Audi Workshop Service and Repair Manuals

Vehicles ä 1997:

The airbag system contains: Driver's airbag, passenger's airbag, and 2 front belt tensioners. In a crash situation, these are actuated centrally by the airbag control unit (J234) when certain specified triggering criteria are exceeded.

Vehicles 1997 ä up to vehicles ä1999: Chassis no. 8D XA 200 000:

The airbag system contains: Driver's airbag, front passenger's airbag, two side airbags at the front, two front belt tensioners and either 2 or 3 rear belt tensioners (1998 ä). In a crash situation, these are actuated centrally by the airbag control unit (J234) when certain specified triggering criteria are exceeded.

Self-diagnosis can be used to block or activate the passenger's airbag .

Vehicles 1999 ä: from chassis no. 8D XA 200 001 onwards

The airbag system contains: Driver's airbag, passenger's airbag, two front belt tensioners, two side airbags at the front and either 2 or 3 rear belt tensioners, head airbag, key switch deactivating passenger's airbag. In a crash situation, these are actuated centrally by the airbag control unit (J234) when certain specified triggering criteria are exceeded.

In addition to using the airbag key switch it is also possible to block or activate the passenger airbag via the function "adaption" => Page 01-61.

In a crash situation the airbag control unit sends a "Crash signal" to the central locking control unit. This function is a passive safety feature. When the airbag and/or the belt tensioner are triggered it uses the central locking to release the door locks and tailgate lock and blocks the interior switch. The interior light is also switched on. The "Crash-Signal" must be checked using final control diagnosis => Page 01-40.

If an airbag and/or belt tensioner is triggered, the control unit will record the fault "Crash data stored".

In such cases the control unit for the airbag (J234) must be renewed after

• ◆ the 1st triggering of driver's or passenger's airbag,
• ◆ the 3rd triggering of the front belt tensioners and/or side airbags.

After the 3rd triggering it is not possible to erase the crash signal with the fault reader V.A.G 1551 up to ä10.98 in vehicles with airbag 8.

All vehicles:

The control unit detects faults in the airbag system and stores them in a permanent memory.

After the ignition is switched on, the airbag warning lamp (K75) comes on for about 4 seconds and then goes out again. If the lamp then flashes for a further 12 seconds, this indicates that the passenger's airbag has been deactivated (vehicles 1997 only ä).

• ◆ If the warning lamp (K75) does not go out after about 4 seconds, this means that there is a fault in the voltage supply for the airbag control unit (J234). Interrogate fault memory => Page 01-11.
• ◆ If the warning lamp (K75) goes out and comes on again, this indicates either that the control unit has not been encoded, that the wrong control unit has been fitted, or that a fault has occurred. Interrogate fault memory => Page 01-11.