2012 AUDI Q7 Owner´s Manual

-a car bed has been insta lled on the front
seat, or
- a rearward-facing chi ld restraint has been
installed on the front passenger seat, or
- a forward -facing child restraint has been in­
sta lled on the front passenge r seat, or
- the weight registered on the front passen­
ger seat is equa l to or less than the com­
bined weight of a typical 1 year -old restrain­
ed in one of the rear-fac ing or forward-fac­
ing infant restraints listed in Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w ith which the
Advanced Airbag System in your veh icle was
certified.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied,
the front airbag will not deploy, and the
P A S­
S ENGER AIR BA G OF F
light w ill stay on. Nev­
er install a rearward -fac ing ch ild restra int on
the front passenger seat, the safest place for
a child in any ki nd of child restraint is at one
of the seating positions on the rear seat
~ page 181, Child restraints on the front seat
- some important things to know
and
~ page 200, Child Safety.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light c om es
o n
when one of the conditions listed above is
met, be sure to check the light regularly to
make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OF F
light stays on continuous ly whenever the
ignition is on. If the
PA SSE NGER 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
- react ivate the system by turning the ignition
off and then turning it on again;
- remove and reinstall the chi ld restraint .
Make sure that the child restraint is properly
installed and that the safety belt for the
front passenger seat has been correctly routed throug h the child restraint as descri­
bed in the chi ld restraint manufactu rer's in­
structions;
- make sure that the convertible locking fea­
tu re on the safety be lt fo r the front passen­
ger seat has been activated and that the sa fety belt has been pulled tight. The bel t
mus t not be loose o r have loops of slack so
A irbag system 19 1
that the sensor below the sa fety be lt latch
on the seat can do its job
~ page 209.
- make sure that things that may increase the
weight of the child and chi ld safety seat are
not being transported on the front passen­
ger seat;
- make sure t hat the safety belt tension sen­
sor is not blocked. Shake the safety belt
latch on the front passenger seatback and
forth;
- If a strap or tether is be ing used to tie the
child safety seat to the front passenger
seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it
causes the weight -se nsing mat to measure
more weight than is actually on the seat .
If the P ASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF light still
do es not come on
and does not stay on con­
tinuously (whe n the ignition is switched on),
- take the child restraint off the front passen-
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspected by your authorized Aud i dealer
immed iate ly.
- move the child to a rear seat position and
make sure t hat the ch ild is properly restra in­
ed in a ch ild restra int that is appropriate for
its size and age.
The
PAS SENG ER A IR BAG OFF light should
NOT come on when the ignit ion is on and an
adult is s itting in a proper seating position on
t h e front passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on o r
flashes fo r about 5 seconds wh ile d riving, un ­
der these c ircumstances, make sure that :
- the adult on t he front passenge r seat is
prope rly seated on the cente r of the seat
cushion with his o r he r back up ag ainst the
backrest and the backrest is not reclined
~ page 161, Proper occupant seating posi­
tions,
- the adult is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or support-
ing their weight on the armrest, .,_
•
•

192 Airbag sys tem
-the safety be lt is being properly worn and
that there is not a lot of slack in the safety
belt webbing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other
t h ings that may cause an incorrect reading
or impression on the weight-sensing mat
under the upholstery of the seat have been
removed from the front passenger seat,
- a safety belt extender has not been left in
the safety belt latch for the front passenger
seat.
In addition to the
PASSENG ER AIR BA G OFF
light in the center of the instrument panel,
the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PA SS ENGER AIR BA G ON will briefly appear
in the instrument cluste r display . T his is to in­
form the drive r of the current front passenger
a ir bag status.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ioning
prope rly cannot provide supplemental pro­
tect ion in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicato r light comes on, it
means that the re may be someth ing
wrong with the Advanced A irbag System.
It is possible that the airbag will inflate
when it is not supposed to, or w ill not in­
flate when it should.
- Have the airbag system inspected imme­
diately by your author ized Audi dealer .
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a ch ild witho ut
a child restra int, or in a rearward-facing
child safety seat, or in a forward -facing
child restraint that has not been properly
installed will be seriously injured and can
be killed.
- Even though your veh icle is equipped
with an Advanced Airbag System, make
certain that a ll children , especially 12
years and younge r, a lways ride on the back seat properly
restrained for their
age and size.
- Always install forward o r rear-facing
child safety seats on the rear seat -even
with an Advanced A irbag System.
- If you must install a rearward-facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptiona l circumstan­
ces and the
PASS ENG ER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appea r and stay on, imme­
diate ly install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rear seat ing pos ition and have
the airbag system inspe cted by your au­
thori zed A udi dealer.
- A tight tether or other s trap on a rea r­
ward-facing child restraint att ached to
the front passenger seat can p ut too
m uch p ressure on the weight-sensing
mat in the seat and registe r 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 Advanced Airbag when it
must be suppressed causing ser ious or
even fata l injury to t he ch ild.
- If, i n exceptiona l circumstances, you
m ust ins tall a forward-fac ing ch ild re­
straint o n the front passenger seat, al­
ways move the sea t in to its rearmos t po­
sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust­
ment range, as fa r away from the airbag
as possible. The backrest must be adjust­
ed to an upright pos ition. Make sure that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on all the time when­
ever the ignit ion is switched on.
A WARNING
--
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not go out when an ad ult is sitting
on the front passenger seat after taking
the steps descr ibed above, make su re the
ad ult is properly seated a nd restra ined at
one o f the rea r seat ing pos itions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your author ized Audi dealer befo re tr ans­
port ing anyone on the front passenger
seat.
...

(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front pas­
senger seat detects an empty seat, the
front airbag on the passenger side will be
turned off, and the
PASS ENGER AIR B AG
OFF light w ill stay on .
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the a irbag system are installed at
many different places on your Audi. Installing,
removing, serv icing o r repairing a part in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part o f an
ai rbag system and prevent that system from
working properly in a co llision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effect iveness of
the system will not be impai red and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or po l­
lute the environment.
A WARNING
-Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing an airbag from deploy ing when needed or deploying
an airbag unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steering wheel ho rn pad or airbag cover
or the instrument pane l or modify them
in any way .
- Never attach any objects such as cu­
pholders or telephone mountings to the
surfaces covering the airbag uni ts.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
pane l, use only a soft, d ry clo th or one
moistened w ith plain water. Solvents or
cl eaners co uld damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness o r strength of the
material so that the airbag cannot de­
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repa ir, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system.
- All wo rk on the stee ring wheel, inst ru ­
ment pane l, front seats or electrical sys­
tem (incl uding the installation of aud io
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
A irbag system 193
radios, etc.) must be performed by a
qualif ied technic ian who has the training
and specia l equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that yo u see your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts
of the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the s ide a irbag
can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or rep lace­
ment upholste ry over the front se at­
backs tha t have not been specifically
approved by Audi.
- Never use addi tional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side ai rbags
inflate.
- Damage to the orig inal seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side ai r­
bag module must a lways be repaired
i mmediately by an author ized Audi
dealer.
- The airbag system can be activated only
once . After an airbag has inflated, it
must be replaced by an authorized Aud i
dea ler or qualified technician who has
the technical information, training and
specia l equipment necessary .
- The airbag system can be deployed only once . After an airbag has been deployed,
it must be replaced with new replace­
ment pa rts designed and approved espe­
cially fo r you r A udi model version . Re­
placement of complete airbag systems
or airbag components must be pe r­
formed by qualified workshops on ly .
Make sure that any airbag serv ice action
is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet unde r
AIRBAG REPLACE­
MENT RECORD .
-For safety reasons in severe accidents,
the alternator and starter are separated
from the veh icle ba ttery with a pyrotech­
nic circuit inte rrupte r.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit inte r­
r upter m ust only be performe d by a
qualified dea ler -risk of an accident! •
•

194 Airbag system
-If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter
is scrapped, all applicable safety pre­
cautions must be followed.
@, For the sake of the envi ronment
Undeployed airbag modu les and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material -special handling may app ly, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per­ chlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
and safety belts w ith p retens ioners are
scrapped, all applicable laws and regula­
tions must be observed. Your authori zed
Aud i dea ler is familiar wit h these requ ire­
ments and we recommend that you have
your dealer perfo rm this service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem pe rforms in a crash. For example, using
tire-r im combinations not app roved by Aud i,
lowe ring the vehicle, ch anging the stiffness of
the suspension, incl uding the springs, s uspen­
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the ai rbag
sensors and sent to the electronic control
un it. Some suspension changes can, for exam­
p le, increase the force levels measured by t he
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in wh ich it would not dep loy if the
cha nges had not been made. Other k inds of
cha nges may reduce the force levels meas­
ure d by the sensors and preven t the a irbag
from deploying when it sho uld .
The senso rs in the safety belt buckle fo r th e
d river and front passe nger sea t tell the elec­
tronic control module if the safety belt is
l atched or not. I f the safety belt is being used,
the front airbag will deploy at a slightly high­ er rate of vehicle deceleration than if the safe­
ty belt is not being used. Therefore, in a par­
ticular collision, it is poss ible that an airbag
will not deploy at a seating position where the safety belt is being used but will inflate at the position where t
he safety be lt is not being
used. It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety be lt b uckles so that the sen­
sors can send the correct information about
safety belt use to the electronic control un it.
A WARNING
=
Changi ng the veh icle's suspension includ-
i ng use of unapp roved tire-rim combina­
tions can change Advanced Airbag per­
fo rma nce and increase the r is k of seri ous
personal injury in a cra sh.
- N ever install suspension components
that do no t have the same pe rformance
chara cter istics as the compone nts o rigi­
na lly ins talled on your vehicle .
- Never use tire-rim combinations that
have not been approved by Audi.
A WARNING
= -
It ems stored between the safety be lt
bu ckle and the cente r console can cause
the sensors in the b uckle to send the
wrong information to the e lectronic con­
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air­ bag System from working prope rly.
- Always make sure that nothing can inter­
fere with the safety belt buckles and that they are not obstructed .
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide suppl emental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
F ig . 20 0 Side air bag locat ion in th e driver's seat

The side airbags are located in the sides of the
fro nt seat backrests
~ fig. 200 and the rear
backrest* facing the doors. They are ident ified
by the word "AIRBAG".
Th e si de airbag syste m basicall y consis ts o f:
- the e lectronic control module and external
s ide impact senso rs
- the two side airbags located in the sides of
the front backrests
- two rear side airbags (as an ordered
option)
-the a irbag warning light in the instrument
cluster .
The airbag system is monitored electron ically
t o make certain that it is functioning properly
at all times . Each time you turn on the igni­
tion, the airbag system indicator l ight will
come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The s ide a irbag system supplements the safe­
ty belts and can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury to the dr iver's, front and rear* passeng­
er's uppe r torso on the side of the veh icle that
i s st ruck in a side collision . T he a irbag dep loys
only in s ide impac ts and on ly when the veh icle
acceleration registered by the control un it is
h igh eno ugh. If this rate is below the refer ­
ence value programmed into the control unit,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
though the car may be badly damaged as a re­
sult of the collision. It is not possible to de­
fine an a irbag trigger ing range that will cover
every possible angle of impact, since the cir­
cumstances will vary conside rably between
one co llision and another. Important fac tors
include, for examp le, the nat ure (hard o r soft)
of the impac ting objec t, the ang le o f impact ,
vehicle speed, etc . ¢
page 196, Important
safety instructions on th e side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function , safe­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in position i n the event of a side
coll is ion 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 overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your vehicle . Al­
ways remember that the side airbag system
A irbag system 195
can on ly help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety be lt and wearing it properly. This
is another reason why you should always wear
your safety be lts, not just because the law re­
quires you to do so¢
page 170, General
notes.
It i s important to remember that wh ile the
supplementa l side airbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of ser ious injuries,
other injur ies, for example, swelling, bru is ing,
and mi nor ab rasions ca n also be assoc iated
with deployed side airbags . Remember too,
s ide a irbags w ill dep loy only once and only in
certain kinds of accidents - your safety belts are always there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack
of ve hicle damage are no t necessa rily a n in di­
cat ion o f ove r-sensitive or failed airbag a ctiva­
t ion . In some coll is ions, both front and side
airbags may inflate . Remember too, that air ­
bags will deploy only once and only in certain
k inds of co llisions -yo ur safety be lts are a l­
ways there to offer protection in those acc i­
den ts in which airbags are no t supposed to
deploy or when they have a lready deployed .
The side airbag system w ill n ot deploy:
- when the ignition is tu rned off
- in side co llisions when the acceleration
meas ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rea r-end col lisions
- in rollove rs .
In some types o f accidents the front airbags,
s ide curtain airbags and s ide a irbags may be
triggered together.
_A WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system wi ll
only provide protection w hen occupants
a re in the proper se ating posi tion
¢page 196.
- If the ai rbag ind icator light comes on
when t he vehicle is being used, have the
system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer . The airbag may
•
•

196 Airbag system
not work properly when the vehicle
acceleration in a side collision is h igh
enough to activate the airbag.
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re ­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pan ts who are properly res trained .
Fig. 201 In fl ate d side a irbags o n left side of ve hicle,
r ea r sid e air bag o ptio nal equipm ent
When the system is triggered, the airbag is
fi lled with prope llant gas and breaks thro ugh
a seam in the seat surface area marked "AIR ­
BAG".
It expands between the side trim panel
and the passenger . I n order to help prov ide
this additional protection, the side a irbag
must inflate w ith in a fraction of a second at
ve ry hig h speed and with grea t fo rce. The sup ­
p lemental side airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upr ight or if
items a re located in the area where the sup­
p lemental side airbag expands. This applies
especia lly to children
¢ page 200, Child Safe­
t y .
Supplementa l side airbags inflate between
t he oc cupan t and the door panel on the side
of the vehicle that is struck in ce rtain side col­
lision
¢ fig . 201 .
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
help to reduce the r isk of injury to the upper
part of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de­ p loys. This is normal and does not mean there
is a fire in the vehicle .
Important safety instructions on the
side airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Al­
ways properly wear safe ty belts and ride in a
proper seating position.
The re is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and act accord ingly to help the
safety belts and airbags do their job to pro­
vide supplementa l protect ion .
A WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious
or fata l injury. Improperly wearing safety
belts and improper seating positions in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death whenever a vehicle is being
used .
- In order to reduce the risk of inj ury when
the supplemental side airbag inflates:
- Always sit in an upright posi tion and
never lean aga inst the area whe re the
s u ppleme nta l side airbag is located .
- Never let a child or a nyone e lse rest
t h eir head aga inst the s ide trim pane l
in the area where the supplementa l
side airbag inflates.
-A lways make sure that safety be lts a re
worn correctly,
- Do no t let anyone s itting in the fron t
seat put t hei r hand or any ot her parts
of their body out of the win dow.
-Always make sure that the side airbag can inf late without interference.
- Neve r install seat covers or rep lace ­
ment upholstery over th e front seat­
backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi.
- Neve r use additional seat c ushions that
cove r the areas where the side a irbags
deploy.
- Damage to the orig inal seat covers or
to t he seam in the area of the side a ir­
bag module mus t always be repaired
i mmediately by a n author ized Audi
dealer.

-Objects between you and the airbag can
increase the risk of injury in an accident
by interfering with the way the airbag
unfolds or by being pushed into you as
the airbag inflates .
- Never place or attach accessories or
other objects (such as cupholders, tele­
phone brackets, or even large, bulky
objects) on the doors, over or near the
area marked "AIRBAG" on the seat
backrests.
- Such objects and accessories can be­
come dangerous projectiles and cause
injury when the supplemental side air­
bag deploys .
- Never carry any objects or pets in the
deployment space between them and
the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position .
- 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 air­
bag dep loyment and can cause personal
injury in an accident.
- Always prevent the side airbags from be­
ing damaged by heavy objects knocking
against or hitting the sides of the seat­
backs.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once.
If the airbag has been triggered,
the system must be replaced by an au­
thorized 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 au­
thorized Audi dealer .
- If children are seated improperly, their
risk of injury increases in the case of an
accident ~ page 200, Child Safety .
- Never attempt to modify any compo­
nents of the airbag system in any way .
- In a side collision, side airbags will not
function properly if sensors cannot cor­ rectly measure increasing air pressure in ­
side the doors when air escapes through
Airbag system 197
larger, unclosed openings in the door
panel.
- Never drive with interior door trim pan­
els removed .
- Never drive when parts have been re­
moved from the inside door panel and
the open ings 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 supple­
mental protection to properly restrained oc ­
cupants .
Fig. 202 Side curta in a irbags, driver's s ide: locatio n
The side c urtain airbags are located on both
sides of the interior above the front and rear
side windows ~ fig. 202 . They ar e identified
by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshield
frame and the center roof pillar .
The side curtain airbag system supplements
the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury for occupants' heads and upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck
in a side collision. The side cur tain airbag ..,.

198 Airbag system
inflates in side impacts and only when the ve­
hicle acceleration registered by the control
unit is high enough. If this rate is below the
reference value programmed into the contro l
unit, the side airbags will 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 will
cover every possible angle of impact, since the
circ umstances w ill vary cons iderably between
one co llision and another. Important factors
include, for examp le, the nat ure (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the angle of impact,
vehicle speed, etc.
c:> page 198, How side cur­
tain airbags work.
Aside from their normal safety function, safe ­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a co lli ­
sion so that the side curta in airbags can pro­
vide protection.
The airbag system is not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your ve hicle. Al­
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt a nd wear ing it prope rly. Th is
is ano ther reason why you shou ld a lways wear
your safety bel ts, not just beca use the law re ­
qu ires you to do soc:>
page 170, General
no tes.
It is important to remember that whi le the
side curta in a irbag system is des igned to he lp
redu ce the like lihood of serious injuries, othe r
injuries, fo r example, swell ing, bruising, and
minor abrasions can also be associated wit h
these airbags upon deployment. Remember
too, these a irbags w ill deploy on ly once and
only in certain kinds of accidents -your safety
be lts are a lways there to offer protection .
The side curtain airbag system basically
con sists of :
-The electronic control module and external
side impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and rear side w indows - The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
T he airbag system is mon itore d elec tronically
to make certain i t is func tioning properly at all
times . Each t ime you turn on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for
a few seconds (sel f diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
- if the ignition is turned off
- in side co llision s whe n the accele ration
meas ured by the sensor is too low
- in rear-end col lisions .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide pro te ction when occupant s
are i n the proper seating posi tion
<=>page 71, General recommendations.
- If th e airbag ind ica tor light comes on
when the vehicle is being used, have the
system inspected immediately by you r
authorized Audi dealer . The s ide curtain
airbag may not work proper ly even when
the vehicle acce lerat ion in a s ide collision
is high enough to activate the airbag.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head
and upper torso injuries for occupants who
are properly restrained .
Fig. 203 Illust rat ion of p rincip le : I n flated side curtai n
airbags o n th e left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the
occupant and the windows on the s ide of the
IJ>