airbag off AUDI Q7 2011 Owner´s Manual

Ill Airbag system
----=------------------------------
belt is not being used, t he first stage dep loys, followed by the second
stage a fter a mu ch later time in the c rash seq uence .
If the electronic control un it reg isters a crash of medium severity, the
first stage of the airbag deploys fo llowed by the second stage at a
much la ter t ime in the crash sequence -regard less of whethe r th e
safety belt is being used or not. In higher sever ity crashes as regis­
t ere d by t he elect ronic con tro l u ni t, both the first and second stages
dep loy almost at the same time.
On the passenger side, regardless of safety be lt use, the a irbag will
be turned off if the we ight on the passenger seat is less than the
amount prog rammed in the electronic contro l unit. The front airbag
on the passenge r side w ill a lso be turned off if one of the ch ild safety
seats that has been certified under Federa l Moto r Vehicle Safety
Standar d 208 has bee n recognized o n th e seat. The
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light comes on and stays on to tell you w hen the front
Advanced Airbag o n the passenger side has been tu rned off
~ page 213, "Ch ild restraints on the front seat -some important
t hings to know" .
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflate s, always wear
safety belts properly .
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sidewa ys or
out of position in any way , your risk of inju ry 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~
page 211. •
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fi g. 2 02 Inflate d
front a irb ags
Safety belts are important to he lp keep front seat occupants in the
pro per seated pos ition so that a irbags can unfold prope rly and
prov ide supp lemental protect ion in a frontal collision.
Th e front airbags are designed to provide add itio na l protec tion for
the c hest and face of the driver and the front sea t passenge r when:
• safety belts are worn properly
• the seats have been posit ioned so that the occupant is prope rly
seated as far as possible from the airbag
• and the head restraints have been properly adjusted
Because air bags inflate in the b link of a n eye w it h great force, things
you have on your lap o r have place d on the seat cou ld become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the a irbag inf lates.
When a n airbag dep loys, fine dust is released. This is normal and is
not caused by a fire in the vehicle. This dust is made up mostly of a
powder used to l ubricate the ai rbags as they deploy.
It could irritate
skin .
It is important to remember that while the supp lemental airbag
system is desig ned to reduce the li ke lihood of serious injur ies, other
injuries, for example swelling, b ruising and m inor abras ions, can also
happen when airbags infl ate. Airbags do not p rotect the arms or the ..,_

Airbag system -----------------=---=----
lower parts of the body. Front a irbags s upplement the t hree-poi nt
sa fety belts o nly in some fro ntal collis ions in which the vehicle decel­
eration is high enough to dep loy the a irbags .
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occ urs
• in s ide collis ions
• in rea r-end collisions
• in rollovers
• when the crash decelerat io n me asured by the a irbag system is less
than the min imum threshold needed for a irbag deployment as reg is­
tered by the e lectron ic con trol un it
The front passenger airbag also will not deploy:
• when t he fron t passenger sea t is no t oc cupied
• when the weight on the front passenger seat as sensed by the
Advanced Ai rbag System in dicates that the front airbag o n the
passenger side has to be turned off by the e lectronic control unit (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght comes on and stays on)
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the ri sk of ser iou s injury
in crashes.
• To redu ce the risk of injury when the airbags inflate, the driver
and pas sengers mu st always sit in an upright position , mu st not
lean against or place any part of th eir body too close to the area
where the airbags are lo cated.
• Occupants who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the
airbag can be seriou sly injured by an airbag a s it unfolds with
great force in th e blink of an eye =>
page 213 .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child
safety se at installed on the front
pas senger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - ev en with an Ad vanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
c arrier with great force and will smash the child safety s eat and
c hild against the backre st, center armre st, d oor or roof .
• Always install rear -facing child safet y seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the
front passenger se at because of e xceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light do es not come on and stay on ,
immediately install the rear -facing child s afety seat in a rear
s eating po sition and h ave the airbag system inspe cted by your
authoriz ed Audi d ealer.
& WARNING
Object s between you and the airbag will increase the r isk of inju ry
in a cra sh by int erfering with the way the airb ag unfold s or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
• Never hold things in your hand s or on your lap when the vehicle
i s in use.
• Never tran sport items on o r in the are a of the fr ont pa ssenger
seat. Obje ct s c ould move into the area of the front ai rbag s during
braking or other sudden maneu ver s and become dang erous
projectiles that can c au se se rious per sonal injury if the ai rbags
infl ate.
• Never pla ce o r attach accessories or othe r objects (such a s
cupholders, telephone brac kets, large , heavy or bulky object s) on
the doo rs, over o r near the are a marked
"AIRBAG " on the stee ring
wheel, in strum ent panel , se at ba ckre sts or between th ose area s
and yourself . These objects could cause injur y in a crash , especially
when the airbags infl ate .
9"'
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Airbag system
PMI------=----------------
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects.
Items can also move into the area of the s ide airbag or the front
airbag 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 tilt the front pa ssenger seat backrest forward when the
vehicle is moving. An inflating ai rbag will force the backrest back ­
ward and can injure rear seat occupants.
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cau se breathing
problem s for people with a history of a sthma or other breathing
condition s.
• To reduce the ri sk of breathing problems, those with asthma or
other respiratory conditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening windows or door s.
• If you are in a collision in which airbags deploy , 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
scratche s.
• If the residue should get into your eyes, flush them with
water. •
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light t !
T wo separate indicators mon it o r the funct io n of the
Adv anced Airb ag System: the airbag mon it ori ng indicat or
light and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
The Advanced A irbag System (includ ing the electronic contro l unit,
s e nsor c ircui ts a nd sys tem wi ring) is mon ito red conti nuous ly to ma ke
sure that it is funct ion ing properly whenever the ign ition is on. Each
ti me you turn on the ignit io n, the airbag mon itorin g indic ator light
I
w ill come o n fo r a few seconds (self d iagnostics).
The system must be inspected when the indicator
light ~:
• does not come on when t he ign it ion is switched on
• does not go out a few seconds after you have switched on the igni­
tion, or
• comes on while driving
If an a irbag system malfunction is detected, t he in dicator lig ht w ill
first start flashing to catch t he d river's attention and then stay on
con tinuous ly to serve as a constant reminder to have t he system
inspected immediately.
If a ma lf u nctio n occur s that t urns t he fron t airbag on the passenger
side off, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not fun ctioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System. It is .,..

Airbag system -----------------=--=---
& WARNING (continued)
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should.
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your autho·
rized Audi dealer. •
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 203 Section from
the instrument panel:
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center of the
instrument panel=> fig. 203.
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 restraint on the front
passenger seat
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied 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
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
• a car bed has been installed on the front seat, or
• a rearward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passengerseat,or
• a forward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passengerseat,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 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 will not
deploy, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on. Never
install a rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
the safest place for a child in any kind of child restraint is at one of the
seating positions on the rear seat=>
page 213, "Child restraints on
the front seat -some important things to know" and=>
page 233,
"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 certain 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 ignition
off and then turning
it on again;
• remove and reinstall the child restraint . Make sure that the child
restraint is properly installed and that the safety belt for the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed through the child restraint
as described in the child restraint manufacturer 's instructions;
• make sure that the convertible locking feature 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=>
page 243. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-L___:_A~ i r'....: b~ a ::::: gL:: s~y -=s ::..:t :.:e :..: m..:..:.. ______________________________________________ _
• make sure that thi ngs that may increase the weig ht o f the child
and ch ild safe ty se at are not be ing transported on t he front
passenger seat;
• make sure that the safety belt tens ion sensor is not blocked.
Shake the safety belt latch on the front passenger seatback and forth;
• If a strap or tether is being used to t ie the child safety seat to the
front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes
t he weight-sensing mat to meas ure more weight than is actua lly on
the seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight still doe s not come on and
does not stay on cont inuously (when the ignition is switched on),
• take the child restraint off the f ront passenger seat and install it
properly at one of the rear seat positions . Have the airbag sys tem
inspected by your authori zed Audi dealer immediately .
• move the child to a rea r seat position and ma ke s ure that the child
is properly restrained in a ch ild restraint that is appropriate for its
size and age .
The
PA SSENG ER AIR BAG OFF light should NOT come on when the
ignition is on and an adult is sitting i n a proper seating position on the
front passenger seat . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on or flashes for abo ut 5 seconds while driving, under these
circumstances, make sure that:
• the adult on the front passenger seat is properly seated on the
c en ter of the sea t cushion wi th his or her back up against the backrest
and the backrest is not reclined::::;,
page 192, "Proper occupant
seating positions",
• the adult is not taking weight off the seat by holding on to the
passenge r assis t handle above the fron t passenger door or
supporting their weight on the armrest,
• t he safety bel t is be ing properly wor n and that the re is not a lot of
slack in the safety belt webb ing,
• accessory seat cove rs or cushions o r othe r th ings that may ca use
an incor rect read ing or impress ion on the weight-sensing mat under the upholstery of the seat have bee
n removed from the front
p assenge r seat,
• a safety belt extender has not been left in the safety belt latch for
t he front passenge r se at.
In add it io n to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the center of the
instrument panel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON will br iefly appear in the instrument cluster
display . This is to inform the driver of the current front passenger
airbag status .•
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An a irbag syst em that is not fun ction ing properly cannot provide
supplemental protect ion in a frontal crash.
• If th e airbag indic ator light comes on , it means th at there may
be something wrong with the Advanc ed Airbag S ystem . It i s
poss ible that th e airbag will inflat e when it is not suppos ed to , or
will not inflate when it should.
• Have the a irb ag system inspected immediately by your autho ­
rized Audi dealer .
& WARNING
If the front airb ag inflate s, a child without a child restraint, or in
a rearwa rd -facing child safet y seat, o r in a fo rwa rd-facing child
re straint that h as not b een properl y install ed will be seriou sly
i njured and can b e killed.
• Even though your v ehicl e is equipped with an Advan ced Airbag
S y stem , ma ke certain that all children , especi ally 1 2 yea rs and
y ounger, alway s ride on the back seat properly restra ined for their
a ge and size . .,,_

Airbag system Ill
----------------=--=---
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Always install forward or rear-facing child safety seats on the
rear seat - even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• If you must install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circum stances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on ,
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating pos ition and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• A tight tether or other strap on a rearward-facing child
restraint attached to the front passenger seat can put too much
pressure on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and register more
weight than is actually on the seat. The heavier weight registered can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advan ced Airbag when it must be suppres sed
caus ing serious or e ven fatal injury to the child.
• 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 adju st­
ment 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.
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s 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 posit ions.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer before transporting anyone on the front passenger seat.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
(I] Tips
If the we
ight-se nsin g mat in the fro nt passenge r seat detec ts a n
empty seat , the front airbag on the passenger s ide will be t urned off,
a nd the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will sta y on .
a
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the ai rbag syste m are inst alled a t many diffe re nt pla ces on
your Audi. Installing, removing, serv ic ing o r repairing a part in a n
area of t he vehicle c an damage a par t of an a irbag sys tem and preve nt
that system from working proper ly in a coll is ion.
Th ere are some importa nt things you have to know to ma ke sure t hat
t he effectiv eness of the system will not be impai red and that
discarde d components do not cause injury or pollute t he env iron ­
m en t.
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover, obstru ct, or change the steering wheel horn pad or
a irbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way .
• Never atta ch any objects such as cupholders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units .
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain wate r. Solvents or cleaners
c ould damage the airbag cover or change the stiffne ss or strength
of the mater ial so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop­
erly.
• Never repair, adjust , or change any parts of the airbag system .
• All work on the steering wheel, instrument panel, front seats
or electrical system (including the installation of audio equip -
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ i_ r_b _ a_ g=- s_, y"-- s_t _e _m ______________________________________________ _
is below the reference value programmed into the cont rol unit, the
side airba gs w ill no t be triggered, even though t he car may be b ad ly
damaged as a result of the collision. It is not possible to define an
airbag tr iggering range that w ill cover every possible angle of impact,
since the circumstances will vary considerably 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.~
page 229, "Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system" .
Aside from the ir normal safety function, safety be lts work to help
keep the d river or front passenger in posit ion in the event of a side
co llision so that the side airbags can provide protection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it is
part of the ove rall occupant restraint system in your veh icle. Always
remember that the side airbag system can only help to protect you if
you a re wearing your safety belt and wearing it p rope rly. This is
another reason why you shou ld always wear your safety belts, not just
because the law requires you to do so~
page 201, "General no tes" .
It is important to remembe r that wh ile the supp lemental s ide airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of se rious injuries, ot her
injuries, fo r examp le, swe lling, bru ising, and minor abras ions can
also be associated with deployed side airbags . Remember too, side
airbags will dep loy only once and only in certai n kinds of accidents -
your safety belts are always there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of veh icle damage a re
not necessar ily an ind ication of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
t ion . In some collisions, both front a nd side airbags may inflate .
Remember too, that a irbags will deploy only once and only in certa in
kinds of collisions -your safety belts are a lways there to offer protec­
tion in those acc idents in w hich airbags a re not supposed to deploy or
when they have already deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy :
• when the ignition is turned off
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor is
too low •
in front-end collis ions
• in rea r-end collisions
• in rollovers .
In some types of accidents the front a irbags, side curtain airbags and
side airbags may be triggered together.
& WARNING
• Safet y belts and the airbag s ystem will only provide protection
when o ccupants are in the proper seating position ~
page 229.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle i s being
used, have th e system inspe cted immediately by your authoriz ed
Audi dealer. The airbag may not work prope rly when the vehicle
a cceleration in a side collision is high enough to activate the
ai rbag. •
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help reduce the risk
of upper torso injuries for occupants who are pro perly
restrained.
Fig. 205 Inflated side
ai rba gs on left side of
v eh icle, rea r side
a irba g opti onal e quip ­
m ent
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled wit h propellant gas
and breaks thro ugh a seam in the seat s urface area marked
~

Aside from their norma l safety function, safety be lts work to he lp
kee p th e dr iver or fron t p asse n ger in posi tion in t he even t of a c olli­
sion so that the side cu rtain a irbags can provide protection.
T he a irbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt . Rathe r, it is
par t of the ove rall o ccu pan t res traint syste m in your vehicle . A lw ay s
remember t hat the airba g system can on ly help to protect you if you
a re we ari ng your safety bel t and wearing it prop erly. Thi s is ano ther
reaso n why you s hou ld always wea r your safety be lts, not just because
th e law requi re s you to do so=>
page 20 1, "G ene ral no tes".
It is i mpo rtant to re m ember that while the s ide curta in airbag system
is des igned to help re duce the likelih ood of serious injuries, ot her
i n jur ies, fo r exa mple, sw elling, br uising, a nd m inor ab rasions can
also be assoc iated wit h these airbags upo n dep loyment . Remembe r
t o o , these a irbags w ill d eploy only on ce an d on ly in ce rt ain kinds of
acc idents -yo ur safety belts are always there to offer protection.
The side curtain airbag system basically consists of:
• Th e electronic co ntro l mo dule an d external side impact sensors
• The side c urtai n airbags above the fro nt an d rear s ide windows
• Th e airba g indic ator ligh t in the ins trumen t panel
Th e a irbag system is monitored elec tron ically to make certai n it i s
functioning prope rly at a ll times . Each time yo u turn on the ignition,
t h e airbag sys tem indicator ligh t w ill com e on for a few seconds (s elf
diagnostics) .
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
• if the ignition is tu rned off
• in side co llisions when the accelerati on measured by the sens or is
t o o low
• in rear-end collisions.
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position =>
page 85,
"General recommendations ".
• If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle is being
used, have the system inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer. The side curtain airbag may not work properly even
when the vehicle acceleration in a side collision is high enough to activate the airbag.~
How side curtain airbags work
Side cu rtain ai rbags c an wo rk to gethe r w it h sid e airba gs
to h elp r ed uce the risk of h ead and upp er tors o inju rie s f or
o cc u pan ts who are pr operly restr ained.
Fig . 207 Illu str ation
of principle: Inflated
side curt ain airbag s on
the left side
Th e side curtain airbags in flate between the oc cupan t and t he
w indows on the side of the vehicle t hat is struck in a sid e co llision
=> fig. 207 .
Wh en the sys tem is tr igg ered, the side curta in airbag is filled w ith
pro pell ant gas and breaks th rough a seam above the front and rear
s ide w indow s iden tifi ed b y the AIRBAG label. In or der to help pro vid e
this additional protection, the side c urta in airbag must inflate with in
th e bl ink of an eye at very hi gh speed and wi th gre at force. The side ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

-Child Safety ------ ~---------------------------------
& WA RNING (conti nued)
• Always install rear-facing child safet y seat s on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat in exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light do es not come on and stay on,
immediately in stall the rear-facing child safety seat in a rea r
seating position and have the airbag system inspected immedi­
ately by you r Audi deale r.
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances , you must in stall a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger' s seat:
• Always make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
pa ssenger front and side airbag.
• Always follow the manufacturer 's instructions p rovided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible before install ing the child restra int . The back­
re st must be adju sted to an upright position .
• Always make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
c omes on and stays on all the time whenever the ignition i s
switched on .•
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Airbag System" in compli­
ance wi th Uni ted St ates Federa l Mo to r Vehicle Safety St andar d
(FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your veh icle was manufac­
tu red . The Advanced A
irbag system in yo ur vehicle has been certif ied to
mee t the "low -r is k" requiremen ts fo r 3-and 6-ye ar old ch ildre n on
t he passenger side and small adults on the dr iver side . The low risk
dep loyment criteria are inten ded to reduce the risk of injury through
interaction with the a irbag t hat can occur, for example, by being too
close to the stee ring wheel an d instr ument panel when the airbag
inflates. In addi tion, the sy stem has been certified to comp ly with t he
"suppression" requirements of the Safety Standa rd, to t urn off the
fron t air bag for infan ts u p to 1 2 months who a re res tra ined on the
front passenger seat in child restrai nts that are listed in the Stan­
d ar d.
Even thoug h your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system , a ll ch ildren, especially those 12 years and yo unger, should
always r ide in t he back seat p roperly restrained for t heir ag e and si ze .
Th e ai rbag on the passenge r si de makes the front seat a potentia lly
dange rous p lace for a child to r ide. Th e front seat is not th e safest
place fo r a child in a forward- facing c hild safety seat. It can be a very
d an ge rous p lace for a n infan t or a large r chil d i n a re arwa rd-facing
seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
Th e Advanced A irbag System i n your ve hicle de tects t he p resence o f
an infa nt o r ch ild in a child rest rai nt on the fro nt passenger sea t using
the we ight-sens ing mat in the seat cushion and the senso r be low the
saf ety belt la tch o n th e front passenge r seat tha t measur es t he
tension on the safety belt.
Th e weigh t-sens ing ma t me asures tot al we ight of the child and the
child safety seat and a child blanket on the fro nt passe nger seat . The
we ight on the fro nt passenger se at is re late d t o the desi gn of the
child res traint and i ts "footpri nt", the size and shape of t he bottom
of the ch ild restraint as it sits o n the seat . The weight of a child
restrain t an d its "foo tpr int" vary for differe nt kinds of child res tra ints .,_

-----------------------------------------~C~ h~il ~d ~ S~a _!fe ~ t !;YL __
and for the different models of the same kind of child restraint
offered by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes and models of ch ild
restraints that the NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typical infants and typical 1 year­
old child have been stored in the control unit of the Advanced Airbag
System. When a child restraint is being used on the front passenger
seat with a typical 1 year-old chi ld, the Advanced Airbag System
compares the weight meas ured by the weight sensing mat with the
information stored in the electronic control unit .
The electronic contro l unit a lso registers the tension on the front
passenger safety belt. The tension on the safety belt for the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult who is properly using the
safety belt as compared to the tension on the belt when it is used to
attach a child restraint to the seat . The sensor below the latch for the
safety belt for the front seat passenger measures the tension on the
belt. The input from this sensor is then used with the weight to
"decide", whether there is a child restraint with a typical 1 year-old
child on the front passenger seat and whether or not the airbag must
be turned off .•
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restraint that you use, ma ke sure that it has
been certified to meet United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been ce rtified by its manufacturer for use with an
airbag . Always be sure that the child restraint is properly installed at
one of the rear seating positions. If in exceptional circumstances you
must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully read all of the infor­
mation on ch ild safety and Advanced Airbags and heed all of the
app licab le WARNINGS. Make certain that the child restra int is
correctly recognized by the weight-sensing mat inside the front
passenger seat, that the front passenger airbag is turned off and that
the airbag status is always correctly signaled by the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Many types and models of child restra
ints have been available over
t he years, new models are introduced reg ularly incorpo rating new
and improved designs and older models are taken out of product ion.
Chi ld restraints are not standardized. Child restraints of the same
type typ ically have d ifferent weights and sizes and differe nt 'foot­
prints,' the size and shape of the bottom of the child restraint that
sits on the seat, when they are installed on a vehicle seat . These
differences make it virtually impossib le to certify compliance with
t he requirements for advanced airbags with each and every chil d
restra int that has ever been sold in the past or will be sold over the
course of the useful life of your vehicle.
For this reason, the United States Nationa l Highway Traffic Safety
Administration has published a list of specific type, makes and
mode ls of child restra ints that must be used to cert ify compliance of
the Advanced Airbag System in yo ur vehicle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Veh icle Safety Standard 208. These
child restraints are:
A. Car beds, manufactured on or after September 1,
2004:
• Cosco Dream Ride 02-719
B. Rear facing child restraint systems,
manufactured on or after September 1, 2004:
(When the restraint system comes equipped with a removable base,
compliance has to be cert ified with or without the base) .
• Britax Handle with Care 191
• Century Assura 4553
• Century Smart Fit 4543
• Cosco Arriva 02727
• Evenflo Discovery Adjust Right 212
• Evenflo First Choice 204
• Graco Infant 8457
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data