ESP AUDI S3 2009 Service Manual

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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 always properly wear their
safety belts and be in a proper seating position.
For your safety and the safety of your passengers, before
driving off, always:
- Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel properly
=>
page 128,
-Adjust the front passenger's seat properly=> page 75,
-Wear safety belts properly=> page 140,
- Always properly use the proper child restraint to protect
children=>
page 169.
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 is not seated properly. There ­
fore in order to help the airbag to do its job, it is important, both as
a driver and as a passenger to sit properly at all times.
By keeping room between your body and the steering wheel and the
front of the passenger compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and
completely and provide supplemental protection in certain frontal
collisions =>
page 128. For details on the operation of the seat
adjustment controls =>
page 76.
It's especially important that children are properly restrained
=>
page 169.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
There is a lot that the driver and the passengers can and must do to
help the individual safety features installed in your Audi work
together as a system .
Proper seating position is important so that the front airbag on the
driver side can do its job. If you have a physical impairment or
condition 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 other qualified workshop, or call Audi Customer CARE at 1-
800 -822 -2834 for possible modifications to your vehicle.
When the airbag system deploys, a gas generator will fill the
airbags, break open the padded covers, and inflate between the
steering wheel and the driver and between the instrument panel
and the front passenger. The airbags will deflate immediately after
deployment so that the front occupants can see through the wind ­
shield again without interruption .
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 also
inflate with a great deal of force and nothing should be in their way
when they deploy. Front airbags in combination with properly worn
safety belts slow down and limit the occupant's forward movement .
Together they help to prevent the driver and front seat passenger
from hitting parts of the inside of the vehicle while reducing the
forces acting on the occupant during 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 frontal collisions. The trig­
gering of the airbag system depends on the vehicle deceleration
rate caused by the collision and registered by the electronic control
unit. If this rate is below the reference value programmed into the
control unit, the airbags will not be triggered, even though the car
may be badly damaged as a result of the collision. Vehicle damage,
9J),
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Child restraints on the front seat -some
important things to know
- Be sure to read the important information and head the
WARNINGS for important details about children and
Advanced Airbags :=>
page 169.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that all children, especially those 12 years and
younger, always ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and size . The airbag on the passenger 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 forward -facing child safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a child in a rearward ­
facing seat.
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has been certified to
comply with the requirements of United States Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle
was manufactured.
The Standard requires the front airbag on the passenger side to be
turned off ("suppressed") if a child up to about one year of age
restrained in one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant
restraints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
which the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certified has been installed on the front passenger seat. For a listing of the child
restraints that were used to certify compliance with the US Safety
Standard =>
page 171.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the instrument panel tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned off by the electronic control unit.
Each time you turn on the ignition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will come on for a few seconds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied,
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front
passenger seat,
• will go off if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight-sensing mat=>
page 158, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when the control unit
detects a total weight on the front passenger seat that requires the
front airbag to be turned off.
If the total weight on the front passenger seat is more than that of
a typical 1 year-old child but less than the weight of a small adult,
the front airbag on the passenger side can deploy (the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on). If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger side
has not been turned off by the electronic control unit and can
deploy if the control unit senses an impact that meets the condi­
tions stored in its memory.
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
• a small child that is heavier than a typical 1 year -old child is on
the front passenger seat (regardless of whether the child is in one
of the child safety seats listed=>
page 171), or
• a child who has outgrown child restraints is on the front
passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on in the instrument cluster and stays on.
The front airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not illuminate and stay lit) even
if a small adult or teenager, or a passenger who is not sitting upright
with their back against a non-reclined backrest with their feet on the
vehicle floor in front of the seat is on the front passenger seat
=>
page 128, "Proper seating position for the driver".
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal Standard requires
the airbag to meet the "low risk" deployment criteria to reduce the risk of injury through interaction with the airbag . "Low risk" deploy­
ment occurs in those crashes that take place at lower decelerations
I),
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

& WARNING !continued)
• Improper installation of child restraints can reduce their effec­
tiveness or even prevent them from providing any protection .
• An improperly installed child restraint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child -
even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
• Never place additional items on the seat that can increase the
total weight registered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause injury in a crash. •
Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained front seat occupants.
Safety first
Fig . 143 Location of
driver airbag: in
steering wheel
'l
-- -
Airbag system
Fig . 144 Location of
front passenger's
airbag: in the instru­
ment panel
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Airbag System" in
compliance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan­
dard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manu­
factured. The safety belts for the front seats have "pretensioners"
that help to take slack out of the belt system. The pretensioners are
also activated by the electronic control unit for the airbag system .
The front safety belts also have load limiters to help reduce the
forces applied to the body in a crash.
The airbag for the driver is in the steering wheel hub~ fig.
143 and
the airbag for the front passenger is in the instrument panel
~ fig. 144. The general location of the airbags is marked "AIRBAG".
There is a lot you need to know about the airbags in your vehicle. We
urg e you to read the detailed information about airbags, safety belts
and child safety in this and the other chapters that make up the
owner's literature. Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they are
extremely important for your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers, especially infants and small children.
& WARNING
Never rely on airbags alone for protection .
• Even when they deploy, airbags provide only supplemental
protection.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

-Airbag system ----------------
& W
ARN ING (continued )
• Airbag work most effectively when used with properly worn
safety belt s.
• Therefore , always wear your safety belts and make sure that
everybody in your vehicle is properly restra ined .
& WARNING
A person on the front passenger seat , espe cially infants and small
c hildren, will receive serious injuries and can even be killed by
being too close to the airbag when it inflates .
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front passenger airbag if an infant or a
small child is on the front passenger seat , nobody can absolutely
guarantee that deployment unde r these spe cial conditions is
impossible in all conce ivable situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle.
• The Advanced Airbag System can deploy in accordance with
the "low risk" option under the U .S . Federal Standa rd if a child that
is heavier than the typical one -year old child is on the front
pas senger seat and the other cond itions for airbag deployment
are met.
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position .
• For their own safety , all children , espec ially 12 years and
younger, should always ride in the back properly restrained for
their age and size . •
Advanced front airbag system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front Advanced Airbag System in
c ompl ia n ce wi th Un it ed Sta tes Federa l Motor Vehicle Safet y Sta n­
dard 208 as appl icab le at the time your vehicle was manufactured. T
he front Advanced Airbag System supplements the safety belts to
p rovide addit ional protecti on for the d river's a nd fro nt passenger's
heads and upper bodies in fronta l crashes . The ai rbags inflate only
in fron tal impac ts w hen the vehic le dece le ra tion is high en ough .
Th e fro nt Advanced A irbag System for t he fro nt seat occupa nts is
not a substitute for your safety belts . Rather, it is pa rt of the overall
occu pan t restra int system in your v ehicle. A lways remembe r that
the airbag system can only help to protect you, if you are sitting
uprigh t, weari ng you r sa fe ty bel t an d wea ring it proper ly . T hi s is w hy
you and your passengers must always be proper ly restrained, not
jus t beca use t he law requi res y ou t o be .
T he Advanced A irbag Syste m in your ve hicle has been cert ified to
meet the " lo w risk" requ irements fo r 3 an d 6 year -o ld chi ldren on the
passen ger side and ve ry small a dults on t he dr iver s ide. The low r isk
deployment criteria are intended to he lp reduce the risk of injury
th ro ugh in te ract io n with the front a irbag t hat ca n occur, fo r
example, by being too close to the steering wheel and instrument
p anel whe n the a irbag inflates.
I n addition, the syst em has been cert ified to comply with the
"su ppression" req uirem en ts of the Safe ty Standa rd, to turn off th e
fron t airbag for in fants 1 2 months o ld a nd youn ger who are
restrained on the front passenger seat in child restraints that are
li s ted in th e Stan dard=>
page 171 .
"Suppress ion" requires the front airbag on the passenger side to be
t urne d off if:
• a child up to about one year of a ge is restra in ed on the front
passenger seat in one of the rear -facing or forward -facing infant
re stra ints l is ted in Fed era l Motor V ehicle Safety Standard 208 w ith
whic h the Advanced Airbag System in your vehic le was ce rtified. For
a lis ting o f the child res traint s th at we re us ed to cer tify y our
vehic le 's compliance with the US Safety Standard =>
page 171,
• weight less t han a thr esho ld leve l sto red in th e contro l un it is
detected on the front passenger seat.
When a pers on is dete ct ed on th e fro nt pas senge r seat, weighi ng
more than the total weight of a ch ild that is about 1 year old ._

Airbag system ""' -------------------------------------------- -=---='------
or the lower parts of the body. Front airbags suppl em ent the three ­
poi nt s afet y be lts o nly in s ome fro ntal c oll isi ons i n whi ch the v ehicl e
deceleration is hi gh enough to d eploy the airbags .
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,
• i n sid e collisi ons,
• in r ear- e nd collisions ,
• in ro llovers,
• when the cras h de celer ation me asured b y th e a ir bag sy stem i s
l ess than the minimum threshold nee ded for airbag dep loyment as
r egi stere d by t he ele ctronic control un it.
The front passenger airbag also will not deploy :
• when the front pa ssen ger s eat i s not o cc up ied,
• wh en the weig ht on th e front pass enger seat as se nsed by t he
Advan ced A irb ag System indi cate s that the fr ont air b ag on the
p as se n ge r sid e h as to be turned off b y the e lectronic cont rol unit
(the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ig ht co me s on and sta y s on ).
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the risk of serious injury
in crashes .
• To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags inflate , the driver
and passengers must always sit in an upright position , must not
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located .
• Occupants who are unbelted , out of position or too close to the
airbag can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye~ page
149 .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest , center arm rest , door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat .
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer .
& WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in crease the risk of injury
in a crash by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates .
• Never hold things in your hands or on your lap when the vehicle
is in use.
• Never transport items on or in the area of the front passenger
seat. Objects could move into the area of the front airbags during
braking or other sudden maneuvers and become dangerous
projectiles that can cause serious personal injury if the airbags
inflate .
• Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup
holders, telephone brackets , large, heavy or bulky objects) on the
doors , over or near the area marked "AIRBAG " on the steering
wheel , instrument panel , seat backrests or between those areas
and yourself . These objects could cause injury in a crash , espe-
cially when the airbags inflate . ...
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
• Never recline the front passenger' s seat to transport obje cts.
Item s can als o move into the area of the side airbag or the front
airbag during br aki ng or in a sudden maneuver . Objects near the
airbags can become projectiles and cause injury , particularly when
the seat is re clined .
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cause breathing
problems for people with a histo ry of asthma or other breathing
c onditions.
• To reduce the ri sk of breathing p roblems , tho se with asthma or
other respiratory conditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the veh icle or opening windows or door s.
• If you are in a collision in which airbags deploy , wash your
hands and face w ith mild soap and water before eat ing.
• Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes, or into any cuts or
s crat ches .
• If the residue should get into your eyes , flush them with
water .•
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light t:Ji
Two sepa ra te indi cator s mon itor t he function of the
Ad vanc ed A irba g Sy stem: th e ai rbag moni to rin g in dicator
ligh t and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
The Advanced Airbag System (including the electronic control unit,
sensor c ircuits and system w irin g) is mon itored continuously to
make su re that it is functioning proper ly whenever the ignition is on. E
ach time you turn on the ignition, the airbag monitoring indicator
li ght
I wi ll c om e on fo r a few sec onds (sel f diag nos tics).
The system must be inspected when the indicator light ~:
• does not come on when the ignition is switched on,
• does not go out a few seconds a fter you have switched on the
ignition, or
• comes on w hile driving.
I f an airbag system malfunction is detected, the indicator light will
fir st star t fl ashin g to catc h the drive r's at tention an d then stay o n
continuously to serve as a constant reminder to have the system
ins pec te d imm edi ately.
I f a malfunction occurs t hat turns the front airbag on the passenger
side off, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a front al crash.
• If the a irbag indicator light comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System. It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to , or
will not inflate when it should.
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your autho ­
rized Audi dealer. •

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actual ly on
th e seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does not come on and does
not stay on continuous ly (when the ignition is switched on),
• t ake the c hild res traint off t he front passe ng er seat a nd ins tall it
properly at one of the rear seat pos it ions. Have the a irbag system
ins pect ed by y our aut horize d Au di d eale r im me dia te ly.
• move the chi ld to a rear seat position and make sure that the
c h ild is pro pe rly restrai ned in a c hild restraint that is app ropriat e for
its size and age.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l igh t sho uld NOT come on when the
ignition is on and an adult is sitt ing in a proper seating position on
the front passenge r seat . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on a nd s tays o n or fl ashes for about 5 seco nds whi le d riving,
under these ci rcumstances, make sure that:
• the adu lt on the fron t pass enger sea t is pro perly seate d on the
cent er of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the back ­
rest an d the back res t is n ot recline d=> page 128, "Proper seati ng
position for the driver",
• t he ad ult is not ta king w eig ht o ff the sea t by hol ding o n to the
passenger assist hand le above the front passenger door or
su ppo rting their w eigh t on the arm res t,
• the safety be lt is being proper ly worn and that there is not a lot
o f sla c k in the sa fe ty b elt webbi ng,
• accessory seat covers or cushions or other things that may cause
an incorrect read ing o r impression on t he w eight -s e nsin g mat
under the upho lstery of the seat have been removed from the front
pass enger seat,
• a safety be lt extender has not been left in the safety be lt latc h for
th e fro nt passenger sea t.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight in the center of the
instrument pane l, the mes sage
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF o r
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON will br iefly appear in the instrument cluster display. This is to inform the driver of the curren
t front passenger
air bag status .•
Important safety instructions on monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protect ion in a frontal crash .
• If the airbag indicator l ight comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System . It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should .
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your autho­
rized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a child restraint , or in a
rearward-facing child safety seat , or in a forward-facing child
restraint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
injured and can be killed .
• Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System , make certain that all children , espec ially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat properly restrained for their
age and si ze .
• Always install forward or rear -facing child safety seats on the
rear seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• If you must install a rearward -facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat be cause of exceptional cir cumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG O FF light does not appear and stay on ,
immediately install the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear
~

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter­
fe rence :
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seatback s that have not been spe cifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate .
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam
in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi ­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
• The airbag system can be activated only once. After an airbag
ha s inflated , it must be replaced by an authorized Audi de aler or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary .
• The airbag system can be deployed only once. After an airbag
has been deployed , it must be repla ced with new repla cement
parts designed and approved especially for your Audi model
version . Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only .
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• Applies to vehicles with 6 -cylinder engine : For safety reasons in
severe accidents , the alternator and starter are separated from the
vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter .
- Work on the pyrotechni c circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehi cle or the circuit inte rrupter is scrapped , all appli ­
cable safety precautions must be followed. •
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the vehic le 's suspens ion system can change the way that
th e Adva nced Air bag Syste m performs in a c rash. Fo r example,
using tire -ri m co mbinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
veh ic le, c hang in g the st if f ness o f th e suspe nsio n, incl uding th e
spr ings, suspension struts, shock absorbers etc. can change the
f o rces t hat a re m easured by the a irba g se nsors and se nt to the elec ­
tronic control unit. Some suspension changes can, for example,
i ncrease the fo rce level s meas ure d by the senso rs and make the
a irbag system dep loy in crashes in which it wou ld not d ep loy if the
changes ha d no t been made . O th er ki nds of changes may red uce
th e force levels measured by the sensors and preve nt the airbag
fro m deploying w hen it sh ould.
Th e senso rs in th e sa fety belt buc kle fo r the dr iver a nd fro nt
passenger seat te ll the e lectronic control modu le if the safety belt is
l a tc h ed or not . If th e sa fe ty belt is being use d, th e front airbag wi ll
deploy at a slightly higher rate of vehic le dece leration than if the
sa fe ty be lt is n ot b ein g use d. Th ere fore, i n a partic ula r co llisi on, i t is
possible that an airbag wi ll not deploy at a seating position where
th e sa fe ty be lt is bei ng us ed bu t wi ll infl ate at the position w here the
safety be lt is not being used . It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety belt buc kles so that the sensors can send the co rrect
i nformation about safety be lt use to t he electronic contro l unit.
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including use of unapproved
tire -rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performance
and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash.
• Never install suspension components that do not have the
same pe rformance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehicle.
• Never use tire -rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi. ..

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When the system is triggered , the airbag is f ill ed with propel lant gas
and br eaks t hroug h a seam in the seat surface area marked
" AIRBAG ". It expands between the side trim panel and the
passenger . In order to he lp provide this additional protection, the
side airbag must inflate within a frac tion of a second at very high
speed and w ith great force . The supplemental side airbag could
injure you i f your seating position is not proper or upright or i f items
are located in the area where the supplemental side airbag expands .
This app lies especia lly to children ~ page 169 , "Child Safety".
Suppl em ental sid e airbags inflate betw een the occupant and the
door panel on the s ide of the veh ic le that is struck in certain side
collision
~ fig . 148.
A lthough they are not a soft pi llow, they can "cus hion" the impact
and in this way they can he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys. This is normal and does not m ean there is a fire in the vehicle . •
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Always prop ­
erly wear safety belts and ride in a proper seating posi ­
tion .
There is a lo t t ha t you and you r passengers mus t know a nd act
according ly to he lp th e sa fety belts and airbags do th eir job to
prov ide supp lemental pro tec tion .
& WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause seriou s or fatal injury. Improp ­
erly wearing safety belts and improper seating posit ions increa se
the ri sk of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is
being u sed .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WAR N ING (continued )
• In order to redu ce the risk of injury when the supplement al s ide
airbag infl ates :
- Alway s sit in an upright position and never lean against the
a rea where the supplement al s ide airbag is lo cated .
- Never let a child or anyone else rest their head against the
side t rim panel i n the area where the supplemental side airb ag
inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are worn corre ctly ,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat put their hand or
any other parts of their bod y out of the window.
• Alway s m ake sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter ­
ference .
- Ne ver in stall se at cover s or repla cement upholste ry o ver the
front seat back s that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use additional seat cushion s that cover the areas
where the side airbag s deploy .
- Dama ge to the original seat covers or to the seam in the a rea
of the side airb ag module must always be repaired immedi ­
ately by an authori zed Audi dealer .
• Obje cts bet ween you and the airbag can in crease the ri sk of
injury in an accident by interfering wi th the way the a irbag unfolds
or by be ing pu shed int o yo u as the airb ag inflat es.
- Never place or atta ch acce ssorie s or other object s (such as
c up holder s, telephone b rac ket s, or e ven l arge , bulky ob je cts)
on the doors , over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the
se at backre sts .
- Su ch ob ject s and acces sories can be come dangerou s projec ­
tile s and cau se injury when the supplemental side airbag
deploys. _.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
When the system is triggered, the side curtain airbag is filled with
p ropel lan t gas and b rea ks th roug h a sea m above the fron t and rear
side windows identified by the A IR BAG labe l. In order to help
provide th is additi ona l protec tion, the side curtain ai rbag must
inflate within the b link of an eye at very high speed and with great
force . The side cu rtain ai rbag could inju re you if yo ur seating posi ­
t ion is not p roper or upright or if items are located i n the a rea w here
the supplementa l side curtain airbag inflates . This applies espe ­
cia lly to child re n :::::,
page 169.
Although they are not a soft pi llow, side curtain airbags can
"cus hion" the im pac t and in this way they can hel p to reduce the risk
of injury to the head and the upper part of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys . This is q uite
n orma l and does no t mean t he re is a fi re i n th e ve hicle .•
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
A irb ags are only suppl emen ta l res tr a int s. A lways prop ­
erl y wear safety b elts and ride in a proper s ea ti ng posi ­
t io n.
T here is a lot that you and your passengers must know and do to
he lp th e sa fety belts and ai rbags do their j ob to prov ide su pple­
mental protection .
& WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions
increase the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used .
• Never let occupants place any parts of their bodies in the area
from which the side curtain airbags inflate .
• Always make sure that the side curtain airbags can inflate
without interference . Unsuitable accessories fitted inside the
& WARNING (continued)
expansion range of a curtain airbag can dangerously interfere with
its function . A deploying head airbag develop s enough force to
catapult any piece of add-on component out of its path of inflation
and into the pa ssenger compartment. An occupant hit by such a
projectile can suffer serious injury or death=>
page 306, "Technical
Modifications" .
• Do not sw ivel the sun visors to the s ide if you have any objects
clipped onto them (for example pensl.
If the airbag should deploy ,
you could be injured by these objects .
• Use the built -in coat hooks only for lightweight clothing . Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can cause personal injury in
an accident .
• Never u se hangers to hang clothing from the hooks.
• Only use fa ctory-installed sun shades or , in the case of shades
installed after the vehicle leaves the factory , only Audi roll -up
suns creens m ay be used => page 305 , "Additional a ccessories and
parts replacement ".
• Always sit in proper seating position and wear safety belts
while traveling so that the side curtain airbags can help provide protect ion .
• The airbag system can only be triggered once.
If the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced by an author ized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Always have work involving the side curtain airbag system ,
removal and installation of the airbag components, or other
repairs performed by a qualified workshop . Otherwise the airbag
system may not work correctly.
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in anyway. •