2015 AUDI Q5 warning

Driving safet y
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
c:> poge 63,
General information .
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty be lts properly
c:> page 144 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle, the driver os well as the driver 's abili­
ty to concentrate on the rood without being dis ­
tracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve­
hicle and all of its occupants . If your ab ility to
drive is impaired, safety r isks for everybody in the
veh icle increase and you also become a hazard to
eve ryone else on the road
c:> .& . Therefo re:
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by us ing a cellular te lephone .
• NEVER drive when your driv ing ability is im­
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
• Observe all traffic laws, ru les of the road and
speed limits and pla in common sense.
• ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather cond itions.
• Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch .
• Do NOT drive when you are t ired, under pres­
sure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired d riving safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal inju ry and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
136
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the drive r
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 151 Co rrect seat ing posit ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver's seat to the following pos ition:
• Adjust the driver 's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
c:> & -
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact with it when you dr ive.
• Ad just the steering wheel so th at t here is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steer ing whee l and your breast bone
c:> fig. 151.
If not possible, see your authorized A udi dealer
about adaptive equipment.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at your face.
• Grasp the top of the steer ing wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent.
• Ad just the head rest rain t so the upper edge is
as even as possib le w ith the top of you r head .
If
that is not possib le, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
possible.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
<=>page 147.
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the vehicle at all times .

M N
co
a:
co
,...., \!) ..,.,
N ..,., ,....,
For detai led information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see ¢
page 64.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be ser ious ly in­
jured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help re­
duce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out­
side of the steering wheel rim with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to he lp reduce the risk of personal in­
jury if the dr iver's a irbag inflates.
- Never hold the steer ing whee l at the
12 o'cloc k posit ion or with your hands at
other pos it ions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head
if the driver's airbag deploys.
- Pointing the steering whee l toward your
face decreases the ability of the supp lemen­
tal driver's a irbag to protect you in a colli­
sion.
- Always s it in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are located .
- Before driv ing, a lways adjust the front seats
and head restraints properly and make sure
that all passengers are properly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving . Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
- Never drive with the backrest recl ined or
t ilted far back! The farther the back rests are
t il ted back, the greater the ris k of injury due
to incorrect pos ition ing of the sa fety belt
and improper seating posit ion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats¢
page 172 . Special precautions ap­
ply when installing a ch ild safe ty seat on the
front passenger seat ¢
page 152.
Drivin g s afet y
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, relaxed driving.
Fo r yo ur own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
t h at you adjust the sea t for the front passenger
to the fo llow ing pos ition:
"' Adj ust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position and your back comes in full
contact w ith it wheneve r th e vehi cle is moving.
"' Ad just the head rest ra in t so the upper edge is
as even as possib le w ith the top of your head. If
that is not possib le, try to adj ust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
possible
¢ page 138.
"' Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat.
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correct ly
¢ page 147.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 63.
A WARNING
--
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
se riously in ju red o r killed by the a irbag as i t
unfo lds. To help reduce the risk of serious per­
sona l injury :
- Passenge rs must always si t in an upright po­
sition and never le an aga inst or place any
pa rt of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located .
- Passengers who are unbelted, ou t of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri ­
ously injured by an airbag as it unfo lds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front pas­
senger's breastbone and the instrument panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and proper ly fasten and wear the
safety belt be long ing to that seat .
- Before driving, always adjust the front pas­
senger seat and head restraint properly.
1 37

Driving safety
-Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument panel, out of the window, etc. The airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats r=;,
page 172. Spec ial precautions ap­
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat r=;,
page 152.
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 ve­ hicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking
maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
ing:
~ If there is a passenger on the rear center seat ­
ing position, slide the center head restraint up­
ward at least to the next notch r=;,
page 67.
~ Make sure that the seatback is securely latched
in the upright position
r:=:>page 69 .
~ Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
~ Fasten and wear safety belts properly
r:=:> page 147.
~ Make sure that children are always properly re ­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age r=;,
page 172.
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat.
138
- Safety belts only offer maximum protection
when the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position and the safety belts are properly positioned on the body. By not sit­
ting upright, a rear seat passenger increases
the risk of personal injury from improperly
positioned safety belts!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly so
that it can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
Fig. 152 Head rest ra in t: v iewed from the fro nt
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection.
~ Adjust the head restraints so the upper edge is
as even as possible 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
possible r=;,
fig. 152.
~ If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing position, slide the center head restraint up­
ward at least to the next notch .
Adjus ting head restraints r=;,
page 67.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Driving without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not properly adjusted in­
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury
-
dramatically. To help reduce the risk of injury: ~

M N
co
a:
co
,...., \!) 1.1"1
N 1.1"1 ,....,
-Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly ad justed head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restraints so the upper edge is as even as possib le w ith 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 possib le.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
wh ile driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the dr iver headrest for any rea­
son, fi rst stop the veh icle safely before at­
tempting to ad just the head restraint.
- Children must always be properly restrai ned
in a ch ild restraint that is appropria te fo r
their age and si ze
qpoge 172.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system con only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore properly
seated.
I mproper seat ing posit ions can ca use serious in­
jury o r death . Safety be lts ca n only work when
they are prope rly positioned on t he body. Im­
proper sea ting pos it ions reduce the effect iveness
of safety belts and wi ll even increase the risk of
in ju ry and death by moving the safety belt to cr it­
i cal areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys a nd strikes an occupant
who is not i n the proper seating position . A driver
i s responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especia lly for children . Therefo re :
.. Never allow anyone to ass ume an incorrect
seat ing pos ition when the veh icle is being used
¢ ,&. .
The follow ing bulletins list only some sample po­
sitions that will increase the risk of ser ious injury
and death. Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seat ing pos itions that
are dangerous.
Dr ivin g s afet y
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is moving :
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride w ith the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out t he window
- neve r put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cush ion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the ca rgo a rea
A WARNING
Imp roper seating posit ions increase the risk
of ser ious personal in jury and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
-Always make sure that all vehicle occupants stay in a proper seating position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
be ing used.
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mot or
any other object .
Make sure that a ll peda ls move free ly without in­
te rfe ren ce and t hat no thing prevents them from
re tu rning to t he ir o riginal posi tions.
Only use floor mats t hat leave the pedal a rea free
and can be secured with floor mat fastene rs.
If a brake circuit fa ils, increased brake pedal trav­
el is required to bring the veh icle to a full stop .
A WARNING
-
Pedals that cannot move free ly can cause loss
of vehicle co ntrol and increase the risk of ser i-
ous injury.
~
1 39

Driving safety
-Never place any objects in the driver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere with pedal function . In case of
sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake or accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fall or
move into the driver 's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mots that con be securely at­
t ached to the floor mo t fas teners and do no t in­
terfere with the free movement of the pedals .
• Make su re that the floor mats are properly se­
cured and cannot move and interfere with the pedals
c> _&. .
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position. You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi
dealer .
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Properly securing the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into posi­
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im­
pair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of
serious personal injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are prop ­
erly secured .
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be
properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and inte rfering w ith the ped­
als or the ability to control the vehicle .
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already installed
floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals .
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for cleaning.
140
-Always make sure that objects cannot fall
into the driver footwell while the vehicle is
moving. Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and accelerator pedal caus­
ing a loss of vehicle control.
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly stowed and secured in the luggage comport­
ment.
Fig. 153 Safe loa d positioning : place heavy o bjects as low
and as far fo rwa rd as poss ib le.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling charac­
teristics . Loose items can also increase the risk of
serious personal injury in a sudden vehicle ma­ neuver or in a collision .
• Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com­
partment.
• Always place and properly secure heavy items in
the luggage compartment as low and as far for­
ward as possible
c> fig . 153.
• Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided
c>poge 70.
• Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly through the vehicle causing serious per­
sonal injury in the event of hard braking or an
accident. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury: ..,.

M N
co
a:
co
,...., \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 ,....,
-Always put objects, for examp le, luggage or
other heavy items in the luggage c ompart­
ment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage com­
partment us ing the tie-down eye lets and
suitable straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehi­
cle handles. To help reduce the risk of a loss
of control leading to ser ious personal injury:
- Always keep in m ind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the center of
gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
hand ling:
- Always distribute the load as even ly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the G ross Ax le Weight Rating
or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance sticker on the left
doo r jamb. Exceeding permissible weight
standards can cause the vehicle to s lide and
hand le different ly.
- Please observe information on safe driving
r=>page 135.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed while driv ing.
- Never transport objects larger than those
fitt ing completely into the luggage a rea be­
cause the rea r lid cannot be fully closed .
- If you absolutely must drive w ith the rear lid
open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close a ll windows,
- Close the Panoramic sliding sunroof*,
- Open al l air outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- Sw itch off the air recircu lation,
- Set the fresh ai r fan to the h ighest speed.
Dr ivin g s afet y
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all windows,
the Panoramic sliding sunroof * and the rear
lid are securely closed and locked to reduce
the r is k of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make sure
that it is p roperly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended espe­
cially with the rea r lid left open . A child
could crawl into the ve hicle through the lug­
g age compartmen t and clo se the re ar lid be­
coming trapped and unable to get out. Be­
ing trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious
pe rsonal injury .
- Never let children play in or around the vehi ­
cle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compa rtment . Vehicle occupants must al­
ways be properly restrained in one of the ve­
hicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circul ation helps to reduce window fog­
ging . Stale ai r escapes to the outs ide
through vents in the t rim panel. Be sure to
keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure m ust correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the tire
pressure label. The t ire p ress ure label is lo­
cated on the dr iver's side B-pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
t ire inflation pressures fo r the veh icle at its
maximum ca pac ity weight and the tires that
we re on your vehicle at the t ime it was man­
ufac tured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load condi tions, please see chap­
ter
r=> page 246.
Tie-downs
The luggage compar tment is equipped wi th four
tie-downs to se cure luggage and other items .
Use the t ie-downs to secu re your cargo prope rly
r=> page 140, Loading the luggage compar tment. lliJ,
141

Driving safet y
In a collision, the laws of phys ics mean that even
sma ller items that are loose in the vehicle wi ll
become heavy miss iles that can cause serious in­
jury. Items in the vehicle possess energy which vary with vehicle speed and the weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the most significant factor .
For examp le, in a frontal coll is ion at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (5 kg) object are about 20 t imes the normal
weight of the item . This means that the we ight
of the item would suddenly be about
200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imagine the injuries
that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying free ly through
the passenger compartment could ca use in a co l­
lision like this .
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fa il during hard
bra king or in a collision and cause serious per­
sonal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dan­
gerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is fo lded down ,
always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
item s from flying forwa rd as dangerous mis­
siles into the passenger comp art ment.
- Never attac h a child safety seat tether strap
to a tie-down.
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If y ou b eliev e that y our vehicl e
has a defe ct which could caus e a
cr ash or could cause injury or
d eath , you should immediately in­
form the National Highw ay Tr affi c
Saf ety Admini stration (NHTSA) in
142
a d dition t o notif ying Audi of
Am eri ca, Inc .
If NHTSA r ecei ves similar com­
plaint s, it may open an inve stiga­
tion , and if it finds that a safety
defect s ex ists in a group of
v ehicles, it may order a recall and
remedy camp aign. How ever,
NHTSA cannot become in vol ved in
indi vidual pr oblems between you ,
your dealer, or Audi of America ,
Inc.
T o conta ct the NHTSA, you m ay
e ither call:
Tel.: 1-888-32 7-4 236 (TTY :
1-800-4 24-9 153) or
1-800-424-9393
or you ma y write to:
NHT SA
U .S . De part ment of Tran sp ort a­
tion 1200 Ne w Jer sey A ve ., S. E.
W est Building
W ashington , D C 2 0590
You can also obtain other infor ­
mation about motor vehicle saf e­
t y from:
http: / /www .s af ercar.g ov

Safety belt s
Safety belts
General information
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explain s why safety be lts are neces­
sary, how they work and how to adjust and wear
them correctly.
.. Read all the information that fo llows and heed
all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
&_ WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, always correct ly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically im­
paired persons must also use safety belts.
L ik e all veh icle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety be lts . The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mother - throughout
the ent ire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each seat­
ing position has a safety belt .
&_ WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, includ­
ing small ch ildren, into any belt. It is espe­
cially 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.
144
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safety
belt or child restraint.
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver
and (on USA models only) front seat passenger
to remind you about the importance of buckling­
up .
Fig. 154 Safety belt warning light in the instrument cl us­
ter -enlarged
Before driving off, always:
.. Fas ten your safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly .
(0
"'
"' 0 N .. Make sure that your passengers also buckle up
and properly wear the ir safety belts .
.. Protect your children w ith a child restraint sys­
tem appropriate for the siz e and age of the chil­
dren.
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ign it ion is switched on as a re­
minder to fasten the safety be lts. In addit io n,
you w ill hear a warning tone for a certain period
of time.
Fasten your safety belt now and make sure that
your passengers also properly put on their safe­
ty belts.
&_ WARNING
-Safety belts are the single most effective
means ava ilable to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, always correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving.
-