warning AUDI A5 COUPE 2015 Owners Manual

Airbag syste m
-and the head restraints have been properly ad-
justed .
Because airbags inflate i n the blink of an eye with
g rea t force, things you have on yo ur lap or have
p laced on the seat cou ld become dangerous pro­
jectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag in­
flates.
When an a irbag deploys , fine dust is released.
This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the
vehicle . This dust is made up most ly of a powder
used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy.
It
could irr itate sk in.
I t is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental airbag system is designed to reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example swel ling, bruising and m inor abra­
sions, can also happen when a irbags inflate. Air­
bags do not protect the arms or the lower parts
of the body. Front airbags only supplement the
three point safety belts in some fronta l collisions
i n which the veh icle deceleration is h igh enough
to deploy the airbags.
F ront airbags w ill not deplo y:
- if the ignit ion is switched off when a crash oc -
curs,
- in s ide collisions,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in ro llovers,
- when the crash deceleration measured by the
airbag system is less than the minimum thresh­
o ld needed for airbag deployment as registered
by the electronic control un it.
Th e front pas seng er airbag will a lso not
depl oy:
-when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
- when the weight on the front passenger seat as
sensed by the Advanced Airbag System indi­
cates that the front airbag on the passenger
s ide has to be turned off by the e lectronic con­
trol unit (the
PAS SENGE R AIR BAG O FF ligh t
comes on and stays on).
A WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the
r is k of serious injury in crashes .
138
-To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags
inflate, the driver and passengers must al­
ways sit in an upright pos ition, must not
lean aga inst or place any part of thei r body
too close to the area where the a irbags are
located.
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an a irbag as it unfolds with great
force in the blink of an eye
c:> page 130.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing ch ild safety seat
installed on the front passenge r seat w il l be
seriously inju red and can be killed if the front
ai rbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the chi ld safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
w ill smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof.
- Always install rear-fac ing ch ild safety seats
on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward fac ing ch ild
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptiona l circumstances and the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating posi tion and have the airbag system
inspected by your au thori zed Audi dealer .
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in­
crease the risk of inj ury in a crash by inte rfe r­
ing with the way the airbag unfolds or by be­
ing p ushed into you as the airbag inflates.
- Never hold things in your hands o r on your
lap when the vehicle is in use .
- Never transpor t items on or in the a rea of
the front passenger seat. Objects could move into the area of the front ai rbags dur­
ing brak ing or other sudden maneuver and
become dangerous project iles that can
cause serious persona l injury if the airbags
inflate.

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-Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cupholders, telephone
brackets, large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steer ing wheel, instru­
ment pane l, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourse lf. These obje cts
c ou ld cause injury in a crash, especially
when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger's seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the area of the side airbag or the front air ­
bag during braking or in a sudden mane u­
ver. Objects near the airbags can become projectiles and cause injury, particu larly
when the seat is reclined.
A WARNING
The fine dust created when a irbags deploy can
cause breathing prob lems for people with a
history of asthma or other breathing condi­
tions.
- To reduce the r isk of breathing prob lems ,
those w ith asthma or other resp iratory con­
ditions should get fresh air r ight away by
gett ing out of the veh icle or opening w in­
dows or doo rs.
- If you are in a coll is io n in which a irbags de­
ploy, wa sh you r hands and face with mild
soap and w ater before eati ng.
- B e caref ul not to ge t the dust into you r eyes,
o r in to any cuts or s cratc he s.
- If the residue should get into you r eyes,
flush them with water.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag moni­
toring indicator light and the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light.
The Advanced Airbag System (includ ing the elec­
tronic control unit, sensor circuits and system
wir ing) is mon itored cont inuo usly to make sure
that it is funct ion ing properly whenever the ign i-
Ai rb ag system
tio n is on . Each time yo u turn on t he ignit ion, the
II airbag monitoring indicator light wi ll come on
for a few seconds (self diagnostics).
The system must be inspected when th e II
indicator light :
-does not come on when the ignition is sw itched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you have switched on the ignition, or
- comes on while driving.
If an airbag system malfunction is detected, the
indica to r li gh t will fi rs t st art flashing to catch the
dr ive r's a tten tion a nd then stay o n cont inuo usly
to serve as a constant reminder to have the sys ­
tem inspected immediately.
If a malfu nction occurs tha t turn s the front air­
bag on the p assenger side off, the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.
A WARNING
-
An a irbag system that is not functioning prop-
erly cannot provide supplemental protection i n a frontal crash.
- If the airbag ind icator light r:::;, page 19
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it s hould.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fi g. 1 35 Sect ion from the instru ment pa nel : PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is loca ted in
the center of the ins trument panel
r=;, fig . 135. .,..
139

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N 1.1'1 ,....,
his or her back up against the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined
~ page 113, Correct
passenger seating positions,
- the ad ult is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or supporting
their weight on the armrest,
- the safety be lt is being proper ly worn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety be lt web ­
bing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other
th ings that may cause an incorrect read ing or
impression on the weig ht-sens ing mat under
the upholstery of the seat have been removed
from the front passenger seat,
- a safety be lt extender has not been left in the
safety belt latch for the front passenger seat .
In addition to the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light in t he center of the instrument panel, the
message
PASS ENG ER AIR BAG OFF or PAS SEN­
GER AIR BAG ON
will br iefly appear in the instru­
ment cluster display . Th is is to inform the driver
of the current front passenger ai rbag status.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplementa l protect ion
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicato r light ~ page 19
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, have
the system inspected immed iate ly by your
authorized Audi dealer . It is possible that
the a irbag will inflate when it is not s up­
posed to, or wi ll not inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a ch ild without a
child restraint, in a rearward-facing child safe­
ty seat or in a forward-facing child restraint that has not been proper ly installed will be
ser iously injured and can be killed.
- Even though your veh icle is equipped with
an Advanced Airbag System, make certa in
that all ch ild ren, especially 12 years and
Airbag syste m
younger, a lways ride on the back seat prop­
erly restra ined for their age and size.
- Always install forward o r 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 be­
cause of except iona l circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
appear and stay on, immediately install the
rea r-facing chi ld safety seat in a rear seating
position and have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your authori zed Audi dealer .
- A tight tether or o ther s trap on a rea rward­
facing ch ild restraint attached to the front
p assenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-sens ing mat in the seat and
register more weight than is actually on the
seat. The heavier weight registe red can
make the system work as though an adult
were on the seat and deploy the Advanced
Airbag when it must be suppressed causing
serio us or even fatal injury to the child.
- If, in exceptiona l circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the seat into its rearmost pos ition in the seat's
fore and aft ad justmen t range, as fa r away
from the airbag as possib le. The b ackrest
m ust be adjus ted to an upr ight position.
Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignit ion is switched on.
A WARNING
--
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an adult is s itting on the
front passenger seat after tak ing the steps
described above, make sure the adult is
p roperly seated and restrained at one of the
rea r seat ing pos itions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
author ized Audi dealer befo re transpo rting
anyone on the front passenger seat.
141

Airbag syste m
(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen­
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air­
bag on the passenger side will be turned off,
and
PASS ENGE R AIR BAG OFF will stay on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the a irbag system are installed at many
d ifferent places on your Audi . Install ing , remov­
ing, servicing or repa iring a part in an area of the
veh icle can damage a part of a n airbag system
and p revent that system from working properly
in a co llision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effect iveness of the
sys tem w ill not be impaired and that d iscarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
-
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de­
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly :
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­
ing wheel horn pad or a irbag cover or the in ­
strument panel or modify them in any way .
- Never attach any objects such as cupholders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
ering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. So lvents or cleaners
could damage the a irbag cover or change
the stiffness o r strength of the mater ial so
that the airbag cannot dep loy and protect
properly .
- Never repa ir, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, inst rument
panel, front seats or electrical system (in­
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
142 who has the training and special equipment
necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that yo u see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate w ithout interference :
- Never install seat covers or rep lacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
A udi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side a irbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the are a of the side ai rbag
module must a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an authorized Aud i dealer.
- The a irb ag sys tem can be activated only
once . After an airbag has inflated, it mus t
be rep laced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualif ied technic ian who has the technical
information, training and specia l equipment
necessary.
- The a irbag system can be deployed only
once . After an airbag has been deployed, it
must be replaced with new replacement parts des igned and approved espec ially for
your Aud i model version. Replacement of
comp lete airbag systems or airbag compo­
nents must be perfo rmed by qualified work­
shops only. Ma ke s ure tha t any airbag serv­
ice action is entered in yo ur Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- In accidents when an airbag is deployed, the
vehicle battery separates the alternator and
the starter from the vehicle electrical sys­
tem for safety reasons with a pyrotechn ic
circuit interrupter .
- Work on the pyrotechnic c ircuit inte rrupt­
er must on ly be performed by a qua lified
dealer -risk of an acc iden t!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interr upter is
scrapped, all app licable safety precautions
must be followed .
~

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@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Mater ial
-special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system includ ing a irbag modules safe­
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, a ll
app licable laws and regu lations must be ob­
served. Your author ized Audi dealer is fam iliar
w ith these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this service
for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced A irbag System
performs in a crash. For example, using t ire-rim
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehicle, chang ing the stiffness of the s uspension,
including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
e lectronic control un it. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it wou ld not deploy if
the changes had not been made . Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­ ing when it should.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's s uspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in ­
crease the risk of ser ious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspens ion components that
do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components or iginally instal­
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Ai rb ag system
A WARNING
-Items stored between the safety be lt buckle
and the center console can cause the sensors i n the buckle to send the w rong informat ion
to the electronic control module and prevent
the Advanced A irbag System from wor king
properly.
- Always ma ke sure that nothing can interfere
wit h the safety belt buckles a nd that they
are not obstr ucted.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig. 136 Dr iver 's knee ai rbag
T he driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
u nderneath the steer ing whee l~
fig. 136, the
knee airbag for the passenger is at abou t the
same height in the instrument pane l underneath
the g love compartment.
T he knee airbag offe rs additional p rotection to
the driver's and passenge r's knees and uppe r and
lower thigh areas and supp lements the protec­
tion provided by the safety belts.
If the front a irbags dep loy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fronta l co llisions when the dep loyment
th resho ld stored in the control unit is met
~ page 13 7, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In add ition to their normal sa fety f unct ion, safe-
ty be lts he lp keep the driver or fro nt passenger in .,.
143

Airb ag syst em
position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can provide supp lemental protection.
The airba g system is not a s ubstitute for yo ur
safety belt. Rathe r, it is part of the overall occ u­
pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re ­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety be lt
and wear ing it properly. This is why you should al­
ways wear your safety belt, not just because the
law requ ires you to do so
¢page 121, General in ­
formation .
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents -your safety
belts are always there to offer protection in those
accide nts in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
examp le when your vehicle str ikes o r is s truck by
another after the first collision .
This is just one of the reasons why a n airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The airbag
system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts . T he refore, always wear your
safety belts correctly.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental knee airbag system is des igned to re­
duce the likelihood of serio us inj uries , other inju ­
ries, for examp le, swelling, bruising, and mi nor
abrasions and friction burns can a lso occur when
an airbag inflates .
The kn ee airbag system basically consists of:
- T he electronic con tro l module
- Two inflatab le airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the drive r and one fo r the front
passenger
- T he airbag indicator light in the instrument
pane l
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
-whe n the ignition is turned off
- in fronta l coll isions when the dece leration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in ro llovers
144
- in the event of a system malfunction (warning/
indicator light is on)
r::;, page 19.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection whe n occupants are in
the proper seating position
r::;, page 137.
- If the airbag indicator light r::;, page 19
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer .
It is possible that
the airbag will i nflate when it is not sup­
posed to, o r will not inflate when it should.
How knee airbags work
App lies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully deployed knee airbags.
Fig . 13 7 Inflated airbags protect ing in a fro nta l collis ion
The knee airbag system has been des igned so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger dep loy in certain but not all fronta l co llisions.
If t he fron t air bags dep loy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fro nta l collisions whe n the dep loyment
thresho ld stored in the contro l unit is met .
When the system deploys, the ai rbags fill with a
propellan t gas, and inflate be tween the lower
part o f the instr ument panel and the d rive r and
the lowe r part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger
¢ page 137, fig . 134 .
Although they are not a soft p illow, they can
cush io n the impact and in this way they can help
to reduce the risk of injury to the lower extremi­
ties .

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All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the
airbags have deployed. The airbags also inflate
with a great deal of force and it is important for
occupant safety that nothing should be in their
way when they deploy .
Fu lly inflated airbags in comb ination with proper­
l y worn safety belts slow down and limit the oc­
cupant 's forward movement and help to reduce
the r isk of injury.
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
A pp lies to vehicles: with k nee a irbags
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Always
wear safety belts correctly and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and do to help the safety be lts and airbags
to provide supplementa l protection.
& WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause ser ious in­
jury. Wear ing safety belts incorrect ly and im­
proper seati ng positions increase the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect you properly if you are seated too close to any of
the airbag locat ions. When adjusting the ir
seat positions, it is important that both the
driver and the front passenger keep their
upper bod ies and knees at the followi ng
min imum safe distances:
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instr ument
panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- The risk of persona l injury increases if you
lean forward or to the s ide, or if the seat is
improperly positioned and you are not wear­
ing your safety belt . The risk increases even
more should the airbag dep loy.
-
Ai rb ag system
- Always make sure that the knee airbag can
inflate w ithout interference. Objects be­
tween you and the airbag can increase the
risk of injury in an accident by interfer ing
with the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed into yo u as the a irbag deploys.
- Never let anybody, especia lly children or
animals ride in the footwell in front of the passenger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can resu lt in serious or fatal injuries.
- Never carry objects of any kind in the foot­
well area in front of the driver's or pas­
senger's seat. Bulky objects (shoppi ng
bags, for example) can i nterfere with or
preve nt proper deployment of the airbag.
Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag dep loys and injure yo u
or you r passengers.
- Ma ke sure there are no cracks, deep scratch­
es or othe r damage in the area of the instr u­
men t pa nel where the knee a irb ags are lo­
ca ted.
- If ch ildren are inco rrectly se ated, their r isk
of injury in creases in a coll is io n
~ page 151, Child safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 138 Side a irbag location in the drive r's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
fron t seat backres ts
q fig. 138 . They are iden ti­
fied by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag sy stem basi cally con sis t s of : ..,.
145

Airbag syste m
-the e lectronic control module and external side
impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests
- the a irbag warning light in the inst rument clus-
ter.
The airbag system is monitored electron ica lly to
make certa in that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you tu rn on the ignition, the a ir­
bag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (se lf diagnostics).
The s ide a irbag system supplements the safety
be lts and can he lp to reduce the r isk of injury to
the driver's and front passenger's upper torso on
the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side col­
lision. The airbag dep loys only in side impacts
and only when the vehicle accelerat ion 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 trig­
gered, even though the car may be bad ly dam­
aged as a result of the coll is ion. It is not poss ible
to define an airbag triggering range that will cov­
er every possible ang le o f impact , since the c ir­
cumstances wi ll vary considerably between one
collision and another . Important factors include,
for examp le, the nature (hard or soft) of the im ­
pacting object, the ang le of impact, vehicle
speed, etc. ¢
page 147, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to help keep the dr iver or front pas­
senger in pos it ion in the event of a s ide collision
so that the side a irbags can provide protect ion.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­ pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re­
member that the s ide airbag system can only
help to protect you if you are wear ing your safety
be lt and wearing it properly . This is another rea­
son why you should always wear you r safety
be lts, not j ust because the law requ ires you to do
so ¢
page 121, General information.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental side a irbag system is des igned to re­
duce the likelihood of serio us in juries, o ther inj u-
146
ries , fo r example, swelling, bruising, and minor
abrasions can a lso be associated with dep loyed
s ide a irbags. Remember too, side a irbags w ill de­
ploy only once and only in certain kinds of acci­
dents - 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 activation . In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may i nflate . Remembe r too, that a irbags w ill deploy
o nl y once and only in certa in kinds of collisions -
you r safety be lts a re a lways there to offer p rotec­
t ion in those accidents in wh ich airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have a lready
deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignit ion is turned off
- in side collisions when the accelerat ion meas -
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collis ions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers.
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side
cu rtain airbags and side a irbags may be triggered
together .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position¢
page 147.
-If the airbag ind icator light¢ page 19
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.

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How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
Fig. 139 Inflated side a irbags on left side of veh icle
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat surface area marked "AIRBAG". It ex­
pands between the side trim panel and the pas­
senger . In order to help provide this additional
protection, the side airbag must inflate within a
fraction of a second at very high speed and with great force. The supplemental side airbag could injure you if your seating position is not proper or
upright or if items are located in the area where
the supplemental side airbag expands. This ap­
plies especially to children
¢page 151, Child
safety.
Supplemental side airbags inflate be­
tween the occupant and the door panel on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collis ion
¢fig. 139.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper part
of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys.
This is normal and does not mean there is a fire
in the vehicle .
Airbag system
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
properly wear safety belts and ride in a proper
seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and act accordingly to help the safety belts
and airbags do their job to provide supplemental
protection.
A WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or
fatal injury. Improperly 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:
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean against the area where the supple­
mental side airbag is located.
- 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 replacemen t
upholstery over the front seatbacks 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 in­
crease the risk of injury in an accident by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds or
~
147

M N
i? co
the circumst ances wi ll vary considerably between
one co llision and another . Important facto rs in­
clude, for example, t he nature (hard or soft) of
the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc .
¢ page 149, How side curtain air­
bags work .
Aside from the ir norma l safety func tion, safety
be lts work to help keep the dr iver or front pas­
senger in posit ion in the event of a collision so
that the side curta in a irbags can provide protec ­
tion .
The airbag system is not a subst itute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
p rotect you if you are wear ing your safety be lt
and wear ing it prope rly. This is another reason
why you should a lways we ar your safety belts,
not just because the law req uires you to do so
¢ page 121, General information.
It is impor tant to remember that whi le the side
cur tain a irbag sys tem is designed to he lp redu ce
the like lihood o f serious injuries, other injur ies,
for example, swe lling, bruising, and minor abra ­
sions can a lso be associated with these airbags .
Remember too, these airbags wi ll dep loy only
once and only in certain k inds of accidents -yo ur
safety belts are always there to offer protect ion.
The side curt ain airbag sy stem basically
con sists of :
-The electronic control mod ule and externa l side
impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side w indows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored elect ronica lly to
make certain it is f unctioning proper ly at a ll
times. Eac h time you turn on the ign ition, the a ir­
bag system ind icator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curt ain airbag is not activated:
- if the ignitio n is turned off,
~ - in s ide coll isions when the acce leration meas-.,.,
~ u red by the sensor is too low, ,....,
Airbag syste m
- in rear -end co llisions,
- in rollove rs.
A WARNING
-
- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
p rovi de p rotection when occ upants are in
the proper seating position
¢ page 54,
Seats and storage.
- If the ai rbag indicator light ¢ page 19
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup ­
posed to, or will not infla te when it s hould.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who are properly re ­
strained .
E
Fig. 14 1 Illus trati on of pr inc ip le : Inf lat ed s ide curtain a ir­
bags o n the left s ide
The side curtai n airbags inflate betwee n the oc­
cupant a nd the w indows on the side of the ve hi­
cl e that is st ruck in a side collision
¢ fig. 141.
When the system is triggered, the side curta in
airbag is filled with prope llant gas and breaks
t hr ough a seam above the front and rear side
windows ident ified by the AIR BAG label. In o rder
to help provide this addi tional p rotec tion , the
s ide cu rtain airbag mus t in flate w it hi n the blin k
of an eye at very high speed and wi th great force.
The side c urtain airbag co uld inj ure you if yo ur
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the s upple­
mental s ide curtain airbag inflates. This applies
especially to ch ildren
¢ page lSl. .,..
149