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124
Airbag
system
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys-
tem performs in a crash. For example, using
tire-r im combinations not approved by Audi,
lowering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the sp rings, suspen-
sion st rut s, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag
sensors and sent to the electronic control
unit. Some suspension changes can, for exam-
ple, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which it would not deploy if the
changes had not been made. Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas-
ured by the sensors and prevent the airbag
from deploying when it should .
The sensors in the safety belt buckle for the
driver and front passenger seat tell the elec-
tronic control module if the safety belt is
latched or not . If the safety belt is being used,
the front airbag will deploy at a slightly high-
er rate of vehicle deceleration than if the safe-
ty belt is not being used. Therefore, in a par-
ticular collision, it is possible 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 being
used. It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety belt buckles so that the sen-
sors can send the correct information about
safety belt use to the electronic control unit .
A
WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's suspension includ-
ing use of unapproved tire-rim combina-
tions can change Advanced Airbag per-
formance and increase the risk of serious
personal injury in a crash.
- Never install suspension components
that do not have the same performance
characteristics as the components origi-
nally installed on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that
have not been approved by Audi.
A
WARNING
-
Items stored between the safety belt
buckle and the center console can cause
the sensors in the buckle to send the
wrong information to the electronic con-
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air-
bag System from working properly.
- Always make sure that nothing can inter-
fere with the safety belt buckles and that
they are not obstructed.
Knee
airbags
· Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system con provide supple-
mental protection to properly restrained
front seat occupants.
Fig. 124 Driver's airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument
panel underneath the steering wheel
~
fig. 124,
the airbag for the passenger is at
about the same height in the instrument pan-
el underneath the glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection
to the driver's and passenger's knees lower
thigh areas as a supplement to the protection
by the safety belts.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags
also deploy in frontal collisions when the de-
ployment threshold stored in the control unit
is met
~
page 118, More important things to
know about front airbags.
In addition to their normal safety function,
safety belts help keeping the driver or front
passenger in position in a frontal collision so
..,.
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