If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags
also deploy in fronta l collisions when the de -
ployment threshold stored in the control unit
is met c:> page 162, More important things to
know about front airbags.
In addition to their normal safety function,
safety be lts he lp keep the driver or front pas -
senger in position in a frontal collision so that
the airbags can provide supplemental protec-
tion .
The airbag system is not a subst itute for your
safety be lt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc-
cupant restraint system in your veh icle. Al-
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wear ing it properly. This
is why you shou ld always wear you r safety
be lt, not just because the law requires you to
do so¢
page 145, General notes.
The safety be lt buck le for the dr iver and front
seat passenger have switches that tell the a ir-
bag con t rol mod ule if the safety belt is be ing
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 particu lar collision, it
is poss ible that an airbag will not deploy at a
seating position where the safety belt is being
used but will inflate at the position where the
safety belt is not be ing used.
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once
and only in certain kinds of accidents - your
safety belts are always there to offer protec -
tion in those acc idents in which a irbags a re
not supposed to deploy or when they have a l-
ready deployed, fo r example when your veh i-
cle strikes or is str uck by another after the
first collision .
This is just one of the reasons why an a irbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The airbag
system wo rks most effective ly when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your
safety be lts correctly.
It is impo rtan t to remember that while the
supp lemental knee a irbag syst em is designed
to reduce the likelihood of serious injur ies,
A irbag sys tem 169
other injur ies, for example, swelling, bru ising
and minor abrasions and friction burns can al-
so occur when an airbag inflates .
The knee airbag system basically consists
of :
- The e lectronic control module
- Two inflatable a irbags (airbag and gas gen-
erator), one for the driver and one for the
front passenger
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
pane l
The knee airbag system will not depl oy:
- when the ignit ion 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 malfunction (warn -
ing/indicator light is on) ¢
page 18.
A WARNING
-
- Safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide protection when occupants
are in the proper seating position
¢page 162.
- If the airbag ind icator light ¢ page 18
comes when the ve hicle is being used,
have the system inspected immediately
by your authori zed Audi dealer.
It is pos-
sible t ha t the airbag will infla t e when it
is not supposed to, or will not infla t e
when it should.
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