2016 AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK steering wheel

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

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

Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with United States
F edera l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard ( FMVSS)
208, as well as Canada Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time
your veh icle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has
been certified to meet the "low-risk" require­
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
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for example, by being
too close to the steering wheel and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been certified to comply with the
"s uppress ion " req uirements 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 child restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
E ven though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad ·
vanced Airbag system, all children, especially
those 12 years and younger, should always ride
in the back seat properly restrained for their age
and size. The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a
child to r ide. The front seat is not the safest place
for a child in a forward-facing child safety seat .
It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a
la rger child in a rearward-facing seat.
The vehicle's Advanced A irbag System has a ca ­
pac itive passenger detect io n system in the front
passenger seat cush ion that can detect the pres­
ence of a baby or a child in a child restraint sys­
tem on this seat .
The capacit ive passenger detection system regis­
ters the changes that result in an electrical field
when a child, a child restraint, and a baby blanket
are on the front passenge r seat. The change in
the measured capacitance due to the presence of
a child, a child restraint, and a baby blanket on
the front passenger seat is related to the child restraint system resting on the seat. The meas­
ured capacitance of a child restraint system var-
Child safety
ies depending on the type of system and specific
make and mode l.
T he elect rical capacitance of the various types,
makes, and models of child restra ints specified
by the U.S .National Highway Traff ic Safety Ad­
ministration (NHTSA) in the relevant safety
standard are stored in the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem control unit together with the capacitances
typ ical of infants and a 1-year old child. When a
child restraint is used on the front passenger
seat w it h a typical 1 year-old infant, the Ad­
vanced Airbag System compares the capacitance measured by the capacitive passenge r detection
system with the data stored in the electronic con­
t rol unit.
Child restraints and Advanced front airbag
system
Regardless of the ch ild restraint that you use,
make sure that it has been certified to meet Safe­
ty Standards and has been cert ified by its manu ­
facturer for use w ith an airbag . Always be sure
that the child restraint is properly installed at
one of the rear seating positions. If in exception­
al circumstances you must use it on the front
passenger seat, carefully read all of the informa­
tion on child safety and Advanced Airbags and heed all of the applicable WARNINGS . Make cer­
tain that the chi ld and child restraint are correct­
ly recognized by the capac itive passenger detec­
t ion system in the front passenger seat, that the
front passenger a irbag is turned off, and that the
airbag status is always correctly s ignaled by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
Many types and models of child restra ints have
been available over the years, new models are in­
troduced regularly incorporating new and im­
proved designs and older models are taken out of
production. Child restra ints are no t standardized.
Child restraints of the same type typically have
different weights and sizes and different "foot­
prints", the size and shape of the bottom of the
chi ld restraint that sits on the seat, when they
are installed on a vehicle seat. These differences
make it virtually impossib le to certify compliance
with the requirements for advanced a irbags w ith
each and every child restra int that has ever been ..,.
161

Audi pre sense Preventative passenger
protection
Applies to: ve hicles with Audi pre sense
Pre sense can initiate steps to protect vehicle oc­
cupants in certain dangerous situations. The
functions described are available depending on
veh icle equ ipment:
Pre sense basic*
The following functions can be triggered in cer­
tain driving situations:
- Tightening of the safety belts (for examp le,
during emergency braking): the front safety
belts have reversib le belt pretensioners. If a
collision does not occur, the safety belts loosen
slightly and are ready to trigger aga in.
- Closing the w indows and the sunroof* (for ex­
ample, when over- or understeering) : the win­
dows and the sunroof* close until there is only
a small gap open .
Audi pre sense basic functions can be triggered at
speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h). Drive select: the deployment time is adapted in
Dynamic mode .
Pre sense front (vehicles with adaptive cruise
control*)
Pre sense front contains the functions of pre
sense basic . In addition, the likelihood of a rear ­
end collision with the vehicle ahead is also calcu­
lated, within the limi ts of the system. If the risk
of a collision is detected, the following functions
can trigger:
- Braking guard
c> page 85
- Tensioning of the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof*
Pre sense rear (vehicles with side assist*)
Pre sense rear contains the functions of pre sense
bas ic. In addit ion, the lik el ihood of a rear-end
coll is ion from the vehicle behind is also calculat­
ed, within the limits of the system. If the risk of a
collision is detected, the following functions can
trigger:
Audi pre sense
-Tensioning of the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof*
Pre sense plus*
Pre sense plus contains the functions of pre
sense front and pre sense rear .
Error message
Aud i pre sense: Unavailable
Preventative passenger protection is not availa­
ble. Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
=
Pre sense cannot overcome natural phys ica l
laws . It is a system designed to assist and it
cannot prevent a collision . Do not let the in­
creased safety provided tempt you into taking
risks. This could increase your risk of a colli­
sion.
- The system can dep loy incorrectly .
- Please note that the sensors do not always
detect all objects . This increases the risk of
a collision.
- Pre sense does not react to people or ani­
mals or objects that are crossing the vehi­
cle's path or are difficu lt to detect
.:>page 79.
-Reflective objects such as guard ra ils or the
entrance to a tunnel, heavy rain and ice can
affect the function of the radar sensors and
the system's ability to detect a collision risk.
(D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
un derbody. Pre sense can be impaired by this.
Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility check their function .
(D Tips
-Certain pre sense front functions switch off
when sport mode is switched off or when
driving in reverse. ..,.
177

Intelligent Technology
shared, please see your contract with the
wireless te lecommunications provider and the
"About Aud i connect" tab in your vehicle's
MMI:
! MENUI button> Audi connect > About
Audi connect .
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
E SC helps to imp rove ro ad hold ing and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probab ility of skid­
d ing and loss of veh icle control. It works only
when the engine is runn ing . ESC detects certain
d iffic ult dr iving situat io ns, including when the
ve hicl e is begin ning to spin (yaw) o ut of contro l
and h elps you to ge t the veh icle b ack u nde r con ­
trol by se lectively bra king the wheels, and/or re­
ducing engine powe r and providing steering as­
sistance to help hold the vehicle on the driver's
intended course. The indicator light
GI in the in­
strument cluster blinks when ESC is tak ing action
t o he lp you contro l the vehicle.
ESC has lim itations. It is important to remembe r
that ESC cannot overcome the laws o f physics. It
will not a lways be able to help out under all con­
d itions you may come up aga inst . For example,
ESC may not always be ab le to help you master
situations where there is a sudde n change in the
coeff ic ie nt of fr iction of the road surface. W hen
there is a se ction of dry roa d that is sudde nly cov­
e red with w ater, slush o r sn ow , ESC c annot pe r­
form the same way i t wou ld on the dry s urface. If
the vehicle hydrop lanes (rides on a cushion of wa­
ter instead of t he road su rface), ESC w ill not be
ab le to he lp you stee r the veh icle because contact
with the pavement has been inte rru pted and the
ve hicle cannot be b raked or steered . Dur ing fast
cor nering, part icu la rly on w inding roads, ESC
can not always deal as effect ive ly w it h difficult
d riving situat ions than a t lowe r speeds .
Always ad just yo ur speed and driving sty le to
road, traffic and weath er cond itions . ESC canno t
over ride the vehicle's phys ical lim its, increase the
ava ilab le traction, o r keep a ve hicle on t he road if
roa d depa rture is a re su lt of driver in attention .
I nstead, ESC imp roves the possibili ty of keep ing
180
t h e veh icle unde r contro l and on t he road d uring
extreme mane uvers by using the driver's steer ing
i nputs to help keep the veh icle go ing in the in­
tended direction. If you are traveling at a speed
that causes you to run off the road before ESC
can p rovide any assistance, you may not exper i­
ence the be nefits of ESC.
ESC is switc hed on all the time. In certa in s itua­
tions when you need less tract ion, you can sw itch
off ASR by press ing the button
[g] c:> page 181,
fig . 175 . Be sure to switc h ASR on aga in whe n
you no longer nee d less tract ion.
The following systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
A BS prevents the w heels from locking w hen bra k­
i ng . The veh icle can still be steered even dur ing
hard braking. App ly steady p ressure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in the
brake peda l ind icates that the system is act ing to
stab ilize the veh icle.
Brake a ssist system
The brake assist system can decrease b raking dis­
tance. It increases b raking powe r whe n the dr iver
presses the b rake peda l quickly in emergency sit­
uat ions. You must press a nd hold the brake peda l
u nt il the dange rous situation is over . In vehicles
with adaptive cruise co ntrol*, the brake ass ist
syste m is more se nsitive if the distance detected
t o t he veh icle ah ead is too sm all. On vehicle s wi th
a ctiv ate d a nd fun ctioni ng nigh t vis ion assi st*, the
brake assis t sys tem can respond more sensit ively
i f there is a warning .
Anti-slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces e ngine powe r whe n the d rive whee ls
begin s pin nin g and ad apts the force to the ro ad
con ditions. This m akes i t easier to s tar t, a cce ler ­
ate and drive up incl ines .
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
E DL applies t he b rakes to a whee l th at s tarts
sp inning a nd transfers the dr ive power to the
othe r drivi ng whee ls . This fu nction is n ot a vail a-
b le at hig he r sp eeds . .,..

In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches off
to keep the brake on the braked wheel from over­
heating. The vehicle is still working correctly. EDL
will switch on again automatically when condi ­
tions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by changing
the steering torque .
I n vehicles with dynamic steering*, ESC also
helps to stabilize the steering in critical situa ­
tions.
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when driv­
ing on curves. The front wheel on the inside of
the curve or both wheels on the inside of the
curve are braked selectively as needed. This al­
lows more precise driving in curves.
Automatic post-collision braking system
The "Automatic post-collision brak ing system"
can help to reduce the risk of sliding and of other
coll isions after an accident.
If the airbag control
module detects a collision above a certain vehicle
speed, the vehicle is braked by the ESC.
The vehicle does not brake automatically if:
- the driver presses the accelerator pedal, or
- the braking force generated by the pressed
brake pedal is greater than the brak ing force
that would be initiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the brake system or the vehicle electri­
cal system are not function ing .
Switching on /off
Intelligent Technology
A WARNING
-- The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the limits posed by natural physi­
cal laws. This is especia lly important on slip­
pery or wet roads. If the systems begin act­
ing to stabilize your vehicle, you should im­
mediately alter your speed to match the
road and traffic conditions. Do not let the
increased safety provided tempt you into
taking r isks. This cou ld increase your risk of
a collision .
- Please note the risk of a collision increases
when driving fast, especially through curves
and on slippery or wet roads, and when dr iv­
ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and
its integrated systems cannot always pre­
vent collisions -there is still a risk of acci­
dents!
- Press the accelerator pedal carefully when
accelerating on even, slippery surfaces such
as ice and snow. The dr ive wheels can spin
even when these control systems are instal­
led and this can affect driving stability and
i n crease the risk of a collision .
(j) Tips
-ABS and ASR only function correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identical
tires. Different tire sizes can lead to a reduc­
tion in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems de­
scribed are working.
£SC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 175 Center console: OFF~ button
The ESC is designed to function in levels. Depend­
ing on the level that is se lected, the stabilization
function of the ESC is limited or switched off. The amount of stabilization control will differ de­
pending on the level.
The following examples are unusual situations
where it may make sense to switch sport mode on in order to allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck ..,.
181

Intelligent Technology
-Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications .
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­ stall a different spoiler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­
ing the effectiveness of the entire brake sys­
tem.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair the
braking capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest Audi dealer
or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booster
assistance.
Electromechanical
steering, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
If this indicator light turns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steering may
have failed .
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as pos­
sible. Do
not continue driving. See an authori zed
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for
assistance.
'Jij Steering: System fault You can continue
driving
184
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the steering may be more difficult to move or more sensitive than usual. The steering
wheel may also be at an angle when driving
straight.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility to have the mal­
function corrected.
':r-ij Dynamic steering: Initializing
If the indicator l ight is blinking and this message
appears, dynamic steering* is being initialized.
The steering wheel will be easy to move after
starting the engine. Re-initialization might be
necessary if the steering wheel was moved hard
to the left and right while the veh icle was not
moving. The display turns off if the initialization
was successful.
(D Tips
- If the . or ':r-ij indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue driving.
- The dynamic steering stability systems
opage 180 are not availab le in the event of
a system malfunction.
- For additional information on dynamic
steering, refer to
c> page 95.
All wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to: vehicles with all wheel drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are powered.
General information
In all wheel drive, the driving power is divided be­
tween all four wheels. This happens automatical­
ly depending on your driving behavior as well as
the current road conditions. Refer to
c> page 180,
Electronic Stabilization Control (£SC).
A center differential distributes the driving power
variably to the front and rear axle. It works to­
gether with selective wheel torque control, which
activates when driving through curves
<=> page 181 . With the sport differential*, power
distribution to the rear wheels is variable and can
be adjusted with drive select
q page 95 . .,..