warning light AUDI S3 2009 Repair Manual

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& WARNING (continued)
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
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.
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up against or very
near the instrument panel .
• 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 forward-facing child
restraint . The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on. •
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very important
parts of the Advanced Airbag System in it. These parts include the
weight-sensing mat, sensors, wiring, brackets, and more. The func­
tion of the system in the front passenger seat is checked by the elec ­
tronic control unit when the ignition is on. The control unit monitors
the Advanced Airbag System and turns the airbag indicator light on
when a malfunction in the system components is detected. The
function of the airbag indicator light is described in greater detail
below. Because the front passenger seat contains important parts
of the Advanced Airbag System, you must take care to prevent it from being damaged.
Damage to the seat may prevent the
Advanced Airbag for the front passenger seat from doing its job in
a crash .
The front Advanced Airbag System consists of the
following: • Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that measure vehicle
acceleration/deceleration to provide information to the Advanced
Airbag System about the severity of the crash.
• An electronic control unit, with integrated crash sensors for front
and side impacts. The control unit "decides" whether to fire the
front airbags based on the informa tion received from the crash
sensors. The control unit also "decides" whether the safety belt
pretensioners should be activated.
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator for the driver inside the
steering wheel hub .
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator inside the instrument
panel for the front passenger.
• A weight-sensing mat under the upholstery padding of the front
passenger seat cushion that measures the total weight on the seat.
The information registered is sent continuously to the electronic
control unit to regulate deployment of the front Advanced Airbag on
the passenger side.
• An airbag monitoring system and indicator light in the instru ­
ment cluster => page 158.
• Th e PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on in the
center of the instrument panel=> page 159, fig. 146 and tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned off.
• A sensor below the safety belt latch for the front seat passenger
to measure the tension on the safety belt . The tension on the safety
belt and the weight registered by the weight -sensing mat help the
control unit "decide" whether the front airbag for the front
passenger seat should be turned off or not=> page 149, "Child
restraints on the front seat -some important things to know". .,_

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• A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver and for the front
seat passe nger that s enses whe ther that sa fety belt i s latch ed or n ot
and transmits this informatio n to the e lectronic cont rol unit.
& WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can prevent the front airbag
from working properly.
• Improper repair or disassembly of the front passenger and
driver seat will prevent the Advanced Airbag Sy stem from func ­
tioning properly .
• Repairs to the front passenger seat must be performed by qual ­
ified 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 passenger seat. Parts of the
Advanced Airbag System under the passenger seat could be damaged , preventing them and the airbag system from working
properly.
• Never place seat covers or replacement upholstery that have
not been specifically approved by Audi on the front seats.
• Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag System from
recognizing child restraints or occupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from
deploying properly.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued )
• Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or similar items on the
front passenger seat . The additional padd ing will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from a ccurately registering the
child re straint or person on the seat and prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from functioning properly .
• If you must use a child restraint on the front passenger seat
and the child restraint manufacturer's instru ctions requ ire the use
of a towel , foam cu shion or something else to properly position
the child restraint, make certa in that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat .
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on , immediately install child restraint in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer .•
How the Advanced Airbag System
components
work together
The front Advanced Air bag System and the side airbags s upplement
the protection offered by th e front three -point safety belts with
pretensioners and load limiters and the adjustable head restraints
to help re duce the r is k of in jury in a w ide ra nge o f accide nt a nd
crash situations. Be su re to read the important information about
safety and heed the WARNI NGS in t his c hap te r.
Dep loyment of the Advanced Airbag System and the activation of
t he sa fe ty be lt pretensione rs depe nd on the decele ration mea su red
by the crash sensors and registered by the electronic control unit .
C rash severity depends on s peed and deceleration a s well a s the
mass and st iffness o f the veh ic le or object involved in th e c ras h.
When the e lectronic control unit registers a low severity crash and
t he sa fe ty belt is being use d, the a irbag w ill not deploy . If the sa fe ty
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Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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belt is not being used, the first stage deploys, followed by the
second stage after a much la ter time in the crash sequence.
If the electronic control unit registers a crash of medium severity,
the first stage of the airbag deploys followed by the second stage at a much later time in the crash sequence -regardless of whether the
safety belt is being used or not . In higher severity crashes as regis ­
tered by the e lectronic contro l unit, both the first and second stages
deploy almost at the same time.
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 unit . The front airbag
on the passenger side will also be turned off if one of the ch ild
safety seats that has been certified under Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 has been recognized on the seat. The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on to tel l you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger s ide has been
turned off=>
page 149, "Child restraints on the front seat - some
i m portant things to know".
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, always wear
safety belts properly .
• If you are unrestrained , leaning forward , sitting sideways or out
of position in any way, your risk of injury is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag=>
page 147 . •
More important things to knovv about front
airbags
Fig . 145 Inflated front
airbags
Safety belts are important to help keep front seat occupants in the
proper seated position so that airbags can unfold properly and
provide supp lemental protection in a fronta l collision.
The front airbags are designed to provide additional protection for
the chest and face of the driver and the front seat passenger when:
• safety be lts are worn properly,
• the seats have been positioned so that the occupant is properly
seated as far as possible from the airbag,
• and the head restraints have been properly adjusted.
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye with great force, things
you have on your lap or have placed on the seat cou ld become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag inflates .
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released. This is normal and is
not caused by a fire in the vehic le. This dust is made up most ly of a
powder used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy. It could irritate
skin.
It is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example swelling, bruising and minor abrasions, can
also happen when airbags inflate . Airbags do not protect the arms ._,

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

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& 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. •

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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
~

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& W ARNING (continued )
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• A tight tether or other str ap on a rearward-fac ing child restr aint
attached to the front pas senger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and reg ister more weight
than i s actually on the seat. The heavier weight registered can
make the system work as though an adult were on the seat and
deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing
s erious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in exceptional circumstances , you mu st in stall a forward ­
fac ing child restra int on the front passenger seat , always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft ad just ­
ment range , as far away from the airbag as possible . The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position . Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stay s on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on .
& 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 steps
described above, make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating positions .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer before transporting anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
If the weight -sensing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
e mp ty seat, the fro nt air b ag on the pa ssenge r sid e will be t urned
off, and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight will stay on .
a
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are insta lled at many different places on
your Au di. In stal lin g, re moving, ser vic in g or re pair in g a part in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an a irbag system and
pre ven t that system from wo rki ng p rope rly in a co llision .
There are some important things you have to know to make sure
that the effectiveness of the system will not be impai red an d that
d iscarded co mponents do not cause inju ry or po llute t he e nv iron ­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover , obstruct , or change the steering wheel horn pad
or airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way .
• Never attach any obje cts su ch as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units.
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moi stened with plain water . Solvents or cleaners
c ould damage the airbag cover or change the stiffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop ­
erly .
• Never repair , adjust , or change any parts of the airbag system.
• All work on the steering wheel , instrument panel , front seats or
electrical system (including the installation of audio equipment ,
c ellular telephones and CB radios , etc .I must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training and special equipment
necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system , we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& 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. ..

& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electronic control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly.
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.
Undeployed airbag modules and pretensioners might be classified
as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules and safety
belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regu ­
lations must be observed . Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar
with these requirements and we recommend that you have your
dealer perform this service for you. •
Safety first
Side airbags
Description of side airbags Airbag
system
The airbag
system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants.
Fig . 147 Side airbag
location in the driver 's
seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
~ fig . 147 and the rear backrest * facing the doors. They are identi ­
fied by the word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
• the electronic control module and external side impact sensors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
• two rear side airbags (as an ordered
option)
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that
it is functioning properly 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 side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help
to reduce the risk of injury to the driver's , front and rear*
passenger's upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a
side collision . The airbag deploys only in side impacts and only
when the vehicle acceleration registered by the control unit is high
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Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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enough. If this rate is below the reference value programmed into
t he control unit, the side airbags will not be triggered, even though
the car may be badly damaged as a result of the collision . It is not
possible to define an airbag triggering range that wi ll cover every
possible angle of impact, since the circumstances will vary consid­
erably between one collision and another . Important factors
include, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting
object, the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.=>
page 165, "Impor ­
tant safety instructions on the side airbag system".
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts work to help keep the driver or front passenger in position in the event of a side
collision so that the side airbags can provide protection .
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your safety belt . Rather, it
is part of the overa ll occupant restraint system in your vehicle .
Always remember that the side airbag system can on ly help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety be lt and wearing it prop­
erly . This is another reason why you should always wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do so=>
page 137,
"General notes" .
It is important to remember that while the supplemental side airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swel ling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
a lso be associated with deployed s ide airbags. Remember too, side
airbags wil l deploy only once and only in certain kinds of accidents
- your safety belts are always there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage are not necessari ly an indication of over -sensitive or failed airbag acti ­
vation. In some collisions , both front and side airbags may inflate.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and only in
certain kinds of collis ions - your safety belts are always there to
offer protection in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already dep loyed.
The sid e a irba g sy stem w ill not deploy :
• when the ignition is turned off •
in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor
is too low
• in front -end collisions
• in rear-end co llisions
• in ro llovers .
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side curtain airbags
and side airbags may be triggered together .
& WARNING
• Safety b elt s and the airbag sy stem will only prov id e prot ection
whe n occ upant s are in the prop er se ating posit io n=>
page 1 65 .
• If the airb ag indic ator light come s on w hen the v ehicl e is bei ng
u sed , h av e the syste m inspe cte d immedi ate ly by y our authoriz ed
Audi de aler . Th e ai rbag m ay not w ork properly when the vehicle
a ccel erat ion in a side collision is high e nough to ac tivate th e
a ir bag .•
Hovv supplemental side airbags vvork
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help reduce the risk of upper torso injuries for occupants who are properly
restrained.
(
.• . , ......... ~ ~---
F ig . 14 8 Inf late d sid e
a ir bags o n left side of
v ehi cle, rea r sid e
a ir bag opti on al eq uip-
m ent .,