airbag AUDI A3 CABRIOLET 2016 User Guide

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.. Make sure that nothing can interfere with the
pedals.
.. Adjust front seat , head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints accord ing to their height .
.. Make sure to use the right ch ild restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
~ page 165, Child
safety .
.,. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
¢page 53, Front
seats .
.. Fasten your safety be lt and wear it properly. Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts properly ¢
page 135 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle , the driver as well as the driver's abili­
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis­
tracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve­
hicle and all of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody in the
veh icle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
¢ ,&. Therefore :
.,. Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone.
.. NEVER dr ive when your driv ing ability is im ­
paired (by medications, 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
weathe r conditions.
.. 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 pres­
sure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired dr iv ing safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal inj ury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Driving safety
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 120 Correct seating pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver 's seat to the following
position:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keep ing your knee(s) slightly bent¢,& .
.,. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact wi th it when you dr ive .
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering whee l and your breast bone¢
fig. 120.
If not poss ible, see your author ized A udi deal­
ership about adaptive equipment.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
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 .
.. For adjustable head restraints: Adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
b le with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this posit ion as possible. Move the
head restraint so that it is as close to the back
of the head as possible.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 138. ..,.
125

Driving safety
"' 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 53.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in­
jured by an airbag as it unfolds . To help re­
duce 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 breastbone
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 out ­
side of the steering wheel rim with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in­
jury 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. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the su pplemen­
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­
sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located .
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
properly and make sure that all passengers
are properly restrained .
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly .
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
126
-
-Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position .
- Children must always ride in child seats
c:;, page 165 . Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c:;, page 143.
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 in­
jury in the event of an accident , we recommend
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.
"'For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
c:;, page 12 7 . Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as possible.
"' Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat .
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c;,page 138.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c:;, page 53 .
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 airbag as it
unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
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-Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri­
ously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front pas­
senger's breastbone and the instrument
panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­ ger's knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front pas­
senger seat properly.
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly.
-Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the risk of injury 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 injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child seats
c> page 165. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c> page 143.
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 ve­
hicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
;;§ seating position in the event of a sudden braking
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maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
ing:
Driving safety
.,. For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
c>page 127.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
c> page 138.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and ager:!;>
page 165.
A WARNING
-
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured 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 protection
when the safety belts are properly posi­
tioned on the body and securely latched. By not sitting upright, a rear seat passenger in­
creases the risk of personal injury from im­
properly positioned safety belts!
- For adjustable head restraints: always ad­
just the head restraint properly so that it
can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
App lies to: vehicles with adjusta ble head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor ­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
Fig. 121 Head restraint: viewed from the front
127

Driving sa fe ty
The head restraints must be correc tly adjusted to
achieve the best protection .
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as even as poss ible with the top of your head.
If
that is not possible, try to adjust the head re ­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
poss ib le
~ fig . 121.
.,. If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing pos it ion, slide the center head restra int up­
ward at least to the next notch.
Adjusting head restraints
c::> page 55.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Dr iv ing without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not proper ly adjusted in­
creases the risk of ser ious or fatal neck injury
dramatically. To help reduce the r is k of injury:
- Always dr ive with the head restraints in
place and properly ad justed .
- Every person in the vehicle must have a properly adjusted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
prope rly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restra int so the uppe r edge is as
even as possib le w ith the top of you r head.
If that is no t possib le, t ry to adjust the head
restra int so th at it is as close to th is position
as possib le. Move the head restraint so that
it is as close to the back of the hea d as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
whi le driving. If you have dr iven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to ad just the head restra int.
- Children must always be properly restrained
in a chi ld restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
c::> page 165.
128
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated .
Improper seating positions can cause ser ious in­
jury or death . Safety be lts ca n only work when
they are properly positioned on t he body . Im­
prope r seat ing pos itions red uce the effectiveness
of safety bel ts a nd will even increase t he risk of
i njury and deat h by mov ing the safety bel t to cr it­
ic al areas of the body. Improper seating positions
a lso increase the risk of se rio us in jury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occ upant
who is not in the proper seating posit ion. A dr iver
i s responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and espec ially for children. Therefore :
.,. Never allow anyone to assume an incor rect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
Q A .
The following bulletins list on ly some samp le po ­
s itions that will increase the r isk of serious injury
and death . Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions that
a re dangerous .
Therefore, whene ver the vehicl e is m oving:
-never stand up in the vehicle
- neve r stand on the seats
- neve r kneel on the seats
- neve r ride w it h the seatback recl ined
- never l ie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- neve r put your feet o ut the window
- neve r put your feet on the instr ument panel
- neve r res t your feet on the seat c ushion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area

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A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a proper seating position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being used.
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to: veh icles with knee airbags
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee airbag can in­
flate without interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can increase the risk
of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the airbag deploys or by being pushed in­
to you as the airbag deploys.
- No persons (children) or animals should ride in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat. If the airbag deploys, this can result in
serious or fatal injuries .
- No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the driver's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping
bags, for example) can hamper or prevent
proper deployment of the airbag. Small ob­
jects can be thrown through the vehicle if
the airbag deploys and injure you or your
passengers.
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat or
any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without in­
terference and that nothing prevents them from
returning to their original positions.
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured with floor mat fasteners.
Driving safety
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav­
el is required to bring the vehicle to a full stop.
A WARNING
-Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri­
ous injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver's foot­ well. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere with pedal function. In case of
sudden braking or an accident, you would
not be able to brake or accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fall or
move into the driver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely at­ tached to the floor mat fasteners and do not in­
terfere with the free movement of the pedals.
.. Make sure that the floor mats are properly se­
cured and cannot move and interfere with the
pedals¢ .&,.
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position. You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi Dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Properly securing the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into posi­
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im­
pair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.
A WARNING ~
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of
serious personal injury.
-Always make sure that floor mats are prop­
erly secured.
- Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be
properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the ped-
als or the ability to control the vehicle.
Ill>
129

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Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even
when they deploy, airbags provide on ly additional
protection. Airbags are not supposed to dep loy in
all kinds of accidents. A lthough your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, in­
cluding the dr iver, must wear safety belts cor ­
rectly in order to minimize the risk of severe in­
jury or death in a crash .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are always there
to offer protect ion in those accidents in w hich
a ir bags are not supposed to deploy or when they
have already deployed. Unbelted occupants can
also be thrown o ut of the vehicle where even
more severe or fatal injur ies can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly . Unbelted passengers
in the rear seats endanger not only themse lves
but also the driver and other passengers
¢fig . 131. In a frontal collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit and
injure the driver and/or front seat passenger .
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision. It 's simply
not true!
Fig. 132 Dr iver is correctly restra ined in a sudden b raking
maneuver
Safety belts used properly can make a big differ­
ence. Safety belts help to keep passengers in
their seats, gradually reduce energy levels ap­
plied to the body in an accident, and help prevent
the uncontrolled movement that can cause se ri­
ous injur ies. In addition, safety belts reduce the
danger of being thrown out of the vehicle .
Safety belts
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give
them the benefit of being slowed down more
gently or "softly" through the "give" in the safety
belts, crush zones and other safety features engi­
neered into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the
kinetic ene rgy over a longer period of time, the
safety belts make the forces on the body more
"tolerab le" and less likely to ca use injury .
Although these examples are based on a frontal collision, safety be lts can also substantially re ­
duce the r isk of injury in other k inds of crashes.
So, whether you're on a long trip or just going to
the corner store, always buckle up and make sure
others do, too. Acciden t statist ics show that vehi­
cle occupants properly wearing safety belts have
a lower risk of being injured and a much better
chance of surviving an accident . Properly using
safety belts also greatly increases the ability of
the supp lemental airbags to do their job in a col­
lision. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is le­
gally required in most count ries including much
of the United States and Canada .
Although your Aud i is equipped with airbags, you
still have to wear the safety belts provided. Front
airbags, for example, are activated only in some
frontal collisions. The front airbags are not act i­
vated in all frontal collisions, in side and rear col­
lisions , in roll overs or in cases where there is not
enough deceleration through impact to the front
of the vehicle. The same goes for the other air bag
systems in your Audi . So, always wear your safety
belt and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly positioned
across the strongest bones of your body.
.,. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and de­
scribed in this chapter.
.,. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
137

Safe ty belts
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
r::;, page 13 7.
Pregnant women must also be correctly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make sure
t hat expec tan t mothers always wear safety bel ts
correctly -throughout the pregnancy .
Fig . 135 Safety belt pos ition dur ing preg nan cy
To prov ide max imum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the wear­
er 's body
,:::;, page 139.
• Adjust the front sea t and adjustable head re ­
straint * correctly
r::;, page 53, Front seats.
• Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it even ly
across the chest and pe lvis
r::;, fig. 135, r::;, A .
• Insert the tongue into the correct b uckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
r::;, page 138, fig . 133.
• Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buckle.
A WARNING
Improperly pos itioned safety be lts can cause
ser ious persona l inju ry in an accident.
- Expectan t mothe rs must a lways wear the
lap po rtion of the safe ty belt as low as pos­
sible across the pelvis and below the ro und­
ing of the abdomen.
- Always rea d and heed a ll WARN INGS and
othe r important information
r::;, .&. in Fasten­
ing safety belts on page 139 .
140
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only ofter the vehicle hos stopped .
.,,
Fig. 136 Releasing the tongue from the buckle
• Push the red re lease button on the buck le
r::;, fig. 136. The belt tongue wi ll spring out of
the buck le
r::;, A .
• Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you
guide the belt tongue to its stowed position .
A WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehicle is
moving . Do ing so will increase your r isk of be­
ing inj ured or killed .
Improperly worn safety belts
0 ,-. N 0 :i: .. m
Incorrectly positioned safety belts con cause se­
vere injuries.
Wear ing safety belts improperly can cause seri­
ous injury or deat h. Safety belts can only work
whe n they are correct ly posit ioned on the body .
Imprope r seating positions red uce the effective­
ness of safety belts and w ill even increase the
risk of inj ury and death by moving the safety belt
to c rit ic al areas of the body . Imprope r seating
pos itions also increase the ris k of serious injury
and death when an airbag dep loys and strikes a n
occupant who is not in the correct seating posi­
tion. A driver is responsible for the safety of all
vehicle occupants and especially for chi ldren .
Therefore:
• Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect
sitt ing position in the vehicle while traveling
¢ A -

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A WARNING ,~
Improperly worn safety belts increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is be ing used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
are correctly restra ined and stay in a correct
seating pos it ion whenever the veh icle is be­
ing used .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
~ page 13 7 .
Belt tensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear-end collisions above a
particular s everity and in a rollov er, saf ety belts
are tensioned automatically.
Re ve rsib le safe ty belt ten sione rs
The safety belts on the front seats are equipped
with power reversib le tensioners. The fo llowing
f u nctions are avai lab le when the driver 's/front
passenger's safety be lts are fastened:
- Automatic tensioners: at the start of a drive,
the safety belts automatically adjust to the
passenge r after a ce rtain t ime per iod or vehicle
speed.
- In certain driving situat io ns, the safety belts
may t ighten with a reversible tens ioning func­
tion
~ page 97.
- The safety belts may a lso tighten with this re-
versib le tensioning function in minor collisions.
P y rotechnic safet y be lt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped with safety belt
p retensioners. The system is act ivated by sensors
i n front, side and rear-end coll is ions of great se­
veri ty and in a rollover. This tightens the belt and
takes up belt slack
q & in Service and disposal of
saf ety belt pr etensioner on page 141 .
Taking up
the slack helps to reduce forward occupant movement dur ing a coll is ion.
A WARNING
- It is possible for the pretensioners to deploy
incorrectly .
Safet y be lts
- The pyrotechnic system can only provide
protection for one collision. If the pyrotech­
nic pretens ioners deploy, the pretensioning
system must be replaced .
(D Tips
The pyrotechnic safety belt pretensioners can
only dep loy once.
- The safety belt pretensioners do not deploy
in minor frontal, side and rear-end coll i­
sions.
- A fine dust is re leased when the pyrotechnic
safety belt pretensioners dep loy. This is nor­
ma l and is not caused by a f ire in the veh i­
cle.
- The relevant safety requirements must be
observed when the vehicle or components
of the system are scrapped . A qualified
dealership is familiar with these regulat ions
and w ill be pleased to pass on the informa­
tion to you.
- Be sure to observe all safety, environmenta l
and other regulat ions if the vehicle or indi­
vidua l parts of the system, particular ly the
safety belt or airbag, are to be disposed. We
recommend you have yo ur authorized Aud i
dealer perform this service fo r you.
Service and disposal of safety belt preten­
sioner
The safety belt pretensioners are parts of the
safety belts on your Aud i. Installing , removing ,
se rvicing or repair ing of be lt pretens ione rs can
damage the safety belt system and prevent it
from wo rking co rrectly in a co llision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system will no t be impa ired and that d iscarded
componen ts do not cause inju ry or pollute the
environment .
A WARNING ~ -
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
141

Safety belts
and death by preventing a safety be lt preten­
sioner from activating when needed or
act ivating it unexpectedly:
- The belt pretensioner system can be activat­
ed only once . If belt pretensioners have
been activated, the system must be re­
placed .
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the safety belt system .
- Safety belt systems includ ing safety belt
pretens ioners cannot be repaired. Special
procedures are requ ired for removal, instal ­
lat ion and disposal of this system .
- For any work on the safety belt system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au ­
tho rized Aud i dealer or qualified technician
who has an Audi approved repair manual,
t ra ining and spec ial equ ipment necessary.
@) For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretension ­
ers might be classified as Perch lorate Materi­
al -specia l handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules safe ­
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all
applicable laws and regulat ions must be ob­
served. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar
w ith these requ irements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this service
for you .
142

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Airbag system
Important information
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For
airbags to do their job, occupants must always
properly wear their safety belts and be in a prop­
er seating position.
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers, before driving off, always :
.,. Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel
properly
9 page 125,
.,. Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
¢page 126,
.,. Wear safety belts properly ¢ page 137,
.,. Always properly use the proper child restraint
to protect children
¢ page 165.
In a collision, airbags must inflate within the
blink of an eye and with considerable force. The
supplemental airbags can cause injuries if the
driver or the front seat passenger is not seated
properly. Therefore in order to help the airbag to
do its job, it is important, both as a driver and as
a passenger to sit properly at all times.
By keeping room between your body and the
steering wheel and the front of the passenger
compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and
completely and provide supplemental protection in certain frontal collisions¢
page 125, Correct
passenger seating positions .
For details on the
operation of the seat adjustment controls
¢page 53.
It's especially important that children are proper­
ly restrained
¢page 165.
There is a lot that the driver and the passengers
can and must do to help the individual safety fea­
tures installed in your Audi work together as a
system.
Proper seating position is important so that the
front airbag on the driver side can do its job. If
you have a physical impairment or condition that prevents you from sitting properly on the driver
seat with the safety belt properly fastened and
Airbag system
reaching the pedals, or if you have concerns with
regard to the function or operation of the Ad­
vanced Airbag System, please contact your au­
thori zed Audi dealer or qualified workshop, or
call Audi Customer Relations at 1-800-822-2834
for possible modifications to your vehicle.
When the airbag system deploys, a gas generator
will fill the airbags, break open the padded cov­ ers, and inflate between the steering wheel and
the driver and between the instrument panel and
the front passenger. The airbags will deflate im­
mediately after deployment so that the front oc­
cupants can see through the windshield again
without interruption.
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the airbags have deployed. The airbags also inflate
with a great deal of force and nothing should be
in their way when they deploy. Front airbags in
combination with properly worn safety belts slow
down and limit the occupant's forward move­
ment . Together they help to prevent the driver
and front seat passenger from hitting parts of
the inside of the vehicle while reducing the forces
acting on the occupant during the crash . In this
way they help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and upper body in the crash. Airbags do not
protect the arms or the lower parts of the body.
Both front airbags will not inflate in all frontal
collisions . The triggering of the airbag system de­
pends on the vehicle deceleration rate caused by
the collision and registered by the electronic con­
trol unit . If this rate is below the reference value
programmed into the control unit, the airbags
will not be triggered, even though the car may be badly damaged as a result of the collision. Vehi­
cle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehi­
cle damage is not necessarily an indication of
whether an airbag should inflate or not.
Since the circumstances will vary considerably
between one collision and another, it is not possi­
ble to define a range of vehicle speeds that will
cover every possible kind and angle of impact
that will always trigger the airbags . Important
factors include, for example, the nature (hard or
soft) of the object which the car hits, the angle of
impact, vehicle speed , etc. The front airbags will
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