2016 AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK child restraint

-An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
control valve for the driver inside the steering
wheel hub.
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
control valve inside the instrument panel for
the front passenger.
- A capacitive passenger detection system under­
neath the front passenger seat cover. This sys­
tem measures the electrical capacitance of the
person in the seat. The information registered
is sent continuously to the electronic control
unit to regulate deployment of the front Ad­
vanced Airbag on the passenger side .
- An airbag monitoring system and indicator
light in the instrument cluster
~ page 146.
-A sensor in each front seat registers the dis­
tance between the respective seat and the
steering wheel or instrument panel. The infor­
mation registered is sent continuously to the
electronic control unit to regulate deployment
of the front Advanced Airbags.
- The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on in the center of the instrument
panel ~
page 147, fig. 157 and tells you when
the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off.
- A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver
and for the front seat passenger that senses
whether that safety belt is latched or not and
transmits this information to the electronic control unit.
A WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can pre­
vent the front airbag from working properly.
- Improper repair or disassembly of the front
passenger and driver seat will prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from functioning properly.
- Repairs to the front passenger seat must be
performed by qualified and properly trained
workshop personnel.
- Never remove the front passenger or driver
seat from the vehicle.
- Never remove the upholstery from the front
passenger seat.
- Never disassemble or remove parts from the
seat or disconnect wires from it.
Airbag system
-Never carry sharp objects in your pockets or
put them on the seat. The capacitive pas­
senger detection mat in the front passenger
seat will not function properly if it is punc­
tured.
- Never carry things on your lap or carry ob­
jects on the front passenger seat. Such ob­
jects can influence the capacitance regis­
tered by the capacitive passenger detection
system, so that incorrect information is pro­
vided to the airbag control unit.
- Never store items under the front passenger
seat. Parts of the Advanced Airbag System
under the passenger seat could be dam­
aged, preventing them and the airbag sys­
tem from working properly.
- Never place seat covers or replacement up­
holstery that have not been specifically ap­
proved by Audi on the front seats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Air­
bag System from recognizing child re­
straints or occupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat
backrest from deploying properly.
- If a seat heater has been retrofitted or oth­
erwise added to the front passenger seat,
never install any child restraint system on
this seat.
- Never use cushions, pillows, blankets, or
similar items on the front passenger seat.
The additional layers prevent the capacitive
passenger detection system from accurately
measuring the capacitance of the child safe­
ty seat and/or the person on the seat and
thus keep the Advanced Airbag System from
working properly.
- Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heater
for child seats) on the front passenger seat if the device is connected to the 12-volt
socket or the cigarette lighter socket. Such
devices can influence the capacitance regis­
tered by the capacitive passenger detection
system, so that incorrect information is pro­
vided to the airbag control unit.
- If you must use a child restraint on the front
passenger seat and the child restraint
~
143

Airbag syste m
manufacturer's instructions require the use
of a towel, foam cushion or someth ing else
to properly pos ition the child restraint,
make certain that the
PAS SENGE R A IR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever
the chi ld restraint is installed on the front
passenge r seat.
- If the
PASSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately in­
sta ll child restraint in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
If the front passenger seat gets wet, dry it im­
mediately .
- If liquid soaks into the fron t passenger sea t,
t h is can keep the a irbag system from work ­
ing properly and may, for instance, deacti­
vate the passenger frontal airbag. If this
happens, the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on together with
the airbag indicator light
fl (USA models)/
El (Canada models) in the instrument clus­
te r.
- If liquid is pooled on the seat, but has not
soaked in, this may also keep the airbag sys­
tem from working properly and ca use the
passenge r frontal a irbag to be e nabled
(tu rned on), even though there is a properly
ins talled chi ld restraint system on the seat.
Wet towe ls or other wet things on the seat
cushion can have the same effect. If the
front passenger frontal airbag is turned on,
the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light will go
out.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the side
ai rbags s upplement the protection offered by the
front three-po int safety belts with pretensioners
and load limiters and the adjustable head re ­
stra ints* to help reduce the risk of injury in a
wide range of accident and crash situations. Be sure to read the important information about
safety and heed the WARNINGS in th is chapter.
144
Deployment of the Advanced A irbag System and
the activation of the safety belt pretensioners de ­
pend on the dece leration measured by the crash
sensors and registered by the electronic contro l
unit. Crash severity depends on speed and decel­
e ration as well as the mass and stiffness of the
vehicle or object involved in the crash .
On the passenger side, regard less of safety belt
use, the front passenger frontal airbag will be
turned off if the e lectr ica l capacitance measured
by the capacitive passenger detection system on
the front passenger seat is less than the amount programmed in the elec tron ic cont rol unit . The
front passenger fron tal a irbag w ill also be turned
off if the capacitance measured by the system for
the front passenger seat equals that of an infant
of about one year of age in one of the child seats
that was used to certify the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. The
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on to tell you when the front Ad ­
vanced Airbag System on the passenger side has been tu rned off
c:> page 147 .
_& WARNING
To reduce the ris k of injury when an airbag in­
flates, always we ar safe ty belts prope rly.
- If you are un restrai ned, leaning forward, sit­
ting sideways or out of posi tion in any way,
your r isk o f injury is much highe r.
- You will a lso receive ser ious injuries and
co uld even be killed if yo u are up agains t the
ai rbag or too close to it when i t inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag
c:> page 135.
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fig . 156 Inflated front a irbags
" "' 0 ± ., a,

Safety belts are important to help keep front
seat occupants in the proper seated position so
that airbags can unfold properly and provide sup­ p lemental protection in a frontal collision.
The front airbags are designed to provide addi­
tional protection for the chest and face of the
driver and the front seat passenger when:
- safety belts are worn prope rly,
- the seats have been positioned so that the oc -
c u pant is properly sea ted as far as possible
from the airbag,
- and for adjustable head restraints: the head re-
straints have been properly adjusted.
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye w ith
g reat fo rce , things you have on your lap or have
p laced on the seat cou ld become dangerous pro­
jectiles , and be p ushed into you if the ai rbag in ­
flates.
When an a irbag deploys, fine dust is released.
This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the
ve hicl e. Thi s dust is made up mostly of a powder
used to lubricate the airbags as they deploy. It
could irritate skin.
I t is important to remember that whi le the s up­
p lemental airbag sys tem is designed to reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other inj uries,
for example swelling , bruising and minor abra­
sions, can a lso happen when airbags inflate . Air­
bags do not protect the arms or the lower parts
of the body. Front airbags supplement the three­
point safety belts only in some frontal collisions
i n which the ve hicle decelerat io n is high enough
to deploy the airbags .
Front airbag s will not deploy:
- if the ignit ion is switched off when a crash oc-
curs,
- in side collisions,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in rollove rs,
- when the c rash decelerat io n meas ured by the
airbag system is less than the minimum thresh-
;::: old needed for airbag deployment as registered
er: u by the electronic contro l unit. 'SI: ,...., N Airb ag sys tem
The front passenge r airbag also will not
deplo y:
-when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
- when the e lectrica l capaci tance measured by
the capacitive passenger detection system for
the front pass enger seat indicates that the pas­
senger s ide frontal airbag must be switched off
by the electronic control un it (the
PA SSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light c:> page 147 and how they
work comes on and stays on) .
A WARNING ,..__ -Sitting in the wrong position can increase the
r isk of ser ious injury in crashes.
- To reduce the r isk of injury when the ai rbags
inflate, the drive r and passenge rs must al­
ways sit in an up right posit ion, m ust not
lean aga inst or place any part of their body
too close to the area where the airbags are located .
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posit ion
or too close to the airbag can be serio usly
injured by an airbag as it unfolds with great
force in the blink of an eye c:> page 136.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat instal­ l ed on the front passenger seat will be seri­
ously injured and can be killed if the front air­
bag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag
System .
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild seat or
infant carrier with great force and wi ll
smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, doo r o r r oof.
- Always install rear-fac ing child seats on the
rear seat .
- If you must install a rea rwa rd facing child
seat on the front passenge r seat because of
except ional circumstances and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
l ight does not come on
a nd stay on, immed iate ly install the rear ­
facing child seat in a rear seating posit ion
and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dea ler.
145

Airbag system
restraints that were used to certify your vehi­
cle's compliance with the U.S . Safety Standard
~ page 161.
-will go out if the front passenger seat is occu­
pied by an adult as registered by the capacitive
passenger detection system.
- The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come
on and stay on if the ignition is on and ...
- a car bed has been installed on the front pas­
senger seat, or
- a rearward -facing child restraint has been in­
sta lled on the front passenger seat, or
- a fo rwa rd-facing child restraint has been instal­
led on the front passenger seat,
- and if the electrica l capacitance registered on
the front passenger seat is equa l to or less than
the comb ined capacitance of a typica l 1 year ­
o ld infant and one of the rearward-facing or
forward-facing child restraints listed in Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was
certified.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
front airbag w ill not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-fac ing ch ild restraint on the front pas­
senger seat, the safest place for a child in any
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po­
sitions on the rear seat~
page 136, Child re­
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 159, Child safety .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light comes
on ...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when one of the conditions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer­
tain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on continuous ly whenever the ign ition is
on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not appear on and does not stay on all the time,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
- reactivate the system by turning the ignition off for more than 4 seconds and then turning it
on again;
- remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make
sure that the child restraint is properly instal-
148
led and that the safety belt for the front pas­
senger seat has been correctly routed through
the child restraint as described in the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions;
- make sure that the convertible locking retrac­
tor on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been activated and that the safety belt
has been pulled tight.
- make sure that no electrical device (such as a laptop, CD player, electron ic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child seats) is
placed or used on the front passenger seat if
the device is connected to the 12-volt socket or
the cigarette lighter socket;
- make sure that no seat heater has been retro­
fitted or otherw ise added to the front passen­
ger seat;
- make sure that noth ing can interfere with the
safety belt buckles and that they are not ob­
structed;
- make sure that there are no wet objects (such
as a wet towe l) and no water or other liquids on
the front passenger seat cushion.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light still does
not come on ...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does
not come on and does not stay on continuously
(when the ignition is switched on),
- take the child restra int off the front passenger
seat and insta ll it p roperly at one of the rear
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect­
ed by yo ur Audi dealer immediate ly.
- move the child to a rear seat position and make
sure that the child is properly restrained in a
child restraint that is appropriate for its size
and age .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG light should NOT
come on .. .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should NOT
come on when the ignition is on and an adu lt is
sitting in a proper seating position on the front
passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds while dr iv ing, under these c ircumstan-
ces, make sure that: ..,.

-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

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

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

Airbag syste m
side curtain airbag must inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with great force .
The s ide curta in a irbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supp le­
mental side curtain airbag inflates . This applies
especially to children
c:> page 159.
Although they are not a soft pi llow, 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 veh icle.
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 be lts and airbags
do their job to provide supp lemental protect ion.
_& WARNING
Improperly wea ring safety belts and imprope r
seating pos it ions increase the ris k of serious
persona l injury and death whenever a vehicle
is being used.
- Never let occupan ts p lace any parts of their
bodies in the area from which the side cur­
tain airbag inflate .
- Always make sure that the side curtain air ­
bags can inflate witho ut interference .
- U se the buil t- in coat hooks on ly for light­
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or
sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere w ith airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in a collision.
- Never use hangers to hang clothes on the
hooks.
- Only use factory-installed s un shades or, if
shades installed after the veh icle leaves the
factory, use only genuine Aud i sun shades.
- Never swing the sun visors over to the side
windows if things such as pens, garage door
158
opene rs, hands-free speakers, etc. are at­
tached to the sun visors. They could come
loose and cause serious injury if the side cur­
tain airbag inflates.
- A deploying airbag inflates in a fract ion of a
second and with great force.
- Never attach objects to the cover or in the
deployment zone of a s ide curtain airbag.
- The airbag deployment zones must be kept
clear at all times. Make sure there are no
objects, pets, or other persons in the space
between any vehicle occupant and any air­
bag at any time .
- Do not attach any accessories to the doors.
_& WARNING
-The airbag system can deploy on ly once. If
the airbag has been triggered, the system
must be rep laced by an author ized A udi
dea le r o r qualified wor ksh op.
- Always have wo rk involv ing the side curtain
airbag system, remova l and installat ion of
the airbag componen ts, or other repairs
pe rformed by a q ualified dea lership. Other ­
w ise the airbag system may not work cor­
rectly.
- Never attempt to mod ify any componen ts of
the airbag system in any way .