2010 AUDI Q7 sensor

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• A se nsor in the safety belt latch for the d river a nd fo r th e front
sea t passenge r that senses w heth er that sa fe ty bel t is la tched or no t
and tra nsmits this information to t he e lectron ic co ntrol un it.
& WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can prevent the front airbag
from working properly.
• Imprope r repair or disassembly of the front passenger and
driver seat will prevent the Advan ced Airbag System from func­
tioning properly.
• Repairs to the front passenger seat must be performed by qual­
ified 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 place them on the
seat. If the weight-sensing mat in the passenger seat is punctured
it cannot work properly .
• Never carry th ings on your lap or carry objects on the passenger
seat . Such items can increase the weight regi stered by the weight­
sensing mat and send the wrong information 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 restraint s or occupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from
deploying properly .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(co ntinued )
• Never use cushions , pillows, blankets or similar items on the
front passenger seat . The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from accurately registering the
c hild restraint or person on the seat and prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from functioning prope rly.
• 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 pos ition
the child restraint, make certain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light come s on and stays on whenever the child re straint 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 posi­
tion and have the airbag system inspe cted by your authorized Audi
dealer. •
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
T he front Advanced A irbag System and the side airbags sup plement
t he p ro tect io n offered by the front three-po int safety belts w ith
pretens io ners and load limiters and t he adjustable head restra ints to
help red uce the risk of injury in a w ide range of acci den t and cras h
sit uat ions. Be sure to read the important informat ion about safety
and hee d the WAR NINGS in this ch ap ter.
Deployme nt of the Adva nced A irbag System and the act ivation of t he
safety belt pretens ione rs depen d on the dece le ration measure d by
the crash sensors a nd reg istered by the e lectro nic contro l un it . Crash
sever ity depends on speed and decele ration as well as the mass and
st iff ness of t he ve hicle or object invo lved in the cras h.
Whe n the electronic contro l unit registers a low sever ity crash and
t he safety be lt is being used , the air ba g w ill not dep loy . If the safety
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Airbag system -----------------=--=---
& WARNING (continued)
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should.
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your autho·
rized Audi dealer. •
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 201 Section from
the instrument panel:
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center of the
instrument panel=> fig. 201.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on to tell
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been turned
off by the electronic control unit. Each time you turn on the
ignition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will flash for a few
seconds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied
• will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front
passenger seat
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight-sensing mat
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on if the
ignition is on and
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
• a car bed has been installed on the front seat, or
• a rearward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passengerseat,or
• a forward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passengerseat,or
• the weight registered on the front passenger seat is equal to or
less than the combined weight of a typical 1 year-old restrained in
one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant restraints listed in
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which the Advanced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag will not
deploy, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on. Never
install a rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
the safest place for a child in any kind of child restraint is at one of the
seating positions on the rear seat=>
page 211, "Child restraints on
the front seat -some important things to know" and=>
page 231,
"Child Safety ".
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when one of the
conditions listed above is met, be sure to check the light regularly to
make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light stays on
continuously whenever the ignition is on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not appear on and does not stay on all the time, stop
as soon as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turning the ignition
off and then turning
it on again;
• remove and reinstall the child restraint . Make sure that the child
restraint is properly installed and that the safety belt for the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed through the child restraint
as described in the child restraint manufacturer 's instructions;
• make sure that the convertible locking feature on the safety belt
for the front passenger seat has been activated and that the safety
belt has been pulled tight. The belt must not be loose or have loops
of slack so that the sensor below the safety belt latch on the seat can
do its job=>
page 241. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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• make sure that thi ngs that may increase the weig ht o f the child
and ch ild safe ty se at are not be ing transported on t he front
passenger seat;
• make sure that the safety belt tens ion sensor is not blocked.
Shake the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat back and
fort h;
• If a strap or tether is being used to t ie the child safety seat to the
front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes
the weight -sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on
t he seat.
If the P ASSENGER AIR BA G OFF li ght still doe s not come on and
does not stay on continuous ly (when the ignition is switched on),
• t ake the child restraint off the front passenger seat and insta ll it
properly at one of the rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspected by your a uthorized Audi dealer immediately.
• move the child to a rear seat position and make sure that the child
is p roperly rest rained in a c hild restrain t that is appropriate for its
size and age .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light shou ld NO T come on when the
ignition is on a nd an adult is sitt ing in a proper seat ing pos ition on the
front passenger seat. If the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on o r flashes fo r abo ut 5 seconds while driving, under these
circumstances, make sure that:
• t he adult on the front passenger sea t is properly seated on the
center of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the backrest
and the backrest is not reclined=>
page 190, "Proper occupant
seating posit ions",
• the adult is not taking weig ht off the seat by holding on to the
passenger assist handle above the front passenger door or
supporting their weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is be ing properly worn and that there is not a lot of
slack in the safety be lt webb ing,
• accessory seat covers or cushions or other th ings that may cause
an inco rre ct re ad ing o r impress ion on the weight-sens ing mat under the upholstery of the seat have bee
n removed from the front
p assenge r seat,
• a safety belt extender has not been left in the safety belt latch for
the front passenge r se at.
In add it io n to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the center of the
instrument panel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON will br iefly appear in the instrument cluster
display . This is to inform the driver of the current front passenger
airbag status .•
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An a irbag system that is not fun ction ing properly cannot provide
supplemental protect ion in a frontal crash.
• If th e airbag indic ato r light comes on , it means th at there may
be someth ing wrong with the Advanc ed Airbag S ystem . It i s
poss ible that th e airbag will inflat e when it is not suppos ed to , or
will not inflate when it should.
• Hav e the a irb ag system inspected immediately by your autho ­
rized Audi d ealer .
& WARNING
If the fr ont airb ag inflate s, a child without a child restraint, or in
a rearwa rd -facing child safet y seat, o r in a fo rwa rd-facing child
re stra int that h as not b een properl y install ed will be seriou sly
i njured and can b e killed.
• Even though your v ehicl e is equipped with an Advan ced Airbag
S y stem , ma ke certain that all children , especi ally 1 2 yea rs and
yo unger, alway s ride on the back seat properly restra ined for their
a ge and size . .,,_

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& WA RNING (conti nued)
ment, cellular telephones and CB radios, etc. ) must be performed
by a qualified technician who h as the training and special equip ­
ment necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified wo rkshop.
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without
interference :
- Never in stall seat cover s or replacement upholstery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use addit ional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate.
- Damage to the or iginal seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module mu st always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• The airbag sy stem can be activated only once . After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the techni cal information, training
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deployed only once . After an airbag
has been deployed, it must be replaced w ith new replacement
parts designed and approved e specially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or a irbag
c omponents must be performed by qualified workshops onl y.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in you r Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• For safety reasons in severe accidents, the alternator and
starter are separated from the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic
circuit interrupter.
-Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
& WARNING (c on tinued )
-If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is scrapped , all appli­
cable safety precautions must be followed.
c£' For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed a irbag mod ules and pretensione rs might be class ified as
Perch lorate Mate rial -special handling may apply, see
www.dt sc.ca.gov/ha zardou sw ast e/perc hlor ate. When the vehicle or
parts o f the restraint system including ai rbag modu les and sa fety
be lts with p rete nsioner s are sc rappe d, all app lic able laws and r egu la­
tions m ust be observed. Yo ur authorized Aud i dealer is familiar w ith
t hese requi reme nts and we recommend th at you have yo ur dealer
per form t his service for you .•
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Chang ing the vehicle's suspension system can change the way that
th e Adva nced Airbag System pe rforms i n a cr ash. Fo r examp le, us in g
t ire-rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the vehicle,
c hang ing the stiffn e ss o f th e suspension, incl uding t he sp rings,
suspension struts , shock absorbers etc. can change t he forces that
are meas ured by the a irbag sensors an d sent to the elect ronic contro l
unit . Some suspension c hanges can, fo r example, increase the force
levels meas ure d by the senso rs and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which i t would not deploy if the changes had not been
ma de. Other ki nds of changes may reduce the force levels meas ure d
by th e sensors a nd p rev ent the airbag from dep loying when it should.
T he sensors in the safety belt b uckle for the drive r and front
p assenge r se at tell the e lec tron ic co ntrol mo dule if the safety bel t i s
latched or not. If the safety belt is being used, the front a irbag w ill
dep loy at a sligh tly higher rate o f vehicle deceler ation t han if t he
sa fety belt is not be ing used . Therefo re, in a pa rt icu lar collis io n, it is
possible that an a irbag w ill not dep loy at a seating posi tion where the .,_

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
~

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& 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