2016 AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK warning

The system must be inspected when the indicato r light
II (USA models ) !E,I
( Canada models):
- does not come on when the ignitio n is switched
on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you have
switched on the ign ition, or
- comes on while driving.
I f an airbag system malf unct io n is de tected, the
indicator light wi ll first start flashing to catch the
driver's attention and then stay on co nti nuo usly
to se rve as a constant reminder to have the sys ­
tem i nspected immed iate ly.
If a malfunction occ urs that turns the front air­
bag on the passenger si de
off, the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on
whenever the ignit io n is on.
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct io ning prop ­
erly cannot provide supp lemen tal p rotec tion
in a front al c rash .
- If the air bag indicato r ligh t
c:;, page 17
come s whe n the vehicle is be ing use d, have
th e sys te m in sp ecte d im med iate ly by yo ur
au thoriz ed Au di deale r.
It is po ss ible that
th e air bag wi ll inf late w hen it is not sup ­
posed to, or will not i nfla te w hen it s hou ld .
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fi g. 157 Sect ion from t he inst rum ent pa ne l: PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF lig ht
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located i n
the center o f the instr ument panel
c:;, fig . 157.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to te ll you when the front Advanced
Airbag system
Airba g on the pas senge r si de has been turned o ff
by the electronic contro l unit. If t he bulb for the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light burns out, the
airbag indicato r light
II (US A models) a (Can­
ada models) will come on to signal a malfunction
i n the Advanced Airbag System . Alt hough the
bur ned-out bulb will not change the way the
front passenge r's fronta l airbag work s, it w ill no
lo nger be poss ible to use the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
lig ht to ma ke sure th at th e air bag on/
of f st atus is corre ct for the occup ant on the fron t
p assenge r seat. Have the air bag system i nsp ect ­
ed immediately by your author ized Audi dealer.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will blink
for about 5 seconds when:
- th e ignition is switche d on an d
- the capacit ive passenger detection system,
which switc hes the front sea t passe nger' s fron ­
t al A dva nced Airbag o n an d off, de tec ts a
ch ange in the st atu s of the fr ont passe nger
se at.
As soon as the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
s top s blinking , always m ake sure th at the air bag
s tatu s (o n or off) as shown by the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
lig ht is pr oper for the age, siz e and
ele ctrica l capaci tance o f the pe rso n occu pying
t h e front passenger seat. A lwa ys make s ure t hat
t h e safety be lt fo r th e front passen ger seat is
prope rly faste ned .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will show
the status of the front seat passenger 's frontal
Advanced Airbag a few seconds after the igni·
tion is switched on and the airbag indicator light goes off. The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light:
- will stay on if t he front passenger seat is not
occ upied;
- wi ll stay on if t he e lectrica l capacitance meas ­
ured by the capacitive passenger detection sys ­
tem for the front passenger seat equa ls the
combined ca pac ita nce of an infa nt up to ab out
one year of age and one of the rearwa rd -facing
or fo rwar d-fac ing ch ild rest raints l isted in Fe d­
e ral Motor V ehicl e Safe ty S tandard 20 8 wi th
whi ch th e A dvanc ed Airbag Sys tem i n yo ur vehi-
cle w as ce rtifie d; For a listin g of t he c hild .,.
147

-the adult on the front passenger seat is proper ­
l y seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up aga inst the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined ,
- 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 be lt is be ing properly worn and that
there is not a lo t of slack in the safety belt web­
bing,
- there are no aftermarket seat covers or cush­
ions or other things (such as blankets) on the
front passenger seat that might cause the ca ­
pacit ive passenger detection system to miscal­
cu late elect rical capac itance.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
- If the status of the Adva need A irbag System
has changed while the vehicle is moving, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light blinks fo r
about 5 se conds to cat ch the driver's atten­
t ion. If th is happens , al ways stop as soon as
it is safe to do so and check the steps descri­
bed above.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go of f when an adult who is not very
small is sitting on the front passenger seat
after taking the steps descri bed above,
make sure the adult is properly seated and
restra ined at one of the rear seating posi­
t ions. Have the airbag system inspected by
yo ur authorized Aud i dealer before trans­
porting anyone on the front passenger seat .
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
e rl y cannot provide supplemental p rotection
in a frontal cra sh .
-If the airbag indicato r light ¢ page 17
comes when the vehicle is be ing use d, have
the system inspected immed iate ly by yo ur
authorized Au di dealer. It is possible that
Airb ag sys tem
the airbag will in flate when it is not sup­
posed to, or w ill not inf late when it should.
A WARNING
-
If the front a irbag inflates, a ch ild witho ut a
chi ld restraint, or in a rea rward-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-fac ing child re ­
stra int that has not been properly insta lled
will be serious ly injured and can be killed .
- Even tho ugh your vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced A irbag System, make certain
that all children, espec ially 12 years a nd
younge r, always ride on t he bac k sea t prop­
erly rest raine d for the ir age and s ize.
- Always install fo rwa rd o r rea r-fa cing child
seats on the rea r seat -even w ith an Ad­
van ce d Ai rbag System.
- If you must install a rea rw ar d-facing child
se at o n the fron t passenge r seat because of
except ional circumstances an d the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear an d
stay on, immed iate ly install the rea r-facing
child seat in a rear seat ing pos ition and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
deale r.
- If, in exceptional circ umstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into i ts rearmost posi tion in the seat 's
fore and aft a djustment range, as far away
fr om the a irbag as poss ible. The back res t
m ust be adjus ted to an upr igh t 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 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an adult is sitting on the
front passenger seat after tak ing the steps
described above, make sure the adult is
proper ly seated and restra ined a t one of the
rear seating posit ions .
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
Aud i deale r before transporting anyone on
the front passenge r seat .
149

Airbag system
(D Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection system
determines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the frontal airbag on the passenger
side will be turned off, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light 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
150
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 deploy only once. Af­
ter an airbag has been deployed, it must be
replaced with new replacement parts de­
signed and approved especially for your
Audi model version. Replacement of com­ plete airbag systems or airbag components
must be performed by qualified workshops
only . Make sure that any airbag service ac­
tion is entered in your Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic circuit
interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt­
er must only be performed by a qualified
technicians who have the experience, in­
formation and special tools necessary to perform the work safely.
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions must be followed.
~

@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi­
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­
rate . When the veh icle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts with pretensioners 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 you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag System
pe rforms in a crash. For examp le, using tire-rim
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
veh icle, changing the stiffness of the suspension,
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 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 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 serious 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 vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Airbag system
Knee airbags
Description of knee a irbags
Applies to: vehicles wit h knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants .
Fig. 158 Driver 's knee air bag
The driver knee airbag is in the inst rument panel
u nderneath the steering wheel¢
fig. 158, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same
height in the instrument pane l 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 deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collisions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control unit is met
¢ page 144, More important things to know
about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keep the dr iver or front passenger in
pos ition 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 wear ing your safety be lt
and wea ring it properly. This is why you shou ld
always wea r your safety belt, not just because
t h e law requires you to do so ¢
page 12 7, Gener-
al information.
IJJ>-
151

Airbag system
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents -your safety
belts are always there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed, for
example when your vehicle strikes or is struck by
another after the first collis ion .
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The airbag
system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your
safety belts correctly .
It is important to remember that while the sup­
plemental knee airbag system is des igned to re ­
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other inju­
ries, for example, swelling , bruising and minor
ab rasions and friction burns can also occur when
an airbag inflates.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
-The electronic control module
- Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the driver and one for the front
passenger
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy :
-when the ignition is switched off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
- in the event of a system malfunct ion (warning/
indicator light is on) ¢
page 17 .
_&, WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position¢
page 144.
-If the airbag indicator light ~ page 17
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inf late when it is not sup­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
152
How knee airbags work
Applies to : vehicles wit h knee airbags
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags .
Fig. 159 Inflated airbags protec ting in a fronta l co llis io n
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger dep loy in certain but not all frontal co llisions.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collisions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control unit is met.
When the system deploys, the airbags fi ll with a
prope llant gas , and infla te between the lower
part of the instrument panel and the d river and
the lower part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger ¢
page 144, fig. 156.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower ex­
tremities.
All of th is takes pla ce in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the
airbags have deployed. The airbags also inflate
with a great deal of force and it is important for
occupant safety that nothing should be in their
way when they deploy .
Fully inflated airbags in combination with proper­
ly worn safety be lts s low down and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement and help to reduce
the risk of injury.

Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
App lies to: ve hicles with k nee a irbags
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
wear safety belts correctly and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and do to help the safety be lts and airbags
to provide supplemen tal protection .
A WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious in­
jury . Wearing safety belts incorrectly and im ­
proper seating positions increase the risk of
ser ious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect you
properly if you are seated too close to any of
the a irbag locat ions. When adjusting their
seat positions , it is important that both the
driver and the front passenger keep their
upper bod ies a nd knees at the followi ng
min imum safe distances :
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instrument
panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- The risk of personal injury increases if you
lean forward or to the s ide, or if the seat is
improperly positioned and you are not wear­
ing your safety belt . The risk increases even
more should the a irbag deploy.
- Always make sure that the knee airbag can
inflate without inte rference . Objects be­
tween you and the a irbag can increase the
risk of i nju ry in an accident by interfer ing
w ith the way t he a irbag deploys o r by being
pushed into you as the airbag deploys .
- Never let anybody, especially chi ldren or
animals ride in the footwell in front of the
passe nger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can resu lt in se rious or fatal injur ies.
- Never carry objects of any k ind in the foot­
well area in front of the driver's or pas­
senger's seat . Bu lky objects (shopping
-
Airb ag sys tem
bags, for example) can interfere with or
prevent proper dep loyment of the airbag.
Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you
or your passengers .
- Make sure there are no cracks , deep scratch­
es or other damage in the area of the instru­
ment panel where the knee airbags are lo­
cated.
- If c hildren are incorrectly seated, their risk
of injury inc reases in a coll is ion
¢ page 159, Child safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fi g. 160 Side airb ag locat io n in t he drive r's sea t
The side airbags are located in the s ides of the
front seat backrests ¢
fig. 160 and the rear back­
rest fac ing the doors . They a re identified by the
word "AIRBAG".
The side airbags installed for the fro nt seating
pos it ions have been des igned and certified to
help reduce the risk of inju ry that can be caused
by a irbags when they inflate, pa rtic ularly when
t h e occ upant sitting next to it is not seated prop­
erly. The side airbag for the front passenger seat
can be used wit h properly installed ch ild re ­
straints . Please be sure to read the important in­
formation and warnings whenever using a chi ld
restra int in a vehicle : Safety belts ¢
page 12 7,
Airbag system¢ page 135 , Child safety
<=>page 159.
The side airbag sy stem basi cally consi st s of: Ill>-
153

Airbag syste m
-the e lectronic contro l modu le 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 airbag warning light in the instrument cl us-
ter.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certa in that it is functioning properly at all
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 help 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 only when the vehicle acceleration reg­
istered by the control unit is high enough . If this
rate is below the reference value programmed in­
to the control un it, the side airbags w ill not be
tr iggered , even though the car may be bad ly
damaged as a result of the collision.
It is not pos­
sible to def ine an airbag tr iggering range that
will cover every possible ang le of impact , since
the circumstances wi ll vary considerably betw een
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 155, Important safety in ­
structions on the side airbag system.
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
belts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in pos ition in the event of a s ide collision
so that the side a irbags 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 vehicle . Always re ­
member that the s ide airbag system can only
he lp to protect you if you are wearing your safety
be lt and wea ring it p roperly. This is another rea­
son why you shou ld always wear yo ur safety
be lts , not just because the law requires you to do
so ¢
page 12 7, General information.
It is important to remember that whi le the sup­
p lemental side a irbag system is des igned to re-
154 duce the likelihood of ser
ious injuries, other inju ­
ries, for example, swelling, bruising, friction
burns and m inor abras ions can also be assoc iated
with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
airbags will dep loy only once and only in certain
k inds of acc idents -your safety belts are always
there to offer protection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessar ily an ind ication
of over -sens itive or fa iled airbag activat ion. In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may
i nflate . Remember too, that a irbags w ill dep loy
o nl y once and on ly in certain kinds of collisions -
you r safety be lts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have a lready
deployed.
The s ide airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignit io n is switched off
- in side co llisions when the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end coll is ions
- in rear-end collisions
-in rollovers .
In some types of accidents the front ai rbags, side
curtain airbags and side airbags may be triggered
together .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the proper seating position ¢
page 155 .
-If the airbag ind icator light¢ page 17
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 i t is not sup­
posed to, or wi ll not inflate when it should.

How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
F ig . 161 In fla ted side airbags o n left s ide of v ehicle , rea r
side a irbag
When the system is triggered, the a irbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in the seat surface area marked "AIRBAG ". It ex­
pands between the s ide trim pane l and the pas­
senger. In order to he lp prov ide this add itiona l
p rotection, the side airbag must inflate within a
fraction of a second at very high speed and with great force . The supplemental side airbag could
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 ­
p lies especially to children
c::> page 159, Child
safety .
Supplemental side a irbags inflate be­
tween the occupant and the door panel on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certa in side
coll is ion
c::> fig . 161.
A lthough they are not a soft pi llow, they can
" cu shion" 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 fi ne dust may deve lop when the airbag dep loys .
This is normal and does not mean there is a fire
i n the vehicle .
Airbag sys tem
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 yo ur passengers must
know and act acco rding ly to he lp the safety belts
and airbags do their job to prov ide supplementa l
pro tect ion .
A WARNING
An inflating side ai rbag can cause se rious or
fata l injury. Improperly wearing safety be lts
and improper seating posit ions increase the
risk of ser ious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when
the supplemental side airbag inflates :
- Always s it in an upr ight posi tion and never
lean agains t the area where the supp le­
mental s ide airbag is located .
- Neve r let a child or anyone e lse rest their
head ag ainst the side tr im pane l in the
area where the s upplementa l side airbag
inflates.
- Always make s ure tha t safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do no t let anyone s itting in the front seat
put their hand or any other parts of their
body out of the window .
- Always make sure th at the side airbag can
inflate without interference .
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholste ry over the front seatbacks that
have not been specif ically approved by
Audi.
- 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
mo dule must a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an authorized Audi dealer .
-
-Objects between you and the a irbag can in­
crease the r is k of injury in an a cciden t by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds o r _,.
155