child restraint AUDI A4 2015 Owners Manual

60 Seats and stor age
Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so
important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger. Adjust
you r seat prope rly so that :
- you can easily and quickly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
-your body is properly supported thus reduc­
ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety be lts and airbag system can offer
maximum protection ¢
page 144.
In the following sections, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat. Always follow the informa­
tion regarding child safety provided in
¢ page 165, Child Safety.
WARNING
Refer to¢ page 126, Driving Safely for
important information, tips, suggestions
and warnings that you should read and fol­
low for your own safety and the safety of
your passengers.
A WARNING
, -
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury .
- Always keep your feet on the floor when
the vehicle is in motion -never put your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion. This applies especially to the passen- gers
. If your seating position is incorrect,
you increase the risk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an accident. If the
airbag inflates and the seating position is incorrect, this could result in personal
injury or even death.
- It is important for both the driver and front passenger to keep a distance of at
least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel.
If you're sitting any
closer than this, the airbag system can­
not protect you properly. In addition, the
front seats and head restraints must be
adjusted to your body height so that they
can give you maximum protection.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the steer­
ing wheel or instrument panel.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas­
senger 's seat while the vehicle is moving.
Your seat may move unexpectedly, caus­
ing sudden loss of veh icle control and
personal injury. If you adjust your seat
while the veh icle is moving, you are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving .
We recommend that you adjust the driver's
seat in the following manner :
.. Adjust the seat in fore and aft direction so
that you can easily push the pedals to the
floor wh ile keeping your knees slightly bent
o &. in Why is your seat adjustment so im ­
portant? on page
60 .
.,. Adjust the seatback so that when you sit
w ith your back against the seatback , you can
still grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.. Applies to vehicles with adjustable head re­
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the up­
per 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 .,.

64 Seats and storage
¢ fig. 65. Pull the head restraint out of the
backrest at the same time¢,&. .
Installing the head restraints
.. Slide the posts on the head restraint down
into the guides until you feel the posts click
i nto place.
.. Press the button@¢
fig. 65 and slide the
head restraint all the way down. You should
not be able to pull the head restraint out of
the backrest.
So that the driver can have a better view to
the rear, the head restraints should be pushed
down completely when the rear seats are not
occupied .
A WARNING ,.
- Read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ page 130, Proper adjustment of head
restraints .
- Only remove the rear seat head restraints
when necessary in order to install a child
seat¢
page 173. Install the head re­
straint again immediately once the child
seat is removed. Driving without head re­
straints or with head restraints that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk
of serious or fatal neck injury dramatical­
ly.
@ Tips
Correctly adjusted head restraints and
safety belts are an extremely effective
combination of safety features .
Seat memory
Description
Applies to vehicles: with memory function
The memory function allows you to quickly
and easily store and recall personal seating
profiles for the dr iver . The memory function is
operated through the master key and the memory buttons in the driver's door.
The driver's seating profi le is stored and as­
signed to the master key each time the vehicle
is locked. When you open the door, the seat profile is
automatically recalled.
If two people
use one vehicle, it is recommended that each
person always uses "their own" master key.
Up to 2 seat profiles can be stored in the
memory buttons in the driver's door. Once
they are stored, these seat profiles can be se­
lected at any time .
In addition to the driver's seat settings, you
can also store and access the exterior mirror
adjustment settings* using the remote con­
trol key or memory button.
Remote control key
Applies to vehicles: wit h seat memory
To assign the driver's seat settings to the re­
mote control key when locking the vehicle, the
function must be activated in the rad io or
MMI*
.. Select: !CAR I function button> Seat adjust­
ment
> Driver's seat > Remote control key >
on.Or
.. Select: !CARI function button> Car systems*
control button > Vehicle settings > Seats >
Driver' s seat> Remote control key> On .
(i) Tips
If you do not want another driver's set­
tings to be assigned to the remote key,
switch off the memory function using the
radio or MMI* or the
IOFFI button
¢page 64.
Memory buttons
Applies to vehicles: with seat memory
Fig. 67 Dr iver's door: memo ry fu nct ion buttons

126 Driving Saf ely
Driving Safely
General notes
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
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, a irbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the info rmat ion
and warn ings in th is sect ion -fo r yo ur own
safety as well as that of your passengers .
The information in this se ction app lies to all
model ve rsions of your veh icle . Some of the
feat ures described in this sec tions 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
struct ions and heed the WARNINGS in
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the inte rest of you r passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter­
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important info r­
mation will always be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find i t eas ily if you have
ques tions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a varie ty o f fea tures
avai la bl e to he lp re duce the risk of injury in an accident
. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophis tic ated s afety be lts fo r drive r and a ll
passenger sea ting pos it ions,
- be lt fo rce limi ters fo r the front seats,
- belt p retensioners for the seats,
- head restra ints for each seating positio n,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- side curtain a irbags,
- specia l LATCH anchorages for child re-
s tr aints,
- ad justab le steer ing colum n.
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to­
gether as a system to he lp protect you and
you r passengers in a w ide range of accidents .
T hese fe atures canno t work as a system if
they a re not always correct ly adjusted and co r­
rect ly used.
Safety i s everybody' s respon sibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver.
Fo r yo ur safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driv ing alway s:
.,. Make sure that all lights and signa ls are op­
erati ng correctly .
.,. Make su re that the t ire p ressu re is co rrect .
.,. Make s ure that all windows are clean and af­
ford good v is ibili ty to the outs ide.
.,. Sec ure all lugg age and o ther items c aref ully
qpage 66 .
.,. Ma ke s ure that nothing can inte rfere with
the peda ls .
.,. Ad just front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
.,. Instruct rear seat passengers to adjust the
head restra ints according to their he ight .
.,. Make s ure to use the r ight child restraint
co rrectly to p rotect chi ldren ¢
page 165,
Child Safety. "'

128 Driving Safely
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 62 .
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag de­
ploys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver 's airbag to protect you in a
collision .
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air ­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving . Your seat may move unexpect­
edly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in- jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 165. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat¢
page 144 .
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom ­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
• Move the front passenger seat back as far as
possible . There must be a minimum of
10 inches (25 cm) between the breastbone
and the instrument panel¢,&. .
• 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.
• Applies to vehicles with adjustable head re­
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the up­
per edge is as even as possible with the top
of your head. If tha t is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this position as possible.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 139.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 60.
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:

'"" N
0 ::.,: co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
-Passengers must always sit in an upright
position and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un ­
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye .
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger's breastbone and 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
passenger seat and head restraint prop­
erly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in
front of the seat. Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win­
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt will not be able to protect you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury 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 in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats <=:>
page 165 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat <=:>
page 144.
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 vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor­
rect seating position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas-
Driving Safely 129
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
.,. Make sure that the seatback is securely
latched in the upright position <=:>
page 71.
.,. If there is a passenger on the rear center
seating position, slide the center head re­
straint upward at least to the next notch.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
<=:> page 139 .
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in
a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their size and age
<=:> page 165.
& 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 protec­
tion when the seatback is securely latch­
ed in the upright position and the safety
belts are properly positioned on the
body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
injury from improperly positioned safety
belts!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection . •
•

130 Driving Saf ely
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Appl ies to vehicles: with a djustable head restra ints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im­
portant part of your vehicle's occupant re­
straint system and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations.
F ig . 14 0 Head restrain t: viewed from the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust­
ed to achieve the best protection.
• Adjust the head restraints so the uppe r edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possib le, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
c:> fig. 140.
• If there is a passenger on the rear center
seat ing pos ition, slide the center head re­
stra int upward at least to the next notch .
Ad justing head restraints
<:>page 63.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re­
straints. Dr iv ing without head restraints or
w ith head restra ints that are not properly
adjusted increases the risk of ser ious or fa­
t al nec k injury dramat ica lly. To help reduce
t he risk of inju ry:
- Always drive with the head restra ints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every pe rson in the veh icle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int.
- Always make sure each pe rson in the ve­
hicle properly adjusts the ir head re­
stra int. Adjust the head rest raints so the
upper edge is as even as possib le with
the top of your head. If that is not possi ­
ble, try to adjust the head restra int so that
it is as close to this posit ion as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to ad just head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safely be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
straint.
- Chil dren must a lways be prope rly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appro­
p ria te fo r their age and size
c:> page 165.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious
injury or death. Safety belts can only work
when they are properly positioned on the
body . Improper seating positions reduce the
effectiveness of safety belts and w ill even in­
c rease the r is k of i njury and dea th by moving
the safety be lt to cr itical are as of the body.
Improper seating posi tions a lso increase the
risk of serio us injury and death when an air­
bag deploys and str ikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating posit ion. A dr iver is
responsible for the safety of all veh icle occu­
pants and espec ially for children. Therefore :
• Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
c:> ,& .
The following bulletins list on ly some samp le
pos itions that will increase the risk of serious
injury and death. Our hope is that these exam­
ples will make you more aware of seat ing po­
s itions that are dangerous .
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- neve r stand up i n the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride wit h the sea tback reclined
- neve r lie down o n the rear seat
- neve r lean up against the instrument panel ..,.

136 Safety belts
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety be lts are nec ­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly .
.. Read a ll the information that fo llows and
heed all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of ser ious
personal in jury and death .
- Safety belts are the sing le most effective
means avai lab le to reduce the risk of se­
r ious injury and dea th in a utomob ile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
yo ur passenge rs, always co rrectly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically
im paired perso ns m ust also use safety
belts. Lik e all veh icle occup ants, they are
more like ly to be ser iously injured if they
do not wea r safety be lts . The best way to
protect a fetus is to protect the mother -
throughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
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.
A WARNING
Not wea ring safety belts or weari ng them
improp erly increases the risk of ser ious
pe rsonal i njury and deat h.
- Never st rap more than one pe rson, in­
cl uding small ch ild ren, into any belt.
It is
e speci ally dange rous to pla ce a safety
belt over a child s itting on yo ur lap.
- N ever le t mo re people ride in the ve hicl e
than there are s afe ty be lts avail able. -
Be s ure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained w ith a separate safe ­
ty belt or child restra int.
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle hos o warning system for the
driver and (on USA models only) front seat
passenger to remind you about the impor­
tance of buckling-up .
F ig. 142 Safety belt warni ng lig ht in the instrument
cluster -en larged
Before driv ing off, always :
.. Fasten yo ur safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly .
.. Make sure that your passengers also buck le
up and properly wear their safety be lts.
.. Protect your children wit h a child restraint
system approp riate fo r the size and age of
t he children.
The . war ning light i n the instrument clus­
ter lights up when the ig nition is switched on
as a rem inder to fasten the safety belts. In ad­
dition, you will hear a warning tone fo r a cer­
ta in pe riod of time.
Fasten your safety belt now and make sure
that your pa ssenger s also prope rly put on
their safety belts.

M N
~ co
rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be correctly posi­
tioned across the strongest bones of your
body.
~ Always wear safety belts as illustrated and
described in this chapter.
~ Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death. Safety belts can
work only when used correctly.
- Always fasten your safety be lts correctly
before driving off and make sure all pas­
sengers are correctly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts must always be positioned properly on
the body .
- Never strap more than one person, in­
cluding small children, into any belt.
- Never place a safety belt over a child sit­ ting on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front
of the seat while the vehicle is being d riv­
en .
- Never let any person ride with their feet
on the instrument panel or sticking out
the window or on the seat.
- Never remove a safety belt while the ve­
hicle is moving. Doing so will increase
your risk of be ing injured or killed.
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause injury.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of posi ­
tion . Safety belts
139
- Several layers of heavy clothing may in­
terfere with correct positioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of
the system .
- Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latch­
ing securely .
- Never use comfort clips or devices that
create slack in the shoulder belt . Howev­
er, special clips may be requ ired for the
proper use of some child restraint sys­
tems .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt hardware can break in an
accident. Inspect belts regularly.
If web­
bing , bindings, buckles, or retractors are
damaged, have belts replaced by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.
- Safety belts that have been worn and
loaded in an accident must be replaced
with the correct replacement safety belt
by an authorized Audi dealer. Replace­
ment may be necessary even if damage
cannot be clearly seen. Anchorages that
were loaded must also be inspected.
- Never remove, modify, disassemble, or
try to repair the safety belts you rs elf .
- Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts
may not work properly and can impair
the function of the inertia reel¢
ta­
ble Cleaning interior on page 204.
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 148 B elt buckle and to ngue o n the driver's se at

140 Safety belts
To provide maximum protection, safety belts must always be positioned correctly on the
wearer 's body .
.,. Adjust the front seat and head restraint
properly ¢
page 60, Seats and storage .
.,. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in an upright position and securely
latched in place befo re using the belt¢.&, .
.,. Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it even-
ly across the chest and pelvis¢.&, .
.,. Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
¢fig . 148.
.,. Pull on the belt to make sure that it is se-
curely latched in the buckle .
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety belt is equipped with an automat­
ic belt retractor on the shoulder belt . This fea­
ture locks the belt when the belt is pulled out
fast, during hard braking and in an accident.
The belt may also lock when you drive up or
down a steep hill or through a sharp curve. During normal driving the belt lets you move
freely .
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped with a be lt pre­
tensioner that helps to tighten the safety belt
and remove slack when the pretensioner is ac ­
tivated. The function of the pretensioner is
monitored by a warning light¢
page 20 .
Convertible locking retractor
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a convertible locking re­
tractor that
must be used when the safety
belt is used to attach a child safety seat. Be
sure to read the important information about
this feature ¢
page 175.
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious injury in an accident
¢ page 140, Safety belt position.
- Safety belts offer optimum protection
only when the seatback is upright and
-
belts are properly positioned on the
body.
- Always make sure that the rear seat
backrest to which the center rear safety
belt is attached is securely latched when­
ever the rear center safety belt is being
used. If the backrest is not securely
latched, the passenger w ill move for­
ward with the backrest during sudden
braking, in a sudden maneuver and espe­
cially in a crash .
- Never attach the safety belt to the buck­
le for another seat. Attaching the belt to
the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause serious per­
sonal injury.
- A passenger who is not properly restrain­
ed can be seriously injured by the safety
belt itself when it moves from the stron­
ger parts of the body into critical areas
like the abdomen .
- Always lock the convertible locking re­
tractor when you are securing a child
safety seat in the vehicle
c:> page 177.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to gett ing
maximum protection from safety belts.
Fig. 149 Safety bel t position
Standard features on your vehicle help you ad ­
just the position of the safety belt to match
your body size.
- belt height adjustment for the front seats,
- automatic belt height adjustment for the
rear seats .

144 Airbag system
Airbag system
Important things to know
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For
airbags to do their job , occupants must al­
ways properly wear their safety belts and be
in a proper seating position.
F or your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers, before driving off, always:
• Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel
properly
¢ page 127,
• Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
r=; page 61,
• Wear safety be lts properly ¢ page 139,
• Always properly use the proper child re-
straint 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 dr iver or the front seat passenger is not
seated properly . Therefore in order to help the
a ir bag to do its job, it is important, both as a
d river and as a passenger to sit prope rly 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
comp letely and provide supplemental protec­
tion in ce rtain frontal collisions
¢page 127,
Proper occupant seating positions.
F or details
on the operation of the seat adjustment con­
t rols ¢
page 62.
It's especially important that children are
properly restrained
r=:;page 165.
There is a lot that the driver and the passen­
ge rs can and must do to help the individua l
safety features installed in your A udi work to­
gether as a system.
Proper seating pos ition is important so that
the front airbag on the driver side can do its
job. If yo u have a physical impairment or con- dition that
prevents you from sitting properly
on the driver seat with the safety belt properly
fastened and reaching the pedals , spec ial
modif ications to your vehicle may be necessa­
ry.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer, or call
Audi C ustomer Relations at 1-800-822-2834 .
When the airbag system dep loys , a gas gener­
ator will f ill the airbags, break open the pad­
ded covers, and inflate between the steering
whee l and the dr iver and between the instru­
ment panel and the front passenger. The air­
bags will deflate immediately after deploy­
ment so that the front occupants can see
th rough the windshield aga in without inter­
ruption .
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye , so
fast that many people don't even realize that
the a irbags have deployed . The airbags also
inflate with a great deal of force and nothing
shou ld be in their way when they deploy.
Front airbags in comb ination with prope rly
worn safety belts slow down and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement. Together they
help to prevent the driver and front seat pas­
senger from hitting parts of the inside the ve­
hicle while reducing the forces acting on the
occupant dur ing the crash. In this way they
help to reduce the risk of injury to the head
and upper body in the crash . A irbags do not
protect the arms or the lower parts of the
body.
Both front a irbags w ill not inflate in all fronta l
collisions . The triggering of the airbag system
depends on the vehicle deceleration rate
caused by the collision and registered by the
electron ic control unit. If this rate is below
the reference value programmed into the con­
trol unit, the airbags will not be triggered ,
even though the car may be bad ly damaged as
a result of the co llision . Vehicle damage, re­
pair costs or even the lack of veh icle damage
is no t necessarily an indication of whether an
airbag should inflate or not .
It is not possib le to define a range of vehicle
speeds that w ill cover every possib le kind and .,.