belt AUDI R8 SPYDER 2015 Owner's Guide

Airbag syste m
backrest is not reclined ~ page 87, Proper
occupant seating positions,
- the adu lt is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door,
- the safety belt is being properly worn and that there is not a lot of s lack in the safety belt web­
bing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other th ings that may cause an incorrect reading or
impression on the weight-sensing mat under
the upholstery of the seat have been removed
from the front passenger seat,
- a safety be lt extender has not been left in the
safety belt latch for the front passenger seat .
In addition to the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OF F
light in the center of the instrument panel, the
message
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF or PA SSEN­
GER AIR B AG ON
will briefly appear in the instru­
ment cluster display . Th is is to inform the driver
of the current front passenger airbag status .
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not function ing prop­
erly cannot prov ide supplemental protect ion
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator light comes on, it
means that there may be someth ing wrong
with the Advanced Airbag System . It is pos­
sible that the a irbag will inflate when it is
not supposed to, or will not inflate when it
sho uld.
- Have the airbag system inspected immedi­
ately by your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a ch ild without a
child restraint, in a rearward-facing child safe­
ty seat or in a forward-facing child restraint
that has not been properly installed will be
ser iously injured and can be killed .
- Even though your veh icle is equipped with
an Advanced Airbag System, make certa in
that all ch ildren, especially 12 years and
114
younger, a lways ride proper ly restrained for
their age and size.
- If you must install a rearwa rd facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptiona l circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
appear and stay on have the a irbag system
inspected by your 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-sens ing mat in the seat and
reg iste r more weight th an is actually on the
seat. The heav ier we ight registered can
make the system work as though an adult
were on the seat and deploy the Advanced
Airbag when it must be suppressed ca using
serious or even fatal injury to the child.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forwa rd- facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into its rearmost pos ition in the seat's
fore and aft adjustment range, as far away
from the airbag as possib le. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upr ight position.
Ma ke sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
wheneve r the ign it ion is switched on .
A WARNING
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an adult is sitting on the
front passenge r seat after tak ing the steps
described above, have the airbag system in­
spected by your Audi dealer before trans­
port ing anyone on the front passenger seat.
(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen­
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air­ bag on the passenger s ide will be turned off,
and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 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
i ng, se rv ic ing or repair ing a pa rt in an a rea of the ..,_

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vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system
and prevent that system from working properly
in a co llision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system wi ll 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 prevent ing an a irbag from de­
ploying when needed or dep loying an airbag
unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, o r change the steer­
ing wheel horn pad or a irbag cover or the in­
strument panel or mod ify them in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup holders
or te lephone moun tings to the su rfaces cov­
er ing the airbag units.
- F or cleaning the ho rn pad or instrument
pane l, use only a soft, d ry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners
cou ld damage the a irbag cover or change
the stiffness o r strength of the mater ial so
that the airbag cannot dep loy and protect
properly.
- Never repa ir, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All wo rk on the stee ring wheel, inst rument
pane l, front seats or elect rical system (in­
cluding the installation of aud io equipment,
cellu lar telep hones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
who has the train ing and special eq uipment
necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see you r au­
tho rized Aud i dea le r o r qualified workshop.
- Never mod ify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body .
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate without inte rfe rence:
- N ever install seat covers or replacement
up ho lstery over the front seatbacks that
Airbag syste m
have not been specif ically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side a irbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module must a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an authorized Aud i dealer .
- The airbag system can be activated only
once. After an airbag has inflated, it must
be rep laced by an authorized A udi dealer or
qualified technic ian who has the technical
info rmation, t raining and specia l equipment
necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once. After an airbag has been deployed, it m ust be replaced w ith new repla cemen t
p ar ts des igned and app roved especially for
your Aud i model version . Replacement of
comp lete airbag systems or airbag compo­
nents must be perfo rmed by qualified wor k­
shops only. Make sure that any airbag serv­
ice action is entered in your Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance book let under AIRBAG RE­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starte r are separated from
the vehicle batte ry w ith a pyrotechnic circuit
interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt­
er must on ly be performed by a qua lified
dealer - risk of an acc ident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interr upter 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 Material
-specia l hand ling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
stra int system including airbag modules and
safety belts with pretensioners are scrapped,
a ll applicable laws and regulations must be ..,_
115

Airb ag syst em
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
pe rforms in a crash. For example, us ing t ire-rim
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehicle, changing the stiffness of the suspension, including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers 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 wou ld not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy ­
ing when it should.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's s uspension including
use of unapproved t ire-rim comb inat ions can
change Advanced A irbag performance and in­
crease the risk of ser ious persona l injury in a
crash .
- Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac­
te ristics as the components or iginally insta l­
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved by A udi.
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle
and the center console can cause the senso rs
in the b uck le to send the wrong information
t o the electron ic contro l modu le and prevent
t he Advanced Airbag System from working
properly.
- Always make sure that nothing can interfere
with the safety be lt b uckles and that they
are not obstructed.
116
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants .
Fig. 119 D river 's airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
u nderneath the steer ing whee l
~fig. 119, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection to
the driver's and passenger's knees lower thigh
areas as a supplement to the protection by the
safety belts.
If the front a irbags dep loy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fronta l co llisions when the dep loyment
threshold stored in the control unit is met
~ page 110 , More important things to know
about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keeping the driver or front passen­ ger in posit ion 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 restra int system in your vehicle. A lways re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wea ring it p roperly. This is why you sho uld a l­
ways wear your safety be lt, not just because the
l aw requires yo u to do so¢
page 95, General
notes .
llll-

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Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents -your safety
be lts are a lways there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
examp le when your vehicle str ikes 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 effective ly when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your
safety belts correctly .
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental knee a irbag system is designed to re ­
duce the likelihood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries, for examp le, swe lling, bruising, minor ab ra­
sions and fr iction burns can also occur when an
airbag inflates.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
- The electronic control module
- Two inflatab le 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 turned off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the contro l unit is too low
- in s ide collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
- in the event of a system malfunct ion (warning/
indicator light is on)
<::.>page 13 .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
<=> page 110.
- If the airbag indicato r light comes on when
the vehicle is being used, have the system
inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer .
Airbag system
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully deployed knee airbags .
Fig. 120 Inflated airbags protecting in a frontal collision
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger deploy in certain but not all fronta l co llisions .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in fronta l collisions when the dep loymen t
threshold stored in the control un it is met .
When the system deploys fill the airbags with a
propellant gas, and inflate between the lower
part of the in str ument panel and the driver and
the lowe r part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger
<=> page 110, fig. 117.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower ex­
tremities .
All o f this takes place in the b link of an eye, so
fa st that many people don't even realize that the
airbags have deployed . The airbags also inf late
with a great deal of force and it is important for
occupant safety that nothing should be in their
way when they dep loy.
Fully inflated airbags in combination with proper­
ly worn safety belts s low down and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement and help to reduce
the risk of injury .
117

Airbag system
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
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 passenger must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
to provide supplemental protection.
,8. WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious in­
jury. Wearing safety belts incorrectly and im­ proper seating positions increase the risk 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
minimum 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 side, or if the seat is
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
with the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed into you as the airbag deploys.
- Never let anybody, especially children or
animals in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat .
If the airbag deploys , this can
result in serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the driver's or
passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping
118
bags, for example) can hamper or prevent
proper deployment of the airbag. Small
objects can be thrown through the vehicle
if the airbag deploys and injure you or your
passengers.
- Make sure there are no cracks, deep scratch­
es or other damage in the area of the instru ­
ment panel where the knee airbags are lo­
cated .
- If children are incorrectly seated, their risk
of injury increases in a collision
r::-, page 122, Child Safety .
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat occu­
pants.
Fig . 121 Sid e airb ag locatio n in the driver's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests~
fig. 121 facing the doors .
They are identified by the word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
-the ele ctronic control module and external sid e
i mpact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests
- the airbag warning light in the instrument clus-
t e r.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to
make certain that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignition, the air ­
bag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
II>

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The side airbag system supplements the safety be lts and can he lp to reduce the risk of injury to
the dr iver's and front passenger's upper torso
and head injuries on the side of the vehicle that is
struck in a side collision. The airbag deploys in
side impacts and only when the vehicle accelera ­
tion registered by the control u nit is high enough .
If th is rate is below the reference value program­
med into the control unit, the side airbags will
n ot be triggered , even though the car may be
badly damaged as a result of the co llision.
It is
not possib le to define an airbag triggering range
that will cover every possible angle of impact, since the c ircumstances will vary considerab ly be ­
tween one collis ion and another. Important fac­
tors include, for example, the nature (hard or
soft) of the impact ing object, the angle of im ­
pact, vehicle speed, etc.
9 page 120 , Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system.
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to help keep the driver or front pas ­
senger in pos it ion in the event of a s ide collision
so that the s ide a irbags can provide protect ion.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt . Rather, it is part of the overall occu ­
pant restrai nt system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that th e side airbag system can only
he lp to p rotect you if yo u are wear ing your safety
be lt and wearing i t properly. This is ano ther rea­
son why you shou ld always wear your sa fety
be lts, not just because the law requires you to do
so
9 page 95, General notes .
It is impor tan t to remember tha t while the sup ­
p lemental side a irbag sys tem is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serious inj uries, other inj u­
ries, for examp le, swe lling, bruising, and minor
abrasions can also be associated with deployed
side airbags. Remember too, side airbags will de­
p loy only once and only in certa in kinds of acci­
dents -your safety belts are a lways there to offer
protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
ve hicle damage are not necessarily an indication
of over -sens itive or fa iled a irbag activa tion . In
some coll isions, both front and s ide airbags may
i nflate. Remember too, that airbags will deploy
only once and only in ce rtain kinds of collisions -
Airb ag system
you r safety belts are always the re to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not
s u pposed to deploy or when they have a lready
deployed.
The side airbag system w ill not deploy:
- when the ignit io n i s tu rned off
- in side co llisions whe n the a ccelera tion meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in re ar-end collisions
- in rollovers .
In some types of accidents the front airbags and
s ide airbags may be triggered together.
A WARNING
-- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide p rotection when occupants are in
the proper seating position~
page 120.
-If the ai rbag ind icator light comes on when
the vehicle is be ing used, have the system
inspected immed iate ly by yo ur autho riz ed
Aud i dea le r. T he airbag may no t wo rk prop­
erly when the vehicle acceleration in a side
coll is ion is high enough to activate the air­
bag .
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who ore properly restrained.
Fi g. 122 In flated s ide airbags on left s ide of ve hicle
When the system is triggered, the a irbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat s urface area mark ed "A IRBAG" . It ex­
pands be tween the side trim panel a nd the pas-
senger. In or der to help provide this addi tional .,.
119

Airbag syste m
protection, the side airbag must inflate within a
fraction of a second at very high speed and with
great force . T he supplemental side airbag cou ld
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 ch ildren
~ page 122, Child
Safety.
Supplemental side airbags inflate be­
tween the occupant and the door panel on the
side of the vehi cle that is struck in certain s ide
collision
~ fig. 122.
A lthough they are not a soft pi llow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
he lp to reduce the r isk of inj ury to the upper part
of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys .
This is normal and does not mean there 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 passenger must
know and act accordingly to help the safety belts
and a irbags do the ir job to provide supplementa l
protection.
A WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause ser ious or
fatal injury. Improperly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions increase the
r isk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used .
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when the supplemental s ide airbag inflates:
- Always sit in an upright position and never lean against the area where the supple­
mental side airbag is located.
- Never let a chi ld or anyone else rest their
head against the side trim panel in the
area where the supplementa l side airbag
inflates .
- Always make sure that safety belts are
worn correct ly,
120
-
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat
put their hand or any other parts of their
body out of the window.
- Always make sure that the s ide a irbag can
inflate w ithout interference .
- Never install seat covers or rep lacement
upholste ry over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
A udi.
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side a irbags de­
ploy .
- Damage to the orig inal seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag module must a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an authorized Audi dealer.
- Objects between you and the airbag can in­ crease the risk of inju ry in an accident by in­
terfer ing with the way the airbag unfolds or
by being p ushed into you as the airbag in­
flates.
- Never place or attach a ccessor ies or other
obje cts (such as cup holders, telephone
brackets, or even large, bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the seat backrests.
- Such objects and accessories can become dangerous projectiles and cause injury
when the supplementa l side airbag de­
ploys .
- Never carry any objects or pets in the de­
ployment space between them and the
airbags or allow children or other passen­
gers to travel in this posit ion.
- Always prevent the side airbags from being
damaged by heavy objects knocking against
or hitting the sides of the seatbacks .
- The a irbag system can only be triggered
once . If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Aud i deale rship.
- Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc .) to the
or iginal seat covers or to the seam in the
area of the s ide a irbag mod ule must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized
Aud i dea le r.

Child Safety
Child Safety
Important things to
know
Introduction
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash apply also to children
c::> page 96, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults and
teenagers, the ir muscles and bones are not fully
developed . In many respects children are at
greater risk of serious injury in crashes than
adu lts.
Because children 's bod ies are not fully developed,
they require restra int systems especially de ­
signed for their size, weight, and body structure. Many countr ies and all states of the United
S ta tes and p rov inces of Canada have laws requi r­
ing the use of app roved ch ild restra int systems
for in fan ts and small children .
I n a fronta l crash at a speed of 20-35 mph
(30-56 km/ h) the fo rces acting on a 13-pound
(6 kg) infant w ill be more than 20 t imes the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the
chi ld would sudden ly be more than 260 po unds
(120 kg) . Under these conditions, only an appro­
priate ch ild restraint properly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury. Ch ild restraints, like
adu lt safety be lts, must be used p roperly to be
effective . Used improperly, they can increase the
ris k of serious injury in an accident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's in­
structions in order to be sure the seat is r ight for
your child's size
c::> page 125, Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats .
Please
be sure to read a nd heed all of t he importa nt in­
formation and WARNI NGS about c hild safety, Ad­
vanced Ai rbags, and the installa tion of child re­
s traints in this chapter .
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad­
vanced A irbags in yo ur vehicle and how t hey work
when infants and children in child rest rain ts are
on the fron t passenger seat . Because of the large
amo unt of important informat ion, we cannot re­
peat it a ll here. We urge you to read the detai led
122
i nformation in this owner 's man ua l about airbags
and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
and the very important information about trans ­
porting children on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS - they are
extremely important for your safety and the safe ­
ty of your passengers, especially infants and
small chi ld ren .
&_ WARNING
All vehicle occupants and especially chi ld ren
must be res trained p roperly whenever r iding
in a vehicle. An unres trained or imprope rly re­
strained chi ld could be inj ured by strik ing the
inte rior or by being ejected from the vehicle
during a sudden maneuver or impact. An un­ restra ined or improperly restrained child is al­
so at greater risk of injury or death through
contact w ith an inf lating a irbag.
&_ WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with
Advanced Airbags can be ser iously injured or
even killed when an a irbag inflates . A child in
a re arwa rd-facing child safety seat installed
on the front passenger seat will be serio usly
injured and can be kil led if the front air bag in­
f lates.
- The infla ting airbag will h it the ch ild safety
seat or in fant ca rrier with great force and
w ill smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the backrest, door or roof.
- Never install a rearward facin g child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght does not come on and stay on,
have the airbag system inspected immed i­
ately by your Au di dealer .
&_ WARNING
If, in exceptiona l circumstances , you must in­
stall a forwa rd-fac ing c hild restra int on the
front p assenger's seat:

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- Always make sure the forward-facing seat
has been designed and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
-Always follow the manufacturer's instruc­
t ions provided 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 air­
bag as possib le befo re installing the child
restraint. The backrest must be ad justed to
an upr ight position.
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
lig ht comes on and stays on all the
t ime whe never the ignition is switched on.
(D Tips
Always rep lace child rest raints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle dur ing a crash. Damage to
a child rest rain t that is not v is ible could cause
it to fail in another collision situ ation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your veh icle is equipped with an "Advanced Air ­
bag System" in compliance with U nited States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was
manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your ve hicle has
been ce rtified to meet the " low-risk" requ ire­
ments for 3 -and 6-year-o ld children on the pas­
senger side and small adults on the driver side.
The low risk deployment criteria are intended to
reduce the r isk of injury throug h interaction with
the airbag t hat can occur, for examp le, by being
too close to the s teer ing wheel and instrumen t
p a nel when the a irbag inflates. In ad di tion, the
sys tem has been cert ified to comply with the
"s uppression" requirements of the Safety Stand ­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infa nts up to
12 months who are restra ined on the front pas­
se nger seat in chi ld restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
Even tho ugh yo ur vehicle is equi pped with an Ad­
vanced A irbag system, a ch ild should always ride
Child Sa fet y
in the seat properly restrained fo r its age and
size. The airbag on the passenger side makes the
f ront seat a potent ia lly dange ro us place for a
c h ild to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a ch ild in a forward-fac ing ch ild safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a
la rger child in a rearward-fac ing seat.
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
T he Advance d Airbag System in you r vehicle de­
tects the presence of an infant or child in a child
rest raint on the front passenger seat using the
weight-sensing mat in the seat c ushion and the
sensor below the safety belt latch o n the front
passenger seat that measures the tension on the
safety belt.
The we ight-sensing mat measures total weight of
the child and the child safety seat and a ch ild
blanket on the front passenger seat. The we ight
o n the front passenger seat is related to the de­
s ign of the child rest raint a nd its "footpr int", t he
s iz e and s hape of the bottom of the c hild re­
str aint as i t si ts on the seat. The weight of a ch ild
restrain t and its "foo tpr in t" vary fo r different
ki nds of child res traints and fo r th e d iffe rent
models of the same kind of chi ld restraint offered
by chi ld restraint man ufact urers.
T he we igh t ranges for the individu al types, ma kes
and mode ls of chi ld res traints t hat the NHT SA
has spec ified in the Safety Standard toget her
with t he weig ht ranges of typica l infants and typ ­
ica l 1 year-old child have been stored in the con­
trol unit of the Advanced Airbag System. When a
c h ild restra int is being used on the front passen­
ger seat with a typical 1 year-old ch ild , the Ad­
vanced Airbag Syste m compa res the we ight
measu red by the we ight sens ing mat with the in­
f o rmat io n sto red in the e lec tronic con trol un it.
T he elec tronic cont ro l unit also reg iste rs the ten­
s io n on the front passenger safety belt. The ten­
s io n on the safety be lt fo r th e front passe nger
sea t w ill be di fferent for an adul t who is properly
u sing the safety be lt as compare d to the tension
o n the bel t when it is used to attach a child re ­
stra int to the seat . The sensor be low the latch for
1iJ11-
123

Child Safety
the safety belt for the front seat passenge r
measures the tension on the be lt . T he inp ut from
this sensor is then used w ith the weight to "de­
cide", whether there is a child restra int w ith a
t ypical 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 chi ld restraint that you use,
make sure that it has been ce rtified to meet Un it ­
ed States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
and has been certified by its manufact urer for
use with an airbag. If in exceptional circ umstan­
ces yo u must use it on the front passenger seat,
caref ully read all of the information on child safe­
ty and Advanced Airbags and heed all of the ap­
plicable WARNINGS . Make certain that the child
restraint is correctly recognized by the we ight­
sensing mat ins ide the front passenger seat, that
the front passenger a irbag is tu rned off and that
the airbag status is a lways correctly signaled by
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
Many types and models of c hild restra ints have
been ava ilable ove r the years, new models a re in­
troduced regu larly incorporat ing new and im ­
p roved des igns and o lder models are taken out o f
p rod uction. Child rest raints are not standardized.
Chi ld restraints of the same type typically have
d ifferent weights and sizes and different 'foot­
prints,' the si ze and shape of the bottom of the
child restraint that sits on the seat, when they
are installed on a veh icle seat . These differences
make it v irtually impossible to certify compliance
with the requ irements for advanced ai rbags with
each and eve ry child rest raint that has ever been
sold in the past or will be sold ove r the course of
the useful life of your vehicle.
For this reason, the United States Nat iona l H igh­
way Traffic Safety Admin istration has p ublished a
lis t of specific type , makes and models o f chi ld
restraints that m ust be used to certify comp li­
ance of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehi­
cle with the suppression requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. These chi ld
restraints are:
124
Subpart A - Car b ed child restra ints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel Guard Angel September 25, 2007 Ride AA2403FOF
Subpart B -Rear -facing child restraint s
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century SmartFit 4543 December 1, 1999
Cosco Arriva September 25, 2007
22 -013PAW and base
22-999WHO
Evenflo Discovery Adjust December 1, 1999
Right 2 12
E venf lo First Choice 204 December 1, 1999
Graco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999
Graco Snug ride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Pr imo Viag- September 25, 2007
gio SIP I MUNOOUS
Subpart C - Forward-facing and convertible
child re straint s
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout September 25, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco Tou riva 025 19 December 1, 1999
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007 H igh Back Booster
22 -262
Cosco High Back Booster September 25, 2007
22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Meda llion 254 December 1, 1999
E venflo Generations September 25, 2007
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Todd ler Safety
September 25, 200 7
Seat Step 2
Graco Platinum Cargo September 25, 2007