sensor AUDI A5 COUPE 2016 Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2016, Model line: A5 COUPE, Model: AUDI A5 COUPE 2016Pages: 264, PDF Size: 66.92 MB
Page 108 of 264

Parking System
_& WARNING
-Sensors have dead spaces in which ob jects
cannot be detected. Be especially alert for
small chi ldren and animals, since they are
not always detected by the sensors.
- The acoustic parking system is not a substi
tute for the driver's own caution and alert
ness. Ultimate responsibility always remains
with the driver during parking and simi lar
maneuvers . Always watch where you are
dr iv ing .
- Yo u should always adjust the volume and
frequency of the warning tones so that you
can eas ily hea r the acoustic distance warn
ing
even if the radio is p lay ing, the air-cond i
t ioner blower is on High or there is a high
level of outs ide noise .
- Chec k the settings whenever anyone e lse
has driven t he veh icle before you.
(D Note
- Remember that low obstacles for which a
warning has already been issued may "dive"
below the system 's sens ing zone if the vehi
cle is being backed up closer. In this case,
the warn ing sound shutting off does
not in
dicate that you have cleared the obstacle .
Ins tead, impact is imm inent.
- Objects such as tra ile r hitches , cha ins, nar
r ow posts or fences
cove red by a th in layer
of pa int may no t always be dete cte d by the
system. T hey can still damage your vehicle
wi tho ut warn ing.
@ Tips
Keep the senso rs in the rea r bumpe r clean
an d free of snow a nd ice so that the ac ous tic
parking assi st system can f unction properly .
Adjusting the warning tones
Applies to vehicles: with parking system (rear)
The warning tones can be adjusted in the MMI*.
• Select : ICARlfunct ion button> Parking syst em .
Or
• Se lect : ICARI funct ion button >
Car system s*
control bu tton > Driver assist > Parking aid .
106
-Rear volume -rear sensor volume
-Rear fr equen cy -rear sensor freque ncy
- Music volume whi le parking -when the pa rk-
ing sys tem is switched on, the vo lume of the
ac tive audio source is lowered.
The newly ad justed va lue is briefly heard from
the sig nal generator. The set tings are automati
ca lly stored and ass igned to the mas ter key with
remote cont rol.
Rear parking system
with rearview camera
Introduction
App lies to vehicles: with parking system (rear, with rear view
camera)
F ig. 1 10 Park in g m ode 1: reverse parking
Fi g. 111 Park in g m ode 2: p arallel p ark in g
.... .... 0
-
"' :8
Vehicles with the park ing system are equipped
with a
rear view camera in addition to the a cous
tic parking system.
You can choose between two modes to assist you
with parking. For example, you can use "parking mode
l" when parking in a parking spa ce or ga
rage
c;, fig. 110 . When you want to park paralle l
to t he edge of the street, se lect "parking mode
2 "
c::;;, fig . 111 . ...
Page 109 of 264

,-1 N
0 1-CX)
,-1 I.Cl U"I
,-1 I.Cl ......
The rear acoustic park assist system is integrated in the rear of the vehicle and the rear view cam
era is integrated in the rear lid~
page 108 .
.&_ WARNING
-
- The rear view camera has blind spots, in
which objects cannot be detected. Be espec ially careful to check for small ch ildren and
animals before back ing up. Small children
and animals wi ll not a lways be detected by
the sensors.
General Information
App lies to vehicles: with parking system (rear, with rear view
camera)
F ig . 112 Cove red area (D and uncovered area@of the rear
v iew camera
0
0
Fig. 113 T runk lid: Locat ion of the rear view came ra
Sensors in the bumper
Sensors are located in the rear bumpers . If these
detect an obstacle, audible s ignals war n you. The
r ange at which the se nsors begin to measure is
a pprox imately:
To the side 2 ft (0.60 m)
Center rear 5.2
ft (1.60 m)
D istance warning when reversing sta rts when an
obstacle is detected in the range of the parking
Parking S ystem
ass ist system. As the distance dec reases, the
time interva l between the audible tones becomes
shorter.
When the distan ce is less than 1 ft (0.30 m), the
tone becomes cont inuous . At th is point you
shou ld stop backing up .
If the distance to an obstacle stays the same, the
vo lume of the dis tance signal ch ime is gr adually
reduced after abo ut
4 seconds (does not affect
the continuous signal tone). Approaching anoth er obstacle w ill ca use the distance s ignal to
sound again at the normal volume.
Rear view camera co verag e ar ea
The M MI display shows the a rea cove red by the
rea r view camera ¢
fig. 112 @. Objects that are
not in the area covered @are not shown on the
MMI display.
We recommend that you practice parking with
the rear view camera in a traffic-free location o r
parking lot to become fami lia r with the system,
the or ientat ion lines, and their function . When
doing t his, there shou ld be good light and weath
er conditions.
In the MMI display, objects or vehicles appear
closer or further away if:
- you a re dr iv ing in reve rse gear from a leve l su r
face onto an incline, or a downward slope,
- you are dr iving in reve rse gear toward p ro tr ud
ing objects,
- t he vehicle is car rying too m uch load in the
rear.
T he accuracy of the orientat ion lines and bl ue
s ur faces dim inishes if:
- the rear v iew camera does not provide a reliab le
image, fo r example, in poor visib il ity condi tions
or if the lens is dirty,
- the image on the screen is not visible due to
sun glare and reflect ion .
Caring for the rear v iew camera len s
The rear view camera is located above the rear li
cense p late bracket. For the parking assist to op-
erate, the lens ¢
fig. 113 must be kept clean: liJJ>
107
Page 110 of 264

Parking System
-Dampen the lens with a household alcohol
based glass cleaner, and clean the lens with a
dry cloth
~0 .
- Remove snow with a hand brush and ice pref
erably with a de-icing spray
~ 0 .
A WARNING
-The parking aid cannot replace the driver's
attention. The driver alone is responsible for
parking and similar driving maneuvers.
-Always keep your eyes on the vehicle's sur roundings, using the rear view mirror as
well.
- Do not allow yourself to be distracted from
traffic by the rear view camera pictures.
- If the position and the installation angle of
the camera has changed, for example, after
a rear end collision, do not continue to use
the system for safety reasons . Have it
checked by a qualified dealership.
(D Note
-Low obstacles already signaled by a warning
can disappear from the system's detection
range as they are approached and will not
continue to be signaled. Objects such as
barrier chains, trailer draw bars, thin paint
ed vertical poles or fences may not be de
tected by the system, posing risk of dam
age.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the rear view camera lens -
danger of crack formation on the lens!
- When cleaning the lens, never use products
that are abrasive.
Switching on /off
A pp lies to veh icles : w ith pa rking system (rear, wit h rear view
camera)
The rear view camera switches on automatically
together with the acoustic park assist when you
put the vehicle in reverse.
Switching on
... Put the vehicle in reverse gear, the acoustic
parking system with rear view camera is acti
vated automatically. Activation of the acoustic
108
parking system is confirmed by a brief acknowl
edgement sound.
Switching off
""Drive faster than 9 mph (15 km/h), or
""take the vehicle out of reverse gear. The acous
tic parking system is immediately deactivated,
and the rear view camera picture is deactivated
automatically after a period of about 15 sec
onds, or
... switch off the ignition.
The delay in deactivating the camera provides an uninterrupted view behind the vehicle especially
when maneuvering in tight parking spaces and prevents the picture from turning off the every
time you shift out of reverse .
If the warning message appears in the display
but not the rear view camera picture, read and
confirm the warning message . The acoustic dis
tance signal is always active.
If you press a function button on the MMI control
console, the rear view camera picture disappears.
The rear view camera picture reappears the next
time you park.
Further information on the warning message and
the MMI control console can be found in the MMI
instruction booklet.
A WARNING
-Only use the rearview camera to assist you if
it shows a good, clear picture. For example,
the image may be affected by the sun shin
ing into the lens, dirt on the lens or if there
is a defect.
- Use the rearview camera only with the rear
lid completely closed. Make sure any objects
you may have mounted on the rear lid do
not block the rearview camera.
@ Tips
-The rear view camera picture is available as
soon as the MMI Display or the MMI is
switched on, or the start-up phase is com
pleted .
- The sensors must be kept clean and free of
snow and ice for the park assist to operate.
Page 113 of 264

.... N
0 Ico ....
tain plenty of distance from an obstacle so
that your outside mirror or a co rner of your
veh icle does not collide w ith any obstacles -
danger of accident!
The left or right or ientation lines and surfaces
w ill be displayed, depending on the turn sig
na l being used.
Adjusting the display and warning tones
Applies to vehicles: with parking system (rear, with rear view
camera)
The display and warning tones are adjusted in
the radio or MMI*.
~ Select: ICARI f u nct ion button> Parking syst em .
Or
~ Se lect: I CARI function button > Ca r sy stem s*
contro l button > Dri ver a ssis t> Pa rkin g aid .
Display
- Off -when the parki ng system is switched on,
only aud ible signals are g iven.
- On -when the pa rking system is switched on,
the p icture from the rear v iew camera is dis
played.
Warning tones
- Rea r v olum e -
rear sensor volume
- Rea r frequency -rear sensor frequency
-Music volume whil e par king -when the park-
ing system is sw itched on, the volume of the
active aud io source is lowered.
The new ly adjusted value is briefly heard from
the signa l generator. The settings are automat i
cally stored and assigned to the remote contro l
key.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that the volume and fre quency of the wa rning tones is adj usted so
that you can eas ily hea r the acoust ic dis
tance signal even if the radio is playing, the air-conditioner b lower is on H igh or the re is
a high level of outside noise .
Parking Sys tem
-Check the settings whenever someone e lse
has driven the vehicle before you.
(D Tips
- The warn ing tones can also be adjus ted di
rectly from the rea r view camera image .
Simp ly press the Settings* control button.
- Changed settings are activated when park
ing assist is switched on again.
Error messages
Applies to vehicles: with parking system (rear, with rear view
camera)
If a warning tone is aud ible for about five sec
onds when you turn on the ignition, there is a
malfunction in the system. Have the prob lem
corrected by your authorized Audi dea ler.
Keep the sensors in the rear bumper clean and
free from ice so that the acoustic park assist sys
tem can function properly.
111
Page 129 of 264

.... N
0 Ico ....
Improperly worn safety belts increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
are correctly restrained and stay in a correct
seating position whenever the vehicle is be
ing used.
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
~ page 123.
Belt tensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear-end collisions above a
particular severity, safety belts are tensioned au
tomatically.
The safety belts are equipped with safety belt
pretensioners. The system is activated by sensors
in front, side and rear-end collisions of great se
verity. This tightens the belt and takes up belt
slack
~ .&. in Service and disposal of safety belt
pretensioneron page 127.
Taking up the slack
helps to reduce forward occupant movement dur
ing a collision.
(JJ Note
Never let the belt remain over a rear seatback
that has been folded forward.
(D Tips
The safety belt pretensioner can only be acti
vated once.
-The safety belt pretensioners do not deploy
in minor frontal, side and rear-end colli
sions.
- In the case of a side crash, the safety belt
pretensioners will activate on the driver's or
front passenger's sides only, depending on
which side of the vehicle the crash occurs.
- When the safety belt pretensioners are acti
vated, a fine dust is released. This is normal
and is not caused by a fire in the vehicle.
- The relevant safety requirements must be
observed when the vehicle or components
of the system are scrapped. An authorized
Safety belts
Audi dealer or qualified workshop is familiar
with these regulations and will be pleased
to pass on the information to you.
- Be sure to observe all safety, environmental
and other regulations if the vehicle or indi
vidual parts of the system, particularly the safety belt or airbag, are to be disposed. We
recommend you have your authorized Audi
dealer perform this service for you.
Service and disposal of safety belt preten
sioner
The safety belt pretensioners are parts of the
safety belts on your Audi. Installing, removing,
servicing or repairing of belt pretensioners can
damage the safety belt system and prevent it
from working correctly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system will not be impaired and that discarded
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 a safety belt preten
sioner from activating when needed or acti
vating it unexpectedly:
- The belt pretensioner system can be activat
ed only once. If belt pretensioners have
been activated, the system must be re
placed.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the safety belt system.
- Safety belt systems including safety belt
pretensioners cannot be repaired. Special
procedures are required for removal, instal
lation and disposal of this system.
- For any work on the safety belt system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au
thorized Audi dealer or qualified technician
who has an Audi approved repair manual, training and special equipment necessary .
127
Page 138 of 264

Airbag syste m
greater detail below. Because the front passen
ger seat contains important parts of the Ad
vanced Airbag System, you must take care to pre
vent it from being damaged. Damage to the seat m ay prevent the Advanced Airbag for the front
passenger seat from doing its job in a crash .
The front Advanced Airba g Sy stem con sists
of the follo wing :
-Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that
measure vehicle acceleration/deceleration to
provide information to the Advanced Airbag
System about the seve rity of the crash .
- An electronic control un it, with integrated
crash sensors for front and side impacts . The
contro l unit "decides " whethe r to fire the front
airbags based on the information received from
the crash sensors. The control unit a lso "de
cides" whether the safety be lt pretensioners
shou ld be activated.
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
contro l valve for the driver ins ide the steering
whee l hub .
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
contro l valve inside the instrument pane l for
the front passenger .
- A weight -sensing mat under the upho lstery
padding of the front passenger seat cushion
that measures th e total weight on the seat . T he
information registered is sent continuously to
the e lec tronic control unit to regu la te dep loy
ment of the front Advanced A irbag on the pas
senger side .
- An airbag monitoring system and indica tor
l ight in the instrument cluster
r=> page 139.
-A sensor in each front sea t registers the dis
tance between the respective seat and the
steering wheel or instrument panel. The infor mation reg istered is sent continuous ly to the
electronic control u nit to regulate deployment
of the front Advanced A irbags.
- T he
PASSEN GE R AIR B AG OFF light comes on
and stays on in the center of the inst rument
pane l
c> page 139, fig . 134 and tells you when
the front Advan ced Airbag on the passenger
side has been turned off .
- A sensor below the safety belt la tch fo r the
front seat passenger to meas ure the tension on
136
the safety belt. The tension on the safety belt
and the weight reg istered by the weight-sens
ing mat help the contro l unit "decide" whether
the front airbag for the front passenger seat
should be turned
off or not c> page 130, Child
restraints on the front seat -some important
things to know .
-A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver
and for the front seat passenger that senses
whether that safety belt is latched or not and
transmits this information to the e lectronic
cont rol u nit.
_&. WARNING
Damage to the front passenge r seat can pre
vent the front airbag from work ing properly .
- Improper repair or disassembly of the front
passenger and driver seat will prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from f unctioning
proper ly.
- Repairs to the front passenger seat mus t be
performed by qualified and proper ly trained
wo rkshop personne l.
- Never remove the front passenger or driver
seat from the vehicle.
- Never remove the upholstery from the front
passenger seat.
- Never d isassemble or remove pa rts from the
seat o r disconnect wi res from it.
- Never carry sharp objects in your pocke ts or
place them on the seat. If the weight-sens
ing mat in the passenger seat is p unctured
it cannot work proper ly.
- Never carry things on your lap or carry ob jects on the passenger seat. Such items can increase the weight reg istered by the
weight-sensing mat and send the wrong in
formation to the airbag control unit.
- Never store items under the front passenger
seat . Parts of the Advanced Airbag System
under the passenger seat could be dam
aged, preventing them and the airbag sys
tem from working properly .
- Never p lace seat covers or replacement up
holstery that have not been specifically ap
proved by Audi on the front seats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced A ir
bag System from recognizing child
Page 139 of 264

,-1 N
0 1-CX)
,-1 I.Cl U"I
,-1 I.Cl ......
restraints or occupants on the front passen
ger seat and prevent the side airbag in the
seat backrest from deploying properly.
- Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or
similar items on the front passenger seat.
The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from accu
rately registering the child restraint or per
son on the seat and prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from functioning properly .
- If you must use a child restraint on the front passenger seat and the child restraint man
ufacturer's instructions require the use of a
towel, foam cushion or something else to
properly position the child restraint, make
certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the
child restraint is installed on the front pas
senger seat.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately in
stall child restraint in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer .
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the side
airbags supplement the protection offered by the
front three-point safety belts with pretensioners
and load limiters and the adjustable head re
straints to help reduce the risk of inju ry in a wide
range of accident and crash situations. Be sure to
read the important information about safety and
heed the WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Advanced Airbag System and
the act ivation of the safety be lt pretensioners de
pend on the deceleration measured by the crash
sensors and regis tered by the electronic control
unit . Crash severity depends on speed and decel
eration as well as the mass and stiffness of the
vehicle or object involved in the crash .
On the passenger side, regardless of safety belt
use, the airbag will be turned off if the weight on
the passenger seat is less than the amount pro grammed in the elect ronic control unit. The front
Airbag system
airbag on the passenger side will also be turned
off if one of the child safety seats that has been
certified under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 has been recognized on the seat.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off
q page 130, Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know .
_&. WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag in
flates, always wear safety belts properly.
- If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sit
ting sideways or out of position in any way,
your risk of injury is much higher.
- You will also receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if you are up against the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag
qpage 129.
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fig. 133 Inflated front airbags
-.... N 0 :i:
~
Safety belts are important to help keep front
seat occupants in the proper seated position so
that airbags can unfold properly and provide sup
plemental protection in a frontal collision .
The front airbags are designed to provide addi
tional protection for the chest and face of the
driver and the front seat passenger when:
- safety belts are worn properly,
- the seats have been positioned so that the oc-
cupant is properly seated as far as possible
from the airbag, ..,.
137
Page 142 of 264

Airbag system
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in
the center of the instrument panel
r::;, fig. 134.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off
by the electronic control unit. Each time you turn
on the ignition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will flash for a few seconds and:
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
-will stay on if there is a small child or child re
straint on the front passenger seat,
- will go out if the front passenger seat is occu
pied by an adult as registered by the weight
sensing mat.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come
on and stay on
if the ignition is on and
- a car bed has been installed on the front seat,
or
- a rearward-facing child restraint has been in
stalled on the front passenger seat , or
- a forward-facing child restraint has been instal
led on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight registered on the front passenger
seat is equal to or less than the combined
weight of a typical 1 year-old restrained in one
of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant re
straints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 with which the Advanced Airbag
System in your vehicle was certified.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
front airbag will not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-facing child restraint on the front pas
senger seat, the safest place for a child in any
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po
sitions on the rear seat
r::;, page 130, Child re
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and <=> page 151, Child safety.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when one of the conditions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer
tain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on continuously whenever the ignition is
on . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
140 not appear and not stay on all the
time, stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
- reactivate the system by turning the ignition
off and then turning it on again ;
- remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make
sure that the child restraint is properly instal
led and that the safety belt for the front pas
senger seat has been correctly routed around
the child restraint as described in the child re
straint manufacturer's instructions;
- make sure that the convertible locking retrac
tor on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been activated and that the safety belt
has been pulled tight. The belt must not be
loose or have loops of slack so that the sensor
below the safety belt latch on the seat can do
its job
r::;, page 160 .
-make sure that things that may increase the
weight of the child and child safety seat are not
being transported on the front passenger seat;
- make sure that the safety belt tension sensor is
not blocked . Shake the safety belt latch on the
front passenger seat back and forth;
- If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child
safety seat to the front passenger seat, make
sure that it is not so tight that it causes the
weight-sensing mat to measure more weight
than is actually on the seat.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does
not come on
and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on),
- take the child restraint off the front passenger
seat and install it properly at one of the rear
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect
ed by your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
- move the child to a rear seat position and make
sure that the child is properly restrained in a
child restraint that is appropriate for its size
and age.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should NOT
come on when the ignition is on and an adult is
sitting in a proper seating position on the front
passenger seat.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while driving, under these circumstan-
ces, make sure that:
1111>
Page 145 of 264

,-1 N
0 1-CX)
,-1 I.Cl U"I
,-1 I.Cl ......
@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo
rate . When the veh icle or parts of the re
straint system including airbag modules safe
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all
app licable laws and regulations must be ob
served. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar
w ith these req uirements 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 Airbag System pe rforms in a crash. For examp le, using tire-r im
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
veh icle, chang ing the stiffness of the suspens ion,
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 unit . Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in wh ich it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made . Other kinds of
changes may reduce the fo rce levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy ing when it should.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in
crease the risk of serious 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.
Airb ag sys tem
A WARNING
-Items stored between the safety belt buckle
and the center console can cause the sensors
i n the buckle to send the w rong information
to the electronic contro l modu le and prevent
the Advanced A irbag System from wo rking
p roperly.
- Always make sure that nothing can interfe re
with the safety belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Appl ies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig. 13S D river 's knee ai rbag
T he driver knee airbag is in the ins trumen t panel
u nderneath t he steer ing whee l~
fig. 135, the
knee a irbag for the passenger is at abou t the
same height in the instrument pane l underneath
the g love compartment.
T he knee airbag offers add itiona l protec tion to
the driver's and passenger's knees and uppe r and
lower thigh areas and supp lements the protec
tio n provided by the safety belts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in fron tal coll is io ns when the deploymen t
th reshold stored in the cont rol un it is met
~ page 13 7, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In add ition to their norma l safety fun ct ion, safe-
ty belts he lp keep the driver or front passenge r in ..,_
143
Page 148 of 264

Airbag syste m
-the e lectronic contro l modu le 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 cl us-
ter.
The airbag system is monito red elect ronically to
make certa in that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you t urn on the ignit ion, the air
bag system ind icator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The s ide a irbag system supplements the safety
be lts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to
the driver's and front passenger's upper torso on
the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side col
lision. The airbag deploys on ly in side impacts
and only when the vehicle acceleration registered
by the control unit is high enough. If this rate is
below the reference value programmed into the
control u nit, the s ide a irbags will not be tr ig
gered, even though the car may be badly dam
aged as a result of the collision.
It is not possib le
to define an airbag triggering range that w ill cov
er every poss ible angle of impact, since the cir
cumstances will 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
belts work to help keep the driver or front pas
senger in pos it ion in the event of a s ide collision
so that the side a irbags can provide protection .
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
he lp to protect you if you are wearing your safety
be lt and wearing it properly. This is another rea
son why you should always wear yo ur safety
be lts, not just because the law req uires you to do
so ¢
page 121, General information.
It is important to remember that whi le the sup
p lemental side a irbag system is des igned to re
duce the likelih ood of se rious injuries, other inju-
146 ries, for example, swelling, bruis
ing, and minor
abrasions can also be associated with deployed s ide a irbags . Remember too, s ide a irbags wi ll de
ploy only once and only in certain k inds of acci
dents - your safety belts are always there to offer
protect ion.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessar ily an ind ication
of over-sens itive or fa iled airbag activat ion. In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may i nflate . Remember too, that a irbags w ill deploy
o nl y once and only in certai n kinds of collisions -
you r safety be lts are always there to offe r protec
tion in those accidents in wh ich airbags are no t
supposed to deploy or when they have a lready
deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ign it io n is tu rned off
- in side collisions whe n the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front -end coll is ions
- in rear-end co llisions
- in rollovers .
In some types of ac cidents the front ai rbags, side
curtain airbags and side a irbags may be triggered
together.
A WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the proper seat ing pos ition¢
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.