airbag off AUDI TT COUPE 2016 Owner's Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, door, or roof.
- Always
install rearward-facing child re­
straints on the rear seat.
-If you must install a rearward facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of
exceptional circumstances and the PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear­
facing child
seat in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must in­
stall a forward-fac ing chi ld restraint on the
front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-fac ing seat
has been designed and cer t ified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a fron t seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag .
- Never
put the forward-facing child restraint
up against or very near the instrument pan­
el.
-Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air­
bag as possible, before install ing the for­
ward-facing child
restraint. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright positio n.
-Always make sure that there is nothing on
the front passenger seat that will cause the
capacitive passenger detection system in
the seat to signa l to the Airbag System that
the seat is occupied by a person when it is
not, or to signa l that it is occupied by some­
one who is heavier than the person actually
sitting on the seat. T he presence of addi­
tional objec ts could cause the passenger
fro nt airbag to be turned on when it should
be off, or could cause the airbag to work in a
way
that is different from the way it would
have worked
without the object on the seat.
- Make
sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
Airbag system
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lo t
of ve ry important parts of the Advan ced Airb ag
System in it. These parts include the capacitive
passenger detection system, wiring, brackets,
and more. The control unit monitors the system
on the front passenger seat when the ignition is
switched on and turns the airbag indicator light
on when a malfunction in the one of the system
components is detected c> page 200. Because
the front passenger seat contai ns important
parts of the Advanced Airbag System, you must
take care to p revent it from being damaged.
Dam age to the seat m ay prevent the Advan ced
Airbag
System for the front passenger seat from
doing its job in a crash.
The front Advanced Airbag System consists
of the following:
-Crash sensors in the front of the ve hicl e tha t
measure vehicle acceleration/deceleration to
prov ide information to the Advanced Airbag
System about the severity of the crash.
-
An electronic control unit, with integrated
crash sensors for front and side impacts. The
control un it "decides" whether to f ir e the front
airbags based on the information rece ived from
the crash sensors. The control unit also "de­
cides" whether the safety belt pretensioners
should be activated.
-
An Advanced Airbag with gas generator for the
driver inside the steering wheel hub .
-
An Adva nced Airbag with gas generator inside
the instrument panel for the front passenger.
- A
capacitive passenger detection system under­
neath the front passenger seat cove r. This sys ­
tem measures the electrica l capacitance of the
pe rson in the seat. The information registered
is sent continuous ly to the electronic control
u
nit to reg ulate deployment of t he front Ad­
vanced Airbag on
the passenger side.
-
An airbag monitori ng system and ind ic a tor
ligh t in t he i nstrument cl us ter c>poge 199.
-A sensor in each front seat registers t he d is­
tance between the respective seat and the
steering wheel or ins trument panel. The infor-
mation registered is sent continuousl y to the ...
195

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electronic control unit to regula te deployment
of the front Advanced Airbags.
- The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on in the overhead console
¢page 200, fig. 158 and tells you when the
front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side
has
been turned off.
- A
sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver
and for
the front seat passenger that senses
whether that safety belt is latched or not and
transmits this information to the electronic
control unit.
A WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can pre­
vent the front airbag from working properly.
-
Improper repai r or disassembly of the front
passenger and drive r seat will prevent 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
put them on the seat. The capacitive pas­
senger detection mat in the front p assenger
seat will not function properly if it is punc­
tur ed.
- Never carry
things on your lap or carry ob­
jects on the front passenger seat. Such ob­
jects can influence the capacitance regis ­
tered by the capacitive passenger detection
system, so that incorrect information is pro­
vided to the airbag control unit.
- Never
store items under the front passenger
seat. Parts of the Advanced Airbag System
under the passenger seat could be dam­
aged, preventing them and the airbag sys­
tem from working properly.
- Never place
seat covers or rep lacement up­
holstery that have not been specifically ap­
proved by Audi on the front seats.
196
-Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Air­
bag System from recognizing child re­
straints or occupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat
backrest from deploying properly.
-If a seat heater has been retrofitted or oth­
erwise added to the front passenger seat,
never install any child restraint system on
this seat.
-Never use cushions, pill ows , blankets, or
simila r items on the front passenger seat.
The additional laye rs p revent the capacit ive
p a
ssenger detecti on sys tem from accurately
measuring the capacitan ce of the child safe­
ty seat and/or the person on the seat and
thus keep the Advanced Airbag System from
working properly.
- Never pl
ace or use any electrica l device
(such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heater
for child seats) on the front passenger seat
if the device is connected to the 12-volt
socket or the cigarette lighter socket. Such
dev i
ces can influence the capac itance regis­
tered by the capacitive passenger detection
system, so that incorrect information is pro­
vided to the airb ag control unit.
- I f you
must use a child restraint on th e fron t
p a
ssenger seat a nd the child restrain t man­
ufacturer's instructions require the use of a
towel,
foam c u shion or something else to
properly position the child restraint, make
certain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat.
-
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately in­
stall child restraint in a rea r seating pos ition
and have
the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dea le r.
A WARNING
If the front passenger seat gets wet, dry it im-
mediately.
..,,.

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-If liquid soaks into the front passenger seat,
this can keep the airbag system from work­
ing properly
and may, for instance,
deactivate
the passenger frontal airbag . If
this happens, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on together with
the airbag indicator light fl in the instru­
ment cluster.
-
If liquid is pooled on the seat, but has not
soaked in, this may also keep the airbag sys­
tem from working properly and cause the
passenger frontal airbag to be enabled
(turned on), even though there is a properly
installed child
restraint system on the seat.
Wet towels or other wet things on the seat
cushion can have the same effect. If the
front passenger frontal airbag is turned on,
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light light
will go
out.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the side
airbags supplement the protection offered by the
front three-point safety belts with pretensioners
and load limiters to help reduce the risk of injury
in a wide range of accident and crash situations.
Be sure to read the important information about
safety and heed the WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment
of the Advanced Airbag System and
the activation of the safety belt pretensioners de­
pend on the deceleration measured by the crash
sensors and registered by the electronic control
unit. Crash severity depends on speed and decel­
eration 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 front passenger frontal airbag will be
turned off ifthe electrical capacitance measured
by the capacitive passenger detection system on
the front passenger seat is less than the amount
programmed in the electronic control unit. The
front passenger frontal airbag will also be turned
off if the capacitance measured by the system for
the front passenger seat equals that of an infant
of about one year of age in one of the child seats
that was used to certify the Advanced Airbag Sys-
Airbag system
tern under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on to tell you when the front Ad­
vanced Airbag System on
the passenger side has
been turned off c::;, page 200.
A WARNING
f-=
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag in-
flates, always wear safety belts properly.
-
If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sit­
ting 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 188.
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fig. 157 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 provide sup­
plemental protection in a frontal collision.
The
front airbags are designed to provide addi­
tional 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 oc-
cupant is properly seated as far as possible
from the airbag .
Because
airbags inflate in the blink of an eye with
great force, things you have on your lap or have
placed on
the seat could become dangerous pro­
jectiles, and
be pushed into you ifthe airbag in-
flates. .,..
197

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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 sup­
plemental airbag system is designed to reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example swelling , bruising and minor abra­
sions, can also happen when airbags inflate. Air­
bags do not protect the arms or the lower parts
of the body. Front airbags supplement the three
point safety belts only in some frontal collisions
in which the vehicle deceleration is high enough
to deploy the airbags.
Front airbag s will not deploy:
-ifthe ignit ion is switched off when a crash oc-
curs,
-in side collisions,
-
in rear-end collisions,
-
in rollovers,
-
when the crash deceleration measured by the
airbag system is less than the minimum thresh­
old needed for airbag deployment as registered
by the electronic control unit.
The front passenge r airbag will also not
deploy:
-when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
-
when the electrical capacitance measured by
the capacitive passenger detection system for
the front passenger seat indicates that the pas­
senger side frontal airbag must be switc hed off
by the electronic control unit (the PASSENGER
AIR
BAG OFF light Q page 200 and how they
work 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 airbags
inflate, the driver and passengers must al­
ways
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.
198
-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 Q page 189.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat instal­
led
on the front passenger seat will be seri­
ously injured
and can be killed if the front air­
bag 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 PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear­
facing child seat in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash by interfer­
ing with the way the airbag unfolds or by be­
ing 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 in
to the area of the front airbags dur­
ing braking or other sudden maneuver and
become dangerous projectiles 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, instru­
ment panel, seat backrests or between

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine those areas and yourself. These objects
could cause injury in a crash, especially
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 air­
bag during braking or in a sudden maneu­
ver. Objects near the airbags can become
projectiles and cause injury, particularly
when the seat is reclined.
- Never place
or transport objects on the
front passenger seat. Objects on the front
passenger seat could cause the capac itive
sensor in the seat to signal to airbag system
that the seat is occup ied by a person when it
in fact is not, or that the person on the seat
is heavier than he or she actually is. The
change in electric capacitance because of
such objects can cause the passenger front
airbag to be turned on when it should be
off, or can cause the a irbag to work in a way
that is diffe rent from the way it would have
worked without objects on the seat.
- Always make sure that there is nothing on
the front passenger seat that will cause the
capaciti ve passenger detection system in
the seat to signal to the Airbag System tha t
the seat is occupied by a person when it is
not, or to signa l that it is occupied by some­
one who is heavier than the person actually
sitting on
the seat. The presence of an ob­
ject could cause the passenger front airbag
to be turned on when it should be off, or
cou ld cause the air bag to work in a way that
is different from the way it wou ld have
worked witho ut the object on the seat.
- Never tilt the front passenger seat backrest
forward when the vehicle is moving. An in­
flating airbag will force the backrest back­
ward and can injure rear seat occupants.
_&WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can
cause breathing problems for people w ith a
history
of asthma or other breathing condi­
tions.
Airba g system
- To reduce the ris k of breathing problems,
those with asthma or other respiratory con­
ditions should get fresh a ir right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening win­
dows or doors.
-
If you are i n a collision in which airbags de­
p loy, wash your hands and face with mild
soap and water before eating.
-
Be carefu l not to get the dust into your eyes,
or into any cuts or scratches.
-Ifthe residue should get into your eyes,
f lush
them w ith water.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
t~~ Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag moni­
toring indicator light and the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light.
The Advanced Airbag System as well as the side
airbags and side curta in airbags with ejection
mitigation features (including the electronic con­
trol unit, sensors and system wiring) are all
monitored continuously to make sure that they
are functioning properly whenever the ignition is
on. Every time you turn on the ign ition, the a ir­
bag system indica to r light II will come on for a
few
seconds ( function check).
The system must be inspected when the
indicator light II:
-does not come on when the ignition is sw itched
on,
-
does not go out a few seconds after you have
switched on the igni tion, or
-comes on while driving .
If an airbag system malfunction is detected, the
indicator light will first start flashing to catch the
driver's attention and then stay on continuously
to serve as a constant rem inder to have the sys­
tem inspected immediately.
If a malfunction occurs that turns the front air-
bag on
the passenger side off, the PASSENGER ..,.
199

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AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on
wheneve r
the ignition is on.
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
erly cannot p rovide supplemental p rotection
in a frontal crash.
-
If the airbag indicato r light c::> page 15
comes when the vehicle is b eing used, have
t h e
system inspecte d immediately by your
autho rized Audi d eale r. It is possible t hat
th e air bag will inflate when it is not su p­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig . 158 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in
the over head console c::> fig. 158.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to tell you when th e front Advanced
Airbag on
the passenger side has been turned off
by the electronic control unit. If the bulb fo r t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light burns out, t h e
airbag indicator light fB w ill co m e o n to sig nal a
malfunctio n in the Advanced Airb ag System. Al­
though the burned-out bul b will not change the
way
the front passenger's front al air bag works, it
will no l
onger be possible to use the PASSENGER
AIR
BAG OFF light to make su re that the air b ag
on/off status is correct for the occupant on the
front passenger seat. H ave the airbag system in­
spected immediately by you r a uthorized Audi
deale r.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will blink
for about
S seconds when:
-the ignition is switched on and
200
-the capacit ive passenger detection system,
which switches the front seat passenger's fron ­
tal Advanced Airbag on and off, detects a
change in the status of the front passenger
seat.
As soon as the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stops blinking, always make sure that the airbag
status (on or off} as shown by the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF lig ht is proper for the age, size and
electrical capacitance of the person occupying
t h e
front passenger seat. Always make sure t hat
th e safety belt fo r the front passenger seat is
properly fasten ed .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will show
the status
of the front seat passenger's frontal
Advanced Airbag a
few seconds after the igni­
tion is switched on and the airbag indicator
light goes off. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light:
- will stay on if the front passenger s eat is not
occ up ied;
- will
stay on if the electrica l capaci tance meas­
ured b y the capaci tive passenger detection sys­
t
em for t he fron t passenger seat equals t he
c
ombined capa citanc e of an infant up to abo ut
one year of age and one of the rearwa rd -f acing
or forward -fac ing chil d restraints listed in Fed­
eral Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehi ­
cle was
certified; For a listing of the child re­
strai nts that were used to certify your vehicle 's
complia nce w ith the U .S . Safety Standard
c::>poge 214.
- w ill go out if the front passe nge r seat is occu ­
pied by an adu lt
as register ed by the cap ac it ive
passenger d etectio n system.
- T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must com e
on and
stay on if the igni tion is on and ...
- a car bed
has been installed on the front pas­
senger seat, or
- a rea rward-facing child restraint has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat, o r
- a forward-fac ing chil d
restraint has been instal­
led on
the front passenger seat,
-and if the electrical capacitance registered on
the front passenger seat is equal to or less than ..,.

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the combined capacitance of a typical l year ­
old
infant and one of the rearward-facing or
forward-facing child restraints listed in Federal
Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 with which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was
certified.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
front airbag will not deploy, and the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will stay on. Never install a
rearward -facing child
restraint on the front pas­
senger seat, the safest place for a child in any
kind
of child restraint is at one of the seating po ­
sitions on
the rear seat ~page 189, Child re­
straints on the front
seat -some important
things to know
and ~page 212, Child safety.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light comes
on ...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when one of the conditions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer­
tain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on continuously whenever the ignition is
on. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
n
ot appea r on and does not stay on all the time,
stop as soo n as it is safe to do so and
- reactivate
the system by turning the ignition
off for more than 4 seconds and then turning it
on again;
- remove and reinstall
the child restraint. Make
sure that the child restraint is properly instal­
led and
that the safety belt for the front pas­
senger seat has been correctly routed through
the child restrain t as described in th e child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions;
- make
sure that the convertible locking retrac­
tor on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been activated and that the safety belt
has been pulled tight.
-make sure that no electrical device (such as a
laptop,
CD player, electron ic games device,
power inverter
or seat heater for child seats) is
placed or used on the front passenger seat if
the device is connected to the 12-volt socket or
~ the cigarette lighter socket;
co -make sure that no seat heater has been retro-...
~ fitted or otherwise added to the front passen-
..... :::: ger seat;
Airbag system
-make sure that nothing can interfere with the
safety belt buckles and that they are not ob­
structed;
-make sure that there are no wet objects (such
as a wet towel) and no water or other liquids on
the front passenger seat cushion.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light still does
not come on ...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does
not come on and does not stay on continuously
(when
the ignition is switched on),
-
take the child restraint off the front passenger
seat and install it properly at one of the rear
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect­
ed
by your Audi dealer immediately.
-move the child to a rear seat position and make
sure that the child is properl y restrained in a
child
restraint that is appropriate for its size
and age.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG light should NOT
come on ...
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should NOT
come on when the ignition is on and an adult is
sitting in a prope r seating position on the front
passenger seat. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while driving, under these circumstan ­
ces,
make sure that:
-the adult on the front passenger seat is proper­
ly seated on the center of the seat cu sh ion wit h
his or
her back up against the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined,
-
the adult is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above
the front passenger door or supporting
their weight on the armrest,
-the safety belt is being properly worn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web­
bing,
-
there are no aftermarket seat covers or cush­
ions or
other things (such as blankets) on the
front passenger seat that might cause the ca­
pacitive passenger detection system to miscal­
culate electrical capacitance.
201

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"
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
--I
-If the status of the Advanced Airbag System
has changed while the vehicle is moving, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light blinks for
about 5 seconds to catch the driver's atten­
tion. If this happens, always stop as soon as
it is safe to do so and check the steps descri­
bed above.
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go off when an adult who is not very
small is sitti ng 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 posi­
tions. Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Aud i dealer before trans­
porting anyone on the front passenger seat.
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop-
erly
cannot provide supplemental protection
in a frontal crash.
-
If the airbag indicator light Q page 15
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a
child
restrai nt, or in a rearward-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-facing child re­
straint 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, especially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat prop­
erly
restrained for their age and size.
- Always install forward
or rear-facing child
seats on the rear seat -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
202
-If you must install a rearward-facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of
exceptional circumstances and the PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and
stay on, immediately install the rear-facing
child
seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's
fore and aft adjustment range, as far away
from the airbag as possi ble. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position.
M
ake sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is swi tched on.
A 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.
(1) Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection system
d etermines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the frontal 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 are installed at many
different places on your Audi. Installing, remov­
ing, servicing
or repairing a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part 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 ~

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Airbag system
combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehicle, changing the stiffness of the suspension,
including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc. can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control unit. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­
ing when it should.
_&. WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use
of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
-Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components originally instal­
led on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim
combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front
seat
occupants.
Fig. 159 Driver's knee airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
underneath the steering wheel Q fig. 159, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same
204
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 and supplements the protec­
tion provided by the safety belts.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy
in frontal collisions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control unit is met
Qpage 197, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keep the driver or front passenger in
position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can provide
supplemental protection.
The airbag system is not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly. This is why you should
always wear your safety belt, not just be ca use
t h e law requires you
to do so~ page 180, Gener­
al notes .
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 they have already deployed, for
example when your vehicle 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 belt. The airbag
system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your
safety belts correctly.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
plemental knee airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other inju­
ries, for example, swelling, bruising and minor
abrasions and friction burns can also occur when
an airbag inflates.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
-The electronic control module .,.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine -Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas genera­
tor),
one for the driver and one for the front
passenger
-The airbag indicator light in the overhead con­
sole
The knee airbag syste m will not deploy:
-when the ignition is switched off
-in frontal collisions 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 mal function (warning/
i ndicator light is on) ~page 15.
A_ WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
prov i
de protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position ~page 197.
-If the airbag indicator light~ page 15
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer.
It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to,
or will not inflate when it should.
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags.
Fig. 160 Inflated airbags protecting in a frontal collision
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger deploy in certain but not all frontal collisions.
Airbag system
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy
in frontal collisions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control unit is met.
When the system deploys, the airbags fill with a
propellant gas, and inflate between the lower
part of the instrument panel and the driver and
the lower part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger~ page 197, fig. 157.
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 lower ex­
tremities.
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the
airbags have deployed. The airbags also inflate
with a
great deal of force and it is important for
occupant
safety that nothing should be in their
way when they deploy.
Fully inflated airbags
in combination with proper­
ly worn safety belts slow down and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement and help to reduce
the risk of injury.
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
wear
safety belts correctly and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
to provide supplemental protection .
.&. WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious in­
j u
ry. Wearing safety belts incorrectly and im­
proper seating positions increase the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle
is being used.
- The knee 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 passenger keep their
upper bodies and knees at the following
minimum
safe distances: ~
205