ignition AUDI S4 CABRIOLET 2009 Repair Manual

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Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
- Be sure to read the important information and head the
WARNINGS for important details about children and
Advanced Airbags~
page 190.
Even though your vehic le is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that a ll children, especia lly those 12 years and
younger, a lways ride in the back seat properly restrained for their
age and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat
a potentia lly dangerous place for a child to ride. The front seat is not
the safest p lace for a chi ld in a forward -facing child safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a child in a rearward ­
facing seat.
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has been certified to
comply with the Requirements of United States Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 as applicab le at the time your vehicle
was manufactured.
Th e Standard requires the front airbag on the passenger side to be
turned off ("suppressed") if a chi ld up to about one year of age
restrained in one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant
restraints listed in Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
which the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certified has been instal led on the front passenger seat. For a listing of the child
restraints that were used to certify compliance with the US Safety
Standard =>
page 192.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the instrument panel tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
t urned off by the electronic control unit.
Each time you turn on the ignition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will come on for a few seconds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied, •
will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front
passenger seat,
• will go off if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight-sensing mat=>
page 179, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when the control unit
detects a tota l weight on the front passenger seat that requires the
front airbag to be turned off.
If the total weight on the front passenger seat is more than that of
a typical 1 year -old child but less than the weight of a small adult,
the fron t airbag on the passenger side can deploy (the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on). If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger s ide
has not been turned off by the electronic contro l unit and can
deploy if the control unit senses an impact that meets the condi ­
tions stored in its memory.
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
• a small ch ild that is heavier than a typical 1 year-o ld child is on
the front passenger seat (regardless of whether the child is in one
of the child safety seats listed =>
page 192), or
• a child who has outgrown chi ld restraints is on the front
passenger seat .
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on in the instrument cluster and stays on.
The front airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not illuminate and stay lit) even
if a small adult or teenager, or a passenger who is not sitting upright
with their back against a non -reclined backrest with their feet on the
vehicle floor in front of the seat is on the front passenger seat
=>
page 148, "Proper seating position for the driver".
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal Standard requires
the airbag to meet the "low risk" deployment criteria to reduce the
risk of injury through interaction with the airbag. "Low risk" deploy­
ment occurs in those crashes that take p lace at lower decelerations .,.

Airbag system -----------------=~-
as defined in the electronic contro l unit:::::, page 18 0, "P ASSENG ER
A IR BAG OFF lig ht".
A lways remember, a ch ild safety s eat or infant carrier insta lled on
the front seat may be struck a nd knocked out of position by the
rap id ly infl atin g p ass eng er's ai rba g in a front al co llision . The air bag
co uld greatly reduce the effectiveness of the chi ld re st raint and
e v en s erio usl y inju re the chi ld during inflati on.
F or this reason, and because the bac k seat is t he safest plac e for
c hi ldr en -w he n prop erly res train ed acc ordi ng to th eir age a nd size
- w e stro ng ly recomme nd that c hildren a lways s it in t he bac k seat
::::;, page 190, "Chil d Safe ty" .
& 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 ai rbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the ba ckrest , 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
Audi dealer .
• Forward-facing child safety seats installed on the front
passenger's seat may interfere with the deployment of the airbag
and cause serious personal injury to the child .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances , you must install a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat:
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
• 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.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will be displayed whenever a child restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not stay on , perform
the checks described :::::,
page 179, "Monitoring the Advanced
Airbag System" .
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer immedi ­
ately .
• Always carefully follow instructions from child restraint manu ­
facturers when installing child restraints .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward or
rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat :
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Airbag system -----------------=~-
& WARNING (continued)
• 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
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
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
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 information 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 179.
• The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on in the
center of the instrument panel~
page 180, fig. 174 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 _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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or the lower parts of t he body. Front airbags on ly supp lement the
th ree p oint safe ty belts in s ome front al c olli sio ns in which the
vehic le dece leration is high enou gh to deploy th e airbags .
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occ urs,
• i n sid e coll is ions ,
• i n rea r- e nd collisi ons ,
• in rollovers,
• when th e c ras h de cele rat io n measu red by th e airba g sys tem is
l ess than the minimum threshold needed for a irbag deplo yment as
r egi stere d by t he ele ctr onic con trol unit.
The front passenger airbag will also not deploy :
• whe n t he fr ont pass enge r sea t is not occup ied,
• when the weight on the front passenger seat as sensed by the
A dvanced A ir b ag Sys te m in d ica tes th at the fr ont airba g on the
p assenge r side has to be t urned off b y the e lectronic cont rol unit
(t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t com es o n an d stays o nl.
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong posit ion 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 the ir body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Occupants who are unbelted , out of posit ion 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 170 .
& 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 se at.
• 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, i mmediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
& WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will increase 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 maneuver and become dangerous projec ­
tiles 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 obje cts) 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 .
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects .
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front ..,

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& WARNING (continued )
airbag dur ing braking or in a sudden maneuver . Objects ne ar the
airbags can become proje ctiles and cau se injury , particularly when
the seat is reclined .
• Never tilt the front passenger seat backrest forward when the
vehicle is moving . An inflating airbag will force the backrest back­
ward and can injure rear seat occupants.
_& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing
conditions.
• To reduce the risk of breathing problems, those with asthma or
other respiratory conditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening windows or doors.
• If you are in a collis ion in which airbags deploy, wash your
hands and face with mild soap and water before eating.
• Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes , or into any cuts or
scratches .
• If the residue should get into your eyes, flush them w ith
water. •
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light :~
Two sep arate in dica tors m onitor the fu ncti on of th e
Adv anced A irba g Sys tem: the airbag moni tor ing in dica to r
l ight and t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
The Advanc ed A ir b ag S yst em (includ ing the e lec tronic co ntro l unit,
sensor c ircuits and system wiring) is monitored continuously to
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation make sure that it is functioning properly whenever the ignition is on
.
Eac h tim e you tu rn on t he ignit io n, th e airbag monitoring ind ica tor
light
fl wi ll come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The system must be inspected when the indicator l ight ~:
• do es not com e on when the ig nit ion is sw itch ed on,
• does not go out a few seconds after you have switched on the
i gni tion , or
• comes on while driving.
I f an a irbag s ystem malfu ncti on is detec ted , the indi cator light will
first start flash ing to catch the driver's attention and then sta y on
co nti nuou sly to serve as a constant r eminder to h ave the sys tem
inspected immediately.
If a malf unctio n occurs that t urns the front airbag on the passenger
s id e off , the PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light w ill come on a nd s ta y on
whenever the ig nition is on.
_& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
s upplemental protect ion in a frontal crash .
• If the airbag 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 Audi
dealer. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
............. Fig. 174 Section from
the instrument panel:
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center of the
instrument panel
~ fig. 174.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on to tell
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has
been turned off by the electronic control unit . Each time you turn on
the ignition , the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will flash for a few
seconds and :
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied,
• will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front
passenger seat,
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight -sensing mat .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on if the
ignition is on and
• a car bed has been installed on the front seat, or
• a rearward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• a forward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• the weight registered on the front passenger seat is equal to or
less than the combined weight of a typical 1 year-old restrained in one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant restraints
listed in
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which the Advanced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified .
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag will not
deploy, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on. Never
install a rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
the safest place for a child in any kind of child restraint is at one of
the seating positions on the rear seat~
page 170, "Child restraints
on the front seat- some important things to know" and~
page 190,
"Child Safety".
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when one of the
conditions listed above is met, be sure to check the light regularly
to make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light stays on
continuously whenever the ignition is on. If the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not appear and not stay on all the time, stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turning the ignition off and then turning
it on again;
• remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make sure that the child
restraint is properly installed and that the safety belt for the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed around the child restraint
as described in the child restraint manufacturer's instructions;
• make sure that the convertible locking feature on the safety belt
for the front passenger seat has been activated and that the safety
belt has been pulled tight . The belt must not be loose or have loops
of slack so that the sensor below the safety belt latch on the seat can
do its job
~ page 200.
• make sure that things that may increase the weight of the child
and child safety seat are not being transported on the front
passenger seat;
• make sure that the safety belt tension sensor is not blocked.
Shake the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat back and
forth;
• If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child safety seat to the
front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes _,,

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m ___ ffllll
the weight -sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on
the seat .
If the PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still d oes not come on and does
not stay on continuously (when the ignition is switched on),
• take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and insta ll it
properly at one of the rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspec ted by your Audi dea ler immediately .
• move the child to a rear seat position and make sure that the
child is proper ly restrained i n a child restraint that is appropriate for
its size and age.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light shou ld 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
PASSENGER AIR BAG OF F light
comes on and stays on or flashes for about 5 seconds whi le driving,
under these circumstances, make sure that:
• the adult on the front passenger seat is properly seated on the
center of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the back­
rest and the back rest is not reclined => page 148, "Pro per occupant
seating positions",
• the adult is not taking weight off the sea t by ho lding o n to the
passenger assist handle above the front passenger door or
suppo rting thei r weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is being proper ly worn and that there is not a lot
of slack in the safety bel t webbing,
• accessory seat covers or cushions or other things that may cause
an incorrect reading or impression on the weight -sensing mat
under the upho lstery of the seat have been removed from the front
passenger seat,
• a safety belt extender has not been left in the safety be lt latch for
t he front passenger seat .
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight in the center of the
instr ument panel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PAS SENGER AIR BAG ON wi ll briefly appear in the instrument c luster
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation display. This is to inform the driver of the current front passenger
a
ir b ag status .•
Important safety instructions on monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not fun ctioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal cra sh .
• If the airbag ind icator li ght come s on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advan ced Airbag System . It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not suppo sed to , or
will not inflate when it should .
• Ha ve the airb ag system inspected immedi ately by your Audi
dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflate s, a child witho ut a child restraint , in a
rearward-facing child safety seat or i n a forward -fa cing child
restr aint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
injured and can be killed .
• Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
Sy stem , make certain that all children , e speci ally 12 year s and
younger , always ride on the back seat p roperly re strained for their
age and size .
• Always install forward or rear -facing child safety seat s on the
re ar s eat - even with an Ad van ced Airb ag Sy stem .
• If you mu st install a rearward -fa cing child safety seat on the
front pa ssenger seat be cau se of ex ceptional cir cum stance s and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on ,
immediately in stall the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear ...
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_b _ a_ g~ s_ y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
& WARN IN G (c ontinu ed )
seating posit ion and ha ve the airb ag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
• A t ight tether or other strap on a rearward-fa cing child restr aint
atta ched to the front pas senger se at can put too much pres sure
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 suppre ssed causing
serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in exc eptional cir cum stance s, you mu st in stall a forward ­
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat , always move the
seat into its rearmost po sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust ­
ment range , as far away from the airbag as possible . The ba ckrest
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 .
& 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 i s properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating position s.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer before
transpo rting anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
If the weight -sensing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
e m pty seat , the fron t airbag on the passenge r side will be tu rned
off, and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.•
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
P arts of the airbag system are installed at many different p laces on
your Au di. Insta lli ng, removing, se rvic ing or repa iring a par t in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system and
p revent that system from w orking properly in a c ollisi on.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure
that the effectiveness of the system will not be impai red and that
discarded componen ts do no t cause injury or po llute t he e nv iro n­
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 objects su ch as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfa ces covering the airbag units .
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel , use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain water. Solvents or cleaner s
c ould damage the airbag cover or change the st iffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop­
erly .
• Never repair , adju st, or change any parts of the airbag sy stem .
• All work on the steering wheel , instrument panel, front seats or
electrical system (including the installation of audio equipment ,
cellular telephones and CB rad ios , 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 author ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .

--------------------------------------------~C~ h~ il~d ~S~ a~f e~ t~ YL _III
& WA RNIN G (conti nu ed )
• Alway s install rear-facing child safety se ats on the rear seat.
• If you mu st in stall a rearw ard f acing chi ld safety seat on the
front pa ssenger seat in exc eptional cir cum stance s and the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light do es not come on and stay on,
im medi ate ly install the re ar-fa cing child safety s eat in a rear
s e ating po sit ion and h ave the airb ag sys tem inspe cted im medi ­
ately by your Audi de aler .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circum stance s, you must in stall a forward -facing
c hild re st ra int on the fr ont p ass eng er' s s eat :
• Alway s make sure the forward -facing seat ha s been de signed
and cert ified by it s manufa cturer f or use on a front se at with a
p ass enger front and side airbag .
• Always follow the m anufacturer's instruct ions provided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Alway s m ove the pa ss e nger sea t into its rearm ost p osit ion in
the seat' s fo re and aft adju stment r ange , as far away from the
a irb ag as possib le before installing the child r estr aint . The b ack­
rest mu st be adju sted to an upr ight po sition.
• Alw ays ma ke sure th at the PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light
c ome s on and stay s on all the time whenever the ignition i s
s witched on . •
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Airbag System" in
compliance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle Sa fety Stan ­
dard (FMVSS) 208 as applicab le at the time your vehicle was manu ­
factured .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the " low -risk" requirements for 3 and 6 yea r- old child ren on
the passenger side and small adu lts on the driver side. The low risk
deployment c rite ria are intended to reduce the risk of injury th rough
interaction with the airbag that can occur, for example, by being too
close to the steering whee l and instrument panel when the airbag
in flates . In add ition, the system has been cert ified 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
Standard.
Even though your vehic le is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system, all ch ildren, especially those 12 years and younger, should
a lways ride in the back seat proper ly restrained for the ir age and
s ize . The a irbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten­
tially dangerous p lace for a chi ld to r ide. The front seat is not the
safest place for a chi ld in a forward -facing child safety seat. It can be
a very dangerous place for an infant or a larger chi ld 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 p resence
of an infant or chi ld 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 t otal weight of the ch ild and the
child safety seat and a chi ld blanket on the front passenger seat. The
weight on the front passenge r 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 .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_______________________________________________ C_h _i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t...:; y ______ lllll
C . Forward-facing convertible child restraint systems,
manufactured on or after September 1, 2004:
• Britax Roundabout 161
• Britax Expressway
• Century Encore 4612
• Century STE 1000 4416
• Cosco Olympian 02803
• Cosco Touriva 02519
• Evenflo Horizon V 425
• Evenflo Medallion 254
• Safety First Comfort Ride 22-400
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on whenever a child restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition
is switched on.
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately .
[ i] Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been tested by Audi
only for the Advanced Airbag function. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Important safety instructions for using child
safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially reduces the
risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety of every
­
body in the vehicle, especially children:
- Always use the right child safety seat for each child and
always use it properly~
page 195.
-Always carefully follow the child safety seat manufac­
turer's instructions on how to route the safety belt prop­
erly through the child safety seat.
- When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat , you must first activate the convertible locking
retractor on the safety belt to prevent the child safety
seat from moving~
page 200.
-Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot
move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
- If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child safety
seat to the front passenger seat, make sure that it is not
so tight that it causes the weight-sensing mat to
measure more weight than is actually on the seat.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, especially those 12 years and
younger, should always ride in the back seat properly restrained for
their age and size. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data