2015 AUDI Q5 ESP

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detail below . Because the front passenger seat
contains important parts of the Advanced Airbag
System, yo u must take care to prevent it from be­
ing damaged. Damage to the seat may prevent
the Advanced Airbag for the front passenger seat
from do ing its job in a crash .
The front Ad vanced Airb ag S ystem con sis ts
of the following :
-Crash sensors in the front of the veh icle that
measure veh icle acceleration/deceleration to
provide information to the Advanced Airbag
System about the severity of the crash .
- An electronic control unit, with integrated
crash sensors for front and side impacts . The
control unit "decides" whether to fire the front
airbags based on the information received from
the crash sensors . T he control un it also "de­
cides" whether the safety be lt pretensioners
sho uld be activated.
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
control valve for the driver inside the steering
whee l hub.
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
control valve inside the instrument panel for
t h e front passenger.
- A weig ht-sensing mat under the upholstery
padding of the front passenger seat cushion
that meas ures the tota l weight on the seat. The
information registered is sent cont in uous ly to
the e lectronic control unit to regulate dep loy­
ment of the front Advanced Airbag on the pas­
senger side.
- An airbag monitoring system and indicator
light in the instrument cluster
¢ page 162.
-A sensor in each front seat registers the dis­
tance between the respect ive seat and the
steering wheel or instrument panel. The infor­
mation registered is sent cont inuously to the
elect ron ic cont ro l unit to regulate deployment
of the front Advanced Airbags.
- T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on in the center of the i nstrument
pane l¢
page 162, fig . 168 and tells you when
the front Advanced Ai rbag on the passenger
side has been turned
off .
-A sensor below the safety belt la tch fo r the
front seat passenge r to measure the tension on
Airbag syste m
the sa fe ty belt. The tens ion on the safety be lt
and the weight registe red by the weight -sens­
ing mat help the control unit "decide" whether
the front a irbag for the front passenger seat
should be turned
off or not¢ page 153, Child
restraints on the front seat- some important things to know.
- A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver
and for the front seat passenger that senses
whether that safety belt is latched or not and
transm its this informat ion to the elect ro nic
cont ro l unit.
A WARNING
D amage to the fron t passenger seat can pre­
vent the fron t air bag from working prope rly.
- Imp roper repai r or d isassembly of the front
passenger and driver sea t will prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from functioning properly .
- Repairs to the front passenge r seat must be
performed by qualified and p roperly trained
workshop personne l.
- Never remove the front passenger or driver seat from the vehicle .
- Never remove the upho lstery from the front
passenger seat.
- Never d isassemble o r remove par ts from the
seat or disconnect w ires from it.
- Never carry sh arp objects in yo ur po ckets or
p la ce them on t he seat.
If the weight-sens­
ing mat in the passenger seat is punctu red
it cannot work properly .
- Never carry things on yo ur lap or carry ob ­
jects on the passenger seat. S uch items can
increase the we ight registe red by the
weight-sensing mat and send the wrong in­
formation to the a irbag control unit.
- Never store items under the front passenger
seat . Parts of the Advanced Airbag System
under the passenger seat could be dam­
aged, p reventing them and the airbag sys­
tem from wo rking prope rly.
- Never p lace seat covers or rep lacement up­
holstery that have not been specifically ap­
p roved by Aud i on the front seats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Air­ bag System from recognizing child
159

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. ..,.

Airbag syste m
his or her back up against the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined
r::!>page 136, Correct
passenger seating positions,
- the adu lt is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or supporting
their weight on the armrest,
- the safety belt is being properly worn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web­
bing,
- 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
P ASS ENGER AIR BA G OF F
light in the center of the instrument panel, the
message
PASSE NGER A IR BAG OFF or PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG ON
will briefly appear in the instru­
ment cluster display . Thi s is to inform the driver
of the current front passenger airbag status.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ion ing prop ­
erly cannot prov ide supplementa l protect ion
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator light
r:!> 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
the a irbag will inflate when it is not s up­
posed to, or wi ll not inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front airbag in flates, a chi ld without a
child restraint, in a rearward-facing child safe­
ty seat or in a forward-facing child restraint
that has not been proper ly installed will be
ser iously injured and can be killed.
- Even though your veh icle is equipped with
an Advanced Airbag System, make certa in
that all ch ildren, especially 12 yea rs and
164
younger, a lways ride on the back seat prop­
erly restrained for their age and size.
- Always install forward or rear-facing child
safety seats on the rear seat -even with an
Advanced A irbag System.
- If you must install a rearward-facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptiona l circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
appear and stay on, immediately insta ll the
rea r-facing chi ld safety seat in a rear seating
position and have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your authori zed Audi dealer .
- A t ight tether or other s trap on a rea rward­
facing chi ld restraint attached to the front
p assenger sea t can put too much pressure
on the weight-sens ing mat in the seat and
reg ister 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 caus ing
serious or even fatal injury to the child .
- If, in exceptiona l circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the seat into i ts rearmost pos ition in the seat's
fore and aft ad justmen t range, as fa r away
from the airbag as possib le. The backrest
m ust be adjusted to an upr ight position.
Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignit ion is switched on.
A WARNING
- If the PASS ENGER AIR BAG OF F light does
not go out when an adult is s itting on the
front passenger seat after tak ing the steps
described above, make sure the adult is
prope rly seated and restra ined at one of the
rea r seat ing pos itions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
author ized Audi dealer befo re transpo rting
anyone on t he fro nt passenger seat.

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If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen­
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air­
bag on the passenger side will be turned off,
and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many
different places on your Audi. Installing, remov­ ing , servicing or repairing a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system and prevent that system from working properly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system will not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
-
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de­
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­
ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in­
strument panel or modify them in any way .
- Never attach any objects such as cup holders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
ering the airbag units .
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners could damage the airbag cover or change
the stiffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and protect
properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instrument
panel, front seats or electrical system (in­
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
Airbag system
who has the training and special equipment
necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
- The airbag system can be activated only
once. After an airbag has inflated, it must
be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical
information, training and special equipment
necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once . After an airbag has been deployed, it
must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially for
your Audi model version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag compo­nents must be performed by qualified work­
shops only. Make sure that any airbag serv­
ice action is entered in your Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- In accidents when an airbag is deployed, the
vehicle battery separates the alternator and
the starter from the vehicle electrical sys­ tem for safety reasons with a pyrotechnic
circuit interrupter .
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt­
er must only be performed by a qualified
dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions
must be followed.
165

Airbag syste m
passenger. In order to help provide this addition­
al protection, the side airbag must inflate within
a fraction of a second at very high speed and w ith
great force. The supplemental side airbag cou ld
injure you if your seating position is not proper or
upright or if items are located in the area where
the supplemental side airbag expands. This ap­
plies especially to children
q page 172, Child
safety.
Supplemental side airbags inflate be ­
tween the occupant and the door pane l on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collision
q fig . 170.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cush ion" the impact and in th is way they can
he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the upper part
of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys.
This is normal and does not mean there is a fire
in the vehicle.
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags ore only supplemental restraints . Always
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 the ir job to provide s upplementa l
protection.
A WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause ser ious or
fatal injury . Improperly wearing safety belts
and improper seating positions increase the
r isk of se rious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used .
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when
the supplemental s ide airbag inflates:
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean aga inst the area where the supple-
mental side airbag is located.
- Never let a chi ld or anyone else rest their
head against the side trim panel in the
area where the supplementa l side airbag
inflates .
168
-Always make sure that safety be lts 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.
- Always make sure that the s ide a irbag can
inflate w ithout interference .
- Never install seat covers or rep lacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
A udi.
- Never use addi tional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side a irbags de­
ploy .
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the side ai rbag
module must a lways be repaired immedi ­
ate ly by an authorized Audi dealer.
- Objects between you and the airbag can in­
crease the risk of injury in an accident by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds or
by being pushed into you as the airbag in­
flates.
- Never place or attach accessor ies or other
obje cts (such as cupho lde rs, telephone
brackets, or even large, bu lky obje cts) on
the doors, ove r o r near the area marked
"AIRBAG" on the seat backrests.
- Such objec ts and accessories can become
dangerous projectiles and cause injury
when the supplemental side airbag de­ ploys .
- Never carry any objects o r pets in the de­
ployment space between them and the
airbags or allow children or other passen­
gers to travel in this posit ion.
- Always use the bu ilt-in coat hooks only for
lightweight clothing. Never leave any heavy
or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that
may interfere with side airbag dep loyment
and can cause personal injury in an accident .
- Always prevent the side airbags from being
damaged by heavy objects knock ing against
or hitting the sides of the seatbacks .
- The a irbag system can only be triggered
once . If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Aud i dea le rship.
~

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.

Child safety
Child safety
Important information
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision .
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash apply also to children
¢ page 145, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults and
teenagers, the ir muscles and bones are not fully
developed. In many respects children are at
g reater risk of serious injury in crashes than
adults.
Because children's bod ies are not fully deve loped,
they requ ire restra int systems especially de­
signed for their size, weight, and body structure.
Many countr ies and all states of the United
States and provinces of Canada have laws requir ­
ing the use of approved c hild restraint systems
for infants and small children.
I n a fronta l crash at a speed of 20-35 mph
(30 -56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13 -pound
(6 kg) infant wi ll be more than 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the child would suddenly be more than 260 pounds
(120 kg). Under these conditions, only an appro­
priate child restra int properly used can reduce
the r isk of serious injury . Ch ild restraints, like
adu lt safety be lts, must be used properly to be
effective. Used improperly, they can inc rease the
risk of serious injury in an accident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's in­
structions in order to be sure the seat is r ight for
your child's size¢
page 175, Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats .
Please
be sure to read and heed all of the important in­
formation and WARNINGS about ch ild safety, Ad­
vanced Airbags, and the installation of child re­
straints in this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad ­
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they work
when infants and children in child restraints are
on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
amount of important information, we cannot re-
172
peat it all here. We urge you to read the detailed
information in this owner's manua l about airbags
and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle and the very important information about trans­
porting children on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they are
extremely important for your safety and the safe­
ty of your passengers, especially infants and
small chi ld ren.
.&_ WARNING
- Accident statistics have shown that children
are generally safer in the rear seat area than
in the front seating position. Always restrain
any child age 12 and under in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children
m ust be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly restrained ch ild could be injured by striking
the inter ior or by be ing ejected from the ve­
hicle dur ing a sudden maneuver or impact .
An unrestra ined or improperly restrained
child is a lso at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
- A suitable ch ild restraint properly installed
and used at one of the rear seating posit ions
provides the highest degree of pro tect ion
for infants and small children in most acci­
dent sit uations.
.&_ WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with
Advanced Airbags can be seriously injured or
even killed when an airbag inflates. A child in
a rearward-facing child safety seat installed
on the front passenger seat will be serious ly
injured and can be killed if the front airbag in­
flates.
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild safety
seat or infant carr ier with great force and
w ill smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the back rest, center armrest, or
door.
- Always install rear-fac ing ch ild safety seats
on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward fac ing ch ild
safety seat on the front passenger seat in

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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