2016 AUDI Q5 Owners Manual

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..... ..... Safety belts
General information
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are neces­
sary, how they work and how to adjust and wear
them correctly. "' Read all the information that follows and heed
all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, always correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, o r physically im­
paired persons must also use safety belts.
Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts. The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mother -throughout
the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each seat­ ing position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, includ­
ing small children, into any belt.
It is espe­
cially dangerous to place a safety belt over a
child sitting on your lap.
- Never let mo re people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available .
Safety belts
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safety
belt or child restraint.
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver
and (on USA models only) front seat passenger
to remind you about the importance of buckling­
up .
Fig. 154 Safety belt warning light in the instrument clus ­
te r -enlarged
Before driving off, always:
.. Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly.
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"' Make sure that your passengers also buckle up
and properly wear their safety belts.
"' Protect your children with a ch ild restraint sys­
tem appropr iate for the size and age of the chil­
dren .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignit ion is switched on as a re­
minder to fasten the safety be lts. In addition,
you w ill hear a warn ing tone for a certain period
of time.
Fasten your safety belt now and make sure that
your passengers also properly put on their safe­
ty belts.
A WARNING
-
-Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents .
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, a lways correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving.
143

Safe ty belts
-Failure to pay attention to the warn ing light
that come on, could lead to personal injury.
Why use safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for peo­
ple riding in vehicles.
F ig . 1 55 Unbe lted occupants in a veh icle headi ng for a wall
F ig . 1 56 The veh icle c rashes into the wall
The physical principles are simple . Both the vehi­
cle and the passengers possess energy wh ich var­
ies with vehicle speed and body weight. Engi­
neers call this energy "kinet ic energy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater the vehicle's we ight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significant fac tor. If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50
km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because t he passengers of th is veh icle are not us­
ing safety belts<=>
fig. 155, they will keep mov ing
at the same speed the vehicle was moving just
befo re the crash , u nti l something stops them -
here, the wall
r=> fig. 156.
144
The same principles apply to people sitting in a
veh icle that is invo lved in a frontal collision . Even
at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50 km/h),
the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs . or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater
speeds, these forces are even higher .
People who do not use safety belts are a lso not
attached to their vehicle. In a frontal collis ion
they will also keep mov ing fo rward at the speed
their vehicle was travelling just before the crash .
Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to
frontal collisions, they determine what happens
i n a ll kinds of accide nts and co llisions .
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbel ted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in ­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
Fi g. 1 57 A driver not wear ing a safety be lt is vio len tly
throw n forward
Fi g. 158 A rea r passe nge r not we arin g a sa fety be lt w ill fly
forwa rd and str ike the drive r
Unbelted occ upants are not ab le to res ist the tre­
mendous forces of impact by holding tig ht or
braci ng themselves . Without the benefit of safe ­
ty restraint systems , the unrestra ined occupant
will slam violently into the steering wheel,
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ument panel, windshield, or whatever e lse is
in the way
<=) fig. 157. This impact with the vehi­
cle interior has all the energy they had just be­
fore the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even
when they deploy, airbags provide on ly additional
protection. Airbags are not supposed to dep loy in
all kinds of accidents. A lthough your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, in­
cluding the dr iver, must wear safety belts cor ­
rectly in order to minimize the risk of severe in­
jury or death in a crash .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are always there
to offer protect ion in those accidents in w hich
airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they
have already deployed. Unbelted occupants can
also be thrown o ut of the vehicle where even
more severe or fatal injur ies can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety bel ts correctly . Unbelted passengers
in the rear seats endanger not only themse lves
but also the driver and other passengers
¢ fig. 158. In a frontal collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit and
injure the driver and/or front seat passenger .
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision. It 's simply
not true!
Fig. 159 Dr iver is correctly restra ined in a sudden b raking
maneuver
Safety belts used properly can make a big differ­
ence. Safety belts help to keep passengers in
their seats, gradually reduce energy levels ap-
Safety belts
plied to the body in an accident, and help prevent
the uncontrolled movement that can cause seri­
ous injuries. In addition, safety belts reduce the
danger of be ing thrown out of the vehicle.
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give
them the benefit of being slowed down more
gently or "softly" through the "give" in the safety
belts, crush zones and other safety features engi ­
neered into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the
kinetic ene rgy over a longer period of time, the
safety belts make the forces on the body more
"tolerab le" and less likely to ca use injury .
Although these examples are based on a frontal collision, safety belts can also substantially re ­
duce the r isk of injury in ot her k inds of crashes.
So, whether you're on a long trip or just go ing to
the corner store, always buckle up and make sure
others do, too. Acc iden t statist ics show that vehi­
cle occupants properly wea ring safety belts have
a lower risk of being injured and a much better
chance of surviving an accident . Properly using
safety belts also greatly increases the ability of
the supp lemental airbags to do their job in a col­
lision. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is le­
gally required in most count ries including much
of the United States and Canada .
Although your Aud i is equipped with airbags, you
still have to wear the safety belts provided. Front
airbags, for example, are activated only in some
frontal collisions. The front airbags are not acti­
vated in all frontal collisions, in side and rear col­
lisions, in roll overs or in cases where there is not
enough deceleration through impact to the front
of the vehicle. The same goes for the other airbag
systems in your Audi . So, always wear your safety
belt and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly positioned
across the strongest bones of your body.
.,. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and de­
scribed in this chapter.
.,. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged .
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Safety belts
_&. WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death . Safety belts can work only
when used correctly.
-Always fasten your safety belts correctly be­ fore driving off and make sure all passen­
gers are correctly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts must
always be positioned properly on the body.
- Never strap more than one person, includ­
ing small children, into any belt.
- Never place a safety belt over a child sitting
on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front of
the seat while the vehicle is being driven.
- Never let any person ride with their feet on
the instrument panel or sticking out the
window or on the seat.
- Never
remove a safety belt while the vehicle
is moving . Doing so will increase your risk of
being injured or killed .
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts
over rigid or breakable ob-
jects in or on your clothing, such as eye
glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause
injury.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in door or seat hard­
ware .
- Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of position.
- Several layers of heavy clothing may inter­
fere with correct positioning of belts and re­
duce the overall effectiveness of the system.
- Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latching
securely .
- Never use comfort clips or devices that cre­
ate slack in the shoulder belt. However, spe­
cial clips may be required for the proper use
of some child restraint systems.
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt hardware can break in an acci­
dent . Inspect belts regularly.
If webbing,
bindings, buckles, or retractors are dam-
146
aged, have belts replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Safety belts that have been worn and loaded
in an accident must be replaced with the
correct replacement safety belt by an au­
thorized Audi dealer. Replacement may be
necessary
even if damage cannot be clearly
seen. Anchorages that were loaded must al­
so be inspected.
- Never
remove, modify , disassemble, or try
to repair the safety belts yourself .
-Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work properly and can impair the func­
tion of the inertia reel¢
table Internal
cleaning on page 209.
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 160 Be lt buckle and tongue on the driver's seat
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the wear­
er's body .
.. Adjust the front seat and head restraint proper­
ly¢
page 63, General information.
.. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench
is in an upright position and securely latched in
place before using the belt¢,&. .
.. Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest and pelvis¢,&..
.. Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
¢fig. 160.
.. Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buckle. .,,._

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Automatic safety belt r etractors
Every safety be lt is equ ipped wi th an automatic
be lt retractor on the shoulder belt. Th is feature
l ocks the belt when the belt is p ulled out fast,
during hard braking and in an accident. The belt
may also lock when you drive up or down a steep
h ill or through a sharp curve. During normal driv­
ing the belt lets you move freely .
Safety belt pret en sioners
The safety belts are equipped with a belt preten­
sioner that helps to tighten the safety belt and
remove slack when the pretensioner is activated.
The funct ion of the pretensioner is monitored by
a warning light
r::> page 16 .
Switchabl e lo ck ing feature
Every safety belt exc ept the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a switchable locking fea­
ture that
must be used when the safety be lt is
used to attach a child safety seat. Be sure to read
the important information about this feature
r::;, page 180 .
A WARNING
Improperly posit ioned safety be lts ca n cause
ser ious injury in an accident
r::;, page 147,
Safety belt position.
- Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is upr ight and belts are
prope rly pos itioned on the body.
- Always ma ke sure tha t the rear sea t bac k­
rest to wh ic h t he cente r re ar safety be lt is
attached is secure ly latched whenever the
rear center safety belt is being used. If the
backrest is not securely latched, the passen­
ger will move forward with the backrest dur­
ing sudden braking, in a sudden maneuver
and especially in a cras h.
- Never attach the safety belt to the buckle
for another seat. Attaching the belt to the
wrong buckle w ill red uce safety belt effec­
t iveness and can cause serious personal in­
jury .
- A passenger who is not p roperly restrained
can be seriously in ju red by the safety be lt it­
self when it moves from the stronger parts
Safet y bel ts
of the body into critical areas like the abdo­
men .
- Always lock the convertible locking retractor
when you are securing a child safety seat in
the vehicle
r::> page 182.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maxi­
mum protection from safety belts.
Fig. 161 Safety belt pos it ion
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust
the position of the safety belt to ma tch your body
s iz e.
- be lt height adjustment for the front seats,
- he ight-adjustable front seats .
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can ca use
se rious personal injury in an acc ident.
- The shou lder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possib le and
should fit well on the body . Ho ld the belt
above the latch to ngue and pull it evenly
across the chest so th at it sits as low as pos­
sible on the pe lvis and there is no p ressure
on the abdomen . The belt should a lway s fit
snug ly
r::> fig. 161. Pu ll on the belt to tighten
if necessary .
- The lap be lt portion of the sa fety belt must
be positioned as low as possible across pel­
vis and never over the abdomen. Make sure
the belt lies flat and snug
r::> fig. 161 . Pull on
the belt to tighte n if necessary.
- A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious
in ju ries by shifting its position on your body
~
147

Safety belts
from the strong bones to more vulnerable,
soft tissue and cause serious injury.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information¢
page 145.
Pregnant women must also be correctly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make sure
that expectant mothers always wear safety belts
correctly -throughout the pregnancy.
Fig. 162 Safety belt pos ition during pregnancy
To provide maximum protection , safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the wear­
er's body ¢
page 147.
.,. Adjust the front seat and head restraint cor­
rectly ¢
page 63, General information .
,.. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench
is in an upright position and securely latched in
place before using the belt.
,.. Hold the be lt by the tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest and pelvis¢
fig. 162, ¢ &.
.,. Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
¢page 146, fig .160 .
.,. Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buckle.
,8. WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious personal injury in an accident.
- Expectant mothers must always wear the
lap portion of the safety belt as low as pos­
sible across the pelvis and below the round­
ing of the abdomen.
148
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information ¢
& in Fasten­
ing safety belts on page 147.
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only after the vehicle has stopped.
Fig. 163 Releasing the tongue from the buckle
.,. Push the red release button on the buckle
¢ fig. 163. The belt tongue will spring out of
the buckle ¢
&-
.,. Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you
guide the belt tongue to its stowed position.
,8. WARNING
Never unfast en safety belt while the vehicle is
moving. Doing so will increase your risk of be­
ing injured or killed.
Adjusting safety belt height
With the aid of the safety belt height adjust­
ment, the three point safety belt strap routing
can be fitted to the shoulder area, according to
body size .
Fig. 164 Safety belt heigh t adjustment for the front seats
- loop- around fittings
Sf 0 0
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,...., The shoulder belt should lie as close to the center
of the collar bone as possib le and should fit well
on the bod y ¢
A in Safety belt position on
page 147.
.. Push
the loop- around fittings up ¢ fig. 164 @,
or
.. squeeze to gether the@ button, and push the
loop-around fittings
do wn@ .
.. Pull the belt to make sure that the upper at­
tachment is p roperly engaged .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and oth­
er important informat ion
¢ page 145.
With the front seats, the height adjustment
of the seat can also be used to adjust the po­
sition of the safety belts .
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause se­
vere injuries.
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause seri­
ous injury or death . Safety belts can only work
when they a re correctly pos itioned on the body .
Improper seating positions reduce the effect ive­
n ess of safety be lts and will even inc rease the
ris k of injury and death by mov ing the safety bel t
to cr it ica l areas of the body. Imp roper seating
positions also increase the risk of serious inj ury
and death when an airbag deploys and strikes an
occ upant who is not in the co rrect seat ing posi­
tion . A driver is respons ible for the safety of all
vehicle occupants and espec ia lly for children.
Therefore:
.. Never permit anyone to ass ume an incorrect
s itting position in the veh icle wh ile traveling
¢ &, .
A WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the risk
of serious personal injury a nd death wheneve r
a vehicle is be ing used.
S afet y be lts
- Always make sure that all veh icle occupants
are cor rectly restrained and stay in a correct
seating position whenever the vehicle is be­ ing used .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important informat io n ¢
page 145.
Belt tensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear-end collisions above a
particular severity and in a rollover, safety belts
are tensioned automatically.
The safety belts are equ ipped w it h safety belt
pretens ione rs . The system is activated by sensors
i n front, s ide and rear-end collisions of great se­
ver ity and in a ro llover. This tightens the bel t and
t a kes up belt slack¢.&.
in Service and disposal of
safety belt pretensioner on page 150.
Taking up
the slack he lps to reduce forward occupant
movement during a collision.
(D Note
Neve r let the belt remain over a rea r seatback
that has been folded forwar d.
{D Tips
The safety belt pretensioner can only be ac ti­
vated once.
- T he safe ty be lt pretensione rs do no t de ploy
in minor fron tal, side a nd rear -end colli ­
sions .
- W hen the safe ty belt pretensioners are acti­
vated, a fine dust is released . This is normal
and is not caused by a fire in the ve hicle .
- T he relevant safety requirements mus t be
observed when the vehicle or components
of the system are scrapped. An autho rize d
Audi dealer or qua lified workshop is familia r
w ith these reg ulations and will be pleased
to pass on the information to yo u.
- Be sure to observe all safety, environmenta l
and other regulat ions if the vehicle or indi­
vidua l parts of the system, particularly the
safety belt or airbag, are to be disposed. We
recommend you have yo ur autho rized Aud i
dea ler perform t his service fo r you.
149

Safety belt s
Service and disposal of safety belt preten­
sioner
The safety be lt pretensioners are parts o f the
safety belts on yo ur Audi. Installing, removing,
servicing or repairing of belt pretensioners can
damage the safety belt system and prevent it
from working correctly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system w ill not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
env ironment.
A WARNING
-
Improper care, serv icing and repair proce­
dures can increase the r is k of personal injury
and death by preventing a safety be lt preten­
sioner from activ ating when needed or acti­
vating it unexpectedly:
- T he be lt pretensione r system can be act ivat­
ed only once. If belt p retensioners have
been act ivated, the system must be re­
placed.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the safety be lt system .
- Safe ty belt systems in cl ud ing safe ty be lt
pretens ioners cannot be repaired . Special
procedures are req uired for removal, insta l­
lation and disposal of this system.
- For any wor k on the safety belt system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au­
thorized Aud i dea ler or q ualified technician
who has an A udi approved repair manual,
training and spec ial equ ipment necessary.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perch lorate Materi­
al -specia l handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules safe­
t y belts with pretens io n ers are scrapped, all
app licab le laws and regulat ions m ust be ob­
served. Y our authori zed Audi de aler is familiar
w ith these req uiremen ts and we recommend
150
that yo u have your dealer perform this service
for you .