instrument panel AUDI A5 COUPE 2010 User Guide

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Loose items in the luggage compartment can shift
suddenly, changing vehicle handling characteristics. Loose
items can also increase the risk of serious personal injury in
a sudden vehicle maneuver or in a collision.
- Distribute the load evenly in the luggage compartment.
- Always place and properly secure heavy items in the
luggage compartment as low and as far forward as
possible
~ fig. 183.
Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided~
page 79.
- Make sure that the rear seat back is securely latched in
place.
& WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can fly through the
vehicle causing serious personal injury in the event of hard braking or an accident. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
• Always put objects , for example, luggage or other heavy items
in the luggage compartment.
• Always secure objects in the luggage compartment using the
tie-down eyelets and suitable straps.
& WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehicle handles. To help
reduce the risk of a loss of control leading to serious personal
injury:
• Always keep in mind when transporting heavy objects, that a
change in the center of gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
-Always distribute the load as evenly as possible.
& WARNING (continued)
-Place heavy objects as far forward in the luggage compart­
ment as possible.
• Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating specified on the safety compliance sticker on the left door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight standards
can cause the vehicle to slide and handle differently.
• Please observe information on safe driving~
page 168.
& WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from being drawn into the
vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving.
• Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely
into the luggage area because the rear lid cannot be fully closed.
• If you absolutely must drive with the rear lid open, observe the
following notes to reduce the risk of poisoning:
-Close all windows,
- Close the panoramic tilting sunroof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
& WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all windows, the panoramic
tilting sunroof* and the rear lid are securely closed and locked to
reduce the risk of injury when the vehicle is not being used.
• After closing the rear lid, always make sure that it is properly
closed and locked.
• Never leave your vehicle unattended especially with the rear lid
left open. A child could crawl into the vehicle through the luggage
compartment and close the rear lid becoming trapped and unable .,_

Because the passengers of this vehicle are not using safety belts
=:> page 180, fig. 185, they will keep moving at the same speed the
vehicle was moving just before the crash, until something stops
them -here, the wall
=:> page 180, fig. 186.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision. Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph
(30 to 50 km/h), the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs. or 1,000 kg) or more . At greater speeds, these forces are
even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also not attached to their
vehicle. In a frontal collision they will also keep moving forward at
the speed their vehicle was travelling just before the crash. Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to frontal collisions, they
determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions. •
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop themselves
from flying forward and being injured or killed. Always
wear your safety belts!
Safety first
Fig . 187 A driver not
wearing a safety belt is
violently thrown
forward
Safety belts
Fig . 188 A rear
passenger not wearing
a safety belt will fly
forward and strike the
driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tremendous forces of
impact by holding tight or bracing themselves. Without the benefit
of safety restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant will slam
violently into the steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or
whatever else is in the way=:> fig. 187. This impact with the vehicle
interior has all the energy they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even when they deploy,
airbags provide only additional protection. Airbags are not
supposed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, including the driver,
must wear safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of
severe injury or death in a crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and that 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. Unbelted occupants can also be thrown out of the
vehicle where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear safety belts
correctly . Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only
themselves but also the driver and other passengers=:> fig. 188. In a
frontal collision they will be thrown forward violently, where they can hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger. •
Vehicle care I I Technical data

& WARNING !continued)
• 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 vehicle is moving. Doing
so will increase your risk of being 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 damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware.
• Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt under your arm or
otherwise out of position.
• Several layers of heavy clothing may interfere with correct posi­
tioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of the system.
• Always keep belt buckles free of anything that may prevent the
buckle from latching securely.
• Never use comfort clips or devices that create slack in the
shoulder belt. However, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint systems.
• Torn or frayed safety belts can tear , and damaged belt hard­
ware can break in an accident . Inspect belts regularly . If webbing,
bindings, buckles, or retractors are damaged, have belts replaced
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
• 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. Replacement 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 yourself.
Safety first
Safety belts
& WARNING !continued)
• Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work properly
and can impair the function of the inertia reel
~ page 263, "Safety
belts" .•
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Seat first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 190 Belt buckle
and tongue on the
driver's seat
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 69, "General recommendations" .
Make sure the seat back of the rear seat bench is in an
upright position and securely latched in place before
using the belt
=> & .
Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly across the
chest and pelvis
=> &. _,.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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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 always properly wear their
safety belts and be in a proper seating position.
For your safe ty a nd the safety of your passengers, before
driving o ff, a lways:
- Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel properly
~ page 170,
-Adjust the front passenger's seat properly~ page 70,
- Wear safety belts properly~ page 182,
-Always properly use the proper child restraint to pro tect
children~
page 213 .
In a col lision airbags must inflate within the blink of an eye and with
considerable force. The supplemental airbags can cause injuries if
the driver or the front seat passenger is not seated properly. There ­
fore in order to help the airbag to do its job, it is important, both as
a driver and as a passenger to sit properly at a ll times.
By keep ing room between your body and the steering wheel and the
front of the passenger compartment, the airbag can inflate fu lly and
comp letely and prov ide supplementa l protection in certain frontal
collisions =>
page 170, "Proper occupant seating positions". For
detai ls on the operation of the seat adjustment controls=>
page 72.
It's especially important that children are properly restrained
=>
page 213 .
There is a lot that the driver and the passengers can and must do to
help the individual safety features installed in your Audi work
together as a system.
P roper seating position is important so that the front airbag on the
driver side can do its job. I f you have a physical impairment or
condition that prevents you from sitting properly on the driver seat
with the safety belt proper ly fastened and reaching the peda ls,
special modifications to your vehicle may be necessary.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer, or call Audi Customer Rela ­
tions at 1 -800-822-2834 .
When the airbag system deploys, a gas generator will fill the
airbags, break open the padded covers, and inflate between the
steering wheel and the driver and between the instrument panel
and the front passenger . The airbags will def late immediate ly after
deployment so that the front occupants can see through the wind­
shield again without interruption.
All of this takes p lace in the b link of an eye, so fast that many people
don't even rea lize that the airbags have dep loyed. The airbags also
inflate with a great dea l of force and nothing shoul d be in their way
when they deploy . Front airbags in combination with properly worn
safe ty belts slow down and limi t the occupant's fo rward movement .
Together they help to prevent the driver and front seat passenger
from hitting parts of the inside the vehicle while reducing the forces
act ing on the occupant during the crash. In this way they help to
reduce the risk of injury to the head and upper body in the crash.
Airbags do not protect the arms or the lower parts of the body .
Both front airbags will not inflate in all frontal col lisions. The trig­
gering of the a irbag system depends on the veh ic le dece leration
rate caused by the collision and registered by the electronic contro l
unit . If this rate is below the refe rence value programmed into the
control unit, the airbags will not be triggered, even though the car
may be bad ly damaged as a result of the collision . Vehicle damage, _,.

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repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage is not necessari ly an
indication of whether an airbag should inflate or not.
It is not possible to define a range of vehicle speeds that will cover
every possible kind and ang le of impact that wil l always trigger the
airbags, since the circumstances wil l vary considerab ly between
one collision and another. Important factors include, for example,
the nature (hard or so ft) of the object which the car hits, the angle
of impact, vehicle speed, etc. The front airbags wi ll also not inflate
in side or rear co llisions, or in roll -overs .
Al way s rem ember : Airbags wi ll deploy only once, and on ly in certain
kinds of coll isions . Your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those situat ions in wh ich airbags are not supposed to deploy,
or when they have already deployed; for example, when your vehic le
strikes or is struck by another a fter the first coll ision.
T his is just one of the reasons why an airbag is a supplementary
restraint and is not a substitute for a sa fety be lt. The airbag system
works most effectively when used with the safety be lts. Therefore ,
a lways prope rly wea r your safety belt s =>
page 179 .
& WARNING
Sitting too clo se to the steering wheel or in strument panel will
de crease the effect ivene ss of the airbags and will incr ease the risk
of personal injury in a collision.
• Never sit closer than 10 in ches (25 cm) to the steering wheel or
in strument panel.
• If you c annot sit more than 10 in ches (25 cm ) from the steering
wheel , inve stiga te whether adaptive equipment may be available
to help you reach the pedal s and in crease your se ating dist ance
from the steering wheel.
• If you are unrestra ined , leaning forward , sittin g side ways or out
of position in any way , your risk of injury i s much higher .
• You will also receive serious injur ies and could even be killed if
you are up again st the airba g or too clo se to it when it infl ates -
ev en with an Advanced Airbag .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WAR N IN G ( continued )
• To reduce the ri sk of injury when an airbag inflate s, alw ays
wear safety belt s prope rly~
page 183 , "Safet y belt s".
• Always make certain that ch ildren age 12 or younger alway s
ride in the rear seat. If children are not p rope rly re str ained , they
may be severely injured or killed when an airbag inflate s.
• Never let children ride unre str ained or impr operly rest rained in
the vehicl e. Adju st the front seat s properly .
• Never ride with the b ackrest r eclined .
• Alway s sit a s far as possible from the steering wheel or the
instrument p anel
~ pag e 170.
• Alway s sit upright with your back again st the backre st of your
seat .
• Ne ver pla ce your feet on the instrument panel or on the seat .
Always keep both feet on the floor in front of the seat to help
prevent seriou s injurie s to the leg s and hips if the airbag inflate s.
• Nev er r ecline th e front passenger 's seat to transpo rt obje cts .
Item s can al so mo ve into the area of the side a irbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden m aneuver . Obje cts near the
a irbags can become pro je ctile s and cau se injury when an airbag
inflates .
& WARNING
Airbags that have deployed in a crash must be repla ced.
• U se only original equipment airbags approved by Audi and
in stalled by a trained technician who ha s the neces sary tool s and
diagnostic equipment to properly r epla ce any airb ag in your
vehicle and as sure sy stem effectivenes s in a crash .
• Never perm it salvag ed or re cy cled airb ag s to be i nstall ed in
your vehicle. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
-Be sure to read the important information and head the
WARNINGS for important details about ch ildren and
Advanced Airbags~
page 213 .
Even though your vehic le is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that a ll children, especia lly those 12 years and
younger , always ride in the back seat proper ly restrained for their
age and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat
a potentia lly dangerous place for a child to ride. The front seat is not
the safest place for a chi ld in a forward -facing child safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a child in a rearward ­
facing seat.
The Advanced Ai rbag System in your vehicle has been certified to
comply with the Requirements of United States Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle
was manufactured.
The Standard requires the front airbag on the passenger side to be
turned off ("suppressed") if a chi ld up to about one year of age
restrained in one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant res traints listed in Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
which the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was cert ified has
been insta lled on the front passenger seat. For a listing of the child
restraints that were used to certify compliance with the US Safety
Standard =>
page 215.
The PASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF light in the instrument panel tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
t urned off by the electronic control unit.
Each time you turn on the ignition , the
PASSEN GER AIR BA G OFF
light will come on for a few seconds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied, •
will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front
passenger seat,
• will go off if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight-sensing mat=>
page 199, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
The
P AS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when the control unit
detects a tota l weight on the front passenger seat that requires the
front airbag to be turned off.
If the total weight on the front passenger seat is more than that of
a typica l 1 year -old child but less than the weight of a small adult,
the front airbag on the passenger side can deploy (the
PA SSE NGER
A IR BA G OFF
light does not come on). If the P ASSE NGER AIR B AG
O FF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger s ide
has not been turned off by the electronic control unit and can
deploy if the control unit senses an impact that meets the condi ­
tions stored in its memory.
F o r e xample , th e a ir b ag m ay dep loy if:
• a small ch ild that is heavier than a typical 1 year -o ld child is on
the front passenger seat (regardless of whether the child is in one
of the child safety seats listed
=> page 215), or
• a child who has outgrown chi ld restraints is on the front
passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSEN GER AIR BA G
OFF
light comes on in the instrument cluster and stays on.
The fron t airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PA SS ENGER AIR BA G OFF light does not illuminate and stay lit) even
if a small adult or teenager, or a passenger who is no t sitting upright
with their back against a non -reclined backrest with their feet on the
vehic le floor in front of the seat is on the front passenger seat
=> page 170, "Proper seating position for the driver".
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal Standard requires
the airbag to meet the "low risk" deployment criteria to reduce the risk of injury through interact ion with the airbag. "Low risk" d eploy­
ment occu rs in those crashes that take place at lower decelerations .,.

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as defined in the electronic control unit~ page 200, "PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF lig ht" .
A lways remember, a chi ld safety seat or infant carrier insta lled on
the front seat may be struck and knocked out of position by the
rap id ly i nfla ting pass enger 's airbag in a frontal c olli sion . The airba g
co uld greatly reduce the effectiveness of the chi ld re straint and
e ven s eriously in ju re the chi ld dur ing infla tion.
F or this reason, and because the bac k seat is the safest place for
chi ldr en -when prop erly res traine d acc ordi ng to th eir age an d size
- w e stro ngly recom mend that c hildren a lwa ys s it in th e bac k seat
~ page 213, "Chil d Safe ty ".
& 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 o r 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.
• Forward-facing child safety seats installed on the front
pa ssenger's seat may interfere with the deployment of the airbag
and cause serious personal injury to the child .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances , you must install a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat:
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
• Always make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag .
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up against or very
near the instrument panel .
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. 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
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will be displayed whenever a child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not stay on , perform
the checks described
~ page 199 , "Monitoring the Advanced
Airbag System" .
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately .
• Always carefully follow instructions from child restraint manu ­
facturers when installing child restraints .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward or
rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat :
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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a listing of the child restraints that were used to certify your
vehicle's compliance with the US Safety Standard=>
page 215,
• weight less than a threshold level stored in the control unit is
detected on the front passenger seat.
When a person is detected on the front passenger seat, weighing more than the total weight of a child that is about 1 year old
restrained in one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant
restraints (listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208 with
which the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certified),
the front airbag on the passenger side may or may not deploy.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when the electronic
control unit detects a total weight on the front passenger seat that
requires the front airbag to be turned off. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger side
has not been turned off by the control unit and can deploy if the
control unit senses an impact that meets the conditions stored in its
memory.
If the total weight on the front passenger seat is more than that of
a typical
1 year-old, but less than the weight of a small adult, the
front airbag on the passenger side may deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not come on).
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
• a small child that is heavier than a typical 1 year-old child is on
the front passenger seat (regardless of whether the child is in one
of the child safety seats listed=>
page 215!,
• a child who has outgrown child restraints is on the front
passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light in the center of the instrument panel will come on and stay
on.
The front airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not illuminate and stay lit) if:
• a small adult or teenager is on the front passenger seat •
a passenger who is not sitting upright with their back against a
non -reclined backrest with their feet on the vehicle floor in front of
the seat is on the front passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal Standard requires
the airbag to meet the "low risk" deployment criteria to help reduce
the risk of injury through interaction with the airbag . "Low risk"
deployment occurs in those crashes that take place at lower decel­
erations as defined in the electronic control unit.=>
page 199
Always remember:
Even though your vehicle is equipped with
Advanced Airbags, the safest place for children is properly
restrained on the back seat. Please be sure to read the important
information in the sections that follow and be sure to heed all of the
WARNINGS.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, always wear
safety belts properly.
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sideways or out
of position in any way, your risk of injury is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag=>
page 188.
& 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.
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front airbag when a rearward -facing child
restraint has been installed on the front passenger seat, nobody
can absolutely guarantee that deployment is impossible in all
conceivable situations that may happen during the useful life of
your vehicle.
~

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& WA RN ING (co ntinued)
• Th e inflating airb ag will hit th e child safety sea t o r inf ant
ca rrier with g re at f orc e and will sm ash th e child safety sea t a nd
c hild again st t he backre st, c enter armre st, doo r, or roof .
• Alway s in sta ll re arwa rd-f acing child re str aints i n the ba ck seat.
• If you mu st in stall a rearw ard facing child safety seat on the
fro nt pa ssenger seat be cau se of e xceptional cir cumstance s and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not come on and stay on ,
imm edi ately in sta ll the re ar- fa cing child safe ty s eat in a rea r
seating p osition and h ave th e airbag system in spected by your
autho riz e d Audi de aler.
& WARNING
If, in e xceptional circum sta n ce s, y ou mu st in stall a forw ard -f aci ng
c hild restraint on the front pa ssenger' s seat:
• Alway s make sure the forw ard -fa cing seat has b een de signed
and cert ified by it s manufa cturer for use on a front seat with a
pa ssenge r fr ont and side airb ag .
• Never put the forward -facing child re straint up again st or very
near the instrum ent p anel .
• Alway s move the p assenger seat into it s rearmo st po sition in
the seat's fore and aft adju stme nt r ange , as far aw ay from the
a irb ag as pos sible , before in stalling the forward -fac ing child
r e stra int . The b ackrest must be adjusted to an upright po sition .
• Make sure that the PASSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light come s on
a nd stay s on all the time whe never the ign it ion i s sw itch ed on . •
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very important
parts of the Advanced A irbag System in it. These parts inc lude the
weight -sensing mat, sensors, wiring, brackets, and more. The func -
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation tion of the system in the front passenger seat is checked by
the elec­
tronic contro l unit when the ignition is on . The control unit monitors
the Advanced Airbag System and turns the a irbag indicator light on
when a malfunction in the system components is detected . The
function of the airbag indicator light is described in greater detail below. Because the front passenger seat conta ins important parts
of the Advanced Airbag System, you must take care to prevent it
from being damaged. Damage to the seat may prevent the
Advanced Airbag for the front passenger seat from doing its job in
a crash.
T he front Ad van ced Airbag System consi sts of th e
following:
• Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that measure vehicle
acce leration/deceleration to provide information to the Advanced
A irbag System about the sever ity of the crash .
• An electronic control unit, with integrated crash sensors for front
and side impac ts. The control unit "decides" whether to fire the
front airbags based on the information received from the crash sensors . The control unit also "decides" whether the safety belt
pretensioners should be activated.
• An Advanced Airbag w ith gas generator and contro l valve for the
driver inside the steering wheel hub.
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and contro l valve inside
the instrument panel for the front passenger .
• A weight -sensing mat under the upholstery padding of the front
passenger seat cushion that measures the total weight on the seat .
The information registered is sent continuously to the e lectronic
control unit to regu late dep loyment of the front Advanced Airbag on
the passenger s ide.
• An airbag monito ring system and indicator light in the instru ­
ment cluster=> page
199.
• A sensor in each front sea t registers t he distance between the
respective seat and the steering wheel or instrument panel. The
information registered is sen t continuously to the electronic control
unit to regulate dep loyment of the front Advanced Airbags. ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

crash situations. Be sure to read the important information about
safety and heed the WARNINGS in this chapter.
Dep loyment of the Advanced Airbag System and the activation of
the safety be lt pretensioners depend on the deceleration measured
by the crash sensors and registered by the electronic control un it.
The amount of inflation of the front airbags can also be adapted to
the front seat position, depending on the distance between the respective front seat and the steering whee l or instrument panel as
registered by sensors in the seats . Crash severity depends on speed
and deceleration as well as the mass and stiffness of the vehicle or
object involved in the crash.
On the passenger s ide, regardless of safety belt use, the airbag w ill
be turned off if the weight on the passenger seat is less than the
amount programmed in the elec tronic control unit. The front airbag
on the passenger side wi ll also be turned off if one of the child
safety seats that has been certified under Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 has been recognized on the seat. The
PASSENGER A IR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on to tel l you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
t urned off=>
page 190, "Child rest raints on the front seat-some
important things to know".
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injur y when an airbag infl ate s, a lways wear
safety belt s properly.
• If you are unr estr ained , leaning forward , sitting sideways or out
of po sition in any way , your ri sk of injury is much hig her.
• You will al so rece ive seriou s injuries and could even be killed if
you are up ag ainst the airbag or too clo se to it when it infl ate s -
even wi th an Advan ced Airb ag =>
page 188. •
Safety first
Airbag sy ste m
More important things to know about front
airbags
F ig . 196 I nfl at ed front
airba gs
Safety belts are important to help keep front seat occupants in the
proper seated position so tha t airbags can unfold proper ly and
provide supplementa l protection in a fronta l collision.
The fron t airbags are designed to provide addit ional p rotection for
the chest and face of the driver and the front seat passenger when:
• safety belts are worn properly,
• the seats have been positioned so that the occupant is properly
seated as far as p ossi ble from the a irbag,
• and the head restraints have been properly adjusted .
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye with grea t force , things
you have on your lap or have p laced on the seat cou ld become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag inflates .
When a n airbag deploys, fine d ust is released . This is norma l and is
not caused by a fire in the vehicle. This dust is made up mostly of a
powder used to lubrica te the airbags as they d eploy . It could irri tate
skin.
I t is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likel ihood of serious injuries, othe r
injuries, for example swelling, bruising and minor abrasions, can
a lso happen when airbags inflate . Airbags do no t pro tect the arms •
Vehicle care I I irechnical data