steering wheel AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2014 Owners Manual

(!) Door handle
@
®
©
®
®
Power locking sw it ch
Memory buttons (dr iver's seat)
Button for side ass ist
A ir outlets
Control leve r for :
- Turn signal and high beam
0 Multifunction steering wheel
with:
- Horn
- Driver's airbag ...... ... .. .
- Audio/video , telephone and
navigation buttons
- Rocker switches for tiptron ic
operation .... .... ... .... .
@ ISETI button .... ....... .... .
® Instrument cluster ......... .
@ Reset button for trip odometer
@ Switches for:
- Windsh ield wiper/washer
- Trip computer ............ .
@ Ignition lock .. ....... ... .. .
@ Adjustable steer ing column
~ Control leve r fo r:
- Cruise contro l .. ... ... .... .
- adaptive cruise contro l ... .. .
@ Instrument lighting .. ... ... .
@ Release lever for the engine
hood .. .. .. ............. .. .
@ Data Link Conne ctor for On
Board Diagnos tic s (OBD II) . .. .
@ Light switch ........... .. .. .
@ Adjuster control for outside mir-
35
64
102
52
144
89 11
1 0
1 2
56
25
74
74
83
93
54
206
29
5 1
rors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@ Power window switches . . . . . . 39
@ Radio-Disp layll or MM I-Display
@ Depending on options:
- Radio system
- CD changer
l) The imag e in t he d ispl ay will app ea r e ither in mu lt ipl e
col ors or in a singl e co lor , de pen din g o n th e vehicl e
e q ui pment. Th e m ulti co lo r im age w ill be use d i n this
O w ner's M anual becau se bo th mu lt i co lo r and sin gle
col or vers io ns are almost iden tic al.
In strument s and control s 9
@) Emergency flasher ....... .. .
@ Glove compartment (lockable)
@ Front passenger's airbag .....
@ Depending on options, switches
for :
- drive select .............. .
- Electron ic Stabilization Con -
trol ....... ... ..... ..... .
@ Del uxe a utomatic climate con-
tro l .. .. .. .... .. . .. .. ..... .
@ Selector lever for automatic
transmission ......... ..... .
@ Ashtray with cigarette lighter
@ Depend ing on options:
- MMI cont ro l conso le or
- drive select ......... ..... .
- Electron ic Stabili zation Con-
trol button .............. .
@ Central power w indow switch
@ Powe r top switch ... ........ .
@ I START ENG IN E STOPI button
@ Electromechanical parking
brake . ... .... ... .. .. ..... .
(D Tips
53
66
144
106
179
69
87
65 ,65
106
17 9
44
77
79
- Some of the equipment o r fea tures
shown in the genera l ill ustration may be
standard equipment on your vehicle or
may be optional eq uipment depending
on your model. A lways ask your author­
ized Aud i dea ler if you have a quest ion
about your vehicle.
- Operat ion of the Multi Med ia Interface
(MMI) is described in a separate manual.

Clear vision Lights
Switching the lights on and off
F ig . 54 Instrument pane l: headlight control switch
Light switch ·'t/,·
Turn the switch c> fig . 54 to the correspond ing
position . When the lights are switched on, the
:oo: symbol turns on.
0 • The lights are off or the dayt ime running
lights are on:
- USA mod els : The daytime running lights are
activated when the light sw itch
c> fig . 54 is
in the
O position or the AUTO position (only
in daylight conditions) . The daytime running
lights function can be turned on and off in
the radio or MMI* menu
E xterior li ghtin g
¢page 52, c> &_ .
-Ca nada mod els: The daytime runn ing lights
are activated when the light sw itch
¢ fig . 54
is i n the O position, :oo : position or the AUTO
posit ion (on ly in daylight cond itions). The
daytime running lights function cannot be
turned off¢&. .
AUTO* -Automatic headlights switch on and
off depending on b rightness, for example in
tw ilight, during rain or in tunnels¢,& .
:oo: -Side marker lights
~D -Low beam headlights
Fog light s/rear fog ligh t(s)*
Press the appropriate button c> fig. 54:
1D -Fog lights
0$ -Rear fog light(s)
Clear vi sion 51
adaptive light*
When switched on, adaptive ligh t adap ts to
curves in the road depend ing on the vehicle
speed and the steering ang le. This provides
better lighting through the curve. The system
operates at speeds between approximately 6 mph (10 km/h) and 68 mph (110 km/h).
Sta tic corner ing light * (vehicles with adaptive
light) -the cornering light switches on at
speeds up to approximately 25 mph (40 km/ h) when a certain steering wheel angle is
reached or when a turn signal is activated. The
area to the s ide of the vehicle is illuminated
better whe n turn ing .
The adaptive light and the cornering light only
function when the switch is in the AUTO posi­
tion (automatic headlights*) .
A WARNING
-Daytime running lights and automatic
headlights* are only intended to ass ist
the driver . T hey do no t re lieve the driver
of his responsibility to chec k the head ­
lights and to t urn them on manua lly ac­
cording to the current light and visibility
conditions. For examp le, fog cannot be
detected by the light sensors*. So a lways
switch on the headlights
~D under these
weather conditions and when driving in
the dark .
- Cras hes can happen when you cannot see
the road ahead and when you cannot be
seen by other motorists. Always turn on
the head lights so that you can see ahead
and so that others can see your car from
the back.
- Please obey all laws when using the
lig hting sys tems described here.
(D Note
The rear fog lights* should on ly be turned
on in accordance with t raff ic regulation, as
the lights are bright for following traffic. ..,.

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 140.
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 161, Child Safety.
WARNING
Refer to¢ page 121, 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 .,.

7 4 On the road
On the road
Steering
Manually adjustable steering wheel
The steering wheel position is fully adjustable
up and down and forward and bock .
Fig. 87 Lever under the steering column
F irst, adjust the driver's seat correctly .
• Pull the lever
r:> fig . 87 <=> &_ .
• Move the steer ing whee l to the desired posi­
t ion.
• Push the lever against the steering column
until it locks.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween you r chest and the center of the steer­
i ng wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering whee l, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steering wheel.
F or detai led information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
r:> page 61 .
A WARNING
Improper use of steeri ng wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury.
- Adjust the steering whee l co lumn on ly
when the veh icle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of veh icle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that there is a minimum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel
c;, page 122, fig . 132. If
yo u cannot mainta in this min imum dis- tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you proper ly.
- If physical limitations prevent you from
sitting 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
the steering wheel, check with your au­
thorized Audi dealer to see if adaptive
equ ipment is ava ilable .
- If the steer ing wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplementa l driver's a irbag
cannot provide as much protection in an
accident . Always make sure that the
steer ing wheel is aligned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel w ith your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of persona l injury
if the driver's airbag dep loys .
- Never hold the stee ring wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands inside
the steeri ng wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub . Holding the steering wheel
the wrong way can cause se rious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv­
er's airbag deploys.
Ignition lock
Starting engine with the key
Applies to vehicles : w ith ign ition lock
The ignition is switched on and the engine
started with the ignition key .
Fig. 88 Igni tion k ey
Starting th e engine
• Insert the key into the ignition lock .
• Step on the brake pedal and move the selec-
tor lever to the P or N pos ition. ..,..

Switching off
• Drive faster than 9 mph (15 km/h), or
• take the vehicle out of reverse gear. The
acoustic parking system is immediately de­
activated, and the rear view camera picture is deactivated automatically after a period
of about 15 seconds, or
• switch off the ignition.
The delay in deactivating the camera provides
an uninterrupted view behind the vehicle es­
pecially when maneuvering in tight parking
spaces and prevents the picture from turning
off the every time you sh ift out of reverse .
If the warning message appears in the display but not the rear view camera picture, read and
confirm the warning message . The acoustic
d istance signal is always active.
If you press a function button on the MMI
control console, the rear view camera picture
disappears . The rear view camera picture reap­
pears the next time you park.
Further information on the warning message
and the MMI control console can be found in
the MMI instruction booklet.
A WARNING
- Only use the rearview camera to assist
you if it shows a good, clear picture. For
example, the image may be affected by
the sun shining into the lens, dirt on the
lens or if there is a defect.
- Use the rearview camera only with the
rear lid completely closed. Make sure any
objects you may have mounted on the
rear lid do not block the rearview cam­
era.
(D Tips
- The rear v iew camera picture is available
as soon as the MMI Display or the MMI is
switched on, or the start-up phase is
completed.
- The sensors must be kept clean and free
of snow and ice for the park assist to op­
erate.
Park assist 113
- You can change the vo lume and pitch of
the signals as we ll as the disp lay
~page 115.
-What appears in the display is time-de­
layed.
Reverse Parking
App lies to vehicles: wit h parking system (rear, with rear
v iew camera}
Parking mode 1 can be used when parking in
a garage or parking space.
Fig. 125 MMI Display: Aim ing at a park ing spot
Fig. 1 26 MMI Disp lay : Al ign ing the veh icle
• Switch the MMI on and select the reverse
gea r.
• Turn the steering wheel until the orange ori­
entation lines (!) appear in the parking spot
i=> fig. 125. Use the markings @to help you
estimate the distance from an obstacle.
Each marking corresponds to 3 ft (1 m). The
blue area represents an extens ion of the ve­
hicle's outline by approximately 16 ft (5 m)
to the rear.
• Wh ile driving in reverse gear, adjust the
steer ing whee l angle to fit the parking space
with the aid of the orange orientation lines
i::>0 .@ marks the rear bumper. You should
stop driving in reve rse as soon as and no
Ill>-

114 Park assist
later than when the red orientation line©
abuts an object
c:> _&!
A WARNING
- The rear view camera does not show the
entire area behind the vehicle
c:>page 111, fig. 123. Watch out espe­
cially for small children and animals. The
rear view camera cannot always detect
them, posing risk of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touching the
ground can appear to be further away
than they really are (for example, the
bumper of a parked vehicle, a trailer
hitch, or the rear of a truck). In this case,
you should not use the help lines to help
with parking, which poses danger of an
accident!
(D Note
- Low obstacles already signaled by a
warning can disappear from the system's
detection range as they are approached
and will not continue to be signaled. Ob­
je cts such as barrier chains, trailer draw
bars, thin painted vertical poles or fen­
ces may not be detected by the system, posing risk of damage.
- In the MMI display, the direction of trav­
el of the vehicle rear is represented de­
pending on the steering wheel angle.
The vehicle front swings out more than
the vehicle rear. Maintain plenty of dis­
tance from an obstacle so that your out­
side mirror or a corner of your vehicle
does not collide with any obstacles -dan­
ger of accident!
Parallel Parking
Applies to vehicles: wit h parking system (rear, with rear
v iew camera)
Use parking mode 2 to help you park on the
edge of a street.
Fig. 127 MMI Disp lay : b lue surface in t he parking spot
Fig. 128 MMI Display : Bl ue curve on the curb
Th e following steps apply only when there is
no obstacle (such as a wall) near the parking
spot. Otherwise, please read the "Tips on
Parking Next to Obstacles"
c:>page 115.
.,. Activate the turn signal.
.,. Posit ion your vehicle parallel to the edge of
the street, approx imately 3
ft (1 m) from a
parked vehicle.
.,. Switch the MMI on and select the reverse
gear. The parking aid turns on and parking
mode
1 appears on the display .
.,. Press the
Mode c:> fig . 12 7 (D control button
on the MMI control console. Parking mode 2
appears .
.,. Back up in reverse gear and align your vehi­
cle so that the blue area @borders on the
rear end of the vehicle or on the parking
spot line. The blue area represents an exten­
sion of the vehicle's outline by approximate-
ly 16
ft (Sm) to the rear . The long side of ..,.

the blue area should be o n the curb. The en ­
tire b lue area must fit into the parking spot.
~ While the vehicle is stationary, t urn the
steering wheel to the right as far as it will go.
~ Back into the park ing spot . Stop the vehicle
as soon as the blue curve touches the curb
¢ fig . 128 .
~ While the vehicle is stationary, tu rn the
steering wheel to the left as far as it w ill go.
~ Continue to back up into the park ing spot
until the vehicle is parked paralle l to the
curb .@ marks the rear bumper . You should
stop dr iving in reverse as soon as and no lat­
er than when the red orientation line@
abuts an object¢,& ! Keep an eye on the
front of your vehicle wh ile doing this ¢(D .
Par kin g ne xt to obst acles
When there is an obstacle (such as a wall)
next to the parking spot, choose a spot with
more space on the sides. Position the long
side of the blue area so that there is sufficient
space from the curb . The area must not be on
the curb . You w ill also need to start turning
the steeri ng whee l much ear lie r. T he re should
be a suffic ien t amo unt of space between the
curb and the b lue curve, and the blue c urve
¢
fig . 128 mus t not touch the curb .
&_ WARNING
-The rear view came ra does not show the
entire area behind the vehicle
¢ page 111, fig. 123. Watch out espe­
c ially for small children and an imals. The
rear view camera cannot a lways detect
them, posing risk of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touch ing the
ground can appear to be further away
than they really are (for example, the bumper of a pa rked vehicle, a t railer
hi tc h, or the rear of a tru ck). In this case,
yo u should not use the help lines to he lp
with par king, which poses danger of an
accident!
P ark a ssis t 115
@ Note
In the MMI display, the direction of travel
of the vehicle rear is represented depend­
i ng on the steering wheel angle. The vehi­
cle front swings out more than the vehicle
rear. Maintain p lenty of d istance from an
obstacle so that your outs ide mirror or a
corner of you r vehicle does not coll ide with
any obstacles - dange r of accident!
(D Tips
The left o r right orie ntation lines and su r­
faces will be displayed, depending on the
turn s ignal being used.
Adjusting the display and warning tones
App lies to vehicles: wi th parking sys tem (rear , wi th rear
v iew camera)
The display and warning tones are adjusted in
the radio or MM!*.
~ Select: !CAR ! function button > Par king sys­
tem .
Or
--~ Select: !CAR ! function button> Car systems *
contro l butto n > Driver ass ist > Parking aid .
Di splay
- Off -when the parking system is switched
off, only a udible s ignals a re g iven .
-On -when the parking system is switched
on, the picture from the rear view camera is
disp layed.
Warning tones
- Rear volume -
rear sensor vo lume
- Rear frequency -rear senso r frequency
- Music volume while parking -when the
park ing system is sw itched on, the volume
of t he active audio sour ce is lowered.
The newly adjusted value is briefly heard from
the sig nal generato r. Th e settings are auto­
matically stored and assigned to the remote
control key. ..,.

122 Driving Safel y
• Fasten your safety be lt and wear it properly .
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts proper ly ¢
pag e 132.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver 's ability to concentrate on the rood
without being distracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the
vehicle and all of its occupants. If your ability
to drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road ¢
.&,.
Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passen­
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEVER drive when your dr iving ability is im­
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc.) .
• Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense.
• ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic
and 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
pressure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING , .
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a vehicle is being used.
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 132 Correc t seat ing posit ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
following position:
• Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
while keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
¢.&, .
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive.
• Adj ust the steering wheel so that there is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and your breast
bone ¢
fig. 132. If not possible, see your au­
thorized Audi dealer about adaptive equip­ ment.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
• Grasp the top of the steer ing wheel with
your elbow(s) slightly bent.
• Applies to veh icles w ith 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
close to this posit ion as possible.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 135.

~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times .
F or detai led information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c:;, page 61.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be ser iously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury :
- Always adjust the dr iver'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 o n the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posit ions to he lp red uce the risk of pe r­
sonal in jury if the drive r's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steer ing whee l at the
1 2 o'clock posit ion or w it h your hands at
other pos it ions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the stee ring wheel h ub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head i f the driver 's airbag de­
ploys.
- Pointing the steering whee l toward your
face decreases the ab ility o f the supp le­
menta l dr iver's airbag to protect you in a
co llision.
- Always s it in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the a rea where the air­
bags are located.
- Before driv ing, a lways ad just the front
seats and head restra ints prope rly and
make s ure that all passengers are prop­
er ly 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 recl ined o r
t il ted far ba ck! T he farther the ba ck rests
are t ilted back, the greate r the ris k of in-
Dr iving S afel y 123
jury due to incorrect pos itioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi ­
tion.
- Ch ildren must a lways ride in ch ild safety
seats
c:;, page 161. Special precaut ions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat
c:;, page 140.
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 m inimum of
1 0 i nches (25 cm) between the breastbone
and the ins trument panel
c:;, &, .
~ Adjust t he a ngle of the seatbac k so that it is
in an upr igh t position and yo ur ba ck comes
in full contact wit h it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
~ Applies to vehicles with adjustab le head re­
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the up­
per edge is as even as possible wit h 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 pos it ion as poss ible.
~ Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
t he fron t passenger seat .
~ Fasten and we ar safe ty be lts cor re ctly
c:;, page 135.
For detailed information on how to adj ust the
fron t passenger's seat, see
c:;, page 60.
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers w ho are un belted,
out of posi tion or too close to the airbag
can be ser iously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
•
•

140 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 122,
• Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
r=; page 61,
• Wear safety be lts properly ¢ page 135,
• Always properly use the proper child re-
straint to protect children ¢
page 161.
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 122,
Proper occupant seating positions.
F or details
on the operation of the seat adjustment con­
t rols ¢
page 61.
It's especially important that children are
properly restrained ¢
page 161.
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 impa irment 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 a uthorized Audi dealer, or call
Audi C ustomer Relations at 1-800-822-2834 .
When the airbag sys tem 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 driver and between the instru­
ment pane l 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 .,.