warning light AUDI S3 SEDAN 2015 Manual PDF

Airb ag syst em
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
:A Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag moni­
toring indicator light and the
PASSEN GER AIR
BAG OF F
light.
The Advanced Airbag System as we ll as the side
airbags and side curtain airbags with ejection
mitigation features (including the electronic con­
trol unit, sensors and system wiring) are all
monitored continuously to make sure that they
are functioning properly whenever the ignition is
on . Every time you turn on the ignition, the air­
bag system indicator light
fl will come on for a
few seconds (function check) .
The sy stem mu st be inspe cted when t he
indicato r lig ht
II:
- does not come on when the ignition is switched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you have
switched on the ignition, or
- comes on while driving.
If an airbag system ma lf u nction is detected, the
indicator light will first start flashing to catch the
driver's attention and then stay on continuously
to serve as a constant reminder to have the sys­
tem inspected immediately .
If a malfunction occurs that turns the front air­
bag on the passenger side off, the
PA SSE NGE R
A IR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.
.,&. WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ion ing prop­
erly cannot p rovide supplemental protect ion
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicato r light
c::> page 20
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by yo ur
authorized Aud i dealer .
It is possible t hat
the a irbag will inflate when it is not s up­
posed to, or wi ll not inf late when it should.
160
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
Fig. 131 Center console: passe nge r air bag off warning
light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in
the center of the instrument panel
r:!;> fig. 131.
The PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to te ll you when the front Advan ced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off by the electronic control unit. If the bulb fo r the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light b urns o ut, the
airbag indicator light
rl will come on to s ignal a
malfunction in the Advanced A irbag System. Al­
though the burned-out bulb will not change the
way the front passenger's frontal airbag works, it
will no longer be possible to use the
PASSENGER
A IR BAG OFF
light to make sure that the a irbag
on/off status is correct fo r the occupant on the
front passenger seat . Have the a irbag system in­
spected immed iately by your au thorized A ud i
dealer.
Th e P ASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will blink
for about 5 se cond s when :
- the ignition is sw itched on and
- the capacitive passenger detection system,
which switches the front seat passenger's fron ­
tal Advanced Airbag on and off, detects a
change in the status of the front passenger
seat.
As soon as the
PASS ENG ER AIR BAG O FF light
stops blinking, always make sure that the a irbag
status (on or off) as shown by the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light is proper for the age, size and
electrical capacitance of the person occupying
the front passenger seat . Always make sure that
the safety be lt for the front passenger seat is
proper ly fastened . .,..

Airbag syste m
-take the chi ld restraint off the front passenger
seat and install it properly at one of the rear seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your Audi dealer immediately .
- move the child to a rear seat position and make
sure that the chi ld is properly restrained in a
child restra int that is appropriate for its si ze
and age .
The PA SSENGER AIR B AG light sh ould NOT
c ome on ...
The PASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF light should NOT
come on when the ignition is on and an adult is
sitting in a proper seating position on the front
passenger seat . If the
PAS SENGER AIR B AG OFF
light comes on and stays on or flashes fo r about
5 seconds while driving, under these circumstan­
ces, make sure that:
- the adult on the front passenger seat is proper­
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up aga inst the ba ckrest and the
backrest is not reclined,
- the adult is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or suppo rting
their weight on the armrest,
- the safety belt is bei ng p roperly wor n and that
there is not a lot of s lack in the safety be lt web ­
bing,
- the re are no aftermarket seat covers or cush­
ions or other things (such as blankets) on the
front passenger seat that might cause the ca­ pacitive passenger detection system to miscal­
cu late electrical capacitance.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
.&_ WARNING
- If the status of the Adv a need Airbag System
has changed while the vehicle is moving, the
PA SS ENGE R AI R BA G OFF light blinks for
about 5 seconds to catch the driver's atten­
t ion. If this happens, always stop as soon as
it is safe to do so and check the steps descri ­
bed above .
162
-If the PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go off when an adult who is not very
small is sitting on the front passenger seat
after tak ing the steps described above,
make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating posi­
tions. Have the airbag system inspected by
your author ized Audi dealer befo re trans­
port ing anyone on the front passenger seat.
.&_ WARNING
-
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental protection
in a frontal crash .
- If the airbag indicator light~
page 20
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should .
.&_ WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a
child restraint, or in a rearward -facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-fac ing ch ild re­
straint that has not been proper ly installed
will be ser iously injured and can be killed.
- Even though your vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced A irbag System, make ce rtain
that a ll children, especially 12 years and
younger, a lways ride on the back seat prop­
erly restrained for their age and size.
- Always install forward o r rear-facing child
seats on the rear seat -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- If you must install a rearwa rd-facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of
exceptiona l circumstances and the
PASSEN·
G ER AIR BAG OF F
light does not appear and
stay on, immediately install the rear-facing
child seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer .
- If, in exceptional c ircumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) ..,.,
..,.,
..,., ,....,
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's
fore and aft adjustment 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 stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an adult is sitting on the
front passenger seat after taking the 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
Audi dealer before transporting anyone on
the front passenger seat.
(D Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection system
determines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the frontal airbag on the passenger
side will be turned off, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will stay on .
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many
different places on your Audi . Installing, remov­
ing , servicing or repairing a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system
and prevent that system from working properly
in a collision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system will not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
-
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de­
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly:
Airbag system
-Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­
ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in­
strument panel or modify them in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup holders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
ering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water . Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change
the stiffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and protect
properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
-All work on the steering wheel, instrument
panel, front seats or electrical system (in­
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.)
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 au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags in­
flate.
- 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 deploy only once. Af­
ter an airbag has been deployed, it must be
replaced with new replacement parts de­
signed 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
163

....,
N
0 > co
rl I.O
"'
"'
"'
rl
¢ page 158, More impor tant things to know
about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keep the driver or front passenger in position in a fronta l co llision so that the airbags
can provide supp lemental protection.
The airbag system is not a s ubst itute for yo ur
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­ pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly. This is why you should al­
ways wear your safety belt, not just because the law requires you to do so~
page 140, General
notes.
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents -your safety
be lts are a lways there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
examp le when yo ur vehicle str ikes or is struck by
anothe r after the first collision .
This is just one of the reasons why an a irbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt . The airbag
sys tem works most effective ly when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your
safety bel ts correctly .
It is important to remember that whi le the sup­
p lemental knee a irbag sys tem is designed to re­
d uce the likelihood of serious i njur ies , o ther inj u­
ries, for examp le, swe lling, bruising and m inor
abrasions and friction b urns can a lso occur when
an airbag inf lates.
The kne e airbag system basically consist s of:
- T he elec tronic control mod ule
- Two inflatab le airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the drive r and one fo r the front
passenge r
- T he airbag ind icator light in the instrument
pane l
The knee airb ag system will not deploy:
- when the ign it ion is swi tched off
- in frontal collis ions when the dece lerat ion
measured by the control unit is too low
Ai rb ag system
- in side co llisions
- in rear-end col lisions
- in rollove rs
- in the event of a system malfunction (war ning/
ind icator light is on) ¢
page 20.
,&. WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
prov ide protection when oc cupan ts are in
the proper seating position~
page 158 .
- If th e ai rbag ind icator light 9 page 20
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer .
It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
How knee airbags work
Applies to vehicles: wit h knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags .
Fig . 1 33 Inflated a irbags p rotect ing in a fro nta l co llision
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger dep loy in certai n but not all fronta l collisions.
If the front ai rbags dep loy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in frontal co llisions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control un it is met .
When the system deploys, the airbags fill with a compressed propellant gas, and inflate between
the lowe r part of the i nstr ument panel and the
driver and the lower part of the instrument pane l
and the front passenger ¢
page 158, fig. 130.
Although they are not a soft pillow , they can
" cushion " the impact and in th is way they can
165

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
1.1'1
1.1'1
,....,
The side airbags installed for the front seating
positions have been designed and certified to
he lp reduce the risk of in jury that can be caused
by airbags when they inflate, part icu larly when
the occupant sitt ing next to it is not seated prop­
erly . The side airbag for the front passenger seat
can be used with properly i nstalled child re­
straints . Pl ease be sure to read the important in­
fo rmation and wa rnings whenever using a child
r estra int in a vehicle: Safety belts
q page 140,
Airbag system qpage 148, Child safety
qpage 172.
The s ide airba g syste m ba sicall y co nsis ts of :
-the e lectronic control module and external side
i mpact sensors
- the two airbags located in the sides of the front
backrests and the two a irbags* located in the
rear backrest
- the a irbag warning light in the inst rument clus-
te r.
The airbag system is monitored electron ica lly to
make certa in that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you switch on the ignition, the
ai rbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self d iagnost ics) .
The s ide airbag system supplements the safety
belts and can help to reduce the r isk of injury to
the dr iver's, front and rear passenger's upper to r­
so on the side of the veh icle that is struc k in a
side col lision. The airbag deploys only in s ide im­
pacts and o nly when the vehi cle acceleration reg­
is tered by the control unit is high enough . If this
rate is below t he reference value programmed in­
to the contro l unit, the side airbags will not be
tr iggered, even though the car may be badly
damaged as a result of the co llision. It is not pos­
sible to define an airbag tr igger ing range that
will cover every poss ible angle of impact, since
the circumstances wi ll vary considerably between
one co llision and another . Important factors in­
clude, for example, the nature (ha rd or soft) of
the impa cting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
q page 168, Important safety in ­
structions on the side airbag system.
Aside from the ir normal safety func tion, safety
be lts work to help keep the dr iver or front pas -
Airbag syste m
senger in posi tion in the event o f a side co llision
so that the side airbags ca n provide protection.
T he airbag system is
not a substi tute for you r
sa fety belt . Rather, it is part o f the overa ll occu ­
pant restrain t system in yo ur vehicle. A lways re ­
member that the side airbag system ca n only
help to protect yo u if you are wearing your safety
belt and wearing it properly. This is another rea­
son why you should a lways wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
so
q page 140, General notes .
It is important to remember that wh ile the sup ­
plemental side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the like lihood of serious injur ies, othe r inju­
ries, fo r example, swell ing, bruising, frict ion
burns and m inor abrasions can a lso be associated
with deployed side airbags. Remember too, s ide
airbags will deploy only once and only in cer tain
ki nds of accidents - yo ur safe ty belts are always
t h ere to offer protection.
Vehicle damage , repair costs o r even the lack of
vehicle dam age are no t necessari ly an indica tion
of over-sensitive o r failed airbag activation. In
some collisions, bo th front and side airbags may
inflate. Remember too, that ai rbags wi ll dep loy
on ly once and on ly in certa in kinds of co llisions -
your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
t ion in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignit ion is switched off
- in side co llisions when the acceleration meas -
ured by the senso r is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in re ar-en d co llisions
- in rollove rs.
In some types of accidents t he front airbags, side
cu rtain airbags and s ide a irbags may be tr iggered
togethe r.
&_ WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
p rovide p rotec tion when o ccupants are i n
the proper seating position
q page 1 68 .
167

Airb ag syst em
-If the airbag indicator light ¢ page 20
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Aud i dealer. It is possible that
the a irbag will inflate when it is not sup·
posed to, or w ill not inflate when it should.
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re·
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
F ig. 135 S ide impact protection: inflated s ide airbags
When the system is triggered, the airbag is fi lled
with prope llant gas and breaks thro ugh a seam in
the seat surface area marked "AIRBAG". It ex­
pands between the side trim pane l and the pas­
senger . In order to help prov ide th is additional
protection, the side airbag must i nflate within a
fraction of a second at very high speed and with great force. The supplemental side airbag cou ld
inju re you if your seating pos ition is not prope r or
upright o r if item s are located in the area where
the supplemental side airbag expands . This ap ­
plies especially to children
c::> page 172, Child
safety .
Supplemental side airbags inflate be ­
tween the occupant and the door pane l on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collis ion¢
fig. 135 .
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper part
of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys.
This is normal and does not mean there is a fire
in the vehicle.
168
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Always
properly wear safety bel ts and ride in a proper
seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
k now and act accordingly to help the safety bel ts
and airbags do their job to provide supp lemental
protection.
_& WARNING
-
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or
fata l injury. Improperly wear ing safety be lts
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
l ean again st the area where the supple­
mental s ide airbag is located .
- Never let a child or anyone else res t the ir
head against the side tr im panel in the
area where the supplemen tal side airbag
inflates .
- Always make sure tha t safety be lts are
worn correctly,
- Do no t let anyone s itting in the fron t seat
p ut their hand or any other parts of their
body out of the window.
- Always m ake sure that the s ide airb ag can
inflate without interference.
- Never install seat covers or rep lacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
A udi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas where the side a irbags de­
ploy.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module mu st a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an autho rized Aud i dealer .
- Objects between you and the a irbag can in­
crease the risk of inj ury in an a cciden t by i n­
t erfer ing wi th the way the airbag unfolds or .,._

Airb ag syst em
registered by the cont ro l unit is high enough. If
this rate is below the reference va lue program­
med into the control unit, the s ide curtain airbag
will not be triggered, even though the car may be
badly damaged as a result of the collision .
It is
not possib le to define an airbag triggering range
that will cover every possible angle of impact ,
since the circumstances will vary considerab ly be­
tween one col lis ion and another. Important fac­
tors include , for example , the nature (hard or
soft) of the impacting object, the angle of im­
pact , vehicle speed, etc.
9 page 170, How side
curtain airbags work.
Aside from the ir normal safety function , safety
be lts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in position in the event of a collision so
that the side curtain airbags can provide protec­
tion .
The airbag system is not a substitute for your
safety belt . Rather, it is part of the overall occ u­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the airbag system can only he lp to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly . Th is is another reason
why you should a lways wear your safety belts,
not just because t he law requires you to do so
9 page 140, General notes.
It is important to remember that while the side
curta in a irbag system is designed to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injur ies, other injur ies,
for example, swe lling, bruising, fr iction burns
and minor abras ions can also be associated w it h
these airbags upon deployment . Remember too,
these airbags will deploy only once and only in
certain kinds of accidents -your safety belts are
always there to offer protection .
The side curt ain airbag sy stem basically
consist s of:
- The electronic control modu le and externa l side
impact sensors
- The side c urtain airbags above the fro nt and
rear side w indows with ejection mit igation fea­
tures
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
170
The airbag system is monitored electronically to
make certain it is functioning properly at all
times . Each time you sw itch on the ign ition, the
airbag system ind icator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag i s not acti vat ed :
- if the ign ition is switched off,
- in side collisions whe n the accelera tion meas-
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end col lis ions .
.&_ WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system wi ll only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
9 page 54,
Front seats.
- If the airbag indicator light~ page 20
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer.
It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not infla te when it should.
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 ore properly re ­
strained .
Fig. 137 Illust rat ion of prin cip le: I nflated s ide curtain a ir­
bag s on t he le ft s ide
The side curtai n airbags infla te be tween the oc ­
cupant and the w indows on the side of the veh i­
cle that is st ruck in a side collision~
fig. 137.
When the system is triggered, the side curta in
airbag is filled with prope llant gas and breaks

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) ..,.,
..,.,
..,., ,....,
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 wi th great force.
T he side curtain airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supple­
mental side curtain airbag inflates . This applies
especially to children
q page 172 .
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 .
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
properly wear safety belts and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
do their job to provide supplemental 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 cur­
tain airbag inflate.
-Always make sure that the side curtain air­ bags can inflate without interference.
- Use the built-in coat hooks only for light­
weight clothing . Never leave any heavy or
sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in a collision.
- Never use hangers to hang clothes on the
hooks.
Airbag system
-Only use factory-installed sun shades or, if
shades installed after the vehicle leaves the
factory, use only genuine Audi sun shades.
- Never swing the sun visors over to the side
windows if things such as pens, garage door
openers, hands-free speakers, etc. are at­
tached to the sun visors . They could come
loose and cause serious injury if the side cur­
tain airbag inflates.
- A deploying airbag inflates in a fraction of a second and with great force .
- Never attach objects to the cover or in the deployment zone of a side curtain airbag .
- The airbag deployment zones must be kept
clear at all times. Make sure there are no ob ­
jects, pets, or other persons in the space be­
tween any vehicle occupant and any airbag
at any time.
- Do not attach any accessories to the doors .
,&. WARNING
-- The airbag system can deploy only 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 per­
formed by a qualified dealership. Otherwise the airbag system may not work correctly.
- Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system in any way.
171

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
1.1'1
1.1'1
,....,
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 immediately by your Audi dealer .
A WARNING
-Forward-facing child seats installed on the
front passenger seat may interfere with the deployment of the airbag and cause serious
personal injury to the child.
-If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety
and well-being require the following special
precautions to be taken:
-Always make sure that the forward-facing seat has been designed and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front passenger
seat with a front and side airbag.
-Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child seat
or infant carrier.
- Never install a child restraint without a
properly attached top tether strap if the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions require the top tether strap to be used.
- Never put the forward-facing child re­
straint up against or very near the instru­
ment panel.
- Always set the safety belt upper anchor­
age to the adjustment position that per­
mits proper installation in accordance with
the child restraint manufacturer's instruc­
tions.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible before installing the
child restraint . The backrest must be ad ­
justed to an upright position .
- Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being moved to the rearmost position in its fore
and aft adjustment range.
Child safety
-Never place objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child
seats) . These may influence the electrical
capacitance measured by the capacitive
passenger detection system and can also
fly around in an accident and cause serious
personal injury.
- Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heat­
er for child seats) on the front passenger
seat if the device is connected to the 12-
volt socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
- If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger
seat, never install any child restraint sys­
tem on this seat.
- Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or oth­
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on
all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immediate­
ly install the forward-facing child seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer.
- Always buckle the child seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child seat can fly around during a
sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restraint in a vehi­
cle
¢ page 140, Safety belts, ¢ page 148,
Airbag system
and ¢ page 172, Impor­
tant information.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage to
a child restraint that is not visible could cause
it to fail in another collision situation.
173

Child safety
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was
manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has
been certified to meet the "low-risk" require­
ments for 3- and 6-year old children on the pas­
senger side and small adults on the driver side.
The low risk deployment criteria are intended to
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for example, by being
too close to the steering wheel and instrument panel when the airbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been certified to comply with the
"suppression " requirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to
12 months who are restrained on the front pas­
senger seat in child restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad­
vanced Airbag system, all children, 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 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
larger child in a rearward-facing seat .
The vehicle's Advanced Airbag System has a ca­
pacitive passenger detection system in the front
passenger seat cushion that can detect the pres­
ence of a baby or a child in a child restraint sys­
tem on this seat.
The capacitive passenger detection system regis ­
ters the changes that result in an electrical field
when a child, a child restraint, and a baby blanket
are on the front passenger seat. The change in
the measured capacitance due to the presence of
a child, a child restraint, and a baby blanket on
the front passenger seat is related to the child re­
straint system resting on the seat. The measured
capacitance of a child restraint system varies de-
174 pending
on the type of system and specific make
and model.
The electrical capacitance of the various types, makes, and models of child restraints specified
by the U.S.National Highway Traffic Safety Ad­
ministration (NHTSA) in the relevant safety
standard are stored in the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem control unit together with the capacitances
typical of infants and a 1-year old child. When a
child restraint is used on the front passenger seat
with a typical 1 year-old infant, the Advanced Air­
bag System compares the capacitance measured
by the capacitive passenger detection system
with the data stored in the electronic control
unit.
Child restraints and Advanced front airbag
system
Regardless of the child restraint that you use,
make sure that it has been certified to meet Unit­
ed States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
and has been certified by its manufacturer for
use with an airbag. Always be sure that the child
restraint is properly installed at one of the rear
seating positions. If in exceptional circumstances
you must use it on the front passenger seat, care­
fully read all of the information on child safety
and Advanced Airbags and heed all of the appli­ cable WARNINGS. Make certain that the child
and child restraint are correctly recognized by the
capacitive passenger detection system in the
front passenger seat, that the front passenger airbag is turned off, and that the airbag status is
always correctly signaled by the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light .
Many types and models of child restraints have
been available over the years, new models are in­
troduced regularly incorporating new and im­
proved designs and older models are taken out of
production. Child restraints are not standardized.
Child restraints of the same type typically have
different weights and sizes and different "foot­
prints", the size and shape of the bottom of the
child restraint that sits on the seat, when they
are installed on a vehicle seat . These differences
make it virtually impossible to certify compliance
with the requirements for advanced airbags with ..,.