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Airbag
system
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents - your safety
be lts are always there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
examp le 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 des igned to re-
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other inju-
ries, for example, swe lling, bruising and minor
abrasions and friction bu rns can also occur when
an airbag inf lat es.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
- The electronic control modu le
- Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the driver and one for the front
passenger
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignition is switched off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in s ide collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
- in the event of a system malfunct ion (warning/
indicator light is on) ¢
page 18 .
.&,
WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide prote ction when occupants are in
the proper seating position
¢page 152.
- If the airbag indica tor light
¢ page 18
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by yo ur
authorized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not s up-
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
160
How knee airbags work
Applies to vehicles: with kne e airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags .
Fig. 162
Inflated airbags protect ing in a frontal collis ion
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen-
ger dep loy in certain but not all fronta l collisions .
If th e front airbags dep loy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collisions whe n the dep loyment
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 lowe r part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger ¢
page 152, fig. 159.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower ex-
tremities .
All of this takes place in the bli nk 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 dep loy.
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 .
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