2012 AUDI S7 ESP

156 Airbag system
How knee airbags work
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be re­
duced by fully inflated knee airbags.
Fig. 146 Inflated airbags protecting in a frontal colli·
s io n
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the a irbags for the driver and front pas­
senger deploy in certain but not all frontal
collisions.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags
a lso deploy in frontal collisions when the de­
ployment threshold stored in the control unit
is met .
When the system deploys, the airbags fill
with a propellant gas, and inflate between the
lower part of the instrument panel and the
driver and the lower part of the instrument
panel and the front passenger
Q page 147,
fig . 143.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cush ion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower
extremities.
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that
the airbags have deployed . The airbags also
inflate with a great deal of force and it is im­
portant for occupant safety that nothing
should be in their way when they deploy.
Fully inflated airbags in combination with
properly worn safety belts slow down and lim­
it the occupant's forward movement and help
to reduce the risk of injury. Important safety instructions on the
knee airbag system
Applies
to vehicles: with knee airbags
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Al­
ways wear safety belts correctly and ride in a
proper seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and do to help the safety belts and
airbags to provide supplemental protection.
A WARNING
-An inflating knee airbag can cause serious
injury. Wearing safety belts incorrectly and
improper seating positions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect
you properly if you are seated too close
to any of the airbag locations. When ad­
justing their seat positions, it is impor­
tant that both the driver and the front passenger keep their upper bodies and
knees at the following minimum safe
distances :
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instru­
ment panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- The risk of personal injury increases if
you lean forward or to the side, or if the
seat is improperly positioned and you are
not wearing your safety belt . The risk in­
creases even more should the airbag de­
ploy .
- Always make sure that the knee airbag
can inflate without interference. Objects
between you and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by inter­
fering with the way the airbag deploys or
by being pushed into you as the airbag
deploys.
- Never let anybody, especially children
or animals ride in the footwell in front

158 Airbag system
A lways remember that the side airbag system
can only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wear ing it properly. This
is another reason w hy you should always wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re­
qu ires you to do so
Q page 128, General
notes.
It is important to remember that while the
supplemental side a irbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of serious injur ies,
other inju ries, fo r example, swell ing, b ruising,
frictio n burns and mi nor abrasions can also be
associa ted with deployed side airbags. Re ­
member too, side air bags will deploy only
once and only in certain k inds of accidents -
your safety be lts are always there to offer pro­
tection .
Vehicle damage, repa ir costs or even the lack
of vehicle damage are not necessar ily an indi­
cation of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
tion. In some co llisions, both front and side
a irbags may inflate. Remember too, that air­
bags will dep loy only once and only in certain
kinds of collisions -your safety belts are al­
ways there to offer protection in those acci ­
dents in wh ic h air bags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed.
The side airbag syst em will not deploy:
- when the ign ition is switched off
- in s ide collisions when the acceleration
measured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end col lisions
- in rear -end collisions
- in ro llovers.
In some types of acc idents the front airbags,
side curta in a irbags and side airbags may be
tr iggered together.
.&_ WARNING
- Sa fety belts and t he ai rbag sys tem w ill
only prov ide p rotec tion when occ upants
are in t he proper seating posit ion
Qpage 159.
- If the airbag indicator light comes on
when the vehicle is being used, have the
-
system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. The airbag may
not work proper ly when the vehicle ac­
celeration in a side coll is ion is high
enough to activate the a irbag.
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained .
Fig. 148 In flated side airbags on left s ide of vehicle,
r ear side a irbag
When the system is triggered, the airbag is
filled with propellant gas and breaks through
a seam in the seat su rface area marked "AIR­
BAG". It expands between the side trim panel
and the passenger. In order to help provide
t hi s addit ional protect ion, the side airbag
mus t inflate with in a fra ction of a second a t
very h igh speed and with great force. The sup­
pleme nta l side airbag could injure you if your
seat ing position is not proper or up right or if
items are located in the area where the sup­
plementa l side airbag expands. This applies
especially to children
Q page 163, Child Safe­
ty .
Supplemental side airbags inflate between
the occupant and the door panel on the s ide
of the veh icle that is str uck in certa in side col­
li sion
9 fig. 148 .
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduc e the risk of inju ry to the upp er
part of the body.
A fine dust may deve lop when the airbag de­
ploys . This is normal and does not mean there
is a fi re in th e vehicle.

-The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side windows
- The airbag ind icator light in the instrument
pane l
The a irbag system is monitored elect ro nic ally
to make certain it is f unct io ni ng proper ly a t all
times. Eac h time you switch on the ignition,
the airbag system indicator light wi ll come on
for a few seconds (se lf diagnost ics) .
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ign ition is swit ched off,
- i n s ide coll isions when the accelerat ion
measured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions .
_& WARNING
-Sa fety belts and t he a irbag system w ill
only p rov ide p rotection whe n occu pan ts
are in the proper sea ting posit ion
¢ page SO, General recommendations.
- If the airbag indicator light comes on
when the veh icle is being used, have the
system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. T he side curtain
airbag may not work properly even when
the vehicle acceleration in a side coll is ion
is h igh enough to act ivate 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 . 150 Illust rat ion of pr inc ip le: In flated side cur ta in
airbags on t he left s ide
.
A irba g sy stem 161
The side c urtain airbags infla te between the
occupant and the windows on the side of the
vehicle that is struck in a side coll is ion
¢ fig. 150.
When the system is trigge red, t he side curta in
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
th ro ugh a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG labe l. In or­
der to he lp provide this additional protection,
the side curta in a irbag must inflate withi n the
blink of an eye at ve ry hig h speed and with
great fo rce . T he side curta in a irbag could in­
j u re yo u if your sea ting posit io n is not proper
o r u pright or if items are loca ted in t he a rea
where the supplemental side curta in a irbag
in flates . This applies especially to chi ldren
~ page 163 .
Although they are no t a soft p illow, side cur­
ta in a irbags can "cushion" the impact and in
this way they can help to reduce the risk of in­
j u ry to the head and the uppe r part of the
body.
A fine dust may deve lop when the airbag de­
ploys . This is qui te no rma l and does not mean
there is a fire in the vehicle .
Important safety instructions on the
side curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Al­
ways properly wear safety belts and ride in a
proper seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and do to help the safety belts and
airbags do t heir job to provide supplemental
protection .
_& WARNING
=
Improperly wea ring safety belts and im­
p roper seating posit ions increase the risk
of ser ious perso nal inj ury and death when­
ever a vehicle is being used.
- Never let occupa nts pla ce any pa rts of
thei r bo dies in t he area fro m whi ch the
side curt ain air bag inf late.
-

Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision .
The physical principles of what happens when
your veh icle is in a crash app ly also to chi ldren
~ page 129, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults and
teenagers, their muscles and bones are not
fu lly developed. In many respects children are
at greater risk of serious injury in crashes than
adu lts.
Because children's bod ies are not fully deve l­
oped, they require restraint systems especial­ ly designed for their size, weight, and body
structure. Many countries and all states of the
United States and provinces of Canada have
laws requiring the use of approved child re­
straint systems for infants and small children .
In a fronta l crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13-pound
(6 kg) infant w ill be more than 20 t imes the
weight of the child . This means the weight of
the child would suddenly be more than
260 pounds (120 kg). Under these conditions,
on ly an appropriate chi ld restraint properly
used can reduce the risk of ser ious injury .
Child restraints, like adult safety belts, must
be used properly to be effective. Used improp­
erly, they can increase the risk of serious in ­
jury in an accident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's
instructions in order to be sure the seat is
right for your chi ld's size ~
page 167, Impor­
tant safety instructions for using child safety
seats.
Please be sure to read and heed all of
the important information and WARNINGS
about ch ild safety, Advanced A irbags, and the
installation of child restraints in this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad­
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they work when infants and children in child re-
Child Sa fet y 163
straints are on the front passenger seat . Be­
cause of the large amount of important infor­
mation, we cannot repeat it a ll here . We urge
you to read the detailed information in this owner's manual about airbags and the Ad­
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle and the
very important information about transport­
ing children on the front passenger seat .
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they
are extremely important for your safety and
the safety of your passengers, especially in­
fants and small chi ldren .
.A, WARNING
-Accident statistics have shown that chil ­
dren are generally safer in the rear seat
area than in the front seating position.
Always restrain any child age 12 and un­ der in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially chil­
dren must be restrained properly when­
ever riding in a vehicle . An unrestrained
or improperly restrained chi ld could be
injured by str ikin g the interior or by be­
ing ejected from the vehicle during a
sudden maneuver or impact. An un re ­
strained or improper ly restrained chi ld is
also at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
- A suitable chi ld restraint properly instal­
led and used at one of the rear seating
positions provides the highest degree of
protection for infants and small children
in most accident situations.
A WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even
with Advanced Airbags can be ser iously in­
jured or even killed when an a irbag in­
flates. A child in a rearward-fac ing ch ild
safety seat installed on the front passen­
ger seat will be ser iously injured and can
be killed if the front airbag inflates .
- The inflating airbag will h it the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, or door.
•
•

~ page 163, Important things to
know.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were
installed in a vehicle during a crash. Dam­
age to a child restraint that is not visible
could cause it to fail in another collision
situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Ad­
vanced Airbag System" in compliance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the
time your vehicle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle
has been certified to meet the "low-risk" re­
quirements for 3- and 6-year old children on
the passenger side and small adults on the
driver side. The low risk deployment criteria
are intended to reduce the risk of injury
through interaction with the airbag that can
occur, for example, by being too close to the
steering wheel and instrument panel when
the airbag inflates. In addition, the system
has been certified to comply with the "sup­
pression" requirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up
to 12 months who are restrained on the front passenger seat in child restraints that are list­
ed in the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, espe­
cially those 12 years and younger, should al­
ways ride in the back seat properly restrained
for their age and size. The airbag on the pas­
senger side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a child to ride. The front
seat is not the safest place for a child in a for­
ward-facing child safety seat. It can be a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child
in a rearward-facing seat.
The vehicle 's Advanced Airbag System has a
capacitive passenger detection system in the
Child Safety 165
front passenger seat cushion that can detect
the presence of a baby or a child in a child re­
straint system on this seat.
The capacitive passenger detection system
registers the changes that result in an electri­
cal field when a child, a child restraint, and a
baby blanket are on the front passenger seat .
The change in the measured capacitance due
to the presence of a child, a child restraint,
and a baby blanket on the front passenger
seat is related to the child restraint system resting on the seat . The measured capacitance
of a child restraint system varies depending
on the type of system and specific make and
model.
The electrical capacitance of the various
types, makes, and models of child restraints
specified by the U.S.National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NH TSA) in the relevant
safety standard are stored in the Advanced
Airbag System control unit together with the
capacitances typical of infants and a 1-year
old child. When a child restraint is used on the
front passenger seat with a typical
1 year-old
infant, the Advanced Airbag System compares
the capacitance measured by the capacitive passenger detection system with the data
stored in the electronic control unit.
Child restraints and Advanced front
airbag system
Regardless of the child restraint that you use,
make sure that it has been certified to meet
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manu­
facturer for use with an airbag. Always be sure
that the child restraint is properly installed at
one of the rear seating positions. If in excep­
tional circumstances you must use it on the
front passenger seat, ca refully read all of the
information on child safety and Advanced Air­
bags and heed all of the applicable WARN­
INGS. Make certain that the chi ld and child re­
straint are correctly recognized by the capaci­
tive passenger detection system in the front passenger seat, that the front passenger air­
bag is turned off, and that the airbag status is ..,.
•
•

@ Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been statically tested by Audi only for
the Advanced Airbag function.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially
reduces the risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safe­
ty of everybody in the vehicle, especially chil­
dren:
~ Always use the right child safety seat for
each child and always use it properly
9page 169.
~ Always carefully follow the child safety seat
manufacturer's instructions on how to route
the safety belt properly through the child
safety seat.
~ When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you must first activate
the convertible locking retractor on the
safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving
r::!) page 174.
~ Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
children, especially those 12 years and young­
er, should always ride in the back seat proper­
ly restrained for their age and size.
_& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong child safety seat or improperly in­
stalling a child restraint increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death.
- All vehicle occupants and especially chil­
dren must always be restrained properly
whenever riding in a vehicle.
-
- An unrestrained or improperly restrain­
ed child can be injured or killed by be­
ing thrown against the inside of the ve-
Child Safety 167
hide or by being ejected from it during
a sudden maneuver or impact.
- An unrestrained or improperly restrain­
ed child is at much greater risk of injury
or death by being struck by an inflating
airbag.
- Commercially available child safety seats are required to comply with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
213 (in Canada CMVSS 213).
- When buying a child restraint, select
one that fits your child and the vehicle.
- Only use child restraint systems that
fully contact the flat portion of the
seat cushion. The child restraint must
not tip or lean to either side. Audi does
not recommend using child safety
seats that rest on legs or tube-like
frames. They do not provide adequate
contact with the seat.
- Always heed all legal requirements per­
taining to the installation and use of
child safety seats and carefully follow
the instructions provided
by the manu­
facturer of the seat you are using.
- Never allow children under 57 inches
(1.45 meters) to wear a normal safety
belt. They must always be restrained by a
proper child restraint system. Otherwise,
they could sustain injuries to the abdo­
men and neck areas during sudden brak­
ing maneuvers or accidents.
- Never let more than one child occupy a child safety seat.
- Never let babies or older children ride in
a vehicle while sitting on the lap of an­
other passenger.
- Holding a child in your arms is never a
substitute for a child restraint system .
- The strongest person could not hold the child with the forces that exist in
an accident. The child will strike the in­
terior of the vehicle and can also be
struck by the passenger.
- The child and the passenger can also
injure each other in an accident. •
•

standard safety belt on the rear seat may
play with unused rear seat safety belts and
become entangled resulting in serious per­
sonal injury and even death .
- Always buck le unused rear seat safety
belts out of reach of chi ldren in ch ild
seats a nd properly act ivate the converti­
ble locking retractor so that the child
cannot unreel the safety belt from the
retra cto r.
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old
and 20 lbs . or 9 kg need special rearward-fac ­
ing child restraints that support the back ,
neck and head in a crash.
F ig. 151 Schemat ic overv iew : rea rwa rd -fa cing infa nt
s ea t, p rope rly in stalled o n the re ar sea t
... <'< ...
-.:, ... m
.,. When using the vehicle safety be lt to insta ll
a ch ild safety seat, you must first activate
the convertible locking retractor on the
safety belt to prevent the c hild safety seat
from moving
c:> page 174 or install the sea t
us ing the LATCH attachments .
.,. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt rea lly t ight
so tha t the sea t ca nnot move forward or
s ideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
I nfants up to about one year (20 lbs . or 9 kg)
a re best pro tected i n specia l infa nt carriers
and chi ld safety seats des igned for their age
g roup . Many experts believe that infants and
sma ll children should ride only in spec ial re­
straints in which the chi ld faces the back of
Child S afety 169
the vehicle . These infant seats support the ba­
by's back, neck and head i n a c rash
c:> fig. 151 .
The airbag on the p assenger side makes the
fron t seat a potentia lly dangero us place for a
ch ild to ride. The front seat is not the safest
place for a child in a forward -facing child seat.
It is a very dangerous place for an in fant or a
larger child in a rearward-fac ing seat.
Secure unused saf ety belts on the rear
s eat!
If a child safety seat is used on the rear bench,
especially with LATCH universal anchorages,
the unu sed safety belt s must be secured so
that the c hild in the child restra int cannot
reach them .
A WARNING
--
Not using a child safety seat, us ing the
wrong c hild safety seat o r imprope rly in­
stalling a ch ild restraint increases the risk
of ser ious persona l injury and death in a
crash .
- Never install rear- fa cing child safety
seats or in fant ca rrie rs on the front pas ­
senger seat - even with an Advanced Air­ bag System. A chi ld will be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the inflat­ ing airbag hits the child safety seat or in­
fant carrier wit h great force and smashes
the child safety seat and child against
the backrest, center armrest, doo r o r
roof
c:> page 139, Child restraints o n the
front seat -
some important thing s to
know.
- Always install rear-fac ing ch ild safety
se ats or inf ant c arrie rs on the rear sea t.
- Never install a rea r-fac ing chi ld restrai nt
in the forward-fac ing direct io n. Su ch re­
s traints a re designe d for the special
needs of infants and very small chi ld ren
a nd cannot protect them properly if the
seat is forward- facing.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptiona l circumstan ­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF

~ Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt rea lly tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
s ideways more than one inch (2 .5 cm)
<=> page 174.
~ If the c hild safety seat is equ ipped with a
tether strap, attach it to the tether a nchors
<=> page 180.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an in­
fant restra int if it is more than one year old
and weighs more than 20 lbs . (9 kg) .
Todd lers and c hildren who are older than one
year up to about 4 years o ld and weigh more
than 20 lbs (9 kg) up to 40 lbs. (18 kg) must
a lways be properly restra ined in a ch ild safety
seat ce rtified fo r the ir size and weight
<=> fig. 152 and <=>fig . 153.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
fro nt seat a potentially dangerous place for a
ch ild to r ide . T he fro nt seat is not the safest
p lace for a child in a forwa rd -fac ing child safe­
ty seat. It is a very dangero us place for an in ­
fant or a larger child in a rearward -fac ing seat .
Secure unused safety belts on the rear
seat!
If a child s afety sea t is used o n the rear ben ch ,
espec ia lly w ith LA TCH universal anchorages,
the unused safety belts must be secured so
that the child in the chi ld restraint cannot
reach them.
A WARNING
Not using a ch ild safety seat, using the
w rong chi ld safety seat or improper ly in­
stalling a child restraint increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death in a
c o llision or othe r eme rgency s ituation.
- Children on the front seat of any car,
even with Advanced A irbags, can be seri­
o usly injured or eve n killed when an a ir­
b ag in flates. A child in a rearward-facing
child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat w ill be seriously injured
and can be killed if the front ai rbag in­
flates - even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
Child Sa fet y 1 71
-The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat and child against the back rest, center
arm res t, door or roof.
- Always install rear-fac ing ch ild safety
seats on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward fac ing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional c ircumstan­
c e s and t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come o n and stay on, im­
medi ately ins ta ll t he rear-fa cing ch ild
safety sea t in a re ar se ating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
Aud i dea ler.
- Always rea d an d heed al l WAR NIN GS
wheneve r using a child restraine d in ave­
hicle is being used¢
page 128, Safety
belts, ¢ page 137, Airbag system
and
¢ page 163, Important things to know.
A WARNING
If exceptional circ umstances require the
use of a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenge r's seat, the child's safe­
ty and we ll- being req uire that the follow­
ing spec ial precautions be ta ken:
- Ma ke sure the forward-facing seat has
been designed a nd c ert ified by its man u­
facturer fo r use on a fro nt seat wi th a
passe nger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's in­
st ructions p rov ided with the ch ild safety
se at o r infa nt c arr ier .
- Always move the front passenger seat in­
to the rearmos t position of the p assen­
ger seat's fo re and aft adjustment range,
an d as far away from the airbag as possi ­
ble before installing the ch ild restraint.
- Always ma ke s ure that nothing prevents
the front passenger 's seat from being
moved to the rea rmost position in its
fore and aft ad justment range .
- Always make sure the backrest is in an
upright pos ition. •
•
-