airbag off AUDI R8 SPYDER 2014 Owners Manual

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 11
If an unau thorized key was used , SAFE is dis ­
p layed continuously in the odometer display
field. The vehicle cannot be operated
<=:> page 29.
Voltmeter display
The voltmeter shows the voltage in the vehi­
cle electrical system .
If the reading drops be ­
low 12 volts with the engine running, you
should have the power supply (batte ry and
generator) inspected by an a uthorized Audi
dealer .
(D Tips
Voltage can drop be low 8 vo lts when you
start the engine.
Warning/indicator lights
Description
The indicato r lights in the inst rument cluster
b link or t urn on. They indicate functions o r
mal funct ions
c:> &. .
Messages may appear with some indicator
lights. The messages turn
off after a short
time. To d isp lay a message aga in, p ress the
Se t/Check button
c:> page 8, fig. 3 (J). If there
is more than one malfunction , the indicator
lights will turn on one after the other for ap ­
proximately two seconds each.
Some ind icators lights in the disp lay can turn
on in several colors.
,8. WARNING
- Failure to heed warning lights and other
important vehicle information may result
in serious personal injury or vehicle dam­
age .
- Whenever sta lled or stopped for repair,
move the vehicle a safe distance
off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher
c:> page 48 .
-The engine compartment of any motor
vehicle is a potentially hazardous area . Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, stop the engine and let it
coo l down. Always exercise extreme cau­
tion when working under the hood
c:> page 172, Working in the engine
compartment
(D Tips
Malfunctions or faults will be ident ified ei­
ther with a red symbol (priority 1 -Dan­
ger!) or with a yellow symbol (priority 2 -
Warning) .
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on briefly to check
the function o f that system whe n you swi tch
the ignition on. These systems are marked
with a./ in the follow ing tab les. If one of
these indicator lights does not turn on, ther e
is a ma lf u nction in that system.
Red indicator lights
Red symbo ls indicate a prior ity ma lf u nction -
Danger!
- Pull
off th e road.
- Stop the vehicle .
-T urn
off the engine.
- Check the malfunctioning system. Contact
your au thorized Audi dealer or a qualified
workshop for assistance .
-USA mod els: Mal function in the
brake system
c:> page 13
Canada models: Malfunction in the
b rake sys tem
c:> page 13
USA models: A irbag system./
<=:> page 14
Canada models: Airbag system ./
<=:>page 14
Safety be lt
<=:> page 14
Generator ./
<=:>page 14

14 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
braking. Lock-up of the rear wheel brakes
can cause loss of vehicle control and an
accident. Have your vehicle repaired im­
med iately by your authorized Audi dealer
or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ion .
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the
parking brake is released, or lights up
wh ile you are driving, the fluid level in
the brake fluid rese rvoir is too low. If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed
immediately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop and have the brake system inspect­
ed.
- Always keep in m ind that afte r several
brake applicat ions, yo u will need greater
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 c ritical situations. You must a llow for
increased bra king distances. The extra
dis tance used up by fad ing br akes could
lead to an acc ident .
~/ !lr Safety systems
The I (USA models)/ . (Canada models) in ­
dicator light monitors the safety systems e.g .
airbags, pretensioners and i llum inates for a
few seconds each time you switch the ignition
on.
I f t he
I (USA models) • (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi ­
nates wh ile you are dr iv ing, or if it starts to
bli nk, then there is a ma lfunction somewhere
in the system . If the light does not illuminate
when you sw itch on the ignit ion, this also
means there is a ma lfunction .
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
t ems, cont act your author ized Audi dealer
immediate ly. Otherw ise the sa fety sys­
tems may not wo rk p roperly in an acci ­
dent.
4 Safety belt warning light
Applies to vehicles: with safety belt warning light
The warning light is a reminder to fasten
safety belts .
The warning light . comes on for a few sec­
onds after the ignition is sw itched on as a re­
minder to fasten your safety belt .
Additional informat ion on safety belts
¢ page 103.
' 0 Generator '
This warning/indicator light detects a mal ­
function in the generator or in the vehicle 's
electrical system.
The . warning/indicator light illuminates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the eng ine has started.
If the . warning/indicator light illuminates
whi le you a re d riving, you shou ld contact yo ur
authorized Aud i dea ler. Since the vehicle bat­
tery is discharging, you shou ld sw itch off any
unnecessary electr ica l consumers (for exam­
ple, the air conditioner).
"l!:r. Engine oil pressure
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair .
If the . symbo l appears in the disp lay and
flashes, the o il pressure is too low . In add ition
to the symbol, the following message also ap­
pears in the display:
Switch off engine! Oil pres sure is too low
.,. Pull off the road and stop the veh icle.
.. Shut the engine down.
.. Check the engine oil level¢
page 178 .
.. Contact your authorized A udi dealer for as-
sistance if necessary.
Engine oil level too low
If the engine oil leve l is too low, top off oil to
t h e proper level~
page 180 . 1J11>

accidentally press the power locking
switch in one of the doors.
- Do not leave children inside the vehicle
unsupervised. In an emergency it would
be impossible to open the doors from
the outside without the key.
@ Tips
- The dr iver's door can be locked and un­
locked with the key if the power locking
system fails. The passenger's door can be locked manually
o page 33.
- In the event of a crash with airbag de­
ployment all locked doors will be auto­
matically unlocked to give access to the
vehicle occupants from the outside.
- The anti-theft alarm system cannot be
activated if the power locking system is
not activated.
- You are well advised not to keep valua­
bles inside an unattended vehicle, visible
or not . Even a properly locked vehicle
cannot provide the security of a safe!
Unlocking and locking the vehicle with
the remote control
How the remote control works.
Fig. 23 Remote control: fu nctio n buttons
Whether only the driver's door or the entire
vehicle is unlocked when the opening button
@ is pressed once, depends on the settings in
the Driver information system
Central locking
menu o page 22.
To unlock the vehicle m
.. Press button @.
Opening and closing 31
.. Press button @ two times within two sec­
onds
to unlock all doors and the front lid.
To lock the vehicle i'.'fl
.. Press button @ o &_ in General description
on page 30.
.,. Watch that all tu rn signal lights flash once.
To unlock front lid only C::$
.. Press button © for approximately one sec­
ond.
PANIC Button
.,. Push the red button @to activate the panic
function . The horn sounds and the turn sig­
nals flash.
.. Push the button @again to deact ivate the
pan ic function.
The remote controls allows you to:
- lock or unlock the vehicle
- selectively un lock the front lid.
The turn signals will flash briefly whenever
you lock or unlock the vehicle. Also, the interi­
or light will come on or go off whenever you
open or close the driver's door .
The transmitter and battery are located in the
head of the remote control. The receiver is lo­
cated inside the vehicle. The maximum effec­
tive range depends on several things . Remem­
ber, if the battery is weak, the effective range
decreases.
The remote-contro l key contains a fo ld-out
key that you can use to manually lock or un­
lock the vehicle and to start the engine.
If you need to replace the remote control, or if
you need to have it repaired, you must see
your authorized Audi dea ler . Only then can
you use the key again.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS o .&. in
General description on page 30.

48 Clear vis ion
Turn sign als¢ Q (D@
.,. Push the lever up as far as it can go to turn
on the r ight turn signal or down to turn on
the left turn signal
c;, fig. 53 .
.,. Move the lever briefly until you meet resist­
ance and release it to flash three times .
.,. Move the lever (up or down) until you meet
resistance and ho ld it there to determine
the flash ing t ime for the turn signals.
High beam [D @
.,. Push the lever forward to switch on the high
beam.
.,. Pull the lever back towards you to swi tch off
the high beam .
Headl ight fla she r [D ©
.,. Pull the lever toward the steering wheel to
use the headlight f lasher.
Notes on these features
- T he turn signals only work with the igni tion
switched on . The ind icator lights
II or 1M in
the instrument cluster
i::> page 11 also b link .
- After you have turned a corner, the tur n sig -
nal switches off a utomat ica lly.
- T he
high beam works only when the head­
li gh ts are on. The indicator light
II in the
instrument cluste r illuminates when the
high beams are on.
- T he
headlight flasher works on ly as long as
yo u hold the lever -even if there are no
li ghts turned on . The indicator light
II in
the instrument cl uster i llum inates when you
use the headl ight f lasher.
A WARNING
Do not use the hig h beam or headlight
flashe r if you know that these could blind
oncoming traffic.
Emergency flasher
SPORT •
Fig. 5 4 Center co nsole : em erge ncy flashe r sw itc h
.,. Press the switc h lil i::> fig. 54 to switch the
emergency flasher on or off .
When the emergency flasher is on, all four
turn s ignals b link at the same time. The turn
s ignal indicator lights
II IB in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light i n the emergency
flasher sw itch
&,. blink likew ise . The eme rgen­
cy flashe rs also work when the ign ition is
tu rned off.
The emergency flasher will automatically switch on if you are in an accide nt whe re the
airbag has deployed.
@ Tips
You should sw itch on t he emergency flash­
er when :
- you are the last veh icle standing in a traf­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, o r w hen
- your vehicle has broken down or you a re
in an eme rgency s ituation, o r when
- your vehicle is be ing towed by a tow
truck or if you are towing another veh icle
beh ind you .

Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger. Adjust
your seat properly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
- your body is properly supported thus reduc­ ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offe r
maximum protection
¢ page 111.
In the following sections, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for installing a child safety seat on the front passenger's seat. Always heed the informa­
tion regard ing child safety provided in
¢ page 132, Child Safety.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury.
- Always keep your feet on the f loor when
the vehicle is in motion -never p ut your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion! This applies espec ially to the passen­
gers . If your seating position is incorrect
you increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident. If the
airbag inflates and the seating position
is incorrect this could result in personal
injury or even death.
- It is important for bo th the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of a t
Seat s an d sto rage 57
least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the airbag system can­
not protect you properly. In addition to
this, the front seats and head restra ints
must be adjusted to yo ur body height so
that they can give you max imum prote c­
tion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible be tween yourself and the s teer­
ing wheel o r instrument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your seat may move unexpected ly, caus ­
ing sudden loss of vehicle control and
personal injury . If you ad just yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, you are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend that you adjust the driver's
seat in the fo llowing manner:
.,. Adj ust the seat in fore and aft direction so
t ha t you can easily push the peda ls to the
floor whi le keeping your knee sligh tly bent
c::> A in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page
57 .
.,. Adjust the seatback so that when you sit
w ith your back against the seatback, you can
still grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.,. Pos it ion the head restrai nt accord ing to the
occupant 's height
c::> page 59. For maxi­
mum protection, the top of the head re­
straint shou ld be at least at eye level, pref­
erably higher and idea lly level with the top
of the head
¢ page 96, fig. 103 .
A WARNING
Never place any objects in the dr iver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal
area and interfere with pedal funct ion. In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate!

you will be out of position. Always adjust
the driver's or front passenger seat when
the vehicle is not moving.
- Be careful when adjusting the seat
height. Check to see that no one is in the
way, or serious injury could result!
- Because the seats can be electrically ad­ justed with the ignition key removed, never leave children unattended in the
vehicle. Unsuperv ised use of the electr ic
seat adjustments may cause serious in­
jury.
- To reduce the r isk of injury in the case of
sudden braking or accident, front pas­
sengers must neve r ride in a moving ve­
hicle wi th the seatback recl ined. Safety
belts and the airbag system offer maxi ­
mum protection on ly when the seatback
is upright and the safety belts are prop­
erly posit ioned on the body. The more
the seatback is reclined, the greater the
risk of personal injury from an incorrect
seating pos ition and improperly posi­
tioned safety belts!
- Always make sure the front seatbacks are
in the upright posit ion and securely
locked in place when dr iv ing .
Head restraints
Adjusting head restraints
The head restraints must be adjusted proper­
ly to provide protection.
Fig . 66 Drive r's seat head restraint: adjusting the
height
The head restraints on the front seats can be
adj usted to p rov ide safe support to head and
neck at the opt imum he ight. When opt imally
S ea ts a nd s to rage 59
adjusted, the top of the restraint should be
level with the top of the head
c::> page 96.
'" Grasp the s ides of the head restraint with
both hands and slide it upward/downward
until you fee l it click into place
c::> fig . 66.
& WARNING ~ -
- Driving without head restraints or with
head restra ints that are not properly ad­
justed increases the risk of serious or fa­
tal neck injury dramat ically.
- Read and heed all WARNINGS
<=:>page 96.
@ Tips
Correctly adjusted head restraints and
safety be lts are an extremely effective
combination of safety features.
Cup holder
F ig. 67 Cup holder
A WARNING
Spilled hot liquid can cause an accident
and personal injury.
-
- Never carry any beverage containers with
hot liq uids, such as hot coffee or hot tea,
in the vehicle while it is moving. In case
of an acc ident, sudden braking or other
veh icle movement, hot liquid could spill,
causing scalding burns. Spilled hot liquid
can also cause an accident and personal injury.
- Use only soft cups in the cupholder . Hard
cups and glasses can cause injury in an
accident.

68 On th e road
On the road
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel column
The steering wheel position can be continu­
ously adjusted in height and distance .
Fig. 73 Lever under the steering column
~ Push the lever Q fig. 73 down Q ,&..
~ Move the steer ing whee l to the desired posi ­
tion.
~ Push the lever against the steering column
until it locks.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween your chest and the center of the steer­ ing wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steer ing wheel.
For detai led informat ion on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
Q page 58.
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury .
- Adjust the steer ing wheel column only
when the veh icle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of veh icle cont rol.
-
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that there is a min imum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel
Q page 94, fig . 102. If
yo u can not maintain this min imum dis­
tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you properly.
- If physical limitations prevent you from
sitt ing 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
the steering wheel, check with your au­
thorized Audi dealer to see if adaptive equ ipment is ava ilable .
- If the steering wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplemental driver's airbag cannot provide as much protection in an
accident. Always make sure that the
steer ing whee l is aligned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel w ith your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of persona l injury
if the driver's airbag dep loys .
- Never ho ld the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands inside
the steering wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub . Holding the steering wheel
the wrong way can cause serious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv­
er's airbag deploys.
Ignition lock/Ignition
switch
Ignition lock
The ignition key starts or stops the engine.
Fig . 7 4 Ign ition lock positions
Igniti on off @
In position Q fig. 74 @ both the ignition and
engine are off, and the steering is locked .
T o
lo ck th e steering after yo u have removed
the ignition key, turn the steer ing whee l in ei­
ther direction unti l you hear it lock into place .
You should always lock the steering whenever
II>

96 Driving Safely
-Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it de­
ploys with great force in the blink of an
eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger's breastbone and the instru­
ment panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lower part of the
instrument panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat and head restraint prop­
erly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in
front of the seat . Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win ­
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt will not be able to protect you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child seats
¢page 132. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
r:::;, page 111.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Fig. 103 Head restra int: v iewed from the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust­
ed to achieve the best protection.
.,. For adjustable head restraints: adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possible with the top of your head. If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
r:::;, fig. 103 .
Adjusting head restraints¢
page 59.
A WARNING ~
All seats are equipped with head re-
straints. Driving w ithout head restraints or
with head restraints that are not properly
adjusted increases the risk of serious or fa­
tal neck injuriy dramat ically. To help re­
duce the risk of injury:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
p la ce and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the ve­
h icle properly adjusts their head re­
straint. Adjust the head restraints so the
upper edge is as even as possible with
the top of your head. If that is not possi­
ble, try to adjust the head restraint so
that it is as close to this position as pos­
sible,
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and must adjust the driver headrest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safely be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
straint .

vehicle occupants, including the driver, must
wear safety belts correctly in order to mini­
mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy on ly
once and that 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 . Unbelted
occupants can also be thrown out of the vehi ­
cle where even more severe or fatal injuries
can occur .
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision . It's simply
not true!
Fig. 112 Drive r is properly restrained in a sudden b rak­
ing maneuve r.
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif ­
ference . Safety belts help to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
applied to the body in an accident, and help
prevent the uncontrolled movement that can
cause serious injuries. In addition, safety belts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle.
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and
give them the benefit of being slowed down
more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety
features engineered into today's vehicles . By
"absorbing" the kinetic energy over a longer
period of time, the safety belts make the
forces on the body more "tolerable" and less
likely to cause injury.
Safety belts 105
Although these examples are based on a fron­
tal collision, safety belts can also su bsta ntia l­
ly reduce the risk of injury in other kinds of
crashes. So, whether you're on a long trip or
just going to the corner store, always buckle up and make sure others do, too . Accident sta ­
tistics show that vehicle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of being
injured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident. Properly using safety belts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen­
tal airbags to do their job in a collision. For
this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in most countries including much of
the United States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags,
you still have to wear the safety belts provid­
ed . Front airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions . The front air­
bags are not activated in all frontal collisions,
in side and rear collisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is not enough deceleration
through impact to the front of the vehicle.
The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt
and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!
Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be properly posi­
tioned across the strongest bones of your
body.
.,. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and
described in this chapter.
.,. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wear ing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death. Safety belts can
work only when used correctly.
- Always fasten your safety belts correctly
before driving
off and make sure all pas-
sengers are properly restrained. .,.

Airbag system Important things to know
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For
airbags to do their job, occupants must al­
ways properly wear their safety belts and be
in a proper seating position.
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers, before driving off, always:
"" Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel
properly¢
page 94,
"" Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
¢page 95,
""Wear safety be lts properly ¢ page 105,
""Always properly use the proper child re-
straint to protect children
r::::> page 132.
In a collision airbags must inflate within the
blink of an eye and with considerable force.
The supplemental airbags can cause injuries if
the driver or the front seat passenger are not
seated properly . Therefore in order to help the
airbag to do its job, it is important, both as a
driver and as a passenger to s it properly at all
times.
By keeping room between your body and the
steer ing whee l and the front of the passenger
compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and
comp lete ly and provide supplemental protec­
tion in certain frontal collisions
r::::> page 94,
Proper occupant seating positions.
F or details
on the operation of the seat adjustment con­
trols ¢
page 58.
It's especially important that children a re
properly restrained
r::::> page 132.
There is a lot that the driver and the passen­
ger can and must do to help the individua l
safety features installed in your Audi work to­
gether as a system.
Proper seating pos ition is important so that
the front airbag on the driver side can do its
job. If you have a physical impairment or con-
Airbag system 111
dition that prevents you from sitting properly
on the driver seat with the safety belt properly
fastened and reaching the pedals, or if you
have concerns with regard to the function or
operation of the Advanced Airbag System,
please contact your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop, or call Audi Customer Re­
lations at 1-800-822-2834 for poss ible modi­
fications to your vehicle.
When the airbag system dep loys, a gas gener ­
ator will fill the a irbags, break open the pad­
ded covers, and inflate between the steer ing
whee l and the driver and between the instru­
ment panel and the front passenger. The air­
bags will deflate immediately after deploy­
ment so that the front occupants can see
through the windshield again without inter­
ruption.
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 airbags a lso
inflate with a great dea l of force and nothing
should be in their way when they deploy.
Front airbags in combination with properly
worn safety belts slow down and lim it the oc­
cupant's forward movement. Together they
help to prevent the driver and passenger from
hitt ing parts of the inside the vehicle while re­
ducing the forces acting on the occupant dur­
ing the crash . In this way they help to reduce
the risk of injury to the head and upper body
in the crash. Airbags do not protect the arms
or the lower parts of the body.
Both front airbags will not inflate in all fronta l
collisions . The triggering of the airbag system
depends on the vehicle dece leration rate
caused by the co llision and registered by the
electronic control unit. If th is rate is below
the reference value programmed into the con­
trol unit, the airbags will not be triggered,
even though the car may be badly damaged as
a result of the collision . Ve hicl e damage, re­
pair costs or even the lack of veh icle damage
is not necessarily an indication of whether an
airbag shou ld inf late o r not.
It is not possib le to define a range of vehicle
speeds that w ill cover every possible kind and ..,. •
•