light AUDI RS5 CABRIOLET 2015 Repair Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2015, Model line: RS5 CABRIOLET, Model: AUDI RS5 CABRIOLET 2015Pages: 284, PDF Size: 69.56 MB
Page 141 of 284

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-Repairs  to  the  front passenger  seat  must 
be  performed  by qualified  and  properly 
trained  workshop  personnel. 
- Never  remove  the  front  passenger  or 
driver  seat  from  the vehicle. 
- Never  remove  the  upholstery  from  the 
front  passenger  seat. 
- Never  disassemble  or  remove  parts  from 
the  seat  or  disconnect  wires  from  it. 
- Never  carry  sharp  objects  in your  pockets 
or  place  them  on  the  seat.  If  the  weight
sensing  mat  in the  passenger  seat  is 
punctured  it  cannot  work  properly. 
- Never  carry  things  on  your  lap  or  carry 
objects  on  the  passenger  seat.  Such 
items  can  increase the  weight  registered 
by the  weight-sensing  mat  and  send  the 
wrong  information  to the  airbag  control 
unit. 
- Never  store  items  under  the  front  pas
senger  seat.  Parts  of  the  Advanced  Air bag  System  under  the  passenger  seat 
could  be  damaged,  preventing  them  and 
the  airbag  system  from  working proper
ly. 
- Never  place  seat  covers  or  replacement 
upholstery  that  have not been  specifical
ly approved  by Audi on  the  front  seats. 
- Seat  covers  can prevent  the  Advanced 
Airbag  System  from  recognizing  child  re
straints  or  occupants  on  the  front  pas
senger  seat  and  prevent  the  side  airbag 
in the  seat  backrest  from  deploying  prop
erly. 
- Never  use  cushions,  pillows,  blankets  or 
similar  items  on  the front  passenger 
seat.  The  additional  padding  will  prevent 
the  weight-sensing  mat  in the  seat  from 
accurately  registering  the child  restraint 
or  person  on  the  seat  and  prevent  the 
Advanced  Airbag  System  from  function
ing  properly. 
- If you  must  use  a child  restraint on  the 
front  passenger  seat  and  the  child  re
straint  manufacturer's  instructions  re
quire  the  use  of  a towel,  foam  cushion  or 
something  else  to  properly  position  the 
child  restraint,  make  certain  that  the 
Airbag  system  139 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG OFF light  comes 
on  and  stays  on  whenever  the  child  re
straint  is  installed  on  the  front  passen
ger  seat. 
- If  the 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG OFF light 
does  not  come  on  and  stay  on,  immedi
ately  install  child restraint  in a  rear  seat
ing  position  and  have  the  airbag  system 
inspected  by your  authorized  Audi dealer. 
How the  Advanced Airbag  System 
components  work  together 
The  front  Advanced  Airbag  System  and  the 
side  airbags  supplement  the  protection  of
fered  by  the front  three-point  safety  belts 
with  pretensioners  and  load limiters  and  the 
adjustable  head restraints  to  help  reduce  the 
risk of  injury  in  a wide  range  of  accident  and 
crash  situations.  Be sure  to  read the impor
tant  information  about  safety  and  heed  the 
WARNINGS  in this  chapter. 
Deployment  of the  Adva need  Airbag  System 
and  the  activation  of  the  safety  belt  preten sioners  depend  on  the  deceleration  measured 
by the  crash  sensors  and  registered  by the 
electronic  control  unit.  Crash  severity  depends 
on  speed  and  deceleration  as  well  as the mass 
and  stiffness  of the  vehicle  or  object  involved 
in the  crash. 
On the  passenger  side,  regardless  of  safety 
belt  use,  the airbag  will  be  turned  off  if the 
weight  on  the  passenger  seat  is less  than  the 
amount  programmed  in the  electronic  control 
un it.  The  front airbag  on  the  passenger  side 
will also  be  turned off if one  of the  child  safe
ty  seats  that  has  been certified under Federal 
Motor  Vehicle  Safety  Standard  208  has  been 
recogni zed on  the  seat . The 
PASSENGER AIR 
BAG OFF 
light  comes  on  and  stays  on  to  tell 
you when  the  front  Advanced  Airbag  on  the  passenger  side  has been  turned  off 
~ page  132,  Child restraints  on  the  front  seat 
- some  important  things  to know.  .,. 
• 
•  
Page 143 of 284

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-Occ upants  who  are  unbelted,  out  of  posi
t ion  or too  close  to  the  airbag  can  be 
seriously  injured  by an  airbag  as  it  un
folds  with  great  force  in the  blink  of  an 
eye 
¢ page  132. 
A WARNING 
-
A child  in a  rearward-facing  child  safety 
seat  insta lled  on  the  front  passenger  seat 
w ill be  seriously  injured  and  can  be  k illed  if 
the  front  a irbag  in flates  - even  with  an  Ad
vanced  Airbag  System . 
- The  inflating  a irbag  w il l  hit  the  child 
sa fety  sea t or  infant  carrier  w ith  g reat 
f orce  and  w ill smash  the  ch ild  safety  seat 
and  child  against  the  backrest , cente r 
armrest,  door  or  roof . 
- Always  install  rear -facing  child  sa fety 
seats  on  the  rear  seat . 
- If you  mus t install  a  rearward  facing 
child  safety  seat  on  the  front  passenger 
seat  because  of  exceptional  circ umstan
ces  and  the 
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 
light  does not come on and stay on,  im 
med iately  install  the  rear-facing  child 
safety  seat  in  a  rear  seating  position  a nd 
have  the  a irbag  system  inspected  by you r 
authori zed  Au di dealer . 
A WARNING 
Objects  betwee n you  and  t he a irbag  will 
increase  the  risk of  in jury in  a  crash  by  in
t erfering  wi th the  way  the  air bag  un folds 
or  by being  pushed  into  you  as  the  a irbag 
inflates. 
- Never  hold  th ings  in your  hands  or  on 
yo ur lap  when  the  vehicle  is in  use. 
- Never  transport  i tems  on  or  in the  area 
of the  front  passenge r seat . Objects 
cou ld  move  into  the  area  of the  front  air
bags  dur ing  braking  or  other  s udden  ma
neuver  and  become  dangerous  projec
t il es  that  can  cause  serious  personal  in
jury  if the  airbags  inflate . 
- Never  place  or  attach  accessories  or  oth
er  objects  (such  as  cupholders,  te le
phone  brackets,  large,  heavy  or  b ulky ob -
-
Airbag  system  141 
jects)  on  the  doors,  ove r o r near  the  area 
marked  "AIRBAG"  on  the  steering  wheel, 
instrument  panel,  seat  backrests  or  be
tween  those  areas  and  yourself . These 
objects  could  cause  in ju ry in  a  c rash , es 
pecia lly when  the  airbags  infla te . 
- Never  recline  the  front  passenger 's sea t 
to  transport  objects.  Items  can  a lso 
move  into  the  area  of  the  s ide  a irbag  or 
the  front  a irbag  du ring  bra king  or  in a 
sudden  maneuve r. O bje cts  ne ar the  air
bags  can  become  projec tiles  and  cause 
in jur y, partic ula rly when  the  seat  is re 
clined . 
A WARNING 
The fine  dust  create d when  air bags  deploy 
can  cause  breathing  prob lems  for  people 
with  a  history  of  asthma  or  other  breath ing  cond itions . 
- To reduce  the  risk of  breath ing  problems, 
those  with  asthma  or other  respiratory  conditions  shou ld  get  fresh  air  r ight 
away  by getting  o ut  o f the  veh icle  or 
open ing  windows  or  doors. 
- If you  are  in  a collision  in which  airbags 
deploy,  was h your  hands  and  face  with 
mild  soap  and  wate r before  ea ting. 
- Be ca reful  not  to  get  the  dust  into  your 
eyes,  o r into  any  c uts  or  sc ratches . 
- If  the  resid ue should  get  into  your  eyes, 
f lush  them  w ith  wate r. 
Monitoring  the 
Advanced  Airbag 
System 
Airbag  monitoring  indicator  light 
T wo separate  indicators  monitor  the  function 
of  the Advanced Airbag System:  the  airbag 
monitoring  indicator  light  and  the 
PASSEN· 
GER AIR BAG OFF 
light. 
T he  Advanced  A irbag  System  ( incl uding  the 
electron ic co ntro l unit , se nsor  circu its  and  sys
tem  wir ing)  is  mo nitore d continuously  to 
m ake su re  that  it  i s fu nc tioni ng  properly  • 
•  
Page 144 of 284

142  Airbag system 
whenever  the  ignit ion  is on.  Each t ime  yo u 
turn  on  the  ignition,  the 
II airbag  monitoring 
indicator  light  will come  on for  a few  seconds 
(self  diagnostics) . 
The sy stem  must  be in spect ed wh en the 
fl ind icator  light : 
-does  not  come  on when  the  ignit ion  is 
switched  on, 
- does  not  go  out  a few  seconds  after  you 
have switched  on  the  ignition,  or 
- comes  on while  driving . 
If an  airbag  system  malf unct ion  is dete cted, 
the  ind icator  light  will firs t start  flash ing to 
catch  the  driver's  attention  and  then  stay  on 
continuously  to  serve  as  a constant  reminder 
to  have the  system  inspected  immediately. 
If  a  mal func tion occurs  that  turns  the fron t 
airbag  on the  passenger  side  off, the 
PASSEN
GER AIR  BAG OFF 
l ight  will come  on  and  stay 
on whenever  the  ignition  is on. 
.&_ WARNING 
An airbag  system  that  is not  funct ion ing 
properly  cannot  provide  supplemental  pro
tect ion  in a frontal  crash. 
- If the  airbag  indicator  light 
c:> page  19 
comes  when  the  vehicle  is  be ing  used, 
have the  system  inspected  immed iate ly 
by you r autho rized Aud i dea le r.  It  is pos
sible  that  the  airbag  will inf late  when  it 
is  not  s upposed  to,  or w ill not  inflate 
when  it  sho uld. 
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light 
Fig.  152 Sect ion  from  the  inst rumen t pa nel:  PASSEN
GER AIR BAG O FF ligh t 
-
The PASSENGER AIR  BAG OFF light  is  located 
in the  center  of the  instrument  pane l 
c:>fig.  152. 
The PASSENGER AIR  BAG OFF light  wi ll come 
on and  stay  on  to  tell  you when  the  front  Ad
vanced  Airbag on  the  passenger  side  has  been 
turned  off  by the  electron ic contro l unit.  Each 
t ime  you turn  on the  ignition , the 
PASSEN 
GER AIR  BAG OFF 
light  will flash  for  a few 
seconds  and: 
- will  stay  on  i f the  front  passenger  seat  is not 
occ upied, 
- will  stay  on  if there  is  a small  ch ild or  child 
restraint  on the  front  passenger  seat, 
- will go out  if the  front  passenge r seat  is oc
cupied  by an  adult  as  registered  by the 
weight-sensing  mat. 
T he 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG OFF light  mu st 
come on and  stay on 
if the  ignition  is on  and 
- a ca r bed  has  been  installed  on  the fron t 
seat,  o r 
- a rearward-facing  child rest rain t  has  bee n 
installed  o n the  front  passenger  seat,  or 
- a forwa rd-fac ing ch ild  restra int  has  been  in
stalled  on  the front  passenger  sea t, or 
- the  weight  reg iste red  on  the front  passen
ge r seat  is equal  to  or  less  t han t he com
bined  weight  o f a typical  1 year -ol d  restra in 
ed  in one  of  the  rea r-facing  or forwa rd-fac
ing  infant  restraints  listed  in  Federal  Motor 
Veh icle Safety  Standard  208  with  which  the 
Advanced  A irbag  System  in your  vehicle was 
certified . 
If the  front  passenger  seat  is not  occupied, 
t h e front  airbag  will not  deploy,  and  the 
PAS· 
SENGER AIR  BAG O FF 
light  will stay  on.  Nev
er  install  a rearward-facing  child  restraint  on 
t h e front  passenger  seat,  the safest  p lace for 
a ch ild in any k ind  of ch ild restraint  is at  one 
of  the  seating  posit ions  on the  rear  sea t 
c:> page  132,  Child restraints  on the  front  seat 
- some  important  things  to  know 
and 
c:> page  152,  Child Safety. 
If th e PASSENGER A IR BAG OFF light  come s 
o n 
w hen  o ne of the  cond itions  listed  above  is 
met,  be su re to  check t he light  regu larly to 
II>- 
Page 145 of 284

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make  certain  that  the PASSENGER  AIR  BAG 
OFF 
light  stays  on  continuous ly whenever  the 
i gnit ion  is on.  If the 
PASSENGER  AIR  BAG 
OF F 
light  does  not  appear  and  not  stay  on  all 
the  t ime,  stop  as  soon  as  it  is safe  to  do  so 
and 
- react ivate  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  correct ly 
routed  around  the  child  restraint  as  descr i
bed  in the  child  restraint  manufacturer's  in
structions; 
- make  sure  that  the  convertible  locking  re
tractor  on  the  safety  belt  for  the  front  pas
senger  seat  has  been  act ivated  and  that  the 
safety  belt  has  been  pulled  tight.  The  belt 
must  not  be  loose  o r have  loops  of  slack  so 
that  the  sensor  below  the  safety  belt  latch  on  the  seat  can  do  its job 
¢ page  162 . 
-make  sure  that  things  that  may  increase  the 
weight  of the  chi ld  and  child  safety  seat  are 
not  being  transported  on  the  front  passen 
ger  seat; 
- make  sure  that  the  safety  belt  tension  sen
sor  is  not  b locked.  Shake  the  safety  belt 
latch  on  the  front  passenger  seat  back  and 
forth; 
- If  a strap  or  tether  is being  used  to  tie  the  child  safety  seat  to  the  front  passenger 
seat,  make  sure  that  it  is not  so  tight  that  it 
causes  the  we ight-sensing  mat  to  measure 
more  we ight  than  is actually  on  the  seat. 
If  the  PA SSEN GER AIR  B AG  OFF light  st ill 
do es  not come  o n 
and  does  not  stay  on  con
tinuously  (when  the  ignition  is  switched  on), 
- take  the  chi ld  restraint  off  the  front  passen-
ger  seat  and  install  it  properly  at  one  of the 
rear  seat  pos itions.  Have the  a irbag  system 
inspected  by your  author ized  Audi  dealer 
i mmediately . 
- move  the  ch ild  to  a  rear  seat  posit io n  and 
make  sure  that  the  child  is  properly  restrain
ed  in a  child  restraint  that  is appropriate  for 
its  size  and  age. 
A irbag  system  143 
The PAS SENGER AIR  BAG OFF light  should 
NOT come  on  when  the  ignitio n is on  and  an 
adult  is  s itting  in  a  proper  seating  position  on 
the  front  passenger  seat.  If  the 
PAS SENGER 
AIR  BAG OFF 
light  comes  on  and  stays  on  or 
flashes  for  about  5  seconds  wh ile  driving,  un
der  these  c ircumstances,  make  sure  that: 
- the  adult  on  the  front  passenger  seat  is  properly  seated  on  the  center  of  the  seat 
cushion  with  his  or  her  back  up  aga inst  the 
backrest  and  the  backrest  is  not  recl ined 
¢ page  113,  Proper occupant  seating  posi
tions, 
- the  adult  is  not  tak ing  weight  off  the  seat  by 
holding  on  to  the  passenger  assist  handle 
above  the  front  passenger  door  o r support 
ing  thei r weight  on  the  armrest, 
- the  safety  belt  is  being  properly  wo rn and 
tha t the re  is  not  a  lot  of s lack  in the  safety 
be lt  webbing, 
- accesso ry sea t covers  or  cushions  o r other 
things  that  may  cause  an  incorrect  reading 
or  imp ression  on  the  weight-sensing  mat 
under  the  upho lstery  of  the  seat  have  been 
removed  from  the  front  passenger  seat, 
- a  safety  belt  extender  has  not  been  left  in  the  safety  be lt  latch  for  the  front  passenger 
seat. 
In  add ition  to  the 
PA SSENGER  AIR  BAG O FF 
light  in the  center  of the  instrument  panel, 
the  message 
PASSENGER  A IR BAG OFF or 
PASSENGER  AIR  BAG ON will  briefly  appear 
in the  instrument  cluster  disp lay. This  is  to  in
form  the  dr iver  of the  current  front  passenger 
airbag  status. 
Important  safety  instructions  on 
monitoring  the  Advanced Airbag System 
A WARNING 
An airbag  system  that  is  not  functioning 
properly  cannot  provide  supplemental  pro
tection  in a frontal  crash. 
- If  the  airbag  ind icator  light 
¢ page  19 
comes  when  the  veh icle  is  being  used, 
have  the  system  inspected  immediately 
by your  authorized  Audi dealer. 
It i s 
-
• 
•  
Page 146 of 284

144  Airbag  sys tem 
possible  that  the  airba g will  inf late  when 
it  is not  supposed  to,  or  will  not  inflate 
when  it  should. 
A WARNING 
If  t he front  airbag  inflates,  a  ch ild  without 
a  child  restra int,  in  a  rearward-facing  child 
safety  seat  or  in  a forward-facing  child  re
straint  that  has  not  been  properly  insta lled 
w ill  be  seriously  injured  and  can  be  k illed. 
- Even though  your  veh icle  is equipped 
with  an  Advanced  Airbag  System,  make  c ertain  that  a ll children,  especially  12 
years  and  younger,  a lways  ride  on  the 
back  seat  properly  restrained  for  their 
age  and  size. 
- Always  instal l forwa rd  or  rear-facing 
child  safety  seats  on  the  rear  seat  -even 
with  an  Advanced  Airbag  System. 
- If you  must  install  a  rearward -fac ing 
child  safety  seat  on  the  front  passenger 
seat  because  of  exceptional  circ umstan
ces  and  the 
PASS ENG ER AIR BAG OFF 
light  does not appear and stay on, imme 
diately install  the  rear-fac ing  ch ild  safety 
seat  in a  rear  seating  position  and  have 
the  a irbag  system  inspected  by you r au
tho riz ed  Aud i deale r. 
- A tight  tether  or  other  strap  on  a  rear
wa rd-facing  child  restra int  attached  to 
the  front  passenger  seat  can  put  too  much  pressure  on  the  weight-sens ing 
mat  in the  seat  and  register  mo re  weight 
than  is ac tually  on  the  seat.  The  heavier 
weight  registe red  can  make  the  system 
work  as  though  an  adu lt  were  on  the  seat 
and  dep loy the  Advanced  Airbag  when  it 
must  be  suppressed  caus ing  serious  or 
even  fatal  injury  to  the  child. 
- If,  in  exceptional  circumstances,  you 
must  install  a  forward-facing  child  re
st raint  on  the  front  passe nger  seat,  a l
ways  move  the  seat  into  its  rearmost  po
sit io n  in the  seat's  fo re and  aft  adjust
me nt  range,  as  f ar away  from  the  airbag 
as  possib le.  The  b ackrest  m ust  be  adjus t
ed  to  an  upr ight  position.  Make sure  that  the 
PA
SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light 
comes  on  and  stays  on  all  the  time  when
ever  the  ignition  is switched  on. 
A WARNING 
-
- If  the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light 
does  not  go  out  when  an  adult  is sitting 
on  the  front  passenger  seat  after  taking 
the  ste ps described  above,  make  su re  the 
adu lt  is  prope rly seated  and  restra ined  at 
one  o f the  rea r sea ting  pos itions. 
- Have the  airbag  system  inspected  by 
your  author ized  Audi  dealer  befo re  trans
port ing  anyone  on  the  front  p assenger 
se at. 
(D Tips 
If the  weig ht-sensing  mat  in the  front  pas
senger  seat  de te cts  an  empty  seat,  the 
front  air b ag  on  the  p assenger  side  wi ll 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  o n your  Aud i. Insta lling, 
removing,  servicing  or  repa iring  a  part  in an 
area  of the  veh icle  can  damage  a  part  of  an 
airbag  system  and  p revent  that  system  from 
working  p roperly  in a  coll is io n. 
There  are  some  important  t hings  you  have  to 
know  to  make  sure  that  the  effectiveness  of 
the  system  w ill not  be  impaired  and  that  dis
ca rded  components  do  not  cause  inju ry or  pol
lute  the  environmen t. 
A WARNING 
Imprope r care,  serv ic ing  and  repair  p roce
dur es  can  increase  the  risk of  personal  in 
ju ry and  death  by prevent ing  an  a irbag 
from  deploying  when  needed  or  dep loying 
an  a irbag  unexpectedly: 
- Never  cover,  obstruct , or  change  the 
steer ing  whee l horn  pad  or  airbag  cover 
or  the  instrument  panel  or  mod ify them 
in any  way .  
Page 149 of 284

"' N 
a: LL co 
rl I.O 
"' rl 
"' rl 
Remember  too,  airbags  will deploy  only  once 
and  only  in certain  kinds  of accidents  -your 
safety  belts  are  a lways  there  to  offer  protec 
tion  in those  acc idents  in which  airbags  are 
not  supposed  to  deploy  or when  they  have  al
ready  deployed,  for  example  when  your  vehi 
cle  str ikes  or  is struck  by another  afte r the 
fi rst  coll is ion. 
This  is just  one  of the  reasons  why  an  a irbag  is 
not  a  substitute  for  the  safety  belt . The airbag 
system  works  most  effectively  when  used  with 
the  safety  belts . Therefore,  always  wear  your 
safety  bel ts correctly . 
It  is important  to  remember  that  while  the 
supplemental  knee  a irbag  system  is des igned 
to  reduce  the  like lihood  of  serious  injur ies, 
o ther  in juries , fo r example,  swel ling , bruising, 
and  minor  abras io ns  and  frict ion  bu rns  ca n al 
so  occur  when  an  airbag  inflates. 
The  knee airbag  system  basically consists 
of : 
-The  elec tronic  control  mod ule 
- T wo  inf latab le  airbags  (airbag  and  gas  gen-
erato r), one  for  the  driver  and  one  for  the 
front  passenger 
- T he  airbag  ind icator  light  in the  instrument 
pane l 
The  knee airbag  system  will  not  deploy: 
-when  the  ign ition  is turned  off 
- in frontal  collisions  w hen  the  decelerat ion 
measured  by the  control  unit  is too  low 
- in s ide  collisions 
- in rear-end  collisions 
- in  ro llovers 
- in the  event  of  a system  malfunct io n  (wa rn -
i ng/indicator  ligh t is on) 
r::!> page  19. 
& WARNING 
- Safety  belts  and  the  airbag  system  can 
only  p rov ide  protection  when  occ upants 
are  in the  proper  seating  posit ion 
c::>page  140. 
-If  the  airbag  indicator  light c::> page  19 
comes  when  the  vehicle  is  be ing  used, 
have  the  system  inspected  immediately 
A irba g  sy stem  14 7 
by your  authorized  A udi dealer.  It  is  pos
sib le that  the  airbag  will  inflate  when  it 
is not  supposed  to , or  will not  inflate 
when  it  should . 
How  knee airbags  work 
Applies  to  vehicles:  wit h knee  airbags 
The risk  of  injury  to  the  leg  area  can  be re 
duced  by fully  deployed  knee airbags. 
Fi g.  154 In flated  a irbags  protect ing  in a  fronta l co lli· 
s ion 
The  knee  airbag  system  has  been  designed  so 
that  the  airbags  for  the  driver  and  front  pas
senger  deploy  in certain  but  not  all  frontal 
collisions. 
If  the  front  airbags  dep loy, the  knee  airbags 
also  dep loy in frontal  co llisions  when  the  de
ployment  threshold  stored  in the  control  unit 
is  met. 
When  the  system  deploys,  the  ai rbags  fill 
with  a  propellant  gas,  and  inflate  between  the  l ower  part  of the  instrument  pane l and  the 
driver  and  t he  lower  part  of the  instrument 
panel  and  the  front  passenger 
c::> page  140, 
fig . 151 . 
Although  they  are  not  a  soft  pi llow,  they  can 
cush io n  the  impact  and  in this  way they  can 
help  to  reduce  the  risk of  injury  to  the  lower 
extremit ies . 
All of th is  takes  place  in the  blin k of  an  eye,  so 
fast  that  many  people  don't  even  realize  that 
the  a irbags  have  deployed.  The  airbags  a lso 
i nfla te with  a  g reat  dea l of fo rce and  it  is im
po rtant  for  occupant  safety  that  no thing 
sho uld  be  in  their  way when  they deploy. 
II>- 
Page 151 of 284

M N 
er 
u.. 
co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,...., 
-the  two  side  airbags  located  in the  sides  of 
the  front  backrests 
- the  airbag  warning  light  in the  instrument 
cluster. 
The airbag  system  is  monitored  elect ron ica lly 
to  make  certain  that  it  is functioning  prope rly 
at  all  times . Each  time  you  turn  on  the  igni
tion,  the  airbag  system  indicator  light  will 
come  on  for  a few  seconds  (self  diagnostics) . 
The  s ide  a irb ag  system  supplements  the  safe
ty  belts  and  can  help  to  reduce  the  risk of  in 
jury  to  the  drive r's  and  front  passenger's  up
per  torso  on  the  side  of the  vehicle  that  is 
struck  in a  side  co llision.  The airbag  deploys 
only  in s ide  impacts  and  only  when  the  vehicle 
accelera tion  regis tered  by the  con trol  unit  is 
h igh  enough . If  this  rate  is below  the  refer 
ence  va lue  programmed  into  the  control  un it, 
the  side  airbags  will  not  be  triggered , even 
though  the  ca r may  be  badly  damaged  as  a  re
sult  of the  collision. 
It is not  possible  to  de
fine  an  a irbag  trigger ing  range  that  will cover 
every  possible  angle  of  impact,  since  the  cir
cumstances  wi ll vary  considerably  between 
one  co llision  and  another.  Important  factors 
include,  for  examp le,  the  nature  (hard  or soft) 
of the  impacting  object,  the  angle  of  impact, 
veh icle  speed,  etc . 
c=;, page  1 SO, Important 
safety  instructions  on  the  side  airbag  system . 
Aside  from  their normal  safety  function,  sa fe
ty  belts  work  to  he lp keep  the  driver  or  front 
passenger  in  posit ion  in the  event  of a  side 
coll is ion  so  that  the  side  a irbags  can  provide 
p rotection. 
T he  airbag  system  is 
not a  substitute  for  your 
safety  belt . Rather,  it  is  pa rt  of  the  overall  oc 
cupa nt  restraint  system  in your  veh icle.  Al
ways  remember  that  the  side  airbag  system 
can  only  help  to  p rotect  you  if yo u are wear ing 
your  safety  bel t and  wear ing  it  prope rly.  This 
is another  reason  why you  sho uld  a lways  wear 
your  safety  belts,  not  just  beca use  the  law  re
qu ires you  to  do  so 
c=;, page  123,  General 
notes. 
It is important  to  remember  that  while  the 
supp lemental  side  airbag  system  is designed 
A irbag  system  149 
to  reduce  the  likelihood  of  ser ious  injuries, 
other  injuries,  for  example,  swelling,  bruising , 
and  minor  abrasions  can  also  be  associated 
with  deployed  side  airbags.  Remember  too, 
s ide  airbags  will  dep loy only  once  and  only  in 
certain  kinds  of accidents  -your  safety  belts 
are  always  there  to  offer  p rotection . 
Vehicle  damage,  repair  costs  or  even  the  lack 
of  veh icle  damage  are  not  necessarily  an  indi
cation  of over -sensitive  or failed  airbag  activa 
t ion.  In  some  col lisions,  both  fro nt  and  side 
airbags  may  i nflate.  Remember  too,  that  ai r
bags  will deploy  only  once  a nd  only  in  ce rtain 
ki nds  of  col lis ions  -yo ur  safe ty belts  a re al
ways  there  to  offe r protec tion  in those  acc i
dents  i n which  airbags  are  no t supposed  to 
deploy  or  when  they  have  a lready  deployed. 
The side  airbag  system  will  not  deploy: 
- when  t he  ignit io n  is tu rned  off 
- in  side  co llisions  when  the  accele ration 
meas ured  by t he  sensor  is too  low 
- in front-end  collisions 
- in  rear- end  collisions 
-in  rollovers. 
In  some  types  of  accidents  t he  front  airbags 
and  side  airbags  may  be  tr iggere d together. 
A WARNING 
- Safety  belts  and  the  airbag  system  will 
only  provide  protection  when  occupants 
are  in the  proper  seating  position 
¢page  150. 
-If  the  airbag  ind icator  light¢ page  19 
comes  when  the  veh icle  is  being  used, 
have  the  system  inspected  immediately 
by your  au thorized  Audi dealer . 
It is  pos
sible  t hat  the  airbag  will  inflate  when  it 
is not  supposed  to,  or  will  not  inflate 
when  it  should .  • 
•  
Page 155 of 284

-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  does 
not  come  on  and  stay  on,  immediately 
install  the  rearward-facing  child  safety 
seat  in a  rear  seating  position  and  have 
the  airbag  system  inspected  immediately  by your  authorized  Audi  dealer. 
,& WARNING 
If,  in  exceptional  circumstances,  you  must 
install  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  passenger  front  and  side  airbag. 
- Always follow  the  manufacturer's  in
structions  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  airbag  as  possible  before  installing 
the  child  restraint.  The  backrest  must  be  adjusted  to  an  upright  position . 
- Always  make  sure  that  the 
PASSENGER 
AIR  BAG OFF 
light  comes  on  and  stays 
on  all  the  time  whenever  the  ignition is 
switched  on. 
@ Tips 
Always replace  child  restraints  that  were 
installed  in a  vehicle  during  a crash.  Dam
age  to  a  child  restraint  that  is  not  visible 
could  cause  it  to  fail  in another  collision 
situation. 
Advanced front  airbag  system  and  children 
Your vehicle  is equipped  with  a front  "Ad
vanced  Airbag  System"  in compliance  with 
M N United  States  Federal  Motor  Vehicle  Safety er 
~ Standard  (FMVSS) 208  as  applicable  at  the ,...., 
~ time  your  vehicle  was  manufactured . 
,...., 
"' ,...., 
Child  Safety  153 
The Advanced  Airbag  system  in your  vehicle 
has  been  certified  to  meet  the  "low-risk"  re
quirements  for  3- and  6-year  old  children  on 
the  passenger  side  and  small  adults  on  the  driver  side.  The  low risk  deployment  criteria 
are  intended  to  reduce  the  risk  of  injury 
through  interaction  with  the  airbag  that  can 
occur,  for  example, by being  too  close  to  the 
steering  wheel  and  instrument panel  when 
the  airbag  inflates.  In addition,  the  system 
has  been  certified  to  comply  with  the  "sup
pression"  requirements  of the  Safety  Stand
ard,  to  turn  off  the  front  airbag  for  infants  up 
to  12  months  who  are  restrained  on  the  front  passenger  seat  in  child  restraints  that  are  list
ed  in the  Standard. 
Even though  your  vehicle  is equipped  with  an 
Advanced  Airbag  system,  all  children,  espe
cially  those  12 years  and  younger,  should  al
ways  ride  in  the  back  seat  properly  restrained 
for  their  age  and  size . The  airbag  on  the  pas 
senger  side  makes  the  front  seat  a  potentially 
dangerous  place  for  a  child  to  ride . The  front 
seat  is  not  the safest  place  for  a  child  in a for
ward-facing  child  safety  seat.  It can  be  a very 
dangerous  place  for an infant  or a larger  child 
in a  rearward-facing  seat. 
Advanced Airbags  and  the  weight
sensing  mat  in the  front  seat 
The  Advanced  Airbag  System  in your  vehicle 
detects  the  presence  of an  infant  or  child  in  a 
child  restraint  on  the  front  passenger  seat  us
ing  the  weight-sensing  mat  in the  seat  cush
ion  and  the  sensor  below  the safety  belt  latch 
on  the  front  passenger  seat  that  measures  the 
tension  on  the  safety  belt. 
The  weight-sensing  mat  measures  total 
weight  of the  child  and  the child  safety  seat 
and  a child  blanket  on  the  front passenger 
seat.  The weight  on  the front  passenger  seat 
is  related  to  the  design  of the  child  restraint 
and  its "footprint",  the  size  and  shape  of the 
bottom  of the  child  restraint  as  it sits  on  the 
seat.  The weight  of  a child  restraint  and  its  "footprint"  vary  for  different  kinds  of  child  re -
straints  and  for  the  different  models  of the  ..,. • 
•  
Page 156 of 284

154  Child  Saf ety 
same  kind  of  child  rest raint  offered  by child 
restraint  manufact urers. 
The  weight  ranges  fo r the  ind ividual  types, 
makes  and  mode ls  o f chi ld  restra ints  that  the 
NHTSA has  specified  in the  Safety  Standard 
together  with  the  weight  ranges  of  typical  in
fants  and  typical  1 year-o ld  child  have  been 
stored  in the  control  unit  of  the  Advanced  A ir
bag  System.  When  a  child  restraint  is  being 
used  on  the  front  passenger  seat  with  a  typi 
cal  1 year-old  ch ild,  the  Advanced  Airbag  Sys
tem  compa res  the  we ight  measured  by the 
weight  sensing  mat  with  the  informat io n  sto r
ed  i n the  ele ct ron ic cont ro l uni t. 
The  electron ic control  unit  also  registers  the 
tension  on  the  front  passenge r safety  belt . 
The  tens io n  on  the  safety  be lt  fo r the  front 
passenger  seat  will  be  d iffe ren t for  an  ad ult 
who  is prope rly using  the  safety  belt  as  com
pared  to  the  tension  on  the  be lt  whe n it  is 
used  to  attach  a  chi ld  restraint  to  the  seat. 
The  sensor  below  the  latch  for  the  safety  be lt 
for  the  front  seat  passenger  meas ures  the 
tension  on  the  be lt.  The  input  from  this  sen
sor  is then  used  with  the  we ight  to  "decide", 
whether  there  is a ch ild  restraint  w ith  a typ ical 
1 year-o ld  child  o n the  front  passenger  seat 
and  whe ther  or  not  the  ai rbag  must  be  tu rned 
off. 
Child  restraints  and Advanced Airbags 
Regardless  o f the  child  restraint  t hat  you  use, 
make  sure  that  it  has  been  ce rtified  to  meet 
United  States  Federal  Motor  Vehicle  Safety 
Standards  and  has  been  certified  by its  manu
f acturer  for  use  with  a n airbag.  Always  be  sure 
that  the  child  restraint  is  properly  instal led  at 
one  of  the  rear  seat ing  pos itions . 
If in  excep
tional  c ircumstances  you  must  use  it  on  the 
fro nt  passenger  sea t,  caref ully read  all  of  the 
i n format ion  on  c hild  safety  and  Advanced  A ir
bags  and  heed  a ll of  the  app licab le WAR N
I NGS . Ma ke  certain  that  the  child  restraint  is 
correctly  recognized  by the  weig ht-sensing 
mat  inside  the  front  passenger  seat,  that  the 
fro nt  passenger  airbag  is  turned  off  and  that  the  a
irbag  sta tus is always  cor rect ly signa led 
by the 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG OFF light . 
Many  types  and  models  of  child  res traints 
h ave  been  available  over  the  yea rs,  new  mod
els  are  introduced  regu larly  incorporating  new 
and  improved  designs  and  o lde r mode ls are 
ta ken  out  o f product ion . Ch ild  restra ints  are 
not  standard iz ed . Child  restraints  of  the  same 
type  typically  have  different  weights  and  sizes 
and  different  'footpr ints,'  the  size  and  shape 
of  the  bottom  of  the  ch ild  restra int that  sits 
on  the  seat,  when  they  are  insta lled  on  a  vehi
cl e  seat.  These  d iffe rences  make  it v irtually 
i mpossible  to  certify  compl ian ce wi th t he  re
quiremen ts for  advanced  airbags  with  eac h 
and  every  chi ld  restraint  that  has  eve r been 
sold  in the  past  or  wi ll be  sold  over  the  course 
of  the  useful  life  of  your  veh icle. 
F or  t his  reason,  the  United  S tates  National 
Highway  T raffic  Safety  Adm inist ration  has 
published  a  list  of  specific  type,  ma kes  and 
models  of  child  restraints  that  must  be  used 
to  certify  comp liance  of  the  Advanced  Airbag 
System  i n your  veh icle  with  the  suppression 
requirements  of  Federal  Motor  Vehicle  Safety 
Standa rd  208.  These  ch ild  restraints  a re : 
Subpart  A - Car bed child  re straints 
Model  Manufactured  on or 
after 
Angel  Guard  A ngel  September  25,  2007 
Ride AA2403FOF 
Subpart  B  -Rear-facing  child  restraints 
Model  Manufactured  on or 
after 
Ce ntury  Smart Fit  December  1,  1999 
4 543 
Cosco Arriva  September  2S,  2007 
22-013PAW  and  base  22 -999WHO 
Evenflo  Discove ry Ad- December  1,  1999 
just  Right  212 
E venflo  First  Choice  December  1,  1999 
204 
Graco  Infant  8457  December  1,  1999  
Page 157 of 284

M N 
er 
u.. 
co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,...., 
Model Manufactured on or 
after 
Grace  Snugride  September  25,  2007 
Peg  Perego  Primo  V i- September  25,  200 7 
aggio  SI P IMUN00US 
Subpart  C - Forward-facing  and 
con vertible  child  r estra ints 
Model  Manufactured on or 
after 
Britax  Roundabout  September  25,  2007 
E9L02xx 
Cosco Tour iva 02519  December  1,  1999 
Cosco Summit  Deluxe  September  25,  2007 
High  Back Booster 
22-262 
Cosco  High  Back  September  25,  2007 
Booster  22-209 
E venflo  Tribute  V  September  25,  2007 
379xxxx 
Evenflo  Medallion  December  1,  1999 
254 
Evenflo  Generations  September  25,  200 7 
352xxxx 
Grace  Comfort5port  September  25,  2007 
Grace  Toddler  Safety  September  25,  2007 
Seat  Step  2 
Grace  Platinum  Ca rgo  September  25,  2007 
A WARNING 
T o  reduce  the  risk  of  serious  injury,  make 
sure  that  the 
PASSENGER AIR  BAG O FF 
light  comes  on  and  stays  on  whenever  a 
child  restraint  is  installed  on  the  front  pas
senger  seat  and  the  ignition  is switched 
on. 
- Take the  child  restraint  off  the  fro nt  pas
senger  seat  and  install  it  properly  at  one  of the  rea r seat  positions  if the 
PASSEN
GER AIR  BAG OFF 
light  does  not  stay  on. 
- Have the  airbag  system  inspected  by 
your  authorized  Aud i dealer  immediate
ly. 
Child  Sa fet y 
(D Tips 
The  child  seats  listed  in categories  A to  C 
have  been  statically  tested  by A udi on ly for 
the  Advanced  A irbag  function. 
' Important  safety  instructions  for  using 
child  safety  seats 
Correct use of  child safety  seats  substantially 
reduces  the  risk of  injury in an accident! 
As the  dr iver,  you  are  responsib le for  the  safe
ty  of  everybody  in the  vehicle,  especially  ch il
dren: 
...  Always  use  the  right  ch ild  safety  seat  for 
each  child  and  always  use  it  properly 
¢page  158 . 
... Always carefully  follow  the  child  safety  seat 
manufacturer's  instruct ions  on  how  to  route 
the  safety  belt  properly  through  the  child 
safety  seat. 
...  When  using  the  veh icle  safe ty belt  to  install 
a  child  safety  se at,  you  m ust  first  activate 
the  convertib le  locking  retractor  on  the 
safety  belt  to  p revent  the  child  safety  seat 
from  moving 
¢ page  162. 
... Push  the  ch ild  safety  seat  down  with  yo ur 
full  weight  to  get  the  safety  be lt  really  tight 
so  that  the  seat  cannot  move  forwa rd or 
sideways  mo re than  one  inch  (2.5  cm) . 
...  If  a  strap  or tethe r is  be ing  used  to  tie  the 
child  safety  seat  to  the  fron t passenger 
s eat,  make  sure  tha t  it  is  not  so  tight  that  it 
causes  the  weight-sensing  mat  to  measure 
more  weight  than  is act ually  on  the  seat. 
...  Sec ure  unused  safety  be lts  on  the  rear  seat 
¢page  157. 
Always  remember : Even  tho ugh  yo ur vehicle  is 
equipped  with  an  Advanced  Airbag  system,  all  c h il dren,  especially  those  12  years  and  young
er,  shou ld  always  r ide  in the  back  seat  proper -
ly restra ined  for  the ir age  and  size.  .,_ 
155 
• 
•