2011 AUDI Q7 warning

Airbag system -----------------=---=----
lower parts of the body. Front a irbags s upplement the t hree-poi nt
sa fety belts o nly in some fro ntal collis ions in which the vehicle decel­
eration is high enough to dep loy the a irbags .
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occ urs
• in s ide collis ions
• in rea r-end collisions
• in rollovers
• when the crash decelerat io n me asured by the a irbag system is less
than the min imum threshold needed for a irbag deployment as reg is­
tered by the e lectron ic con trol un it
The front passenger airbag also will not deploy:
• when t he fron t passenger sea t is no t oc cupied
• when the weight on the front passenger seat as sensed by the
Advanced Ai rbag System in dicates that the front airbag o n the
passenger side has to be turned off by the e lectronic control unit (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght comes on and stays on)
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the ri sk of ser iou s injury
in crashes.
• To redu ce the risk of injury when the airbags inflate, the driver
and pas sengers mu st always sit in an upright position , mu st not
lean against or place any part of th eir body too close to the area
where the airbags are lo cated.
• Occupants who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the
airbag can be seriou sly injured by an airbag a s it unfolds with
great force in th e blink of an eye =>
page 213 .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child
safety se at installed on the front
pas senger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - ev en with an Ad vanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
c arrier with great force and will smash the child safety s eat and
c hild against the backre st, center armre st, d oor or roof .
• Always install rear -facing child safet y seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the
front passenger se at because of e xceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light do es not come on and stay on ,
immediately install the rear -facing child s afety seat in a rear
s eating po sition and h ave the airbag system inspe cted by your
authoriz ed Audi d ealer.
& WARNING
Object s between you and the airbag will increase the r isk of inju ry
in a cra sh by int erfering with the way the airb ag unfold s or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
• Never hold things in your hand s or on your lap when the vehicle
i s in use.
• Never tran sport items on o r in the are a of the fr ont pa ssenger
seat. Obje ct s c ould move into the area of the front ai rbag s during
braking or other sudden maneu ver s and become dang erous
projectiles that can c au se se rious per sonal injury if the ai rbags
infl ate.
• Never pla ce o r attach accessories or othe r objects (such a s
cupholders, telephone brac kets, large , heavy or bulky object s) on
the doo rs, over o r near the are a marked
"AIRBAG " on the stee ring
wheel, in strum ent panel , se at ba ckre sts or between th ose area s
and yourself . These objects could cause injur y in a crash , especially
when the airbags infl ate .
9"'
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Airbag system
PMI------=----------------
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects.
Items can also move into the area of the s ide airbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden maneu ver. Objects near the
airbags can become projectiles and cause injury, particularly when
the seat is reclined .
• Never tilt the front pa ssenger seat backrest forward when the
vehicle is moving. An inflating ai rbag will force the backrest back ­
ward and can injure rear seat occupants.
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cau se breathing
problem s for people with a history of a sthma or other breathing
condition s.
• To reduce the ri sk of breathing problems, those with asthma or
other respiratory conditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening windows or door s.
• If you are in a collision in which airbags deploy , wash your
hands and face with mild soap and water before eating .
• Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes, or into any cuts or
scratche s.
• If the residue should get into your eyes, flush them with
water. •
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light t !
T wo separate indicators mon it o r the funct io n of the
Adv anced Airb ag System: the airbag mon it ori ng indicat or
light and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
The Advanced A irbag System (includ ing the electronic contro l unit,
s e nsor c ircui ts a nd sys tem wi ring) is mon ito red conti nuous ly to ma ke
sure that it is funct ion ing properly whenever the ign ition is on. Each
ti me you turn on the ignit io n, the airbag mon itorin g indic ator light
I
w ill come o n fo r a few seconds (self d iagnostics).
The system must be inspected when the indicator
light ~:
• does not come on when t he ign it ion is switched on
• does not go out a few seconds after you have switched on the igni­
tion, or
• comes on while driving
If an a irbag system malfunction is detected, t he in dicator lig ht w ill
first start flashing to catch t he d river's attention and then stay on
con tinuous ly to serve as a constant reminder to have t he system
inspected immediately.
If a ma lf u nctio n occur s that t urns t he fron t airbag on the passenger
side off, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is on.
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not fun ctioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System. It is .,..

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 -
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Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-L___!_A~ ir~b~ a ~ g!..-= s~y :_:s ~t ~e ~ m~ -----------------------------------------------
& 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. 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
~