light AUDI TT ROADSTER 2015 Repair Manual

- comes on while driving.
I f an airbag system malfunct io n is dete cted ,
the ind icator light will firs t start flashing to
catch the driver 's attention and then stay on
continuously to serve as a constant reminder
to have the system inspected immed iately.
If a malfunction occurs tha t tur ns the fron t
ai rbag on the passenger side off, the
PA SSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
li ght wi ll come on and stay
on wheneve r the ignition is on.
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ioning
properly cannot provide supplemental pro­
tection in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator light comes on, it
means that the re may be somet hing
wrong with the Adva nced Airbag System .
It is possible that the airbag will inflate
w hen it is not s upposed to, or w ill not in­
flate when it should.
- Have the airbag system inspected imme­
diately by your Aud i dealer .
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 11 3 Section fr om the inst ru men t pa nel: PASS EN­
G ER AIR BAG O FF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located
i n the cen ter of the instrument panel
c:> fig. 113 .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come
on and stay on to tell you when the front Ad ­
vanced A irbag on the passenger side h as been
turned off by t he e lectronic control u nit. Each
time you tu rn on the ign ition, the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OF F
light will flash for a few
seconds and:
A irba g sy stem 119
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
-w ill stay on i f there is a small ch ild or child
restraint on the front passenger seat,
- will go out if the fron t passenger seat is oc­
cupied by an adult as registered by the
weight-sensing mat .
T he
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light must
com e on and sta y on
if t he igni tion is on and
- a car bed has been installed on the front
seat , or
- a rearward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front passenger seat, or
- a forward -fac ing ch ild restra int has been in ­
stalled on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight reg istered on the front passen ­
ger seat is equal to or less than the com­
bi ned weight of a typical 1 year-old restra in­
ed in one of the rear-facing or forward-fac­
ing infant restra ints listed in Federal Motor
Ve hicle Safety Standa rd 208 wi th which the
Advanced Airbag System in you r veh icle was
certified.
If t he fron t passenger seat is not occupied,
the fro nt airbag will not deploy, and the
PAS­
SENGER AIR BAG O FF
light will stay on . Nev ­
er install a rearward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat
c:> page 109 , Child
res train ts on the front sea t-some important
things to know
and c:> page 129, Child Safe ty .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light come s
o n
when one of the cond itions listed above is
met, be sure to check the light regularly to
make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light stays on continuously wheneve r the
ignition is on .
If the PASSENGER A IR 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 turn ing the ign ition
off and then turn ing it on again;
- remove and reinstall the ch ild restra int .
Make s ure that the ch ild restraint is proper ly
installed and that the safety belt for the
front passenge r seat has been correc tly
rou ted aro und t he chi ld restraint as

120 Airbag sys te m
described in the child restraint manufactur­
er 's instructions;
- make sure that the convertible locking fea­
ture on the safety be lt for the front passen­
ger 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
c> page 13 7.
- make sure that things that may increase the
weight of the child and child safety seat are
not being transported on the front passen­
ger seat;
- make sure that the safety belt tension sen­ sor is not blocked . Shake the safety belt
latch on the front passenger seat back and
forth;
- If a strap or tether is bei ng used to tie the
child safety seat to t he front passenger
seat, make sure t hat it is no t so tight that it
ca uses the we ight -sensing mat to meas ure
more weight than is actua lly on the seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still
doe s not come on and does not stay on con­
tinuously (when the igni tion is sw itched on),
- take the ch ild restraint off the front passen-
ger seat and have the ai rbag system inspect­
ed by you r A udi dealer immediate ly .
The PASSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light should
NO T come on when the ign ition is on and an
adult is sitt ing in a p rope r seating pos it ion on
the front passenger seat. If the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF ligh t comes on and stays on or
flashes for about 5 seconds whi le driving, un ­
der these circumstances, make s ure that:
- the ad ult on the front passenger seat is
properly seated on the center of the seat
c u shion with his or her back up against the
backrest and the backrest is not reclined
c> page 92, Prop er occupant seating posi­
tions,
- th e ad ult is not taking weight off the seat by
ho lding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door, - the sa
fety belt is being properly wo rn and
that there is not a lot of s lack in the safety
be lt webb ing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other
things that may cause an incorrect reading
or impression on the weight-sensing mat
under the upho lstery of the seat have been
removed from the fron t passenger seat,
- a safety belt extender has not been left in the safety belt latch for the front passenger
seat .
In addition to the PASSENGER AIR BAG O FF
li ght in the center of the instr ument panel,
the message PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON will briefly appear
i n the i nstr ument cluster d isplay. This is to i n­
form the dr iver of the current front passenge r
airbag status.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An a irbag system that is not functioning
p roperly cannot p rovide supplemental pro­
tection in a frontal c rash.
- If the airbag ind icator light comes on, i t
means that there may be something
wrong with t he Advanced Airbag System.
It is poss ible that the ai rbag w ill inflate
when it is not supposed to, or will not in­
f late when it sho uld .
- Have the airbag system inspected imme­
d iate ly by yo ur Audi dealer.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without
a child restraint, in a rea rward-facing child
safety seat or in a forward-facing child re­
straint that has not been properly installed
will be serious ly injured and can be killed.
- Even tho ugh your vehicle is equipped
with an Advanced A irbag System, make
certain that all children, espec ially 12
yea rs and younger, always ride properly
restrained fo r their age and size.
-

-If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­ ces and the
PA SSE NGER AI R BAG OFF
light does not appear and stay on have
the a irbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer.
- A tight tether or other strap on a rear­
ward-fac ing child restra int attached to
the front passenger seat can put too much pressure on the weight-sens ing
mat in the seat and register more weight
than is actually on the seat. The heavier
weight registered can make the system
work as though an adu lt were on the seat
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
must be suppressed caus ing serious or
even fatal injury to the child .
- If, in exceptional circ umstances, you
must install a forward-facing child re­
st raint on the front passenger seat, a l­
ways move the seat into its rearmost po­
sit ion in the seat's fo re and aft adjust­
ment range, as far away from the airb ag
as possib le . The backrest m ust be adjust­
ed to an upright position. Make sure that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on all the t ime when­
ever the ignition is switched 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, have the air­
bag system inspected by your Aud i deal­
er before transporting anyone on the
front passenger seat.
(Di Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front pas­
senger seat detects an empty seat, the
front airbag on the pa ssenge r side will be
t urned off, and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
w ill stay on .
Airbag system 12 1
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are i nstalled at
many diffe rent p laces o n your Aud i. Insta llin g,
removing, servicing or repa iring 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 coll is ion.
T he re a re some important t hings you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness o f
the system wi ll not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or pol ­
lute the environment.
A WARNING
Improper care, serv ic ing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing an a irbag
from deploying when needed or deploying
an a irbag unexpec tedly:
- Never cover, obst ruct, or change the
steer ing whee l horn pad or airbag cover
or the inst rument panel or mod ify them
in any w ay .
- Never attach any objects s uch as c up
holders or telephone mountings to the
surfaces covering the a irbag un its .
- For cleaning the horn pad or instr ument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one
mo istened with pla in water. Solvents or
cleaners could damage the airbag cover
or change the st iffness or strength of the
material so that the airbag cannot de­
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the a irbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, front seats or e lectr ica l sys­
tem (including the installation of audio
equ ipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc.) must be performed by a
qualified technic ian who has the training
and specia l equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your
author ized Audi dealer or qualified work-
shop.
~
•
•

_& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt
buckle and the center console can cause
the sensors in the buckle to send the
wrong informat ion to the electronic con­
trol modu le and prevent the Advanced A ir­
bag System from working properly.
- Always make sure that noth ing ca n inte r­
fere w ith the safety belt buck les and that
t hey are not obstructed.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supple­
mental protection to properly restrained
front seat occupants.
F ig . 11 4 Drive r's a irbag
The driver knee a irbag is in the instrument
panel underneath the steering whee l
~ fig. 114, the airbag for the passenger is at
about the same height in the i nstrument pan­
e l underneath the g love compartment.
The knee airbag offers additiona l protection
to the driver's and passenger's knees and up­
per and lower thigh areas and supp lements
the protect ion by the safety be lts .
I f the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags
a lso deploy i n frontal collisions when the de­
p loyment threshold sto red in the cont ro l uni t
is met ~
page 117, More important things to
know about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function,
safety belts he lp keep the driver or front pas ­
senger in posit ion in a frontal coll is ion so that
A irba g sy stem 123
the ai rbags can provide supplemental protec­
tion .
T he airbag system is no t a subs tit ute for your
sa fety be lt . Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your vehicle . A l­
ways remember that the airbag system can
only he lp to protect you if you are wearing
your safety be lt and wearing it properly. This
is why you should always wear your safety
belt, not just because the law requires you to
do so
r::;, page 100, General notes .
Remember too, airbags will deploy on ly once
and only in certain kinds of accidents -your
safety belts are always there to offer protec­
t ion in those accidents in wh ich airbags are
not supposed to dep loy o r when they have al­
r eady deployed, for example when your vehi ­
cl e strikes or is struck by another after the
f irst collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a s ubstitute fo r the safety be lt. The ai rbag
system works most effect ively when used with
the safety be lts. Therefore, always wear yo ur
sa fety belts correct ly .
It is impo rtant to remembe r that wh ile the
s u pplementa l knee airbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of ser ious inju ries,
other injur ies, for example, swelling, bru ising,
minor ab rasions and friction burns can a lso
occur when an airbag inflates.
The knee airbag system basically consists
of:
- The e lectronic control module
- Two in flatable ai rbags (a irbag and gas gen -
erator), one for the d river and one for the
front passenger
- The ai rbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignit io n is t urned off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
meas ured by the control unit is too low
- in side co llisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers

124 Airbag system
-in the event of a system malfunction (warn ­
ing/indicator light is on )
r=:> page 15.
.&_ WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide protection when occupants
are in the proper seating position
¢page 117.
-If the airbag indicator light comes when
the vehicle is being used, have the sys­
tem inspected immediately by your au­
tho rized Aud i deale r.
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be re­
duced by fully inflated knee airbags.
F ig . 115 Inflated a irbags p rotecti ng in a fro ntal coll i­
s ion
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front pas­
senger deploy in certain but not all frontal
coll is ions.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags
also deploy in frontal collisions when the de­ p loyment threshold stored in the control unit
i s met.
When the system dep loys, the airbags fill
with a propellant gas, and inflate between the lower part of the instrument panel and the
d river and the lower part of the instrument
panel and the front passenge r<=>
page 117,
fig. 112.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cush ion" the impact and in this way they can
he lp to reduce the r isk of injury to the lowe r
extremities. All o
f th is takes place in the b link o f an eye, so
fast that many peop le don't even realize that
the a irbags have deployed. The airbags a lso
inflate with a great deal of force and it is im­
portant for occupant safety that nothing
shou ld be in their way when they deploy.
Fully inflated a irbags in combination with
proper ly worn safety belts s low down and lim­
it the occupant's forward movement and help
to reduce the risk of injury .
Important safety instructions on the
knee airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Al­
ways wear safety belts correctly and ride in a
proper seating position.
The re is a lot that you and you r passenger
must know and do to he lp the safety belts and
airbags to prov ide s upplemen ta l pro te ct io n .
.&_ WARNING
An inflat ing knee a irbag c an cause se rious
in ju ry. Wea ring safety belts incorrectly and
improper seat ing positions increase the
risk of ser ious persona l injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect
you properly if you a re seated too close
to any of the airbag locat ions. When ad­
justing their seat pos itions, it is impor­
tant that bot h the driver and the front
passenger keep the ir upper bod ies and
knees at the following minimum safe
d istances:
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/inst ru­
ment panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- The risk of personal inj ury increases if
you lean forward or to the s ide, or if the
seat is improperly positioned and you are
not wearing yo ur safety belt . The risk in­
creases even more should the a irbag de­
p loy .

-Always make 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 129, Child Safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat occupants.
Fig . 116 Side airbag location in the driver 's seat
The s ide airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests
¢ fig. 116facing the
Airbag system 125
doors. They are identified by the word "AIR­
BAG".
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
- the airbag warning light in the instrument
cluster.
The airbag system is monitored electronically
to make certain that it is functioni ng 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 safe­
ty belts and can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury to the driver's and front passenger's up ­
per torso on the s ide of the vehicle that is
struck in a side collision. The airbag deploys in
side impacts and only when the vehicle accel­
eration registered by the control unit is high
enough. If this rate is below the reference val­
ue 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 will cover every possible
angle of impact, since the circumstances will
vary considerably between one collision and
another. Important factors include, for exam­
ple, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting
object, the angle of impact, vehicle speed,
etc.
¢ page 127, Important safety instruc­
tions 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. Al­
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 is another reason why you should always wear
IIJJ,

126 Airbag system
your safety belts, not just because the law re ­
quires you to do so¢
page 100, General
notes.
It is impor tant to remember that while the
supp lemental 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 k inds of acc idents -your safety belts
are a lways there to offer protect ion.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack
of vehicle damage are not necessari ly an indi­
cation of over-sensit ive or failed airbag activa­
tion . In some co llisions, both front and s ide
a irbags may inflate. Remember too, that air­
bags will deploy only once and only in certa in
kinds of co llisions -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 depl oy:
- when the ign ition is turned off
- i n s ide collisions when the accelerat ion
measured by the sensor is too low
- i n rear-end collisions
- in rollovers.
In some types of accidents the front airbags
and side airbags may be triggered together.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the a irbag system will
only prov ide protection when occupants
are in the p roper seating posit ion
~page 127.
-If the airbag indicator light comes on
when the veh icle is being used, have the
system inspected immediately by your
au thori zed Audi dealer. The a irbag may
not work properly when the vehicle ac­
celeration in a side co llision is h igh
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.
F ig . 1 17 Inflated side airbags on left side of veh icle
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
th is additional protection, the side airbag
must inflate w ithin a fraction of a second at
very h igh speed and with great force. The sup­
pleme nta l side airbag could injure you if your
seat ing pos it ion is not proper or upright or if
items are loca ted in the area where the s up­
plementa l side airbag expands. This applies
especially to children¢
page 129, 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
lis ion ¢
fig. 117.
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.

Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The physical principles o f what happens when
your ve hicle is in a crash app ly also to chi ldren
c::> page 101, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults and
teenagers, the ir muscles and bones are no t
fully developed . In many respects children are
at greater risk of serious injury in crashes than
adu lts.
Because children's bod ies are no t fully devel­
oped, they require restra int systems especial ­
l y designed for the ir size, weight, and body
structure . Many count ries and all states of the
United States and provinces of Canada have
l aws req uiring the use of approved ch ild re­
straint systems for in fants and small chi ldren.
I n a fronta l crash at a speed of 20-35 mph
(30-56 km/ h) the fo rces acting on a 13-po und
(6 kg) inf ant will 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,
only an appropriate chi ld restraint properly
used can reduce the risk of ser ious injury.
C hi ld restra ints, like adult safety belts, must
be used properly to be effective . Used improp ­
erly , they can increase the risk of ser ious in­
ju ry in an accident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's i nstructions in order to be sure the seat is
right fo r you r ch ild 's s ize
c::> page 132, Impor­
tant safety instructions for using child safety
sea ts.
P lease be su re to read and heed all of
the impo rtan t informat io n a nd WAR NINGS
about child safety, Advanced A irbags, and the
installation of child rest raints in this chapter .
There is a lot you need to know abou t the Ad ­
vance d Airbags in yo ur vehicle and how they
wo rk when infants and children in child re ­
straints are o n the front passenger seat. Be ­
cause of the large amount of important infor -
Child Safet y 129
mation, we cannot repeat it a ll here . We urge
yo u to read the detai led information in this
owner 's man ua l about ai rbags and the Ad ­
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle and the
very important information about transport­
ing ch ildren on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they
ar e extremely importa nt for your safety and
the safety of you r passenge rs, especially in­
f an ts a nd small chi ld ren.
A WARNING
-
A ll vehicle occupants and especially chi l­
d ren must be restra ined properly w henev ­
er riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained or
improperly restra ined child could be in­
jured by str iking the interior or by being
e jected from the vehicle dur ing a sudden
maneuve r or impact. A n unrestra ined o r
improperly restr ained child is also at great­
e r r isk of inju ry or d eath thro ugh contact
wi th an inflat ing a irbag.
_& WARNING
C hildren on the front seat of any car even
wi th Advanced Airbag s can be ser io usly in­
j ur ed or even kil led when an a irba g in­
flates. A child in a rearwar d-fac ing ch ild
safety seat insta lled on t he 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 ch ild
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smas h the child safety seat
a nd chi ld agai nst the bac krest , door or
roof.
- Never i nstall a rearward faci ng child
safety seat on the front passenger s eat
un less the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes o n and stays on. If the PAS·
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
l ight does no t
come on and st ay on, have the air bag
sys tem inspected immediately by your
Aud i dea le r.
•
•

130 Child Safety
8_ WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
-Always follow the manufacturer's in­
structions 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 airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright 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.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were
installed in a vehicle during a crash. Dam­
age to a child restraint that is not visible
could cause it to fail in another collision
situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with United
States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your
vehicle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle
has been certified to meet the "low-risk " re­
quirements for 3- and 6-year old children on
the passenger side and small 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 "sup­
pression" requirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, 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 list­
ed in the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, a child should al­
ways ride in the seat properly restrained for
its age and size. The airbag on the passenger
side makes the front seat a potentially dan­
gerous place for a child to ride. The front seat
is not the safest place for a child in a forward­
facing child safety seat. It can be a very dan­
gerous place for an infant or a larger child 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
child restraint on the front passenger seat us­
ing the weight-sensing mat in the seat cush­
ion 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 child 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 re­
straints 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 typical in­
fants and typical 1 year-old child have been
stored in the control unit of the Advanced Air­
bag System. When a child restraint is being
used on the front passenger seat with a .,..

typical 1 year-old chi ld, the Advanced Airbag
System compares the weig ht meas ured by the
weight sensing mat with t he informat ion stor­
ed in the electron ic control unit.
The electronic control unit a lso registers the
tension on the front passenger safety be lt.
The tens ion on the safety belt for the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult
who is properly using the safety belt as com­
pared to the tension on the be lt when it is
used to attach a child restraint to the seat.
The sensor below the latch for the safety be lt
for the front seat passenger measu res the
tension on the be lt. T he inp ut from this sen­
sor is then used with the we igh t to "decide",
whether there is a chi ld restraint with a typica l
1 year-old child o n 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 ce rtified to meet
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standa rds and has been certified by its manu­
facture r fo r u se wi th a n air bag. If in excep­
tional c ircu ms tances you m ust use it on the
front passenger seat, caref ully read all of the
i n formation on c hild safety and Advanced Air­
bags and heed all of the app licable WARN­
INGS. Make certain that the child restraint is
correctly recognized by the weig ht-sensing
mat inside the front passenger seat, that the
fro nt passenger airbag is tur ned off and that
the airbag status is a lways correctly signaled
by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
Many types and models of child restra ints
h ave been ava ilable over the years, new mod­
e ls are introduced regularly incorporating new
and improved designs a nd older models a re
t aken out of p rod uction. Child restrain ts are
not standardized . Ch ild restra ints o f the same
type typically have different weights and sizes
and diffe rent 'footprints,' the size and shape
of the bottom of the child restraint that sits
on the seat, when they are installed on a vehi­
cle seat. These differences make it virtually
Child Sa fet y 131
impossible to certify comp liance with the re ­
quirements for advanced airbags with eac h
and every child restra int that has ever been
sold in the past or will be sold over the course
of the useful life of your veh icle.
Fo r th is reason, the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Adm inistrat ion has
published a list of spec ific type, makes and
models of child restraints that must be used
to certify compliance of the Advanced Airbag
System i n your veh icle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208. These child re straints are:
Subpart A -Car bed child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel Guard Angel September 2S, 2007 R ide AA 2403FOF
Subpart B - Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Ce ntury Smart Fit Decembe r 1, 1999
4S 43
Cosco Ar riva September 2S, 2007
22-013PAW and base
22-999WHO
Evenflo Discovery Ad -December 1, 1999
just Right 212
E ven flo First Choice Decembe r 1, 1999
20 4
Graco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999
Graco Snugride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Primo Vi- September 25, 2007
aggio SIP IMUNOOUS
Subpart C -Forward-facing and
convertible child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Br itax Roundabout September 2S, 2007
E 9L02xx
Cosco Touriva 02519 December 1, 1999
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