2016 AUDI A7 sensor

M N <( I.J "". rl I.O
"' N I.O rl
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Mater ial
- special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­
rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts w ith pretens ioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regulations must be
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
miliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for yo u.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced A irbag System
performs in a crash. For example, using tire-rim
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehicle, changing the stiffness of the su spension,
including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
e lectronic control un it. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made . Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­
ing when it should.
_& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in ­
crease the risk of ser ious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspens ion components that
do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components originally instal­
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Airbag system
Knee airbags
Description of knee a irbags
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants .
Fig. 161 D river 's knee a irbag
T he driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
underneath the steering wheel
¢fig.161, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same
height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection to
the driver's and passenger's knees and upper and
lower thigh areas and supplements the protec­
tion provided by the safety belts.
If the front airbags dep loy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collisions when the dep loyment
threshold stored in the control unit is met
¢ page 152 , More important things to know
about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keep the driver or front passenger in
position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can provide supplemental protection .
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 properly. This is why you should a l­
ways wear your safety belt, not just because the
law requires you to do so¢
page 135, General in-
formation .
IJI>
159

Airbag syste m
-the e lectronic control module and external side
impact sensors
- the two airbags located in the sides of the front
backrests and the two airbags* located in the
rear backrest
- the ai rbag warning light in the inst rument cl us-
ter .
The a irbag system is monitored electron ica lly to
make certa in that it is function ing properly at a ll
times. Each time you switch on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics).
The s ide a irbag system supplements the safety
be lts and can he lp to reduce the risk of injury to
the driver 's, front and rear passenger 's upper tor­
so on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a
side collision. The airbag deploys only in side im­
pacts and on ly when the vehicle accelera tion reg­
istered by the control unit is high enough . If this
rate is below the reference value programmed in­
to the contro l unit , the side airbags will not be
tr iggered, even though the car may be badly
damaged as a result of the co llision.
It is not pos ­
sible to def ine an a irbag tr igger ing range that
will cover every possible angle of impact, since
the circumstances wi ll vary considerably between
one co llision and another. Important factors in­
clude, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of
t he impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc. ¢
page 163, Important safety in ­
structions on the side airbag system.
Aside from the ir norma l safety function, safety
be lt s work to help keep the dr iver or front pas­
senger in pos it ion in the event of a s ide collision
so that the side a irbags can provide protect ion.
The airbag system is
not a subst itute for your
safety belt. Ra ther, it is part o f the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re ­
member that the s ide a irbag system can only
he lp to protect you if you are wear ing your safety
be lt and wearing it p roperly. This is another rea­
son why you shou ld always wea r you r safety
be lts, not just because the law requ ires you to do
so ¢
page 135, General information.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental side airbag system is des igned to re-
162
duce the like lihood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries , for example, swelling, bruising, friction
burns and m inor abrasions can a lso be associated
with deployed side airbags. Remember too, s ide
airbags will dep loy only once and only in certain
k inds of accidents -your safety belts are always
the re to offer protection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are no t necessarily an indication
of over-sensitive or failed airbag activation . In
some collis ions, both front and side ai rbags may
i nflate . Remember too, that a irbags w ill deploy
o nl y once and on ly in certa in kinds of collisions -
you r safety be lts a re a lways there to offer p rotec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not s u pposed to deploy or when they have a lready
deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignit io n is swit ched off
- in side co llisions when the accele rat ion meas-
ured by the senso r 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 protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
¢ page 163.
-If the airbag ind icator light¢ page 18
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer .
It is possible that
the airbag will in flate when i t is not sup­
posed to, or will not infla te when it should.

Airb ag syst em
by being pushed into you as the airbag in­
flates.
- Never p lace or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone brackets, or even large, bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the seat backrests.
- Su ch ob jects and ac cessories can become
dangerous projecti les and cause injury
when the supplemental side airbag de ­
p loys .
- Never carry any objects or pets in t he de ­
p loyment space between them and the
airbags or allow chi ldren or other passen­
gers to trave l 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 airbag deployment
and can cause personal injury in an accident .
- Always prevent the side a irbags from be ing
damaged by heavy objects knocking against
o r hitting the sides of the seatbacks .
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once . If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be rep laced by an authorized
Audi dealership.
- Damage (c racks, deep scratches etc.) to the
o rig inal seat covers or to the seam in the
area of the side airbag module must a lways
be repaired immedia tely by an authori zed
Audi dealer .
-If children a re seated improperly, their risk
of injury i ncreases in the case of an a cciden t
~ page 167, Child safety .
-Never a ttempt to modify any com po nents of
the a irbag sys tem in any way .
- In a side collision, s ide a irbags w il l not fu nc­
t ion prope rly if sensors canno t correc tly
measure increas ing air pressure inside the
doors when air escapes through larger, un­
closed openings in the door panel.
- Never drive w ith inter io r doo r tr im panels
removed .
- Never drive when parts have been re ­
moved from the ins ide door panel and the
open ings they leave hav e not bee n prope r­
ly closed.
164
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker ho les have bee n properly closed.
- Always make certain that openings are
covered or f illed if add itiona l speakers or
other equipment is installed i n the inside
doo r panels.
- Always have work o n the doors done by an
autho rized Aud i dea le r or q ualified work­
shop .
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide sup­
plemental protection to properly restrained oc­
cupants .
Fig. 16 5 Sid e curt ain airba gs, dr iver's s ide: side cur tain air­
bag loca tion
The side curtai n airbags are located on both sides
of the inter ior above the front and rear side win­
dows
~ fig. 165 . They are identif ied by the word
"AIRBAG" on the windsh ield frame and the cen ­
ter roof pi llar.
The side curtai n airbags contain features that
provide ejection mitigation to help prevent vehi ­
cle occupants or parts of their bodies from being
completely or partially ejected from the vehicle
interior in certa in side impacts and ve hicle roll­
ove rs.
The side c urtain airbag system supplements the
safety belts and can he lp to reduce the risk of in­
jury for occupan ts' heads and upper torso . The
side curtain airbag inflates in s ide impacts and
on ly when the ve hicle acceleration registered by
the control un it is h igh enough . If this rate is ..,.

M N <( I.J "". rl I.O
"' N I.O rl
below the refe rence value p rogrammed into the
control unit, the side curtain airbag will not be
tr iggered, even though the car may be badly
damaged as a result of the co llision. It is not pos ­
sible to define an airbag triggering range that
will cover every poss ible angle of impact, since
the circumstances will vary considerably between one co llision and another. Important factors in­
clude, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of
the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.¢
page 165, How side curtain air­
bags work.
Aside from the ir normal safety function , safety
be lts work to help keep the dr iver or front pas­
senger in posit ion in the event of a co llision so
that the side curtain a irbags can provide protec­
tion.
The airbag system is not a s ubst itute for yo ur
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 wear ing your safety be lt
and wearing it properly. Th is is another reason
why you should always wear your sa fety bel ts,
not just because the law requires you to do so
¢ page 135, General information.
It is important to remember that while the side
curta in airbag system is designed to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injur ies,
for example , swelling , b ruising, fr iction burns
and minor abras ions can also be associated with
these airbags upon deployment . Remember too,
these airbags will deploy only once and only in
certain k inds of accidents -your safety belts are
always there to offer protectio n.
The side curtain airbag system basically
consis ts of :
- The elec tronic contro l mod ule and externa l side
impact sensors
- The side c urtain a irbags above the front and
rear side windows with ejection mitigation fea­
tures
- T he airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored elect ron ically to
make certa in it is function ing properly a t all
Ai rb ag sy stem
times . Each time you switch on the ign ition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics).
Th e s ide curtain airbag is not activated:
- if the ignition is sw itched off,
- in side co llisions when the accele ration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end col lisions .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
p rovide p rotection when oc cupan ts are in
the proper seating position ¢
page 52, Gen­
eral information.
- If the airbag ind ic a tor light~ page 18
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer . It is possib le that
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 con work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who ore properly re­
strained .
Fig. 166 Illust rat ion of pr incip le : I n flated si de curtai n air­
bags o n th e le ft side
The side curtain airbags inflate betwee n the oc­
cupant and the w indows on the side of the veh i-
cle that is struck in a side collision ¢
fig. 166 .
When the system is triggered, the side curtain
airbag is filled wi th propellant gas and breaks
t h rough a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the A IRBAG label. In order
ll>-
165

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N \!) ,....,
Audi pre sense Preventative passenger
protection
App lies to veh icles: with Audi p re se nse
Pre sense can initiate steps to protect veh icle oc­
cupa nts in certain dangerous situations. The
functions descr ibed a re ava ilable depending on
ve hicle equ ipme nt:
Pre sense ba sic*
The fo llow ing funct ions can be triggered in cer­
tain driving situations:
- Tensioning of the safety be lts (for example,
during heavy b raking) : The front safety belts
have revers ib le be lt pretensioners. If a collision
does not occur, the safety belts loosen sli ght ly
and are ready to trigger aga in.
- Clos ing the windows and the sunroof* (for ex­
amp le, when over- or understeering): The door
windows and the sunroof* are closed almost
completely until o nly a sma ll gap is open .
Audi pre sense basic functions can be triggered at
speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Drive se lect: The deployment time is adapted in
Dynamic mode .
Pre sense front (vehicles with adaptive cruise
control* }
Pre sense front contains the functions of pre
sense basic . In add ition, the likelihood of a rear­
end collis ion with the vehicle ahead is also calcu­
lated, within the limits of the system. If the risk
of a collision is detected, the following functions
can trigger:
- Brak ing guard
¢ page 91
-Tensioning of the safety be lts
- Closing the w indows and the sun roof*
Pre sense rear (v ehicles with side assist* }
Pre sense rea r contains the funct ions of pre sense
bas ic. I n addit io n, the li kelihood of a rea r-end
coll is ion from the veh icle behi nd is also calc ulat­
ed, w it hi n the lim its of the system. If the risk of a
collision is de tected, the following functions can
trigger :
Audi pre sense
-Tens ion ing of the sa fe ty belts
- Clos ing the windows an d the s unroo f*
Pre sense plus*
P re sense p lus conta ins the functions of pre
sense front and p re se nse rea r.
Error mes sage
Aud i pre sense: Unavailable
Preventative passenge r protection is not availa ­
ble. Drive to yo ur autho rized Audi deale r immedi­
ately to have the ma lfunction corrected.
A WARNING
-
Pre sense cannot overcome natural physical
l aws. It is a system designed to assist and it
ca nnot prevent a collision. Do not let the in­
creased safety prov ided temp t you into taking
risks . This could incr eas e yo ur risk of a co lli­
s ion.
- The system can deploy incorrectly .
- Please note that t he sensors do not always
detect a ll objects . This inc reases the r isk of a
coll is io n.
- Pre sense does not react to people or a ni­
mals or objec ts that are crossi ng the vehi­
cle 's path o r are difficult to det ect
¢ page 85.
-Reflec tive ob jects s uch as guard rai ls o r the
entrance to a tunne l, heavy rai n and ice can
a ffec t the fu nction of the rada r senso rs and
t he system's ability to de te ct a co llision risk.
(D Note
The sensors can be d isplaced by impacts or
d amage to the bumper, w heel housing a nd
u nder body. Pre se nse can be impa ired by th is .
H ave an a utho riz e d Aud i de aler o r au th orized
A udi Service Facility check the ir func tion .
(D Tips
-Certa in p re sense fro nt functions swi tch off
w he n sp o rt mode is sw itche d off or w hen
dr iving in reverse .
- T he p re sense fun ctions m ay not be av aila ­
b le i f th ere is a m alfu nction in t he ES C sys­
tem or t he a irbag con tro l mod ule.
185

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1"1
N \!) ,....,
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi ­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a req uirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from your a uthorized Audi dea ler . Read and fol ­
l ow the instructions for use on the packaging .
A WARNING
- Using clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
- Always store cleaning and care products out of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i­
soning .
@) For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when b uying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with h ousehold tras h.
Car washes
The longer that deposits remain on the vehicle ,
the more the s urface may be damaged . H igh
temperatures s uch as those caused by s unlight
increase the damaging effect.
Before washing, rinse off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water.
S tu bbor n depos its s uch a s bird dropp ings o r tree
sap are best removed w ith plenty of wa ter and a
microfiber cloth .
A lso, was h the unde rs ide of your vehi cle once
ro ad salt s tops be ing use d fo r t he season .
Pressure washers
When washing your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instructions
p rov ided with t he p ress ure washer. This is espe­
ci ally importan t in reg ard to the p ress ure and
sp ray ing dist ance. Do not aim the spray direc tly
at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the
rear lid or the sunroof * or at tires, rubber hoses,
Care and cleaning
insulat ing mater ia l, sensors * or camera lenses *.
Keep a distance of at least 16 inches (40 cm) .
D o no t remove snow and ice with a pressu re
washe r.
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz­
z les.
The water temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °() .
Automat ic car washes
Sp ray off the ve hicle before washing .
Make sure tha t the w indows and roo f* are close d
and the windshield wipers are off . Follow inst ruc ­
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
there are accessor ies attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes th at do not h ave
brushes.
Washing
by hand
Clean the ve hicle starting from the top and work­
i ng down using a soft sponge or cleani ng b rush .
U se solven t-free cle ani ng p rod ucts.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by
hand
T o avoid damaging the pain t whe n washing, first
remove dus t and large particles from yo ur vehi ­
cle . Inse cts , grease s pots and fingerprin ts a re
best removed with a specia l cleaner for matte
finish pai nt.
Apply t he p rod uct using a mi crofiber cloth. To
avo id damaging the paint surfa ce, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the ve hicle thoroughly with water. Then
cl ea n usi ng a neutr al sham poo and a so ft mi cro ­
fiber clo th .
Rinse the ve hicle thoroughly again and let it air
dry. Remove a ny wate r residue using a s ham my.
A WARNING
- Onl y wa sh the vehicle w hen the ign ition is
off and fo llow the ins truc tions from the car
wash ope rator to reduce the risk of a cci­
dents.
-
205

Care and cleaning
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourse lf
from sharp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking effect
may be delayed due to moisture on the
brake rotors or ice i n the winter. The brakes
must be d ried first w ith a few careful bra ke
applications.
(D Note
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash, you must retract the rear spoiler if
necessary, and fold the exter ior mirrors in to
r educe the ris k of damage. Power folding
ex ter ior mirrors* must on ly be folded in and
out using the power folding function.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash the
vehicle in di re ct s unlight.
- To reduce the risk of damage to the s urface,
do not use i nsec t removing sponges, kitche n
sponges or similar ite ms. - Matte finish painted vehicle components:
-To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polish ing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax.
It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith matte
finish paint. The pa int co uld be damaged
when the stickers o r mag nets are re­
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash t he ve hicle i n facilities spec ially de­
signed for that purpose. Th is w ill re duce the
r isk of dirty water co ntaminated w ith oil from
ente ring the sewe r system.
Cleaning and care information
W hen clean ing and caring for ind ividua l vehicle
com ponents, re fer to the following tables. The
info rmation conta ined there is simply recommen- dations. For questions or for compo
nents tha t
are not li sted, refer to an au thor ized Audi dealer.
A lso follow the information found in
¢ .& .
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wind shield wiper
Deposits ¢ page 50, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solutional
tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning so lution
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with alcoho l-free clean ing solu-
tion
Snow/ ice H
and br ush/solvent -free de- icing sp ray
Wheels Road sa lt Water
Brake d ust Acid
-free spec ia l cleaning solut ion
E x haust t ail pipes Road sa lt Water, clea ning solution sui tab le for stain less stee l, if nee -
essary
Decorative parts / Deposits Mild soap solutiona>, a cleaning so lution suitable for stain -
trim less stee l,. if necessary
206

Care and cleaning
Component S ituation Solution
Te xtiles
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
arti ficial leath er, the surface
Alca ntara Wate r-based depos its Absorben
t cloth and mild soap solutional
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Apply am ild soap solutional, blot away the disso lved oil or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterwa rd with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain remover, blot w ith absorbent materia l, treat
as ink, na il polish, la- afterward with mild soap so lution, if necessaryal
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natural leather Fres h stains Wool cloth with a mild soap solut ional
Wate r-based depos its fresh stains: absorbent clot h
such as coffee, tea, d ried stains: stain remover suitable for leathe r
blood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitab le
such as oil, make- up, for leather
etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special deposits such Spot remover sui table for leather
as ink, nai l polish, la -
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Care Regularly app ly condi tioning cream that protects from
lig ht and penet rates in to the mate rial. Use specially -col -
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon part s Deposits clean the same way as plastic parts
al Mild soap sol ution: maxim um two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quar t (1 liter ) of water
_& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be tre ate d wit h wa­
t er- repelling win dsh ield co ating agents. Un­
favorab le conditions such as wetness, dark­
ness, or low s un can resu lt in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
(D Note
- Headlights/tail light s
-Never clean headlights or ta il lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning prod uct that con­
tains alcohol, because they could cause cracks to form.
- Wheels
208
-
- Never use any paint polish or other abra­
sive mate rials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims such as sto ne chips or sc ratches must
be repaired immediately.
- Sensors /camera lenses
- N eve r use warm or ho t w at er to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . This
could ca use the lens to crack.
- N eve r use abras ive cle an ing m ateria ls or
a lcohol to clea n the camera lens. This
could ca use scratches and cracks .
-Doo r windows
- Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terio r mirro rs with a p lastic scraper. To