2015 AUDI Q3 warning light

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-accessory seat covers or cushions or other
things that may cause an incorrect reading
or impression on the weight-sens ing 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
PASS ENGER AIR B AG O FF or
PAS SENGER AIR B AG ON will briefly appear
in the instrument cluster display . Th is is to in­
form the driver of the current front passenger
a ir bag 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 l ight
c> page 16
comes when the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immediately
by you r autho rized Aud i dea ler. It is pos­
sible that the a irbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or w ill not inflate
when it sho uld .
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates , a ch ild without
a child restraint, in a rearward-facing child
safety seat or in a forward-facing chi ld re­
straint that has not been properly insta lled
w ill be seriously injured and can be k illed.
- Even though your veh icle is equipped
with an Advanced Airbag System, make certain that a ll children, especially 12
years and younge r, always ride o n the
back seat properly restrained fo r their
age and si ze.
- Always install forward or rea r-facing
child safety seats on the rear seat - even
with an Advance d Airbag System. A
irbag
sys tem 125
- If you must install a rearward-facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PA SS ENG ER 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 airbag system inspe cted by your au­
thorized A udi dealer.
- A t ight tether or other strap on a rea r­
ward-facing child restraint attached to
the front passenger seat can p ut too
m uch pressure on the weight-sensing
mat in the seat and registe r 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
must install a forward-fac ing ch ild 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 pos ition. Make sure that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on all the time when­
ever the ignit ion 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 sea t after taking
the steps described above, make su re the
adu lt is properly seated and restra ined at
one o f the rear seat ing pos itions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your author ized Audi dealer befo re trans­
porting anyone on the front passenger
seat.
(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front pas­
senger seat detects an empty sea t, the
front airbag on the passenger side wi ll be ..,.
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safety belts with pretens ioners are scrap ­
ped, all applicable laws and regulations
must be observed. Yo ur authorized Audi
dea ler is familiar w ith these requirements
and we recommend that you have your
dealer perform this se rv ice 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 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 a irbag
sensors and sent to the electronic co ntrol
u ni t. Some suspension changes can, for exam­
p le, increase the fo rce levels measured by the
se nsors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in w hich it would not dep loy i f 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.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's s uspension includ­
ing use of unapproved tire-rim combina­
tions can change Advanced Airbag pe r­
formance and increase the risk of ser ious
personal in jury in a crash.
- Never install suspe nsion components
t ha t do not have the same per fo rman ce
c h arac ter istics as the componen ts or igi­
nally insta lled on your vehicle .
- Never use ti re -r im combi nat ions tha t
h ave not been approved by A udi.
A WARNING
-
Items s tored 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 tro l modu le and prevent the Advanced A ir­
bag System from work ing properly.
A irba g sy stem 12 7
-Always ma ke s ure 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 . 1 21 Side a irbag locat ion in the driver's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests<=)
fig. 121 facing the
doo rs . They are identified by the word "AIR­
BAG".
The side airbag sy stem bas icall y consi st s of :
- t he ele ctron ic cont rol modu le and external
side impact sensors
- the two a irbags located in the s ides of the
front backrests
- t he airbag warning ligh t in the instrument
cluste r.
The airbag system is monitored electronically
to make ce rtain that it is f unctioning properly
at all times. Each time you turn on the ig ni­
tion, the airbag syst em ind icator light will
come on for a few seconds (se lf diagnostics).
The side airbag system supplements the safe­
ty belts and can help to red uce the risk of in­
jury to the driver's and front passenger's up­ per to rso on the s ide of the vehicle that is
str uck in a s ide collis ion. The ai rbag deploys
on ly in side impac ts and only when the vehicle
acce le ration reg istered by the cont ro l unit is
high enough. If this rate is be low the refer­
ence value programmed into the control unit,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
IJJ-

128 Airbag system
though the car may be badly damaged as a re ­
sult of the collision . It is not possible to de­
f ine 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 facto rs
include, for example, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the ang le of impact,
vehi cle speed, etc. ¢
page 129, Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system.
As ide from the ir normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a side
coll is ion so th at the side a irbags can provide
protection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety be lt. Rather, it is pa rt of the overall oc ­
cupant restraint system in your ve hicle. 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 104, General
notes .
It is important to remember that while the
supplemental s ide a irbag system is designed
to reduce the like lihood of serious injur ies,
other injuries, for example, swell ing, bruising,
and minor abras ions can also be associated
with deployed side a irbags . Remember too,
side ai rbags w ill deploy on ly once and o nly in
cer tain k inds of accidents -yo ur sa fe ty belts
a re a lways there to offer protect ion .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack
of veh icle damage are not necessar ily an indi­
cation of over-sensi tive or failed a irbag activ a­
tion. In some co llisions, both fron t and s ide
airbags may inflate. Remember too, that air­ bags will deploy only once and only in certain
kinds of collisions -your safety belts are al­
ways there to offer protection in those acci­
dents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed .
The side airbag sy ste m will not depl oy :
- when the ignition is turned off - in side co
llisions when the accelera tion
meas ured by the sensor is too low
- in front -end collisions
- in rear -end collisions
- in rollove rs .
In some types of accidents the front airbags,
s ide curtain airbags and s ide a irbags may be
trigge red together .
_&. WARNING
-
-Safety b elts and th e airbag system w ill
only provide prote ction when occupa nts
are in the proper seating position
9 page 129.
- If th e ai rbag ind icator light ¢page 16
comes when the veh icle is being used,
have the system inspected 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 supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
F ig. 122 In flated side a irbags o n left s ide of veh icle
~ 0 :::, 00 a,
When the system is triggered, t he a irbag is
filled with propellant gas and b reaks through
a seam in the seat su rface area ma rked "AIR ­
BAG".
It expands between the side trim panel
and the passenger . In order to help provide
t hi s additional protect ion, the side airbag
must inflate within a fraction of a second at
very h igh speed and with great force . The sup­
plementa l side airbag could injure you if your
seat ing pos ition is not proper or upright or if ..,.

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items are located in the area where the sup­
plemental side airbag expands. This applies
especially to children ¢
page 133, Child Safe­
ty.
Supplemental side airbags inflate between
the occupant and the door panel on the side
of the vehicle that is struck in certain side col­
lision
¢ fig . 122.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de­
ploys. This is normal and does not mean there
is a fire in the vehicle .
Important safety instructions on the
side airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Al­
ways properly wear safety belts and ride in a
proper seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and act accordingly to help the
safety belts and airbags do their job to pro­
vide supplemental protection.
_& WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or fatal injury. Improperly wearing 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 injury when
the supplemental side airbag inflates:
- Always sit in an upright position and
never lean against the area where the
supplemental side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone else rest
their head against the side trim panel
in the area where the supplemental
side airbag inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front
seat put their hand or any other parts
of their body out of the window.
Airbag system 129
-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
deploy.
- 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.
- Objects between you and the airbag can
increase the risk of injury in an accident
by inter fering with the way the airbag
unfolds or by being pushed into you as
the airbag inflates.
- Never place or attach 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 supplement al side air­
bag deploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the
deployment space between them and
the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position .
- Always use the built-in coat hooks only
for lightweight clothing . Never leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the
pockets that may interfere with side air­
bag deployment and can cause personal
injury in an accident.
- Always prevent the side airbags from be­
ing damaged by heavy objects knocking
against or hitting the sides of the seat­
backs.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once. If the airbag has been triggered,
the system must be replaced by an au­
thorized Audi dealership.
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vehicle speed, etc. c> page 131, How side cur ­
tain airbags work .
Aside from their normal s afety func tion, safe­
t y belts work to he lp keep the d river or front
passenger in position 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 ubst itute for yo ur
safety be lt . 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 properly. Th is
is another reason why you shou ld always wear
your safety belts, not just beca use the law re­
qu ires you to do so
c> page 104, General
notes.
It is important to remember that while the
side curta in a irbag system is designed to he lp
reduce the like lihood of serious injuries, other
i n ju ries, for example, swell ing, b ruising, and
minor abras ions can also be associated w ith
these airbags . Remember too, these a irbags
will dep loy only once and only in certain kinds
of accidents - yo ur safety belts are a lways
there to offer protection.
The side curtain airbag system basically
con sis ts of:
- The electronic contro l mod ule and externa l
s ide impact sensors
- The side curtai n airbags above t he front and
rear side windows with ejection mitigation
features
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The a irbag system is monitored ele ct ron ic all y
to make certain it is functioning properly at a ll
times. Eac h time you turn on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for
a few seconds (se lf diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
- if th e ign it io n is turned off,
- i n s ide collisions when the accelerat ion
measure d by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end co llisions.
A irba g sy stem 131
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide protection w hen occupants
are in th e proper seating position
c> page 51, Front seats .
- If the airbag indicator light c> page 16
comes when the veh icle is being used,
have the system inspe cted immediately
by your authori zed A udi dealer .
It is pos­
sib le t hat the airbag will inflate when i t
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 .
Fig. 124 Illust rat io n of p rinciple: I nfla ted s ide cur tai n
a irbags on the left s ide
T he side c urta in airbags inflate be twee n the
occupant and the windows on the s ide of the
vehicle that is struck in a side collision
<=> fig. 124 .
When the system is t rigge red, the side curta in
a irbag is filled with propellant gas and b reaks
th ro ugh a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG labe l. In or­
der to he lp provide this additional protection,
the side curta in a irbag must inflate within the
blink of an eye at very high speed and with
great fo rce . The side curta in a irbag could in­
jur e you if your sea ting pos it io n is not prope r
o r uprig ht or if items are located in t he a rea
whe re the supplemen tal side curta in a irbag
infla tes . This applies espe cially to ch ildren
<=> page 133. II--

132 Airbag sys te m
Although they are not a soft pillow, side cur ­
tain airbags can "cushion" the impact and in
this way they can he lp to reduce the r isk of in ­
jury to the head and the upper part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de­ p loys . This is q uite norma l and does not mean
there is a fire in the veh icle.
Important safety instructions on the
side curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Al­
ways properly wear safety belts and ride in a
proper seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and do to help the safety belts and
a irbags do the ir job to provide supplemental
protection .
A WARNING
-
Improperly wearing safety belts and im­
prope r seat ing positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a veh icle is being used.
- Never le t occ upants p lace any p art s of
their bodies in the area from wh ich the
side curtain airbags inflate.
- Always make su re that the side curta in
airbags can inflate w ithout interference.
Unsuitable accessories fitted inside the
expansion range of a head a irbag can
dangero usly interfere w ith its function. A
deploying head a irbag develops enough
force to catapult any piece of add-on component out of its path of inflation
and into the passenger compartment . An
occupant hit by such a project ile can suf­
fer serio us inju ry or de ath
~page 240,
Technical Modifications.
- Do not swivel the su n visors to the side if
yo u have any objec ts clipped onto them
( f or example pens) . If the a irbag should
deploy, you co uld be in jured by these ob­
jects.
- Use the built -in coat hoo ks only for light ­
weight clothing. Neve r leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects
in the pockets that
may interfere with a irbag dep loyment
and can cause personal injury in an acci­
dent.
- Never use hangers to hang cloth ing from
the hooks.
- On ly use factory-installed sun shades or,
in the case of shades installed after the
veh icle leaves the factory, only Audi roll­
up sunscreens may be used
~ page 239,
Additional accessories and parts re­
placement.
- Always sit in p roper seat ing pos ition and
wear safety belts wh ile traveling so that
the side cu rtain airbags can help p rov ide
p rotec tion.
- T he airbag system can only be triggered
once.
If the airbag has been triggered,
the system must be replaced by an au­
thor ized Audi dealer or qualif ied work­
shop .
- Always have work involving the side cu r­
tain airbag system, removal and insta lla­
tion of the airbag components, or other repairs per formed by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop. Otherwise
the airbag system may not work correct­
ly.
- Never attempt to mod ify any compo­
nents of the airbag system in any way .

134 Child Safety
-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 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 th e
driver side. The low ris k deployment criteria
are intended to reduce the risk of injury
through interact ion with the airbag t hat 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 .,..

136 Child Safety
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, 2007
aggio SIP IMUN00US
Subpart C - Forward-facing and
convertible child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout September 25, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco Touriva 02519 December 1,
1999
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007
High Back Booster
22-262
Cosco High Back September 25, 2007 Booster 22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
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 Cargo September 25, 2007
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make
sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
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 positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on. -
Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer immed iate­
ly.
@ Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C
have been statically tested by Audi only for
the Advanced Airbag function.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially
reduces the risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsib le for the safe­
ty of everybody in the veh icle, especially chil­
dren:
.. Always use the right chi ld safety seat for
each child and always use it properly
c::;,page 139.
.. 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 must first activate
the convertible locking retractor on the
safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving
¢ page 143 .
.. Push the ch ild safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight
so that the seat cannot move forward or
sideways more than one inch (2 .5 cm) .
.,. 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 actually on the seat.
.. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
c::;, page 13 8.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
children, especially those 12 years and young­
er, shou ld always ride in the back seat proper-
ly restrained for their age and size . .,.