2013 AUDI Q7 light

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 you r
eyes, or into any cuts or scratches.
- If the residue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water.
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
PA SSEN ·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light.
The Advanced Airbag System (including the
e lectronic control unit, sensor circuits and sys­
tem wiring) is monitored cont inuously to
make sure that it is functioning properly
whenever the ignit ion is on . Each t ime you
turn on the ignition, the airbag monitoring in­
d icator light
I will come on for a few seconds
(sel f diagnos tics) .
The system must be inspected when the
indicato r light
I:
- does not come on when the ignit ion is
switched on
- does not go out a few seconds after you
have swi tched o n the ignition, o r
- comes on w hile driving
If an airbag system malfunct ion is detected,
the indicator light will first start flashing to
catch the driver's attention and then stay on
continuously to serve as a constant reminde r
to have the system inspected immediately.
If a malfunction occurs that tur ns the front
a irbag on the passenger side off, the
PAS SEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light w ill come on and stay
on w henever the ignition is on.
A irbag system 195
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning
p roperly cannot provide supplemental pro­
tection in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag ind icator light comes on, it
means that there may be something
wrong with the Advanced Airbag System .
I t is poss ible that the ai rbag w ill inflate
when it is not supposed to, or will not in­
fla te when it sho uld.
- Have the airbag system inspe cted imme­
diate ly by yo ur aut ho rized Aud i dea ler.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fi g. 212 Sec tion fro m th e in str um ent pa nel: PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG O FF light
-
T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is loca ted
i n the center of the instrument pa ne l
¢ fig. 212 .
The PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht will come
o n and stay on to tell you when the front Ad­
vanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned off by the electronic control unit. Each
t ime yo u turn on the ignition, the
PASSEN·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light will flash for a few
seconds and:
- w ill stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied
- w ill stay on if there is a small chi ld or child
restraint on the front passenger seat
- w ill go out if the front passenger seat is oc­
cupied by an adult as registered by the
weight-sensing mat
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must
come on and sta y on
if the ignition is on and ..,.
•
•

196 Airbag sys te m
- 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 fo rward -facing child restraint has been in­
sta lled on the front passenger 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-facing or forward-fac­
ing infant restraints listed in Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with 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
PAS ­
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght will stay on. Nev­
er install a rearward-fac ing c hild restra int on
the front passenger seat, the safest place fo r
a child in any kind of child restraint is at one
of the seat ing positions on the rea r seat
~ page 186, Child restraints on the front seat
- some important things to know
and
~ page 205, 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 certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OF F
light stays on cont inuo usly whenever the
ignit ion is on. If the
PA SSENGER 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 re insta ll the chi ld restraint .
Make sure that the child restraint is properly
installed and that the safety be lt for the
front passenger seat has been correct ly
routed through the child restra int as descri­
bed in the chi ld restrai nt manufacturer's in­
stru ct ions;
- make sure that the convert ible locking fea­
tu re on the safety belt fo r the front passen­
ger seat has been a ctivated and that the
sa fe ty belt has been pulled tight. The belt
must not be loose or have loops of slack so that the sensor be
low the sa fe ty belt latch
on the seat can do its job~
page 215.
-ma ke sure that things tha t may increase the
weight of the ch ild and chi ld safety seat a re
not being t ransported on the front passen ­
ger seat;
- make sure that the safety belt tension sen ­
sor is not blocked. S hake 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-sensing mat to measure more weight than is act ually on the seat .
If the PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light still
does not come on
and does not stay on con­
t in uous ly (when 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 iately.
- move the child to a rear seat position and
make sure that the ch ild is properly restra in­
ed in a ch ild restra int that is app rop riate for
its s ize and age.
The
PASSENGER 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 passenge r seat. If the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and s tays on o r
f lashes fo r about 5 seconds w hile d riving, un ­
der these ci rcumstances, make sure tha t:
- the adult on the front passenge r seat is
prope rly seated on the cente r of the sea t
cushion wi th his or her back up aga inst the
backrest and the backrest is not recl ined
~ page 166 , 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, .,.

-the safety belt is being p roperly worn and
that there is not a lot of slack in the safety
belt webbing,
- accessory seat covers or c ushions or other
things 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 be lt extender has not been left in
the safety belt latch for the front passenger
seat .
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light in the center of the instrument panel,
the message
PASSENGER AIR BA G OFF or
PA SS ENGER AIR BA G ON will briefly appear
i n the instrument cluste r display . Th is is to in­
form the driver of the current front passenger
ai rbag 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 p ro­
tection 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 Ai rbag System .
It is possible that the airbag will inflate
when it is not s upposed 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 without
a child restraint, or in a rearward-fac ing
child safety seat, o r in a forward-facing
child restraint that has not been properly
installed will be serio usly 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
A irbag sys tem 197
back seat properly rest rained for their
age and size.
- Always install forward or rear-facing
child safety seats on the rear seat -even
with an Advanced A irbag System.
- If you must install a rearwa rd-facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional c ircumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear and stay on, imme­
diate ly install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rea r seat ing pos ition and have
the air bag sys tem inspected by y our au­
thori zed A udi dealer.
- A t ight tether or other strap on a rea r­
ward-facing child rest raint attached to
the front passenger seat can p ut too
m uch p ressu re 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 ser ious or
even fata l injury to the ch ild.
- If, in exceptiona l circumstances, you
m ust install a forward-fac ing ch ild re­
straint on the front passenger seat, al­
ways move the sea t into its rearmos t po­
sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust­
ment range, as far away from the a irbag
as poss ible . The backrest must be ad just­
ed to an upright pos ition. Make sure that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on all the time when­
eve r 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 sea t after taking
the steps described above, make su re the
a du lt is properly seate d and restra ined at
one o f the rea r seat ing pos itions.
- Have the airbag sy stem inspe cted by
your author ized Audi dealer befo re trans­
port ing anyone on the front passenger
seat.
•
•

198 Airbag system
(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
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light will stay on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed 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 p roperly 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.
- 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 .
-For safety reasons in severe accidents,
the alternator and starter are separated
from the vehicle battery with a pyrotech­
nic circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit inter­
rupter must only be performed by a
qualified dealer - risk of an accident!

-If the ve hicle or the circuit interrupter
is scrapped, all applicable safety pre­
cautions must be followed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed 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 bel ts w ith pretens ioners are
scrapped, a ll applicable laws and regula­
tions must be observed . Your authorized
Aud i dea le r i s familiar w it h these require­
ments and we recommend that you have
your dea le r 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 A irbag Sys­
tem pe rforms in a crash. For example, us ing
tire -r im combinations not approved by Aud i,
l owering the vehicle , changing the stiffness o f
the s uspension, incl uding the springs, s uspen­
sion struts, shoc k absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag
sensors and sent to the electronic control
un it. Some suspension changes can, for exam­
p le, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in wh ich it would not dep loy if the
changes had not been made. Ot he r kinds of
changes may redu ce the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and prevent the a irbag
from deploying when it sho uld .
The senso rs in the safety belt buckle fo r th e
dr iver and front passenger sea t tell the elec­
tronic control module if the safety belt is
l a tched o r 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 poss ible that an airbag
will not deploy at a seati ng position where the
safety belt is being used but will inflate at the
A irba g sy stem 199
position where t he safety be lt is not be ing
u sed. 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
C hanging the vehicle's suspension includ­
ing use of unapprove d tire-r im combina­
tions can cha nge Advanc ed Airbag per­
fo rman ce an d in crease the r isk of se rious
person al injury in a crash.
- Never install suspension components
tha t do no t have the same pe rforman ce
characteris tics a s the co m ponen ts origi­
na lly installed on yo ur vehicle.
- N ever use tire-rim combin ations tha t
have not been approved by Audi.
A WARNING
-
Items stored between the safety be lt
b uckle and the cente r console can cause
the sensors in t he b uckle to send the
wrong information to the e lectronic con­
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air­ bag System from working properly.
-A lways make su re 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. 2 13 Side a irbag locat io n in t he driver's seat

200 Airbag system
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests ¢
fig. 213 and the rear
backrest* facing the doors. They are ident ified
by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag system basically consists of:
-the e lectronic control module and external
side impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides of
the front backrests
- two rear side airbags (as an ordered
option)
-the a irbag warn ing light in the instrument
cluster .
The airbag system is monitored electron ically
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 airbag system supplements the safe­
ty belts and can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury to the driver's, front and rear* passeng­
er's upper torso on the side of the veh icle that
i s struck in a side collision . Th e airbag deploys
on ly in side impacts and only when the veh icle
acceleration registered by the control unit is
high enough . 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
f in e an a irbag tr igger ing range that will cover
every possible angle of impact, since the cir­
cumstances will vary considerably between
one collision and another. Important factors
include, for examp le, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the angle of impact ,
vehicle speed, etc . ¢
page 201, Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function , safe­
ty belts work to help keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a side
coll ision so that th e side airbags can provide
protection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety be lt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc ­
cupant restraint system in your vehicle . Al­
ways remember that the side airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wearing it properly. This
is another reason why you should a lways wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re­
quires you to do so¢
page 175, General
notes .
It is important to remember that wh ile the
s u pplementa l side airbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries,
other injur ies, for example, swelling, bru is in g,
and minor abrasions can also be assoc iated
with deployed side airbags . Remember too,
s ide airbags will 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 vehicl e damage are not necessarily an indi­
cation of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
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 belts are al­
ways there to offer protection in those acc i­
den ts in which airbags are no t supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignition is t urned off
- in side collisions when the acceleration
measured by the sensor is too low
- in front -end collisions
- in rea r-end collisions
- in rollovers .
In some types of 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 will
only provide protection when occupants
ar e in the proper seating position
¢page 201.
- If the airbag indicator light comes on
when the vehicle is being used, have the
system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. The airbag may

202 Airbag system
-Objects between you a nd the airbag can
increase the risk of injury in an acc ident
by interfering wit h the way the airbag
unfolds or by be ing pushed into you as
the a irbag inflates .
- Never p lace or a ttach 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 s ide air­
bag deploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in t he
deployment space between them and
the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this posit ion.
- Always use the built-in coat hooks only
for lightwe ight clothing . Never leave any
heavy o r sharp-edged objects in the
poc ke ts that may in terfere with side air­
bag dep loyment and can cause personal
injury in an accident .
- Always prevent the side a irbags from be­
ing damaged by heavy objects knoc king
against o r hitti ng the sides of the seat ­
backs.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once . If the a irbag has been triggered ,
the system must be replaced by an au­
thorized Audi dealership.
- Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc .) to
the origina l seat covers or to the seam in
the area of the side airbag module must always be repaired immediately by an au­
thorized Aud i dealer.
- If children a re seated improperly, their
risk of injury increases in the case of an
acc ident
q page 205, Child Safety.
- Never attempt to modify any compo­
nents of the airbag system in a ny way.
- In a side co llision, s ide airbags will not
f unction properly if senso rs cannot cor­
rect ly measure increasing air p ressu re in­
s ide the doors when air escapes t hro ugh larger, unclosed openings in the door
panel.
- Never dr ive with inte rior door t rim pan­
els removed.
- Never dr ive when parts have bee n re­
moved from the inside door pane l and
the ope nings they leave have not been
properly closed.
- Never dr ive when loudspe akers in the
doo rs have been removed unless the
speake r holes have been properly
closed.
- Always make certain tha t openings are
cove red or f ille d if ad dit iona l speakers
o r other equipment is insta lled in the
inside door panels .
- Always have work on the doors done by
an a uthorized Audi dea ler or q ualified
wor kshop.
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbags can provide supple­
mental protection to properly restrained oc­
cupants .
Fig. 21S Side curtain a irbags, driver 's side : locat ion
T he side c urtai n airbags are located on bot h
s ides of the interior above the front and rear
s ide windows
c!;J fig . 215. They are identified
by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshield
frame and the center roof pillar .
T he side c urtain airbag system s upplements
t h e safety be lts and can he lp to red uce the
risk of in jury for occupants' heads and upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck
in a side collision. The side curtain airbag ..,.

inflates in side impacts and only when the ve­
hicle acceleration registered by the control
un it 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 coll ision.
It is not possible to
define an airbag triggering range that will
cover eve ry possible angle of impact, since the
circumstances w ill vary considerably be tween
one co llision and another . Important factors
include, for examp le, the natu re (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the angle of impact,
veh icle speed, etc. c::>
page 203, How side cur­
tain airbags work.
Aside from the ir normal safety function, safe ­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in posit ion in the event of a co lli­
sion so that the side curtain airbags can pro­
vide protection.
The airbag system is not a s ubstitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your vehicle. Al­
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wear ing it prope rly. Thi s
i s another reason why you sho uld always wear
your safety bel ts, not just beca use the law re­
q ui res you to do soc::>
page 175, General
notes.
It is important to rememb er that while the
side curta in a irbag sys tem is designed to he lp
r educe the like lihood of se rious injur ies, other
in ju ries, for example, swell ing, bruising, and
minor abrasions can also be associated with
these airbags upon deployment. Remember
too, these a irbags w ill dep loy 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 sy stem ba sicall y
consi sts of:
- The electronic control mod ule and external
s ide impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and rear side windows
A irba g sy stem 203
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
T he airbag system is mon itored e lec tronically
to make ce rtain i t is func tioning prope rly at all
times . Each time you turn on the ignit ion, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for
a few seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag i s not activat ed :
- if the ignition is turned off
- in side co llisions whe n the acceleration
measured by the sensor is too low
- in rea r-end collisions.
A WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide pro te ction when occup ants
are in the proper seating posi tion
c::>
page 71, General recommendations.
- If th e air bag ind icator light comes on
when the vehicle is being used, have the
system inspected immediately by your
authorized A udi dealer . The side curtain
airbag may not work properly even when
the vehicle acce lerat ion in a side collision
is high enough to activate the airbag.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags con work together with
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head
and upper torso injuries for occupants who
ore properly restrained.
Fi g. 216 Illustrat io n of pr incip le: Inflated side curtai n
a irbags on the left s ide
-
The side curtain airbags inflate between the
occupant and the windows on the s ide of the
IIJ,,