AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2011 Owners Manual

Airbag system --------------------------------------------- -=---=----
lowe r pa rts of the body . Front a irbags only supp lemen t th e t hree
po int saf ety b elt s in som e frontal col lisions in which t he vehicl e decel­
erat io n is high en ough to d ep loy the a irbags.
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off w hen a cras h occ urs ,
• in side co llisions,
• in re ar- end collisions,
• in rollove rs,
• when t he cra sh d ecelera tion m easur ed by the airbag sys te m is le ss
than the min imum threshold needed fo r airbag deployme nt as reg is­
t ere d by t he e lectr onic c ontrol u nit.
The front passenger airbag will also not deploy:
• when t he fro nt p ass eng er s eat i s not o ccupi ed,
• when the weight on the front passenge r seat as sense d by the
A dvanc ed Airba g Sy stem indicat es that t he front a irbag o n the
passenge r s id e has to be turned off by the e lectro nic con trol unit (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht c om es on an d sta ys on).
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the risk of serious injury
in crashes.
• To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags inflate, the driver
and passengers must always sit in an upright position , must not
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Occupants who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the
airbag can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye=>
page 201.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will increase the risk of injury
in a cra sh by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
• Never hold things in your hands or on your lap when the vehicle
is in use.
• Never transport items on or in the area of the front passenger
seat. Objects could move into the area of the front airbags during
braking or other sudden maneuver and become dangerous projec­
tiles that can cause serious personal injury if the airbags inflate .
• Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as
cupholders, telephone brackets, large , heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG " on the steering
wheel , instrument panel, seat backrests or between those areas
and yourself. These objects could cause injury in a crash, especially
when the airbags inflate .
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects .
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front
IIJ,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

........ _A_ i_rb _ a_,g,:;._ s_, y'- s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
airbag during braking or in a sudden maneu ver. Objects ne ar the
airbag s can b ecome proje ctiles and cause injury, particularly when
the seat is reclined .
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbag s deploy can cau se breathing
problem s for people with a history of asthma or other breathing
cond itions.
• To reduce the r isk of br eathing problem s, those with asthma or
other respiratory conditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening window s
or doors.
• If you are
in a collision in which airbags deploy, wash your
hands and face with mild soap and water before eating.
• Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes, or into any cuts or
scratches.
• If the residue should get into your eyes, flush them with
water. •
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light tfG
Two separa te indi cat ors m onit or the funct io n of the
Adv ance d Airb ag Sys te m : th e airb ag mo nit ori ng i nd icato r
lig ht a nd th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t.
The Advanced Airbag System (including the e lectronic control unit,
sensor circui ts and system wi ring) is mo nit o red co ntinu ous ly to make
sure that it is f unction ing p roperly whenever the ignition is on. Each
t ime y ou tur n on the ignit ion, t he air bag mo nito ring in dicat or lig ht
W,
w ill come on for a few s econds (self diagnos tics) .
The system must be inspected when the indicator
light ~:
• does not come on when the ign ition is switched on,
• does not go o ut a few seconds a fter you have switched on the igni ­
tion, or
• co mes on while driving.
If an airbag system malfunction is detected, the indicator light w ill
fi rst start flashing to catch t he d river's attention and then stay on
cont inuous ly to serve as a co nstant rem inder to have the system
inspected immediately .
If a m alfu n ct io n occur s that tur ns th e fron t airbag on the passenger
side off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on
whe never the ignition is on.
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protect ion in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on, it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System .
It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should.
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your autho ­
rized Audi dealer .•

_______________________________________________ A_ ir_ b_ a_,,,g ~ s,,._y _s _t_ e _ m ___ _
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 199 Section from
the in strument pa nel:
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center of the
ins trume nt panel ~ fig. 199 .
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t will come on and stay on to tell
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
t ur ne d off by the ele ct ronic control unit. Each t ime you t urn on t he
ign ition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will flash fo r a few
se conds a nd:
• will stay on if t he front passenger seat is not occupied,
• will stay on if th ere is a small c hild or child re strain t on the front
passenger seat,
• will go ou t if th e fron t passe nger sea t is o ccup ied by an adul t as
registe red by t he weight-sens ing mat.
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on if the
ign ition is on and
• a car bed has been insta lled on t he front seat, o r
• a rearward-facing c hild rest raint has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• a forward-faci ng chi ld restraint has bee n in stalled on the front
passenge rseat,or
• the weight reg istered on the front passenger seat is equal to or
less th an the co m bined we ig ht of a ty pical 1 year-o ld re strained in
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
one of the rear-facing or forward- facing infa nt restraints listed in
F ede ral Mo tor Ve hicl e Sa fe ty S tan dard 20 8 wit h w hich th e Adv anced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified .
If the front passenger seat is not occ upied, the front a irbag w ill not
dep loy, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l igh t will s tay o n. N ever
install a rearward -facing chi ld restraint on the front passenge r seat,
t he s afest pla ce f or a ch ild in any kind o f ch ild re st ra int is at one of the
seating positions on t he rear seat~
page 201, "Child restra ints on
t he fr ont sea t- som e impo rtant t hings to know" and ~
page 2 21,
"Ch ild Safety" .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when one of t he
co ndi tion s list ed above is m et, be sur e to che ck the light re gu la rly to
ma ke certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht stays on
con tinu ously wheneve r the ignition is o n.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
lig ht does not appear and not stay on all the t ime, stop as soon
as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turni ng the ignition off and then t urning
it on agai n;
• remove and reinstall the ch ild restraint. Make sure that the ch ild
restra in t is prope rly installed and tha t the sa fety belt fo r the fron t
passenger seat has bee n correctly routed around the c hild restra int as
desc rib ed in the c hild restraint manufacturer's i nstr uctions;
• make s ure that the convertib le loc kin g feature o n the safety belt
for the front passenge r seat has been a ct ivated and t hat t he safety
belt has bee n pulled t ight. The be lt must not be loose or have loops
of slac k so that the senso r be low t he safety belt latch on the seat ca n
do its job~
page 23 1.
• make s ure tha t thi ngs tha t may inc rease the wei ght o f th e chi ld
and c hild safety seat are not bei ng transported on the front
passenge r seat;
• make s ure that the safety belt tension sensor is not blocked.
S hake the sa fety belt la tch on the front passen ger seat back an d
fort h;
• If a strap or teth er i s be ing used to tie the chi ld sa fe ty se at to the
front passe nger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Airbag
system
----
--=----------------
the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight tha n is actua lly on
t he seat.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does not come on and
does not stay on cont inuous ly (when the ignition is switched on),
• t ake the child res tra int off the fr ont p assenger seat an d ins ta ll it
properly at one of t he rear seat positions. Have the a irbag system
ins pec ted by your a uth ori zed Audi de aler immedi ately.
• move the child to a rea r seat position and ma ke s ure that the child
is p roperly res trained in a c hild rest rain t th at i s appr opriate fo r its
size and age .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light shou ld NOT come on when the
ignition is on a nd an adult is sitt ing in a proper sea ting pos ition on the
front passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and s tays on o r flashes fo r abo ut 5 seconds while d riving, under these
circumstances, make sure that:
• t he adul t on the front passenger se at is pro perly seate d on the
center of the seat cushi on with his or her back up against the backrest
an d t he bac krest is not reclined => page 178, "P roper occ upan t
seating posit ions",
• t he adult is not tak ing weig ht o ff t he sea t by holding on to th e
passenge r assist handle above the front passe nger door or
supporti ng thei r weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is be ing properly wor n and that there is not a lot of
s la ck in th e s afe ty be lt webb ing,
• accessory seat cove rs or cushions o r othe r th ings that may ca use
an in corre ct re ading o r impre ss io n on th e weigh t-sensin g m at un der
the upholstery of the seat have been removed from the front
p as senge r se at,
• a sa fety be lt extender has not been left in th e safety belt latch for
th e fr ont pas senger se at.
In addit io n to t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in t he center of the
instrument pane l, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF o r
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON w ill briefly appea r in th e inst rument cluster display
. This is to inform the dr ive r of the current front passenger
a irb ag s tat us.•
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on, it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System.
It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should.
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your autho­
r ized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflate s, a child without a child restraint, in a
rearward-facing child safety seat or in a forward-facing child
restraint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
injured and can be killed.
• Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that all children, especially 12 years and
younger, always r ide on the back seat properly restrained for their
age and size.
• Always install forward or rear-facing child safety seats on the
rear seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• If you must install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
~

Airbag system Ill
----------------=--=---
& WARNING (co ntinued )
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• A tight tether o r other strap on a rearward -facing child
restraint attached to the front pa ssenger seat can put too much
pressure on the weight -sensing mat in the seat and register more
weight than i s actually on the seat . The heavier weight regi stered
can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advan ced Airbag when it mu st be suppre ssed
causing serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If , in exceptional circumstanc es, you must install a forward­
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat, always move
the seat into its rearmost po sition in the seat' s fore and aft adjust­
ment range, as far away from the airbag as possible . The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position. Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not go out when an
adult 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 positions.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer before transporting anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
If the we ight-sens ing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
em pty seat, the front airbag on the passenge r side will be t urne d off,
and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.•
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system a
re insta lled at many different places on
your Audi. I nstall ing, remov ing, serv icing o r rep airi ng a pa rt in an
area of the vehicle ca n damage a part of a n airbag system and prevent
t ha t sys tem from working prope rly in a coll is io n.
Th ere are some importa nt things you have to know to ma ke sure t hat
the effectiveness of the system will not be impai red and that
dis ca rded compo nents do not cause injury or po llute t he e nvir on­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , serv icing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover, obstruct, or change the steering wheel horn pad or
airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way .
• Never attach any objects such as cupholders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units .
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain water . Solvent s or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change the stiffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop ­
erly.
• Never repair, adjust, or change any part s of the airbag system .
• All work on the steering wheel, instrument panel , front seats
or electrical sy stem (including the installation of audio equip­
ment, cellular telephones and CB radios, etc. ) must be performed
by a qualified technician who has the training and special equip­ ment necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body . ..,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Airbag system ------=-~-----------------------------------
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Always make sure that the side a irbag can inflate without
interference :
- Never in stall seat covers or replacement uphol stery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use addit ional se at cushions that cover the areas
where the side ai rbags inflate.
- Damage to the or iginal seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an author ized Audi dealer.
• The airbag system can be activated only on ce. After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the techni cal information, t raining
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deploy ed only once. After an airbag
has been dep loyed , it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved e specially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or a irbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops onl y.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• In accidents when an airbag is deployed, the vehicle battery
separates the alternator and the starter from the vehicle electrical
system for safety reason s with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupte r.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is sc rapped , all appli ­
cable safety precautions must be followed.
W For the sake of the environment
Un deployed ai rbag modu les and p retensione rs might be class ified as
Perch lorate Materia l -special handling may ap ply, see
www.dts c.ca.gov/ha za rdouswas te/pe rchlorate. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system includ ing a irbag modu les safety belts
w it h pretensioners are s crapped, all appli cable laws and regula tions
must be observed. Your author ized Aud i dealer is familiar with these
req uiremen ts and we recommen d that you have your dealer perfo rm
this serv ice for you. •
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Chang ing the vehicle's suspension system can change the way that
t h e Advan ced Airbag System pe rforms in a cr ash . For e xamp le, usi ng
tire-rim combinations not app roved by Audi, lowering the vehicle,
c hang ing the stiffness o f th e suspension, incl uding the sp rings,
suspension struts, shock absorbers etc. can change the forces that
are meas ure d by the a irba g sensors and sent to the ele ct ronic contro l
unit . Some suspension changes can, fo r exam ple, increase the force
levels measured by the senso rs and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which i t would not deploy if the changes had no t been
ma de . Other kinds of changes may reduce the force levels meas ured
by the sensors and p revent the airbag from dep loying when it should.
T he sensors in the safety belt b uckle for the drive r and front
p as senge r se at tell the e lectroni c cont rol mo dule if the sa fe ty belt is
latched or not . If the safety belt is being used, t he front a irbag w ill
dep loy a t a s lightly h igher r ate o f vehicle decele ration t han if t he
safety belt is not be ing used . Therefo re, in a par ticular collis io n, it is
possible that an a irba g w ill not dep loy at a seating position where the
safety belt is being used but w ill inflate at the posit ion where the
safety belt is not be ing use d. It is im portant that nothing interfere
w it h t he safety belt bu ckles so that the sensors can se nd the co rrect
info rmation about safety be lt use to the electronic contro l unit.
~

& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's susp ension including use of unapproved
tire -rim combination s can change Advan ced Airbag performance
and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash .
• Never install suspension component s that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehicle.
• Ne ver use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electronic control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly.
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they a re not obstructed .
<£> For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretensioners might be class ified as
P erch lo rate Mate rial -special handling m ay app ly, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate . When the vehicle or
parts o f th e re st ra int system includin g airb ag modu les s afety belts
with pretens io ners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regulat ions
must be observed . Your authorized Aud i dealer is fam iliar with these
req uirements and we recommend that you have your dealer perform
this service for yo u.•
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
Knee airbags
App lies to ve hi cle s: w ith K nee air b ags
Description of knee airbags
The airbag system can provid e su pplemental protection
to properly restrained front seat occupants .
....
! 00 m
Fig . 2 00 Driv er' s knee
a ir bag
T he kne e airbag fo r the driver is located in the instrument panel
undernea th the s teer ing whee l~ fig. 20 0, the knee airbag for the
passenge r is at about the same height in the instr ument pane l u n de r­
neath the g love compa rtment.
Th e knee air bag offers ad diti onal protec tion t o th e driver's and
passenger 's knees and upper and lower thigh areas as a supplement
t o the sa fety belts .
If the front airbags deploy , the knee airbags also deploy i n frontal
co llisions above a certain severity ~
pag e 208, "M ore important
things to know about front airbags" .
Bes ides the ir no rmal safety function, safety be lts work to help keep
t he drive r o r fro nt pa ssenger i n posi tion in cas e o f a fr ontal coll isio n
so that the airbags can prov ide p rotect io n.
Th e a irbag system is not a substitute for your safety be lt. Rather, it is
part o f the ove rall occ upant rest rai nt system in your veh icle . Always
r emember t hat the airbag system can only help to protect you if you •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

__ ....!:.A~i~r ~b ~a ~g;L: s~y '...:s~ t~ e~ m'...!.!. ____________________________________________ _
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 189, "General notes".
The safety belt buckle for the driver and front seat passenger have
switches that tell the airbag control module if the safety belt is being
used or not. If the safety belt is being used, the knee airbag will
deploy at a slightly higher rate of deceleration than if the belt is not
being used. Therefore, in a particular collision, it is possible that an
airbag will not deploy at a seat ing position where the safety belt is
being used but will inflate at the position where the safety belt is not
being used.
Remember too, airbags w ill deploy only once and only in certa in kinds
of accidents -your safety belts are always there to offer protection in
those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when
they have already deployed, for example when your vehicle strikes or
is struck by another after the first collision .
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is not a substitute for the
safety belt. The airbag system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts . Therefore, always wear your safety belts correctly .
It is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
also be associated with airbags.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
• The electronic control module
• T wo inflatable airbags (airbag and gas generator), one for the
dr iver and one for the front passenger
• The airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
• when the ignition is turned off
• in front-end collisions when the deceleration measured by the
control unit is too low
• in s ide collisions •
in rear-end collisions
• in rollovers
• in the event of a system ma lfunction (warning/indicator light illu­
m ina ted):::::,
page 14.
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system can only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position :::::,
page 208.
• If the airbag indicator light comes when the vehicle is being
used, have the system inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer. The airbag may not work properly when the vehicle
acceleration in a side collision is high enough to deploy the airbag.
See also :::::,
page 14. •
Applies to veh icles: w ith Knee a irbags
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area is reduced by fully
deployed knee airbags .
Fig. 201 Inflated
airbags protecting in a
frontal collision
The knee ai rbag system has been designed so that the airbags for the
driver and front passenger are deployed in certain but not all frontal
collisions. ..,

----------------------------------------------~A....::..:.... ir:....: b.::..:;; a..::g ~ s~y -=s:....: t:...: e:...: m...:....:.. __ lffll
If the front air bags deploy, th e knee a irbags also dep loy i n fronta l
coll is ions ab ove a c ertain s everity.
When the sys tem is d epl oyed , the ai rb a gs s ta rt to fill wi th a propel­
lant gas, a nd inflate between the lowe r pa rt of t he instr ument pane l
and th e drive r an d th e l owe r part of the in strum ent pan el a nd t he
front passenger ~
page 208, fig. 198.
Al th ou gh they are no t a soft pil low, they can cus hion th e impact and
in t his way th ey can help to red uce the risk of in jury to t he lower
extremities.
A ll thi s t akes pla ce in stan tan eously , so fas t th at ma ny pe opl e don 't
even rea lize that t he airbags have deployed. The airbags a lso inflate
w ith a g reat d eal o f for ce and it is im portant for o ccupa nt saf ety th at
nothing sh ould be in their way when t hey deploy .
F ully in flated airba gs i n com binatio n with pr ope rly wo rn safety belts
slow dow n and limit the occ upant's forwa rd movement a nd he lp to
re duce the risk. •
Applies to veh icles : w it h Kn ee air ba gs
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
Airbags ar e only supp lem en tal r estra ints . Alw ays wear
s a fe ty be lts cor re ctly and ride in a proper seating pos i­
ti on .
Th ere is a lot that you an d yo ur passe ngers m ust know an d do to help
the sa fet y b elts and airbags to p rov id e su pp lemen tal protec tio n.
& WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious injury. Wearing safety
belts incorrectly and improper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is being
used.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(cont inued )
• The airbag system cannot protect you properly if you are seated
too close to any of the airbag locations. When adjusting their seat positions, it is important that both the driver and the front
passenger keep their upper bodies and knees at the following
minimum safe distances:
- 10 inches (25 cm) between the chest and the steering
wheel/instrument panel.
-4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the lower part of
the instrument panel.
• The risk of personal injury increases if you lean forward or to
the side, or if the seat is improperly positioned and you are not
wearing your safety belt. The risk increases even more should the
airbag deploy .
• Always make sure that the knee airbag can inflate without
interference. Objects between yourself and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by interfering with the way the
airbag deploys or by being pushed into you as the airbag deploys.
-No persons (children) or animals should ride in the footwell
in front of the passenger seat. If the airbag deploys, this can
result in serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried in the footwell area
in front of the driver's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shop­
ping bags, for example) can hamper or prevent proper deploy­
ment 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 scratches or other damage
in the area of the instrument panel where the knee airbags are
located.
• If children are incorrectly seated, their risk of injury increases
in the case of an accident~
page 221, "Child Safety". •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ i_ r_b _ a_ g=- s_, y"-- s_t _e _m ______________________________________________ _
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 202 S ide airbag
l o cat ion
in the d rive r's
s e at
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
~ page 218 , fig. 202. They are identified by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag sy stem basicall y consists of :
• the electronic control module and external s ide impact sensors
• t he two side airbags located in t he sides o f the front backrests
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster.
T he airbag sys tem is moni tore d ele ct ronically to make certa in that it
is funct ioning properly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni­
t ion , the airbag system indicator light w ill come o n for a few seconds
(self diagnostics) .
The side airbag system supp lements the safety belts and can he lp to
red uce the risk of injury to the drive r's an d front passenge r's upper
torso on the s ide of the vehicle that is struck in a side collision . The
a irbag dep loys o nly in side impac ts an d only when the veh icle acceler ­
ation registered by the contro l unit is h igh eno ugh. If this rate is
below the refe rence val ue p rogrammed into the control u nit, t he side
airbags will not be triggered, eve n thoug h the car may be badly damaged as a resu
lt of the collision. It is not possib le to define an
air bag trigger ing range tha t w ill cove r eve ry poss ible an gle o f imp act,
since the circumsta nces will vary considerab ly between one collision
and another . Important factors incl ude, for example, the nature
(hard or soft) of the impact ing object, the a ngle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.~
page 219, "Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system" .
Aside from the ir normal safety function, safety be lts work to he lp
keep the driver or fron t passenger in po sit io n in t he event of a side
collision so that the side airbags ca n provide p rotect ion.
T he a irbag system is
not a substitute for your safety be lt. Rather, it is
pa rt of the ove rall occupant res trai nt system in your veh icle. Always
remember that the side airbag system can only help to protect you if
you a re wear ing yo ur safety belt and wea ring it properly. This is
another reason why you shou ld always wear your safety belts, not just
bec ause t he law requires you to do so~
page 189, '' Genera l no tes ".
It is important to remember that while the supp lemental s ide airbag
system is designed to red uce the lik elihood o f serious injuries, other
injuries, fo r example, swe lli ng, br uis ing , and minor abras io ns can
also be assoc iated w ith deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
airbags will de ploy only once and only in cert ain kinds of acc idents -
your safety belts are a lways there to offer protection.
Vehicle dam age, re pair costs o r even the la ck of vehicle dam age are
not necessarily an ind ication of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
t ion. In some collisions, both front and side airbags may infla te .
Remember too , tha t airbags will de ploy only once and only in certa in
kinds of collisions -yo ur sa fety bel ts are a lways the re to offe r protec ­
tion i n those accide nts in which airbags ar e not s upposed to deploy o r
when they have already dep loyed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
• when the ign ition is turned off
• in side co llisi ons when the accelerat ion measured by the sensor is
t oo low
• in front -end col lisions ._