2013 AUDI Q5 Owners Manual

must always sit in an upright position,
must not lean against or place any part
of their body too close to the area where
the airbags are located .
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be se­ riously injured by an airbag as it unfolds
with great force in the blink of an eye
~ page 158.
A WARNING
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 Ad­
vanced 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 install rear-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat.
- 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
authorized Audi dealer .
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will
increase the risk of injury in a crash by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the airbag
inflates.
- Never hold things in your hands or on
your lap when the vehicle is in use.
- Never transport items on or in the area
of the front passenger seat. Objects
could move into the area of the front air­
bags during braking or other sudden ma­
neuver and become dangerous projec-
Airbag system 167
tiles that can cause serious personal in­
jury if the airbags inflate.
- Never place or attach accessories or oth­
er objects (such as cupholders, tele­ phone brackets, large, heavy or bulky ob­
jects) on the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, seat backrests or be­
tween those areas and yourself. These
objects could cause injury in a crash, es­
pecially when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger's seat
to transport objects. Items can also
move into the area of the side airbag or
the front airbag during braking or in a
sudden maneuver. Objects near the air­ bags can become projectiles and cause
injury, particularly when the seat is re­
clined.
A WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy
can cause breathing problems for people
with a history of asthma or other breath­ ing conditions.
- To reduce the risk 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 doors.
- 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 scratches .
- If the residue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water. •
•

168 Airbag system
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function
of the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag
monitoring indicator light and the
PASSEN ­
GER AIR BA G OFF
light.
The Advanced Airbag System (including the
electronic control unit, sensor circuits and sys­
tem wiring) is monitored continuously to
make sure that it is functioni ng properly
whenever the ignit ion is on. Each t ime you
turn on the ignition, the airbag monitoring in­
d icator light
fl will come on fo r a few seconds
(self diagnosti cs) .
The system must be inspected when the
indicator light
fl:
- does not come on when the ignit ion is
swit ched on,
- does not go out a few seconds after yo u
have swi tched on the ign ition, o r
- comes on w hile d riving .
If an airbag system malfunction is detected,
the indicator light will first start flash ing to
catch the driver's atte ntion and then stay on
continuously to se rve as a constant reminder
to have the system inspected immediately .
If a malfunction occurs that turns the front
a irbag on the passenger side off, the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
li ght will come on and stay
on whenev er the ignition is on.
A WARNING
An air bag system that is not func tioni ng
prope rly ca nnot provide supplemen tal p ro­
t ect ion in a fron tal cr ash .
-If the airbag indic ator light¢ p age 15
comes whe n the vehicle is be ing used,
have t he system inspected immediate ly
by yo ur aut ho rized Aud i dea ler . It is pos­
sible that the a irbag will inf late when it
is not s upposed to, or w ill not inflate
when it should.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
Fig . 169 Sec tion fro m the instr ument pa ne l: PASSEN ­
GER AIR BAG OFF lig ht
T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is loca ted
i n the center of t he in st rument p anel
¢fig. 169 .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light w ill come
o n and stay o n to tell you w hen the front Ad ­
van ced Air bag o n the pas senge r side has been
tu rned off by the ele ct ronic contro l uni t. Each
t ime you turn on the ignition, the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light will flas h for a few
seconds and:
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
- wil l sta y on if t here is a small ch ild or child
restrai nt on the front passenge r seat,
- will go out i f th e front p assenge r sea t is oc­
cupied by an adult as registered by the
weight -sensing mat .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must
come on and stay on
if the igni tion is on and
- a car bed has been installed on the front
seat, or
- a rearward-facing child restraint has been
installed on the front passenger seat, o r
- a forward-fac ing ch ild restra int has been in­
s talled on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight reg iste red on the front passen­
ger seat is equal to or less than t he com­
b ined weight of a typical 1 year -o ld restra in­
ed in one of the rea r-facing or forwa rd-fac­
ing infant restra ints listed in Federal Motor
Veh icle Safety Stan dard 208 wi th wh ich the
Advanced A irbag System in you r vehicle wa s
cert ified.
II>-

If the fron t passenger seat is not occupied,
the front airbag will not deploy, and the
PAS­
SENGER AIR BAG OF F
light will stay on. Nev­
er in sta ll a rearward-fac ing ch ild restra int on
t he fron t 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 158, Child restraints on the front seat
- some important things to know
and
¢ page 178, Child Safety .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light c om es
on
when one of the conditions listed above is
met, be sure to check the light regularly to
make certa in that the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG
O FF
light stays on cont inuous ly whenever the
ignition is on . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not appear and 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 t urning it on again;
- remove and reinstall the child restraint .
Make sure that the child restraint is properly
installed and that the sa fety be lt for the
front passenger seat has been correct ly
routed around the child restraint a s desc ri­
bed in the child restraint manufacturer 's in­
structions;
- make sure that the convertible locking fea­
ture on the safety be lt for the front passen ­
ger seat has been activated and that the
safety belt has been pulled tight . The belt
mus t not be loose o r have loops of slack so
that the sensor below the safety be lt latch
on the seat can do its job ¢
page 188.
-make su re that th ings that may increase the
weight of the ch ild and child safe ty seat are
not being transported on the front passen ­
ger seat ;
- make su re that the safety bel t tension sen ­
sor is not b locked . Shake t he safety belt
l atch on the front passenger seatback and
forth;
- If a strap or tether is being used to tie the
child safety seat to the front passenger
seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it
A irbag system 169
causes the weight -sensing mat to measure
more weight than is act ually on the seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still
d oes not come on
and does not stay on con ­
tin uous ly (when the ignition is switched on) ,
- take the child rest ra int off the front passen-
ge r seat and install it properly a t one of the
rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspected by yo ur authorized Audi dealer
immediate ly .
- move the child to a rear seat position and
make sure t hat the child is properly restrain­
ed in a c hild restra int that is appropriate for
its size and age.
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light sho uld
NOT come on when the ignition is on and an
adult is sitting in a proper seating position on
the front passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
ligh t comes on and stays on or
flashes for about 5 seconds wh ile driving, un­
der these c ircumstances , make sure that:
- the adult on the front passenger seat is
properly seated on the center of the seat
cushion wi th his or her back up aga inst the
backrest and the backrest is not recl ined
¢ page 140, Proper occupant seating posi­
tions,
- the adult is not tak ing weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passe nger door or support ­
ing their weight on the armrest ,
- the safety belt is being properly wo rn and
tha t there is not a lot of s lack in the safety
be lt webbing ,
- ac cesso ry seat covers or cushions o r other
t hings tha t may cause an incorrect reading
or impression on the we ight-sensing mat
under the upho lstery of the seat have been
removed from the front passenger seat,
- a sa fety belt exten der has not been left in
the safety belt latch for the front passenger
seat.
In add it ion to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght in the cente r of the instrumen t panel,
the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON wi ll briefly appear ll-
•
•

1 70 Airbag system
in the instrument cluster display. This is to in­
form the driver of the current front passenger
airbag status.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide supplemental pro­
tection in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator light¢
page 15
comes when the vehicle is being used,
have the system inspected immediately
by your authori zed Audi dealer. It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should .
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without
a child restraint, in a rearward-facing child
safety seat or in a forward-facing child re­
straint that has not been properly installed
will be seriously injured and can be killed.
- Even though your vehicle is equipped
with an Advanced Airbag System, make certain that all children, especially 12
years and younger, always ride on the back seat properly restrained for their
age and size.
- 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 circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear and stay on, imme­
diately install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected by your au­
thorized Audi dealer.
- A tight tether or other strap on a rear­
ward-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 Advanced Airbag when it
must be suppressed causing serious or
even fatal injury to the child.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you
must install a forward-facing child re­
straint on the front passenger seat, al­
ways move the seat into its rearmost po­
sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust­
ment range, as far away from the airbag
as possible. The backrest must be adjust­
ed to an upright position. Make sure that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on all the time when­
ever the ignition is switched on .
A WARNING
-
-
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does 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 positions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer before trans­
porting 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
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
will stay on.
Repair , care and disposal of the airbags
Par ts of the airbag system are ins talled at
many different places on your Audi. Installing,
removing, servicing or repairing a part in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an
airbag system and prevent that system from
working properly in a collision. .,..

There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system will not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or pol­
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 deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the
steering wheel horn pad or airbag cover
or the instrument panel or modify them
in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cu­
pholders 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 water. Solvents or
cleaners could damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness or strength of the
material so that the airbag cannot de­
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, front seats or electrical sys­
tem (including the installation of audio
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc.) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training
and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you 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 side airbag
can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replace­
ment upholstery over the front seat­
backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi.
Airbag system 171
-Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air­
bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer.
- The airbag system 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 technical information, training and
special equipment necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once. After an airbag has been deployed, it must be replaced with new replace­
ment parts designed and approved espe­
cially for your Audi model version. Re­ placement of complete airbag systems
or airbag components must be per­
formed by qualified workshops only.
Make sure that any airbag service action
is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet under
AIRBAG REPLACE­
MENT RECORD.
- In accidents when an airbag is deployed,
the vehicle battery separates the alterna­
tor and the starter from the vehicle elec­
trical system for safety reasons with a
pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit inter­
rupter must only be performed by a
qualified dealer - risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter
is scrapped, all applicable safety pre­
cautions must be followed.
{® For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per-
ch lorate. When the vehicle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
safety belts with pretensioners are scrap­ ped, all applicable laws and regulations
must be observed. Your authorized Audi .,..
•
•

172 Airbag system
dealer is familiar with these requirements
and we recommend that you have your
dealer perform 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 performs in a crash. For example, using
tire-rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the springs, suspen­
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag
sensors and sent to the electronic control
unit. Some suspension changes can, for exam­ ple, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which it would not deploy if the
changes had not been made . Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and prevent the airbag
from deploying when it should.
The sensors in the safety belt buckle for the
driver and front passenger seat tell the elec­
tronic control module if the safety belt is
latched or not.
If 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 possible that an airbag
will not deploy at a seating position where the
safety belt is being used but will inflate at the
position where the safety belt is not being
used. It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety belt buckles so that the sen­
sors can send the correct information about
safety belt use to the electronic control unit.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension includ­
ing use of unapproved tire-rim combina­
tions can change Advanced Airbag per­
formance 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 origi­
nally installed on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that
have not been approved by Audi.
A 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 con­
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air­
bag System from working properly.
- 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 supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 170 S ide a irbag location in the driver's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests¢
fig. 170 and the rear
backrest* facing the doors. They are identified
by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag system basically consists of:
-the electronic control module and external
side impact sensors
- the two airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests and the two airbags* located
in the rear backrest
- the airbag warning light in the instrument
cluster.
The airbag system is monitored electronically
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 diagnostics).
The s ide a irbag sys tem supp lements the safe­
ty belts and can help to reduce the risk of in ­
jury to the driver's and front passenge r's up­
per torso on the side of the vehicle that is
struck in a side co llision. The airbag deploys
only in s ide impacts and on ly when the veh icle
acceleration registered by the control u nit is
h igh enough . If this rate is below the refer­
ence va lue programmed into the control un it,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
though the ca r may be badly damaged as a re ­
sult of the collision .
It is not possible to de­
fine an ai rbag triggering range that will cover
every possible angle of impact, since the cir­
cumstances wi ll vary considerably between
one co llision and another. Important factors
include, for examp le, the nat ure (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the ang le of impact,
veh icle speed, etc. c::>
page 174, Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system.
Aside from the ir norma l safety function, safe­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in posit ion in the event of a side
coll is ion so that the side a irbags can provide
p rotection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety bel t. Rathe r, it is pa rt of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system i n your veh icle . Al­
ways remember that the side airbag sys tem
can only he lp to p rotec t you if yo u are wear ing
your safety belt and wear ing it properly. This
is another reason w hy you sho uld a lways wear
your safety belts, not just beca use the law re­
q uir es you to do soc::>
page 149, General
notes.
It is important to remember that while the
supp lemental side a irbag system is designed
to reduce the like lihood of serious injur ies,
other in juries, for example, swell ing, bruising,
and minor abras ions can also be associated
w ith deployed s ide a irbags. Remember too,
side a irbags w ill deploy on ly once and o nly in
certain kinds of accidents - you r safety belts
are a lways there to offer prote ction.
A irbag system 173
Vehicle damage, repair costs o r even t he lack
of ve hicle damage are not necessarily a n indi­
cation o f ove r-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
tion. In some coll is ions, both front and side
airbags may i nflate. Remember too, that air­
bags will deploy only o nce a nd only in certain
ki nds of coll is ions -your safety belts are al­
ways t he re to offe r protection in those acc i­
den ts in which a irbags a re no t supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignit io n is turned off
- in side co llisions whe n the acceleration
measured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rear -end co llisions
- in rollove rs .
In some types of ac cidents the front airbags,
s ide cu rtain air bags and s ide air bags may be
trigge red togethe r.
&_ WARNING ~
- Safety belts and the airbag system wi ll
only provide protection when occupants
are in the proper seating position
c::>page 174.
-If the airbag ind icator light c::> page 15
comes when the veh icle is being used,
have the system inspected immediate ly
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is pos­
sible t hat the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not infla te
when it should.
•
•

17 4 Airbag system
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and con help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who ore properly restrained.
Fi g. 1 71 Inflated s ide airbags on left side of vehicle
When the system is triggered, the airbag is
filled with prope llant gas and breaks through
a seam in the seat surface area marked "AIR­
BAG". It expands between the side trim pane l
and the passenger . In order to help provide
this additional protection, the side airbag
must inflate within a fraction of a second at
very hig h speed and with great force. The sup­
plemental side airbag could i njure you if your
seating position is no t proper or upr ight or if
items are located in the area where the sup­
p lemental side airbag expands. This applies
especial ly to children
Q page 178, Child Safe­
ty.
Supplementa l side airbags inflate between
the occupant and the door pane l on the side
of the vehicle that is struck in certain side col­
lision
Q fig . 171.
A lthough they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de­
p loys. This is norma l and does not mean there
is a fire in the vehicle. Important safety instructions on the
side airbag system
Airbags ore 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 ai rbag can cause serious
or fata l injury. Improperly weari ng 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 air bag 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 tha t 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 inflate 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 cove rs or
to t he seam in the area of the si de a ir­
bag module mus t always be repaired
i mmediately by a n author ized Audi
dealer.