2014 AUDI Q5 airbag off

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 16
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 6 Airbag syst em
in a side collision. The side curtain airbag in­
f lates in side impacts and on ly when the vehi­
cle acce lerat ion reg istered by the contro l 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
fine an a irbag tr igger ing range that will cover
every possible angle of impact, since the c ir­
cumstances w ill 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,
vehicle speed, etc.
c:> page 176, 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 curtain airbags can pro­
vide p rotection.
The airbag system is not a subst itute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your veh icle. Al­
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wea ring
your safety be lt and wear ing it prope rly. This
i s ano ther reason why you shou ld always wear
your safety be lts, not jus t be ca use the law re­
qu ires you to do soc;,
page 149, General
notes.
It
is important to remember that whi le the
side curtain a irbag sys tem is designed to he lp
reduce the like lihood o f serious injuries, other
inj uries, for example, swelling, bruising, and
minor abrasions can also be associated with
these airbags. Remember too, these airbags
will dep loy only once and only in certain k inds
of acc idents - your safety belts are always
there to offer protection.
The side curtain airb ag system b asic all y
consists of:
- The electronic control module and externa l
s ide impact sensors
- The side curtai n airbags above the front and
rear side w indows -
The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
T he airbag system is mo nitore d elec tronically
to make certain i t is func tioning properly at all
t imes . Each t ime yo u 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 tur ned off,
- in side co llisions whe n the accele ration
mea sured 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
c:>page 61, General recommendations.
- If th e airbag ind ic a tor light c:>page 16
comes when the veh icle is being used,
have the system ins pected immediately
by your authorized A udi dealer. It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should.
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.
Fi g. 172 Illustration of p rinciple: I nflated side curtai n
a irbags on the left side
The side c urtain airbags inflate be tween the
occupant and the windows on the s ide of the
Ill-

-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 in exceptional circumstances and
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately
install the rear-facing child safety seat in
a rear seating position and have the air­
bag system inspected immediately by
your Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's in­
structions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint. The backrest must be
adjusted to an upright position .
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays
on all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
(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
Child Safety 1 79
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 .
Advanced Airbags and the weight­
sensing mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
detects the presence of an infant or child in a
child restraint on the front passenger seat us­
ing the weight -sensing mat in the seat cush­
ion and the sensor below the safety belt latch
on the front passenger seat that measures the
tension on the safety belt.
The weight -sensing mat measures total
weight of the child and the child safety seat
and a child blanket on the front passenger seat. The weight on the front passenger seat
is related to the design of the child restraint
and its "footprint", the size and shape of the
bottom of the child restraint as it sits on the ..,.
•
•

180 Child Saf ety
seat. The weight of a child restraint and its
"footprint" vary for different kinds of chi ld re­
straints and for the d ifferent models of the
same kind of child restraint offered by child
restra int manufacturers .
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes and mode ls of ch ild restra ints that the
NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the we ight ranges of typical in­
fants and typical 1 year-old child have been
stored in the control unit of the Advanced A ir­
bag System. When a ch ild restrai nt is being
used on the front passenger seat with a typi ­
cal 1 yea r-old ch ild, the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem compares the we ight measured by the
weight sensing mat with the in formation stor­
ed in the electronic contro l unit.
The ele ctron ic cont rol unit also registers the
tension on the front passenge r safety belt.
The tension on the safety be lt fo r the front
passenger seat will be different for an ad ult
who is properly using the safety belt as com­
pared to the tension on the be lt when it is
used to attach a child restraint to the seat.
The sensor below the latch for the safety belt
for the front seat passenger measu res the
tension on the be lt . T he input from this sen­
sor is then used with the we ight to "dec ide",
whe ther there is a ch ild restraint w ith a typ ica l
1 year-o ld child on the front passenger seat
and whether or not the airbag must be turned
off .
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restraint that you use,
make sure that it has been certified to meet
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards a nd has been certified by its manu­
facture r fo r u se w ith an airbag . Always be s ure
that t he ch ild res traint is p rope rly insta lled at
one o f th e rear seat ing pos itions . If in excep­
tional c ircu mstances you must use it on the
front passenger seat, caref ully read all of the
info rmation on c hild safety and Advanced Air­
bags and heed a ll of the applicable WARN­
INGS. Make certain that the child restraint is
correctly recognized by the weig ht-sensing mat
inside the front passenger seat, that the
front passenger airbag is turned off and that
the a irbag stat us is a lways cor rect ly signa led
by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
Many types and models of child res traints
have been available over the years, new mod­
els are introduced regu larly incorporating new
and improved des igns and o lder models are
taken out of product ion. Ch ild restraints are
not standard ized . Child restraints of the same
type typically have d ifferent weights and sizes
and diff erent 'footpr ints,' the s ize and shape
of the bo ttom of the ch ild restra int that sits
o n t he seat, when they a re inst alled on a vehi­
cle sea t. Th ese d ifferences make i t vir tually
impossible to certify compliance with the re ­
quirements for advanced airbags with eac h
and every ch ild restra int that has ever been
sold in the past or will be sold over the course of the useful life of your veh icle.
For t his reason, the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Adm inistrat ion has
published a list of spec ific type, makes and
models of child restraints that mus t be used
to certify comp liance of the Advanced Airbag
System i n your veh icle w ith the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standa rd 208. These chi ld restraints are :
Subpart A - Car bed child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
A ngel Guard A ngel September 25, 200 7
R ide AA 2403FOF
Subpart B - Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Ce ntury Smart Fit Decembe r 1, 1999
4543
Cosco Arriva September 25, 2007
22-013PAW and base 22-999WHO
E venflo Discovery Ad -December 1, 1999
just Right 212

Model Manufactured on or
after
Evenflo First Choice December 1, 1999
204
Graco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999
Graco Snugride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Primo Vi -September 25, 200 7
aggio SIP IMUN00US
Subpart C - Forward -fa cing and
c on vert ible child restraint s
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout September 25, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco Touriva 02519 December 1, 1999
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007
H igh Back Booster
22-262
Cosco High Back September 25, 2007
Booster 22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 200 7
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion December 1, 1999
254
Evenflo Generations September 25, 2007
352xxxx
Graco Comfo rtSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety September 25, 2007
Seat Step 2
Graco Platinum Ca rgo September 25, 200 7
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make
sure that the
P ASSENGER AIR BAG O FF
light comes on and stays on whenever a
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
- Take the child restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat posi tions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
Child Sa fet y 181
-Have the airbag system inspected by
your author ized Audi dealer immediate­
ly.
(D Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been statically tested by A udi on ly for
the Advanced A irbag 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 responsib le for the safe­
ty of everybody in the veh icle, especially chil­
dren:
... Always use the right child safety seat for
each child and always use it properly
¢page 184.
... Always carefully follow the child safety seat
manufacturer's instruct ions 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 m ust first activate
the convertible locking retractor on the
safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving
¢page 188.
... Push the child safety seat down with yo ur
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) .
... If a strap or tether is be ing used to tie the
child safety seat to the front passenger
seat, make sure tha t it is not so tight that it
causes the weight-sens ing ma t to measure
more weight than is act ually on the seat.
... Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢page 183.
Always remember: Even tho ugh you r vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
c h ildren, especially those 12 years and young ­
er, shou ld always r ide in the back seat proper-
ly restrained for the ir age and size. ..,. •
•

as possible before installing the child
restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing pre­
vents the front passenger's seat from
be ing moved to the rearmost position
in its fore and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest is
in the upr ight position.
- Always buck le the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose ch ild safety seat can fly around
dur ing a sudden stop or in a col lision .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c::> page 149, Safety
belts,
c::> page 157, Airbag system and
c::> page 178, Child Safety.
A WARNING
T o reduce t he ris k of serious injury, make
sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever a
child rest raint is installed on the front pas ­
senger seat and the ignition is switc hed
on.
- Take the child restraint off t he fro nt pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN ·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Aud i dealer immediate­
ly.
Secure unused safety belts on the rear
seat
F ig. 173 Schematic overv iew: keep un used safety belts
away from children in child safety seats.@-oute r rear
safety belt,
@ -center rear safety belt
Child S afety 183
If a child safety seat is used on the rea r bench,
especially with LATCH universal lower ancho­
rages, the unused safety belts
must be se ­
cured so that the child in the child restraint
cannot reach them
c::> &.
-Guide the safety belt webbings @and @
beh ind the head restraint of the seat where
the child restra int is insta lled
c::> fig. 173.
When doing so, do not engage the switcha­
ble locking retractor! You should not hear a
"cl icking" sound when w inding up the safety
be lt .
- Let the belt retractor wind up the safety belt
webbing.
A WARNING
A child in a chi ld safety seat i nstalled with
the LA TCH lower ancho rages or with the
standard s afety be lt or a child in a boos ter
seat on the rea r seat co uld p lay with un­
use d rea r seat safety belts and become en­
tang led . This could cause t he chi ld ser ious
personal injury and even death.
- Always secure unused rear seat safety
be lts out of reach of children in child
seats such as by proper ly rout ing them
around the head restrai nt of the seat
where the ch ild restraint is installed.
- Never activate t he switchable l ock ing re­
tracto r when routing the safety be lts
around the head restraints.
- Never let anyone s it at the center rear
seating position if the center rea r safety
be lt has been routed around a rear head
restraint.

184 Child Safet y
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.
-- /
Fig . 174 Sche matic overview: rearward- facing infant
seat, properly installed o n the rear seat
> When using the vehicle safety belt to install
a ch ild safety seat, you must first activate
the convertible locking retractor on the
safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving ¢
page 188 or install the seat
using the LATCH attachments.
> 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
sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
> Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢page 183.
Infants up to about one year (20 lbs. or 9 kg)
are best protected in special infant carriers
and child safety seats designed for their age
group . Many experts believe that infants and
small children should ride only in spec ial re­
straints in which the ch ild faces the back of
the vehicle . These infant seats support the ba­
by's back, neck and head in a crash ¢
fig. 174.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
fro nt seat a potentially dangerous place for a
child to r ide . The front seat is not the safest
p lace for a child in a forwa rd-facing child seat.
I t is a very dangerous p lace for an infant or a
larger child in a rearward-facing seat.
A WARNING
-Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong child safety seat o r improperly in ­
stalling a ch ild restra int increases the risk
of ser ious personal in ju ry and death in a
crash.
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant ca rr ie rs o n the front pas­
senger sea t -even with an Advanced Air­
bag Sys tem. A c hild will be ser iously in­
jured and can be killed whe n the inflat ­
ing ai rbag hits the child safety seat or in­
fant carrier with great force and smashes the child safety seat and child against
the backrest, center armrest, door or
roof ¢
page 158, Child restraints on the
front seat -some important things to
know.
- Always install rear-facing ch ild safety
seats or infant ca rr ie rs on the rear seat .
- Never install a rear-fac ing ch ild restra int
in th e forward-fac ing direct ion. Such re­
straints are designed for the special needs of infants and very small ch ild ren
an d cannot protect them prope rly if the
seat is forward- facing.
- If you m ust insta ll a rearwa rd fa cing
child safety seat on the fro nt passenger
seat be cause of exceptiona l circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come o n and stay on, im­
mediately insta ll the rear-fac ing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
Aud i deale r.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever us ing a child restrained in ave­
h icle is being used
¢ page 149, Safety
belts, ~page 157, Airbag system
and
c::> page 178, Importan t things to know.

Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats
can help protect toddlers and children over
age one who weigh between 20 and 40 lbs. (9
and 18 kg) in a crash.
F ig . 175 Sche mati c overvi ew : ins tallat ion o f the at­
tachments appl icable to a LA TCH seat
F ig. 176 Schem atic overview: installat ion of t he seat
u sing the ve hicle' s safety b elt sy stem
.. When using the vehicle safety be lt to insta ll
a chi ld safety seat, you must f irst activate
the convertible locking feature on the safety
belt to prevent the child safety seat from
moving
c::> page 188 or install the seat using
the LATCH attachments .
.,. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really t ight
so that the seat cannot
move forward or
s ideways more than one inch (2.5 cm)
c:;, page 188.
.,. If the child safety seat is equ ipped with a
tet her strap, attach it to the tether anchors
c:;, page 194 .
.. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
c:;, page 183.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an in­
fant restraint if it is more than one year o ld
and weighs more than 20 lbs. (9 kg) .
Child Safety 185
Toddlers and children who are older than one
year up to about 4 years old and weigh more
than 20 lbs. (9 kg) up to 40 lbs. (18 kg) must always be properly restrained in a child safety
seat cert ified for their si ze and weight
c:;, fig . 175 and c:;, fig. 176 .
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
front seat a potentially dangerous place for a
child to ride . The front sea t is not the sa fest
place for a child in a forward -facing child safe ­
ty seat .
It is a very dangerous place for a n in­
fant or a large r ch ild in a rearward-facing seat .
.&_ WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the
wrong child s afety seat o r imprope rly in­
stalling a chi ld restraint increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death in a
collision or other emergency situation .
- Ch ildren on the front seat o f any car,
even with Advanced Airbags, can be se ri­
ously injured or
even killed when an air­
bag inflates. A chi ld in a rearward-facing
child safety seat installed o n the front
passenger seat will be serious ly injured
and can be k illed if the front airbag in­
flates -
even with an Advanced Airbag
System .
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force a nd will smash the child safety seat
and child against the ba ckrest, center
a rmrest, doo r or roof.
- Always install rear-fac ing ch ild safety
seats o n the rear seat .
- If you must install a rearwa rd fac ing
child safety seat on the fro nt passenger
seat because of exceptiona l circumstan­
ces and t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately insta ll the rear -fac ing chi ld
safety seat in a rear seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Aud i dea ler .
- The rear side of the child safety seat
should be pos itioned as close as poss ib le
~