Tap the selecto r lever forward (in the tip­
tron ic setting)
¢ fig. 83 G).
Downshifting
.,. Tap the selector lever backward (in the t ip-
tron ic sett ing)
0-
Switching to manual can be carried out with
the vehicle stationary as well as moving.
When accelerat ing, the transmission shifts in­
to the next gear in gears 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
shortly before the maximum permissible en­
gine speed is reached. If
you have selected a lower gear than the cur ­
rent one, the transmission will only shift down
when the eng ine cannot be overspeeded.
If kick-down is act uated, the transmission
shifts into a lower gear independently of
speed and engine rpm.
Steering wheel with Tiptronic ® controls
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
The selector paddles allow the driver to keep
both hands on the steering wheel when shift­
ing gears.
Fig . 85 Sport steering wheel with selecto r padd les
Shifting up
.,. Pull the right paddle, marked 0 ¢ fig. 85
briefly towards you .
Shifting down
.,. Pull the left padd le, marked 0 ~ fig. 85
briefly towards you.
T he selector paddles on the steering wheel
are activated when the se lecto r lever on the
center co nsole is in D, Sor in the manua l posi­
tion (Tiptronic mode).
You can also shift gears in the Tiptronic mode
using the selector lever on the center console .
@ Tips
With the gear selector lever in either Dor
S the transmission will switch back to the
automatic mode if you do not use the pad­
dles within approx. 30 seconds.

.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly ¢
page 100.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the
veh icle and a ll of its occupants . If your ability
to drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road ¢
,&..
Therefore:
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passen­
gers or by us ing a cellular telephone.
.. NEVER drive when your driv ing ability is im­
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc .) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic
and weather condit ions .
.. Take frequent breaks on long trips . Do not
drive for more than two hours at a stretch .
.. Do NOT drive when you are tired, under
pressure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a vehicle is being used .
Driving Safely 91
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 91 The correct d istance between d river a nd stee r­
in g whee l
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
foll owing pos ition:
.,. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
while keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
q&_ ,
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and your breast
bone ¢
fig. 91. If not possible, see your au­
thorized Audi dealership about adaptive
equ ipment .
.. Adjust the steer ing wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
.. Grasp the top of the steering wheel with
your elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head . If that is not poss ible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
qpage 104.

92 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
c::> page 55.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it deploys. 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 adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- 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 in­
flates
- 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 seats
c::> page 130. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat¢
page 108.
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 :
• 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.
• Adjust the head restraint so that the upper
edge is as even with the top of your head as
possible but not lower than eye level and so
that it is as close to the back of your head as
possible
c::> page 94.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c::>page 104.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c::> page 54 .
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:

102 Safet y belt s
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!
F ig . 97 A driver not wearing a safety belt is violently
thrown forward
F ig. 98 A rear passenger not wearing a safety belt will
fly forward a nd strike the d river
Unbelted occupants are not able to res ist the
tremendous fo rces of impact by holding tight
or brac ing thems elves. Without the benefit of
safety restraint systems, the unres trained o c­
cupa nt w ill slam vio lent ly into the steering
wheel, instrument panel, winds hield, or what ­
ever else is in the way
q fig . 97 . This impact
with the vehicle interior has all the energy
they had just before the crash.
Neve r rely on airbags a lone for p rotection .
Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
addit ional protection . Airbags are not sup ­
posed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Al­
though your Audi is equipped with a irbags, all
vehicle occupants, including the driver, must
wear safety belts correctly in order to min i­
mize the risk of severe inju ry or death in a
crash.
Remember too, that a irbags will deploy on ly
once and that your safety belts are always there to offe
r protection in those accidents in
which airbags are not supposed to dep loy or
when they have already dep loyed . Unbelted
occupa nts can also be thrown o ut of the ve hi­
cle where even more severe or fatal injuries
can occur .
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passen­
gers in the rear seats endanger not only them­
se lves but also the driver and othe r passen­
gers¢
fig. 98 . In a frontal coll is ion they w ill
be th rown forward violently, where they can
hi t and i njur e the d river a nd/or fro nt sea t pas­
senger.
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to us e the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision. It 's simply
not true!
Fig. 9 9 Driver is proper ly restrained in a sudden brak­
in g maneuve r.
Safety be lts used p roperly can make a big dif­
fere nce. Safe ty belts help to keep passengers
in the ir seats, gradua lly reduce energy leve ls
applied to the body in an accident, and he lp
prevent the uncontrolled movement that ca n
ca use serio us inju ries . In addition, safety be lts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle.
S afety be lts attach passenge rs to the car and
give them the benefit of being slowed down
more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety
features engineered into today's vehicles. By
"absorbing" the kinetic energy over a longer
per iod of t i me, the safety be lts make th e
lilJJ,

108 Airbag sys tem
Airbag system
Important things to know
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For
airbags to do their job , occupants must al­
ways properly wear their safety belts and be
in a proper seating position.
F or your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers, before driving off, a lways:
• Adjust the dr iver's seat and steering wheel
properly ¢
page 91,
• Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
r=:;page 55,
• Wear safety be lts properly r=; page 103,
• Always properly use the proper child re-
stra int to protect children¢
page 130.
In a collision airbags must inflate within the
blink of an eye and with considerable force .
The supplementa l airbags can cause injuries if
the dr iver or the front seat passenger are not
seated properly . Therefore in order to help the
a irbag to do its job, it is impo rtant, both as a
d river and as a passenge r to s it prope rly at all
times.
By keeping room between your body and the
steering wheel and the front of the passenge r
compa rtment, the airbag can inflate fully and
comp lete ly and provide supp lemental protec­
tion in ce rtain frontal collisions
r=:; page 91,
Proper occupant seating positions .
For detai ls
on the operat ion of the seat adjustment con­
trols ¢
page 55 and c:, page 56.
It's especially important that children a re
properly restrained ¢
page 130.
There is a lot that the driver and the passen­
gers can and must do to help the individua l
safety features installed in your A udi work to­
gether as a system.
P rope r seat ing pos ition is important so that
the front airbag on the drive r side can do its
job. If yo u have a physical impa irment or con- dition that prevents yo
u from sitting properly
o n the driver seat with the safety belt properly
fastened and reaching the peda ls, or if you
have concerns with regard to the function or
operation of the Advanced Airbag System,
please contact your author ized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop, o r call Audi Customer Re­
lations at 1-800-822-2834 fo r poss ible modi­
fica tions to your ve hicle.
When the airbag system dep loys, a gas gener ­
ator will f il l the a irbags, break open t he pad­
ded cove rs, and inflate between t he steering
whee l and the dr ive r and be tween the instru­
ment pane l and the fron t passenger. The a ir­
bags will deflate immediately after dep loy­
me nt so that the front occupants can see
t hr ough the windshie ld again witho ut inter­
ruption .
All of th is takes p lace in the b link o f an eye, so
fast that many peop le don't even realize tha t
t h e airbags have deployed. The airbags a lso
inflate with a great dea l of force and nothing
shou ld be in their w ay when they deploy.
Front a irbags in combination with properly
wor n safety belts slow down and lim it the oc ­
cupant's forward movement . T ogether they
help to prevent the drive r and front seat pas­
senger from hitti ng pa rts of the inside the ve­
hicle while reducing the forces acting on the
occupant dur ing the crash . In this way they
help to reduce the risk of injury to the head
and upper body in the crash. A irbags do not
protect the arms or the lower parts of the
body.
Both front airbags wi ll not inflate in all fronta l
collisions . The triggering of the airbag system
depends on the vehicle dece lerat ion rate
caused by the co llision and registered by the
electron ic control unit. If th is rate is below
the reference value programmed into the con ­
t rol unit , the airbags will not be trigge red,
even though the car may be badly damaged as
a res ult of the co llision . Ve hicl e damage, re­
pair costs o r even the lack of ve hicle damage
is not necessari ly an indication of whether an
airbag shou ld inflate or not .
IJll-