airbag AUDI A6 2018 Owner's Guide

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat instal­
led on the front passenger seat will be seri ­
ously injured and can be killed if the front air­
bag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child seat or
infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear-facing child seats on the
rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of
exceptional circumstances and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear­
facing child seat in a rear seating position and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash by interfer­
ing with the way the airbag unfolds or by be­
ing pushed into you as the airbag inflates .
- Never hold things in your hands or on your
lap when the vehicle is in use .
- Never transport items on or in the area of
the front passenger seat. Objects could
move into the area of the front airbags dur­
ing braking or other sudden maneuvers and
become dangerous projectiles that can
cause serious personal injury if the airbags
inflate.
- Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone
brackets, large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked
"AIRBAG" on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourself. These objects could 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-
-
Airbag system
bag during braking or in a sudden maneu­
ver. Objects near the airbags can become projectiles and cause injury, particularly
when the seat is reclined .
- Never place or transport objects on the
front passenger seat. Objects on the front passenger seat could cause the capacitive
sensor in the seat to signal to airbag system
that the seat is occupied by a person when it
in fact is not, or that the person on the seat
is heavier than he or she actually is. The
change in electric capacitance because of
such objects can cause the passenger front
airbag to be turned on when it should be
off, or can cause the airbag to work in a way
that is different from the way it would have
worked without objects on the seat.
- Always make sure that there is nothing on the front passenger seat that will cause the
capacitive passenger detection system in
the seat to signal to the Airbag System that
the seat is occupied by a person when it is not , or to signal that it is occupied by some­
one who is heavier than the person actually
sitting on the seat. The presence of an ob­
ject could cause the passenger front airbag to be turned on when it should be off, or
could cause the airbag to work in a way that is different from the way it would have
worked without the object on the seat.
A WARNING ...__ -
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can
cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing condi­
tions .
- To reduce the risk of breathing problems,
those with asthma or other respiratory con­
ditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening win­
dows or doors.
- If you are in a collision in which airbags de­
ploy, wash your hands and face with mild
soap and water before eating.
- Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes,
or into any cuts or scratches.
- If the residue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water.
153

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
.,..

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' the front passenger seat. Always make sure that
the safety belt for the front passenger seat is
properly fastened .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will show
the status of the front seat passenger's frontal
Advanced Airbag a few seconds after the igni­
tion is switched on and the airbag indicator
light goes off. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light:
- wi ll stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied;
- wi ll stay on if the electrical capacitance meas­
ured by the capacitive passenger detection sys­
tem for the front passenger seat equals the
combined capacitance of an infant up to about
one year of age and one of the rearward-facing
or forward-facing ch ild restraints listed in Fed­
eral Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w ith
wh ich the Advanced Airbag System in your veh i­
cle was certified; Fo r a listing of the child re ­
straints that were used to certify your vehicle 's
compliance with the U.S. Safety Standard
¢page 168.
-will go out if the front passenger seat is occu­
pied by an adult as registered by th e capacitive
passenger detection system.
- T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come
on and stay on if the ignition is on and ...
- a car bed has been insta lled on the front pas­
senger seat, or
- a rearward -facing child rest raint has been in­
sta lled on t he front passenger seat, or
- a fo rwa rd -facing child restra int has bee n in stal­
l ed on the front passenger seat,
- and if the e lectr ical capacitance reg istered on
the front passenger seat is eq ual to or less th an
the combined capacitance of a typica l 1 year­
o ld infant and one of the rearward-facing or
forward-facing chi ld restraints 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 wi ll not dep loy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-fac ing c hild restraint on the front pas­
senger seat, the safest place for a child in any
Airbag system
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po ­
sitions on the rear
seat ¢ page 143, Child re­
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 166, Child safety.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light comes
on ...
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
ta in that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on continuously whenever the ignition is
on . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not appear on and does not stay on all the time,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
- reactivate the system by turning the ignit ion
off for more than 4 seconds and then turning it
on again;
- remove and re install the ch ild restraint. Make
sure that the chi ld restraint is properly insta l­
led and that the safety belt for the front pas­
senge r seat has been correct ly routed through
the child restraint as described in the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions;
-ma ke sure that the convertible lock ing retrac­
tor on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been activated and that the safety belt
has been pulled tight.
- make sure that no electrica l device (such as a
laptop, CD p layer, e lectronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for chi ld seats) is
placed or used on the front passenger seat if
the device is connected to the 12-volt socket or
the cigarette lighter socket;
- make sure that no seat heater has been retro­
fitted or otherw ise added to the front passen ­
ger seat;
- make sure that not hing can interfere with the
safety belt buckles and t hat they are not ob­
structed;
- make sure that there are no wet objects (such
as a wet towel) and no water or other liquids on
the front passenger seat cushion .
.,.
155

Airbag syste m
If the PA SSENGE R AIR BAG light still do es
not c om e on ...
If the PASSENGER AIR B AG OFF light still does
not come on and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on),
- take the child restraint off t he front passenger
seat and install it properly at one of the rear
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect­ ed by your Audi dealer immediately .
- move the chi ld to a rear seat position and make
sure that the child is properly restra ined in a
child restraint that is appropriate for its size
and age .
The PASSENG ER AIR BAG light should NOT
come on ...
The PA SSENGER AIR B AG OFF light shou ld NOT
come on whe n the ignition is on and an adult is
sitt ing 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
S seconds wh ile d riving, under these circ umstan­
ces, make s ure that:
- the adult on the front passenger seat is proper­
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up ag ainst the ba ckrest and the
ba ckrest is not re clined,
- the adu lt is not ta king weig ht off t he seat by
hold ing on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or s upporting
their weight on the armrest,
- the safety be lt is be ing p roperly wo rn and that
the re is not a lot of slack in the sa fety be lt web ­
bing,
- the re are no aftermarket seat covers or cush ­
ions or other things (such as blankets) on the
front passenger seat that might cause the ca ­
pacitive passenger detection system to miscal­
cu late electrical capacitance.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
- If the status of the Adv a need Airbag System
has changed while the vehicle is moving, the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light blinks for
156
about S seconds to catch the driver's atten­
tion. If this happens, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the steps descri­
bed above .
- If the
PA SS EN GER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go off when an adult who is not very
small is sitting on the front passenger seat
after taking the steps described above, make sure the adu lt is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating posi­
tions. Have the a irbag system inspected by
your author ized Audi dealer befo re trans­
porting anyone on the front passenger seat .
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental protection in a fronta l crash.
- If the airbag indicator light ¢
page 16
comes when the vehicle 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 inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front a irbag inflates, a ch ild without a
chi ld restraint, or in a rea rwa rd-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-fac ing ch ild re­
stra int that has not been prope rly insta lled
will be ser iously injured and can be killed.
- Even tho ugh you r vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced A irbag System, make certain
that a ll children, espec ia lly 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat prop­ erly rest rained for thei r age and size.
-Always install forward or rear -facing child
seats on the rear seat -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- If you must install a rearward-facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of
except ional circumstances and the
PA SSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear and
stay on, immediate ly install the rear-facing
child seat in a rear seat ing pos ition and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dea le r.
II)-

a co .... N
" 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
..,.

a co ,...,
N
" N ,...,
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

a co .... N
" N .... 0 0 \,;J ' The side airbags are located in t he sides of the
front seat backrests
c:!;>fig . 157 and the rear back­
rest facing the doors . They are identified by the
word "AIRBAG".
The side airbags installed for the front seating
positions have been designed and certified to
he lp reduce the risk of injury that can be caused
by airbags when they inflate, particularly when
the occupant sitt ing next to it is not seated prop­
erly. The s ide airbag for the front passenger seat
can be used with properly installed child re­
stra ints. Please be sure to read the important in­
formation and wa rnings whenever us ing a child
rest raint in a ve hicle: Safety belts
¢page 134,
Airbag system <:!;>page 142, Chi ld safety
¢page 166.
Th e s ide airbag system ba sically con sis ts of :
-the electron ic control module and externa l side
i mpact sensors
- the two airbags located in the sides of the front
backrests and the two airbags* located in the
rear back rest
- the a irbag warning light in the instrument cl us-
ter .
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that it is functioning properly at all
times . Each time you switch on the ign ition, the
a irbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics).
The s ide airbag system supp lements the safety
belts and can help to reduce the risk of in jury to
the dr iver's, front and rear passenger's upper tor­
so on the side of the veh icle t hat is struck in a
side coll is io n. T he a irbag dep loys only i n side im­
pacts and o nly when the veh icle accelerat ion reg ­
istered by the contro l un it is high enough. If this
rate is below the reference value programmed in ­
to the control unit, the side airbags wi ll not be
tr iggered, even though the car may be bad ly
damaged as a result of the collision. It is not pos­
sib le to define an airbag tr igger ing range that
will cover every possib le ang le of impact, s ince
the c ircumsta nces will vary cons iderably between
one co llision and another. Important facto rs in­
clude, for example, t he natu re (hard or soft) of
the impact ing object, t he a ngle of impact, vehicle
Airbag syste m
speed, etc. ¢ page 16 2, Important safety in ­
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from the ir norm al safety funct ion, safety
belts work to help keep the dr iver o r front pas ­
senger in position in the event o f a side co llision
so that the side airbags can provide protection .
T he air bag system is
not a substitute fo r you r
sa fety be lt. Ra ther, i t is pa rt of the overall occ u­
pant restraint system in your vehi cle. Always re ­
member that the side airbag system can only
help to protect you if you are wear ing you r safety
belt and wear ing it properly. This is another rea­
son why you should a lways wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
soc:!;> page 134, General information .
It is important to remember that while the sup­
plementa l side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other inju ­
ries, for example, swelling, bru is ing, friction
bur ns and m ino r abras ions can also be assoc iated
with deployed s ide airbags. Remember too, s ide
airbags will deploy only once and only in certa in
ki nds of accidents
-your safety belts are a lways
the re to offer protection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs o r even the lack of
vehicle damage a re not necessar ily an ind ic a tion
of over-sens it ive or fa iled air bag ac tiva tion . In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may
inflate. Remember too, that airbags wi ll dep loy
on ly once and only in certain kinds of collisions
-
your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
t ion in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have al ready
deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy :
- when the ignition is switched off
- in side co llisions whe n the accele ration meas -
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front -end col lisions
- in rea r-end co llisions
- in rollovers.
In some types of accidents the front a irbags, side
curtain airbags and s ide a irbags may be tr iggered
togethe r.
..,
161

Airbag system
~ WARNING
-Safety belts and the a irbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
¢ page 162 .
-If the airbag indicator 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
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained .
Fig. 158 Inflated side airbags on left side of veh icle , rear
side a irbag
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 166, Child
safety .
Supplemental side airbags inflate be­
tween the occupant and the door pane l on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
coll is ion ¢ fig. 158.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
162
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper part
of the body.
A fine d ust may develop when the a irbag deploys.
This is norma l and does not mean the re is a fire
in the vehicle.
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 according ly 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 s it in an upright position and never
lean against the area where the supple-
mental side airbag is located.
-Never let a child or anyone e lse 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 s itting 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 replacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifical ly approved by
Audi.
-Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags de-
ploy.
~