Get Sitting correctly and safely -> Airbag system Guide for Audi Q8 SUV First Generation (2018-2026)

Sitting correctly and safely

Airbag system

airbags deploy from the seat backrest, such

covers could impair the protective function

of the side airbags.

General information

– Damage to the original seat covers in the

airbag deployment area must always be re-

paired by an authorized Audi dealer or au-

thorized Audi Service Facility.

WARNING

– If you have not fastened your safety belt,

you are in an incorrect seating position, or

you are too close to the airbag system, the

airbag system will not be able to protect

you. This increases the risk of serious inju-

ries or death. Make sure that each person in

the vehicle has their safety belt fastened

correctly and is sitting in a correct seating

position ðpage 66. This is necessary re-

gardless of whether the seat is equipped

with an airbag or not.

– Airbag system components are installed at

various locations in your vehicle. Incorrect

work or repairs on the vehicle could damage

the airbag system components or impair

their functionality. This may prevent the air-

bags from deploying or cause them to de-

ploy incorrectly in the event of an accident,

which increases the risk of serious injuries or

death. Only have an authorized Audi dealer

or authorized Audi Service Facility make re-

pairs or modifications to a vehicle.

– Never place your feet on the instrument

panel, out of the window, or on the seat sur-

faces. To help ensure that the airbag system

can deploy correctly, never bend forward or

lean on the door or the side window. Other-

wise, serious injuries or death can occur if

the airbags deploy.

– The airbag system can only provide protec-

tion during one collision. If there is another

collision, the airbag system will not deploy

again. If the airbag system has deployed,

have it replaced immediately by an author-

ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service

Facility.

– People, animals, or objects between the ve-

hicle occupants and the airbag system can

interfere with the correct deployment of the

airbag or can be propelled through the vehi-

cle interior, increasing the risk of serious in-

juries or death. Make sure that nothing is lo-

cated between the vehicle occupants and

the airbag system. Do not secure or trans-

port any objects within the deployment zone

of the airbag systems, especially on the

steering wheel, on the instrument panel, on

the doors, on the windows, or in the foot-

well.

– Fine dust may appear if the airbags deploy.

This is completely normal and does not indi-

cate a fire in the vehicle. The fine dust can ir-

ritate the skin and mucous membranes in

the eyes and can cause difficulty breathing,

particularly for individuals who have or have

had asthma or other health issues that af-

fect breathing. Exit the vehicle or open the

windows or doors to get access to fresh air.

Tips

– Never put stickers on the airbag system cov-

ers or cover them with any objects.

If you are transporting children in the vehicle,

read the information and follow the safety

precautions ðpage 80.

– Only lightweight clothing should be hung

from the garment hooks in the vehicle. Do

not use clothes hangers to hang clothing.

The pockets of the clothing must not con-

tain any heavy, breakable, or sharp-edged

objects. This could impair the effectiveness

of the side curtain airbags.

Safety systems monitoring

The  indicator light in the instrument cluster

monitors the safety systems such as the airbags

(including the control modules, sensor, and wir-

ing) and the belt tensioners. It turns on when you

turn on the ignition and turns off after several

seconds.

– You must not use seat or protective covers

that are not specifically approved for use on

Audi seats with side airbags. Since the side



Sitting correctly and safely

If the indicator light does not turn on when the

ignition is turned on, does not turn off after sev-

eral seconds, or turns on or flashes while driving,

there may be a malfunction in one of the safety

systems. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or

authorized Audi Service Facility immediately to

have the malfunction corrected.

WARNING

Have the malfunction in the safety systems in-

spected immediately. Otherwise, there is a

risk that the systems may not activate during

an accident, which increases the risk of seri-

ous injury or death.

Description

Fig. 65 Airbag overview image (deployment area/deployed airbags)

The locations of the airbags are labeled with

“AIRBAG”. The following airbags are installed in

your vehicle:

Airbags may deploy during front impact, side im-

pact, or rollover accidents.

The deployment range for the airbag system can-

not be defined for every situation, since the cir-

cumstances surrounding accidents can vary wide-

ly. Factors that play an important role include the

condition of the object that the vehicle hits (hard

or soft), the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.

The deciding factor for the deployment of the air-

bag system is the deceleration that occurs during

an accident. Sensors in the vehicle are designed

to detect the severity of an accident in conjunc-

tion with the control module, and to provide a

targeted and timely deployment of the restraint

system. If the vehicle deceleration that is

Driver's airbag

Front passenger's airbag

Front and rear side airbags

Head curtain airbag with ejection mitigation

Airbags offer the best possible protection in your

vehicle during an accident when they are used to-

gether with safety belts that are fastened cor-

rectly, and when vehicle occupants are sitting in a

correct seating position. Airbags are a supple-

mentary restraint system and do not replace

safety belts.



Sitting correctly and safely

measured during an accident is below the speci-

fied reference values in the control module, then

the airbags will not deploy, even though the vehi-

cle may be severely damaged from the accident.

In these cases, the vehicle occupants will be pro-

tected by the safety belts if they are fastened and

worn correctly.

Advanced airbag system

The deployment of the front passenger's airbag

will depend on the occupancy of the seat

ðpage 78.

Fig. 66 Headliner: indicator light to display the status of

the front passenger's airbag

Each deployed airbag is filled with gas. When this

occurs, the airbag covers open and the airbags

unfold with great force into the deployment zone

within milliseconds. Inflated airbags reduce the

movement of persons in the vehicle who are

wearing safety belts in the direction of the im-

pact and thus help to reduce the risk of injury.

They can help to protect the head, upper body,

and lap, for example. However, there is the possi-

bility that airbag deployment can cause injuries.

The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has

been certified to comply with the requirements

of the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standard (FMVSS) 208, as well as Canada Motor

Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applica-

ble at the time your vehicle was manufactured.

According to these requirements, the front Ad-

vanced Airbag System on the front passenger’s

side has been certified for “suppression” for in-

fants approximately 12 months old and younger,

and for “low risk deployment” for children aged 3

to 6 years old (as defined in the standard).

The airbag system works when the ignition is

turned on.

If you or other passengers in the vehicle have

physical limitations that prevent sitting in a cor-

rect position, modifications to the vehicle may be

necessary. For more information, contact an au-

thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service

Facility, or call Audi customer support at

1-800-822-2834.

The advanced airbag system will activate or deac-

tivate the front passenger's airbag based on the

occupancy of the seat. If a front airbag deploys

during a collision, the deployment force will

adapt to the person in the vehicle.

Components

Tips

The advanced airbag system consists of the fol-

lowing components:

The side curtain airbags in your vehicle have

ejection mitigation functions. This reduces

the risk of being ejected from the vehicle inte-

rior during an accident, especially in the event

of a vehicle rollover.

– Front airbags in the steering wheel and in the

instrument panel on the front passenger's side:

these can protect persons in the front seats

during a collision

– Passenger occupant detection sensor in the

front passenger's seat: this detects if the front

passenger's seat is occupied (for example, by a

person or a small child in a child safety seat)

– Seat position sensors on the front seats: these

determine the distance between the seat and

the steering wheel or instrument panel

– Sensors in the front safety belt latch: these de-

tect if the safety belts are fastened



Sitting correctly and safely

Meaning of PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF  ON

 indicator light

– PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF  ON  indica-

tor light in the headliner: this indicates if the

front passenger's airbag is activated or deacti-

vated

When the ignition is turned on, the system de-

tects whether the front passenger's seat is occu-

pied. PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF  ON 

will turn on for several seconds during this proc-

ess. Then it will indicate if the front passenger's

airbag is activated or deactivated.

–  Indicator light in the instrument cluster:

this monitors the function of the Advanced Air-

bag System components to ensure they are

functioning correctly

How the components function together

– PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF : the front

passenger's airbag is deactivated and will not

deploy in the event of an accident.

The passenger occupant detection sensor in the

front passenger's seat detects if the front pas-

senger's seat is occupied. The passenger occu-

pant detection sensor measures the electrical ca-

pacity on the front passenger’s seat. The pas-

senger's airbag is activated or deactivated de-

pending on the electrical capacity that is meas-

ured.

– PASSENGER AIR BAG ON : the front pas-

senger's airbag is activated and could deploy in

the event of an accident.

If a change to the occupancy status of the front

passenger's seat is detected

PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF  ON  will

flash for several seconds and will then display the

status of the front passenger's airbag.

The passenger's airbag is activated if:

– The electrical capacity is higher than the

threshold stored in the control module

Always make sure the indicator light corresponds

to the occupancy of the front passenger's seat.

– The electrical capacity is the same as or greater

than the electrical capacity of a typical adult

– An adult or individual of similar size in the

front passenger's seat: the front passenger's

airbag must be activated, therefore

PASSENGER AIR BAG ON  must remain

turned on.

The passenger's airbag is deactivated if:

– The electrical capacity is lower than the thresh-

old stored in the control module

– The electrical capacity is the same as or less

than the electrical capacity of a typical one-

year-old child in a child safety seat that has

been used for certification in accordance with

FMVSS 208

– An individual of smaller size (for example, an

adolescent or small adult) in the front pas-

senger's seat: the front passenger's airbag

must be activated, so

PASSENGER AIR BAG ON  must stay on.

– Child in a child safety seat on the front pas-

senger's seat: the front passenger's airbag

must be deactivated, so

PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF  must stay on.

– Front passenger's seat not occupied: the front

passenger's airbag must be deactivated, so

PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF  must remain

on.

If the front passenger's airbag is activated, the

PASSENGER AIR BAG ON  indicator light

will turn on. If the front passenger's airbag is de-

activated, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 

indicator light will turn on.

The deployment force of the front airbags adapts

based on whether or not the safety belt is used

and the distance between the seat and the steer-

ing wheel/instrument panel. For example, if a

person is too close to the front airbag, the front

airbag will deploy with less force to help reduce

the risk of injury.

WARNING

– An adult or a person with a small stature

(such as a young person or small adult) seat-

ed on the front passenger's seat will not be

protected by the passenger's airbag in the

event of a collision if the passenger's airbag



Sitting correctly and safely

is deactivated. This increases the risk of in-

jury and death. Always make sure that

PASSENGER AIR BAG ON  remains on

while driving. If

as a laptop or a retrofitted seat heater) are

on the front passenger's seat. Do not trans-

port any objects on or under the front pas-

senger's seat.

PASSENGER AIR BAG ON  does not

turn on, make sure the front passenger is

sitting correctly in the seat ðpage 66 and

that there is nothing covering the front pas-

senger's seat (such as blankets or pillows). If

PASSENGER AIR BAG ON  still does

not turn on, the front passenger's seat must

not be used. Drive to an authorized Audi

dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility

and have the airbag system inspected.

– A child in a child safety seat on the front

passenger's seat - especially in a rear-facing

child safety seat - can receive a severe im-

pact if the front passenger's airbag deploys,

which increases the risk of serious injury or

death. Always secure child safety seats on

the rear seats. If special circumstances re-

quire the use of a child safety seat on the

front passenger's seat, always make sure

that PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF  re-

mains on while driving. If

– Seat covers or protective covers may prevent

the advanced airbag system from correctly

detecting child safety seats or persons in

the front passenger's seat. You must not use

seat covers or protective covers on the front

passenger's seat that are not specifically ap-

proved for use on Audi seats with an ad-

vanced airbag system.

Child safety seats

General information

When installing and using child safety seats, fol-

low the information in this Owner's Manual, the

applicable state and federal regulations, and the

manufacturer instructions for the child safety

seat.

You can also obtain useful and current informa-

tion from the following sources:

U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-

tration

PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF  does not

turn on, remove the child safety seat and in-

stall it again according to the child safety

seat manufacturer instructions. If

National SAFE KIDS Campaign

PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF  still does

not turn on, the front passenger's seat must

not be used. Drive to an authorized Audi

dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility

and have the airbag system inspected.

– Fluids, electronic devices, or mechanical

damage on the front passenger's seat may

cause the front passenger seat occupant de-

tection to malfunction. The system may

then incorrectly detect if the front passeng-

er's seat is occupied. As a result, it could de-

ploy the front passenger’s airbag incorrectly

or fail to deploy it, which increases the risk

of serious injury or death. Make sure that no

wet objects (such as a wet hand towel) and

no fluids come into contact with the front

passenger's seat cushion. If the front pas-

senger's seat becomes wet, dry it immedi-

ately. Make sure no electronic devices (such

SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.

Transport Canada Information Centre

Audi Customer Experience Center

WARNING

To reduce the risk of serious injuries or death,

children must always be secured in the vehicle

with a child safety seat that is appropriate for

their body size, weight, and age.

– Children ages 12 and under must be trans-

ported using the appropriate child safety



Sitting correctly and safely -> Airbag system for Your Audi Q8 SUV First Generation (2018-2026)

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