AUDI S3 2010 Owners Manual

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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

___ 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 .•
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the vehic le's suspension system can change the way that
th e Adva nced A ir b ag Sy stem per fo rms in a cras h. For exa m ple,
using tire -rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehic le, c hanging the st iff ne ss of th e susp ens ion , incl udi ng the
spr ings, suspension struts, s hock absorbers etc . ca n chan ge the
forces that are mea su red by the air bag sensors and sent to the elec ­
tronic control unit. Some suspension chan ges can, for examp le, increase the force levels
measured by the sensors and make the
airbag sys te m d eploy in c ras hes i n wh ich i t wou ld not d epl oy i f the
changes had not been made. Other kinds of changes may reduce
t he fo rce level s measu red by the se nso rs and p reve nt the ai rbag
from dep loying when it should.
T he sensors in the safety belt buckle for the driver and front
p assenge r seat te ll the e lectro nic c ont ro l m odu le if th e safety belt is
l atched or not. If the safety belt is being used, the front airbag wi ll
d eploy at a sl igh tly higher rate o f ve hic le dece lera tio n th an if the
safety be lt is not be ing used. Therefore, in a particular coll ision, it is
p os sible that an airbag wi ll no t de ploy a t a seating position where
the safety be lt is being used but wi ll inflate at the position where the
safe ty be lt is not be ing used . It i s important tha t n othing in terfe re
with the safety b elt buckles so that t he se nsors can send the cor rec t
i nfo rma tion abo ut safe ty belt use to the elec tro nic con trol u nit .
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle' s suspension including use of unapproved
tire -rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performan ce
and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash.
• Never install suspension components that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehi cle .
• 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 noth ing can interfere w ith the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.

<£> For the sake of th e environm ent
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 dea ler perform this service for you. •
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 143 Si de air bag
l oc ation in th e dri ver's
seat
The s ide airbags are located in the s ides of the front seat backrests
=> fig. 143 and the rear backrest * facing the doors. They are identi ­
fied by the word "AIRBAG".
T he sid e air bag sy stem b asica lly co nsis ts of :
• the electronic control module and external side impact sensors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
Safety first
Airb ag sy ste m
• two rear side airbags (as an ordered option)
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster.
The airbag system is monitored e lectronically 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 be lts 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 dep loys on ly in side impacts and only
when the vehic le acceleration registered by the control unit is high
enough . If this rate is below the reference value programmed into
the 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 will cover every
possible angle of impact, since the circumstances will vary consid­
erab ly between one collision and another. Important factors
inc lude, for examp le, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting
object, the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.=>
page 163, "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 posi tion 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 overall occupant restraint system in your vehicle.
Always remember that the side airbag system can only help to
pro tect you if yo u are wearing your safety belt 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 135,
"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, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
also be associa ted with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side •
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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airbags will deploy only once and on ly in certain kinds of accidents
- you r sa fety belts are always there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage , repair costs or even the lack of vehic le damage are
not necessarily an indication of over -sensitive or failed airbag acti ­
vation. In some col lisions , both front and side airbags may inflat e.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and only in
certain ki nds of col lis ions -your sa fety belts are always there to
o ff er prot ection in those acc idents in which airbags are no t
s u pposed to deploy or when they have already dep loyed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
• when the ign it ion is turned off
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the senso r
is too low
• in fron t-end col lisio ns
• in rear- end co llisions
• in rollovers.
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side curtain airbags
and s ide ai rbag s may be trigge red together.
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position=>
page 163.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle is being
used , have the system inspected immediately by your author ized
Audi dealer . The airbag may not work properly when the vehicle
a cceleration in a side collis ion is high enough to activate the
airbag .•
How supp lemental side airbags work
Si de airb ags dep loy inst antl y a nd can help red uce the risk
o f up per to rso i njur ies f or occu pan ts who ar e prope rly
restrai ned.
Fig . 144 Inflated side
airbag s on left side of
vehicle , rear side
a irbag optiona l equip ­
ment
When the system is triggered, the airbag is fi lled with propellant gas
a n d br eaks thr oug h a seam in th e se at sur face area marke d
"AIRBAG". It expands between the side t rim panel and the
p assenger . In or der to he lp provide this ad ditional p rotection, t he
side airbag must inflate w ithin a fraction of a second at very high
speed and wi th great forc e. The supp lemental side air bag could
in jure you if your seating position is not pro per or upright or if items
are locate d in the a rea where the suppleme ntal s ide airbag e xpands.
T his app lies especia lly to children=>
page 167 , "Child Safety" .
Sup ple m ent al side ai rbags infla te be tween the occupant and the
door pa nel on the side of t he vehicle that is struck in cer tai n side
collision => fig . 144.
Altho ugh they are not a so ft p illow , th ey can "cushion" the impact
and in this way they can he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
p ar t of the bod y.
A fine dust may develop when the ai rbag deploys. This is normal
and does not mean there is a fi re in the vehicle. •

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Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
A irbags are only supplement al res tra in ts. Always prop­
e rly w ear safe ty be lts and ride in a prop er sea ting posi ­
t ion .
The re is a l ot th at you and y our pass enger s m ust kno w and act
accord in gly to he lp the safet y belts and airbags do t hei r j ob to
p rovid e suppl em ent al prote ction.
& WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or fatal injury. Improp ­
erly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions increase
the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used .
• In order to reduce the risk of injury when the supplemental side
airbag inflates: - Always sit in an upright position and never lean against the area where the supplemental side airbag is located .
- Never let a child or anyone else rest their head against the
side trim panel in the area where the supplemental side airbag
inflates .
- Always make sure that safety belts are worn correctly ,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat put their hand or
any other parts of their body out of the window .
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter­
ference .
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seat backs that have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags deploy .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
-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 .
• Objects between you and the airbag can increase the risk of
injury in an accident by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the airbag inflates .
- Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as
cup holders , telephone brackets, or even large , bulky objects)
on the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the
seat backrests .
- Such objects and accessories can become dangerous projec­
tiles and cause injury when the supplemental side airbag deploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the deployment space
between them and the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position .
• Always 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 side airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in an accident.
• Always prevent the side airbags from being damaged by heavy
objects knocking against or hitting the sides of the seatbacks .
• The airbag system can only be triggered once . If the airbag has
been triggered , the system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership.
• Damage (cracks , deep scratches etc .I to the original seat covers
or to the seam in the area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• If children are seated improperly , their risk of injury increases
in the case of an accident~
page 167, "Child Safety ".
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in any way. .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;:::;_ s--:.. y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (con tinued )
• In a side collision , side airbag s will not function properly if
s ensors cannot correctly measure increasing ai r pre ssure inside
the doors when air escapes through larger , unclo sed open ings in
the door panel.
-Never drive with interior door trim panels removed.
- Never drive when parts have been removed from the in side
door panel and the openings they leave have not been properly
closed .
- Never drive when loud speakers in the doors have been
removed unless the spea ker hole s have been properly clo sed .
- Alway s make certain that openings are covered or filled if
add itional speakers o r other equipment is installed in the
inside door panels .
- Always have work on the doors done by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop . •
Side curtain airbags
Description of curtain airbags
The curtain airbags can provide supplemental protection
to properly res trained occupan ts.
Fig . 145 Curt ain
airba g, driver 's s ide:
s ide cu rt a in airb ag
lo cation
T he side curtain airbags are located on both sides of the interior
above the fr ont and rear side windows=> fig. 145 . They are identi ­
fied by the word "AI RBAG" on the windsh ield frame and the center
r oof pi llar.
T he side curtain airbag system supple men ts the safety belts and
can help to reduce the risk of injury for occupants ' heads and upper
torso o n the s ide of the vehicle that is struck in a side coll ision . The
side curtain airbag inf lates only in side impacts and on ly when the
vehic le accele ra tion regis tered by the control unit is hig h enoug h. I f
this rate is below the reference va lue programmed into the control
unit, the side air bags w ill no t be tr igge red, even thoug h the car may
be badly damaged as a result of the co llision. It is not possible to
de fine an ai rbag triggering range that will cover eve ry possible
angle of impac t, since the circumstances wil l
vary considerably
be tween one collision and an other. Importa nt factors include, fo r
e xample, the nature (hard or soft) of the i mpacting object, the ang le
of impact , vehicle speed, etc.=>
page 165.
Aside fr om their no rmal safety func tio n, sa fety belts work to hel p
keep the driver or front passenger in position in the event of a colli­
sion s o that the si de c urtain ai rbags ca n prov ide prote ction.
T he airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt. Rathe r, it
is part of the overall occupant restraint system in your vehicle.
A lways remember that t he airba g system ca n on ly help to protect
you if you are wearing your safety belt and wearing it properly. This
is ano the r reason why you s hould a lways wear your safety belts, not
just because the law requires you to do so=>
page 135, "General
n ote s".
I t is important to remember that while the side curtain airbag
system is designed to he lp reduce the like lihood of serious injuries,
other injuries, for examp le, sw elli ng, bruising, and minor abrasions
can also be associated with these airbags upon deployment .
Reme mber to o, these airbags w ill depl oy only o nce and only in
certain kinds of accidents -yo ur safety be lts are alwa ys there to
o ff er pro tec tion .
Iii-

The side curtain airbag system basically consists of:
• The electronic control module and external side impact sensors
• The side cur tain airbags above the front and rear side windows
• The airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain it is
functioning properly at all times. Each time you turn on the ignition,
the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few seconds
(self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated :
• if 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 collisions,
• in rollovers.
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position
~ page 72,
"General recommendations".
• If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle is being
used, have the system inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer . The side curtain airbag may not work properly even
when the vehicle acceleration in a side collision is high enough to activate the airbag. •
Safety first
Airbag system
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with side airbags
to help reduce the risk of head and upper torso injuries for
occupants who are properly restrained.
Fig. 146 Illustration of
principle: Inflated side
curtain airbags on the
left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the occupant and the
windows on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side collision
~ fig. 146.
When the system is triggered, the side curtain airbag is filled with
propellant gas and breaks through a seam above the front and rear
side windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order to help
provide this additional protection , the side curtain airbag must
inflate within the blink of an eye at very high speed and with great
force. The side curtain airbag could injure you if your seating posi­
tion is not proper or upright or if items are located in the area where
the supplemental side curtain airbag inflates. This applies espe­
cially to children ~
page 167.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain airbags can
" cushion" the impact and in this way they can help 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 quite
normal and does not mean there is a fire in the vehicle. •
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always prop­
erly wear safety belts and ride in a proper seating posi­
tion.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must know and do to
help the safety belts and airbags do their job to provide supple­
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 expansion range of a curtain airbag can dangerously interfere with
its function. A deploying head airbag develops enough force to
catapult any piece of add-on component out of its path of inflation
and into the passenger compartment. An occupant hit by such a
projectile can suffer serious injury or death~ page
301, "Technical
Modifications".
• Do not swivel the sun visors to the side 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 use hangers to hang clothing from the hooks.
• Only use factory-installed sun shades or, in the case of shades
installed after the vehicle leaves the factory, only Audi roll -up
& WARNING (continued)
sunscreens may be used ~ page 300, "Additional accessories and
parts replacement".
• Always sit in proper seating position and wear safety belts
while traveling so that the side curtain airbags can help provide protection .
• The airbag system can only be triggered once.
If the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced by an authorized
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. •

_____________________________________________ C_ h _ il_d _S_ a _ fe_t---= y'----"'
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safes t place in a collision.
The p hysica l pr inciples of what happens when you r veh ic le is in a
crash apply also to children=>
page 137, "What happens to occu ­
p a nts not wearing safety bel ts?" . Bu t un like adults and teenagers,
their musc les and bones are not fu lly developed. In many respects
children a re a t greater ris k of serious inj ury in cras hes than a dults .
B ecause chi ldren 's bodies a re no t fully deve loped, they require
restraint systems especial ly designed for their size, weight, and
body structu re. Ma ny countries and al l sta tes of the U nited States
and provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of approved
chil d restraint sys te m s for infa nts and smal l children .
I n a frontal crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph (30 -56 km/h) the forces
ac ting on a 13-pou nd (6 kg) infant wi ll be mo re than 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the child would
suddenly be more than 260 pounds ( 120 kg). Under these condi ­
t ions, only an appropriate child restraint proper ly used can reduce
the risk of serious in jury. Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
must be use d properly t o be eff ective. Use d impro perly, they can
increase the risk of serious injury in an accident .
Co nsul t the c hild safety seat man ufacture r's ins truc tions to be su re
the seat is right for your child's size=>
page 170, "Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats" . Please be sure to read and
heed a ll of the important information and WARNI NGS about child
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the insta llation of child restraints in
this chapter.
T here is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
veh ic le and how they work whe n inf an ts and ch ild ren in c hild
restraints are on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
amoun
t of important informat ion, we cannot repeat it all here. We
urge you to read the detai led information in this owner's manua l
about a irbags and the Advanced Airbag Sys tem in your ve hic le and
the very important information about transporting children on the
fr ont passenger sea t. Please b e sure to hee d th e WAR NINGS -th ey
are extreme ly important for your safety and the safety of your
p asse ngers, es pecia lly inf ant s and s mall ch ildren .
& WARNING
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position . Always
restrain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
• All vehicle o ccupants and especially children must be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle . An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the inte­
rior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuver o r impact . An unrestrained or improperly restrained
c hild is also at greater risk of injury or death through conta ct with
an inflating a irbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating positions provides the highest degree of protec­
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations .
& WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with Advanced Airb ags
c an be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates . A
child in a rearward -fa cing child safety seat installed on the front
pas senger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates.
• The inflating airbag will hit the ch ild safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest , center armrest , or door. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Child Safety -------=---------------------------------------
& WAR NIN G (co ntinued )
• Alw ays in sta ll re ar-facin g child safety s eats on the r ear seat .
• If you m us t in sta ll a rear ward f acing child saf ety s eat on th e
fr ont pa ssenger seat in exceptional circum stan ces and the
PA SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light do es not come on and sta y on ,
immediately in sta ll the re ar-facing child safety s eat in a rear
s eating po sit ion and ha ve th e airb ag s ystem insp ected immedi ­
atel y by your autho riz ed Audi dealer .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circum stance s, you mu st in sta ll a forward -f a cing
c hild re str ain t on th e fr ont p assenger's s eat:
• Always mak e sure the forward -fac ing seat ha s been de signed
a nd ce rt ified by it s m anufa cturer for u se on a fr ont se at w ith a
pa ssenger front and side airbag.
• Always follow the m anufacturer's instru ctions provided w ith
the child safety seat or carr ier.
• Alwa ys mo ve the pa ssenger seat into it s rea rmost positi on in
the seat' s fore and aft adju stment range , as far aw ay from the
ai rbag as possib le bef ore installing the ch ild r estr aint . The ba ck­
re st mu st b e adjusted to an upright po sition.
• Alway s m ake sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
c om es on and sta y s on all the time whenever the ignition is
s w it c hed on . •
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Airbag System" in
complia nce with United States Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Stan ­
dard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manu ­
factu red. T
he Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the " low -risk" requiremen ts for 3 -and 6 -year o ld children on
the passenger side and smal l 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 "suppression" requirements of the Safety Standard, 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 listed in the
S tandard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system, all ch ildren, especially those 12 years and younger, should
always ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and
size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten­
tially dangerous p lace for a child to ride. The front seat is not the
safest p lace for a child in a forward -facing child safety seat. It can be
a very dangerous p lace for an infant or a larger ch ild 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 chi ld restraint on the front passenger seat
using the weight -sensing mat in the seat cushion 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 chi ld 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 ..,.