airbag off AUDI TT COUPE 2009 Owner's Manual

Airbag system 111111
---------------------------------------------=---='------
or the low er parts of the body. Front airba gs only suppl eme nt the
th ree point safe ty belt s i n so me frontal co lli sio ns in which t he
veh ic le dece lerat ion is h igh enou gh to deploy th e airbags.
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,
• in s ide collisions ,
• i n rea r- e nd c ollisions ,
• in ro llovers,
• when th e cras h d eceler ation m easured b y th e a irba g sys te m i s
less than the minimum threshold needed for airbag dep loyment as
r egi stere d by the ele ctronic control u nit.
The front passenger airbag will also not deploy :
• when the fron t passenger s eat i s not o ccupied,
• when the weight o n th e front pass enger seat as se nsed by the
Ad vanced Ai rbag S ystem indi cates tha t th e front airba g on the
pas senger side has to be tu rned off b y the e lectronic cont ro l unit
(th e PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ig ht co me s on and sta y s on ).
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the risk of ser ious 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 137.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& 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 w ith an Advanced Airbag System .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest , center arm rest , door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat .
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
& WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in crease the risk of injury
in a crash by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates .
• Never hold things in your hands or on your lap when the vehicle
is in use .
• Never transport items on or in the area of the front passenger
seat. Objects could move into the area of the front airbags during
braking or other sudden maneuver and become dangerous projec­
tiles that can cause serious personal injury if the airbags inflate .
• Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup
holders , telephone brackets , large , heavy or bulky objects ) on the
doors , over or near the area marked "AIRBAG " on the steering
wheel , instrument panel , seat backrests or between those areas
and yourself . These objects could cause injury in a crash , espe ­
cially when the airbags inflate .
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects.
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front
IIJ,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
airbag during br aking or in a sudden m aneuver . Obje cts near the
airbags can become proje ctiles and cause injury , parti cularly when
the seat is re clined .
• Never tilt the front p assenger seat ba ckrest forward when the
vehi cle is moving . An inflating airbag will force the backrest back­
ward and can injure rear seat occupant s.
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cause breathing
problems for people with a h istory of asthma or other breathing
conditions.
• To reduce the risk of breathing problems , those with asthma or
other respiratory conditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the veh icle or opening windows or doors .
• If you are in a collision in which airbags deploy , wash your
hands and face with mild soap and water before eating .
• Be c areful not to get the dust into your eyes , or into any cuts o r
scratches .
• If the residue should get into your eyes , flush them with
water .•
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light :~
Two separ ate indi ca tor s m onitor the functi on of the
A dvance d Airbag Sys tem: th e air bag monitor ing i ndic ator
lig ht and t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
The Advanced Airbag Sys tem ( includ ing t he e lectronic co ntrol unit,
sensor circuits and system wiring ) is monito red continuous ly to ma
ke sure tha t it is functioning properly whenever the ignition is on .
Eac h tim e yo u turn o n the igniti on, the ai rbag m onito ring indica to r
li ght ~ wi ll come on for a few seconds (self diagnost ics).
The system must be inspected when the indicator light
m :
• does not co me o n w hen the igni tion is switche d on,
• does not go out a few seconds after you have switched on the
ig niti on, or
• comes on whi le driving.
If an a irbag sys tem malfu nction i s dete cted, the in dica tor lig ht will
first start f lashing to catch the driver 's attention and then stay on
c o nti nuou sly to serve as a c ons tan t re mind er to have the sys tem
inspected immediately.
I f a malfunction occu rs that turns the front airbag on the passenger
side o ff, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OF F lig ht w ill come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Ad vanced 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 .•

PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
)
Fig. 113 Sec tion fr om
th e inst rum ent p anel :
PASSE NGER AIR B AG
OFF ligh t
The PASS ENGER AI R BAG OFF light is located in the center of the
instrument pane l
=> fig. 113.
The
PA SSE NGE R AIR BAG O FF light wil l come on and stay on to tell
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has
been turned off by the electron ic control unit . Each time you turn on
the ignition, the
PA SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light wi ll flash for a few
seconds and :
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied,
• will stay on if there is a small child or chi ld restra int on the front
passenger seat,
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight -sensing mat.
The
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light mu st come on and stay on if the
ignition is on and
• a car bed has been instal led on the front seat, o r
• a rearward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• a forward-facing child restraint has been instal led on the front
passenger sea t, or
• the weight registered on the front passenger seat is equa l to or
less than the combined weigh t of a typica l 1 year-old restra ined in
Safety first
Airb ag sy ste m
one of the rear-facing or forward -facing infant restraints listed in
Federa l Motor Veh icle Safety S tandard 208 with which the Advanced
A irbag System in your vehicle was certified .
I f the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag will not
deploy, and the
PASSEN GER AIR BA G OFF light will stay on . Never
install a rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
t he sa fest place for a child in any kind of child restraint is at one of
the seating positions on the rear seat=>
page 137, "Child restraints
on the front seat- so me important things to know" and=>
page 157,
"Child Safety" .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light come s on when one of the
conditions listed above is met, be sure to check the light regu lar ly
to make certain that the
PA SS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light stays on
continuously whenever the igni tion is on . If the
PA SS ENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not appear and not stay on all the time, stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turning the ignition off and then turning
it on again;
• remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make sure that the child
restraint is proper ly instal led and that the safety belt for the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed around the child restraint
as described in the child restraint manufacturer's instructions;
• make sure that the convertible locking feature on the safety belt
fo r the front passenger seat has been activated and that the safety
belt has been pulled tight . The belt must not be loose or have loops
of slack so that the sensor below the safety belt latch on the seat can
do its job
=> page 168.
• make sure that things that may increase the weight of the child
and child safety seat are not being transported on the front
passenger seat;
• make sure that the safety belt tension sensor is not blocked.
Shake the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat back and
forth;
• If a strap or te ther is being used to tie the child sa fety seat to the
front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes
~
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actual ly on
th e seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does not come on and does
not stay on continuous ly (when the ignition is switched on),
• t ake the c hild res traint off t he front passe ng er seat a nd ins tall it
properly at one of the rear seat pos it ions. Have the a irbag system
insp ect ed by y our A udi deal er immedia tely .
• move the chi ld to a rear seat position and make sure that the
c h ild is pro pe rly restrai ned in a c hild restraint that is app ropriat e for
its size and age.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l igh t sho uld NOT come on when the
ignition is on and an adult is sitt ing in a proper seating position on
the front passenge r seat . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on a nd s tays o n or fl ashes for about 5 seco nds whi le d riving,
under these ci rcumstances, make sure that:
• the adult on the fron t pass enger sea t is pro perly s eate d on the
cent er of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the back ­
rest and the backrest is not reclined => page 116, "Proper occ upant
seating positions",
• t he ad ult is not ta king w eig ht o ff the sea t by hol ding o n to the
passenger assist hand le above the front passenger door or
su ppo rting their w eigh t on the arm res t,
• the safety be lt is being proper ly worn and that there is not a lot
o f sla c k in the sa fe ty b elt web bin g,
• accessory seat covers or cushions or other things that may cause
an incorrect read ing o r impression on t he w eight -s e nsi ng m at
under the upho lstery of the seat have been removed from the front
pass enger seat,
• a safety be lt extender has not been left in the safety be lt latc h for
th e fro nt passenger sea t.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight in the center of the
instrument pane l, the mes sage
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF o r
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON will br iefly appear in the instrument cluster display. This is to inform the driver of the curren
t front passenger
air bag status .•
Important safety instructions on monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protect ion in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System . It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should .
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer .
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflates , a child without a child restraint, in a
rear ward-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 is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System , make certain that all children , espec ially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat properly restrained for their
age and size .
• Always install forward or rear -facing child safety seats on the
rear seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• If you must install a rearward -facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat be cause of exceptional cir cumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG O FF light does not appear and stay on ,
immediately install the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear
~

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ lllll
& W ARNING (continued )
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
• A tight tether or other str ap on a rearward-fac ing child restr aint
attached to the front pas senger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and reg ister more weight
than i s actually on the seat. The heavier weight registered can
make the system work as though an adult were on the seat and
deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing
s erious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in exceptional circumstance s, you mu st in stall a forward ­
fac ing child restra int on the front passenger seat , always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat 's fore and aft ad just ­
ment range , as far away from the airbag a s possible . The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position . Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stay s on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on .
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above, make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating positions .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer before
transporting anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
If the weight -sensing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
e mp ty seat, the fro nt air b ag on the pa ssenge r sid e will be t urned
off, and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.•
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are insta lled at many different places on
your Au di. In sta ll in g, re moving, ser vic in g or re pair in g a part in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an a irbag system and
pre ven t that system fro m wo rki ng p rope rly in a co llision .
There are some important things you have to know to make sure
that the effectiveness of the system will not be impai red an d that
d iscarded components do not cause inju ry or po llute t he e nv iron ­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover , obstruct , or change the steering wheel horn pad
or airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way .
• Never attach any obje cts su ch 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 moi stened with plain water . Solvents or cleaners
c ould damage the airbag cover or change the stiffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop ­
erly .
• Never repair , adjust , or change any parts of the airbag system.
• All work on the steering wheel , instrument panel , front seats or
electrical system (including the installation of audio equipment ,
c ellular telephones and CB radios , etc .I must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training and special equipment
necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system , we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electronic control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly.
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.
Undeployed airbag modules and pretensioners might be classified
as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules safety belts
with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regula­
tions must be observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar with
these requirements and we recommend that you have your dealer
perform this service for you. •
Safety first
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Airbag system
The airbag system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained front seat occupants.
Fig. 114 Driver 's
airbag
The airbag for the driver is located in the instrument panel under ­
neath the steering wheel=> fig. 114, the airbag for the passenger is
at about the same height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection to the driver's and
passenger's knees and upper and lower thigh areas as a supple­
ment to the safety belts.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also deploy in frontal
collisions above a certain severity=>
page 144, "More importan t
things to know about front airbags".
Besides their normal safety function, safety belts work to help keep
the driver or front passenger in position in case of a frontal collision
so that the airbags can provide protection.
The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it
is part of the overall occupant restraint system in your vehicle.
Always remember that the airbag system can only help to protect
you if you are wearing your safety belt and wearing it properly. This •
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

__ .....:::A::.::..:. ir..:b ::..:a::. 9:2...: s:::L y..::s :.:t ..::e :.:m.:..:... ________________________________________________ _
is why you should always wear your safety belt, not just because the
law requires you to do so~
page 125, "General notes".
The safety belt buckle for the driver and front seat passenger have switches that tell the airbag control module if the safety belt is
being used or not . If the safety belt is being used, the knee airbag
will deploy at a slightly higher rate of deceleration than if the belt is
not be ing used. Therefore, in a part icular collision, it is possible that
an airbag will not deploy at a seating position where the safety belt
is being used but will inflate a t the position where the safety belt is
not being used .
Remember too, airbags wi ll deploy only once and only in certain
kinds o f accidents -your safety belts are a lways there to offer
protection in those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for example when your
vehic le strikes or is struck by another after the first collision .
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is not a substitute for
the safety be lt . The airbag system works most effectively when used
with the safety bel ts. Therefore, always wear your safety belts
correctly .
It is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is des igned to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
a lso be associated with airbags.
Th e kn ee a irbag s ystem b asica lly con sist s of:
• The electronic control module
• Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas generator!, one for the
driver and one for the front passenger
• The airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
T he kn ee airb ag sys te m will not depl oy:
• when the ignition is turned off
• in front -end col lisions when the deceleration measured by the
control unit is too low
• in side collisions •
in rear-end collisions
• in rollovers
• in the event of a system malfunction (warning/indicator light illu ­
m inated)~
page 18 .
& WARNING
• Safet y belt s a nd th e airbag sy stem can onl y pr ovi de prote ction
when o ccupants are in the prop er seating posit ion ~
pag e 144.
• If the airbag i nd ica to r light com es whe n the vehi cle is being
used , have the sy ste m in spected imm ediat ely by y our authori zed
Audi deale r. The a irbag ma y not work p roperly when the v ehicl e
acceler ation in a sid e co llision i s high enou gh to deploy th e airbag.
S ee als o~
pag e 18. •
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area is re duced by fully
deployed knee airbags.
Fig . 115 Inf lat ed
a ir bags pro tec ting in a
fr ontal co llision
The knee airbag system has been designed so that the airbags for
the driver and fron t passenger are deployed in certain but not all
frontal co llisions. .,.

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;:::;_ s--:.. y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained front seat occupants.
Fig. 1 16 S ide a irbag
l oca tion i n the drive r's
seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
~ fig. 116 facing the doors. They are identified by the word
"AIRBAG".
Th e s ide a irba g sys te m bas ica lly consis ts o f:
• the e lectronic control module and external side impact sensors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster .
The airbag system is monitored electronica lly to make certain that
it is functioning properly at all times . Each time you turn on the igni ­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help
to reduce the risk of injury to the driver's and front passenger's
upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side colli­
sion . The airbag deploys only in side impacts and only when the
vehic le acceleration registered by the control unit is high enough. If
this rate is below the reference value programmed into the control unit, the side airbags will not be
triggered, even though the car may
be badly damaged as a result of the collision. It is not possible to
define an airbag triggering range that wi ll cover every possible
angle of impact, since the circumstances will vary considerab ly
between one collision and another . Important factors include, for
example, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting object, the angle
of impact, vehicle speed, etc.~
page 155, "Important safety
instructions on the side airbag system" .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts work to he lp
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 subs titute for your safety belt. Rather, it
is part of the overall occupant restraint system in your vehicle .
Always remember that the side airbag system can only help to protect you if you are wearing your safety belt and wearing it prop ­
erly. This is another reason why you should always wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do so~
page 125,
"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, swel ling, bruis ing , 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 a lways there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage are not necessarily an indication of over-sensitive or failed airbag acti­
va tion . In some collisions, both front and side airbags may inflate .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and only in
certain kinds of col lisions -your safety belts are a lways there to
offer protection in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already deployed .
The s ide a irba g sy stem wi ll not deploy :
• whe n the ignition is turned off
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor
is too low
~

-Child Safety -------=---------------------------------------
& WAR NIN G (co ntinued )
• Alw ays in sta ll re ar-facin g child safety s eats on the r ear seat .
• If you m us t in sta ll a rear ward f acing child saf ety s eat on th e
fr ont pa ssenger seat in exceptional circum stan ces and the
PA SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light do es not come on and sta y on ,
immediately in sta ll the re ar-facing child safety s eat in a rear
s eating po sit ion and ha ve th e airb ag s ystem insp ected immedi ­
atel y by your Audi dea ler .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circum stance s, you mu st in sta ll a forward -f a cing
c hild re str ain t on th e fr ont p assenger's s eat:
• Always mak e sure the forward -fac ing seat ha s been de signed
a nd ce rt ified by it s m anufa cturer for u se on a fr ont se at w ith a
pa ssenger front and side airbag.
• Always follow the m anufacturer's instru ctions provided w ith
the child safety seat or carr ier.
• Alwa ys mo ve the pa ssenger seat into it s rea rmost positi on in
the seat' s fore and aft adju stment range , as far aw ay from the
ai rbag as possib le bef ore installing the ch ild r estr aint . The ba ck­
re st mu st b e adjusted to an upright po sition.
• Alway s m ake sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
c om es on and sta y s on all the time whenever the ignition is
s w it c hed on . •
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Airbag System" in
complia nce with United States Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Stan ­
dard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manu ­
factu red. T
he Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the " low -risk" requirements for 3 and 6 year -old chi ldren on
the passenger side and smal l adults on the driver side . The low risk
deployment criteria are intended to reduce the risk of injury through
interaction with the airbag that can occur, for example, by being too
close to the steering wheel 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 up to 12 months who are restrained on
the front passenger seat in child restraints that are listed in the
S tandard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system, all ch ildren, especially those 12 years and younger, should
always ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and
size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten­
tially dangerous p lace for a child to ride. The front seat is not the
safest p lace for a child in a forward -facing child safety seat. It can be
a very dangerous p lace for an infant or a larger ch ild in a rearward­
facing seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle detects the presence
of an infant or child in a chi ld restraint on the front passenger seat
using the weight -sensing mat in the seat cushion and the sensor
below the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat that
measures the tension on the safety belt.
The weight -sensing mat measures total weight of the chi ld and the
child safety seat and a child blanket on the front passenger seat . The
weight on the front passenger seat is related to the design of the
child restraint and its "footprint", the size and shape of the bottom
of the child restraint as it sits on the seat . The weight of a child
restraint and its "footprint" vary for different kinds of child ..,.

-----------------------------------------~C::_! h~ i~ ld ~ S~a !_!f ~e _!;tY L _lffl!III
restraints and for the different models of the same kind of child
restraint offered by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes and models of
child restraints that the NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typ ical infants and typical 1 year­
old child have been stored in the control unit of the Advanced
Airbag System. When a child restraint is being used on the front
passenger seat with a typical 1 year -old child, the Advanced Airbag
System compares the weight measured by the weight sensing mat
with the information stored in the electronic control unit.
The electronic control unit also registers the tension on the front
passenger safety belt. The tension on the safety belt for the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult who is properly using
the safety belt as compared to the tension on the belt when it is
used to attach a child restraint to the seat. The sensor below the
latch for the safety belt for the front seat passenger measures the
tension on the belt . The input from this sensor is then used with the
weight to "decide" , whether there is a child restraint with a typical 1
year-old child on the front passenger seat and whether or not the airbag must be turned off.•
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restraint that you use, make sure that it has
been certified to meet United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manufacturer for use with
an airbag. Always be sure that the chi ld restraint is properly
installed at one of the rear seating positions. If in exceptiona l
circumstances you must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully
read all of the information on child safety and Advanced Airbags
and heed a ll of the applicable WARNINGS. Make certain that the
child restraint is correctly recognized by the weight -sensing mat
inside the front passenger seat, that the front passenger airbag is
turned off and that the airbag status is always correctly signaled by
th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Many
types and models of child restraints have been available over
the years, new mode ls are introduced regularly incorporating new
and improved designs and older mode ls are taken out of produc­
tion. Child restraints are not standardized . Child restraints of the
same type typically have different weights and sizes and different
'footprints,' the size and shape of the bottom of the chi ld restraint
that sits on the seat, when they are installed on a vehicle sea t. These
differences make it virtual ly impossible to certify comp liance with
the requirements for advanced airbags with each and every child
restraint that has ever been sold in the past or will be sold over the
course of the usefu l life of your vehic le.
For this reason, the United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration has pub lished a list of specific type, makes and
models of child restraints that must be used to certify compliance
of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. These
child restraints are:
A. Car beds, manufactured on or after September 1,
2004:
• Cosco Dream Ride 02-719
B. Rear facing child restraint systems, manufactured
on or after September 1, 2004:
(When the restraint system comes equipped with a removable base,
compliance has to be certified with or without the base) .
• Britax Handle with Care 191
• Century Assura 4553
• Century Smart Fit 4543
• Cosco Arriva 02727
• Evenflo Discovery Adjust Right 212
• Evenflo First Choice 204
• Graco lnfant8457
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data