130 Airbag system
- Never carry sharp objects in your pockets
or place them on the seat. If the weight-
sensing mat in the passenger seat is
punctured it cannot work properly .
- Never carry things on your lap or carry
objects on the passenger seat. Such
items can increase the weight registered
by the weight-sensing mat and send the
wrong information to the airbag control
unit.
- Never store items under the front pas-
senger seat. Parts of the Advanced Air-
bag System under the passenger seat
could be damaged, preventing them and
the airbag system from working proper-
ly.
- Never place seat covers or replacement
upholstery that have not been specifical-
ly approved by Audi on the front seats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from recognizing child re-
straints or occupants on the front pas-
senger seat and prevent the side airbag
in the seat backrest from deploying prop-
erly.
- Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or
similar items on the front passenger
seat. The additional padding will prevent
the weight-sensing mat in the seat from
accurately registering the child restraint
or person on the seat and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from function-
ing properly.
- If you must use a child restraint on the
front passenger seat and the child re-
straint manufacturer's instructions re-
quire the use of a towel, foam cushion or
something else to properly position the
child restraint, make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on whenever the child re-
straint is installed on the front passen-
ger seat .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi-
ately install child restraint in a rear seat-
ing position and have the airbag system
inspected by your authorized Audi dealer.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the
side airbags supplement the protection of-
fered by the front three-point safety belts
with pretensioners and load limiters and the
adjustable head restraints to help reduce the
risk of injury in a wide range of accident and
crash situations. Be sure to read the impor-
tant information about safety and heed the
WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Adva need Airbag System
and the activation of the safety belt preten-
sioners depend on the deceleration measured
by the crash sensors and registered by the
electronic control unit. Crash severity depends
on speed and deceleration as well as the mass
and stiffness of the vehicle or object involved
in the crash.
When the electronic control unit registers a
low severity crash and the safety belt is being
used , the airbag will not deploy. If the safety
belt is not being used, the first stage deploys,
followed by the second stage after a much lat-
er time in the crash sequence.
If the electronic control unit registers a crash
of medium severity, the first stage of the air-
bag deploys followed by the second stage at a
much later time in the crash sequence - re-
gardless of whether the safety belt is being
used or not . In higher severity crashes as reg -
istered by the electronic control unit, both the
first and second stages deploy almost at the
same time.
On the passenger side, regardless of safety
belt use, the airbag will be turned off if the
weight on the passenger seat is less than the
amount programmed in the electronic control
unit. The front airbag on the passenger side
will also be turned off if one of the child safe-
ty seats that has been certified under Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 has been
recognized on the seat. The
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on to tell
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the
passenger side has been turned off ..,_
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