airbag off AUDI A5 COUPE 2013 Owners Manual
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Page 22 of 294

20 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Contact your authorized Audi dealer as
soon as possible.
-USA models: If the la warning light
and the
E warn ing light come on toÂ
gether, the rear wheels could lock up
first under hard braking. Rear wheel lockÂ
up can cause loss of vehicle control and
an acc ident. Have your vehicle repaired
immediately by your authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified workshop. Dr ive
slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake apÂ
plications.
- Canada models: If the brake warning
light . and the ABS warning light
li]
come on together, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking. Rear
wheel lock-up can cause loss of vehicle
control and an accident. Have your vehiÂ
cle repaired immediately by your authorÂ
ized Audi dea ler or a qualified workshop.
Drive slowly and avo id sudden, hard
brake applicat ions.
I I !f Safety systems
The fl (USA models),£,1 (Canada models) inÂ
dicator light monitors the safety systems (e.g.
airbags, pretensioners) and ill uminates for a
few seconds each time you switch the ignition
on.
If the fl (USA models)/ fll (Canada mode ls)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumiÂ
nates while you are driv ing, or if it starts to
blink, then there is a ma lfunction somewhere
in the system.
If the light does not illuminate
when you switch the ignition on, this also
means there is a malfunction.
& WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sysÂ
tems, contact your author ized Audi dealer
immediate ly. Otherw ise the safety sysÂ
t ems may not work properly in an acciÂ
dent.
l ) - : USA mod els only
(0) Worn brake pads
EiJ Brake pads!
If the warning light illuminates, immediately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or qualiÂ
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect ed . On USA models the warn ing light
EiJ
comes on together with the warning light
la-Both sets of brake pads on an ax le
must a lways be rep laced at the same time.
A WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a colliÂ
sion and serious personal injury.
- If the warning light
EiJ and the warning
light
la1 l with the message Brake
pads! comes on in the instrument cluster
d isplay, immediately contact your auÂ
thor ized Audi dealer or qualified workÂ
shop to have all brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The ~ warning/indicator light (Electronic
Power Control) illuminates when you switch
the ignition on as a function check.
(D Tips
If this warning/ indicator light illuminates
while you are driving, then there is a malÂ
funct ion in the engine electronics. Have
the malfunction corrected as soon as posÂ
s ib le by your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified repa ir facility.
Ci Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
T he Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is par t
of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
-
The symbo l ¢4' lights up when the ignition is
switched on and will turn off after the engine
has started and has settled at a constant idle
IJ>,
Page 34 of 294

32 Openin g and clo sing
Opening and closing
Power locking system
General description
The power locking system locks or unlocks all
doors and the rear lid simultaneously.
You can lock and unlock the vehicle centrally.
You have the following choices:
- Remote master key~
page 35,
-Door handles with convenience key*
~page 36,
-Lock cy linder at the dr iver's door
~ page 37, or
- Power loc king switch inside
~ page 36.
Automatic l ocking
The automatic locking feature locks all the ve Â
h icle doors and the rear lid when you drive
faster than 9 mph ( 15 km/h) .
The car is unlocked again once the ignition key is removed. In addition, the veh icle can be un Â
locked if the opening function in the power
lock ing system switch or at one of the door
leve rs is actuated. The Auto Loc k function can
be turned on and off in the rad io or
MMI*
~ page 37.
Addit ionally, in the event of a crash with a irÂ
bag deployment the doors are automatically
un locked to allow access to the veh icle.
Selective unlocking
When you lock the vehicle, the power locking
system w ill lock the doors and the rear lid .
When unlocking, you can set in the rad io or
MMI* whether
only the dr iver's door or the
enti re ve hicle should be unlocked
~ page 37.
Anti -th eft alarm warning system
If the anti-theft alarm warning system deÂ
tects a break- in into the vehicle, acoust ic and
visua l wa rning signals are triggered.
The anti -theft warn ing system is act ivated au Â
tomatically when you lock the vehicle .
It is deÂ
activated when u nlocking using the remote key, with the mechanica
l key, and when yo u
switch on the ignition.
T he alarm a lso t urns off when t he a la rm cycle
has expired.
Turn signals
When you u nlock the veh icle, the turn s ignals
flash twice , when you lock it once . If they do
not flash, one of the doo rs, the luggage com Â
partment lid or the hood is not locked or the
ignition is s till sw itched on.
Unint entionally locking yourself out
In the follow ing cases there safegua rds to
prevent you lock ing you r remote master key in
the vehicle:
- The vehicle does not lock w ith the power
lock ing switch ~
page 36 if the drive r's
door is open .
- On veh ides with convenience key*, if the
most recently used master key is in the lugÂ
gage compa rtment, the rear lid is automat iÂ
cally un locked again after it is closed.
Do not lock your veh icle w ith the remote masÂ
ter key or convenience key* unt il all doors and
the rea r lid a re closed . In this way you avoid
locking yourself out accidentally .
_& WARNING
-
-When you leave the veh icle, alw ays re Â
move the ignition key and take it with
you . This will prevent passengers (chilÂ
dren, for example) from acc identally beÂ
ing locked in the vehicle should they acciÂ
dentally press the power locking switch in the front doors .
- Do not leave ch ildren inside the vehicle
unsuperv ised. In an emergency it would
be imposs ible to open the doors from
the o utside without the key .
(D Tips
- In the event of a crash with airbag deÂ
ployment all locked doors will be autoÂ
matically unlocked to give access to the
vehicle occupants from the outside.
Page 39 of 294

- You cannot open the doors or the rear lid
from the outside (increased security, for exÂ
amp le when you are stopped at a red light).
- The diodes in the power locking switc h illuÂ
minate when all the doors are closed and
locked.
- You can unlock and open the doors from the
i nside by pul ling on the door hand le .
- If you have a crash and the airbag is activat Â
ed , the doors automatically un lock .
_& WARNING
- The power locking switch works with the
ignition off and automatically locks the
entire vehicle when it is actuated .
- On a vehicle locked from the outside the
power locking system switch is inoperaÂ
t ive.
- locked doors make it more difficult for
emergency workers to get into the vehiÂ
cle, which puts lives at risk . Do not leave
anyone behind in the veh icle, especially
children .
@ Tips
Your vehicle is locked automatically at a
speed of 9 mph (15 km/h) (Auto lock)
Qpage 32. You can un lock the vehicle
aga in using the opening function in the
powe r locking system switch~-
Setting power locking
In the radio/MM!*, you can set which doors
the centrol locking system will unlock .
~ Select : ICARI funct ion button > Central lockÂ
ing .
Or
~ Select: ~ IC_A_R~I funct ion button > Car system s
control button > Vehicle settings > (C entral
locking )* .
Sin gle door unlocki ng /Unl ock door s* -
you
can specify which doors u nlock when you open
the vehicle .
- Se lecting
off / All and pressing the Ii button
on the remote control key unlocks the entire
vehicle.
Opening and clo sin g 3 7
- Select ing o n/Dri ver and pressing the~ butÂ
ton on the remote control key once u nlocks
only the driver's door . In vehicles w ith a con Â
ven ience key*, only the door whose handle
you pull w ill unlock . If you press the @! butÂ
ton tw ice, the entire vehicle will u nlock . If
you press the [@] button, t he e ntire ve hicle
w ill always lock .
Luggage comp. lock /Lock e xterio r trunk han Â
dl e -
If you select On , you can no longer open
the luggage compartment us ing the rear lid
hand le
Q page 39, fig. 28 . In this case, the
r ear lid can be opened with the
l""I bu tton on
the maste r key
Q poge 35, fig. 22 or with the
I"" I* button in the driver's door .
Tone when locking -if you select On, a tone
will sound when yo u loc k the vehicle .
Auto Lock /Lock when driv ing -if you select
On, the entire vehicle w ill lock automatically
when the speed reaches 9 mph (15 km/h) .
Emergency locking
Fig. 25 D rive r's doo r: lock cylinder
Fig . 26 Fro nt p assen ger 's doo r/rear doors*: eme rgency
lock
If the cent ral locking system malfunct ions,
yo u m ust unlock/lock the doors separate ly us Â
ing the emergency key or the mec hanical key . .,,.
Page 47 of 294

The leavin g home function il luminates the
area around the vehicle when unlocking it.
This function can be switched on and off.
The
c o ming h om e and lea ving home funcÂ
tions on ly operate when it is dark and the
light switch is in the AUTO position
¢ page 43, fig. 34.
Auto headlight s*
When the light switch is in the A UTO
¢
page 43 position, the switch-on po int of the
lights can be changed in the automatic driving
light function.
Daytime running lights
USA m odel s:
You can switch the dayt ime runÂ
ni ng lights
on and o ff .
Canada mod els:
The function cannot be
turned off .
It is activated a utomat ica lly each
time the ignition is switched on.
Travel mode*
The headlight beam is asymmetrical. This proÂ
v ides stronger illum ination on the side of the
road on wh ich you are driving .
If you are drivÂ
i ng in a count ry that d rives on the opposite
side of the road from your own country, th is
will cau se glare for on coming dr ivers. To preÂ
vent glare:
- Trave l mode must be selected in vehicles
with Xenon headlights*.
- In veh icles with halogen headlights, ce rtain
areas of the head light lenses must be covÂ
ered w ith wate rproof adhesive covers that
prevent light from passing thro ugh. Fo r
more information, please see your author Â
ized Audi dea ler or author ized repa ir faci lity .
(D Tips
When trave l mode is activated, a display in
the dr iver information system indicates
this each time you switch the ignit io n on.
Clear vi sion 45
Emergency flashers
F ig. 36 Center console: emergency flasher switch
The emergency flashers makes other motoÂ
rists aware that you or your vehicle are in an
emergency situation .
.,. Press the switch ~¢
fig. 36 to turn the
emergency flashers on or off.
When the emergency flas hers are on, all four
turn signals b link at the same time. The turn
s ignal indicator lights
1111 in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency
flasher switch ~ blink likewise.
You can indicate a lane change or a t urn w hen
the emergency flashers are switched on by usÂ
ing the turn signal lever. The emergency flashÂ
ers stop temporarily.
T he emergency flashers also work when the
ignition is turned off.
T he emergency flashers wi ll turn on a utomat iÂ
ca lly if yo u are in an accident where the airbag
has deployed.
(D Tips
You sho uld turn on the emergency f las hers
when:
- yo u are the last veh icle standing in a t raf Â
fic jam so that any other vehi cles coming
can see you, or whe n
- your vehicle has bro ken down or you are
in an emergency s ituation, o r when
- yo ur vehicle is be ing towed by a tow
truck or if you are tow ing another vehicle
beh ind you.
Page 55 of 294

Seats and storage
General recommenÂ
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger. Adjust
your seat properly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
- your body is properly supported thus reduc ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offe r
maximum protection
¢ page 142.
In the following sections, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for installing a child safety seat on the front passenger's seat. Always follow the informaÂ
tion regard ing child safety provided in
¢ page 166, Child Safety.
.&_ WARNING
-
Refer to ¢ page 124, Driving Safely for
important information, tips, suggestions
and warnings that you should read and folÂ
low for your own safety and the safety of
your passengers.
.&_ WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury.
- Always keep your feet on the floor when
the vehicle is in motion -never put your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out of the w indow or on top of the seat cushÂ
ion. This app lies especially to the passen-
S eat s an d sto rage 53
gers . If your seating position is incorrect,
you increase the risk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an accident . If the
airbag inflates and the seating position
is incorrect, this cou ld result in pe rsonal
in jury or even death.
- It is important for both the driver and front passenger to keep a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between themÂ
selves and the steering wheel and/or inÂ
strumen t panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the airbag system can Â
not protect you properly. In addition, the
front seats and head restraints m ust be
adj usted to your body height so that they
can give you max imum protect ion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the steerÂ
ing wheel or instrument panel.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your seat may move unexpectedly, causÂ
ing sudden loss of veh icle control and
pe rsonal injury. If you adjust you r seat
while the veh icle is moving, you are ou t
of posit ion.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving .
We recommend that you adjust the dr iver's
seat in the follow ing manner:
.., Adjust the seat in fore and aft direction so
that you can easily push the pedals to the
floor wh ile keeping your knees slightly bent
¢ .&, in Why is your seat adjustment so im Â
portant? on page 53.
"" Adjust the seatback so that when you sit
w ith your back against the seatback , you can
s ti ll grasp the top of t he steering wheel.
... App lies to vehicles with adjustable head reÂ
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the upÂ
per edge is as even as possible wit h the top
of your head. If that is not possib le, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as .,.
Page 56 of 294

54 Seats and storage
close to this position as possible
¢page 56.
A WARNING
Never place any objects in the driver's footÂ
well. An object could get into the pedal area and interfere with pedal function. In
case of sudden braking or an accident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate .
Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position .
To avoid contact with the airbag while it is deÂ
ploying, do not sit any closer to the instruÂ
ment panel than necessary and always wear
the three-point safety belt provided adjusted correctly . We recommend that you adjust the
passenger's seat in the following manner:
• Bring the backrest up to an (almost) upright
position. Do not ride with the seat reclined .
• Applies to vehicles with adjustable head reÂ
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the upÂ
per edge is as even as possible with the top
of your head . If that is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this position as possible
¢ page 56.
• Place your feet on the floor in front of the
passenger's seat.
Front seats
Power seat adjustment
Applies to vehicles: with power adjustab le seats
Fig. 49 Front seats: powe r seat adjustme nt
Controls
@ -Adjusting the lumbar support* : press the
button in the corresponding position ¢ .&, .
@ -Moving the seat up/down: press the butÂ
ton up/down ¢ .&, .
@ -Moving the seat forward/back : press the
button forward/back ¢.&, .
©-Adjusting the backrest angle: press the
button forward/back ¢.&, .
©-Raising/lowering * the head restraints:
press the button up/down¢.&, .
@ -Lengthening/shortening the upper thigh
support* : lift the handle. A spring moves the
front seat cushion forward ¢ .&, .
A WARNING
---Never adjust the driver's or front pas Â
senger's seat while the vehicle is moving.
If you do this while the vehicle is moving,
you will be out of position . Always adjust
the driver's or front passenger's seat
when the vehicle is not mov ing.
- Be careful when adjusting the seat
height . Check to see that no one is in the
way, or serious injury could result!
- Because the seats can be electrically adÂ
justed with the ignition off or with the
ignition key removed, never leave chilÂ
dren unattended in the vehicle. UnsuperÂ
vised use of the electric seat adjustÂ
ments may cause serious injury.
- To reduce the risk of injury in the case of
sudden braking or accident, front pas Â
sengers must never ride in a moving ve hicle with the backrest reclined. Safety
belts and the airbag system only offer maximum protection when the backrest
is upright and the safety belts are propÂ
erly positioned on the body. The more
the backrest is reclined, the greater the
risk of personal injury from an incorrect
seating position and improperly posiÂ
tioned safety belts.
Page 129 of 294

-Passengers must always sit in an upright
posit ion and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located .
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of poÂ
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un Â
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye .
- Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenge r's breastbone and the instruÂ
ment pane l.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of the ir own and properly fasten and
wear the safety bel t belong ing to that
seat .
- Before driv ing, a lways adj ust the front
passenger seat and head restra int propÂ
er ly .
- Always keep your feet on the f loor in
front of the seat . Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win Â
dow, etc . The airbag system and safety
belt w ill not be ab le to protect you propÂ
erly and can even increase the risk of inÂ
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of inÂ
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posiÂ
t ion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
c::> page 166. Spec ial precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenge r seat
c::> page 142.
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical size and be properly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorÂ
rect seat ing pos ition in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas-
Dr ivin g Sa fely 12 7
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
1-Make s ure th at the seatback is secure ly
la tched in the upright position
c::> page 63 .
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front
of the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety be lts properly
c::> page 13 7 .
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrai ned in a child restraint that is appro Â
p riate for the ir s ize and age
c::> page 166.
.&, WARNING
P assengers who are imp roperly seated on
the rea r seat can be seriously i njured in a
crash.
- Each passenger must always si t on a seat
of their own and pr operly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protecÂ
tion when the sea tback is sec urely latch Â
ed in the upright position and the safety
be lts are properly positioned on the
body. By not s itting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
inju ry from improperly positioned safety
belts!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection .
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to vehicles: wit h adjustab le hea d r est ra in ts
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an imÂ
portant part of your vehicle 's occupant reÂ
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations .
Fig. 1 28 Head restra int: v iewed fro m th e front
Page 138 of 294

136 Safet y belt s
with the vehicle interior has all the energy
they had just before the crash.
Neve r rely on airbags a lone for p rotec tion.
Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
addit io nal p rotection . Airbags are not supÂ
posed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. AlÂ
though your Audi is equipped with a irbags, all
vehicle occupants, including the driver, must
wear safety belts correctly in order to min iÂ
mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash .
Remember too, that airbags wi ll deploy on ly
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 a lready deployed . Unbelted
occupants can also be thrown out of the vehiÂ
cle whe re even more severe o r fatal in juries
can occu r.
It is also impo rtant for the rear passenge rs to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passenÂ
gers in the re ar seats end anger no t on ly themÂ
selves but a lso the d river a nd other passenÂ
gers ~
fig. 134. In a frontal collision they will
be thrown forward violent ly, where they can
h it and injure the dr iver and/or front seat pas Â
senger.
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision. It's simply
not true!
F ig . 135 Driver is co rrectly re st ra ined in a s udden b rak ·
i n g m an euve r
Safety belts used properly can make a big difÂ
ference . Safety be lts he lp to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels applied to the body in an accident, and help
prevent the
uncontrolled movement that can
ca use serio us in juries . In addition, safety be lts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle .
Safety be lts attach passengers to the car and
give them the benefit of being slowed down
more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety
features engineered into today's vehicles. By
"abso rbing" t he kinetic energy over a longer
per iod of t ime, the safety belts make the
forces o n the body more " tolerable" and less
l ikely to ca u se inju ry.
Although these examples are based on a fronÂ
ta l co llision, saf ety belts can a lso substantia lÂ
ly red uce the r isk of injury in other kinds of
cr ashes. So, whether you're on a long t rip o r
j u st going to the corner store, a lways buckle
u p and make sure others do, too. Accident sta Â
tistics show that veh icle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of be ing
injured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident. Properly using safety be lts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen Â
tal airbags to do the ir job i n a collision. Fo r
t hi s reason, wea ring a safety belt is legally reÂ
quired in mos t countr ies includi ng mu ch of
t h e Un ited States and C anada .
Althoug h your Aud i is equipped with a irbags,
you still have to wear the safety be lts prov idÂ
ed . F ront ai rbags, fo r example , a re ac tivated
o nly in some front al coll isions. The fron t airÂ
bags are not act ivated in a ll fron tal collis ions,
in side and rear co llisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is not eno ugh deceleration
through impact to the front o f the veh icle.
The same goes for the other a irbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt and make su re everybody in your veh icle is
properly restrai ned !
Page 144 of 294

142 Airbag sys te m
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 alÂ
ways properly wear their safety belts and be
in a proper seating position.
F or your safety and the safety of your passenÂ
gers, before driving off, always:
• Adjust the dr iver's seat and steering wheel
properly ¢
page 125,
• Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
¢page 54,
• Wear safety be lts properly ¢ page 137,
• Always properly use the proper child re-
stra int to protect children¢
page 166.
In a collision airbags must inflate within the
blink of an eye and with considerable force .
The supplementa l airbags can cause injuries if
the dr iver or the front seat passenger is not
seated properly . Therefore in order to he lp the
a irbag to do its job, it is important, both as a
d river and as a passenge r to sit properly at all
times.
By keeping room between your body and the
steering wheel and the front of the passenger
compartment, the airbag ca n inflate fully and
comp letely and provide supp lemental p rotecÂ
tion in ce rtain frontal collisions¢
page 125,
Proper occupant seating positions .
For detai ls
on the operat ion of the seat adjustment conÂ
trols ¢
page 54.
It's especially important that children a re
properly restrained ¢
page 166.
There is a lot that the driver and the passenÂ
gers can and must do to help the individua l
safety features ins talled in your A udi work toÂ
gether as a system.
Prope r seat ing pos ition is important so that
the front airbag on the driver s ide can do i ts
job. If yo u have a physical impa irment or con- dition that prevents you from sitting properly
on the driver seat with the safety belt properly
fastened and reaching the peda ls , spec ial
modifications to your vehicle may be necessaÂ
ry.
Contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler, or call
Audi C ustomer Re lations at 1-800-822-2834 .
When the airbag system dep loys, a gas generÂ
ator will f ill the airbags, break open the padÂ
ded covers, and inf late between the steering
whee l and the dr iver and between the instru Â
ment pane l and the front passenger. The airÂ
bags will deflate immediately after dep loyÂ
ment so that the front occupants can see
th rough the w indshield aga in without interÂ
ruption .
All of th is take s place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that
the a irbags have dep loyed . The airbags also
inflate with a great dea l of force and nothing
shou ld be in their way when they deploy.
F ront a irbags in combination with properly
worn safety belts slow down and lim it the oc Â
cupant's forward movement. Together they
help to prevent the drive r and front seat pasÂ
senger from hitting parts of the inside the veÂ
hicle while reducing the forces acting on the
occupant dur ing the crash. In this way they
help to reduce the risk of injury to the head
and uppe r body i n the c rash . A irbags do not
protect the a rms or the lower parts of the
body.
Both front a irbags w ill not i nflate in all fronta l
collisions . The t rigge ring of the a irbag system
depends on the vehicle dece lerat ion rate
c aused by the co llision and registered by the
elect ron ic cont ro l u nit. If t his rate is below
the re ference value programmed into the conÂ
trol unit, the airbags will not be trigge red ,
even though the car may be bad ly damaged as
a resu lt of the collision . Veh icle damage, reÂ
pair costs or even the lack of veh icle damage
is no t necessarily an indication of whether an
airbag should inflate or not .
It is not possib le to define a range of vehicle
speeds that w ill cover every possib le kind and .,.
Page 145 of 294

angle of impact that will always trigger the
airbags, since the circumstances will vary conÂ
siderably between one collision and another.
Important factors include, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the object which the
car hits, the angle of impact, vehicle speed,
etc. The front airbags will also not inflate in
side or rear collisions, or in ro ll-overs .
Alwa ys rem ember : Airbags will deploy only
once, and only in certa in kinds of collisions .
Your safety belts are always there to offer proÂ
tection in those s ituations in which airbags
are not supposed to deploy , or when they have
a lready deployed ; fo r example , when yo ur veÂ
h icle strikes or is struck by another after the
first collision .
This is just one of the reasons why an a irbag is
a supplementary restra int and is not a s ubst iÂ
tute for a safety belt . The airbag system
works most effectively when used with the
safety belts. Therefore, always properly wear
your safety belts
¢ page 134.
A WARNING
Sitting too close to the steer ing wheel or
instrument panel will decrease the effecÂ
tiveness of the airbags and will increase
the risk of pe rsonal injury in a co llision .
- Never sit closer than
10 inches (25 cm)
to the stee ring wheel or instrument panÂ
el.
- If you cannot sit more than
10 i nches
(25 cm) from the steer ing whee l, investiÂ
gate whether adaptive equipment may
be available to help you reach the pedals
and increase your seating dis tance from
the steering wheel.
- If you are unrestrained, lean ing fo rward,
sitting sideways or out of position in any
way, yo ur risk of inj ury is much highe r.
- You w il l also receive serio us inju ries and
cou ld even be killed if you are up against
the airbag or too close to it when it in Â
flates -even with an Advanced Airbag.
- To reduce the r isk o f injury when an air Â
bag inflates, a lways wear safety belts
proper ly ¢
page 137, Safety belts .
Airbag system 143
-Always make certain that chi ld ren age 12
or younger a lways ride in the rear seat. If
children are not properly restrained, they may be severe ly inju red or killed when an
airbag inf lates .
- Never let ch ildren ride unrestra ined or
improperly restrained in the vehicle . Ad Â
just the front seats prope rly.
- Never ride with the backrest reclined.
- Always sit as far as possible from the
steer ing whee l or the instrument pane l
¢page 125.
-Always sit upright with your back against
the backrest of your seat.
- Never p lace your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both
feet on the f loor in front of the seat to
he lp prevent serio us in juries to the legs
a nd h ips if the airbag inflates.
- Never recline the front passenger 's seat
to tra nsport objects. Items can a lso
move i nto the area of the s ide a irbag or
the front a irbag du ring bra king or in a
sud den maneuve r. Obje cts ne ar the airÂ
bags can become projectiles and cause
injury when an airbag inflates.
_&. WARNING ~
A irbags that have de ployed in a crash must
be replaced.
- Use on ly original equipment airbags apÂ
proved by Audi and installed by a trai ned
technician who has the necessary too ls
and d iagnost ic equipment to properly reÂ
place any airbag in your vehicle and asÂ
sure system effectiveness in a crash .
- Never perm it salvaged or recycled airÂ
bags to be installed in your vehicle .
Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
.,. Be su re to read t he important information
and head the WARNINGS fo r important deÂ
tails about children and Advanced Airbags
¢ page 166. ..,.
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