ESP AUDI S8 2011 Workshop Manual

152 Airbag sys te m
- Always make su re the forward-facing
seat has been des igned and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front a nd side airbag .
- Never put the forward- facing child re­
straint up against or very near the instru­ ment panel.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the a irbag as poss ible, before insta lli ng
the fo rward-facing chi ld restraint. The
b ackres t must be adjusted to an upr igh t
posit ion.
- Make su re that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light co m es on and s tays on all the
t ime whenever the ignition is switched
on.
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very important parts of the Advanced
Airbag System in it. These parts include the
weight-sens ing mat, sensors, wiring, brack­
ets , and more . The function of the system in
the front passenger seat is checked by the
e lectronic control u nit when the ignit ion is on .
The control unit mo nitors the Advanced Air­
bag Sys tem and turns the airbag indicator
light on when a ma lfunction in the system
components is detected . The function of the
ai rbag ind icator light is described in greater
detai l below. Because the front passenger
seat contains important parts of the Ad­
vanced A irbag System, you must take care to
prevent it from be ing damaged . Damage to
the seat may prevent the Advanced A irbag for
the front passenger seat from doing its job in
a cra sh .
The front Advanced Airbag System
consists of the following:
- Crash senso rs in the front of the veh icle that
measu re ve hicle ac celera tion/de ce le ra ti on
to provide information to the Advanced Air­ bag System abo ut the severity of the crash . -
An elect ronic contro l unit, with integrated
crash sensors for front and side impacts .
The control un it "decides" whether to fi re
the front a irbags based on the informat ion
received from the crash sensors. The contro l
unit also "decides" whether the safety belt prete nsioners shou ld be act ivated .
- An Advanced A irbag w ith gas generator and
contro l valve for the driver ins ide the steer ­
ing wheel hub .
- An Advanced A irbag w ith gas generator and
contro l valve inside the instrument panel for
th e front passenger .
- A we ight-sensing mat under the upho lstery
padding of the fro nt passenge r seat cushion
that measures the total weight o n the seat.
The info rma tion reg iste red is sent continu­
ously to the elec troni c con trol un it to regu­
la te deployment o f the front Advanced Air ­
bag on the passenger side .
- An airbag monitor ing sys tem and indic ator
light in t he instr ument cluster ¢
page 15 6.
- A sensor in each front se at regis ters the dis ­
t ance between the respec tive seat and the
steering whee l o r instrument panel. The in­
formation registered is sent continuo usly to
the electron ic contro l unit to regulate de­
ployment of the front Adv a need A irbags .
- The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on in the center of the instr u­
ment panel¢
page 156, fig. 151 and tells
you whe n the front Advanced Airbag on the
passenger side has been turned off .
- A sensor below the safety be lt latch for the
front seat passe nger to measure the tension
on the safety be lt . The tension o n the safety
be lt and the we ight registered by t he
weigh t-sens ing ma t he lp the cont rol unit
" de cide " whe ther the fro nt airbag fo r the
front passenge r seat should be turned off or
not ~
page 147, Child restraints on the
front seat -some important things to
know.
- A sensor in the safety belt latch fo r the d riv­
er and for the front seat passenger that
senses whether that safety belt is latched or not and transmits this information to the
electronic control 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 pre­
vent the Advanced Airbag System from
functioning properly.
- Repairs to the front passenger seat must
be performed by qualified 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-sensing mat and send the
wrong information to the airbag control
unit.
- Never store items under the front pas­
senger seat. Parts of the Advanced Air­
bag System under the passenger seat
could be damaged, preventing them and
the airbag system from working proper­
ly.
- Never place seat covers or replacement
upholstery that have not been specifical­
ly approved by Audi on the front seats.
- 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 prop­
erly.
- 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
-
Airbag system 153
or person on the seat and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from function­
ing properly.
- If you must use a child restraint on the
front passenger seat and the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions re­
quire 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 re­
straint is installed on the front passen­
ger seat.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install child restraint in a rear seat­
ing position and have the airbag system
inspected by your Audi dealer.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the
side airbags supplement the protection of­
fered by the front three-point safety belts
with pretensioners and load limiters and the
adjustable head restraints to help reduce the
risk of injury in a wide range of accident and
crash situations. Be sure to read the impor­
tant information about safety and heed the
WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Adv a need Airbag System
and the activation of the safety belt preten­
sioners depend on the deceleration measured by the crash sensors and registered by the
electronic control unit. The amount of infla­
tion of the front airbags can also be adapted
to the front seat position, depending on the
distance between the respective front seat
and the steering wheel or instrument panel as registered by sensors in the seats. Crash se­
verity depends on speed and deceleration as
well as the mass and stiffness of the vehicle
or object involved in the crash.
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
Iii>'
•
•

electronic control unit (the PA SS ENGE R AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on).
A WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase
the risk of serious injury in crashes.
- To reduce the risk of injury when the air­
bags inflate, the driver and passengers
must always sit in an upright posit ion,
must not lean against or place any part
of the ir body too close to the area where
the a irbags are located .
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi ­
t ion or too close to the airbag can be se­
riously injured by an airbag as it unfolds
with great force in the blin k of an eye
¢page 147.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat in­
stalled on the front passenger seat will be
seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
-The inflating airbag will hit the child seat
or infant carrier w ith great force and wi ll
smash the ch ild 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 exceptiona l circumstances
and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install the rea r-facing chi ld seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your Aud i dealer.
A WARNING
Objects be tween you and the a irbag will
increase the risk of inj ury in a crash by in ­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the a irbag
inflates.
-
A irbag system 15 5
-Never hold things in you r hands o r on
your lap when the veh icle 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 air­
bags during braking or other sudden ma­
neuvers and become dangerous projec­
tiles that can cause ser ious personal in­
jury if the a irbags inflate.
- Never place or attach accessories o r oth ­
er objects (such as cup holders, te le­
phone b rac kets, large, heavy or bulky ob ­
jects) on the doors, ove r o r near the area
marked "AIRBAG" on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, seat backrests or be ­
tween those areas and yo urself. These
objects could cause in ju ry in a crash, es­
pecially when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger's seat
to transport objects. Items can a lso
move into the area of the s ide airbag or
the fron t airbag during braking or in a
sudden maneuver. Objects near the air­ bags can become projectiles and cause
in ju ry, partic ula rly when the seat is re­
clined.
A WARNING
T he fine dus t created when airbags deploy
can cause breathing prob lems fo r people
with a history of asthma or other breat h­
ing conditions.
- T o reduce the ri sk of breath ing problems,
those with asthma or other respiratory
conditions shou ld get fresh air right
away by getting o ut o f the veh icle or
open ing 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 c uts or scratches .
-If the resi due should get into your eyes,
f lush them with water.
•
•

158 Airbag sys te m
the message PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON will briefly appear
in the instrument cluster display. Th is is to in ­
form the driver of the current front passenger
a irbag status .
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning
properly cannot provide supplemental pro­
tect ion in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator light comes on, it
means that there may be someth ing
wrong with the Advanced A irbag System .
It is possible that the airbag will inflate
when it is not supposed to, or w ill not in­
flate when it should.
- Have the airbag system inspected imme­ diately by your Aud i dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a ch ild without
a child restra int, or in a rearwa rd-fac ing
child safety seat, or in a forward-facing
child restrain t that h as not been properly
installed will be serious ly injured and can
be killed.
- Even though your ve hicle is equipped
with an Advanced Airbag System, make certain that a ll children, especially 12
years and younger, a lways ride on the
back seat properly restrained for t heir
age and size.
- Always insta ll forward or rear-facing
child seats on the rear seat -even w ith
an Advanced Airbag System .
- If you must install a rearward-facing
child seat on the front passenger seat
because of except iona l circumstances
and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not appea r and stay on, immediate­
ly install the rea r-faci ng chi ld seat in a
re ar se ating position and have the ai rbag
system inspected by your Aud i dealer.
-
- A t ight tether or other strap on a rea r­
ward-facing child restraint attached to
the front passenger seat can put too muc h pressure on the weight-sensing
mat in the seat and reg iste r more weight
than is actually on the seat . The heav ie r
weight regis tered can make the system
wo rk as tho ugh an adult we re on the seat
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
m ust be suppressed causing serious or
even fata l injury to t he ch ild .
- If , in exceptiona l circumstances, you
m ust install a forward-facing c hild re­
straint on the front passenger seat, al­
ways move the seat into its rearmost po­ sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust­
ment range, as fa r away from the a irbag
as poss ible . The backrest must be ad just ­
ed to an upright pos ition . Make s ure that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stay s on all the time when­
eve r the ignit ion is switched on.
& WARNING
-
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not go out when an a dult is sitting
on the front passenger seat after taking
the steps described above, make sure the
ad ult is prope rly seated and restra ined at
one of the rear seat ing pos itions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dea ler before transporting
anyone on the front passenger seat.
{D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front pas ­
senger seat detects an empty seat, the
front airbag on the passenger side will be
turned off , and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light will stay on .
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system a re i nstalled at
many d ifferent p laces o n your Aud i. Insta lling,
removing, servicing or repa iring a p art i n a n
area o f the veh icle can damage a par t of an .,..

airbag system and prevent that system from
working properly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system will not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or pol­
lute the environment.
A WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing an airbag
from deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steering wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them
many way .
- Never attach any objects such as cup
holders 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
cleaners could damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness or strength of the
material so that the airbag cannot de­
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, front seats or electrical sys­
tem (including the installation of audio
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc .) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training
and special equipment necessary .
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts
of the vehicle body .
- Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replace­
ment upholstery over the front seat-
Airbag system 159
backs 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 air­
bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer.
- The airbag system 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 system can be deployed only
once . After an airbag has been deployed,
it must be replaced with new replace­
ment parts designed and approved espe­
cially for your Audi model version . Re­
placement of complete airbag systems
or airbag components must be per­
formed by qualified workshops only.
Make sure that any airbag service action
is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet under
AIRBAG REPLACE­
MENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents,
the alternator and starter are separated
from the vehicle battery with a pyrotech­ nic circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit inter­ rupter must only be performed by a
qualified dealer - risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter
is scrapped, all applicable safety pre­
cautions must be followed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate Material - special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per-
ch lo rate . When the vehicle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
and safety belts with pretensioners are
scrapped, all applicable laws and ..,.
•
•

-Always mak e sure that the knee airbag
can inflate without interference. Objects
between you and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by inter­
fering with the way the airbag deploys or by being pushed into you as the airbag
deploys.
- Never let anybody, especially children
or animals ride in the footwell in front
of the passenger seat.
If the airbag de­
ploys, this can result in serious or fatal
injuries .
- Never carry objects of any kind in the
footwell area in front of the driver's or
passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shop ­
ping bags, for example) can interfere
with or prevent proper deployment of
the airbag. Small objects can be
thrown through the vehicle if the air­
bag deploys and injure you or your pas­
sengers.
- Make sure there are no cracks, deep
scratches or other damage in the area of
the instrument panel where the knee air­
bags are located.
- If children are incorrectly seated, their
risk of injury increases in a collision
Q page 169, Child Safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
T he airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 154 Side airbag location in t he d river 's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests
Q fig. 154 and the rear
Airbag system 163
backrest facing the doors. They are identified
by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag system basically consists of:
- the electron ic control module and external
side impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
- two rear side airbags
- 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 switch on the igni­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will
come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics) .
T he side airbag system supplements the safe­
ty belts and can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury to the driver's, front and rear passenger's
upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is
struck in a s ide collision . The airbag deploys
only in side impacts and only when the vehicle
accelerat ion reg iste red by the control unit is
high enough.
If this rate is be low the refer­
ence value programmed into the control unit,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
though the car may be badly damaged as a re­
sult of the co llision . It is not possib le to de­
fine an airbag triggering range that will cover
every possible angle of impact, since the cir­
cumstances will vary considerably between
one collis ion and another . Important factors
include, for example , the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the angle of impact,
vehicle speed , etc.
¢ page 165, Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to help keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a side
collision so that the side airbags can provide
protection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your vehicle. A l-
ways remember that the side airbag system
can only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wearing it properly. This
Ill>

164 Airbag system
is another reason why you should always wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re­ quires you to do so~
page 137, General
notes.
It is important to remember that while the
supplemental side airbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries,
other injuries, for example, swelling, bruising,
and minor abrasions can also be associated
with deployed side airbags . Remember too,
side airbags will deploy only once and only in
certain kinds of accidents -your safety belts
are always there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack
of vehicle damage are not necessar ily an indi­
cation of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
tion. In some collisions, both front and side
airbags may inflate . Remember too, that air­
bags will deploy only once and only in certain
kinds of collisions -your safety belts are al­
ways there to offer protection in those acci­
dents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignition is switched off
- in side collisions when the acceleration
measured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers .
In some types of accidents the front airbags,
side curtain airbags and side airbags may be
tr iggered together.
A WARNING ,.
- Safety belts and the airbag system will
only prov ide protection when occupants
are in the proper seating position
~page 165.
-If the airbag indicator light comes on
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 ac­
celeration in a side collision is high
enough to activate the airbag.
-
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
Fig. 155 Inflated side airbags on left side of veh icle,
rear side a irbag
When the system is triggered, the airbag is
filled with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in the seat surface area marked "AIR­
BAG ".
It expands between the side trim panel
and the passenger. In order to help provide
this addit ional protection, the side airbag
must inflate within a fraction of a second at
very high speed and with great force. The sup­
plemental side airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the sup­
plemental side airbag expands. This applies
especially to children
q page 169, Child Safe­
ty . Supplemental side airbags inflate between
the occupant and the door panel on the side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side col­
lision
q fig. 155.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can "cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body.
A fine dust may deve lop when the airbag de­
ploys. This is normal and does not mean there
is a fire in the vehicle.

-The airbag indicator light in the instrument
pane l
The airbag system is moni tored ele ct ro ni ca lly
t o make certain it is f unct ion ing properly a t all
times. Each time you switch on the ignition,
the airbag system indicator light wi ll come on
for a few seconds (se lf d iagnost ics) .
The side curt ain airbag is not activated:
- if the igni tion is switched off,
- i n s ide collisions when the acce lerat ion
measu red by the sensor is too low,
- i n rear-end collisions,
- in rollovers.
A WARNING
-
- Safety belts and the a irbag system will
o nly p rov ide protection whe n occ upants
are in t he pro per sea ting posit io n
c::> page 54, Gener al recommendations.
- If the airbag indicato r ligh t comes on
w hen the veh icle is be ing u sed, have the
system inspected immedia tely by your
au thorized Audi dealer. T he side curta in
air bag may not work properly even whe n
the vehicle acceleration in a side coll ision
is h igh enough to act ivate the airbag .
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags con work together with
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head
and upper torso injuries for occupants who
are properly restrained.
Fi g. 1 57 Ill ust rat ion of p rincip le: In fl ated side cu rt a in
air bags on t he left side
The side curtain air bags inflate between the
occ upant and the windows on the side of the
"' N ;g
±
"" ID
A irbag system 167
vehicle that is s truck in a side col lision
c::> fig. 157 .
When the system is t rigge red, the side curta in
a irbag is filled w ith propellant gas and breaks
th ro ugh a seam above the front and rear side
w in d ows identified by the AIRBAG labe l. In or ­
der to he lp provide this additional protection,
t h e side curtain a irbag m ust inflate within the
blink of an eye at very high speed and with
great fo rce . The side curtain a irbag could in ­
jure you if your seating pos it io n is not prope r
o r upright or if items ar e located in the area
whe re the supplemen tal side curta in a irbag
i nfl ates. This applies espe cially to ch ild ren
c::> page 1 69 .
Although they are not a soft p illow, side cur­
ta in a irbags can "cushion" the impact and in
th is way they can hel p to reduce the risk of in­
j u ry to the head a nd the upper part o f the
body.
A fine dust may deve lop w hen the a irbag de­
ploys . Th is is qui te no rm al and does not mean
t h ere is a fire in the vehicle .
Important safety instructions on the
side curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Al­
ways properly wear safety belts and ride in a
proper seating position .
There is a lot that yo u and your passengers
must know a nd do to he lp the safety belts and
airbags do t heir job to provide supplemental
protection .
A WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and im­
p roper seating pos it io ns increase the risk
of ser ious personal inju ry and death when­
eve r a vehicle is being used .
- Never let occupants place any pa rts of
thei r bod ies in t he area from which the
side curta in a irbags inf late.
- Always ma ke s ure that the s ide curtain
a irbags can infla te witho ut interference.
-
Unsui table a ccessor ies fitted inside the ..,

Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision .
The physical principles of what happens when
your veh icle is in a crash app ly also to chi ldren
~ page 138, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults and
teenagers, their muscles and bones are not
fu lly developed. In many respects children are
at greater risk of serious injury in crashes than
adu lts.
Because children's bodies are not fully deve l­
oped, they require restraint systems especial­ ly designed for their size, weight, and body
structure . Many countries and all states of the
United States and provinces of Canada have
laws requiring the use of approved child re­
straint systems for infants and small children .
In a fronta l crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13-pound
(6 kg) infant w ill be more than 20 t imes the
weight of the child . This means the weight of
the child would suddenly be more than
260 pounds (120 kg). Under these conditions,
on ly an appropriate chi ld restraint properly
used can reduce the risk of ser ious injury .
Child restraints, like adult safety belts, must
be used properly to be effective. Used improp­
erly, they can increase the risk of serious in ­
jury in an accident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's
instructions in order to be sure the seat is
right for your chi ld's size ~
page 172, Impor­
tant safety instructions for using child safety
seats.
Please be sure to read and heed all of
the important information and WARNINGS
about ch ild safety, Advanced A irbags, and the
installation of child restraints in this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad­
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they work when infants and children in child re-
Child Sa fet y 169
straints are on the front passenger seat . Be­
cause of the large amount of important infor­
mation, we cannot repeat it a ll here . We urge
you to read the detailed information in this owner's manual about airbags and the Ad­
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle and the
very important information about transport­
ing children on the front passenger seat .
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they
are extremely important for your safety and
the safety of your passengers, especially in­
fants and small chi ldren .
A\. WARNING
-Accident statistics have shown that chil ­
dren are generally safer in the rear seat
area than in the front seating position.
Always restrain any child age 12 and un­ der in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially chil­
dren must be restrained properly when­
ever riding in a vehicle . An unrestrained
or improperly restrained chi ld could be
injured by str ikin g the interior or by be­
ing ejected from the vehicle during a
sudden maneuver or impact. An unre ­
strained or improper ly restrained chi ld is
also at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
- A suitable chi ld restraint properly instal­
led and used at one of the rear seating
positions provides the highest degree of
protection for infants and small children
in most accident situations.
A WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even
with Advanced Airbags can be ser iously in­
jured or even killed when an a irbag in­
flates. A child in a rearward-facing child
safety seat installed on the front passen­
ger seat will be ser iously injured and can
be killed if the front airbag inflates .
- The inflating airbag will h it the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, or door.
•
•

170 Child Safety
-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 in exceptiona l circumstances and
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immed iately
install the rear-facing child safety seat in
a re ar seating posit ion and have the air­
bag system inspec ted immediately by
yo ur Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward -facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat:
- Always make su re the forward-fac ing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the man ufacturer's in­
struct ions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat 's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the a irbag as poss ible before installing
the ch ild restraint. The backrest must be
adjusted to an upr ight position .
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays
on all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
Advanced front airbag system and
children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Ad ­
vanced A irbag System" in compliance wit h
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (FMVSS) 208 as app licab le at the
time your veh icle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle
has been certified to meet the " low-risk" re­
qu irements for 3- and 6-year old ch ildren on
the passenger s ide and small adults on the
driver side . The low risk deployment criter ia are intended
to red uce the risk of in jury
thro ugh interaction with the airbag that can
occur, for examp le, by being too close to the
steering wheel and instrument panel when
the a irbag inflates. In addition, the system
has been certified to comply with the "sup ­
pression" requirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front a irbag for infants up
to 12 months who are restrained on the front
passenge r seat in child restra ints that are list­
ed in the Standard .
Even though your veh icle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, a ll children, espe­
cially those 12 years and younger, should al­
ways ride in the back seat properly res trained
for their age and size . The airbag on the pas­
senger side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a ch ild to ride . The front
seat is not the safest p lace for a child in a for­
ward-fac ing ch ild safety seat. It can be a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child
in a rearward-fac ing seat .
Advanced Airbags and the weight­
sensing mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in you r vehicle
detects the presence of an infant or child in a
child restraint on the front passenger seat us ­
ing the weight-sens ing mat in the seat cush­
ion and the sensor below the safety belt latch
on the front passenger seat that measures the
tens ion on the safety belt .
The weight-sensing mat measures total
weight of the child and the child safety seat and a ch ild blanket on the front passenger
seat. The we ight on the front passenger seat
is related to the design of the ch ild restraint
and its "footp rint", the s ize and shape of the
bottom of the child res traint as it sit s on the
seat. The weight of a ch ild restra int and its
"footprint" vary for different kinds of child re­
straints and for the different mode ls of the
same kind of chi ld restraint offered by ch ild
restraint manufacturers.
T he weight ranges fo r the individual types,
makes and models of child restraints that the .,._