2015 AUDI Q5 sensor

Airbag system
restraints or occupants on the front passen­
ger seat and prevent the side airbag in the
seat backrest from deploying properly.
- Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or
similar items on the front passenger seat.
The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from accu­ rately registering the child restraint or per­
son on the seat and prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from functioning properly.
- If you must use a child restraint on the front
passenger seat and the child restraint man­
ufacturer's instructions require the use of a
towel, foam cushion or something else to
properly position the child restraint, make
certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately in­
stall child restraint in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the side
airbags supplement the protection offered by the
front three-point safety belts with pretensioners and load limiters and the adjustable head re­
straints to help reduce the risk of injury in a wide
range of accident and crash situations. Be sure to
read the important information about safety and
heed the WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Advanced Airbag System and
the activation of the safety belt pretensioners de­
pend on the deceleration measured by the crash
sensors and registered by the electronic control
unit . Crash severity depends on speed and decel­
eration as well as the mass and stiffness of the
vehicle or object involved in the crash.
On the passenger side, regardless of safety belt
use, the airbag will be turned off if the weight on
the passenger seat is less than the amount pro­
grammed in the electronic control unit . The front
160
airbag on the passenger side will also be turned
off if one of the child safety seats that has been
certified under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 has been recognized on the seat.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off
¢ page 153, Child restraints on the front seat ­
some important things to know .
.&_ WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag in­
flates, always wear safety belts properly.
- If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sit­
ting sideways or out of position in any way,
your risk of injury is much higher.
- You
will also receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if you are up against the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag
r::!;> page 152.
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fig. 167 Inflated front airbags
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Safety belts are important to help keep front seat
occupants in the proper seated position so that
airbags can unfold properly and provide supple­
mental protection in a frontal collision.
The front airbags are designed to provide addi­
tiona l protection for the chest and face of the
driver and the front seat passenger when:
- safety belts are worn properly,
- the seats have been positioned so that the oc-
cupant is properly seated as far as possible
from the airbag, .,._

Airb ag syst em
-Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cupholders, telephone
brackets, large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steer ing wheel, instru­
ment pane l, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourself. These obje cts
could cause injury in a crash, e specially
when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger's seat to
transport objec ts . Items can also move into
t h e area of the side airbag or the front air ­
bag dur ing braking or in a sudden maneu·
ver. Objects near the airbags can become
projectiles and cause injury, part icularly
when the seat is reclined.
A WARNING
The f ine dust created when a irbags dep loy can
cause breathing problems for people with a
history of asthma or other breathing condi­
tions .
- To reduce the r isk of breathing problems,
those w ith asthma or other resp iratory con­
ditions should g et fr esh air r ight away by
get ting out of the vehicle o r opening w in ­
dows or door s.
- If you are in a col lision in w hich a irbags de­
p loy, wash your hand s and fa ce wi th mild
soap and water before eating.
- Be caref ul not to get the dus t into you r eyes,
or into any cuts or s cratches.
- If the residue should get into you r eyes,
flush them with water.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separa te indicators monitor the function of
the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag moni­
toring indicator light and the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light.
The Advanced Airbag System (including the elec· tronic control unit, sensor circuits and system
w iri ng) is monitored cont inuous ly to make sure
that it is funct ion ing properly whenever the ign i·
162
tion is on . Each time you t urn on the ignit ion, the
airbag monitoring indicator light
II wi ll come on
for a few seconds (self diagnostics).
The sy stem must be inspected when th e
indicat or light
fB :
-does not come on when the ignition is sw itched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you have
switched on t he ignit ion, or
- comes on wh ile driving.
If an airbag system malfunction is detected, t he
i ndic ator light will fi rst s tart flashing to catch the
dr iver's at ten tion and the n st ay on con tinuo usly
to serve as a constant reminder to have the sys ­
tem inspected immediately .
If a malfu nction occurs that turns the front air ­
bag on the passenge r side off, the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignit ion is on .
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag ind icator light
c> page 16
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer .
It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup·
posed to, or will not inflate when i t should.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 168 Sec tion fro m t he in strument panel: PASSENGER
AIR BAG O FF ligh t
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is loca ted in
the center of the inst rument panel
c> fig . 168. ..,.

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The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been t urned
off
by the electron ic control unit. Each time you turn
on the ignition, the
P A SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF
light will flash for a few seconds and:
- wi ll stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
- will stay on if there is a small child or child re­
straint on the front passenger seat,
- wi ll go out if the front passenger seat is occ u­
pied by an adult as registered by the weight ­
sensing mat .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light mu st co me
on and st a y on
if the ignition is on and
- a ca r bed has been insta lled on the front seat ,
o r
- a rearward-fac ing c hild restraint has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat, or
- a fo rward-facing child restraint has been insta l­
led on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight registered on the front passenger
seat is equal to o r less than the comb ined
weight of a typica l 1 yea r-old restrained in one
of the rear -facing or forwa rd-facing infant re­
straints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 with which the Advanced Airbag
System in your vehicle was certified .
I f the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
fro nt airbag will not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-facing chi ld restraint on the front pas­
senger seat, the safest place for a child in any
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po­
sitions on the rear seat
¢ page 153, Child re ­
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 172, Child safety.
If the PA SSENGER AI R BAG OFF light comes on
when one of the condit ions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer­
tain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on cont inuous ly whenever the ignition is
on.
If the PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not appea r and not stay on a ll the time , stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and
Airbag syste m
- reactivate the system by t urning the ignition off
and then turning it on again;
- remove and reins tall the child restra int . Make
sure that the child restraint is properly installed
and that the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been correct ly routed around the chi ld
restraint as described in the c hild restraint
manufacturer's instruc tions;
- make sure that the convertible locking feature
on the safety belt for the front passenger seat
has been activated and that the safety belt has
been pulled tight . T he belt must not be loose or
have loops of s lack so that the sensor below the
safety belt lat ch on the seat can do its job
~ page 181.
-make sure that things that may increase the
weight of the ch ild and c hild safety seat a re not
be ing transpo rted on the fro nt passenge r seat;
- make sure t hat the safety belt tension sensor is
not b locked. Shake the safety belt lat ch on the
front passenge r seatback and forth;
- I f a strap or tet he r is be ing used to tie the child
safety sea t to the front passenge r seat, make
sure that it is not so t ight that it causes the
weight -sensing mat to measure more weight
than is actually on the seat .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still d oes
not come on
and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on),
- t ake the child rest raint
off the front passenge r
seat and instal l it properly at one of the rea r
seat pos itions. Have the a irbag system inspec t­
ed by your authorized Audi dealer immediately .
- move the child to a rear seat posi tion and make
sure that the child is properly rest ra ined in a
child restraint that is appropr iate for its size
and age .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light sho uld NO T
come on when the ignit ion is on and an adult is
s itting in a proper seating position on the front
pass enger seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while dr iv ing, unde r these circumstan­
ces, make sure that :
- the adult on t he front passenger seat is proper-
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion w ith ..,_
163

Airb ag syst em
@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers m ight be classified as Perchlorate Mater ia l
-special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including a irbag modules safe­
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all
app licab le laws and regu lations must be ob­
served. Your authori zed A udi dealer is fami lia r
w ith these requirements and we recommend
that you have yo ur dealer perform this service
for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle 's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced A irbag System
pe rforms in a crash. For example, using t ire-rim
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
ve hicl e, chang ing the stiffness of the suspension,
including the spr ings, suspension s truts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control un it. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force leve ls meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in c rashes in which it wo uld not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other ki nds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and preve nt the airbag from deploy­
i n g when i t should .
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's s uspension including
use of unapproved ti re -rim comb inations can
change Advanced A irbag pe rformance and in ­
crease t he risk of serious persona l injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components or iginally insta l­
led on your veh icle .
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi .
166
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety be lt b uckle
and the center console can cause the sensors i n the buckle to send the wrong informat ion
to the electronic control module a nd prevent
the Adva nced Airbag System from wor king
properly .
- Always ma ke sure that nothing can interfere
w it h the safe ty belt bu ckles an d that they
are no t obstr ucted.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
F ig. 169 S ide ai rbag locat io n in th e dr ive r's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
fron t seat backrests ~
fig. 169 and the rear back­
res t* fa cing the doors. They are identified by the
word "AIRBA G".
The side airbag sy stem bas ically consi st s of :
-the electron ic control module and external side
impact sensors
- the two airbags located in the s ides of the front
backrests and the two airbags* located in the
rear backrest
- the airbag warning light in the instrument clus-
ter.
The airbag system is monitored e lectronically to
make certain that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignit ion, the air­
bag system indicator light w ill come on for a few
seconds (self d iagnost ics) .
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The side airbag system supplements the safety be lts and can he lp to reduce the risk of injury to
the dr iver's and front passenger's upper torso on
the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side col­ lision . The airbag deploys only in side impacts
and only when the veh icle acceleration registe red
by the control unit is high enough . If th is rate is
be low the reference value programmed into the
control unit, the side ai rbags wi ll not be trig­
gered, even though the car may be bad ly dam­
aged as a result of the collision .
It is not possible
to define an airbag triggering range that will cov­
er every possible angle of impact, since the cir­
cumstances will vary considerably between one
coll is ion and another. Important factors include,
for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the im­ pacting object, the ang le of impact, vehicle
speed, etc .
r::;:,page 168, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to help keep the driver or front pas ­
senger in pos it ion in the event of a side collision
so that the s ide a irbags can provide protect ion.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt . Rather, it is part of the overall occu ­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the side airbag system can only
he lp to p rotect you if you are wear ing your safety
be lt and wearing i t properly. This is ano ther rea­
son why you shou ld always wear your sa fety
be lts, not just because the law requires you to do
so
r::;;, page 144, General information.
It is important to remember that while the sup ­
p lemental side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other inju­ ries, for examp le, swe lling, bruising, and minor
abrasions can also be associated with deployed
side airbags. Remember too, side airbags will de­ ploy only once and only in certain kinds of acci­
dents -your safety belts are always there to offer
protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessarily an indication
of over -sens itive or fa iled a irbag activation . In
some coll isions, both front and s ide airbags may
i nflate. Remember too, that airbags will deploy
only once and only in ce rtain kinds of collisions -
Airb ag system
you r safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed .
The side airbag sy ste m w ill not deploy :
-when the ignit ion is turned off
- in side co llisions whe n the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers .
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side
curtain airbags and side airbags may be triggered
together.
A WARNING
-- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide p rotection when occ upants are in
the proper seating position
r::;;, page 168.
- If the airbag ind icator light r::;:, page 16
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immedia tely by your
author ized Audi dealer.
It is possib le tha t
the airbag will inflate when i t is not sup­
posed 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 ore properly restrained.
Fig. 170 Inflated s ide a irbags o n left s ide o f vehicle
9 a: (D Cl)
When the system is triggered, the a irbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat surface area marked "AIRBAG" .
It ex-
pands between the side trim panel and the
ll>
167

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-Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc .) to the
original seat covers or to the seam in the
area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized
Audi dealer .
-If children are seated improperly, their risk
of injury increases in the case of an acc ident
¢ page 172, Child safety .
-Never attempt to modify any components of
the a irbag system in any way.
- In a side collision, s ide a irbags w ill not func­
tion properly if sensors cannot correctly
measu re increasing air pressure inside the
doors when air escapes through larger, un­
closed openings i n the door pane l.
- Never d rive with interior door trim pane ls
removed.
- Never drive when parts have been re­
moved from the inside door panel and the
openings they leave have not been proper­ ly closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly closed.
-Always make certain that openings are covered or filled if additional speakers or
other equ ipment is installed in the inside
door panels .
- Always have work on the doors done by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
Ai rb ag system
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide sup­
plemental protection to properly restrained oc ­
cupants.
,ft QOD'
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F ig . 1 7 1 Side curtain system, d river 's s ide: s ide cu rta in a ir­
bag locat io n
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides
of the inter ior above the front and rear side w in­
dows ¢
fig. 171. They are identified by the word
"A IRBAG" on the w indshie ld frame and the cen­
ter roof pi llar.
The side c urta in airbag system supplements the
safety belts and can help to reduce the ris k of in­
j u ry for occ upants' heads and upper torso on the
s ide of the vehicle that is str uck in a s ide coll i­
s io n. The side c urtain airbag inflates in side im­
pacts and only when the vehicle acce leration reg­
istered by the contro l unit is high enough. If this
rate is below the reference va lue programmed in­
to the control un it, the side curtain airbag will
not be triggered, even though the car may be
badly damaged as a result of the collis ion . It is
not possible to define an airbag triggeri ng range
that w ill cove r every possible ang le of impact,
s ince the circumstances w ill vary considerably be­
tween one collision and another. Important fac­
tors include, for examp le, the nat ure (hard or
soft) of the impacting object, the angle of im­
pact, vehicle speed, etc.
¢ page 170, How side
curtain airbags work.
Aside from their normal safety f unction, sa fety
belts work to he lp keep the driver or front pas ­
senger in position in the event of a collision so
that the side curtain airbags can provide protec-
t ion. ..,.
169

Airbag system
The airbag system is not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wearing it prope rly. This is another reason
why you should always wear your safety belts, not just because the law requires you to do so
~ page 144, General information.
It is important to remember that while the side
curta in a irbag system is designed to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abra­
sions can also be associated with these airbags.
Remember too, these airbags wi ll dep loy only
once and only in certain kinds of accidents -your
safety belts are always there to offer protection.
The side curtain airbag system basically
consists of:
-The electronic control modu le and externa l side
impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side w indows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrumen t
panel
The airbag system is monitored electron ically to
make certa in it is f uncti oning properly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignition, the air­
bag system indicator light wi ll come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignit ion is tu rned off,
- in s ide collisions when the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the ai rbag system will on ly
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper sea ting position
~ page 63, Gen­
eral information .
-If the airbag indicato r ligh t ~page 16
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by your
authorized Aud i dealer. It is possible that
170
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed 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 ore properly re­
strained.
Fig. 172 Illustration of principle: Inflated side curtain air ­
bags on the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the windows on the side of the vehi­
cle that is struck in a side collision
~ fig. 172.
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When the system is triggered, the side curta in
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
side curtain airbag must inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with great force .
The side curtain airbag could injure you if your
seat ing position is not proper or upright or if
i tems are located in the area where the supple­
mental sid e curtain airbag inflates. This applies
especially to chi ld ren
~ page 172.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain
a irbags can "cush ion" the impact and in this way
they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and the upper pa rt of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys.
This is quite normal and does not mean there is a
fire in the vehicle.

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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 airbag system
inspected immediately by your Audi dealer .
A WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must in­
stall 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 man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's instruc­
tions 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 air­
bag 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 in­
stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage 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 "Advanced
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" require­
ments for 3- and 6-year old children on the pas­
senger side and small adults on the driver side.
The low risk deployment criteria are intended to
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
Child safety
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 "suppression" requirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to 12 months who are restrained on the front pas­
senger seat in child restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad ­
vanced Airbag system, all children, especially
those 12 years and younger, should always ride in
the back seat properly restrained for their age
and size . The airbag on the passenger 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 forward-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 de­
tects the presence of an infant or child in a child
restraint on the front passenger seat using the
weight-sensing mat in the seat cushion 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 de­
sign of the child restraint and its "footprint", the
size and shape of the bottom of the child re­ straint as it sits on the seat . The weight of a child
restraint and its "footprint" vary for different
kinds of child restraints and for the different
models of the same kind of child restraint offered
by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes
and models of child restraints that the NHTSA
has specified in the Safety Standard together
with the weight ranges of typical infants and typ­
ical 1 year-old child have been stored in the con­
trol unit of the Advanced Airbag System. When a
1iJ11-
173