warning light AUDI A5 COUPE 2011 Repair Manual

situations. Be sure to read the important information about safety
and heed the WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Advanced A irbag System and the activation of the
safety belt pretensioners depend on the deceleration measured by
the crash sensors and registered by the electron ic control unit. T he
amount of inflation of the front airbags can a lso be adapted to the
front seat position, depending on the distance between the respec­
tive front seat and the steering wheel or instrument panel as regis­
tered 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 side, regardless of safety belt use, the air bag w ill
be turned off if the weight on the passenger seat is less than the
amount programm ed in the electronic control unit . The front airbag
on the passenger side will also be turned off if one of the chi ld safety
seats that has been certified under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 has been recognized on the seat. The
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on to tell you when the front
Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off
=> page 192, "Child rest raints on the front seat -some important
things to know".
& 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 190. •
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fig. 17 9 Inflated
front airbags
Safety belts are important to help keep front seat occupants in the
proper seated position so that airbags can unfold properly and
prov ide supplemental protection in a frontal collision.
Th e front airbags are designed to provide additiona l protection 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 possible from the airbag ,
• and the head restraints have been properly adjusted .
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye with great force, things
you have on your lap o r have placed on the seat could become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag inflates.
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released. This is normal and is
not caused by a fire in the vehicle. This dust is made up mostly of a
powder used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy .
It could irritate
skin.
It is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is desig ned to reduce the likelihood of serious injur ies, other
injuries, for example swell ing, bruising and m inor abrasions, can also
happen when airbags inflate. Airbags do not protect the arms or the •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

-L___:_A~ i r'....: b~ a ::::: gL:: s~y -=s ::..:t :.:e :..: m..:..:.. ______________________________________________ _
lower parts of the body. Front airbags only supplement the three
point s afety be lts i n some fro ntal c ollisions in which t he vehicle de ce l­
eratio n is h igh enough to dep loy the a irbags.
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is sw itched off when a cras h occu rs,
• in s ide collisions,
• in rea r-end collisions,
• in rollovers,
• when the cras h deceleration me asured by the ai rbag syste m is less
than t he m in imum threshold needed for airbag dep loyment as regis­
t ere d by the e lectro nic cont rol unit.
The front passenger airbag will also not deploy:
• when the fron t pa sse nger sea t is not o ccupied,
• when the we ight on the front passenge r seat as sense d by the
Advanced Airbag Sys tem in dicates t hat the front airbag on the
passenger side has to be turned off by t he e lectron ic control un it (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and st ay s on).
& WARNING
Sitt ing in the wrong posit ion can increa se 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 ar ea
where the airbags are located.
• Occupants who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the
airbag can be ser iously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye=>
page 192.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing ch ild safety seat installed on the front
pa ssenger seat will be seriou sly 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-f acing child safety seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front p assenger seat because of e xceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
i mmediately 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 airb ag wilt increase the risk of injury
in a crash by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
• N ever hold things in your hands or on your lap when the vehicle
is in use.
• Never tran sport items on or in the area of the front passenger
seat . Object s could move into the area of the front airbag s during
brak ing 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 bra ckets , large, heavy o r 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 . The se obj ect s could cause injury in a crash , especially
when the airbags inflate .
• Never recl ine the front passenger's seat to transport objects.
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front ..,

_________________________________________________ A_ ir_ b_ a_,,g :;..__ s-=y '"- s_ t_ e_ m __ _
& WARNING (co ntinued )
airbag during braking or in a sudden maneuver. Objects near the
airbags can b ecome projectiles and cause injury , particularly when
the seat is reclined.
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can c ause breathing
problems
for people with a history of asthma or other breathing
conditions.
• To
reduce the risk of breathing probl ems, those with asthma or
other respiratory conditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening windows or doors.
• If you are in a colli sion 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~~
Two sep ara te i ndic a to rs mo nit o r the func tio n of the
A dvan ced Ai rb ag Sy stem: th e airbag mo nito ring i ndic ator
lig ht and th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
The A dvanced A irbag System ( includ ing the elect ronic contro l unit,
senso r circu it s and system wir ing) is mon it or ed co ntinuous ly to make
sure that it is function ing p roperly whenever the ignition is on. Eac h
tim e you turn on the igni tion, the airba g mo nitoring indicat or ligh t
t:.
will come o n for a few seconds (se lf diagnostics) .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
The system must be inspected when the indicator
light ~:
• does not come o n when the ignit io n i s switched on,
• does not go o ut a few se conds a fter you h ave switche d on t he ig ni­
tion, or
• co mes on whil e dr iving.
If a n airbag system malfunction is detected, the ind icator light will
fi rst start flashing to catc h the dr iver 's attention and t hen stay on
cont inuo usly to s erve as a constan t rem inder to have the system
inspected immediately .
If a ma lf u ncti on oc curs that tur ns th e fron t air bag on the passe nger
side off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on
w henever the ignition is on.
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental p rotect 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. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_________________________________________________ A_ ir_ b_ a_,,g :;..__ s-=y '"- s_ t_ e_ m __ _
the weight-sensing mat to measure more weig ht t han is act ua lly on
t he sea t.
If the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF light still does not come on and
does not stay on cont in uou sly (when the ignition is sw itched on),
• t ake the child re st raint o ff the fr ont pa ssenge r seat and in stall i t
prope rly at one of t he rear seat pos itions. Have t he a irbag system
i n sp ec ted by y ou r au thorized A udi dea ler im medi ately.
• move the child to a rear seat posit io n and make sure that the child
is prop erly restra ined in a chi ld restr aint t hat is a ppropr iate f or its
size and age.
Th e
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF light s ho uld NO T come on when the
ign ition is on and an adult is sitt ing in a proper seating pos it io n on the
front passenger seat . If t he
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF light comes on
and stays on or flashes for abou t 5 seco nds w hile driving, under these
circumstances, make sure that:
• t he adult on t he fr on t p asse nger sea t is prope rly se ate d on the
center of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the backrest
and the bac krest is not recline d => page 172, "Proper occupant
seating posit ions",
• t he adult is n ot tak ing weig ht off t he se at by h olding on to t he
passenger assist handle above the fro nt passenger doo r or
s u pp orting their weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is be ing properly worn and t hat there is not a lot of
s la ck in t he safe ty be lt webb ing ,
• accessory seat cove rs or cushions o r othe r th ings that may cause
an in cor rect re adin g or impress io n o n the weight -sen sing m at under
the upholstery of the seat have been removed from the front
pas senge r sea t,
• a safety be lt extender has not been left in the safety belt latch fo r
t he fr ont p asse n ge r se at.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF lig ht i n the center of the
instrument pa nel, the message
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIRBAG ON w ill br ie fly ap pear in t he instr ument cluster
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
display. This
is to inform the dr iver of the current front passenger
a ir bag s tatus. •
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
rized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, 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 i s equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that all children, especially 12 years and
younger , always ride 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 e xceptional 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 ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

111 ....... _A_ i_rb _ a_,g,:;._ s_, y'- s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer .
• A tight tether or othe r strap on a rearward-facing child
restraint attached to the front passenger 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 heav ier weight registered
can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed
causing serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in ex ceptional circumstances, you must install a forward·
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat, always move
the seat into i ts rearmo st 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 do es not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after taking the steps
de scribed above, make sure the adult i s 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
empty seat, the front a irbag on the passenger side w ill be t urne d off,
and PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.•
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the a irbag system a re installed at many different p laces on
your Audi. Inst all in g, remov ing, servic ing or repa iring a part in an
area of the ve hicle can damage a part of an airbag system and preve nt
t ha t system from working pro perl y in a coll is ion.
T here are some important thi ngs you have to know to make sure that
the effectiveness of the system will not be impa ired an d that
discarded components do no t cause injury or poll ute the enviro n­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing 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 unit s.
• 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 ha s the training and special equip ·
ment necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly re commend
that you see your autho rized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body.
liJ,,

are wearing your safety belt and wear ing it properly . This is why you
should always wear your safety belt, not just because the law requires
you to do so=>
page 181, "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
dep loy at a slightly higher rate of deceleration than if the belt is not
being used. Therefore, in a particular collision, it is poss ible that an
airbag will not deploy at a seating position where the safety belt is
being used but will inflate at the position whe re the safety be lt 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
t hose 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 wo rks most effective ly 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 desig ned to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swe lling, bruis ing, and minor abrasions can
also be associated with airbags.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
• Th e electronic control module
• T wo inflatable airbags (airbag and gas generator), one for the
driver 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 collis ions when the decelerat ion measured by the
control unit is too low
• in s ide collisions
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
• in rear-end collisions
• in rollovers
• in the event of a system ma lfunction (warning/indicator light illu­
minated)=>
page 16 .
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system can only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position =>
page 199.
• 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 16. •
A pp lies to vehi cles: 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 . 182 Inflated
airbags protecting
in a
frontal collision
The knee air bag system has been designed so that the airbags for the
dr iver and front passenger are deployed in certa in but not all frontal
co llisions .
ti-
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 183 Side airbag
location in the driver's
seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
=>
page 209, fig. 183. They are identified by the word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
• the electronic control module and external side impact sensors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that it
is functioning properly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few seconds
(self diagnostics) .
The side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to the driver's and front passenger's upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side collision. The
airbag deploys only in side impacts and only when the vehicle acceler­
ation registered by the control unit is high enough . If this rate is
below the reference value programmed into the control unit, the side
airbags will not be triggered, even though the car may be badly
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
damaged as a result of the collision. It is not possible to define an
airbag triggering range that will cover every possible angle of impact,
since the circumstances will vary considerably between one collision
and another. Important factors include, for example, the nature
(hard or soft) of the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
=> page 210, "Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system" .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts work to help keep the driver or front passenger in position in the event of a side
collision so that the side airbags can provide protection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it is
part of the overall occupant restraint system in your vehicle. Always
remember that the side airbag system can only help to protect you if
you are wearing your safety belt and wearing it properly. This is
another reason why you should always wear your safety belts, not just
because the law requires you to do so=>
page 181, "General notes".
It is important to remember that while the supplemental side 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 deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
airbags will deploy only once and only in certain kinds of accidents -
your safety belts are always there to offer protection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage are
not necessarily an indication of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
tion. In some collisions, both front and side airbags may inflate.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and only in certain
kinds of collisions -your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or
when they have already deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
• when the ignition is turned off
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor is
too low
• in front-end collisions
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

........ _A_ i_rb _ a_,g,:;._ s_, y'- s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
• in rea r-end collis ions
• in ro llover s.
I n so me ty pes of accid ents the fro nt a irbags, side c urtain airbags and
s id e airb ag s may be trigg ere d t ogethe r.
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position~
page 210.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on 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 activate the
airbag. •
How supplemental side airbags work
Sid e air bags d eploy inst an tly and c an help r educ e th e risk
of upper t orso injuries for oc cupants wh o are pr operly
r e s trained .
Fig. 184 Inflated side
a irb ags on left side of
v ehicle
Whe n the system is triggered, t he airbag is filled with p ropellant gas
and breaks through a seam in the seat s urface area marked
"AIR BA G".
It ex pands be tween the side t rim pa nel and th e p assenge r.
In order to he lp prov ide this additiona l protection, the side airbag must inflate w
ith in a fract io n of a seco nd at very hig h speed and with
great f orce. Th e sup plem en tal si de air bag could in jure y ou if yo ur
sea ting position is not proper o r upr ight o r if items are located in the
area where the s uppleme nta l side a irbag ex pands. This a pplies espe ­
cially to ch ild ren~
page 215, "Child Safety". Supplementa l side
airbags inflate between the occupant and the doo r p anel on the side
of the vehi cle th at is s truck in cert ain side co ll ision~ fig. 184 .
Altho ugh t hey are not a soft pillow, they ca n "cush io n" the impact
an d in thi s w ay t hey can help to redu ce the ris k of injury to the upper
part of the body.
A fine d ust may deve lop when the airba g dep loys. This is no rma l and
do es not me an the re is a fire in the vehicle .•
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Ai rbags are o nly s up ple m ent al re stra in ts. Alw ays prop­
e rly wear sa fe ty bel ts an d rid e in a proper seati ng posi­
ti on.
Th ere is a lot that you and yo ur passenge rs must know and act acco rd­
ing ly to he lp the s afety be lts a nd air bags do t he ir job to p rov ide
supplementa l protection.
& WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or fatal injury. Improp­
erly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions increase
the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used .
• In order to reduce the risk of injury when the supplemental
side airbag inflates:
-Alway s sit in an upright position and never lean against the
area where the supplemental side airbag is located . .,

______________________________________________ ___::A....:..:..: i r:...: b=.= a:.;g ~ s~y :.:s:.: t:.: e:.: m~ ---
& WARNING (continued)
-Never let a child or anyone else rest their head against the
side trim panel in the area where the supplemental side airbag
inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat put their hand or
any other parts of their body out of the window.
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without
interference.
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the front seat backs that have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags deploy.
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• Objects between you and the airbag can increase the risk of
injury in an accident by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the airbag inflates. -Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as
cupholders, telephone brackets, or even large, bulky objects)
on the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the
seat backrests.
- Such objects and accessories can become dangerous projec­
tiles and cause injury when the supplemental side airbag deploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the deployment space
between them and the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position.
• Always use the built-in coat hooks only for lightweight
clothing. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(continued)
pockets that may interfere with side airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in an accident.
• Always prevent the side airbags from being damaged by heavy
objects knocking against or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
• The airbag system can only be triggered once. If the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership.
• Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to the original seat covers
or to the seam in the area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• If children are seated improperly, their risk of injury increases
in the case of an accident=>
page 215, "Child Safety".
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in any way.
• In a side collision, side airbags will not function properly if
sensors cannot correctly measure increasing air pressure inside
the doors when air escapes through larger, unclosed openings in
the door panel.
- Never drive with interior door trim panels removed.
-Never drive when parts have been removed from the inside
door panel and the openings they leave have not been properly
closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the doors have been removed unless the speaker holes have been properly closed.
- Always make certain that openings are covered or filled if
additional speakers or other equipment is installed in the
inside door panels.
- Always have work on the doors done by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Airbag system Ill
----------------=--=---
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only prov ide protection
when oc cupants are in the proper seating position =>
page 73,
"General recommendations ".
• If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle i s being
used , have the system inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer. The side curtain airbag may not work properly even
when the vehicle a cceleration in a side collision is high enough to
activate the airbag. •
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain ai rbags can work together with side airbags
to h elp reduce the risk of head and upper torso injuri es for
occupants who are properly restrained.
..
Fig . 1 8 6 Illu st ra tion
o f princi ple: Inflated
side curtain airb ag s on
the left s ide
Th e side curtai n airbags inflate between the occup an t and t he
windows on the side of t he veh icle tha t is struck in a side coll is ion
=> fig . 18 6.
When the system is tr iggered, the side curta in a irbag is filled with
prope llant gas and breaks t hrough a seam above the front an d rear
side w indows identifie d by t he A IRBA G labe l. In o rder to he lp p rov ide
this additional protection, t he s ide c urtain airbag must inflate within
t he blink of an eye at ve ry high speed and with gre at f orce. The side
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
curtain a
irbag co uld in jure you if your seating posit io n is not proper or
upr ight or if items are lo cated in the area where the s uppleme ntal
side cu rtain airbag i nflates. T his app lies especially to c hildren
=> page 215.
Alt hough they a re not a sof t pill ow, side curta in airbags c an "cushion"
the impact and in this way they can help to reduce the risk of injury to
t he head and t he uppe r part o f th e bo dy.
A fine d ust may develop when the airbag deploys . Th is is quite norma l
and does not mean there is a fire in the vehicle .•
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
A irbags ar e only supp lemental r estraints. Always prop ­
e rly wear s afe ty b elts and ride in a proper seating posi­
tio n.
T he re is a lot that yo u and your passenge rs must k now and do to help
the safety belts and airba gs do their job to provide supplemental
protection .
& WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper seating pos itions
increa se the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
• Never let oc cupants place any parts of their bodie s in the area
from which the side curtain airbags inflate.
• Always make sure that the side curtain airbags can inflate
without interference . Unsuitable accessories fitted inside the
expansion range of a head airbag can dangerously interfere with
its function. A deploying head airbag develops enough force to
catapult any piece of add-on component out of its path of inflation
and into the passenger compartment. An occupant hit by such a .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data