airbag off AUDI A5 COUPE 2012 Owner's Guide

-Always buck le the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not s itting in it.
A loose ch ild safety seat can fly around
dur ing a sudden stop or in a col lision .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
<=> page 154, Safety
belts,
<=) page 162, Airbag system and
¢ page 186, Child Safety.
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make
sure that the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whe never a
child restraint is installed on the front pas ­
senger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
- Take the child restraint off t he fro nt pas­
senger seat and install it proper ly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN­
G ER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Aud i dealer immediate­
ly.
A WARNING
- A child in a child restraint installed with
the LATCH lowe r anchorages or with the
standard safety belt on the rear seat may
play with unused rear seat safety be lts
and become entang led resu lting in ser i­
o us personal injury and even death.
- Always buck le unused rear seat safety
bel ts out of reach of chi ld ren in ch ild
sea ts and p roperly activ ate the converti­
ble locking retracto r so that the child
cannot unreel the safety belt from the
retractor .
.
Child S afety 191
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old
and 20 lbs. or 9 kg need special rearward -fac ­
ing child restraints that support the back,
neck and head in a crash .
Fig. 185 Schem atic ove rvi ew : re arward-fac ing in fant
se at, p rope rly insta lled on the re ar seat
.. When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you must first activate
the convertib le locking retractor on the
safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from mov ing
c> page 195 or install the seat
using the LATCH attachments .
.. Push the chi ld safety seat down w ith your
full weight to get the safety be lt really tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg)
are best protected in special infant carriers
and child safety sea ts designed for their age
group. Many experts believe that infan ts and
small children should r ide only in special re ­
stra ints in wh ich the child faces the back of
the vehicle. These infant seats support the ba­
by 's back, neck and head in a crash ¢
fig. 185.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
front seat a potentially dangerous place for a
ch ild to ride . The front seat is not the safest
place for a child in a forward-facing child seat.
It is a very dangerous place fo r an in fant or a
larger child in a rearward-facing seat. .._

192 Child Safety
& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong child safety seat or improperly in­
stalling a child restraint increases the risk of serious personal injury and death in a
crash.
- Never install rearward-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat - even with an Advanced Air­
bag System. A child will be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the inflat­
ing airbag hits the child safety seat or in­
fant carrier with great force and smashes
the child safety seat and child against
the backrest, center armrest, door or
roof
c:> page 163, Child restraints on the
front seat -some important things to
know.
- Always install rearward-facing child safe­
ty seats or infant carriers on the rear
seat.
- Never install a rearward-facing child re­ straint in the forward-facing direction. Such restraints are designed for the spe­
cial needs of infants and very small chil­
dren and cannot protect them properly if
the seat is forward-facing.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rearward-facing
child safety seat in a rear seating posi­
tion and have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your authorized Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c:>page 154, Safety
belts,
c:> page 162, Airbag system and
c:> page 186, Important things to know.
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats
can help protect toddlers and children over
age one who weigh between 20 and
40 lbs. (9
and 18 kg)in a crash.
Fig. 186 Schematic overview: installat ion of t he at ­
tachments appl icable to a LATCH seat
Fig. 187 Schematic overview: installat ion of the seat
using the vehicl e's safety belt system
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you must first activate
the convertible locking feature on the safety
belt to prevent the child safety seat from
moving
c:> page 195 or install the seat using
the LATCH attachments
., Push the ch ild safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm)
c:> page 195 .
.,. If the child safety seat is equipped with a
t ether strap, attach it to the tether anchors
c:>page 201.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an in­
fant r estraint if it is more than one year old
and weighs more than 20 lbs. (9 kg) .
Toddlers and children who are older than one
year up to about 4 years old and weigh more ..,.

than 20 lbs. (9 kg) up to 40 lbs. (18 kg) must
always be properly restrained in a child safety
seat certified for their size and weight
¢
fig. 186 and¢ fig. 187.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
front seat a potentially dangerous place for a
child to ride. The front seat is not the safest
place for a child in a forward-facing child safe­
ty seat.
It is a very dangerous place for an in­
fant or a larger child in a rearward -facing seat .
_A WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong child safety seat or improperly in­
stalling a child restraint increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death in a
collision or other emergency situation.
- Children on the front seat of any car,
even with Advanced Airbags, can be seri­
ously injured or even killed when an air­
bag inflates. 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 in­
flates -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 rearward-facing child safe­
ty seats on the rear seat .
-If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rearward-facing
child safety seat in a rear seating posi­
tion and have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your authorized Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used¢
page 154, Safety
belts,¢ page 162, Airbag system
and
¢ page 186, Important things to know.
Child Safety 193
_A WARNING
If exceptional circumstances require the
use of a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat, the child's safe­
ty and well-being require that the follow­
ing special precautions be taken:
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has
been designed and certified by its manu­
facturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's in­
structions provided with the child safety
seat or infant carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat in­
to the rearmost position of the passen­
ger seat's fore and aft adjustment range,
and as far away from the airbag as possi­
ble before installing the child restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents the front passenger's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its
fore and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure the backrest is in 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.
- If the light does not stay on, perform the checks¢
page 173, Monitoring the Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- Take the child restraint off the front pas­ senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on. •
-
•

194 Child Safety
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats can help protect
children weighing between about 40 lbs. and
80 lbs. (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4
ft. 9 in. (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall.
Fig. 188 Rear seat: child properly restrained in a boos­
ter seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit
most children until they are at least 4
ft. 9 in.
(57 inches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about
80 lbs . (36 kg). Booster seats raise these chil­
dren up so that the safety belt will pass prop­
erly over the stronger pa rts of their bodies
and the safety belt can help protect them in a
crash.
.. Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when using the vehicle's safety belt to re­
strain a chi ld on a booster seat .
.. Always position the shou lder portion of the
safety belt midway over the child's shoulder.
If you must transport an older child in a
booster seat on the front passenger seat,
you can use the safety belt he ight adjust­
ment to help adjust the shoulder portion
properly .
.. Always make sure that the shoulder portion
of the safety belt never rests against or
across the child's neck .
.. Always make sure that the child can proper­
ly wear the lap portion of the belt low across
the thighs or pe lvis and
never over the
stomach or abdomen.
Children up to about 40 lbs. (18 kg) are best
protected in ch ild safety seats designed for
the ir age and weight. Experts say that the
skeletal structure, particularly the pelvis, of
these children is not fully developed, and they must not
use the vehicle safety belts without
a suitab le child restraint.
Children who are at least 4
ft. 9 in. (57 in­
ches/1.45 meters) tall can generally use the
vehicle's three point lap and shoulder belts .
Never use the lap belt portio n of the vehicle 's
safety belt alone to restrain any child, regard­
less of how big the chi ld is. Always remember
that children do not have the pronounced pel­
vic structure required for the proper function
of lap belt portion of the vehicle 's three point
lap and shoulder belts . The child's safety ab­
solutely requires that a lap belt port ion of the
safety belt be fastened snugly and as low as
possible around the pelvis. Never let the lap
belt portion of the safety belt pass over the
c hild' s stomach or abdomen.
It is usually best to put these children in ap­
propriate booster seats. Be sure the booster
seat meets all applicable safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating position of the
child and reposition both the lap and shoulder
parts of the safety belt so that they pass
across the child's body in the right p laces. The
routing of the belt over the child's body is very
i mportant for the child's protect ion, whether
or not a booster seat is used. Children age 12
and under must always ride in the rear seat .
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink
of an eye and with considerable force. In order
to do its job, the airbag needs room to inflate
so that it will be there to protect the occupant
as the occupant moves forward into the air­
bag.
A vehicle occ upant who is out of posit ion and
too close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating airbag. When an occupant is too
close, he or she will be struck violently and
will receive serious or possibly even fatal in­
Jury.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is
important that all vehicle occupants, especial-
ly any children, who m ust be in the front s eat
because of exceptiona l circumstances, be
properly restrained and as far away from the
airbag as possible. By keeping room between ..,_

the child's body and the front of the passen­
ger compartment, the airbag can inflat e com ­
p letely and provide supplemental protection
in certa in frontal col lisions .
_&. WARNING
Not using a booster seat, us ing the boos­
ter seat improperly, incorrect ly installing a
booster seat or using the vehicle safety
belt improperly increases the risk of seri­
ous personal injury and death in a collision
or ot her eme rgency s ituation. To help re­
duce t he risk of ser ious persona l injury
and/or death:
- Always make sure to position the should­
er port ion of the three -po int bel t over
the middle of chi ld's sho ulder.
- Never let the shoulder port ion of the be lt
rest against or across the neck , face,
chin, or throat of the child .
- Always make sure the lap belt portion o f
the three-po int be lt is worn sn ug and
passes as low as possib le across the
child's pelvis. Never let the belt pass over
the soft abdomen.
- Failure to properly route sa fety belts
over a ch ild's body will cause severe inju­
ries in an acc ident or other emergency
situation
¢page 154.
-The rear s ide of the booster seat should
be pos it ioned as close as poss ible to the
backrest on the vehicle seat . Adjust or re ­
move the rear seat head rest raint if it is
difficult to install the child seat w it h the
head restraint in place¢
page 67. Insta ll
the head res train t again immedia tely
once the child seat is removed . Dr iving
without head rest raints or with head re­
straints that are not properly adj usted
increases the risk of ser ious o r fatal neck
injury dramat ically.
- Children on the front seat of any car,
even with Advanced A irbags, can be seri­
o usly injured or even killed when an a ir­
bag inf lates.
- Never let a child stand or knee l on any
seat.
Child Sa fet y 195
-Never let a chi ld r ide in the cargo area of
your veh icle.
- Always remembe r th at a c hild leaning
forward, sitting sideways or out of posi­
tion in any way d uring an accident can be
struck by a dep loying a irbag. This will re­
sult in ser ious personal inju ry or death .
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of excep­
tional ci rcumstances the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
li ght m ust come o n and
s tay on, whenever the ignition is switch­
ed on .
- I f the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, pe rform
the c heck s descr ibed
¢ page 173, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System .
- Take the chi ld restraint off the fron t pas­
senger sea t and inst all it prope rly at one
of the rear sea t positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
li ght does not stay on
whenever the ignit ion is switched on .
-A lways read an d heed a ll WAR NIN GS
wheneve r us ing a chi ld restrained in ave ­
hicle is being used
¢ page 154, Safety
belts,
¢ page 162, Airbag system and
¢ page 186, Important things to know.
Installing a child safety
seat
Securing a child safety seat using a
safety belt
Safety belts for the rear seats and the front
passenger's sea t con be locked w ith the con­
ver tible locking re tractor to properly secure
child safety seats .
The safety belts emergency locking ret ractors
for the rear seats safety bel ts and for the
front passenger's seat safety be lt have a co n­
vertib le locking retractor for child rest raints.
T he safety belt must be locked so that be lt
webb ing cannot unreel. The retractor can be
activated to lo ck the safe ty belt and prevent
t h e safety be lt webbing from looseni ng up
during norma l dr iving . A chi ld safety seat can
o nl y be properly installed when the safety belt...,
•
•

196 Child Safety
is locked so that the child and child safety
seat will stay in place.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
children, especially those 12 years and young­
er, should always ride in the back seat proper­ ly restrained fo r their age and weight.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in a collision.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat . An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or in a
crash .
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always make sure that the rear seat
backrest to which the center rear safety
belt is attached is securely latched when­
ever the rear center safety belt is being
used to secure a child restraint.
- If the backrest is not securely latched, the child and the child restraint will be
thrown forward together with the back­
rest and will strike parts of the vehicle
interior. The child can be seriously in­
jured or killed.
- Never install rearward-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat . A child will be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the passen­
ger airbag inflates.
- 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 rearward-facing child safe­
ty seats or infant carriers on the rear
seat. -
Forward-facing child safety seats or in­
fant carriers installed on the front pas­
senger 's seat may interfere with the de­
ployment of the airbag and cause serious
injury to the child .
- It is safer to install a forward-facing
child safety seat on the rear seat.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
~ page 186. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
~ page 163, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
.&_ WARNING
-
Always take special precautions if you
must install a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's
seat in exceptional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front
passenger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light must come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described
~ page 173, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- Take the child restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- Improper installation of child restraints
can reduce their effectiveness or even
prevent them from providing any protec­
tion.
- An improperly installed child restraint
can interfere with the airbag as it de­
ploys and seriously injure or even kill the
child.
- Always carefully follow the manufactur­
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier.

-Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight regis­
tered by the weight-sensing mat and can
cause injury in a crash .
_&. WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
- 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 re­
straint up, against or very near the in­
strument 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
Rearward-facing child restraints:
- A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger
seat will be seriously injured and can be
killed if the front airbag inflates -even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, door or roof.
- Always be especially careful if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception­
al circumstances.
-A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front pas­
senger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and regis­
ter a heavier weight in the Advanced Air-
Child Safety 197
bag System. The heavier weight regis­
tered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and de­ ploy the Advanced Airbag when it must
be suppressed causing serious or even
fatal injury to the child.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install the rearward-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
Activating the convertible locking
retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se­
cure a child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufactur­ er 's instructions when installing a child re­
straint in your vehicle. To activate the conver­
tible locking retractor:
.. Place the child restraint on a seat, prefera­
bly on the rear seat.
.. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out.
.. Route it around or through the child re­
straint belt path
c:> ,&. .
.. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight.
.. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for
that seating position .
.. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor
until the belt lies flat and snug on the child
safety seat.
.. You should hear a "clicking" noise as the
belt winds back into the inertia reel. Test the
convertible locking retractor by pulling on
the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The con ­
vertible locking retractor is now activated .
.. Make sure that the red release button is fac­
ing away from the child restraint so that it
can be unbuckled quickly. .,. •
•

202 Child Safe ty
- Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment .
- Never use child restraint tether ancho­
rages to secure safety belts or other
kinds of occupant restraints.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other items to the LATCH lower ancho­
rages or to the tether anchors.
- If a tether or other strap is used to at­
tach a child restraint to the front passen­
ger seat, make sure that it is not so
tight, that it causes the weight-sensing
mat to measure more weight than is ac­
tually on the seat.
- The heav ier weight reg istered can make
the Advanced Airbag System wo rk as
though an adult were on the seat and de­
ploy the Advanced A irbag when it m ust
be s uppressed causing ser ious or even
fatal injury to the child.
- If you mus t install a rearward f acing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan ­
ces and the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the a irbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
F ig. 194 Tether strap: prope r rou ting and mo unt ing
Inst all in g the tether strap
.,. Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child restraint according to the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions . .,.
Guide the upper tether strap
under the rear
head restraint co
fig. 194 (raise the head re­
straint if necessary).
.,. Tilt the recess flap up to expose the anchor
bracket.
.,. Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into
the opening of the tether anchorage.
.,. Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages .
.,. Tighten t he te ther s trap firmly fo llowing
the child restraint manufacturer's instruc­
tions.
Relea sing the tether strap
.,. Loosen the tension fo llowing the child re­
straint manufacture r's instructions.
.,. Depress the spring catch on the hook and
release it from the ancho rage.
(D Note
If you leave the child restra int w ith the
tether strap firm ly installed for several
days, this could leave a mark on the up ­
ho lstery on the seat cushion and backrest
in the area where the tether strap was in­
stalled. The upholstery would also be per­
manently stretched around the tether
strap . This applies espec ia lly to leather
seats .
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rearward-facing child restraint
systems come w ith a tether. Please read and
heed the chi ld restra int system manufactur­
er's instructions carefully to determine how to
properly install the tether .
A WARNING
-
-
A child in a rearward-facing ch ild safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
will be serious ly injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Ad­
van ced A irbag System .
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild
safety seat or infant carrie r with great
for ce and will smash the child safe ty seat
~

and child against the backrest, center
armr est, or door.
- A tight tether or other strap on a rear­
ward-fac ing ch ild restra int attached to
the front passenger seat can put too much pressure on the weight-mat in the
seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. T he heav ie r
we ight registe red ca n make th e system
wor k as thoug h an adu lt were on t he seat
and dep loy the A dvanced Airbag when i t
must be suppressed ca using serious or
even fatal injury to the child.
- If you mus t inst all a rearw ard facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circ umstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
med iate ly install the rearward-facing
child safety seat in a rear seat ing pos i­
t io n and have the airbag system inspect­
ed by you r a uthorized Audi dea le r.
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number of sources of additional
information about ch ild restraint selection, in­
stallat ion and use:
NHTSA advises that t he best child safety seat
is the one that fits yo ur child and fits i n your
ve hicle, and that you w ill use correctly and
consis tently.
Try before you buy!
U.S National Highway T raffic Safety Admin­
istration
Te l.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY : 1-800-424-9153)
www.nhtsa.gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Te l.: (202) 662 -0600
www.safekids.org
Child Sa fet y 203
Safety BeltSafe U.S.A
Tel.: (800) 7 45 -SAFE (English)
Tel.: (800) 747-SANO (Span ish)
www.carseat.org
Transport Canada Information Centre
Tel.: 1 (800) 333-0371 or call 1 (6 13) 998 -8616 if you are in the Ottawa
area
www.tc.gc.ca/ roadsafety
Audi Customer CARE
Tel.: (800) 822 -2834
•
•

204 Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your veh icle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers fo r the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDR's are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts .
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during normal vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes .
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re ­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited pe riod of
time and stored when a system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment .
Electronic stabilization
Program (ESP)
General information
The ESP improves the vehicle stability .
Fig. 195 f;. OFF button
Fig. 196 Center console wit h ~ OFF button
ESP is designed to help you maintain vehicle
control in situations where the car approaches
the limits of "grip", especia lly when accelerat­
ing and cornering . ESP reduces the risk of
skidding and improves stability under all road
conditions .
The system operates across the ent ire speed
range in combination with the ABS system . If
the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc­
tions, the ESP will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti -Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic
Differential Lock (EDL) and the Anti-Slip Regu­
lation System (ASR) are integrated in the elec­
tronic stabilization program. In addition to
the data provided by these functions, the ESP
control unit requires additional measurement
data provided by high performance sensors.
T he rotational speed of the vehicle about its
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