2012 AUDI A7 airbag off

in place during normal driving or in a
crash.
- Always buck le the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose ch ild safety seat can fly around
dur ing a sudden stop or in a col lision.
- Always make sure that the rear seat backrest to which the center rear safety
belt" is attached is secure ly latched
whenever the rear center safety belt is
being used to secure a ch ild restra int.
- If the backrest is not securely latched, the ch ild and the child restraint will be
thrown forward together with the back­ rest and will strike parts of the veh icle
in ter ior. The child c an be serio usly in­
jured or killed .
- Never install rea r-facing ch ild safety
sea ts or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat. A ch ild will be seriously in ­
jured and can be k illed when the passen­
ger airbag inflates.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant carrier w ith great
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Forward-fac ing ch ild safety seats or in­
fant carr iers installed on the front pas­
senger's seat may interfere with the de­ ployment of the airbag and cause serious
injury to the ch ild.
- It is safer to install a forward-fac ing
child safety seat on the rear seat .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child rest rained in ave­
hicle is being used
r::;, page 163 . Special
precautions apply when installing a ch ild
safety seat on the front passenge r seat
r::;, page 139, Child restraints on the fron t
seat -some important things to know.
WARNING
Always take special precautions if you
must install a forward or rearward-facing
Child Sa fet y 175
child restraint on the front passenger's
seat in exceptional situations:
- Whenever a forwa rd or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front
passenger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on
whenever the ignit ion is switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks descr ibed
<::;, page 149, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- Take the chi ld restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it prope rly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not s tay on
whenever the ignit ion is swi tched on.
- Imp roper installation of ch ild restraints
can reduce their effectiveness or even
preven t them from providing any protec­
tion.
- An improperly installed ch ild restra int
can interfere with the airbag as it de­
ploys and seriously injure or even ki ll the
child.
-Always carefu lly follow the manu fact ur­
er's instructions p rov ided with the chi ld
safety seat or carrier .
- After checking to make sure that the child restraint is properly insta lled, make
certa in that the ch ild restraint is correct­
ly recognized by the capac itive passenger
detection system in the front passenger
seat and that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght signals the correct front pas­
senger frontal a irbag status .
A WARNING
Forward-facing child rest raints:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacture r fo r use on a front seat
with a passenger fron t and s ide a irbag.
- Never put the fo rward-facing child re­
straint up, against o r very near the in­
s trumen t panel. •
•

176 Child Safety
-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 installing
the forward-facing child restraint. 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.
A WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
- A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger
seat will be seriously injured and can be
killed if the front airbag inflates -even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, door or roof.
- Always be especially careful if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception­
al circumstances.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer.
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se­
cure a child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufactur­
er's instructions when installing a child re- straint in your vehicle. To activate the conver­
tible locking retractor:
.,. Place the child restraint on a seat, prefera­
bly on the rear seat.
.,. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out.
.,. Route it around or through the child re­
straint belt path
¢ A -
.,. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight .
.,. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for
that seating position .
.,. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor
until the belt lies flat and snug on the child
safety seat.
.,. You should hear a "clicking" noise as the
belt winds back into the inertia reel. Test the
convertible locking retractor by pulling on
the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The con­
vertible locking retractor is now activated .
.,. Make sure that the red release button is fac­
ing away from the child restraint so that it
can be unbuckled quickly.
.,. Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt
is properly tight and fastened so that the
seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2.5 cm).
A WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an im­
properly installed child restraint can cause
serious personal injury or death in a crash.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re- tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a crash.
- Always make sure the seat backrest to
which the child restraint is installed is in
an upright position and securely latched
-

180 Child Safety
and proper use of tether straps as well as
the lower anchorages or safety belts in
your vehicle .
- Always read and heed the important in­
formation and WARNINGS about child
safety and the installation of child re­
straint systems
c:> page 163, Child Safe­
ty.
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 159 Te the r ancho rs: recess fl aps be hind the rear
sea tback s
The tether anchors for the rear seating posi­
tions are located in recesses in the rear win­
dow shelf
c:> fig. 159
A tether is a straight or V-shaped strap that
attaches the top part of a child restraint to
special anchorage points in the vehicle.
T he purpose of the tether is to reduce the for­
ward movement of the child restraint in a crash, in order to help reduce the risk of head
injury that could be caused by striking the ve­
hicle interior.
Forward facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U.S .
federal regulations to comply with new child head movement performance requirements.
These new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new child safety
seats.
A WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints
will increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash . -
Always follow the instructions provided
by the manufacturer of the child re­
straint you intend to install in your Audi.
- Improper use of child restraint anchors
(including tether anchors) can lead to in­
jury in a collision. The anchors are de­
signed to withstand only those loads im­
posed by correctly fitted child restraints.
- Never mount two child restraint systems
on one LATCH lower anchor point.
- Never attach two child restraint systems
to one tether strap or tether anchorage .
- Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment.
- Never use child restraint tether ancho­
rages to secure safety belts or other
kinds of occupant restraints.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other items to the LATCH lower ancho­
rages or to the tether anchors .
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Fig. 160 T eth er st rap: prop er rou ting and mounting
Installing the tether strap
.,. Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child restraint according to the child re­
stra int manufacturer's instructions.

~ Guide the upper tether strap und er the rear
head restraint ¢
fig. 160 (raise the head re­
stra int if necessary).
~ Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into
the tethe r anchorage .
~ Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages.
~ Tighten the tether strap firmly following
the chi ld restraint manufacturer's instruc­
tions .
Rele asing the tether str ap
~ Loosen the tension following the ch ild re ­
stra int manufacturer 's instructions .
~ Depress the spring catch on the hook and
release it from the anchorage.
{[) Note
If you leave the child restraint with the
tether strap firmly insta lled for severa l
days , th is co uld leave a mar k on the up­
holstery on the seat c ushion and bac krest
in the area whe re the tether st rap was in­
stalled. The upholstery wo uld a lso be per­
manently stretched around the tether
strap. This applies especially to leather
seats.
Using tether straps on rearward -facing
child restraints
Currently , few rear-facing child res traint sys­
tems come with a tether . P lease read and
heed the child restraint system manufactur­
er's instructions carefully to determine how to properly insta ll th e tether .
A WARNING
-
A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
w ill be seriously injured and can be k illed if
the front a irbag inflates -even with an Ad ­
vanced Airbag System .
- The inflating a irbag w ill hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier w it h great
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the backrest, cente r
armrest, or door .
Child Safet y 181
-If you must insta ll a rearward fac ing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately insta ll the rear-fac ing ch ild
safety seat i n a rear seating position and
h ave the airbag system i nspe cted by yo ur
Aud i dea le r.
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
The re a re a number of sources of add itiona l
information about child rest raint se lection , in ­
stalla tion and use:
NH TSA advises that the best child safety seat
i s the one that fits your ch ild and fits in you r
vehicle , and that you will use correct ly and
consistently .
T ry before you buy !
U.S Na tional Highway Traffic Safety Admin ­
istration
Tel.: 1 -888 -327 -4236 (TI Y: 1-800 -424 -9153)
www .nhtsa .gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Tel.: (202) 662-0600
www .safek ids .org
Safet y BeltSafe U.S.A
Tel.: (800) 7 45-SAFE ( English)
Tel.: (800) 747-SANO (Span ish)
www .carseat .org
T ransport Can ada Info rmation Cent re
Tel.: 1 (800) 333-0371 or call
1 (613) 998-8616 if you are in the Ot tawa
area
www .tc.gc.ca/roadsafety
Audi Custome r CARE
Tel.: (800) 822-2834 •
•

@ Tips
-Certain Audi pre sense functions are not
ava ilable when ASR is sw itched off (sport
mode) or when driving in reverse.
- The Audi pre sense functions may not be
available if there is a malfunction in the
ESP system or the airbag control mod­
ule.
- The Audi pre sense front/plus functions are not available if there is a malfunction
i n the adaptive cru ise control* system
9 page86.
-The Audi pre sense rear/plus functions
are not available if there is a malfunction
i n the Audi side assist* system
9 page86.
- The reversible safety belt tightening on
the front passenger's side deactivates
when the Advanced front passenger air­bag has been s uppressed or the seat is
not occup ied.
Audi pr e sense 183
•
•

184 Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your veh icle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorde r (EDR), ins talled by some manu­
facture rs fo r the express p urpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or cras h
event . EDR's are sometimes ca lled "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restr ict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A ltho ugh yo ur vehicle is not equ ipped wit h an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, eng ine f unction, em is­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic contro l modules also record
vehicle-re lated data during norma l vehicle op­
erat ion for diagnostic and repa ir purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded ove r a ve ry limited pe riod of
time and stored when a sys tem faul t or o ther
cond ition is sensed by a cont ro l u nit. Some of
the data then stored may re late to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condit ion. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded w ith special equip­
ment.
Electronic stabilization
program (ESP)
Description
ESP helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidd ing and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the eng ine is running. ESP detects certain difficult driving situat
ions, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw) o ut of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under contro l by se lectively braking the
whee ls, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steer ing ass istance to he lp hold the
vehicle o n the dr ive r's intended cou rse. The in­
dicato r light
G] in the instrument cluste r
blinks when ESP is taking action to help you
control the veh icle.
ESP has l imitations.
It is importa nt to remem­
ber that ESP cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It will not always be able to help out
under a ll cond it ions you may come up aga inst.
F or example, ESP may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
s u dden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of dry road that is sudden ly covered w ith water,
s lush or snow, ESP cannot perform the same
way it wou ld on the dry surface . If the ve hicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESP will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle be cause con­
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
D uring fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESP cannot a lways deal as effectively
with difficult driv ing situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESP is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic; and weather condit ions. ESP can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the availab le tract ion, or keep a ve hicle
on the road if road departu re is a result of
drive r inattent io n. Instead, ESP improves the
poss ibil ity of keeping the vehi cle under con ­
trol and on the road during extreme maneu­
vers by using the d river's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection . If you are traveling at a speed that
ca uses you to run off the road before ESP can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESP .

grease or dye must be patted off using ab­
sorbent material. It may be necessary to re­
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa­
ter.
In the case of general soiling of the uphols­
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a specialist that has the equipment to clean
the seat covers and other fabric surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
Q page 200.
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For persistent dirt
use an Audi approved
solvent-free plastic
cleaner/protectant.
A WARNING
Solvents can change the properties of
some plastics and make it harde r for the
airbag to deploy.
- Never clean the instrument panel or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents.
- Products containing solvents will make
the surface of this part porous.
- Serious injuries can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information~
page 200.
(D Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents will
attack the material and can change the
way it behaves.
Cleaning and protection 207
Trim and molding
Trim and molding in the vehicle interior can
be cleaned with a dry microfiber cloth. To pre­
vent scratches, do not use any cleaning solu­
tions.
Natural leather
Appl ies to vehicles: with natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather.
General
We offer many different types of leathe r on
our vehicles. Most are different types of nappa l eather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors.
Th e intensity of the color determines the visu­
al characteristics and appearance. If the sur­
face of the leather has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nap pa leather that has
been left in a relatively natural condition. This
leather offers particularly good comfort and
breathes well. Fine veins, closed grains, insect
bites, skin folds, and subt le variations in color
remain visible. These characteristics demon­
strate that the material is natural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col­
or finish. It is therefore more sensit ive to soil­
ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
might prove to be particularly hard on the
leather .
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colored finish layer are more durable. This
has a positive effect on the leather 's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in daily use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu­
ral leather are barely or not apparent. Howev­
er, this does not mean that the leather itself
is of inferior quality. •
•

Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service. Yo u are well advised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
W ith certa in types o f airbag deployment, the
battery is disconnec ted from the vehicle elec ­
trica l system for safety reasons
c::> &. in Re­
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 153.
Di sconn ecting the battery t erminal s
Some vehicle functions (power w indow regu­
l ators, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
minals are disconnected . These functions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals are
connec ted again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
e lectrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
Vehicl es not driven for long p eriod s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cu t back or switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main ­
tains starting capability over a longer per iod
c::> page 190. Some of the convenience func­
tions may not operate, s uch as the inte rior
lights o r power seat adjus tme nt. The conven­
ience functions will be ava ilable again when
you switch on the ignition and start the en­ gine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, ba ttery capaci ty
t ends to decrease as tempe rat ures d rop . This
is because more powe r is also consumed while
starting , and the headlights, rear window de ­
fogger, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power cons umption, par­
ticularly in c ity t ra ff ic or when t raveling on ly
short distances. Let your a uthorized Audi
dealer check the capac ity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before winter sets in
c> page 229. A well
charged battery w ill not only prevent starting
problems whe n the weather is cold, but will
also last longer .
Checkin g and fillin g 22 7
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for seve ral
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery shou ld be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze. This will
prevent it from be ing damaged and having
to be replaced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the l uggage compart­
ment under the floor. Before you check any­
th ing in the luggage compartment,
read and
h eed all WARNINGS
c> &_ .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle e lec­
trical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Al way s heed the follo wing WARNING SYM­
BOLS and safety precautions when working on the battery.
@
®
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid.
Always w ear glove s and eye prot ec­
tion .
No
- sparks
-flames
- smoking .
When a battery i s charged, it produ­
ce s hydrogen gas wh ich i s ex plosive
and could cause per sonal injury .
Always keep the battery well out of ]
reach of children .
_& WARNING ~
Whenever working on the battery o r on
the electrical system, there is the risk of injury, accident and even fire . Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
•
•