2010 AUDI Q7 warning

safety belt is being used but will inflate at the position where the
safety belt is not being used. It is impo rtant that nothing in terfere
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 .
W For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretensioners might be classified as
Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswas te/perchlorate . When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules and safety
belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regu la­
tions mus t be observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar w ith
these requirements and we recommend that you have your dealer
perform th is service for you .•
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 202 Side airbag
location in the driver's
seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
~ fig. 202 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 impact se nsors
• 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.
Th e airbag system is monitored elect ronically to make certain that it
is functioning properly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few seconds
(self d iagnostics).
The side airbag system supp lements the safety belts and can he lp to
reduce the risk of injury to the dr iver 's, front and rear* passenger 's
upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side collision.
The airbag deploys on ly in s ide impacts and only when the vehicle
acceleration registered by the control unit is high enough. If this rate
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

-Airbag system -
--=---=----------------
is below the reference va lue programmed into the cont rol unit, the
side airba gs w ill no t be triggered, even though t he car may be b ad ly
damaged as a result of the collision. It is not possible to define an
airbag tr iggering range that w ill cover every possible angle of impact,
since the circumstances will vary considerably 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 227, "Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system" .
Aside from the ir normal safety function, safety be lts work to help
keep the d river or front passenger in posit ion in the event of a side
co llision 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 ove rall occupant restraint system in your veh icle. Always
remember that the side airbag system can only help to protect you if
you a re wearing your safety belt and wearing it p rope rly. This is
another reason why you shou ld always wear your safety belts, not just
because the law requires you to do so~
page 199, "General no tes" .
It is important to remembe r that wh ile the supp lemental s ide airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of se rious injuries, ot her
injuries, fo r examp le, swe lling, bru ising, and minor abras ions can
also be associated with deployed side airbags . Remember too, side
airbags will dep loy only once and only in certai n kinds of accidents -
your safety belts are always there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of veh icle damage a re
not necessar ily an ind ication of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
t ion . In some collisions, both front a nd side airbags may inflate .
Remember too, that a irbags will deploy only once and only in certa in
kinds of collisions -your safety belts are a lways there to offer protec­
tion in those acc idents in w hich airbags a re not supposed to deploy or
when they have already deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy :
• when the ignition is turned off
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor is
too low •
in front-end collis ions
• in rea r-end collisions
• in rollovers .
In some types of accidents the front a irbags, side curtain airbags and
side airbags may be triggered together.
& WARNING
• Safet y belts and the airbag s ystem will only provide protection
when o ccupants are in the proper seating position ~
page 227.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle i s being
used, have th e system inspe cted immediately by your authoriz ed
Audi dealer. The airbag may not work prope rly when the vehicle
a cceleration in a side collision is high enough to activate the
ai rbag. •
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help reduce the risk
of upper torso injuries for occupants who are pro perly
restrained.
Fig. 20 3 Inflated side
ai rba gs on left side of
v eh icle, rea r side
a irba g opti onal e quip ­
m ent
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled wit h propellant gas
and breaks thro ugh a seam in the seat s urface area marked
~

Airbag system -----------------=--=----
"AIRBAG". It expands between the side tr im panel and the passenger.
I n order to he lp prov ide th is addi tion al pro te ct ion, the s ide a irbag
must inflate within a fract ion of a second at very high speed a nd with
great force . The supp lementa l sid e airbag co uld inju re you if your
seat ing position is not proper or upr ight or if items are located in the
area where the s upplementa l s ide a irbag expands . This applies espe­
c ially to children=>
page 231, "Child Safety". S upplementa l side
airbags inflate between the occupant and the door panel on the side
o f the ve hicl e that is st ru ck in ce rtai n side co llision=> fig. 203 .
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can "cush ion" the impact
and in th is way they can help 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 mean there is a fire in the vehicle. •
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restrain ts. Always pr op­
erly wear safe ty belts and ride in a proper seating posi­
tion .
There is a lot that yo u and your passengers must know and act accord­
ing ly to help the safety be lts and a irbags do the ir job to provide
supplementa l protection .
& WARNING
An inflating side ai rbag can cau se serious or fatal injury. Improp­
e rl y wearing safety belts and improper seating pos itions increase
the risk of se rious pe rsonal injury a nd death whenever a vehicle is
being used .
• In order to reduce the ri sk of injury when the supplemental
s ide airbag inflates:
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WA
RNING (continued )
-Alway s sit in an upr ight po sition and never lean again st the
area where the supplem ental side airbag is locat ed .
- Ne ver let a child or an yone el se rest their head against the
s ide trim panel in the area wh ere the supplemental side airbag
inflates.
- Alw ays make sure th at s afet y belts are worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat put their hand or
a ny other parts of their body out of the window.
• Alway s make sure that the side airbag can inflate without
interfe rence .
- N ever in stall seat covers or replac ement uphol stery over the
front seat back s that have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cu shion s that co ve r the area s
wher e the side airbags deploy.
- Damage to the original seat co ver s or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag mod ule must a lway s be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• Obje ct s between you and the airbag can in crea se the risk of
injur y in an accident by inte rfer ing with the wa y the airbag unfold s
or by being pushed int o you as the a irbag inflates .
- Ne ver pla ce or attach a cce sso ries or other object s (such a s
c upholders, t elephon e brack ets, or even larg e, bulky objects )
on t he d oor s, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG " on the
s e at ba ckrests .
- Su ch obje ct s and a cc es sories can be come dangerou s proj ec­
tiles and cause injury when th e supplemental side airbag
deplo ys.
- Nev er ca rry any objects or pets in the d eployment space
between them and the airbag s or allow childr en or other
pas seng ers to tra vel in this position .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ i_ r_b _ a_ g=- s_, y"-- s_t _e _m ______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
• 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 children are seated improperly, their risk of injury increases
in the case of an accident=>
page 231, "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.
- 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 . 204 Side curtain
airbags , driver 's side:
locati on
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides of the interior
above the front and rear side windows=> fig. 204 . They are identif ied
by the wo rd "AIRBAG" on the windshield frame and the cente r roof
pillar.
Th e side curtain airbag system supplements the safety belts and can
he lp to reduce the risk of injury for occupants' heads a nd upper torso
on the side of the vehicle th at is struck in a si de collis ion . The side
curtain a irbag inflates only in side impacts and only whe n the vehicle
acceleration registered by the control u nit is high enoug h.
If this rate
is below the reference va lue programmed in to the control unit, the
side airbags wi ll 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
(h ard or soft) of the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.=>
page 229, "H ow s ide curta in a irbags wor k". .,_

Aside from their norma l safety function, safety be lts work to he lp
kee p th e dr iver or fron t p asse n ger in posi tion in t he even t of a c olli­
sion so that the side cu rtain a irbags can provide protection.
T he a irbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt . Rathe r, it is
par t of the ove rall o ccu pan t res traint syste m in your vehicle . A lw ay s
remember t hat the airba g system can on ly help to protect you if you
a re we ari ng your safety bel t and wearing it prop erly. Thi s is ano ther
reaso n why you s hou ld always wea r your safety be lts, not just because
th e law requi re s you to do so=>
page 199, "G ene ral not es".
It is i mpo rtant to re m ember that while the s ide curta in airbag system
is des igned to help re duce the likelih ood of serious injuries, ot her
i n jur ies, fo r exa mple, sw elling, br uising, a nd m inor ab rasions can
also be assoc iated wit h these airbags upo n dep loyment . Remembe r
t o o , these a irbags w ill d eploy only on ce an d on ly in ce rt ain kinds of
acc idents -yo ur safety belts are always there to offer protection.
The side curtain airbag system basically consists of:
• Th e electronic co ntro l mo dule an d external side impact sensors
• The side c urtai n airbags above the fro nt an d rea r side windows
• Th e airba g indic ator ligh t in the ins trumen t panel
Th e a irbag system is monitored elec tron ically to make certai n it i s
functioning prope rly at a ll times . Each time yo u turn on the ignition,
t h e airbag sys tem indicator ligh t w ill com e on for a few seconds (s elf
diagnostics) .
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
• if the ignition is tu rned off
• in side co llisions when the accelerati on measured by the sens or is
t o o low
• in fro nt-e nd coll isio ns
• in re ar -end co llisions.
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system will only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position =>
page 83,
"General recommendations ".
• If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle is being
used, have the system inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer. The side curtain airbag may not work properly even
when the vehicle acceleration in a side collision is high enough to activate the airbag.~
How side curtain airbags work
Side cu rtain ai rbags c an wo rk to gethe r w it h sid e airba gs
to h elp r ed uce the risk of h ead and upp er tors o inju rie s f or
o cc u pan ts who are pr operly restr ained.
Fig . 205 Illu str ation
of principle: Inflated
side curt ain airbag s on
the left side
Th e side curtain airbags in flate between the oc cupan t and t he
w indows on the side of the vehicle t hat is struck in a sid e co llision
=> fig. 205.
Wh en the sys tem is tr igg ered, the side curta in airbag is filled w ith
pro pell ant gas and breaks th rough a seam above the front and rear
s ide w indow s iden tifi ed b y the AIRBAG label. In or der to help pro vid e
this additional protection, the side c urta in airbag must inflate with in
th e bl ink of an eye at very hi gh speed and wi th gre at force. The side ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

........ _A_ i_rb _ a_,g,:;._ s_, y'- s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
curtain airbag could injure you if your seating pos ition is not proper or
upr igh t or if items are located in the area where the s uppleme ntal
side curtain a irbag inflates . T hi s applies especially to children
=> page 231.
Although they a re not a soft pi llow, s ide cur tai n airbags can " cushion"
the impact and in this way they can help to reduce the risk of injury to
t he head and the u pper part of t he bo dy.
A fine d ust may develop when the airbag deploys . This is quite norma l
and does not mean the re is a fire in the vehicle .•
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental r estraints. Always prop ­
erly wear safety belts and ride in a proper seating posi­
ti on .
The re is a lot that yo u and your passe nge rs must know and do to help
the safety belts and airbags do their job to provide supp lemental
protec tion .
& WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper seating positions
increa se the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used .
• Never let occupant s place an y part s of their bodie s in the area
from which the side curtain airbags inflate.
• Always make sure that the side curtain airbag s can inflate
without interference. Unsuitable accessories fitted inside the
expansion range of a side curtain airbag can dangerously interfere
with its funct ion. A deploying head airbag develops enough force
to catapult any piece of add-on component out of it s path of infla­
tion and into the passenger compartment. An occupant hit by
& WARNING (c on tinued )
such a projectile can suffer serious injury or death=> page 369,
"Te chnical Modifi cations ".
• Do not swivel the sun viso rs to the side if you have any objects
clipped onto them (for example pens) . If the airbag should
deploy, you could be injured by these objects.
• Use the built-in coat hooks only for lightweight clothing. Never
lea ve any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can cause per sonal injury in
an accident.
• Never use hanger s to hang clothing from the hook s.
• Only use factory-in stalled sun shade s or , in the case of shades
i nstalled after the vehicle leaves the factory, only Audi roll-up
sunscreen s ma y be used =>
page 368, "Additional accessories and
parts replacement ".
• Always sit in proper se ating position and wear safety belts
while traveling so that the side curtain airbags can help provide
protection .
• The airbag system can only be tr iggered once. If the ai rbag has
been trigge red , the system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Alway s 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 qualified work­
shop. Otherwi se the airbag system may not work correctly.
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
i n any way. •

Child Safety -
-------------------"'---
Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a collision.
The physical pr in ci ples o f wha t happens w hen yo ur vehicl e is in a crash
app ly a lso to children=>
page 201, "What happens to occupants not
wearing safety be lts?". But unlik e adu lts and teenagers, the ir
muscles and bones are not fully developed. In many respects c hildren
are at greate r risk of ser io us injury in cras hes than adults .
Because children 's bodies a re not f ully deve loped, they require
restraint systems especially designed fo r their size, weight, and body
st ruct ure. Many cou ntries and all states of t he Unite d States and
prov inces of Canada have laws req uiring the use of approved ch ild
restrain t sys tems for infan ts an d sm all ch ild ren .
I n a fronta l crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph (30-56 km/h) the forces
act ing o n a 13- pound (6 kg) infant w ill be more than 20 times the
we ight of the ch ild . This means the we ight of the child wo uld
suddenly be more than 260 po unds (120 kg). Unde r these conditions,
only a n app ropr iat e child restra int proper ly used can red uce the risk
of serious injury. Child restraints, like adult sa fety be lts, must be used
pro perl y to be effective. Use d imprope rly, they can i ncrease t he ris k
of serious injury in an accident.
C onsult the ch ild safety seat manufacturer's instr uctions in order to
be sure the seat is r ight for you r child's size=>
page 234, "Important
safety instructions fo r using child safety seats". P lease be s ure to
read and heed a ll of the important informa tion and WAR NINGS
about chi ld safety, Advanced Airbags, an d the installation of child
restra in ts in this chapte r.
There is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
vehicle and how t hey wo rk when inf ants and childre n in child
restra ints are on the front passenger seat. Beca use of t he large
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
amou
nt of importa nt info rmation, we cannot repeat i t all he re. We
urge you to read the detailed information in th is owne r's man ua l
abou t airbags and t he Advanced A irbag Syste m in your vehicle and the
very important information abo ut transporting c hildren on the front
p assenger se at. P lea se be sure to heed the WARNIN GS - they a re
extremely important for your safety and the safety of your passe n­
gers, especially infan ts and small ch il dre n.
& WARNING
• Accid ent statisti cs have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position. Always
re strain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
• All vehicle occupants and especially children must be
restrained properly when ever riding in a vehicle. An unre strained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the
interior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuver or impact. An unrestrained or improperly rest rained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death through contact with
an inflat ing airbag .
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating posi tions provides the highest degree of protec­
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations.
& WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with Advanced Airbags
can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates. A
c hild in a rearward -facing child safety seat ins talled on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflate s.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
c arrier with great force and will sma sh the child safety seat and
child aga inst the backrest, center armrest , or door . •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

lffll.,___C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_:!, y :...._ _________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Always install rear-facing child safet y seat s on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat in exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light do es not come on and stay on,
immediately in stall the rear-facing child safety seat in a rea r
seating position and have the airbag system inspected immedi­
ately by you r Audi deale r.
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances , you must in stall a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger' s seat:
• Always make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
pas senger front and side airbag.
• Always follow the manufacturer 's instructions p rovided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position
in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible before install ing the child restra int . The back­
re st must be adju sted to an upright position .
• Always make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
c omes on and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on .•
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Airbag System" in compli­
ance wi th Uni ted St ates Federa l Mo to r Vehicle Safety St andar d
(FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your veh icle was manufac­
tu red . The Advanced A
irbag system in yo ur vehicle has been certif ied to
mee t the "low -r is k" requiremen ts fo r 3-and 6-ye ar old ch ildre n on
t he passenger side and small adults on the dr iver side . The low risk
dep loyment criteria are inten ded to reduce the risk of injury through
interaction with the a irbag t hat can occur, for example, by being too
close to the stee ring wheel an d instr ument panel when the airbag
inflates. In addi tion, the sy stem has been certified to comp ly with t he
"suppression" requirements of the Safety Standa rd, to t urn off the
fron t air bag for infan ts u p to 1 2 months who a re res tra ined on the
front passenger seat in child restrai nts that are listed in the Stan­
d ar d.
Even thoug h your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system , a ll ch ildren, especially those 12 years and yo unger, should
always r ide in t he back seat p roperly restrained for t heir ag e and si ze .
Th e ai rbag on the passenge r si de makes the front seat a potentia lly
dange rous p lace for a child to r ide. Th e front seat is not th e safest
place fo r a child in a forward- facing c hild safety seat. It can be a very
d an ge rous p lace for a n infan t or a large r chil d i n a re arwa rd-facing
seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
Th e Advanced A irbag System i n your ve hicle de tects t he p resence o f
an infa nt o r ch ild in a child rest rai nt on the fro nt passenger sea t using
the we ight-sens ing mat in the seat cushion and the senso r be low the
saf ety belt la tch o n th e front passenge r seat tha t measur es t he
tension on the safety belt.
Th e weigh t-sens ing ma t me asures tot al we ight of the child and the
child safety seat and a child blanket on the fro nt passe nger seat . The
we ight on the fro nt passenger se at is re late d t o the desi gn of the
child res traint and i ts "footpri nt", the size and shape of t he bottom
of the ch ild restraint as it sits o n the seat . The weight of a child
restrain t an d its "foo tpr int" vary for differe nt kinds of child res tra ints .,_