AUDI A3 SEDAN 2017 Owners Manual

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-If the residue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the
E,I light and
the
PA SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light.
The Advanced Airbag System as we ll as the side
airbags and side curtain airbags with eject io n
mitigation feat ures (incl uding the e lectronic con­
trol unit, sensors and system wiring) are all
monitored continuously to make sure that they
are functioning properly whenever the ignition is
on. Every t ime yo u turn on the ignition, the air­
bag system indicator light
m will come on for a
few seconds (function check) .
The s yste m must b e in spect ed wh en th e
indicato r light
El:
- does not come on when the ignition is switched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you have
switched on the ign ition, or
- comes on while driving.
I f an airbag system malfunction is detected, the
indicator light wi ll come o n to serve as a constant
reminder to have the system inspected immedi­
ately .
I f a malfunction occurs that turns the front air­
bag on the passenger side off, the
PA SSENGER
AIR BAG OF F
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ion ing prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental p rotection
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicato r light
c:> page 29
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, have
the system inspected immed iate ly by your
authori zed Aud i dealer.
It is possible that
the a irb ag will inf late w hen it is not sup­
posed to, or will not infla te whe n it shou ld .
Airb ag sys tem
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 2 44 Center console: passenger airbag off warning
light
T he PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in
the cente r of the instrume nt panel
c:> fig . 244.
T he PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light w ill come o n
and stay on to tel l you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off by the e lectronic control unit. If the b ulb for the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light burns out, the
airbag indicator light
m will come on to signal a
malfunction in the Advanced Airbag System. Al­
though the burned-out bulb w ill not change the
way the front passenger's frontal airbag works, it
will no longer be possible to use the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light to make sure that the a irbag
o n/off status is correct for the occupan t on the
front passenge r seat. Have the airbag system in­
spected imme diately by your au thori zed Audi
dealer.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will blink
for about 5 seconds when:
- the ignition is sw itched on and
- the capacit ive passenger detection system,
which switches the front seat passenger's fron­
tal Advanced Airbag on and off, detects a
change i n the status of the front passenger
seat.
As soon as the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stops blinking, always make sure that the a irbag
status (on or off) as shown by the
PAS SENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light is proper for the age, si ze and
electrical cap acitance of the pe rson occ upying
the front passenger seat. A lways make s ure that
the safety be lt fo r the front passenger seat is
properly fastened.
""
279

Airbag system
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will show
the status of the front seat passenger 's frontal
Advanced Airbag a few seconds after the igni­
tion is switched on and the airbag indicator
light goes off . The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light:
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied;
- will stay on if the electrical capacitance meas­
ured by the capacitive passenger detection sys ­
tem for the front passenger seat equals the combined capacitance of an infant up to about
one year of age and one of the rearward-facing
or forward-facing child restraints listed in Fed­
era l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w ith
wh ich the Advanced Airbag System in your vehi­
cle was certified; Fo r a lis ting of the child re­
strain ts that were used to certify you r vehi cle's
compliance with the U.S. Safety Standard
¢ page 295 .
-will go out if the front passenger seat is occu­
pied by an adult as registered by the capacitive
passenger detection system.
- The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come
on and stay on if the ignition is on and ...
- a car bed has been installed on the front pas­
senger seat, or
- a rearward -facing child restraint has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat, or
- a fo rwa rd-facing child restra int has been instal­
led on the front passenger seat,
- and if the e lectrica l capac itance registered on
the front passenger seat is eq ua l t o or less than
the combined capacitance of a typica l 1 year­
o ld infant and one of the rearward -facing or
forward-facing child restraints listed in Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w ith which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was
certified.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
front airbag will not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-fac ing c hild restraint on the front pas­
senger seat, the safest place for a child in any
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po­
sitions on the rear seat
¢page 268, Child re-
280
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 292, Child safety.
If
the PASSENGER AIR BAG light comes
on ...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when one of the conditions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer ­
ta in that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on continuously whenever the ignition is
o n. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not appear on and does not stay on all the time,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
- reactivate the system by turn ing the ignit ion
off for more than 4 seconds and then turn ing it
on again;
- remove and re install the child restraint. Make
sure that the child restraint is properly instal­
led and that the safety belt for the front pas­
senge r seat has been correct ly routed through
the child restraint as described in the child re­
straint manufactu rer's inst ruct ions;
- ma ke sure that the convert ible lock ing retrac­
to r on the safety belt for the front passenge r
seat has been activated and that the safety belt
has been pulled tight.
- make sure that no electric al device (s uch as a
laptop, CD p laye r, e lectronic games device,
power inverte r or seat heater for chi ld safety
seats) is placed or used on the front passenger
seat if the device is connected to the 12-volt
socket or the cigarette lighter socket;
- make sure that no seat heater has been retro­
fitted or otherw ise added to the front passen­
ger seat;
- make sure that nothing can interfere with the
safety belt buckles and that they are not ob­ structed;
- make sure that there are no wet ob jects (such
as a wet towel) and no water or other liquids on
the front passenger seat cushion .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light still does
not come on ...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does
not come on and does not stay on continuously
(when the ign ition is sw itched on),
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-take the child restraint off the front passenger
seat and install it properly at one of the rear
seat positions. Have the a irbag system inspect­
ed by your Audi dealer immediately .
-move the child to a rear seat position and make
sure that the child is properly restrained in a
child restraint that is appropriate for its size
and age.
Th e PASSENGER AIR BA G light should NOT
come on ...
The PASSEN GER AIR B AG O FF light shou ld NOT
come on when the ignition is on and an adult is
sitting in a proper seating position on the front
passenger seat . If the
P A SSENGER AIR B AG OFF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while d riving, under these c ir cu mstan­
ces, make s ure that:
-the ad ult on the front passenger seat is prope r­
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up aga inst the back rest and the
backrest is not recl ined,
-the ad ult is not ta king weight off the seat by
holding on to the
passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or s upporting
their weight on the armrest,
-the safety belt is be ing properly wo rn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety be lt web­
bing,
-there are no aftermar ket seat covers or cush­
ions or other things (such as blankets) on the
front passenger seat that might cause the ca ­
pacitive passenger detection system to miscal­
cu late electrical capacitance.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
,8. WARNING
-
-If the status of the Adv a need Airbag System
has changed while the vehicle is moving, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light blinks for
about S seconds to catch the driver's atten­
t ion. If th is happens, a lways stop as soon as
it is safe to do so and check the steps descri-
bed above .
Airbag sys tem
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go off when an adult who is not very
small is sitting on the front passenger seat
after taking the steps described above, make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating posi­
tions. Have the a irbag sys tem inspected by
your author ized Audi dealer befo re t rans­
porting anyone on the front passenger seat .
,8. WARNING
=
An airbag system that is not functioning prop-
erly cannot provide supplemental protection
in a fronta l crash .
-If the ai rbag ind icator light ~ page 29
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or w ill not inflate when it should.
,8. WARNING
If the front a irbag inflates, a ch ild witho ut a
chi ld restraint, or in a rearward-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-fac ing child re­
stra int that has not been properly insta lled
will be serious ly injured and can be killed.
-Even though you r vehicle is equipped with
a n Advan ced A irbag System, make certain
that all children, espec ially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat prop­
erly restrained for the ir age and size.
-Always install forwa rd or re ar-facing child
safety seats on the rear seat -even with an
Advanced Airbag System.
-I f you must install a rearward-facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be ­
cause of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
appear and stay on, immediately install the rear-facing chi ld safety seat in a rear seat ing
position and have the a irbag system in­
spected by your Audi dealer.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenge r seat, always move the
281

Airbag syste m
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's
fore and aft adjustment range, as far away
from the airbag as possible. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position.
Make sure that the
PA SSEN GER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
,& WARNING
- If the PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an ad ult is sitting on the
front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above, make sure the adu lt is
properly seated and restrained at one of the
rear seat ing positions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer before transporting anyone on
the front passenger seat.
(D Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection system
determines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the fronta l airbag on the passenger
side will be turned off, and the
P ASSE NGER
A IR BAG OFF light will stay on.
Repair , care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many
d ifferent places on your Aud i. Install ing, remov­
ing, servic ing or repa iring a part in an area of the
veh icle can damage a pa rt of an airbag system
and prevent that system from working properly
in a co llision.
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system w ill not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment .
,& WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the r isk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de­
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly:
282
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­
ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in­
strument panel or modify them in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup holders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
ering the a irbag un its.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened w ith plain water. Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change
the st iffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, inst rument
panel, front seats or e lectr ica l system ( in­
cluding the instal lation of a udio eq uipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.)
m ust be performed by a qualified technician
who has the training and specia l equipment
necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we strong ly recommend that you see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
-Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specif ica lly approved by
A udi.
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the s ide airbag
module mus t always be repai red immedi ­
ate ly by an authorized Audi dealer.
- The a irbag sys tem can deploy on ly once. Af­
ter an airbag has been deployed, it m ust be
replaced with new replacement parts de ­
signed and approved especia lly for your
Audi model version . Replacement of com­
plete airbag systems or airbag components
must be performed by qua lified workshops
only . Make sure that any airbag service

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action is entered in your Audi Warranty &
Maintenance booklet under
AIRBAG RE­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- Applies to plug-in hybrid* vehicles: In the
event of a co llision where the a irbags de­
ploy, the electrical connection to the high­
voltage battery is automatically disconnect­
ed. This prevents a short c ircuit.
@) For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modules and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perch lorate Materi­
al - special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­
rate. When the veh icle or parts of the re­
straint system incl uding airbag modules and
safety belts with pre tensioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regulations must be
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
miliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys tem
performs in a crash. For examp le, using tire-r im
combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehicle, changing the stiffness of the suspension, including the springs , suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc. can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control unit . Some suspens ion changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in wh ich it would not dep loy if
t he changes had no t been made. Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas ured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­ ing when it should.
.&_ WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's s uspension incl uding
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced A irbag performance and in-
Airb ag sys tem
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac­
ter istics as the components originally instal­
led on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Applies to: vehicles wit h knee airbags
The knee airbag system con provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
F ig . 24 S Driver 's knee airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
underneath the steering
whee l¢ fig. 245, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same
height in the instrument pane l underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers additiona l protection to
t h e driver's and passenger's knees and upper and
lower thigh areas a nd supplements the p rotec­
t io n prov ided by the safety belts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collis ions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control un it is met
¢ page 2 77, More important things to know
about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keep the dr iver or front passenger in
pos it ion in a frontal collision so t hat the airbags
can p rovide supplemental protection .
..,.
283

Airbag syste m
The airbag system is not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overa ll occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re­ member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly . This is why you should
always wear your safety belt, not just because
the law requires you to do
so ¢ page 258, Gener­
al notes.
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain k inds of accidents
-your safety
be lts are always there to offer protection in those
accidents in wh ich airbags a re not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
examp le when your vehicle str ikes or is struck by
another after the first collision .
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a substi tute for the safety belt. The a irbag
system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, a lways wear your
safety belts correct ly.
It is important to remember that whi le the sup­
p lemental knee a irbag system is des igned to re­
duce the like lihood of serious injuries, other inju ­
ries, for example, swe lling, bruising and minor
abrasions and friction burns can also occur when
an airbag inflates .
The kn ee airba g system bas ically consi sts of :
-The electronic control module
- T wo inflatab le airbags (airbag and gas genera-
t or), one for the driver and one for the front
passenger
- The airbag indicato r ligh t in the ins trument
pane l
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
-whe n the ignition is switched off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the control un it is too low
- in s ide collisions
- in rear -end collisions
- in rollovers
- in the event of a system ma lf u nction (wa rning/
indicator light is on)
¢ page 29 .
284
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the proper seat ing pos ition
¢ page 2 77 .
- If the a irbag ind icator light ¢
page 29
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer.
It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate when i t is no t sup ­
posed to , or wi ll not inflate when it should.
How knee airbags work
Applies to: vehicles with knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags.
F ig . 246 Inflated a irbags protec ting in a fro nta l co llis io n
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger dep loy in certain but not all frontal collisions .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collisions when the dep loyment
threshold stored in the control unit is met.
When the system deploys, the a irbags f ill with a
compressed propellant gas, and inf late between
the lower part of the instrument panel and the
driver and the lower part of the instrument panel
and the front
passenger¢ page 2 77, fig. 243 .
Althoug h they are not a soft p illow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower ex­
trem ities.
A ll of th is takes p lace in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don 't even realize that the
airbags have deployed. The airbags a lso inflate
with a great deal of force and it is important for
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occupant safety that nothing should be in their
way when they deploy.
F u lly inflated airbags in comb ination with proper­
l y worn safety belts slow dow n and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement and he lp to reduce
the risk of injury.
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
A ppl ies to: ve hicles with knee a irbags
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
wear safety belts correctly and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
to provide supplemental protection .
A WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause ser ious in­
jury. Wearing safety belts incorrectly and im­
proper seating posit ions increase the r isk of
ser ious personal inj ury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used .
- The knee airbag system cannot protect you
prope rly if you are seated too close to any of
the a irbag lo cat ions. When ad justing thei r
seat positions, it is important that both the
dr iver and the front passenger keep their
upper bodies and knees at the following
min imum safe distances:
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steer ing wheel/ins trument
panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees a nd the lower pa rt of the instru­
ment panel.
- T he risk of persona l injury inc reases if you
lean forward or to the s ide, or if the sea t is
imp roperly posi tioned and you are not wear­
ing your safety belt . The risk increases even
more should the airbag deploy .
- Always make sure tha t the knee airbag can
inflate without interference. Objects be­
tween you and the airbag can increase the risk of inj ury in an accident by inter fer ing
-
Airb ag sys tem
with the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed into yo u as the a irbag deploys.
- Neve r let anybody, especia lly children or
anima ls r ide in the footwell in front of the
passenger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can result in serious or fatal i njuries.
- Neve r carry objects of any kind in the foot­
well a rea in front of the driver's or pas­
senger 's seat . Bulky objects (shopp ing
bags, for example) can i nterfere with or
prevent proper dep loyment of the airbag .
Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you
or your passengers.
- Make sure there are no cracks, deep scratch­
es or other damage in the area of the instru­
ment panel where the knee airbags are lo­
cated .
- If c hild ren are incorrectly seated, their risk
of injury increases in
a coll is ion
c:> page 292, Child safety .
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
prote ction to properly restrained occupants.
F ig. 247 Sid e airbag locatio n in t he driver 's seat
The side airbags are located in the s ides of the
front seat backrests
c:> fig . 247 and the rear back­
r est* facing the doors.
The side airbags insta lled for the front seating
pos itions have been des igned and certified to
help reduce the risk of injury that can be caused
by a irbags when they inflate, particularly when
the occupant s itting next to it is not seated p rop­
erly . T he side airbag fo r the fron t passenger seat
IJ,,
285

Airbag syste m
can be used with properly insta lled child re­
straints. Please be sure to read the important in­
formation and warnings whenever using a child
restraint in a veh icle: Safety
belts ¢ page 258,
Airbag system ¢ page 267, Child safety
¢page 292 .
Th e si de a ir b ag sy stem ba sic ally con sists of:
- the e lectronic control modu le and externa l side
impact sensors
- the two airbags located in the sides of the front
backrests and the two airbags* located in the
rear back rest
- the a irbag warn ing light in the inst rument cl us-
ter.
The airbag system is monito red elect ronically to
make certa in that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you switch on the ign ition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The s ide a irba g system supplements the safety
be lts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to
the driver's, front and rear* passenger 's upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a
side co llision . The airbag dep loys only in side im­
pacts and on ly when the vehicle acceleration reg­
istered by the control unit is h igh enough . If this
rate is below the reference value programmed in ­
to the control un it, the side airbags w ill not be
tr iggered , even though the car may be bad ly
damaged as a result of the collision.
It is not pos­
sib le to define an a irbag tr igger ing range that
will cover every possible ang le of impact , since
the circumstances wi ll vary considerably between
one co llision and another. Important factors in ­
clude, for example , the nature (hard or soft) of
the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
¢ page 287, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
belts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in pos it ion in the event of a s ide collision
so that the side a irbags can provide protection .
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the s ide airbag system can only
286
help to protect you i f you are wear ing your safety
belt and wearing it properly. This is another rea­
son why you should a lways wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
so
¢ page 258, General no tes.
It is important to remember that w hile the sup­
plemental s ide airbag system is designed to re ­
duce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other in ju­
ries, for example, swelling, bru is ing, friction
burns and m inor abras ions can also be assoc iated
with deployed side airbags. Remember too, s ide
a irbags w ill dep loy only once and only in certa in
ki nds of accidents
-you r safety belts are a lways
t h ere to offer pro tection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessar ily an ind ication
of over-se nsitive or fa iled a irbag act ivat ion. In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may
i nfla te. Remember too, that a irbags w ill dep loy
on ly once and only in certain kinds of collisions
-
your safety be lts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed .
The side ai rbag system will n ot deploy:
- when the ignition is switched off
- in side co llisions whe n the a ccele ration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in fro nt-end coll is io ns
- in rea r-end co llisions
- in rollovers .
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side
curtain airbags and side a irbags may be triggered
together .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the prope r seat ing
pos ition ¢ page 287.
-If the airbag ind icator light ¢ page 29
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immedia tely by your
author ized A udi dealer. It is possib le th at
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup ­
posed to, or will not inf late when it should .

a, co ..... N
" N ..... 0 N > 00
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
App lies to: vehicles wit hout power to p
Fig . 2 48 Side impact protection: inflated side a irbags (ex ·
ample)
Appli~s to: vehicles wit h powe r top
Fig. 249 Side impact protection: inf lated side a irbags
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat surface area marked "AIRBAG" . It ex­
pands between the side trim panel and the pas­
senger. In order to help prov ide this add itional
protection, the side airbag must inflate within a
fract ion of a second at very high speed and with
great force. The supplemental side airbag cou ld
i njure you if your seating position is not p roper or
upright o r if items are located in the area where
the supplemen tal side airbag expands . This ap­
plies especially to children
c::> page 292, Child
safety.
Supp lemental side airbags inflate be­
tween the occupant and the door pane l on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collis ion
c::> fig. 248, c::> fig. 249.
Although they are not a soft pi llow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
Airb ag sys tem
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper pa rt
of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the a irbag deploys.
T h is is no rma l and does not mean there is a fi re
in the vehicle .
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
properly wear safety belts and ride in a proper
seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and act according ly to he lp the safety belts
and airbags do their job to provide supplemental
protect ion.
A WARNING
-
An inflat ing s ide a irbag can cause serious or
fatal injury. Improperly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions increase the
r isk of ser ious perso na l inju ry and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when the supplemental side airbag inflates:
- Always s it in an upr ight position and never
lean against the area where the supple­
mental side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone e lse rest their
head against the side tr im panel in the
area where the supplementa l 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 w indow .
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate w ithout interference.
- Never install seat covers or repla ceme nt
u pholste ry ove r the front seatbacks that
have not been specifica lly approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags de-
.
ploy . Ill>
287

Airbag syste m
-Damage to the origina l 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 in­
crease the risk of injury in an accident by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by being pushed into you as the a irbag in­
flates.
- 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 projectiles and cause injury
when the supplemental s ide airbag de­
ploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the de­
ployment space between them and the
a irbags or allow chi ldren o r othe r passen­
gers to travel in th is posit ion.
- Always use the built-in coat hooks only for
lightweight cloth ing . Never leave any heavy
or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that
may interfere w ith side airbag dep loyment
and can cause personal in jury in an accident .
- Always prevent the side airbags from being
damaged by heavy objects knoc king agains t
or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
- T he airbag system can only be triggered
once . If the a irbag 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 modu le must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized
Audi dealer.
- If children are seated improper ly, their risk
of injury increases in the case of an acc ident
¢ page 2 92, Child safety.
- Never attempt to modify any components of
the a irbag system in any way.
- In a side collision, side airbags w ill not func­
t ion properly if sensors cannot correctly
measure increasing a ir pressure ins ide the
288
doors when air escapes through larger, un­
closed openings in the door panel.
- Never dr ive with inte rior door trim panels
r emoved.
- Never dr ive when parts have been re­
moved from the inside door pa nel and the
openings they leave have not been proper­
l y closed.
- Never dr ive when loudspeakers in the
doo rs have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly closed .
- Always make ce rtain that open ings are
cove red or filled if additional speakers or
othe r equipment is installed in the inside
door panels .
- Always have wor k on the doors done by an
authorized Aud i dea ler or q ualified work ­
shop .
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
Applies to: vehicles with side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide sup­
plemental protection to properly restrained oc­
cupants .
Fig. 250 Sid e curt ain airb ags, driver's s ide : s ide curtain a ir­
bag loca tio n (exa mple)
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides
of the inter ior above the front and rear side win­
dows
¢ fig. 250 . They are identified by the word
"A IRBAG" on the windshie ld frame and the cen­
ter roof pillar.
The side curtain airbags contain features that
provide ejec tion mitigation to help prevent veh i-
cle occupants or parts of their bodies from be ing
completely or partially ejected from the vehicle
II>