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168
Airbag
system
Always 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 w hy you should always wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re-
quires you to do so
Q
page 138, General
notes.
It is important to remember that while the
supplemental
s ide airbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of serious injurie s,
other injuries, for example, swelling, bruising,
friction burns and minor abrasions can also be
associated with deployed side airbags. Re-
member too, side airbags will deploy only
once and only in certain kinds of accidents -
your safety belts are always there to offer pro-
tection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack
of vehicle damage are not necessarily an indi-
cation of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa-
tion. In some collisions, both front and side
airbags may inflate. Remember too, that air-
bags will deploy only once and only in certain
kinds of collisions - 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 deploy:
- when the ign ition is switched off
- in side collisions when the acce leration
measured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers.
In some types of accidents the front airbags,
side curtain airbags and side airbags may be
triggered together.
.&_
WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide protection when occupants
are in the proper seating position
Qpoge 169.
- If the airbag indicator light
Q
page 19
comes when the vehicle is being used,
-
have the system inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is pos-
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should.
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 .
Fig. 164
Inflated side airbags on left side of vehicle,
rear side airbag
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
this additional protection, the side airbag
must inflate within a fraction of a second at
very high speed and with great force. The sup-
plemental side airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the sup-
plemental side airbag expands. This applies
especially to ch ildren
Q
page 173, Child Safe-
ty . Supplemental
side airbags inflate be-
tween the occupant and the door panel on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collision
Q
fig. 164 .
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 develop when the airbag de-
ploys . This is normal and does not mean there
is a fire in the vehicle.
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