belt AUDI S8 2010 Owner's Guide

-Airbag system
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When a perso n is detected on the fro nt passenger seat, we ig hi ng
mo re t han t he total we ight of a chi ld t hat i s ab out 1 year old
restra ined in o ne of the rear -facing or forward -fac ing infant
restraints (listed in Fed eral Moto r Vehicle Safety Sta ndard
208 with
w hich the Advanced A irbag System in you r veh icle was cert ified), the
front airbag on the passenge r side may or may not dep loy.
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t co mes on when the ele ct ronic
control un it detects a tota l weight on t he front passenger seat t hat
re qu ires the fron t air bag to be turned of f. If the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
li ght does not come on, the front a irbag on the passenger
side has not been tu rned of f by the con trol unit and can dep loy i f the
cont rol un it senses an impact that meets the cond itions stored in its
memory.
If the tota l weig ht o n th e fron t passenger seat is more than that of a
typical
1 year-old, but less than the weight of a small adult, the front
a ir bag o n the p assenge r sid e m ay deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
lig ht does not come on).
For example , the airbag may deploy if:
• a small ch ild that is heav ie r th an a typ ica l 1 year-o ld child is on the
front passenger seat (regard less of whethe r the chi ld is in one of the
c hild se ats liste d=>
page 23 3),
• a child who has outgrown chi ld rest rai nts is on t he front passenger
se at.
If the front passenger a irbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
lig ht in the cen ter of t he ins trume nt panel w ill come on and stay
on.
T he front a irbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light do es not illum inate and s tay lit) if:
• a small a dult or teenager is on the front passenger seat
• a passenger w ho i s not sit ting up rig ht w ith their back against a
non -reclined bac krest with the ir feet on the ve hicle floor in front of
th e seat is o n the fr ont pas senge r seat.
If the front passenge r a irbag dep loys, the Federal Standard requires
t he airbag to mee t the "low risk" deployment c rit er ia to help reduce the risk of in
jury t hrough interaction with the a irbag. "Low r isk"
de ploymen t oc cur s in th o se cra shes that take plac e at l owe r de celer ­
ations as defined in the elect ronic contro l unit=>
page 217 .
Always remember: Even t hough your ve hicle is eq uipped with
Adv anced Airbags, the safes t pla ce for child ren is prope rly re st rai ned
on the back seat. Please be sure to read the important in formation in
th e sections t hat foll ow and be su re t o hee d all of the WA RNINGS .
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflate s, always wear
safety belts properly.
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sideways or
out of position 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 206.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat installed on the front
pa ssenger seat will be seriou sly 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
designed 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 situation s that may happen during the useful life of
your vehicle .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child seat or infant carrier with
great force and will smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armre st, door , or roof .
• Always install rearward-facing child restraints on the rea r seat .
• If you must install a rearward facing child seat on the front
passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and the

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• A sensor in the safety belt latch for t he driver and for the front
sea t passenge r that senses w hether t hat s afe ty bel t is la tc h ed or not
and transmits this information to the electron ic cont rol un it .
& 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 Sy stem from func ­
tioning properly.
• Repairs to the front passenger seat mu st be performed by qual­
ified and properly trained wo rkshop personnel.
• Never remove the front passenger or driver seat from the
vehicle.
• Never remove the uphol stery from the front passenger seat.
• Never disas semble or remove parts from the seat or disconnect
wires from it.
• Never carry sharp object s in your pockets or place them on th e
seat.
If the weight -sens ing mat in the passenger seat is punctured
it cannot work properly.
• Never carry things on your lap or carry objects on the passenger
s eat. Such items can in crease the weight regi stered by the weight ­
sensing mat and send the wrong information to the airbag control
unit.
• Never store items under the front passenger seat. Parts of the
Advan ced Airbag Sy stem under the pass enger seat could be
damaged, prevent ing 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 seat s.
• Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag System from
recognizing child re straints or occupants on the front pas senger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from
deploying properly .
& WARNING (c on tinued )
• Never u se cushions , pillow s, blankets or s imilar items on the
front passenger seat . The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sens ing mat in the seat from accurately registering the
child restraint or person on the seat and prevent the Advan ced
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 po sition
the child restraint , make certain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light come s on and stay s on whenever the child re straint 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 posi­
tion and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer. •
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
Th e front Advanced A irbag System and the side airbags sup plement
the protect ion offered by the fro nt three -po int safety belts with
pretens ioners and load lim iters a nd the adjustable head restra ints to
he lp red uce the risk of i nju ry in a wide range of accident and crash
si tua tions. Be su re to re ad the impo rtan t info rmat ion about safe ty
and heed the WARNINGS in this c hapter.
Deploy ment o f the Advan ced Air bag Sys tem and t he activ ation o f the
safety belt pretensioners depend on the deceleration measured by
the crash sensors and registered by the electronic contro l u ni t. Crash
sever ity depe nds on speed and decelerat ion as well as the mass a nd
st iffness of the ve hicle or object invo lve d in the crash.
W hen the elect ronic contro l uni t reg isters a low sever ity cras h and
the safety belt is being used, the airbag will not dep loy . If the safety
be lt i s no t being used , the fi rs t sta ge dep loy s, followed by t he second
stage after a much later time in the crash sequence. ..

If the electronic control unit reg isters a crash of medium severity, the
first stage of the airbag deploys follo wed by the second stage at a
much later t ime in the crash sequence -regardless of whether the
safety belt is being used or not. In higher severity crashes as regis­
tered by the electronic control unit, both the first 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 w ill also be turned off if one of the child seats
that has been certified under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208 has been recognized on the seat . The
PASSENGER AIR 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 208, "Child
restraints on the front seat -some important things to know".
& 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 position 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 206. •
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fig. 214 Inflated
front airbags
Safety belts are important to help keep front seat occupants in the
proper seated position so that airbags can unfold properly and
prov ide supplemental protection in a frontal collision.
Th e front airbags are designed to provide additiona l 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 possible 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 o r have placed on the seat could become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag inflates .
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released. This is normal 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 deploy . It could irritate
skin .
It is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is desig ned to reduce the likelihood of serious injur ies, other
injuries, for example swell ing, bruising and m inor abrasions, can also
happen when airbags inflate. Airbags do not protect the arms or the •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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lower parts of the body . Front airbags supplement the th ree-point
sa fety belts o nly in some fron tal co llis io ns in whi ch the vehicl e decel­
eratio n is h igh enough to d eploy the a irbags .
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is sw itched off when a cras h occ urs,
• in s ide collisions,
• in rea r-end collisions,
• in rollovers,
• when the cras h deceler ati on me asured by t he airba g sy st em is le ss
than t he m in imum thres hold needed for airbag dep loyment as regis­
t ere d by the e lectro nic cont rol uni t.
The front passenger airbag also will not deploy:
• when the front pas se ng er s eat is not occupi ed,
• when the we ight on the front passenge r seat as sense d by the
Adv anced Air bag Sy stem indicat es th at t he fron t a irbag on the
passenger s ide has to be turned off by the e lec tron ic cont rol u nit (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t com es o n an d st ay s on ).
& 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 208 .
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child 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 seat or infant carrier with
great force and will smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child seats on the rear seat .
• If you must install a rearward facing child 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 ch ild seat in a rear seating
position and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer .
& WARNING
Objects between you and the airb ag 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 maneuvers and become dangerous
projectiles that can cause se rious personal injury if the airbags
inflate.
• Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup
holders, 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 , especially
when the airbags inflate. ..,.

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PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
( ~ I :."!l.t.~A I ~
1~ J,
i
)
Fig . 215 Section from
the in strume nt panel :
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t is located in the center of t he
ins trumen t panel => fig. 2 15 .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t will com e on and stay on to te ll
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
t u rn ed off by the ele ct ronic contro l uni t. Each t ime you t urn on t he
ignition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will flash fo r a few
se conds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied,
• will s tay on if t here is a small ch ild or child res trai nt on the fron t
passenger seat,
• will go out if t he front passenger seat is oc cupied by a n ad ult as
registered by the weight-sensing mat .
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light mu st come on and stay on if the
ignition is o n and
• a ca r bed has been installed o n the front seat, or
• a rearward -facing child restraint has been insta lled on t he front
passenger seat, o r
• a forward-fac ing ch ild restraint has bee n installed on the front
passenge r seat, o r
• the weight registered on t he front passe nger seat is equal to o r
less th a n the co mb ined we ight of a typic al 1 year-o ld rest rained in one of the rear-faci
ng or forward-facing infant restraints listed in
F e d era l Mo tor Ve hicle Safe ty St anda rd 2 08 w ith which th e Adv anced
Airbag System in your vehicle was cert ified.
If the front passen ger seat is not occupied, the front airbag will not
dep loy, and t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t will stay on. Never
install a rearward -facing c hild rest raint on the f ront passenger seat,
t he s afest pl ace fo r a child in any k ind of child re stra in t is a t one o f th e
seating pos it ions on the rear seat::::;,
page 208, "Child restraints on
t he fro nt sea t - so me im port an t things to kno w" and =>
page 231,
"Ch ild Safety" .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when one of the
c onditions lis ted above is met, be sure to check the lig ht reg ularly to
ma ke certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht stays on
c ont inuo usly whenever the ignition is on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not appear on and does not stay on all the t ime, stop
as so on a s it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turn ing the ig nition off and then tur ning
it on again ;
• remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make sure that the c hild
restrain t is properly inst alled and that the sa fety belt for the fron t
passenger seat has been correct ly routed th rough the chi ld restra int
as desc ribe d in the ch ild restrain t manufacture r's ins tructions;
• make su re that the convertib le lock ing feature on t he safety belt
f or the front passenger sea t has been act ivate d an d that the safe ty
belt has bee n pulled tight. The belt m ust not be loose or have loops
of slac k so that t he senso r be low the safety belt latc h on the seat can
do its job::::;,
page 241.
• make s ure tha t things tha t may in crease the weight o f the chi ld
and c hild seat a re not be ing transported o n the front passe nger seat;
• mak e s ure th at th e s afety bel t tension se nso r is not blocked.
Shake the safety belt latch o n the front passenger seat back and
f orth;
• If a strap or tether is being used to t ie the child seat to the front
pass en ge r sea t, mak e sure that it is not s o tight t hat it cau ses t he ...

_______________________________________________ A_ ir_ b_ a_,,,g '--- s.:.y _s _t_ e _ m ___ _
weight-sens ing mat to measure mo re weig ht than is actually on t he
se at.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does not come on and
does not stay on cont in uou sly (when the ignition is sw itched on),
• t ake the child re st raint o ff the fr ont pa ssenge r seat and in stall i t
prope rly at one of t he rear seat pos itions. Have t he a irbag system
i n sp ec ted by you r A udi d eal er i mmedi ately.
• move the child to a rear seat posit io n and make sure that the child
is prop erly restra ined in a chi ld restr aint t hat is a ppropr iate f or its
size and age .
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light sho uld NOT come on when t he
ign ition is on and an adult is sitt ing in a proper seating pos it io n on the
front passenge r seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on or flashes for abou t 5 seco nds w hile driving, under these
circumstances, make sure that:
• t he adult on t he fr on t p asse nger sea t is prope rly se ate d on the
center of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the backrest
and the bac krest is not recline d=> page 188, "Proper occ upant
seating posit ions",
• t he adult is n ot tak ing weig ht off t he se at by h olding on to t he
passenger assist handle above the fro nt passenger doo r or
s u pp orting their weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is be ing properly worn and t hat there is not a lot of
s la ck in t he safe ty be lt webb ing ,
• accessory seat cove rs or cushions o r othe r th ings that may cause
an in cor rect re adin g or impress io n o n the weight -sen sing m at under
the upholstery of the seat have been removed from the front
pas senge r sea t,
• a safety be lt extender has not been left in the safety belt latch fo r
t he fr ont p asse n ge r se at.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in t he center of the
instrument pa nel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON w ill b riefly appear in th e inst rume nt clus ter
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
display. This
is to inform the dr iver of the current front passenger
a ir bag s tatus. •
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
& 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.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a child restraint, or in
a rearward-facing child safety seat, or in a forward-facing child
restraint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
injured and can be killed .
• Even though your vehicle i s equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that all children, especially 12 years and
younger , always ride on the back seat properly restrained for their
age and size .
• Always install forward or rear-facing child seats on the rear
seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• If you must install a rearward-facing child seat on the front
passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on,
immediately install the rear-facing child seat in a rear seating
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without
interference:
-Never install se at 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 original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• The airbag sy stem can be activated only once. After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deployed only onc e. After an airbag
has been deployed, it must be replaced w ith new replacement
parts de signed and approved es pecially for your Audi model
version . Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD.
• For safety reasons in severe accidents, the alternator and
starter are separated from the vehicle battery with a pyrotechni c
circuit interrupter .
- Work on the pyrotechnic circu it interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an a ccident!
- If the vehicle or the circu it interrupter is scrapped, all appli­
cable safety precautions must be followed .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
<£' For the sake of the environment
U
ndeployed airbag modules and pretens io ners mig ht be classified as
Perch lorate Material -sp ec ial handling may a pply, see
www.d ts c. ca.gov/ha za rdouswaste/pe rchlorate . W he n t he vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules and safety
bel ts wi th prete nsio ners are scra pped, all applica ble laws an d regula­
tions m ust be observed. Your authorized Aud i dea ler is familiar with
t hese requireme nts and we recommend tha t you have you r dealer
perform this service for you. •
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Chang ing the ve hicle's suspension system can change the way that
t he Adv anced Airbag System pe rforms in a crash . For example, using
tire-r im combinations not approved by Aud i, lower ing t he veh icle,
c hang ing the st iffness o f the suspe nsio n, incl uding the s prings,
s u spension str uts, shoc k absorbe rs etc. can change the forces that
are meas ured by the airb ag sensors and sen t to the ele ctron ic con trol
uni t. Some suspension changes ca n, for examp le, increase the force
levels measu red by t he sensors and ma ke the airbag sys tem dep loy in
crashes in which it wou ld not deploy if the changes had not bee n
made . Other kin ds of c hanges may re duce the force levels meas ured
by the senso rs and p revent the airbag from dep loyi ng when it should .
The sensors in the safety belt buckle for the d river and front
p assenger se at tell the e le ct ro nic co ntro l mo dule if the sa fe ty belt is
latc hed or not . If the safety be lt is be ing used, the fron t airbag w ill
dep loy at a s ligh tly hig her ra te o f ve hicl e decelerat io n t han if the
safety belt is not be ing us ed. T he refo re, in a part icular collis io n, it is
poss ible that an a irbag wi ll not deploy at a seating posit ion where the
safety belt is being used but wi ll inflate at the posi tion whe re the
safety belt is not bei ng used. It is important that not hing interfere
w ith the s afe ty be lt bu ckles so t hat th e sensor s can sen d the correct
information about safety belt use to the electronic contro l unit. ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Airbag system PHI- --=--=----------------
& WARNING
Changing th e vehicle 's su spension including use of unappro ved
tire -rim c ombination s can change Advan ced Airbag performan ce
and increas e the risk of serious personal injury in a cra sh .
• Never install suspension component s that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components or iginally
installed on your veh icle.
• Never u se tir e-rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Item s stored be tween the safety belt buckl e and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the ele ctroni c control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from w orking properl y.
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they a re not obstru cted .
<£> For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretensioners might be class ified as
Perc hlorate Mate rial -spe cial ha ndling may apply , see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/pe rchlorate . When the vehicle or
p arts of t he rest raint sys tem including a irbag mod ules and safe ty
belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regula­
tions must be observed . Your authorize d Audi dea ler is familiar with
these requirements and we recommend that you have yo ur dealer
perform this serv ice for you. •
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protect ion
to properly re str ained f ro n t seat occupants.
0
Fig. 21 6 Driv er' s
a ir ba g
The a irbag for the dr iver is located in the inst rument pane l under­
neath the steering wheel~ fig . 216, t he airbag for the passenger is
at abo ut the same height in t he instr ument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
Th e knee airbag offers addit ional protec tion to the dr ive r's and
passenger's knees and upper and lower thigh areas as a s upplement
t o the sa fety bel ts.
If the front a irbags dep loy, the knee airbags a lso deploy i n frontal
co llisions above a certain severity~
page 215, "More importan t
t hings to know abou t front airbags ".
Besides the ir no rma l safety function , safety belts work to help keep
t he drive r o r front passenger in po sit ion in c ase of a frontal collision
so that the a irbags can provide protection .
Th e airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt . Rather, it is
pa rt of the ove rall occ upant re st ra int system in your veh icle. Always
remember t hat the airbag system can on ly help to protect you if you
are wearing your safety be lt and wear ing it pr operly . T his is why you ..

should always wear your safety belt, not just because the law requires
you to do so=>
page 197 , "General notes".
The safety belt buckle for the driver and front seat passenger have
switches that tell the airbag control module if the safety be lt is being
used or not.
If the safety belt is being used, the knee airbag will
dep loy at a s lightly higher rate of deceleration than if the be lt is not
being used. Therefore, in a particular collision, it is possible that an
airbag will not deploy at a seating position where the safety be lt is
being used but will inflate at the position where the safety belt is not
being used.
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and only in certain kinds
of accidents -your safety belts are always there to offer protection in
those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when
t hey have already deployed, for example when you r vehicle strikes or
is struck by another after the first collision.
Thi s is just one of the reasons why an airbag is not a substitute for the
safety belt . The airbag system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your safety belts correctly.
It is im portant to remembe r th at while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injur ies, other
injuries, for example, swe lling, bruis ing, and minor abrasions can
also be assoc iated with airbags.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
• The electronic contro l module
• Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas gene rator), one for the
driver and one for the front passenger
• The airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
• when the ignition is turned off
• in front-end collisions when the deceleration measured by the
control unit is too low
• in s ide collisions
• in rear-end collisions
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
• in rollovers
• in the even t of a system ma lfunction (warning/ indicator lig ht ill u­
minated) =>
page 17.
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system can only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position =>
page 215.
• If the airbag indicator light comes when the vehicle is being
used, have the system 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 deploy the airbag.
See also =>
page 17. •
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area is reduced by fully
deployed knee airbags.
Fig. 217 Inflated
airbags protecting in a
frontal collision
The knee airbag system has been designed so that the airbags for the
dr iver and front passenger are dep loyed in certa in but not all frontal
collisions.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also deploy in frontal
collisions above a certain sever ity.
jll-
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

ffl..,___A_ ir_ b_ a-=g :..- s.:o.y _s _t _e_ m _______________________________________________ _
When the system is dep loyed , the a irbags sta rt to fill with a propel­
lan t gas, and infla te be twee n the lower p art of th e ins tru men t pan el
and the driver and the lowe r part of the instrumen t panel a nd the
front passenge r=>
page 215, fig . 21 4.
Alt hough t hey are no t a soft pi llow, they can "cushi on" th e im pact
and in t his way they can he lp to reduce the risk of in jury to the lower
ext rem ities.
All this takes place i nstantaneously, so fast that many people don't
even rea lize that t he a irbags have deployed. The airbags also inflate
w ith a great dea l of force a nd it is importa nt fo r occupant safe ty tha t
nothing should be i n their way when they deploy .
Fully inf lated air bag s in co mbination with prope rly wo rn sa fety bel ts
slow down and limit the occupant's forward movement and help to
re duc e the ris k. •
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
Air bags are on ly su pp le m en ta l r es tra ints. Always wea r
s af ety be lts c orre ctly and ride in a p rop er seating pos i­
tion.
The re is a lot that you and your passenge rs must know and do to help
t he sa fe ty be lts and a irbag s to prov ide s uppl em ent al p rot ectio n.
& WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious injury. Wearing safety
belts incorrectly and improper seating positions increase the risk
of seriou s personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is being
used.
• The airbag system cannot protect you properly if you are seated
too close to any of the airbag locations . When adjusting their seat
positions, it is important that both the driver and the front
& WARNING (co ntinued )
passenger keep their upper bodies and knees at the following
minimum safe di stances:
- 10 inches (25 cm) between the chest and the steering
wheel/instrument panel.
- 4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the lower part of
the instrument panel.
• The risk of personal injury increases if you lean forward or to
the side, or if the seat is improperly positioned and you are not
wearing your safety belt. The risk increases even more should the
airbag deploy.
• Always make sure that the knee airbag can inflate without
interference. Objects between yourself and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by interfering with the way the
airbag deploys or by being pushed into you as the airbag deploys .
- No persons (children ) or animals should ride in the footwell
in front of the passenger seat . If the airbag deploys, this can
result in serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any k ind should be carried in the footwell area
in front of the driver's or passenger 's seat. Bulky objects (shop­
ping bags, for example ) can hamper or prevent proper deploy­
ment of the airbag. Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploy s and injure you or your passengers.
• Make sure there are no cracks , deep scratches or other damage
in the area of the instrument panel where the knee airbags are
located.
• If children are incorrectly seated, their risk of injury increases
in the case of an accident =>
page 231, "Child Safety". •