2014 AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK warning

126 Driving Saf ely
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or k illed by the air­
bag as it unfolds . To help reduce the r isk of
ser ious personal injury:
- Passengers must always s it in an upr ight
posit ion and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sit ion or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un­
folds with great force in the blink of an eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger's breastbone and the instru­
ment pane l.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lower part of the
instrument panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of the ir own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt be longing to that
seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat properly .
- For adjustable head restraints: before
dr iv ing, always also adjust the head re­
straints properly .
- Always keep your feet on the floor in
front of the seat. Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win­
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt w ill not be able to protec t you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash.
- Never drive with the backrest recl ined or
t ilted far bac k! The farther the back rests
are t ilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury d ue to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
t ion.
- Children must always ride in child seats
¢
page 168. Specia l precautions apply
-
when instal ling a child seat on the front
passenger seat¢
page 142.
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical size and be properly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use .
To reduce the risk of in jury caused by an incor­
rect seating position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas ­
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
.,. For adjustab le head restra ints: adjust the
head restra int so the upper edge is as even
as poss ible with the top of your head. If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as poss ible
c;, page 127.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts proper ly
c;, page 136.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate fo r the ir s ize and age
c::;, page 168 .
A WARNING
-Passengers who are imp roperly seated on
the rea r seat can be se riously in jured in a
crash.
- Each passenge r must always sit on a seat
of their own and p roperly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum pro te c­
tion when the safety belts are properly
positioned on the body and securely
latched. By not sitting upright, a rear
seat passenger increases the r isk o f per­
sonal injury from improperly pos itioned
safety belts!
- For ad justab le head restra ints: always
adjust the head restraint properly so that it can g ive maximum protect ion.

Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to vehicles: with adj ustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints ore on im­
portant port of your vehicle's occupant re­
straint system and con help to reduce the risk of injuries in occident situations.
F ig . 147 H ead r estr ain t: v ie w ed fro m the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust ­
ed to achieve the best protection .
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the uppe r edge
is as even as possib le with the top of your
head. If that is not possib le, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
q fig . 147. Move
the head restraint so that it is as close to the back of the head as possible.
Adjusting head restraints
¢ page 56.
_&. WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re­
straints. Driving without head restraints or
w ith head restraints that are not properly
adjusted increases the risk of ser ious or fa­
tal neck injury dramat ica lly. To help reduce
the risk of inju ry:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every pe rson in the veh icle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int .
-Always make sure each person in the ve­ hicle properly adjusts their head re­
straint. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is as even as possib le w ith
the top of your head .
If that is not possi­
ble, try to adjust the head restraint so
that it is as close to this position as pos-
Dr ivin g Sa fely 12 7
sible. Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and must adjust the driver headrest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safely be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
s traint .
- Ch ildren must always be prope rly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appro­
pria te fo r their age and size
¢ page 168.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system con only re ­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore
properly seated .
Improper seating positions can cause serious
injury or death . Safety belts can only work
when they are properly positioned on the
body . Improper seating positions reduce the
effectiveness of safe ty belts and will even in­
c rease the r isk o f injury and dea th by moving
the safety belt to critica l areas o f the body .
Improper seating positions a lso increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an air­
bag deploys and str ikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating position. A driver is
responsible for the safety of all veh icle occu ­
pants and espec ially for children . The refore :
.,. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
q _& .
The following bulletins list only some samp le
pos itions that will increase the risk of serio us
injury and death. Our hope is that these exam­
ples will make you more aware of seating po ­
s itions that are dangerous.
Th erefore , whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride wit h the seatback reclined
- neve r lie down on the rear seat

128 Driving Safely
- never lean up against the inst rument pane l
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit s ideways
- never lean out the w indow
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwe ll
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu-
pants stay in a proper seating posit ion
and are properly restra ined whenever the
vehicle is be ing used.
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee a irbag can
inflate without interference . Objects be­
tween yourse lf and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by interfer­
ing with the way the airbag deploys or by
being pushed into you as the airbag de­
ploys.
- No persons (ch ildren) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can result in serious or fata l injuries.
- No objects of any kind shou ld be carried
in the footwe ll area in front of the driv­
er's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects
(shopping bags, for example) can ham­
per or prevent proper deployment of the
airbag. Small objects can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you or you r passengers.
-
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without
interference and that nothing prevents them
from return ing to their orig inal positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area
free and can be secured with floor mat fasten­ ers .
If a brake circuit fai ls, increased brake pedal
travel is required to bring the vehicle to a full
stop.
A WARNING ,-
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause
'
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk
of ser ious injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver's
footwell . An object could get into the
pedal area and inte rfere with pedal func­
tion . In case of sudden brak ing o r an ac­
cident, you wou ld not be able to brake or
accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwel l.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
"' Ma ke sure that the floor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and in terfere with
the pedals
~ .&_.
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area
u nobst ructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot slip out of position. You can
obtain suitab le floor mats from your author­
ized Audi Dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are insta lled in your Audi . .,.

Floor mats used in your vehicle must be at ­
tached to these fast eners. Proper ly securing
the floor mats will prevent them from s lid ing
into positions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operation of your vehicle
in other ways .
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can resu lt
in a loss of veh icle contro l and increase the
r isk o f se rious personal injury .
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured.
- Never place or install floor mats or o ther
floo r coverings in the veh icle that cannot
be properly secured in pla ce to prevent
them from slipping and inte rfering w ith
the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place o r inst all floo r ma ts or o ther
floo r coverings on top of already insta l­
led floor mats. Additional floor mats and
other coverings wi ll reduce the size of
the pedal a rea and interfere with the
peda ls.
- Always properly reinstall and secure f loor
mats t hat have been taken out for clean­
ing.
- Always make sure that ob jects cannot
fall into the driver footwe ll wh ile the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become
t rapped under the brake pedal and accel ­
erator peda l causing a loss of veh icle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop ­
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com ­
partment.
L oose items in the luggage compar tment can
shift suddenly , changing vehicle hand ling
characterist ics. Loose items can also increase
the r isk of se rious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuve r or in a collision .
Driving S afel y 129
.. Distribute the load evenly in the l uggage
compa rtment .
.. Always place and proper ly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as fa r
forward as possible .
.. Secure luggage using the tie -downs p rov id ­
ed
c:> page 64, Luggage compartment.
.. Make s ure that the rear seatback is securely
la tched in place.
A WARNING
I mproperly store d luggage or other items
can fly t hro ugh the ve hicle causing ser ious
personal injury in the event of hard brak ­
ing or an accident. To help reduce the risk
of ser ious persona l injury:
- Always put objects, for exam ple, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the t ie-down hoo ks
a nd suitable straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads w ill influence the way yo ur ve­
h icle handles . To help reduce the risk of a
loss of cont ro l leading to serious pe rsonal
injury :
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle han dling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the G ross Vehicle We ight Rating
specified on the sa fety comp liance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
miss ible weight standards can cause the
ve hicle to slide and hand le different ly .
- Please observe informat ion on safe dr iv­
ing
c:>page 123.
•
•

130 Driving Safely
&_ WARNING
-
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
&_ WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power roof* and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle .
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment . Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D) Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open .
-
-The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­ mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions , please see chapter
r::!) page 232.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly ¢
page 129, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example , in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
&_ WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in ..,.

Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are nec­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly.
~ Read all the information that follows and
heed all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se­
rious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically
impaired persons must also use safety
belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are
more likely to be seriously injured if they
do not wear safety belts. The best way to
protect a fetus is to protect the mother -
throughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of four seating positions:
two in the front and two in the rear. Each seat­ ing position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, in­
cluding small children, into any belt. It is
especially dangerous to place a safety
belt over a child sitting on your lap.
- Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
Safety belts 13 3
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safe­
ty belt or child restraint.
~ Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and front seat passenger (on USA mod­
els only) to remind you about the importance
of buckling-up.
Fig. 148 Safety belt warning light in the instr ument
cl uster -enla rged
Before driving off, always:
~ Fasten your safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly.
~ Make sure that your passengers also buckle
up and properly wear their safety belts.
~ Protect children with a child restraint sys-
tem appropriate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignition is on as a reminder
to fasten the safety belts. In addition, you will
hear a warning tone for a certain period of
time .
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that
your passengers also properly put on their
safety belts.
A WARNING
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se­
rious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
•
•

134 Safety belts
-Failure to pay attention to the warning
light that come on, could lead to person­
al injury.
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles.
Fig. 149 Unbe lted occupants in a vehicle heading for a
wall
Fig. 150 Th e vehicle crashes into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the
vehicle and the passengers possess energy
which varies w ith veh icle speed and body
weight . Engineers call this energy "kinetic en­
e rgy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor.
If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of this veh icle are not
using safety belts¢
fig. 149, they will keep
moving at the same speed the vehicle was
mov ing just before the crash, until something
stops them - here, the wall ¢
fig. 150.
The same principles apply to people sitting in
a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision .
Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50
km/h), the forces acting on the body can
reach one ton (2,000 lbs, or 1,000 kg) or
more. At greater speeds, these forces are even
higher.
Peop le who do not use safety belts are also
not attached to their vehicle. In a frontal colli­
s ion they will also keep moving forward at the
speed their vehicle was t ravell ing just before
the crash . Of course, the laws of physics don't
just apply to frontal collisions, they determine
what happens in all kinds of accidents and col­
lisions .
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 151 A driver not wearing a safety belt is violently
thrown fo rwa rd
Fig . 152 A rear passe nge r not wearing a safety belt
will fly forward and strike the driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the
tremendous forces of i mpac t by holding tight
or bracing themselves. Without the benefit of
safety restraint systems, the unrestrained
ll-

136 Safety belts
Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be correctly posi­
tioned across the strongest bones of your
body.
,.. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and
described in this chapter.
,.. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death. Safety belts can
work only when used correctly .
- Always fasten your safety belts correctly
before driving
off and make sure all pas­
sengers are correctly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts must always be positioned properly on
the body .
- Never strap more than one person , in­
cluding small children, into any belt.
- Never place a safety belt over a child sit­ ting on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front
of the seat while the vehicle is being driv­
en .
- Never let any person ride with their feet on the instrument panel or sticking out
the window or on the seat.
- Never remove a safety belt while the ve­
hicle is moving. Doing so will increase
your risk of be ing injured or killed.
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these
may cause injury.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Do not wear the shoulder pa rt of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of pos i­
tion . -
Several layers of heavy clothing may in­
terfere with correct positioning of belts
and reduce the overall effectiveness of
the system .
- Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latch­
ing securely .
- Never use comfort clips or devices that
create slack in the shoulder belt . Howev­
er, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint sys­
tems .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt hardware can break in an
accident. Inspect belts regularly .
If web­
bing, bindings, buck les, or retractors are
damaged, have belts replaced by an au ­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Safety belts that have been worn and
loaded in an accident must be replaced
with the correct replacement safety belt
by an authorized Audi dealer . Replace­
ment may be necessary even if damage
cannot be clearly seen . Anchorages that
were loaded must also be inspected.
- Never remove, modify, disassemble, or
try to repair the safety belts yourself.
- Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts
may not work properly and can impair
the function of the inert ia reel
c::> ta­
ble Cleaning interior on page 205 .
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 154 B elt buck le and to ngue o n th e drive r's se at