2009 AUDI Q7 Owner´s Manual

Airbag system -----------------=~-
& WARNING (continued )
• Always install forward or rear-facing child safety seats on the
rear seat -even with an Advanced Airbag Sy stem.
• If you must install a rearward -facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on,
immediately inst all the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• A tight tether or other strap on a rearward-facing child restraint
attached to the front pas senger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-sensing mat in the se at and reg ister more weight
than is actually on the seat. The heavier weight registered can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat and
deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing
serious or even fatal injury to the ch ild .
• If, in exceptional circumstance s, you must install a forward ­
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft adjust ­
ment range , as far away from the airbag as possible . The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position . Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on .
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above, make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating positions .
• Have the airbag sy stem inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer before transporting anyone on the front passenger seat .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
[ i ] Tips
If th e we ight-se nsing mat in t he front passenger seat detects an
e m pty seat, the front airbag on the passenger si de wil l be turned
o ff , a nd t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht will stay on. a
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Pa rts o f the airba g syste m are in sta lled a t many d ifferent places on
your Audi. Insta lling, removing, servicing or repa ir ing a part in an
ar ea of the ve hicle ca n dama ge a par t of a n airbag sys te m and
prevent that system from wor king properly in a co llision.
There are so me i mpor ta nt thi ngs you have to know to make sure
that the effectiveness of the system w ill not be impaired and that
d iscarded components do no t cause inju ry o r po llute the e nvir on­
m ent.
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair pro cedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly :
• Never cover, obstruct, or change the steering wheel horn pad
or airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way .
• Never attach any objects such as cupholders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units .
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel , use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moistened with pla in water . Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change the stiffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop ­
erly .
• Never repair , adjust , or change any parts of the airbag system .
• All work on the steering wheel , instrument panel, front seats or
electrical system (including the installation of audio equipment ,
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-L~A:::..:,: ir:....: b:!..::: a~g L.:: s:1y :...:s::..: t~ e:.: m:...:...:.. ________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
cellular telephones and CB radios , et c.) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training and spec ial equipment
ne cessary .
• For any work on the airbag system , we strongly recommend
that you see your author ized Audi dealer or qual ified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body.
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter ­
ference :
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seatba cks that have not been spe cific ally approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
• The airbag system can be activated only once. Afte r an airbag
has inflated , it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the te chnical information , training
and spe cial equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deployed only once. After an airbag
has been deployed , it must be repla ced with new repla cement
parts designed and approved especially for your Audi model
version . Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only .
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenan ce booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• For safety reasons in severe accidents , the alternator and
starter are separated from the vehicle battery with a pyrotechni c
c ircuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechni c circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
& WAR NING (continued )
-If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is s crapped , all appli­
cable safety precautions must be followed.
ffi For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretensioners might be c lassified
as Pe rchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca .gov/hazardouswaste/perc hlo ra te . When t he veh icle or
parts of the restraint system inc luding airbag mod ules and safety
be lts wi th pre tensio ners are sc rapp ed, all ap plicab le laws a nd regu ­
l ations must be observed . Your authorized Audi dealer is fam iliar
wit h these requir ements an d we re co mmen d t hat yo u have your
dea ler perform this service for you. •
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the veh ic le 's su spension system can change the way that
th e Advanced Air bag Syste m performs in a c rash. Fo r example,
using tire-rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
v eh ic le, c hang ing the stif fness of th e suspe nsio n, in cl ud in g the
springs, suspension struts, shoc k absorbers etc . can change the
fo rces that a re m eas ure d b y the air bag senso rs and se nt to the elec ­
tronic control unit. Some suspension changes can, for example,
increa se the fo rce level s measured by the sen so rs and ma ke the
a irbag syste m dep loy in crash es in which it wou ld not dep loy if the
changes ha d not been made . Othe r kinds of change s may red uce
t he fo rce lev els measu red by the se nso rs a nd preve nt the airba g
from deploying when it should.
T he sens ors i n th e safe ty bel t buc kle for th e driver a nd fr ont
passenger seat tell the electronic control modu le if the safety belt is
l a tc h ed or not. I f th e safe ty belt is being used, the fron t airbag wi ll
deploy at a slight ly h igher rate of vehic le dece leration than if the
sa fe ty be lt is n ot b ein g use d. Therefore, i n a partic ular c ollisi on, it i s -.,

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 sensors can send the correct
information about safety belt use to the electronic control unit .
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including use of unapproved
tire -rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performance
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 originally
installed on your vehicle.
• Never use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& 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 control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly.
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretensioners might be classified
as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc .ca.gov/ha zardouswaste/perchlorat e. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules and safety
belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regu­
lations must be observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar
with these requiremen ts and we recommend that you have your
dealer perform this service for you.•
Safety first
Side airbags
Description of side airbags Airbag
system
The airbag system
can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants.
Fig . 254 Side airbag
location in the driver's
sea t
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
~ fig. 254 and the rear backrest * facing the doors . They are identi ­
fied by the word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
• the electronic control module and external side i mpact sensors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
• two rear side airbags (as an ordered
option)
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster.
The airbag system is mon itored e lectronica lly to make certain that
it is functioning prop erly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni ­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (se lf diagnostics) .
The side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help
to reduce the risk of injury to the driver's , front and rea r*
passenger's upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a
s ide collision . The airbag dep loys on ly in side impacts and only
when the vehicle acceleration registered by the control unit is high
~
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;:::;_ s--:.. y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
enough. If this rate is below the reference value programmed into
t he control unit, the side airbags will not be triggered, even though
the car may be badly damaged as a result of the collision . It is not
possible to define an airbag triggering range that wi ll cover every
possible angle of impact, since the circumstances will vary consid­
erably between one collision and another . Important factors
include, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting
object, the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.=>
page 259, "Impor ­
tant safety instructions on the side airbag system".
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts work to help keep the driver or front passenger in position in the event of a side
collision so that the side airbags can provide protection .
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your safety belt . Rather, it
is part of the overa ll occupant restraint system in your vehicle .
Always remember that the side airbag system can on ly help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety be lt and wearing it prop­
erly . This is another reason why you should always wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do so=>
page 231,
"General notes" .
It is important to remember that while the supplemental side airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swel ling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
a lso be associated with deployed s ide airbags. Remember too, side
airbags wil l deploy only once and only in certain kinds of accidents
- your safety belts are always there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage are not necessari ly an indication of over -sensitive or failed airbag acti ­
vation. In some collisions , both front and side airbags may inflate.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and only in
certain kinds of collis ions - your safety belts are always there to
offer protection in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already dep loyed.
The sid e a irba g sy stem w ill not deploy :
• when the ignition is turned off •
in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor
is too low
• in front -end collisions
• in rear-end co llisions
• in ro llovers .
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side curtain airbags
and side airbags may be triggered together .
& WARNING
• Safety b elt s and the airb ag sy ste m will only prov id e pr ote ction
whe n occ upant s are in the prop er se ating po sit io n
=> pag e 259.
• If the airb ag indic ator light come s on w hen the v ehicl e is bei ng
u sed , h av e the syste m inspe cte d immedi ate ly by y our authoriz ed
Audi de aler . Th e ai rbag m ay not w ork properly when the vehicle
a ccel erat ion in a side collision is high e nough to ac tivate th e
a ir bag .•
Hovv supplemental side airbags vvork
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help reduce the risk of upper torso injuries for occupants who are properly
restrained.
F ig . 255 Inf late d sid e
a ir bags o n left side of
v ehi cle, rea r si de
a ir bag opti on al eq uip-
m ent .,

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ lJ!III
When the system is triggered , the airbag is f ill ed with propel lant gas
and br eaks t hroug h a seam in the seat surface area marked
" AIRBAG ". It expands between the side trim panel and the
passenger . In order to he lp provide this additional protection, the
side airbag must inflate within a frac tion of a second at very high
speed and w ith great force . The supplemental side airbag could
injure you i f your seating position is not proper or upright or i f items
are located in the area where the supplemental side airbag expands .
This app lies especia lly to children ~ page 263 , "Child Safety".
Suppl em ental sid e airbags inflate betw een the occupant and the
door panel on the s ide of the veh ic le that is struck in certain side
collision
~ page 258, fig. 255 .
A lthough they are not a soft pi llow, they can "cus hion" the impact
and in this way they can he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys. This is normal and does not m ean there is a fire in the vehicle . •
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Always prop ­
erly wear safety belts and ride in a proper seating posi ­
tion .
There is a lo t t ha t you and you r passengers mus t know a nd act
according ly to he lp th e sa fety belts and airbags do th eir job to
prov ide supp lemental pro tec tion .
& WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause seriou s or fatal injury. Improp ­
erly wearing safety belts and improper seating posit ions increa se
the ri sk of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is
being u sed .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WAR N ING (continued )
• In order to redu ce the risk of injury when the supplement al s ide
airbag infl ates :
- Alway s sit in an upright position and never lean against the
a rea where the supplement al s ide airbag is lo cated .
- Never let a child or anyone else rest their head against the
side t rim panel i n the area where the supplemental side airb ag
inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are worn corre ctly ,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat put their hand or
any other parts of their bod y out of the window.
• Alway s make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter ­
ference .
- Ne ver in stall se at cover s or repla cement upholste ry o ver the
front seat back s that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use additional seat cushion s that cover the areas
where the side airbag s deploy .
- Dama ge to the original seat covers or to the seam in the a rea
of the side airb ag module must always be repaired immedi ­
ately by an authori zed Audi dealer .
• Obje cts bet ween you and the airbag can in crease the ri sk of
injury in an accident by interfering wi th the way the a irbag unfolds
or by be ing pu shed int o yo u as the airb ag inflat es.
- Never place or atta ch acce ssorie s or other object s (such as
c up holders , telephone bra ckets , or even lar ge, bul ky obje cts )
on the doors , over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the
se at backre sts .
- Su ch ob ject s and acces sories can be come dangerou s projec ­
tile s and cau se injury when the supplemental side airbag
deploys. _.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;:::;_ s--:.. y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
-Never carry any objects or pets in the deployment space
between them and the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position .
• Always use the built-in coat hooks only for lightweight
clothing. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the
pockets that may interfere with side airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in an accident .
• Always prevent the side airbags from being damaged by heavy
objects knocking against or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
• The airbag system can only be triggered once . If the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership .
• Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to the original seat covers
or to the seam in the area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• If chi ldren are seated improperly, their risk of injury increases
in the case of an accident:::::,
page 263, "Child Safety".
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in any way.
• In a side collision , side airbags will not function properly if
sensors cannot correctly measure increasing air pressure inside
the doors when air escapes through larger, unclosed openings in
the door panel.
-Never drive with interior door trim panels removed.
- Never drive when parts have been removed from the inside
door panel and the openings they leave have not been properly
closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the doors have been
removed unless the speaker holes have been properly closed .
- Always make certain that openings are covered or filled if
additional speakers or other equipment is installed in the
inside door panels .
& WARNING (continued)
-Always have work on the doors done by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop . •
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbags can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 256 Side curtain
airbags , driver 's side:
location
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides of the interior
above the front and rear side windows:::::, fig. 256 . They are identi­
fied by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshield frame and the center
roof pillar.
The side curtain airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury for occupants' heads and upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side collision. The
side curtain airbag inflates only in side impacts and only when the
vehicle acceleration registered by the control unit is high enough. If
this rate is below the reference value programmed into the control
unit, the side airbags will not be triggered, even though the car may
be badly damaged as a result of the collision. It is not possible to
define an airbag triggering range that will cover every possible ..,

angle of impact, s inc e the ci rcumstanc es w ill vary considerably
bet ween one collisi on and another. Important factors include, for
example, the na ture (hard or soft) of the impacting object, the ang le
of impact, vehicle speed, etc.~
page 267, "How side curtain ai rbags
work".
Aside from their norma l safety function, safety be lts work to help
keep the driver or front passenger in position in the event of a col li­
sion so tha t the side curtain airbags can provide protection .
The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it
is part of the overa ll occupant restraint system in your vehicle .
Always remembe r that the airbag sy stem can only help to protect
you if you are wea ring your safety belt and wearing it proper ly. This
is another reason why you should a lways wear your safety belts, not
just because the law requires you to do so~
page 231, "General
notes".
I t is important to remember tha t while the side curtain airbag
system is designed to help reduce the likelihood of serious injuries,
other in jur ies, for examp le, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions
can a lso be associated with these airbags upon dep loyment.
Remember too, these airbags will dep loy only once and only in
certa in kinds o f accidents -your safety belts are always there to
offer protection.
T he side curtain airbag s ystem basi cally consists of :
• T he electronic control module and external side impac t sensors
• T he side curtain airbags above the front and rear side windows
• The airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
T he airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain i t is
functioning prope rly at a ll times. Each time you turn on the ignition,
the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few seconds
(self diagnos tics).
The side curtain airbag is not a cti vated :
• if the ignition is tur ned off
Safety first
Airb ag sy ste m
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor
is too low
• in front -end collisions
• in rear -end co llisions.
& WARNING
• Safety belt s and the airbag sy stem will only p rov ide protect ion
when o ccupants are in the proper seating po sition
=> page 92 ,
"General recommendation s".
• If the airbag indicator light come s on when the vehicle i s being
used , ha ve the system inspected immediatel y by your aut horized
Audi dealer . The side curtain airbag may not work properly even
when the vehicle acceleration in a side colli sion i s high enoug h to
act ivate the a irbag. •
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain air bags can work together with side airbags
to help reduce the risk of head and upper torso injuries for
occ upants who are pro perly res trained.
F ig . 2 57 Illus trat ion of
p rinc iple : In fl ate d side
c urt ain a irb ag s on the
left side
The side cu rta in airbags inflate between the occupant and the
windows on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side collision
~ fig. 257. tt
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

lffl) __ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
When the system is triggered, the side curtain airbag is filled with
p ropel lan t gas and b rea ks th roug h a sea m above the fron t and rear
side windows identified by the A IR BAG labe l. In order to help
provide th is additi ona l protec tion, the side curtain ai rbag must
inflate within the b link of an eye at very high speed and with great
force . The side cu rtain ai rbag could inju re you if yo ur seating posi ­
t ion is not p roper or upright or if items are located i n the a rea w here
the supplementa l side curtain airbag inflates . This applies espe ­
cia lly to child re n :::::,
page 263.
Although they are not a soft pi llow, side curtain airbags can
"cus hion" the im pac t and in this way they can hel p to reduce the risk
of injury to the head and the upper part of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys . This is q uite
n orma l and does no t mean t he re is a fi re i n th e ve hicle .•
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
A irb ags are only suppl emen ta l res tr a int s. A lways prop ­
erl y wear safety b elts and ride in a proper s ea ti ng posi ­
t io n.
T here is a lot that you and your passengers must know and do to
he lp th e sa fety belts and ai rbags do their j ob to prov ide su pple­
mental protection .
& WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions
increase the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used .
• Never let occupants place any parts of their bodies in the area
from which the side curtain airbags inflate .
• Always make sure that the side curtain airbags can inflate
without interference . Unsuitable accessories fitted inside the
& WARNING (continued)
expansion range of a side curtain a irbag can dangerously interfere
with its function. A deploying head airbag develops enough force
to catapult any p iece of add-on component out of its path of infla­
tion and into the passenger compartment. An occupant hit by such a projectile can suffer serious inju ry or death
=> page 404 ,
"Technical Modifications" .
• Do not sw ivel the sun visors to the s ide if you have any objects
clipped onto them (for example pensl.
If the airbag should deploy ,
you could be injured by these objects .
• Use the built -in coat hooks only for lightweight clothing . Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can cause personal injury in
an accident .
• Never u se hangers to hang clothing from the hooks.
• Only use fa ctory-installed sun shades or , in the case of shades
installed after the vehicle leaves the factory , only Audi roll -up
suns creens m ay be used => page 403 , "Additional a ccessories and
parts replacement ".
• Always sit in proper seating position and wear safety belts
while traveling so that the side curtain airbags can help provide protect ion .
• The airbag system can only be triggered once.
If the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced by an author ized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Always have work involving the side curtain airbag system ,
removal and installation of the airbag components, or other
repairs performed by an authorized Audi dealer or qu alified wor k­
shop . Otherwise the airbag sy stem may not work correctly.
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in anyway. •