airbag off AUDI S6 2008 User Guide

__ .....::S-=a ::..;f _:e :..:t :.!..y _ b::.....:: e..:..lt :.:s::..._ _____________________________________________ _
Because the passengers of this vehicle are not using safety belts
~ page 203, fig. 193, they will keep moving at the same speed the
vehicle was moving just before the crash, until something stops
them -here, the wall~
page 203, fig. 194.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision. Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph
(30 to 50 km/h), the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs. or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater speeds, these forces are
even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also not attached to their
vehicle. In a frontal collision they will also keep moving forward at
the speed their vehicle was travelling just before the crash. Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to frontal collisions, they
determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions. •
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety be lts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop themselves
from flying forward and being injured or killed. Always
wear your safety belts!
Fig . 195 A driver not
wearing a safe ty belt is
violently thrown
forward Fig. 196
A rear
passenger not wearing
a safety belt will fly
forward and strike the
driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tremendous forces of
impact by holding tight or bracing themselves. Without the benefit
of safety restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant will slam
violently into the steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or
whatever else is in the way~ fig. 195. This impact with the vehicle
interior has all the energy they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even when they dep loy,
airbags provide only additional protection. Airbags are not
supposed to deploy in all kinds of accidents . Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, including the driver,
must wear safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of
severe injury or death in a crash .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and that your
safety belts are always there to offer protection in those accidents
in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have
a lready deployed. Unbelted occupants can also be thrown out of the
vehicle where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear safety belts
correctly . Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only
themselves but also the driver and other passengers~ fig. 196. In a
frontal collision they will be thrown forward violently, where they
can hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger. •

Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to brace the
body in a minor collision . It's simply not true!
Fig . 19 7 Driv er is
co rre ctl y r est rai ned in
a sud den braki ng
m an eu ver
Safety belts used pr operly can make a b ig di fference . Safety belts
help to keep passengers in their seats, gradually reduce energy
levels app lied to the body in an accident, and help prevent the
uncontrolled movemen t that can cause serious injuries . In addition ,
safety belts reduce the danger of being thrown out of the vehicle .
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give them the benefit
of being s lowed down more gent ly or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety features engineered into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the kinetic energy over a
longer period of time, the safety belts make the forces on the body
more "tolerable" and less likely to cause injury .
Although these examples are based on a fro ntal co llision, sa fety
belts can also substantially reduce the risk of injury in other kinds
of crashes . So, whether you're on a long trip or just going to the
corner s tore , a lways buckle up and make sure others do , too . Acci­
dent statistics show that vehic le occupants properly wearing safety
belts have a lower risk of being injured and a much better chance o f
surviving an accident. Properly using safety belts also greatly
increases the ability of the supplemen tal airbags to do their job i n a
collision . For this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally required in
most coun tries including much of the United States and Canada.
Safety first
Safety b elts
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags, you sti ll have to wear
t he safety belts provided. Front airbags, for examp le, are activa ted
only in some fronta l collisions . The front airbags are not ac tiva ted in
a ll fron tal collisions, in side and rear collisions, in roll overs o r in
cases where there is not enough deceleration through impact to the
front of the vehicle. The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt and make sure every­
body in your vehic le is properly restrained! •
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly posi tioned across
the strongest bones of your body.
Always wear safety be lts as illustrated and described in
th is chapter .
Mak e su re that your s afety belts ar e always r eady for use
a n d a re not damaged .
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belt s or wear ing them improperl y increases
the ri sk of ser ious per so nal injury a nd de ath . S afety belt s ca n work
only when used corre ctl y.
• Alway s fasten your safety belts correctly before dri ving off and
make sure all passengers are correctly restrained .
• For ma ximum prote ction , safety belts mu st always be posi ­
tioned properly on the body .
• Never str ap more than one pe rson, includ ing small ch ildr en ,
into any belt .
• Never pla ce a safety belt over a child sitting on your lap .
• Alway s keep feet in the footwell in front of the seat while the
vehicle is being driven . .,
Vehicle care
I I irechnical data

Airbag syst em -----------------=~-
repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage is not necessari ly an
indication of whether an airbag should inflate or not.
It is not possible to define a range of vehicle speeds that will cover
every possible kind and ang le of impact that wil l always trigger the
airbags, since the circumstances wil l vary considerab ly between
one collision and another. Important factors include, for example,
the nature (hard or so ft) of the object which the car hits, the angle
of impact, vehicle speed, etc. The front airbags wi ll also not inflate
in side or rear co llisions, or in roll -overs .
Al way s rem ember : Airbags wi ll deploy only once, and on ly in certain
kinds of coll isions . Your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those situat ions in wh ich airbags are not supposed to deploy,
or when they have already deployed; for example, when your vehic le
strikes or is struck by another a fter the first coll ision.
T his is just one of the reasons why an airbag is a supplementary
restraint and is not a substitute for a sa fety be lt. The airbag system
works most effectively when used with the safety be lts. Therefore ,
a lways prope rly wea r your safety belt s =>
page 202 .
& WARNING
Sitting too clo se to the steering wheel or in strument panel will
de crease the effect ivene ss of the airbags and will incr ease the risk
of personal injury in a collision.
• Never sit closer than 10 in ches (25 cm) to the steering wheel or
in strument panel.
• If you c annot sit more than 10 in ches (25 cm ) from the steering
wheel , inve stiga te whether adaptive equipment may be available
to held you reach the pedal s and in crease your se ating dist ance
from the steering wheel.
• If you are unrestra ined , leaning forward , sittin g side ways or out
of position in any way , your risk of injury i s much higher .
• You will also receive serious injur ies and could even be killed if
you are up again st the airba g or too clo se to it when it infl ates -
ev en with an Advanced Airbag .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WAR N IN G ( continued )
• To reduce the ri sk of injury when an airbag inflate s, alw ays
wear safety belt s prope rly~
page 20 6, "S afet y belt s".
• Always make certain that ch ildren age 12 or younger alway s
ride in the rear seat. If children are not p rope rly re str ained , they
may be severely injured or killed when an airbag inflate s.
• Never let children ride unre str ained or impr operly rest rained in
the vehicl e. Adju st the front seat s properly .
• Never ride with the b ackrest r eclined .
• Alway s sit a s far as possible from the steering wheel or the
instrument panel ~
pag e 194.
• Alway s sit upright with your back again st the backre st of your
seat .
• Ne ver pla ce your feet on the instrument panel or on the seat .
Always keep both feet on the floor in front of the seat to help
prevent seriou s injurie s to the leg s and hips if the airbag inflate s.
• Nev er r ecline th e front passenger 's seat to transpo rt obje cts .
Item s can al so mo ve into the area of the side a irbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden m aneuver . Obje cts near the
a irbags can become pro je ctile s and cau se injury when an airbag
inflates .
& WARNING
Airbags that have deployed in a crash must be repla ced.
• U se only original equipment airbags approved by Audi and
in stalled by a trained technician who ha s the neces sary tool s and
diagnostic equipment to properly r epla ce any airb ag in your
vehicle and as sure sy stem effectivenes s in a crash .
• Never perm it salvag ed or re cy cled airb ag s to be i nstall ed in
your vehicle. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

llffl __ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
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 ch ildren and
Advanced Airbags~
page 234.
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 , always ride in the back seat proper ly 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 place 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 Ai rbag System in your vehicle has been certified to
comply with the Requirements of United States Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle
was manufactured.
The 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 res traints listed in Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
which the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was cert ified has
been insta lled on the front passenger seat. For a listing of the child
restraints that were used to certify compliance with the US Safety
Standard =>
page 236.
The PASS ENGER AIR B AG 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
PASSEN GER AIR BA G 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 223, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
The
P AS SENGER 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 typica l 1 year -old child but less than the weight of a small adult,
the front airbag on the passenger side can deploy (the
PA SSE NGER
A IR BA G OFF
light does not come on). If the P ASSE NGER AIR B AG
O FF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger s ide
has not been turned off by the electronic control unit and can
deploy if the control unit senses an impact that meets the condi ­
tions stored in its memory.
F o r e xample , th e a ir b ag m ay dep loy 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 236), or
• a child who has outgrown chi ld restraints is on the front
passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSEN GER AIR BA G
OFF
light comes on in the instrument cluster and stays on.
The fron t airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PA SS ENGER AIR BA G OFF light does not illuminate and stay lit) even
if a small adult or teenager, or a passenger who is no t sitting upright
with their back against a non -reclined backrest with their feet on the
vehic le floor in front of the seat is on the front passenger seat
=> page 194, "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 interact ion with the airbag. "Low risk" d eploy­
ment occu rs in those crashes that take place at lower decelerations .,.

Airbag system -----------------=~-rm-I
as defined in the electronic control unit~ page 224, "PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF l igh t" .
A lways remember, a chi ld safety seat or infant carrier insta lled on
the front seat may be struck and knocked out of position by the
rap id ly i nfl ating pass eng er's ai rbag in a frontal co llision . The airba g
co uld greatly reduce the effectiveness of the chi ld restraint and
even s erio usly in jure the chi ld du ring infl ation.
F or this reason, and because the bac k seat is the safest place for
c h ildr en -w he n prop erly res trained a cc or ding to th eir age an d size
- w e stro ngly recomm end that c hildren a lwa ys s it in th e back seat
~ page 234, "C hil 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 o r 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 pa ssenger 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
pa ssenger'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 223 , "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

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ fflllll
& WA RN ING (co ntinued)
• Airb ag work mo st effectively when u sed with prope rly worn
s afety belts.
• Therefore , alwa ys wear your safety be lt s and make sure that
ev erybod y i n yo ur vehi cle is properly re str ained.
& WARNING
A pe rson on the front pa ssen ger s eat , e spe cially inf ants and small
c hildren , w ill re ceive s eriou s injurie s and can ev en be killed by
being too cl ose to the airbag whe n it infl ates .
• Although the Advan ced Airba g System in your vehicle i s
de signed t o tu rn off the front p assenger airb ag i f a n inf ant or a
s mall child i s on the front pa ssenger seat , nobod y can absolut ely
gu ara nt ee that deployment under these spe cial con ditio ns is
impo ssible in all conc eivable situations that m ay happen during
the useful l ife of your vehic le.
• The Adv anced Airbag Sy stem will deploy in a ccordance with
the "lo w risk" opti on u nder th e U.S. Feder al Stand ard if a child t hat
i s heavier than th e typi cal on e-year old child i s on the front
p asse nger seat and the other conditi ons for airb ag dep loym ent
are met.
• Acc ident stat istics have shown that children are gener ally s afe r
in the rear seat ar ea than in the front seating po sit ion .
• Fo r their o wn safet y, all children , espe cially 12 yea rs and
younger , should always r ide in the back properly restrained for
their age and siz e. •
Advanced front airbag system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front Advanced Airbag System in
compliance with United States Federal Motor Veh icle Sa fety Stan ­
dard 208 as applicab le at the time your vehicle was manufactured.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation The front Advanced Airbag System supplements the safety belts to
provide additional protection for the driver's and front passenger's
heads and upper bodies in fronta l crashes. The airbags inflate only
in frontal impacts when the vehic le dece leration is high enough.
The front Advanced Airbag System for the front seat occupants is not a substitute for your safety belts. Rather, it is part of the overa ll
occupant restraint system in your vehicle. A lways remember that
the airbag system can only help to protect you, if you are sitting
upright, wear ing your safety belt and wearing it properly . This is why
you and your passengers must a lways be properly restrained, not
just because the law requires you to be .
The Advanced A irbag System in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the " low risk" requirements for 3 and 6 year-o ld children on the
passenger side and very small adults on the driver side. The low risk
deployment criteria are intended to he lp reduce the risk of injury
through interact ion wi th the front a irbag that can occur, for
examp le, by being too close to the steering whee l and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates.
In addition, the system has been certified to comply with the
"suppression" requirements of the Safety Standard, to turn off the
front airbag for infants 12 months old and younger who are restrained on the front passenger seat in child restraints that are
listed in the Standard:::::,
page 236, "Child restraints and Advanced
Airbags".
"Suppression" requires the front ai rbag on the passenger side to be
turned off if:
• a child up to about one year of age is restrained on the front
passenger seat in one of the rear-facing or forward -facing infant
restraints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
wh ich the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certif ied. For
a listing of the child restraints that were used to certify your
vehicle's compliance with the US Safety Standard:::::,
page 236,
• weight less than a threshold leve l stored in the control unit is
detec ted on the front passenger sea t. .._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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When a person is detected on the front passenger seat, weighing
m ore tha n the to tal weigh t of a c hild that is ab out 1 year old
restra ined in one of the rear -fac ing or forward -facing infant
r es traints (listed in Fede ra l M oto r Vehicle Safe ty S ta ndard
208 with
which the Advanced Airba g System in your ve hic le was certified),
the fro nt airbag on the pas se nge r si de may o r may not dep loy .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li gh t com es o n when the elect ro ni c
contro l unit detects a total weight on the front passenger seat that
requ ires th e front ai rbag to be tur ned off. If th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger side
h as not been tu rned off by the c ontrol unit and can depl oy if the
control unit senses an impact that meets the conditions stored in its memo ry .
If t he to tal we ight on the fro nt passen ge r seat is more t han t hat of
a typical
1 year -old, but less than the weight of a small adult, the
fro nt a irba g on t he passen ger side may dep loy (the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
li ght does not come onl.
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
• a small ch ild that is heav ie r th a n a typ ical 1 yea r-old ch ild is o n
the front passenger seat (regardless of whether the child is in one
o f th e ch ild sa fety seats listed=>
page 236),
• a ch ild wh o ha s ou tg rown chi ld re strain ts is on the fron t
passen ger seat.
If the front passenge r airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
lig ht in the ce nter of t he inst rument panel wi ll co me on a nd stay
on.
The fron t airb ag o n the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht does not i llu m ina te and s ta y lit) i f:
• a small adu lt or teenager is on the front passenger seat
• a passenger who is no t sitt ing up rig ht with the ir back aga inst a
non -reclined bac krest with their feet on the vehicle f loor in front of
t h e seat is on th e fro nt pass enger se at.
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federa l Standard requires
t he a irbag to m eet th e "low ri sk" deploy ment criter ia to he lp reduce the risk of injury through interaction with the airbag. "
Low risk"
d eployme nt occ urs in those cras hes that ta ke place a t lower de ce l­
e rations as defined in the electron ic contro l unit .=:>
page 223
Always remember : Even though your vehicle is equipped with
A dva nced Air bags , th e sa fes t place fo r chi ldren is properly
r estra ined on the back seat. Please be sure to read the important
i nf orm atio n in t he sect ions t hat follow and b e sur e to hee d all of the
WARN INGS.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, always wear
safety belts properly.
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward , sitting sideways or out
of posit ion in any way, your risk of injury is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag=:>
page 212.
& 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 .
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
de signed to turn off the front airbag when a rearward -facing child
restraint has been installed on the front passenger seat , nobody
can absolutely guarantee that deployment is impossible in all
conceivable situations that may happen dur ing the useful life of
your vehicle.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
c hild against the backrest , center arm rest , door , or roof .
• Always install rearward -facing child restraints in the back seat . ..,.

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ fllll
& W ARNING (continued )
• If you must in stall 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 circumstance s, you must install a forward-facing
c hild 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
T he front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very important
p ar ts of th e A dva nced Air b ag System in it. T hese pa rts inc lu d e the
weight -sensing mat, sensors , w iring, brackets, and more. The func­
t ion o f the sys te m in the fr ont passenge r sea t is c hecked by th e e le c­
tronic contro l unit when the i gnition is on. The control unit monitors
th e Adva nced Ai rbag Syst em an d t urns t he air b ag in dicat or ligh t on
when a malfunction in the system components is detected. T he
function of the airbag indicator light is described in greater detail
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation below
. B ecause the front passenger seat conta ins important par ts
o f th e Adva nced Ai rbag Sys te m , yo u m ust take care to prev ent it
from be ing damaged. Damage to the seat may pr event the
Advanced Air bag for the fr ont pas senge r sea t fr om doing i ts job i n
a cras h.
The front Advanced Airbag System consists of the
following :
• Crash sens ors in th e fro nt of th e vehi cle that meas ure vehic le
acce leration/dece leration to provide information to the Advanced
A irb ag System ab out the seve rity of the c rash .
• An electron ic control unit, with integrat ed crash sensors for front
and si de i mpac ts . T he co ntr ol unit "de cides" w heth er to f ir e th e
front airbags based on th e information received from the crash
se nsors . The con trol unit also "deci des" w hethe r the safet y belt
pretensioners should be activated.
• A dua l- st age A dvan ced Airb ag with gas ge nerato r for t he drive r
inside the steer ing wheel hub .
• A du al- s tage A dvanced Air bag a nd gas gene ra tor insid e the
instrument panel fo r the front passenger.
• A w eigh t-s e nsin g mat und er the u phols ter y padding of th e fron t
passenger seat cushion that measures the total weight on the seat.
Th e in form atio n r egis tered i s sen t co nti nuousl y to th e e lectr oni c
control unit to regu late dep loyment of th e fro nt Advanced Airbag o n
t he pas se nge r sid e.
• An airbag monito ring system and indicator light in the instru ­
m ent c luste r::::>
p age 22 3.
• T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on in the
ce nter of the i nstrume nt p anel ::::>
pa ge 224, fi g. 206 a nd tells y ou
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
tu rne d off .
• A sensor be low the safety belt latch for the front seat passenger
to mea sure the t ensio n on t he sa fet y b elt. The ten sion o n the safet y
belt and the weight registe red by t he weight -sensing mat help the
cont ro l un it "deci de" whe ther t he fro nt air bag fo r the front _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ 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