Audi A6 Typ 4G: 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 capacitive passenger detection system, wiring, brackets, and more. The control unit monitors the system on the front passenger seat when the ignition is switched on and turns the airbag indicator light on when a malfunction in the one of the system components is detected. 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 System 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 capacitive passenger detection system underneath the front passenger seat cover. This system measures the electrical capacitance of the person in 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. 156 and tells you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off.
• 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 put them on the seat. The capacitive passenger detection mat in the front passenger seat will not function properly if it is punctured.
• Never carry things on your lap or carry objects on the front passenger seat. Such objects can influence the capacitance registered by the capacitive passenger detection system, so that incorrect information is provided 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.
• If a seat heater has been retrofitted or otherwise added to the front passenger seat, never install any child restraint system on this seat.
• Never use cushions, pillows, blankets, or similar items on the front passenger seat.

  The additional layers prevent the capacitive passenger detection system from accurately measuring the capacitance of the child safety seat and/or the person on the seat and thus keep the Advanced Airbag System from working properly.

• Never place or use any electrical device (such as a laptop, CD player, electronic games device, power inverter or seat heater for child seats) on the front passenger seat if the device is connected to the 12-volt socket. Such devices can influence the capacitance registered by the capacitive passenger detection system, so that incorrect information is provided to the airbag control unit.
• 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 Audi dealer.

WARNING

If the front passenger seat gets wet, dry it immediately.

• If liquid soaks into the front passenger seat.

  this can keep the airbag system from working properly and may, for instance, deactivate the passenger frontal airbag. If this happens, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on together with the airbag indicator light (USA models) / (Canada models) in the instrument cluster.

• If liquid is pooled on the seat, but has not soaked in, this may also keep the airbag system from working properly and cause the passenger frontal airbag to be enabled (turned on), even though there is a properly installed child restraint system on the seat.

  Wet towels or other wet things on the seat cushion can have the same effect. If the front passenger frontal airbag is turned on, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light light will go out.

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