2016 AUDI Q3 warning light

Airbag syste m
-the adu lt on the front passenger seat is proper ­
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up against the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined
c> page 96, Correct pas­
senger seating positions,
- the adult is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or supporting
their we ight 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
th ings that may cause an incorrect read ing or
impression on the weight-sensing mat under
the upho lstery of the seat have been removed
from the front passenge r seat,
- a safety be lt extender has not been left in the
safety belt latch for the front passenge r seat.
In addition to the
PA SSE NGER AIR BA G OFF
lig ht in the center of the instrument panel, the
message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG ON
w ill briefly appear in the inst ru­
ment cluster display . T his 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
er ly cannot p rovide supplemental p rotection
in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicato r light
c>page 16
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, h ave
the system inspected immediate ly by yo ur
authorized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not s up­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a
child restraint, in a rearward-facing child safe­
ty seat or in a forward-facing child restra int
that has not been properly installed w ill be
ser iously injured and can be killed .
124
-Even tho ugh your vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced A irbag System, make certain
that a ll children, espec ia lly 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat prop­
erly restrained for their age and s ize.
- 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 exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
appear and s tay on, immedi ately ins tall the
rear-facing child safety seat in a re ar seat ing
position and have the a irbag system in ­
spected by your authorized Audi dea ler.
- A t ight tether or other s trap on a rearward­
facing chi ld restraint attached to the front
passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and
register more weight than is actually on the
seat. The heavier weight registered can
make the system work as thoug h an adu lt
were on the seat and deploy the Advanced
Airbag when it must be suppressed causing
serious or even f atal injury to the child.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child res traint on
the front p assenge r seat, always move the
seat into i ts rearmost position in the sea t's
fore and aft ad justment range, as far away
from the ai rbag as possible . The backrest
must 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
wheneve r the ignit ion is switched on.
A WARNING
- If the PASSENG ER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an adult is sitting on the
front passenger seat afte r taking the steps
described above, make s ure the adult is
p roper ly sea ted and restra ined at one o f the
rear sea ting posit ions .
- Have the ai rbag system inspected by your
author ized Audi dealer befo re t ransporting
anyone on the front passenger seat.

Airbag syste m
with these requirements and we recommend
that you have your 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 Airbag System
performs in a crash. For examp le, using t ire-r im
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lower ing the
veh icle, changing the stiffness of the suspens ion,
including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control unit. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in wh ich it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas ured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­ ing when it should.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components originally instal­
led o n your veh icle .
- Never use tire-rim comb inations that have
not been approved by Audi.
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle
and the center console can cause the senso rs
in the buckle to send the wrong info rmation
to the electronic control module and prevent
t he Advanced Airbag System from wor king
properly.
- Always make sure tha t noth ing can interfere
with the safety be lt buck les and that they
are not obstructed.
126
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 125 S ide a irbag locat io n in the driver's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests ¢
fig. 125 facing the doors.
They are identified by the word "AIRBAG".
The sid e airbag system ba sically con sis t s o f:
- the electronic control module and external side
impact sensors
- the two a irbags located in the s ides of the front
backrests
- the airbag warning light in the instrument clus -
ter.
The airbag system is monitored electronica lly to
make certain that it is functioning properly at a ll
t imes. Each time you turn on the ignition, the air ­
bag system indicator light w ill come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics) .
The side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to
the driver's and front passenger's upper torso on
the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side co l­
li sion. The a irbag deploys only in side impacts
and only when the vehicle acceleration registered by the control unit is high enough. If this rate is
below the reference val ue programmed into the
contro l unit, the side airbags will not be trig-
gered, even though the car may be badly 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, si nce the c ir­
cumstances w ill vary conside rably between one
collision and another . Important factors include, .,,.

.... N
c:i ::J CX)
.... I.Cl U"I
N I.Cl ......
for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the im­
pacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
¢ page 128, Important safety in­
structions on the side airbag system.
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to he lp keep the driver or front pas­
senger in posit ion in the event of a side collision
so that the side airbags can provide 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 veh icle. Always re­
member that the side airbag system can only
help to protect you if you are wearing your safety
belt and wearing it properly . This is another rea ­
son why you should always wear your safety be lts, not just because the law requires you to do
so
¢ page 104, General information.
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lem ental side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries , fo r example, swell ing, bruising, and minor
abrasions can also be associated with deployed
side airbags. Remember too, side airbags wi ll 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
ve hicl e damage are not necessarily an indication
of over-sensitive or failed airbag activation. In
some col lisions, both front and side a irbags may
inflate. Remember too, that airbags will deploy
only once and only in certain kinds of coll isions -
your safety belts are always there to offer protec ·
tion in those acc idents in which a irbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ign ition is turned off
- in side collisions when the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers.
Airbag system
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 seat ing pos ition¢
page 128.
- If the airbag ind icator light Q page 16
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 inflate when it 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 are properly restrained.
Fig. 126 Inflated side a irbags on left side of vehicle
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat surface area marked "AIRB AG". It ex­
pands between the side trim panel and the pas·
senger . In order to help provide this addit ional
protect ion, the side airbag must inflate w ith in a
fraction of a second at very high speed and with
great force. Th e supplemental side airbag could
injure you if you r seating position is not proper or
upright or if items are located in the area where
the supp lemental side a irbag expands. This ap­
plies especially to children¢
page 132, Child
safety.
Supplemental side airbags inflate be­
tween the occupant and the door panel on the
s ide of the vehicle that is struck in certain side
collision ¢
fig. 126. .,.
127

Airbag syste m
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this 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 are 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 a irbags do the ir job to provide supplemental
protection .
A WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause ser ious or
fatal injury. Improperly wea ring safety belts
and improper seating positions increase the
r is k of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- In order to red uce the risk of injury when
the supplemental side 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 the ir
head against the side trim panel in the
area where the supplemental s ide a irbag
inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat
put their hand or any other parts of t he ir
body out of the window.
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate without interference.
- Never install seat covers o r rep lacemen t
upho lstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
Aud i.
128
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags de­
ploy.
- Damage to the orig inal seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the s ide airbag
module must a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an autho rized Aud i dealer .
- Objects between you and the airbag can in­
crease the r isk of injury in an acc ident 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
ob jects (s uch as c upholders, telephone
brackets, or even large, b ulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the seat backrests.
- Such objects and accessories can become
dangero us projecti les and cause injury
when the supplemental side airbag de­ ploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the de­
ployment space between them and the
airbags or allow children or other passe n­
gers to trave l in this position .
- Always use the b uilt-in coat hooks only fo r
lightweight clo thing. Never leave any heavy
or sharp-edged objec ts in the po ckets that
may i nterfere wi th s ide airb ag deployment
and can cause persona l injury in an accident.
- Always prevent the side ai rbags from being
damaged by heavy objec ts knocking against
or hit ting the sides of the seatbacks.
- The a irb ag sys tem can only be triggere d
once. If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dea lership .
- 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
Aud i dea ler .
- If ch ildren are seated improperly, their risk
of injury increases in the case of an accident
c::;, page 132, Child safety.
- Never attempt to mod ify any components of
the airbag system in any way.

Airbag system
The side curtain airbag system basically
consists of:
- The electronic control module and external side
impact sensors
- The side curta in airbags above the front and
rear side windows with ejection mitigation fea­
tures
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to
make certain it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ignition, the air­
bag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignition is turned off,
-in side collisions when the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions.
,&. WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
¢ page 50,
Front seats.
-If the airbag indicator light ¢page 16
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer . It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
130
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who are properly re­
strained.
Fig. 128 Illus tratio n of principle: I nflated side curtain a ir­
bag s on t he left s ide
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. 128.
When the system is triggered, the side curtain
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
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supple­
mental side curtain airbag inflates. This applies
especially to children~
page 132.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain
airbags can "cushion" the impact and in this way
they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and the upper part 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 .

Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Airbags are 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 do to help the safety belts and airbags
do their job to provide supplemental protection.
_& WARNING
-
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper
seating positions increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death whenever a vehicle
is being used.
- Never let occupants place any parts of their
bodies in the area from which the side cur­
tain airbags inflate.
- Always make sure that the side curtain air­
bags can inflate without interference. Un­
suitable accessories fitted inside the expan­
sion range of a head airbag can dangerously
interfere with its function. A deploying head
airbag develops enough force to catapult
any piece of add-on component out of its
path of inflation and into the passenger
compartment. An occupant hit by such a
projectile can suffer serious injury or death
¢ page 234, Technical Modifications.
- Do not swivel the sun visors to the side if
you have any objects clipped onto them (for
example pens). If the airbag should deploy,
you could be injured by these objects.
- Use the built-in coat hooks only for light­
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or
sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in an accident.
- Never use hangers to hang clothing from the hooks.
- Only use factory-installed sun shades or, in
the case of shades installed after the vehicle
leaves the factory, only Audi roll-up
sunscreens may be used
¢ page 234, Addi­
tional accessories and parts replacement.
- Always sit in proper seating position and
wear safety belts while traveling so that the
Airbag system
side curtain airbags can help provide protec­
tion.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once. If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
-Always have work involving the side curtain
airbag system, removal and installation of
the airbag components, or other repairs performed by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop. Otherwise the airbag
system may not work correctly.
- Never attempt to modify any components of
the airbag system in any way.
131

exceptional circumstances and the
PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immed iately install
the rear-fac ing ch ild safety seat in a rear
seating pos it ion and have the airbag system
inspected immediately by your Audi dealer .
A WARNING
If, in exceptio nal circumstances, you must in­
stall a forward-facing chi ld restraint on the
front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-fac ing seat
has been designed and ce rtified by its man­
ufact urer fo r use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag .
- Always follow the manufact urer's instruc­
tions prov ided with the ch ild 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 possib le before installing the child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to
an upr ight position.
- Always make sure that the
PA SSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
t ime whenever the ignition is switched on.
{D) Tips
Always replace chi ld restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle dur ing 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 veh icle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System " in compliance w ith United States
F edera l Moto r Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208, as well as Canada Motor Ve hicle Safe ty
Stand ard (CMVSS) 208 as appli cable at the t ime
your vehicle was manufactured .
The Advanced Airbag system in your ve hicle has
been ce rtified to meet the "low-risk " requ ire­
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
Ch ild safety
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for example, by being
too close to the steering wheel and instr ument
panel when the airbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been cert ified 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 ch ild rest raints that are lis ted in
the S tanda rd .
Even thoug h your veh icle is equipped with an Ad­
vanced Airbag system, all ch ildren, especially
those 12 yea rs and younger, sho uld a lways ride
i n the back seat properly restra ined for their age
and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentia lly dangerous p lace for a
child to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a ch ild in a forward-fac ing ch ild safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a
larger ch ild in a rearward-facing seat .
Advanced Airbags and the weight -sensing
mat in the front seat
T he Advanced A irbag System in you r vehicle de­
tects the presence of a n in fan t or child in a ch ild
restra int 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 chi ld safety seat and a child
blanket on the front passenger seat. The weight
on the front passenger seat is related to the de­
s ign of the child restra int and its "footprint" , the
s ize and shape of the bottom of the c hild re ­
straint as it s its on the seat. The weight of a chi ld
r estra int and its "footprint " va ry for different
k inds of child restra ints and for the different
models of the same kind of ch ild rest raint of ­
fered by child restraint manufacturers.
T he weight ranges for the individ ual types,
makes and mode ls of chi ld restrain ts that the
N HT SA has spec ified in the Safety Standard to­
gether with the weight ranges o f typical infants
and typical 1 year-old chi ld have been stored in .,.
133

Model Manufactured on or
after
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007
High Back Booster
22-262
Cosco High Back Boos -
September 25, 200 7
ter 22-209
Evenflo Tr ibute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion 254 December 1, 1999
Evenflo Generations September 25, 2007
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety September 25, 2007
Seat Step 2
Graco Platinum Cargo September 25, 2007
.&_ WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious inju ry, make sure
that the
P ASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on whenever a child re ­
straint is installed on the front passenger seat
and the ignition is switched on.
- Take the child restraint off the front passen ­
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions if the
P A SSEN GER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer immediately.
(D Tips
The chi ld seats listed in categories A to C have
been statically tested by Audi only for the Ad­
vanced Airbag function.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially re­
duces the risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety
of everybody in the veh icle, especially chi ldren:
.,. Always use the r ight child safety seat for each
child and a lways use it properly
q page 137.
Child safety
.,. Always carefully follow the chi ld safety seat
manufacturer's instructions on how to route
the safety belt properly through the ch ild safe ­
ty seat.
.,. When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child safety seat, you must first activate the
convertible locking retractor on the safety belt
to prevent the chi ld safety seat from moving
q page 141.
.,. Push the ch ild safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot move forward or sideways
more than one inch (2.5 cm).
.,. If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child
safety seat to the front passenger seat, make
sure that it is not so tight that it causes the
weight -sensing mat to measure more weight
than is actually on the seat .
.,. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
q page 137.
Always remember: Even though your veh icle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
ch ildren, especia lly those 12 years and younger,
sho uld a lways ride in the back seat proper ly re·
strained for their age and s ize.
.&_ WARNING
=
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong
chi ld safety seat or improperly insta lling a
chi ld restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children
must be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestra ined or improperly
restrained child could be injured by striking
the inter ior or by be ing ejected from the ve­
h icle dur ing a sudden maneuve r or impact .
An unrest rained or imprope rly restrained
child is a lso at greater r isk of injury or death
through contact w ith an inflating a irbag.
- Commerc ially availab le child safety seats
are required to comply with U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213
(in Canada CMVSS 213).
- When buying a child restra int, select one
that fits your ch ild and the vehicle.
135