2011 AUDI Q7 light

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. 203 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. 203.
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 213, "Child restraints on
the front seat -some important things to know" and=>
page 233,
"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 243. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-L___:_A~ i r'....: b~ a ::::: gL:: s~y -=s ::..:t :.:e :..: m..:..:.. ______________________________________________ _
• 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 seatback and forth;
• 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
t he weight-sensing mat to meas ure more weight than is actua lly on
the seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight still doe s not come on and
does not stay on cont inuously (when the ignition is switched on),
• take the child restraint off the f ront passenger seat and install it
properly at one of the rear seat positions . Have the airbag sys tem
inspected by your authori zed Audi dealer immediately .
• move the child to a rea r seat position and ma ke s ure that the child
is properly restrained in a ch ild restraint that is appropriate for its
size and age .
The
PA SSENG ER AIR BAG OFF light should NOT come on when the
ignition is on and an adult is sitting i n a proper seating position on the
front passenger seat . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on or flashes for abo ut 5 seconds while driving, under these
circumstances, make sure that:
• the adult on the front passenger seat is properly seated on the
c en ter of the sea t cushion wi th his or her back up against the backrest
and the backrest is not reclined::::;,
page 192, "Proper occupant
seating positions",
• the adult is not taking weight off the seat by holding on to the
passenge r assis t handle above the fron t passenger door or
supporting their weight on the armrest,
• t he safety bel t is be ing properly wor n and that the re is not a lot of
slack in the safety belt webb ing,
• accessory seat cove rs or cushions o r othe r th ings that may ca use
an incor rect read ing or impress ion on the weight-sensing 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
t he 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 syst em that is not fun ction ing properly cannot provide
supplemental protect ion in a frontal crash.
• If th e airbag indic ator light comes on , it means th at there may
be something 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.
• Have the a irb ag system inspected immediately by your autho ­
rized Audi dealer .
& WARNING
If the front 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 straint 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
y ounger, alway s ride on the back seat properly restra ined for their
a ge and size . .,,_

Airbag system Ill
----------------=--=---
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Always install forward or rear-facing child safety seats on the
rear seat - even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• If you must install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circum stances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on ,
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating pos ition 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 passenger seat can put too much
pressure on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and register 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 Advan ced Airbag when it must be suppres sed
caus ing serious or e ven fatal injury to the child.
• If, in exceptional circumstances, 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 adju st­
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 doe s 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 posit ions.
• Have the airbag system 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 the we
ight-se nsin g mat in the fro nt passenge r seat detec ts a n
empty seat , the front airbag on the passenger s ide will be t urned off,
a nd the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will sta y on .
a
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the ai rbag syste m are inst alled a t many diffe re nt pla ces on
your Audi. Installing, removing, serv ic ing o r repairing a part in a n
area of t he vehicle c an damage a par t of an a irbag sys tem and preve nt
that system from working proper ly in a coll is ion.
Th ere are some importa nt things you have to know to ma ke sure t hat
t he effectiv eness of the system will not be impai red and that
discarde d components do not cause injury or pollute t he env iron ­
m en t.
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover, obstru ct, or change the steering wheel horn pad or
a irbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way .
• Never atta ch 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 plain wate r. Solvents or cleaners
c ould damage the airbag cover or change the stiffne ss or strength
of the mater ial 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 equip -
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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. 204 Side airbag
location in the driver's
seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
~ fig. 204 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

___ A_ i_ r_b _ a_ g=- s_, y"-- s_t _e _m ______________________________________________ _
is below the reference value 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 229, "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 201, "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 229.
• 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. 205 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
P#RI-- --=------------------------------
& 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 233, "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 . 206 Side curtain
airbags , driver 's side:
locati on
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides of the interio r
above the front and rear side windows =:> fig. 206 . 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 airbag inflates in side impacts and only when t he veh icle
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 231, "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 20 1, "G ene ral no tes".
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 rear s ide 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 rear-end collisions.
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 85,
"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 . 207 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. 207 .
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

-Airbag system P:fM..,____--=----------------
curtain airbag cou ld 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 233.
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 le t oc cupant 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 371,
"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 370, "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. •