instrument panel AUDI A6 2018 User Guide

Airbag syste m
Airbag System for the front passenger seat from
doing its job in a crash.
The front Advanced Airbag S ystem 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 severity of the crash.
- An electronic control unit, with integrated
crash sensors for front and side impacts. The
control unit "decides" whether to fire the front
airbags based on the information received from
the crash sensors . The control unit also "de ­
c ides" whether the safety belt pretens ioners
shou ld be activated .
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
contro l valve for the driver ins ide the steer ing
whee l hub.
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
contro l valve inside the instrument pane l for
the front passenger.
- A capacitive passenger detect io n system under­
neath t he front passenger seat cover. This sys­
tem measures the elect rical capac ita nce of the
person in the seat. The info rm ation registe red
is sent continuous ly to the e lectronic control
unit to regulate deployment of the front Ad ­
vanced Airbag on the passenger side .
- An airbag monitoring system and indicator
light in the instrument cluster
Q page 154 .
-A sensor in each front seat registers the dis ­
tance between the respective seat and the
steering wheel or instrument pane l. The infor ­
mation reg istered is sent continuously to the
electronic control un it to regulate deployment
of the front Advanced Airbags .
- The
PASS ENGER AIR BA G OFF light comes on
and stays on in the center of the instrument
panel
Q page 154, fig . 154 and tells you when
the front Advanced A irbag on the passenger
s ide has been turned off .
- A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver
and for the front seat passenge r that senses
whethe r th at safety belt is latched or not and
t ransm its this info rmat ion to the electronic
contro l unit.
150
_&. WARNING
Damage to the front passenger 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 A irbag System from function ing
properly.
- Repairs to the front passenger seat must be
performed by qualified and properly 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 parts from the
seat or disconnect wires from it.
- Never carry sharp objects in your pockets or
put them on the seat. The capacit ive pas­
senger detect ion mat in the front passenger
seat will not function p roperly if it is punc­
tured.
- Never carry things on your lap or carry ob­
jects on the front passenger seat. Such ob­
jects can influence the capacitance regis­
tered by the capaci tive passenger detection
system, so that incorrect in format ion is pro­
vided to the airbag control unit.
- Never store i tems under the front passenger
seat. Parts of the Advanced Airbag System
under the passenger seat could be dam­
aged, p reventing them and the airbag sys­
tem from working p roper ly.
- 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 Air­
bag System from recognizing child re­
straints or occupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat
backrest from deploying properly.
- If a seat heater has been retrofitted or oth­
erwise added to the front passenger seat,
never install any child res tra int system on
this seat.
- Never use cushions, p illows, blankets, or
sim ila r items on the front passenge r seat.
The additional laye rs prevent the capac it ive

Airbag system
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
:~ (USA models) /!f (Canada models)
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
ligh t.
The Advanced Airbag System as well as the side
airbags and side curtain airbags with eject ion
mitigation features (including the e lectroni c con­
trol unit, sensors and system wiring) are all
monitored continuously to make sure that they
are funct ion ing prope rly whenever the ignition is
on . Every time you turn on the ignition, the air­
bag system indicator light
II (USA models) 1fll
(Canada models) will come on for a few seconds
(function check).
The system must be inspected when the
indicator light
II (USA models) tfll
(Canada models):
-does not come on w hen the ignition is switched
on,
-does not go out a few seconds after you have
switched on the ign ition, or
-comes on wh ile driving .
If an airbag system ma lf u nction is detected, the
ind icator light wi ll come on to serve as a constant
reminder to have the system inspected immedi­
ately.
If a malfunction occurs that turns the front air­
bag on the passenger side off, the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on
whenever the igni tion is on .
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental protection
in a frontal crash .
-If the airbag indicato r light ¢page 16
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by your
authorized Audi dealer . It is possible that
154
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 154 Sect io n fro m t he inst rume nt panel: PASSENGER
AIR BAG O FF lig ht
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in
the center of the instrument panel ¢
fig. 154.
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 contro l unit . If the bulb for the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light burns out, the
airbag indicator light
II (USA models) a (Can­
ada models) will come on to signal a malfunction
i n the Advanced A irbag System. Although the
burned-out bulb will not change the way the
front passenger's frontal airbag works, it wi ll no
l onger be poss ible to use the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
lig ht to make sure that the a irbag on/
off status is correct for the occupant on the front
passenger seat . Have the airbag system inspect­
ed immediately by your author ized Audi dealer .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will blink
for about 5 seconds when:
-the ignition is switched on and
- the capacit ive passenger detection system,
which switches the front seat passenger's fron­
tal Advanced Airbag on and off, detects a
change in the status of the front passenger
seat.
As soon as the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stops blinking, always make sure that the airbag
status (on or off) as shown by the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light is proper for the age, size and
electrical capacitance of the person occupying
.,..

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" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' -If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's
fore and aft adjustment range, as far away
from the airbag as possible. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an adult is sitting on the
front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above, make sure the adult is
properly seated and restrained at one of the
rear seating positions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer before transporting anyone on
the front passenger seat .
(D Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection system
determines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the frontal airbag on the passenger
side will be turned off, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many
different places on your Audi . Installing , remov­
ing , servicing or repairing a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system
and prevent that system from working properly
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 an airbag from de-
-
Airbag system
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly :
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­
ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in­
strument panel or modify them in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup holders
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 . Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change
the stiffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
-All work on the steering wheel, instrument
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
who has the training and special equipment
necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you 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 without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement
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 in­
flate.
- 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.
- The airbag system can deploy only once. Af­
ter an airbag has been deployed, it must be
replaced with new replacement parts de­
signed and approved especially for your
Audi model version. Replacement of com­ plete airbag systems or airbag components
157

Airbag system
must be performed by qualified workshops
only. Make sure that any airbag service ac­
tion is entered in your Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE·
PLACEMENT RECORD .
-For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechn ic circuit
interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt­
er must only be performed by a qualified
technicians who have the experience, in­
formation and special tools necessary to
perform the work safely.
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions
must be followed .
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi­
al
-special handling may apply , see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo ­
rate . When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts w ith pretensioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regulations must be
observed . Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
miliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend 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
performs in a crash. For example, using tire-rim
comb inations not approved by Audi, lower ing the
vehicle, chang ing the stiffness of the suspension,
including the springs, suspension struts , shock
absorb ers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic 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 which it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other kinds of
158
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­
i ng when it should .
& 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 suspension components that do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components origina lly instal­
led on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Aud i.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Applies to: vehicles with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig . 155 Driver 's knee airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
underneath the steering wheel ¢
fig. 155, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers add itional protect ion to
the driver's and passenger's knees and upper and lower thigh areas and supplements the protec­
tion prov ided by the safety belts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal coll is ions when the deployment
..,.

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0 0 \,;J ' threshold stored in the control unit is met
¢ page 152, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keep the driver or front passenger in position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can provide supplemental 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 airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly . This is why you should
always wear your safety belt, not just because
the law requires you to do
so ¢ page 134, Gener­
al information.
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
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
example when your vehicle strikes or is struck by
another after the first collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The airbag
system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts. Therefore , always wear your
safety belts correctly.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
plemental knee airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other inju­
ries, for example, swelling, bruising and minor
abrasions and friction burns can also occur when
an airbag inflates.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
- The electronic control module
- Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the driver and one for the front
passenger
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignition is switched off
Airbag system
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
- in the event of a system malfunction (warning/
indicator light is on)
¢ page 16 .
.&_ WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
¢page 152.
- If the airbag indicator light ¢page 16
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
How knee airbags work
App lies to: vehicles wi th knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags.
Fig. 156 Inflated airbags protecting in a fro ntal coll is ion
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger deploy in certain but not all frontal collisions .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collisions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control unit is met .
When the system deploys, the airbags fill with a
propellant gas, and inflate between the lower
part of the instrument panel and the driver and
the lower part of the instrument panel and the
front
passenger ¢ page 152, fig. 153. .,.
159

Airbag system
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the lower ex­
tremities .
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 a irbags 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 .
Fully inflated airbags in comb ination with proper­
ly worn safety belts slow down and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement and help to reduce
the risk of injury.
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
App lies to : ve hicles with knee 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 belts and airbags
to provide supplemental protection .
,&. WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious in ­
jury. Wearing safety belts incorrect ly and im­
proper seating positions increase the r isk 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 locations. When adjusting their
seat positions, it is important that both the
driver and the front passenger keep their
upper bodies and knees at the following
min imum safe distances:
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instrument panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- The risk of personal injury increases if you
lean forward or to the s ide, or if the seat is
160
improperly positioned and you are not wear­
ing your safety belt. The risk increases even
more should the airbag deploy.
- Always make sure that the knee airbag can
inflate without interference. Objects be­
tween you and the airbag can increase the
risk of injury in an accident by interfering
w ith the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed into you as the airbag 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 result 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 (shopp ing
bags, for example) can interfere with or
prevent proper deployment of the a irbag.
Small objects
can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you
or your passengers.
- Make sure there are no crac ks, deep scratch­
es or other damage in the area of the i nst ru­
ment panel where the knee airbags are lo­
cated .
- If children are incorrec tly seated, their risk
of injury increases in a coll is io n
~ page 166, Child safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 157 Side a irbag locatio n in the driver 's seat

Child sa fety
all the time whenever the ignition is
sw itched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immediate­ ly install the forward-facing child seat in a
rear seating posit ion and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Aud i
dealer .
- Always buckle the child seat firmly in
place even if a ch ild is not sitt ing in it . A
loose child seat can fly around during a
sudden stop o r in a collision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
wheneve r us ing a child restraint in a vehi­
cle ~ page 134 , Safety belts, ~ page 142,
Airbag system
and ~page 166, Impor­
tant information .
(D Tips
Always replace chi ld restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle dur ing a crash. Damage to
a child res traint that is not visib le cou ld cause
it to fail in anothe r collision situation .
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your ve hicle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208, as well as Canada Motor Veh icle Safe ty
Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time
your ve hicle was manufactured .
The Advanced Airbag system in you r veh icle has
been cert ified to meet the "low-risk" requ ire­
ments for 3- and 6 -year old children on the pas ­
senger s ide and small adults on the driver side .
The low risk deployment cr ite ria are intended to
reduce t he r isk of injury through inte ract ion with
the airbag t hat can occur, for examp le, by being
too close to the steering whee l and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates . In addition, the
system has been certified to comply with the
"suppress ion" req uirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to
12 months who are restra ined on the front pas­
senger seat in child restraints that are listed in
the Standard .
168 Even thoug
h your vehicle is equipped w ith an Ad ­
vanced Airbag system, all chi ldren, especially
t h ose 12 years and younger, shou ld a lways ride
i n the back seat properly restrained for their age
and s ize . The airbag on the passenger s ide makes
the front seat a potentia lly dangerous p lace for a
c hi ld to ride . T he front seat is not the safest place
fo r a ch ild in a fo rward-fac ing ch ild safety seat .
It
can be a very dangerous place fo r an infant o r a
l a rge r ch ild in a re ar war d-facing seat.
The veh icle's Advanced A irbag System has a ca­
pac it ive passenger detection system in the front
passenge r seat cushion that can detect the p res ­
ence of a baby o r a c hild i n a child res train t sys ­
tem on this seat .
The capacitive passenger detection system reg is­
te rs the changes that result i n an elect rical field
whe n a child, a chi ld restra int, and a baby b la nk et
are on the front passenger sea t. The change in
the measured capacitance due to the presence of
a chi ld, a c hild restraint, and a baby blanket on
the front passenger seat is re lated to the child
restra int system resting on the seat . The meas­
ured capacitance of a child restra int system var­
i es depending on the type of system and specific
make and model.
The elect rical capac itance of the various types,
makes, and models of child restraints specif ied
by the U .S . National Highway Traffic Safety Ad­
min istrat ion (NHTSA) in the releva nt safety
standard are stored in the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem contro l unit together with the capacitances
typ ic al of infants and a 1 -year old ch ild. When a
c hi ld restraint is used on the front passenger
seat wit h a typical 1 year-old infant, t he Ad ­
vanced Airbag System compares the capacitance
measured by the capacitive passenger detection
system with the data stored in the electronic con­
tro l unit .
Child restraints and Advanced front airbag
system
Regardless of the ch ild rest raint that yo u use,
make s ure tha t it has been ce rtified to mee t Safe ­
ty Standards and has been cert ified by its man u-
facturer for use with an airbag . A lways be sure
..,.

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0 0 <..:l ' Opening/closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fig. 177 Dr ive r footwell: release leve r
Fi g. 178 Rocker sw itc h under the hood
Make sure the w iper arms are not raised up from
the windshield . Otherwise the pa int could be
damaged .
Opening the hood
.. With the driver's door open, pu ll the leve r be­
low the instrument panel in the direct ion of the
arrow ¢ fig. 177 .
Checking and Filling
.. Raise the hood slightly ¢.&_ .
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
¢
fig. 178. T his releases the catch .
.. Open the hood.
Closing the hood
.. Push the hood down until yo u over ride the
force of the strut .
.. Let the hood fall lightly into the latch. Do not
press it in.
¢ .&_ .
A WARNING
-
-Never open the hood when there is steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­ ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned . Wait unti l no steam or coolan t is
escaping.
- For safety reasons, the hood m ust always be
closed securely while driv ing . Because of
this, always check t he hood afte r closing i t
t o make sure it is latched correct ly . T he
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
- If you no tice that the hood is not latched
while you are d riving, stop immed iately and
close it, because drivi ng when the hood is
not latched increases the r isk of an accident .
191