light AUDI S6 2008 Owners Manual

___ A_ i_r _b _a _ g~ s_ y_ s_t _e _m ___________________________________________________ _
passenger seat shou ld b e turned off or not=> pa ge 214, "Child
res train ts on the fron t seat - so m e impor tant thi ngs to kno w".
• A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver and fo r the front
s e at pass enger that s enses w hether th at sa fet y belt is la tc hed or not
and transmits this information to the el ectron ic control unit .
& WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can prevent the front airbag
from working properly .
• Improper repair or disassembly of the front passenger and
driver seat will prevent the Advanced Airbag System from func ­
tioning properly .
• Repairs to the front passenger seat must be performed by qual­
ified and properly trained workshop personnel.
• Never remove the front passenger or driver seat from the
vehicle.
• Never remove the upholstery from the front passenger seat .
• Never disassemble or remove parts from the seat or disconnect
wires from it .
• Never carry sharp objects in your pockets or place them on the
seat .
If the weight-sensing mat in the passenger seat is punctured
it cannot work properly.
• Never carry things on your lap or carry objects on the
passenger seat. Such items can increase the weight registered by
the weight-sens ing mat and send the wrong information to the
airbag control unit .
• Never store items under the front passenger seat . Parts of the
Advanced Airbag System under the passenger seat could be damaged , preventing them and the airbag system from working
properly.
• Never place seat covers or replacement upholstery that have
not been specifically approved by Audi on the front seats.
& WARNING (continued)
• Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag System from
recognizing child restraints or occupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from
deploying properly .
• Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or similar items on the
front passenger seat . The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from accurately registering the
child restraint or person on the seat and prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from functioning properly.
• If you must use a child restraint on the front passenger seat
and the child restraint manufacturer's instructions require the use
of a towel , foam cushion or something else to properly position
the child restraint, make certain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the child restraint is
i nstalled on the front passenger seat .
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, immediately install child restraint in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer. •
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
T he front Advanced Airbag System and the si de airba gs supplement
t h e protection offered by the fro nt three -point safety be lt s with
pretensioners and load limiters a nd t he adjustab le head restraints
to help reduce the risk of in jury in a wide range of accident and
cras h situati ons. Be s ure to read the im por tant i nformation about
safety and heed the WAR NINGS in this chapter.
Depl oyment of the Adva nced A irbag Sy stem and the acti vat ion of
th e safety be lt pr etensioners dep ends on the decele ration
m easu re d by the crash se nso rs and regi stered by the e lec troni c
control unit . Crash s eve rity depends on speed and dec eleration as
~

well as the mass and stiffness of the vehicle or object involved in the crash.
When the electronic control unit registers a low severity crash and
the safety belt is being used, the airbag wi ll not deploy . If the safety
belt is not being used, the first stage deploys, followed by the
second stage after a much later time in the crash sequence.
If the electronic control unit registers a crash of medium severity,
the first stage of the airbag deploys followed by the second stage at
a much later t ime in the crash sequence · regardless of whe ther the
safety belt is being used or not. In higher severity crashes as regis ­
tered by the e lectronic contro l unit, both the fi rst and second stages
deploy almost at the same time.
On the passenger side, regardless of safety belt use, the airbag will
be turned off if the weight on the passenger seat is less than the
amount programmed in the electronic control unit. The front airbag
on the passenger side wi ll a lso be turned off if one of the child
safety seats that has been certified under Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 has been recogn ized on the seat . The
PAS SEN GER A IR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on to tell you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned off~
page 214, "Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know".
& WARNING
T o re duc e the ri sk of injury wh en an airb ag infla te s, a lw ay s wear
sa fet y belt s pr operl y.
• If you are unr estra ined , leanin g forw ard , s it tin g s idew ays or out
o f positi on i n a ny w ay, y ou r ris k of in jur y is much hig her.
• Yo u w ill al so rec eive seriou s injurie s and could even be kill ed if
y ou are up a gain st th e airbag or too close to it when it infl ates -
e ve n with an A dvanced Airbag~
page 212. •
Safety first
Airb ag sy ste m
More important things to know about front
airbags
F ig . 205 In fl at ed front
airb ags
Safety belts are important to he lp keep front seat occupants in the
proper seated position so tha t airbags can unfold proper ly and
provide supplemental protection in a fronta l collision.
The fron t airbags are designed to provide addit ional protection for
the chest and face of the driver and the front seat passenger when:
• safety belts are worn properly,
• the seats have been positioned so that the occupant is properly
seated as far as possib le from the airbag,
• and the head restraints have been properly adjusted .
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye with great force , things
you have on your lap or have p laced on the seat cou ld become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag inflates .
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released . This is norma l and is
not caused by a fire in the vehicle. This dust is made up mostly of a
powder used to lubricate the airbags as they d eploy . It could irritate
skin.
It is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example swelling, bruising and minor abrasions, can
a lso happen when airbags inflate. Airbags do not pro tect the arms •
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

-L~A:::..:,: ir:....: b:!..::: a~g L.:: s:1y :...:s::..: t~ e:.: m:...:...:.. ________________________________________________ _
or the lower parts of the body. Front airbags only supp lement the
th ree p oint safe ty belts in som e front al co llis ions in which the
vehic le dece leration is h igh enou gh to deploy the a irba gs.
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,
• i n sid e collis io ns,
• i n rea r- e nd collisi ons ,
• in ro llovers,
• when th e c ras h de celerat io n measur ed by the a irba g system is
less than the minimum threshold needed for a irbag deployment as
r egi stere d by th e ele ctro nic con trol uni t.
The front passenger airbag will also not deploy :
• when th e fr ont pass enger seat is no t occupi ed,
• when the weight on the front passenger seat a s sensed by the
A dvanced A irbag Syste m indica tes tha t the fr ont air bag o n the
passenger side has to be turned off by the e lectronic cont rol unit
(t he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li gh t comes o n and s tays o nl.
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the risk of serious injury
in crashes .
• To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags inflate , the driver
and passengers must always sit in an upright position , must not
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Occupants who are unbelted , out of position or too close to the
airbag can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye=> page
214.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on, 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 a irbag 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
cupholders, telephone brackets , large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors , over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steering
wheel , instrument panel , seat backrests or between those areas
and yourself . These objects could cause injury in a crash , espe­
cially when the airbags inflate .
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport object s.
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front ..,

Airbag system -----------------=~-
& WARNING (continued )
airbag dur ing braking or in a sudden maneuver . Objects ne ar the
airbags can become proje ctile s and cau se injury , particularly when
the seat is reclined .
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cause breathing
p roblems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing
c onditions .
• To reduce the risk of breathing problems , those with asthma or
other respir atory cond itions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening windows or doors.
• If you are in a collision 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 with
water .•
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light t~
Tw o separate indicators monitor th e funct ion of the
Adva nced A irbag Syst em : the a ir b ag mon itor in g i ndicator
l ig ht an d the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
The Advanced Airbag System (including the electronic control unit,
s en sor cir cu its a nd sys tem wiring) is mon itored co ntinuous ly to
make sure that it is functioning properly whenever the ignition is on.
E ac h tim e you turn on th e ig niti on, the ai rbag monito ring ind icator
light
t~ w ill come on for a few seconds (se lf diagnostics) .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
The system must be inspected wh
en the indicator
light ~:
• does not come on when the ignition is switched on,
• does not go ou t a few sec ond s a fter you have swi tc hed on the
ignition, or
• comes on while d riv in g.
I f an airbag system malfunction is detected, the indicator light will
fi rst sta rt fla sh ing to catch the d rive r's atten tion an d t hen stay on
cont inuously to serve as a constant reminder to have the syst em
inspected i mmedia tely.
If a mal funct ion occurs that tu rns the fro nt a irbag o n th e passe nger
side off, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on
whe neve r the ig nit ion is on.
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection 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

llffll,___A_ ir_ b_ a.::g <-- s-- PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Iii
Fig . 206 Sec tio n fr om
th e i nstrument pan el:
PAS SENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center of the
instrument pane l => fig. 206 .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on to tel l
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has
been turned off by the electronic contro l unit . Each time you turn on
the ignition, the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light wi ll 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 chi ld or chi ld 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 insta lled 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
Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which the Advanced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified .
I f the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag wil l not
deploy, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght wi ll 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 o f
the seating posi tions on the rear seat=>
page 214, "Child restraints
o n the front seat -some important things to know" and=>
page 234,
"Chi ld 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 reinstal l the child restraint. Make sure that the child
restraint is properly insta lled 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 244.
• 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 -.,

Airbag syst em -----------------=~-
the weight -sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on
the seat .
If th e PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still d oes not come on and does
not stay on continuously (when the ignition is switched on),
• t ake the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install it
properly at one of the rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspected by your Audi dealer immediately.
• move the child to a rear seat position and make sure that the
child is proper ly restrained in a child restraint that is appropria te for
its size and age .
The
P AS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light shou ld NOT come on when the
ignition is on and an adult is sitting in a proper seating posi tion 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 adu lt on the front passenger seat is properly seated on the
center of the seat cushion w ith his or her back up against the back­
res t and the backrest is not reclined => page 794, "Proper occupant
sea ting positions" ,
• the adult is not taking weight of f the sea t by holding on to the
passenger assist handle above the front passenger door or
supporting thei r we ight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is being proper ly worn and that there is not a lot
of slack in the safety belt 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 sea t,
• a safety belt extender has not been left in the safety be lt latch for
t he front passenger seat .
In addition to the
PA SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the center of the
instrument panel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG O FF o r
PAS SEN GER AIR BA G 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
irbag status .•
Important safety instructions on monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag sy stem that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a front al cra sh .
• If the airb ag ind icator li ght come s on , it me ans that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Ai rbag S ystem. It is
po ssible that the airbag will inflate when it is not suppo sed to , or
w ill not infl ate w hen it should .
• Have the airb ag system inspe cted immediatel y by you r Audi
dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airb ag infl ate s, a child without a child re straint , in a
rear ward -fa cing child safet y se at or i n a forwa rd-fa cing child
r e str aint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
inj ured and can be killed .
• Even though your vehicle i s equipped with an Adv anced Airbag
Sy stem , m ake cert ain that all children , e speci ally 1 2 year s and
younger , alway s ride on the bac k seat prope rly re strain ed for their
a ge and siz e .
• Alway s install forward or rear -facin g child safety seats on the
re ar seat - even with an Ad vanced Airb ag System .
• If you must in stall a rearwa rd -fa cing child safety seat on the
fron t pa sse nger seat be cau se of exc eptional circu mstan ce s a nd
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not appe ar and st ay o n,
immedi atel y insta ll the rear -f ac ing child safet y seat in a re ar ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
seating posit ion and have the airb ag system inspe cted by your
Audi dealer .
• A t ight tether or other strap on a rearward-fa cing child restr aint
att ached 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 is actually on the seat. The heavier weight registered can
m ake the system work as though an adult were on the seat and
deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed cau sing
ser ious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in exceptional circumstance s, you mu st in stall a forward ­
f a cing child restraint on the front passenger seat , always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft adjust ­
ment range , as far away from the airbag as po ssible . The ba ckrest
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 tak ing the step s
described above, make sure the adult i s properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating posit ions .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer before
transport ing 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 front a irbag on the passenge r side wil l be tur ned
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
you r Aud i. Insta ll ing, r emoving, servic ing or repa iring a pa rt in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system and
p revent that sys tem from working pr operly in a c ollisi on.
There are some important things you have to know to ma ke sure
t h at the effective ness of the system will not be impai red and that
discarded co mponents do not cause injury or po llute the env iro n­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by pre venting 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 such as cupholders 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 moistened with plain water. Solvents or cleaner s
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 , 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 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 author ized Audi dealer or qual ified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ lll
& W ARNING (continued )
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter­
ference :
- 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 inflate.
- Damage to the or iginal 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
has inf lated , it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer 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 replaced with new replacement
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 you r Audi
Maintenance
& Warranty booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• In accidents when an airbag is deployed , the vehicle battery
separates the alternator and the starter from the vehicle electrical
system for safety reasons with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
-Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehi cle or the circuit interrupter is scrapped, all appli ­
c able safety precautions must be followed . •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the veh ic le 's suspen sion system can change the way that
the Adva n ced Air bag Syst em perfor ms in a crash . For e xamp le,
u sing tire -r im co mbinations not ap proved by Audi , lowering the
v ehi cle, c hang ing the s tiff ness of the susp ens ion, inclu d in g t he
springs, s uspension struts, shock absorbers etc. can change the
fo rce s t hat ar e meas ured by t he airbag sens ors and sent t o the e lec­
tronic control unit. Some suspens ion changes can, for example,
i nc rease t he for ce leve ls mea sured by th e sen sors and make th e
airbag system dep loy in crash es in wh ich it wou ld not deploy if the
ch anges had no t been m ade. O th er ki nds of change s may red uce
the force levels measured by t he sensors and prevent t he airba g
fr om d eploying when it shoul d.
T he se nso rs in t he safety b elt b uckle for the driver a nd front
passenger seat te ll the electronic control module if the safety belt is
l a tc h e d or n ot. If t he safet y bel t is bei ng use d, the front ai rbag w ill
dep lo y at a s lightly hig her rate of veh ic le dece leration than
if the
safe ty belt i s not be ing used . The re fo re, in a pa rticu la r colli sion, i t is
poss ible that an airbag will not deploy at a s eating position where
t he safe ty be lt is b ein g us ed b ut will infl ate a t th e po siti on where the
safety belt is not being used. It is important that nothi ng int erfer e
with the safety belt b uckl es so that the sens ors can send the correct
i n formation about safety belt use to the electronic control u nit.
& WARNING
Chang ing the vehicle's suspension includ ing use of unapproved
tire -rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performance
and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash.
• Never install suspension components that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehicle.
• Never use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi. ...
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;:::;_ s--:.. y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electronic control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly.
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.
<£' For the sake of the environment
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 safety belts
with pretensioners are scrapped , all applicable laws and regula ­
tions must be observed . Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar with
these requirements and we recommend that you have your dealer
perform this service for you. •
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 207 Side airbag
location in the driver 's
seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
~ fig. 207 and the rear backrest * facing the doors. They are identi ­
fied by the word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of :
• the electronic control module and external side impact sensors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
• two rear side airbags (as an ordered
option)
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster .
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that
it is functioning properly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni ­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help
to reduce the risk of injury to the driver's , front and rear*
passenger's upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a
side collision . The airbag deploys only in side impacts and only
when the vehicle acceleration registered by the control unit is high
~

enough. If this rate is be low 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 wi ll cover every
possible angle of impact, since the circumstances will vary consid­
erably between one collision and another . Important factors
include, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting
object, the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.~
page 230, "Impor ­
t ant safety instructions on the side a irbag syste m".
Aside from their norma l safety function, safety be lts work to help
keep the driver or front passenger in pos it ion in the event of a side
col lision so that the side airbags can provide protection .
T he airbag system is
not a substitute fo r your safety belt . Rather, it
is part of the overall occupant res tra in t system in your veh icle .
Always remember that the side airbag system can only help to
p rotec t you if you are wearing your safety be lt and wear ing it prop­
erly. This is another reason why you should a lways wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do so ~
page 202,
"General notes" .
I t is important to remember that while the supp lemental s ide airbag
system is designed to reduce the like lihood of ser ious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
also be assoc iated with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
airbags wil l deploy only once and on ly in certain kinds of accidents
- your safety belts are a lways there to offer protec tion .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehic le damage are
not necessarily an indicati on of over -sensitive or failed ai rbag acti ­
vation. In some collisions , both front and side airbags may inflate.
Remember too, that airbags will dep loy only once and only in
certain kinds of collisions -your safety belts are always there to
offer protection in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or whe n they have already deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy :
• when the ignition is turned o ff
Safety first
Airbag sy ste m
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor
is too low
• in front -end collisions
• in rear -end co llisions
• in ro llovers .
I n some types o f accidents the front airbags, side curtain airbags
and side airbags may be triggered together .
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only prov ide protect ion
when occ upants are in the proper seating position
~ page 230 .
• If the airbag indicator light come s on when the vehicle i s being
used , ha ve the sy stem inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer . The airbag may not work properly when the vehicle
acceleration in a side collision is high enough to act ivate the
airbag .•
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and c an help reduce the risk
of upper to rso injuries for occupants who are properly
restrained.
Fig . 20 8 Infl ate d sid e
airba gs on l eft side o f
ve hicle , rea r sid e
airba g optional equ ip·
me~ ~
•
Vehicle care I I irechnical data