Audi Q5: Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very important parts of the Advanced Airbag System in it. These parts include the weight-sensing mat, sensors, wiring, brackets, and more. The function of the system in the front passenger seat is checked by the electronic control unit when the ignition is on. The control unit monitors the Advanced Airbag System and turns the airbag indicator light on when a malfunction in the system components is detected. The function of the airbag indicator light is described in greater detail below. Because the front passenger seat contains important parts of the Advanced Airbag System, you must take care to prevent it from being damaged. Damage to the seat may prevent the Advanced Airbag for the front passenger seat from doing its job in a crash.
The front Advanced Airbag System consists of the following:
- Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that measure vehicle acceleration/deceleration to provide information to the Advanced Airbag System about the severity of the crash.
- An electronic control unit, with integrated crash sensors for front and side impacts. The control unit "decides" whether to fire the front airbags based on the information received from the crash sensors. The control unit also "decides" whether the safety belt pretensioners should be activated.
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and control valve for the driver inside the steering wheel hub.
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and control valve inside the instrument panel for the front passenger.
- A weight-sensing mat under the upholstery padding of the front passenger seat cushion that measures the total weight on the seat. The information registered is sent continuously to the electronic control unit to regulate deployment of the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side.
- An airbag monitoring system and indicator light in the instrument cluster.
- A sensor in each front seat registers the distance between the respective seat and the steering wheel or instrument panel. The information registered is sent continuously to the electronic control unit to regulate deployment of the front Advanced Airbags.
- The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on in the center of the instrument panel > fig. 168 and tells you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off.
- A sensor below the safety belt latch for the front seat passenger to measure the tension on the safety belt. The tension on the safety belt and the weight registered by the weight-sensing mat help the control unit ' decide" whether the front airbag for the front passenger seat should be turned off or not.
- A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver and for the front seat passenger that senses whether that safety belt is latched or not and transmits this information to the electronic control unit.
WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can prevent the front airbag from working properly.
- Improper repair or disassembly of the front passenger and driver seat will prevent the Advanced Airbag System from functioning properly.
- Repairs to the front passenger seat must be performed by qualified and properly trained workshop personnel.
- Never remove the front passenger or driver seat from the vehicle.
- Never remove the upholstery from the front passenger seat.
- Never disassemble or remove parts from the seat or disconnect wires from it.
- 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 passenger seat. Parts of the Advanced Airbag System under the passenger seat could be damaged, preventing them and the airbag system from working properly.
- Never place seat covers or replacement upholstery that have not been specifically approved by Audi on the front seats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag System from recognizing child restraints or occupants on the front passenger seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from deploying properly.
- 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 functioning properly.
- If you must use a child restraint on the front passenger seat and the child restraint manufacturer's instructions require 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 restraint is installed on the front passenger seat.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on, immediately install child restraint in a rear seating 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 offered 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 important information about safety and heed the WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Advanced Airbag System and the activation of the safety belt pretensioners 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.
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 safety 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.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, always wear safety belts properly.
- If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sideways or out of position in any way, your risk of injury is much higher.
- You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag.
