hood open AUDI A7 2014 Owners Manual

Instrument s and warning /indicator lights 11
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Overv iew of the instrument cluster
CD Coolant temperature gauge .. .
@ Tachometer (eng ine rev counter)
@ Turn signals ............... .
@ Display with
®
®
-Driver information system .. .
- Wa rning/ind icator lights
Tachometer Fuel gauge
@ Tips
11
12
46
24
12
12
The instrument illumination (for dials and
needles) turns on when the ignition is on
and the vehicle lights are turned off. As
the daylight fades, the illumination of the
dials likewise dims automatically and wil l
go out completely when the outside light
is very low. This feature is meant to rem ind
you to switch on the headlights when out­
side light conditions become poor.
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge CD¢ page 11, fig. 3
only works when the ignition is on. To prevent
damage to your eng ine, please note the fol­
l owing important points:
Engine cold
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge
turn on, the eng ine has not reached operating
temperature yet . Avoid high engine speeds,
heavy engine loads and heavy throttle applica­
tions.
Normal temperature
The engine has reached its operating temper­
ature once the LEDs up to the center of the
gauge turn on under normal driving cond i­
t ions. The LEDs higher up may turn on when
the engine is under heavy load or the exterior
temperature is high. This is no need to worry
as long as the. warning light in the instru­
ment cluster does not illuminate. If the LEDs
in the upper area of the disp lay and the indica­
tor light . in the instrument cluster display
turn on, the coolant temperature is too high
¢page 17.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warn ing in
¢ page 22 7, before opening the hood
and checking the engine coolant level.

12 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
-Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dripping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yourself . Let the engine
cool off first until you can no longer see
o r hear steam or coo lant escaping.
@ Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories
i n front of the a ir inlets reduces the cool­
i ng effect of the rad iator . At h igh outside
temperatures or high eng ine load, the
engine could overheat.
- The front spo iler has been designed to
proper ly distribute the cooling air when
t h e ve hicle is moving.
If the spoiler is
dam aged, th is co uld red uce the cooling
effect and the engine co uld then over­
heat . Ask your authorized Audi dea ler for
assistance .
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
If engine RP M drops be low 1,500, yo u should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red a rea
at the end of the sca le indicates maximum
perm iss ib le engine RPM after the break-in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
lector lever to position D/S (Drive) or ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
(D Note
The tachometer needle should on ly br iefly
be in the red zone: you could damage your
engine! The beginn ing of the red zone var­
ies depending on the engine .
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces en­
gine noise.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge only works when the ignition is
on .
If the fuel level d rops below 2 . 6 ga llons (10 liters), the bottom LED turns red and the
indicator light
Em turns on
¢ page 22. The
bottom LED blinks red when the fuel level is
very low.
T he possible range based on the current fuel
level is shown in tab@<=>
page 24, fig . 4 .
(D Note
Never run the tank completely dry. An ir ­
r egular supply of f uel can cause engine
misfiring and fuel could enter the ex ha ust
system . The catalytic converter could then
overheat and be damaged.
Warning/indicator Lights
Description
The ind icator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They indicate funct ions or
malfunctions <=>,& .
Messages may appear with some indicato r
lights. A warning signal will sound at the
same t ime. The indicator lights and messages
in the center of the displays may be rep laced
by other d isplays . To show them again, select
the tab for ind icator lights and messages us­
i ng the multifunction steering wheel
Q page 24. If t here are several malfunc­
t ions, you can display them one at a time us­
ing the thumbwheel.
Some indicato rs lights in the d isplay can turn
on in severa l co lors.
A WARNING
- F ailure to heed w arning l igh ts and other
important vehicle in forma tion may res ult
in ser io us personal inj ury or vehicle dam­
age .
- Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a safe d istance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher<=>
page 45.
-The engine compartment of any motor
veh icle is a potentially hazardous area.
Before you chec k anything in the engine

16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
- If the indicator light and the message ap­
pear
while dri ving , the emergency braking
function may not be available. It may not be
poss ible to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set. Seek professional as­
s istance .
(USA models): If the warning light
1111 and
the warning light
EiJ appear together, imme­
diately contact your authorized Aud i dealer or
qualified workshop to have all brake pads in ­
spected
~ page 21 .
When the light comes on, an audib le warning
signal is also given.
.&_ WARNING
- Always observe the warnings in
~ page 22 7, before opening the hood
and checking the brake fluid .
- Driv ing with low brake fluid is a safety
hazard. Stop the car and get professional
assistance.
- If the 1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada
mode ls) brake system indicator light
tu rns on together with the ABS and ESC
indicator lights, the ABS/ ESC regu lating
function may have failed. Functions that
stabilize the vehicle are no longer availa­
ble. This could cause the vehicle to
swerve and increase the risk of sliding.
Drive carefu lly to the nearest authorized
Audi dealer or other qualif ied workshop
and have the malfunction corrected .
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the
park ing brake is released, or lights up
wh ile you are driv ing, the fluid level in
the brake f luid rese rvoir is too low . If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed
immedi ately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer o r qualified repair
facility and have the brake system in­
spected.
- Always keep in mind that after several
brake applications, yo u will need g reater
pressure on the brake peda l to stop your
vehicle. Do not re ly on stra ined brakes to
respond w ith maximum stopp ing power in critical situations
. You must allow for
increased braking distances. The extra
distance used up by fading brakes could lead to an accident .
PARK/(®) Electromechanical parking brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake .
If the indicator light -(USA models) /.
(Canada mode ls) turns on, the parking brake
was set. If the parking brake is set when the
ignition is off, the indicator ligh t turns off af­
ter about 20 seconds .
The warning/indicator light w ill go out when
the parking brake is re leased.
- (USA model s) /. (Canada m odel s)
Caut ion: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indicator l ight b links and the message
appea rs, there is not enough braking power to
keep the vehicle from roll ing. The b rakes have
overheated . The vehicle could roll away even
on a sma ll incline.
Pre ss brak e ped al to relea se parking brake
To re lease the park ing brake, press the brake
peda l and press t he button
@ii or sta rt driving
with sta rting assist at the same time
~ page 80.
Please re le ase parking brak e
To release the park ing brake manually, press
the brake pedal and press the button
@ii at the
same t ime. The parki ng brake only releases
automat ica lly if the driver's safety belt is fas­
tened .
Ill Parking b rake!
If the Iii indicator lig ht t urns on and this
message appears, there is a parking brake
malfunction . Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunct ion corrected.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
-L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off engine and check coolant level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage appears, the coo lant temperature is too
high or the coo lant level is too low.
.. Pull
off the road.
.. Stop the vehicle .
.. Turn
off the engine.
.. Check coolant level
c> page 235.
.,. Add coolant if necessary c> page 235 .
.. Continue driving only after the eng ine cool­
ant warn ing/ indicator light goes out .
.. Contact your authorized Audi dealer for as-
sistance if necessary .
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the cause of the malfunc­
tion .
• Coolant temperature too high! Please let
engine run with vehicle stationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears in trailer mode*, let the engine
run at idle for a few m inutes to cool down.
A WARNING
- If your veh icle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the engine and turn on the hazard
warning lights¢
page 45, Emergency
flasher.
- Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the en­
gine compartment -you risk being scald­
ed. Wait until you can no longer see or
hear steam or coo lant escaping .
- The engine compartment of any vehicle
is a dangerous area. Before you perform
any work in the engine compartment,
turn of the eng ine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warning stickers¢
page 227.
@ Note
Do not continue driving if the . symbol
ill uminates . There is a malfunction in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your engine.
D Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a mal­
function in the generator or in the vehicle 's
electrical system .
The .warn ing/ indicator light illuminates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the eng ine has started .
• Alternato r fault : Battery is not being
charged
If t he indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
generator or vehicle electrical system .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop immed iate ly. Because the vehi­
cle battery is discharging, turn off all unnec ­
essary e lectrical equipment such as the radio.
Seek professiona l assistance if the battery
charge level is too low.
(•) Low battery: battery will be charged
while driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ability .
If this message turns off after a little while,
the battery charged enough while driving.
If the message does not turn
off, have your
authorized Aud i dea ler or qualified workshop
correct the malfunction.
4t Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
The . warn ing/ indicator light illum inates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
the driver and any front passenge r to put on ..,.

30 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Display brightness
You can adjust the display brightness in the
MMI. The display brightness decreases auto ­
matica lly as the amo unt of light decreases.
The basic leve l of brightness is adjusted with
the instrument illumination
c:> page 47.
(D Note
To prevent scratches on the glass covering
the Head-up Disp lay, do not place any ob­
jects in the projection opening.
@ Tips
- Sunglasses with polarization fi lters and
unfavorable lighting conditions can af­
fect the display.
- A specia l windshield is needed for the
Head-up Display function.
- For information on cleaning, refer to
c:> table on poge 215.
On-Board Diagnostic
system (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) II! in
the instrument cluster is part of the On-Board
Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The warning/indicator light illuminates when
the ignition is switched on and goes o ut after
the engine starts and the idle has stabilized.
This indicates that the MIL is working proper­
ly .
If the light does not go out after the engine
is started, or illuminates while you are driv­
ing, a ma lfunction may exist in the engine sys­
tem. If the light illuminates, the catalytic con­
verter could be damaged.
Continue driving
with reduced power (avoid­
ing sustained high speeds and/or rapid accel­
erations) and have the condition corrected.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer .
If the light illuminates, the electronic speed
limiter may also be malfunctioning. For more information
r=.> page 31,
Electronic speed
limiter .
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
c:> page 221.
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig. 16 Locat ion of Data L ink Con nector (DLC)
On-Board D iagnost ics monitors the compo­
nents of your em iss ion control system . Each
monitored component in your engine system
has been assigned a code . In case of a mal­
function, the component will be identified
and the fault stored as a code in the control
module memory.
T he MIL light may also illuminate if there is a
leak in the on-board fuel vapor recovery sys­
tem.
If the light illum inates after a refuelling,
stop the vehicle and make sure the fuel filler
cap is properly closed
c:> page 221.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the
stored data can only be displayed using spe ­
cial diagnostic equipment (generic scan tool
for OBD).
In order to connect the special diagnostic
equipment, push the plug into the Data Link
Connector (DLC). The DLC is located to the
right of the hood release
r=.> fig . 16 .
Your authorized Audi dea ler or a qualified
serv ice station can interpret the code and per­
form the necessary repair.
A WARNING
Do not use the diagnostic connector for
personal use. Incorrect usage can cause

34 Openin g and clo sing
for another vehicle or a transponder is
located on the key ring.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions ~
page 288.
Power locking system
General description
The power locking system locks or unlocks all
doors and the rear lid simultaneously.
You can lock and unlock the vehicle centrally.
You have the following choices:
- Remote master key~
page 35,
-Door handles with convenience key*
~ page 36,
-Lock cy linder at the dr iver's door
¢ page 37, or
- Power lock ing switch inside
¢ page 37.
Select ive unlocking
When you lock the vehicle, the power locking
system w ill lock the doors and the rear lid .
When unlocking, you can set in the MMI
whether only the driver 's door o r the entire
vehicle should be unlocked ¢
page 35.
Automatic locking
The automat ic locking feature locks all the ve­
h icle doors and the rear l id when you drive
faster tha n 9 mph (15 km/h).
The car is unlocked again, when the opening
function in the power locking system sw itch
or at one of the door levers is actuated . The
Auto Lock function can be turned on and off in
the MMI
¢ page 35.
Anti-theft alarm warning sy stem
If the anti -theft alarm warning system de­
tects a break- in into the vehicle, acoust ic and
visua l warning signals are triggered.
The anti-theft warning system is activated au­
tomatically when you lock the vehicle . It is de ­
activated when unlocking using the remote key, with the mechanical key, and when you
sw itch the ignition on. T
he alarm also turns off when the a larm cycle
has expired .
Turn signals
When you unlock the veh icle, the turn s ignals
flash twice. When you lock the vehicle the
turn s ignals flash once. If they do not flash,
one of the doors, the rear lid or the hood is
not locked.
Unint entionally locking your self out
In the follow ing cases there safeguards to
prevent yo u lock ing yo ur remo te master key i n
the vehicle :
- The vehicle does not lock w ith the central
loc king switch ¢
page 3 7 if the drive r's
door is open.
- On veh icles with co nvenience key*, if the
most recently used master key is in the lug­
gage compartment, the rear lid is a utomat i­
cally un locked again after it is closed.
Do not lock your veh icle w ith the
remot e ma s­
t e r ke y or co nv eni enc e ke y*
until all doors
and the rear lid are closed . In this way you
avoid lock ing you rsel f out accidentally .
Power side door clo ser *
The veh icle doors are equipped with a power
s ide door closer. When closing a door, you on­
ly h ave to let it fall light ly into the latch. The
door will then automatically close by itself
¢ & .
A WARNING
-When you lock yo ur vehicle from o utside,
nobody -especially children -shou ld re­
main inside the vehicle. Remember,
when you lock the vehicle from the out­ side the windows cannot be opened from
the inside.
- When you leave the veh icle, always take
the ignition key w ith you . Th is w ill pre­
vent passenge rs (children, for example)
from accidenta lly being locked in the ve­
h icle should they accidentally press the
power locking sw itch in the doors.
~

36 Openin g and clo sing
• Press button rfl (@ ) to lock the vehicle¢ &
in General description on page 34.
• Press button c:s (@ ) briefly to un lock the
rear lid.
• Push the red
IPANICI button( @) to activate
the panic function . The horn sounds and the
turn s ignals flash. Push the red
I PANIC I but­
ton aga in to deact ivate the panic function.
If the vehicle is unlocked and no door, the rear lid or the hood is opened with in 60 seconds,
the vehicle locks itself again automatically .
This feature prevents the ve hicle from be ing
accidenta lly left unlocked ove r a long period
of time.
It depends on the sett ings in the MMI wheth­
e r the enti re veh icle is un locked or on ly cer­
tain doors ¢
page 35.
.&_ WARNING
Read and follow a ll WARNINGS¢ &. in
General description on page 34.
{D Tips
- In order to make sure the locking func­
tion is working, you shou ld always keep
you r eye on the vehicle to make su re i t is
properly locked.
-
- Do not use the remote control if you are
i nside the car, o therwise you may unin­
tentiona lly lock the vehicle, and then you
would set off the anti-theft alarm when
you try to start the engine or open a
door. In case this happens anyhow, push
the un lock button @.
- The vehicle can on ly be locked when the
se lector lever is in the P posit ion.
- Use the panic funct ion only i f you are in
an emergency situation.
Locking and unlocking with convenience
key
Appl ies to vehicles : wi th convenience key
The doors and the rear lid can be unlocked
and locked without operating the master key.
Fi g. 2 1 Co nve nienc e key: Lock ing the vehicle
Unlocking vehicle
• Take ho ld of the door handle . T he door is un-
locked automatically .
• Pull the handle to open the door.
Locking vehicle
• Select the P se lec to r lever posit ion. Othe r­
w ise the vehicle cannot be loc ked.
• To lock the veh icle, close the door and touch
the sensor in the door handle
once ¢ fig . 21 .
Do not reach inside the door handle.
T he vehicle can be locked and un locked at any
door . The master key must be within a range
of about 1.5 m from the appropriate door or
the rear lid. It makes no difference whether
the master key is in your jacket pocket or in
your brief case.
It is not possib le to re-open the door for a
brief period directly after closing it. This a l­
l ows you to ensure that the doors are properly
locked.
It depends on the settings in t he MMI wheth ­
er the ent ire vehicle is unlocked or one of the
doors ¢
page 35 .
.&_ WARNING ~ -
Read and follow all WARNINGS ¢.&. in
General description on page 34 .

50 Clear vis ion
Wiper servi ce po sition /blade rep lacem ent
po sit ion
• Switch the ignition off and move the wind­
shield wiper lever to position @¢
page 48,
fig. 42. The windshield wipers move into the
service position.
• To bring the wipers back into the original
pos ition, switch the ignition on and press
the windshie ld wiper lever.
You can also turn the service position on or
off
in the MMI:
• Switch the w indshield wipers off (posit ion
@ ¢page 48, fig. 42).
• Se lect: I CAR I funct ion button> (C ar)* sys·
tern s
control button > Servicing & ch eck s >
Wip er serv ice po sition > On .
R em oving the wip er blade
• Lift the w indshield wiper arm up from the
wi ndshield.
• Press the locking knob
(D ~ fig. 43 on the
wiper blade. Hold t he wiper blade firm ly.
• Remove the wiper blade in the direction of
the arrow .
Attaching th e wiper blade
• Install the new wipe r blade in the retaine r
on the w iper arm @until you hear it cl ick in­
to place on the wiper arm.
• Place the wiper arm back on the windshie ld .
• Turn the service pos ition
off .
A WARNING
-
For your safety, yo u should replace the
wiper blades once or tw ice a year. See your
authorized Audi dealer for rep lacement
blades.
(D Note
- The windshield wiper blades must on ly
be folded away when in the service posi­
tion! Otherwise, you risk damaging the paint on the hood or the w indshield wip·
er moto r.
- You should not
move your vehicle or
press the w indshield w iper lever when
the wip er arms are folded away from the w
indshield. The windsh ield wipers wou ld
move back into their original position
and co uld damage the hood and wind­
shield.
- To help prevent damage to the wiper sys­
tem, always loosen blades wh ich are fro­
zen to the windshield before operating
w ipers.
- To help prevent damage to wiper blades,
do not use gasoline, kerosene, paint
thinner, or other solvents on o r near the
w iper blades.
- To help prevent damage to the wiper
arms or other components, do not at­
tempt to move the wipe rs by hand.
¢j) Tips
- Commercial hot waxes applied by auto·
matic car washes affect the cleanability
of the windshie ld.
- You can also use the se rvice position, for
example, if you want to protect the
w indshield from icing by using a cover.
- You can not activate the service position
when the hood is open .
Mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
Fig. 44 Forward section of driver 's arm rest: power mir·
ror controls
Turn the knob to the desired posit ion :
Q/P -In this pos ition, yo u can adjust the
driver's and front passenger's exterior mirrors
by turning the knob in the desired direction.
4iil -The m irrors are heated depend ing on the
outside tempera ture. .,._

112 Automatic Tran sm iss ion
8_ WARNING
-The vehicle can also roll when the engine
is stopped .
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine running whi le in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running, act ivate the park ing brake and move the
selector lever to P.
- Power is st ill transmitted to the wheels
when the eng ine is running at idle . To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the b rake when
the engine is runn ing and the se lector
lever is in D/S or R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected .
- Do no t press the accelera tor pedal when
changing the selector lever position
whi le the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never shift into
R or P whi le driving.
- Be fore driv ing down a steep slope, re -
duce you r speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
peda l too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substant ially re­
duces braking performance, increases
braking d istance or causes comp lete fail­
ure of the brake system.
- To prevent the veh icle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it in place with the brake peda l or parking
brake.
- Never hold the veh icle on an incl ine with
a slipp ing clutch . The clutch opens auto­
matically when it becomes too hot from
the ove rload. An ind icator lamp
[O] illu­
minates and a dr iver message appears
¢ page 114 when the clutch is overload ­
ed.
- If the eng ine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and is locked in P w
it h the park ing brake set
¢ page 227. Otherw ise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo­
tion, even with the parking brake ap­ plied.
(D Note
- When stopping on an incl ine, do not try
to hold t he vehicle in place by pressing
the acce lerator pedal while a driving gear
is se lected. This ca n cause the transmis­
sion to ove rheat and can damage it . Acti­
vate the pa rking brake or press the bra ke
peda l to preven t the vehicle from roll ing.
- Allowing th e vehicle to ro ll when the en­
gine is stopped and the selecto r lever is
in N will d amage the tr ansmission be­
cause it is not l ubricated unde r those cir ­
cumstances .
(D Tips
Fo r saf ety reaso ns, the pa rking br ake is re­
l eased automatically on ly when the d riv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h S t ronic/tiptro nic
The hill descent control system assis ts the
driver when driving down declines.
Hill des cent con trol is activated when these­
lector lever is in D/S and yo u press the brake
peda l. The transmission automatica lly selects
a gear that is suitable for the incline . Hi ll de ­
scent contro l tries to maintain the speed ach ­
ieved at the time of braking, within phys ica l
and technical lim itations. If may st ill be nec­
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes .
Hill descent cont ro l switches off once the de­
cline leve ls out or you press the acce lerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise contro l system*
¢ page 84, hill descent control is also activat-
ed when the speed is set. .,..

17 2 Airbag syst em
larger, unclosed openings in the door
panel.
- Never drive w ith inter ior door trim pan­
e ls removed.
- Never drive when parts have been re­ moved from the ins ide doo r panel and
the openings they leave have not been p roperly closed.
- Never d rive when loudspeakers in the
doors have bee n removed unless the
spea ker holes have been properly
closed.
-Always ma ke certa in that openings are
covered or fi lled if additional speakers
or other equ ipment is installed in the
inside door panels.
- Always have work on the doors done by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop .
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide
supplemental protection to properly restrain ­
ed occupants.
Fi g. 1 69 Side curtain a irbags, d river 's side: side curta in
a ir bag location
The s ide curtain airbags are located o n both
sides of the interior above the front and rea r
side windows
c:.> fig. 169. They are ident ified
by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshield
frame and the center roof p illar.
The s ide curtain airbag system supp lements
the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury for occupants' heads and upper
torso o n the side of the vehicle tha t is struc k in a side collision
. The side curtain airbag in­
flates in side impacts and only when the vehi­
cle acceleration registered by the control un it
is h igh enough . If this rate is below the refer­
ence value programmed into the control unit,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
t h ough the car may be bad ly damaged as a re­
su lt of the co llision .
It is not possib le to de­
fine an airbag triggering range that will cover every possib le ang le of impact, s ince the cir­
cumstances will vary cons iderably between
one collision and another. Important factors
include, for example, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the angle of impact,
vehicle speed, etc .
c:,, page 173, How side cur­
tain airbags work .
Aside from their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to help keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a colli­
sion so that the side curtain airbags can pro­
vide protection .
The airbag system is not a substit ute for your
safety belt . Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your vehicle. Al­
ways remember that the a irbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wear ing
you r saf ety belt and wearing it properly . This
is anothe r reason why yo u should always wear
yo ur safe ty belts, no t just because the law re ­
quires yo u to do soc:.>
page 140, General
notes .
It is important to remember that w hile the
s ide cur tain airbag system is designed to help
reduce the likelihood of ser ious injur ies, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, fric­
tion burns and minor abrasions can also be as­
sociated w ith these airbags upon dep loyment.
Remember too, these airbags will deploy only
once and only in certain kinds of accidents -
your safety belts are always there to offer pro ­
tection.
The side curtain airbag sy stem basic ally
cons ists of:
- The electronic control module and external
side impact sensors ..,..