ESP AUDI A3 SEDAN 2017 Workshop Manual

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System settings
Setting the date and
time
You can set the clock time manually or using the
CPS*.
.,. Select : I MENU I button> Settings> left control
button >
MMI settings> Date & time .
.,. Or: select : IMENUI button> Vehicle > left con-
trol button >
Vehicle settings> Date & time.
Automatic setting
When this function is switched on g, the time
and date are automatically set.
Time
Requirement: the Automatic setting must be
switched
off .
Press the control knob. You can set the Time
manually by turning and pressing the control
knob.
Date
Requirement: the Automatic setting must be
switched
off.
Press the control knob . You can set the Date
manually by turning and press ing the cont rol
knob.
Time zone
When selecting the appropriate time zone, a
sampling of countr ies in this zone will be listed .
Automatic time zone*
When this function is switched on g, the time
will automatically adjust to the corresponding
time zone.
Automatic daylight saving time*
When this function is switched on g, the time
will automatically switch to daylight saving time .
Time format
If you select 24h, the clock will disp lay, for ex­
ample ,
13:00 . If you se lect AM/PM , the clock
will disp lay, for example,
1:00 PM .
System settings
Date format
If you select DD.MM .YYYY , the date display will
show, for example,
31.08.2017. If you select
MM/DD/YYYY , the date display will show, for ex­
ample,
08/31/2017. If you select YYYY-MM­
DD ,
the date display will show, for example,
2017-08-31 .
MMI settings
.,. Select: !MENUI button> Settings> left control
button >
MMI settings .
Language
You can change the display language as well as
the language for the voice guidance* and voice
recognition system*.
T he number of languages available depends on
the market.
Measurement units
The following units can be selected:
-Speed (mph or km/h)
- Distance (miles or kilometers)
-Temperature (°For 0
()
-Fuel consumption (L/100km, mpg (US), mpg
(UK) or km/l)
- Volume (liters , gallons)
Tool tips
When this function is switched on g, your MMI
shows you tips for input. The frequency of how
often it displays decreases with time.
Speech dialog system
Applies to : vehicles wi th voice recog nitio n system
Depend ing on vehicle equipment, the following
functions may be ava ilable:
Command display : when this function is switch­
ed on
g, the MMI will show you the possible
commands for voice input in the respective
menu.
Short dialog : when this function is switched on
g, a shorter form of the prompts is used .
Command during voice output*: this function is
switched on at the factory . When this function is
II>-
241

System settings
switched on~, you can say new commands dur ­
ing announcements. You do not need to wait for
the signal tone (beep) during an announcement.
When the function is switched off
0, you need to
wait for the signa l tone (beep) to say a new com­
mand .
Volume: you can adjust the volume of the
prompts by turning the control knob.
Speech training (only when the vehicle is station­
ary): you can adapt the voice recognition system
to your voice or pronunciation in order to improve
the system's ability to recogni ze your speech. In­
d iv idual training is comprised of 20 speech en­
tr ies that consist of commands and sequences of
numbers . You can delete the programmed voice
training with the
Reset individual speech train­
ing
function.
Display brightness
Display brightness:
you can adjust the bright­
ness of the Infotainment system display by turn­
ing the control knob .
Factory settings
The following functions can be reset to the facto­
ry default settings :
-Sound settings
- Radio
- Media settings
-Jukebox*
- Directory
- Telephone
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi*
- Navigation settings*
- Navigation and online memory*
- Speech dialog system*
- Message settings*
- Apps *
- Tool tips
- Audi connect*
- Audi smartphone interface*
You can select the desired functions individually
or all at once with the option
Select all entries .
Select and confirm Restore factory settings.
242
(D Tips
-Make sure that not only the settings were
deleted but also the stored data, if applica­
ble .
- If you reset the
Navigation and on line
memory* , Apps* or Audi connect*
to the
factory default settings, the system auto­ matically restarts after approximately 20
seconds . The Infotainment system display
will be black for several minutes when re­
sta rting.
- Please note that the voice recognition sys­
tem* is not available in Cabriolets.
Connection manager
Introduction
The connection manager gives you an overview
of your connected dev ices and their network sta­
tus .
Fig. 219 Connect ion manager
.. Select: !MENU I button> Settings > left control
button >
MMI settings > Connection manager.
.. Select and confirm a menu item.
If a mobile device was already connected and you
select and confirm the corresponding menu item,
the device name and connect ion mode are dis­
played under the menu item
c::>fig. 219.
You can individually Connect(~) o r Disconnect
(0) a paired device.
Using the telephone
Appl ies to: vehicles with telephone
-Connect new device: search for and connect a
cell phone.
..,.

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Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others . We have summar­
ized here what you need to know about safety
belts, airbags, child restraints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1. Al­
ways observe the information and warnings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle. Some of the fea­
tures descr ibed in this sections may be standard
equipment on some models, or may be optional
equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in this
Manual. It is in your interest and in the in­
terest of your passengers .
-
-Always keep the complete Owner's Litera­
ture in your Audi when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important information
will always be available to the driver and
passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy so
that you can find it easily if you have ques­
tions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant re­
straint system and work together to help reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of accident sit­
uations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in tech­
nology have made a var iety of features available
to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
Driving safety
The following is a list of just a few of the safety
features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all pas­
senger seat ing pos itions,
- safety belt pretensioners,
- safety belt height adjustment systems for the
front seats*,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear seats*,
- side curtain airbags with ejection mitigation features*,
- special LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- adjustable steering column.
- pre sense* (preventat ive passenger protection)
These individual safety features, can work to­ gether as a system to help protect you and your
passengers in a wide range of accidents . These
features cannot work as a system if they are not
always correctly adjusted and correctly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.,. Make sure that all lights and signals are operat­
ing correctly .
.,. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
.,. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good visibility to the outside .
.,. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
¢ page 66, ¢ page 65.
.,. 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 according to their height .
247

Driving safety
• Make sure to use the right child restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
c::> page 292, Child
saf ety .
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
c::> page 61, Fron t
seats .
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly . Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts properly
c::> page 258 .
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
c::> ,&. . Therefore :
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
• NEVER drive when your driv ing ability is im ­
pa ired (by med ications, alcohol, drugs, etc .).
• Observ e all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense .
• ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather 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 .
.&, WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
248
.
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 222 Correct seating pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an ac cident, 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 floo r while
keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
c:> .&_ .
• 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 dr ive.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a d is­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering wheel and your breast bone
r::!) fig. 222.
If not possible, see your authorized Audi deal­
e rship 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
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. Move the
head restraint so that it is as close to the back
of the head as possible .
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c::> page 262 . .,.

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The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection.
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as even as possible 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 ible
¢ fig. 223.
... Applies to: forward/back adjustable head re­
straints: Move the head restraint so that it is as
close to the back of the head as possible .
... If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing position, slide the center head restraint up­
ward at least to the next notch.
Adjusting head restraints
<=>page 63 .
A WARNING
-
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Driv ing without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not properly adjusted in­
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury
dramatically. To help reduce the risk of injury:
- Always dr ive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restraint so the upper edge is as
even as possible with the top of your head.
If that is not possible, try to adjust the head
restraint so that it is as close to this position
as possible.
- App lies to: forward/back adjustable head
restra ints: Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as possi­
ble.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to adjust the head restraint.
- Children must always be properly restrained in a child restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
r=;, page 292.
Driving safety
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 serious in­
jury or death . Safety belts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body . Im­
proper seat ing positions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and will even increase the risk of
injury and death by moving the safety belt to cr it­
ical areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seating position. A driver
is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especially for children . Therefore:
... Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
0 _& .
The following list contains exxamples of some
positions that will increase the risk of serious in­
jury and death. Our hope is that these examples
will make you more aware of seating positions
that are dangerous .
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback recl ined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
251

Driving safety
-Close the power top*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
.&, WARNING
-
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power roof*, the power top* and
the rear lid are securely closed and locked to
reduce the risk of injury when the vehicle is
not being used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make sure
that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended espe­ cially with the rear lid left open. A child
could crawl into the vehicle through the lug­
gage compartment and close the rear lid be­
coming trapped and unable to get out. Be­
ing trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious
personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the vehi­
cle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must al­
ways be properly restrained in one of the ve­
hicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window fog­
ging . Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure to
keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the load. The tire pressure is shown on the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity weight and the tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it was man­ ufactured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load conditions, please see chap­ ter
c:> page 336.
254
· Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
c:> page 253, Loading the luggage compartment .
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even
smaller items that are loose in the vehicle will
become heavy missiles that can cause serious in­
jury . Items in the vehicle possess energy which
vary with vehicle speed and the weight of the
item . Vehicle speed is the most significant factor .
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb
(4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the normal
weight of the item. This means that the weight
of the item would sudden ly be about
200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the injuries
that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying freely through
the passenger compartment could cause in a col­
lision like this.
.&, WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail during hard
braking or in a collision and cause serious per­
sonal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dan­
gerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded down, always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from flying forward as dangerous
missiles into the passenger compartment.
- Never attach a child safety seat tether strap
to a tie-down.
-

Safety belt s
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety be lts are neces­
sary, how they work and how to adjust and wear
them correctly .
.. Read all the information that follows and heed
all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
&_ WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Safety belts are the s ingle most effective
means ava ilable to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile acc idents.
For your protect ion and that of your passe n­
gers, always co rre ctly wea r safety be lts
when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant wome n, injured, o r physically im­
paired persons mus t also use safety be lts.
L ik e all vehicle occ upants, they are mo re
likely to be serio usly injured i f they do not
wea r safety be lts. The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mother
-throughout
the ent ire pregnancy .
Number of seats
Applies to: veh icles w ithout power top: Your Audi
has a total of five seating positions: two in the
front and three in the rear . Each seating position
has a safety belt .
App lies to: veh icles w ith powe r top: Your Audi
has a total of four seating positions: two in the
front and two in the rear . Each seat ing pos ition
has a safety belt .
&_ WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly in creases the risk of ser io us personal
injury and dea th.
258
- Never strap more than one person, includ­
ing sma ll children, into any belt. It is espe­
cially dangerous to place a safety be lt over a
child sitting on your lap .
- Never let more people r ide in the vehicle
than there are safety be lts available.
- Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
proper ly restrained with a separate safety
be lt o r ch ild restraint .
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver
and front seat passenger to remind you about the importance of buckling-up.
Fi g. 229 Safety belt warn ing lig ht in th e in st rument clus ­
ter -enlarged
Befor e dri ving off, alway s:
.. Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly .
"' 0 ..:, .. Make sure that your passengers also buckle up
and properly wear t heir safety belts .
.. Protect children with a ch ild rest raint system
app ropr iate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
li ghts up when the ig nition is o n as a rem inder to
fasten the safety belts . In addition, you wi ll hear
a war ning tone for a certain period of time.
Fasten your safety bel t and make sure that your
passengers al so prop erly put on th eir safety
belts .
&_ WARNING
-
-Safety belts are the sing le most effective
means available to red uce the risk of ser io us
.,,.

Safe ty belts
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety fir st -everybody bu ckle up!
Fig. 235 Belt buckle an d tongue o n the driver's seat
To prov ide max imum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the wear­
er's body .
• Adjust the front seat and head restra int proper­
ly ¢
page 61 , Front seats .
• Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench
is in an upright position and secure ly latched in
place before us ing the
belt ¢,&. .
• Pull the safety belt evenly across the chest and
pelv is
¢fig. 235, ¢ ,&. .
• Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely .
• Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buck le.
Autom ati c safet y belt retr actors
Every safety belt is equipped with an automatic
belt retractor on the shoulder belt . This feature
locks the belt when the belt is pulled out fast,
during hard braking and in an accident . The belt
may a lso lock when you drive up or down a steep
h ill or th rough a sharp curve. Dur ing no rmal driv­
ing the bel t lets you move freely.
Safe ty belt pret ension ers
The safety belts are equipped with a belt preten­
sioner that helps to t ighten the safety belt and
remove slack when the pre tensioner is activated
¢ page 265. T he fu nction of the pretensioner is
monitored by a warning light ¢
page 29.
262
Convertibl e lock ing r etractor
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a convertib le lock ing retrac­
tor that
mu st be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child safety seat . Be sure to read
the important information about thi s feature
¢ page 303.
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious injury in an accident ¢
page 263,
Safety belt position .
- Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is upright and belts are properly posit ioned on the body .
- Always make sure that the rear seat back ­
rest to which the center rear safety belt* is
attached is securely latched whenever the
rear center safety belt is being used.
If the
backrest is not sec urely latched, the passen ­
ger will move forward with the back rest du r­
ing sudden braking, in a sudden maneuver
and especia lly in a crash.
- Never attach the safety belt to the buckle for another seat. Attaching the belt to the
wrong buckle will reduce safety be lt effec­
tiveness and can cause serio us personal in­
jury.
-A passenger who is not properly restrained
can be seriously injured by the safety belt it­
self when it moves from the stronger parts
of the body into critical areas like the abdo­
men .
-Always lock the convertible locking retractor
when you are securing a c hild safety seat in
the vehicl e
¢page 305.

CXl CXl
Improper seating positions reduce the effective ­
ness of safety be lts and will even increase the
risk of injury and death by mov ing the safety belt
to critical areas of the body. Improper seating positions also increase the risk of serious injury
and death when an airbag deploys and strikes an
occupant who is not in the correct seat ing pos i­
tion . A driver is respons ible for the safety of a ll
vehicle occupants and espec ia lly for children.
Therefore:
"' Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect
s itting position in the veh icle wh ile trave ling
c:> & .
A WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the risk
o f serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used .
- Always make sure tha t all vehicle occupants
are correctly restrained and stay in a correct
seating position whenever the vehicle is be­
ing used.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
c:> page 261.
Belt tensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear-end collisions above a
particular severity and in a rollover , safety belts
are tensioned automatically .
Reversible safety belt ten sioners
The safety belts on the front seats are equipped
with power reversible tensioners. The following
functions are available when the driver's/front passenger's safety belts are fastened:
- In certain driving situations, the safety belts
may tighten with a reversible tens ion ing func­
t ion
i::>page 133 .
- The safety belts may a lso tighten with this re­
versib le tensioning function in minor collis ions.
Pyrotechnic safety b elt pr eten sion ers
;:::: The safety belts are equipped with sa fety belt r---
~ pretensioners . The system is activated by sensors 0
~ in front, side and rear-end co llisions of great se-oo
Safet y be lts
verity and in a rollover. This tightens the belt and
takes up belt
slack ¢&. in Service and disposal of
safety belt pretensioner on page 266.
Taking up
the slack helps to reduce forward occupant movement during a collision.
A WARNING Co---
- It is poss ible for the pretensioners to deploy
i n correctly.
- The pyrotechnic system can only provide
protection for one collision. If the pyrotech­
n ic pretens ioners deploy, the pretensioning
sys tem must be replaced.
@ Tips
The pyrotechn ic safety belt pretensioners can
o nly deploy once.
- The safety belt pretensioners do not deploy
in minor frontal, side and rear-end colli­
sions .
- A fine dust is re leased when the pyrotechnic
safety belt pretensioners deploy . This is nor­
mal and is not caused by a fi re in the ve hi­
cle.
- The relevant safety requirements must be
observed when the vehicle or components
of the system are scrapped. A q ualified
dealership is familiar with these regulat io ns
and wi ll be pleased to pass on the informa ­
tion to you.
- Be sure to observe all safety, envi ronment al
and other regulat ions if the vehicle or in di­
vidua l parts of the system, particularly the
safety belt or airbag, are to be disposed . We
recommend you have yo ur authorized Aud i
dealer perform this service for you.
Service and disposal of safety belt preten­
sioner
T he safety belt p retensioners are pa rts of the
safety belts on your Aud i. Insta llin g, removing,
servicing or repair ing of be lt pretens io ners can
damage the safety belt system and prevent it
from wo rking correctly in a co llision .
T he re are some important things you have to
k now to make s ure tha t the effectiveness of the
system will not be impaired and that discarded
IJI-
265

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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 248,
.,. Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
¢page 249,
.,. Wear safety belts properly ¢ page 261,
.,. Always properly use the proper child restraint
to protect children ¢
page 292.
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 248, Correct
passenger seating positions .
For details on the
operation of the seat adjustment controls
¢page 61.
It's especially important that children are proper­
ly restrained
¢page 292.
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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