2017 AUDI A7 belt

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\.J ' the front passenger seat. Always make sure that
the safety belt for the front passenger seat is proper ly fastened .
The PA SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF ligh t will sh ow
the statu s of the fr ont sea t pass eng er 's frontal
A dvanced Ai rb ag a fe w second s after the igni­
tion i s swit ched on and the air bag indi cator
light goes off. The PA SSENGER AIR BA G OFF
light:
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occup ied;
- will stay on if the electrical capacitance meas­
ured by the capacitive passenger detection sys­
tem for the front passenger seat equals the
combined capacitance of an infant up to about
one year of age and one of the rearward-facing
or forward-facing child restraints listed in Fed ­
era l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w ith
which the Advanced Airbag System in your veh i­
cl e was certified ; Fo r a listing of the child re­
straints th at were used to ce rtify you r vehicle's
compliance with the U.S. Safety Standard
¢ page 174.
-wi ll go out if the front passenge r seat is occu ­
pied by an adult as registered by the capacitive
passenger detection system .
- The
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OF F light must come
on and stay on if the ignition is on and .. .
- a car bed has been insta lled on the front pas ­
senger seat, or
- a rearward-facing child restra int has been in ­
sta lled on the front passenger seat , or
- a fo rwa rd-facing child restra int has been instal­
led on the front passenge r seat,
- and if the e lectr ica l capacitance registered on
the front passenger seat is equal to or less than
the combined capacitance of a typica l 1 year­
o ld infant and one of the rearward-facing o r
forward-facing chi ld 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 wi ll not deploy, and the
PAS SENG ER
AIR BA G OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward-fac ing child restraint on the front pas­
senger seat, the safest place for a child in any
Airb ag sys tem
kind of child restraint is at one o f the seating po ­
sitions on the rear seat¢
page 149, Child re­
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 172, Child safety .
If the PASSENGER AI R BAG light come s
on ...
If the PA SSEN GER AIR BAG O FF light comes on
when one of the conditions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer­
ta in that the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
stays on continuously whenever the ignition is
on. If the
PAS SENGER AIR BA G OFF light does
not appea r on and does no t stay on a ll the time ,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
- reactivate the system by turning the ignit ion
off for more than 4 seconds and then turn ing it
on again;
- remove and re insta ll the chi ld restraint . Make
sure that the chi ld restraint is properly insta l­
led and that the safety belt for the front pas­
senger seat has been correct ly routed through
the child restraint as described in the c hild re ­
straint man ufacturer's instructions;
- ma ke sure that the conve rt ible lock ing 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 e lectrica l device (such as a
laptop, CD player , e lectronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for chi ld seats) is
placed or used on the front passenger seat if
the device is connected to the 12-volt socket or
the c igarette 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 towel) and no water or other liquids on
the front passenger seat cushion . .,._
161

Airbag system
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 restraint off the front passenger
seat and install it properly at one of the rear
seat positions. Have the airbag system inspect­
ed by your Audi dealer immediately .
- move the chi ld 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 adult 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
S seconds while driving, under these circumstan­
ces, make s ure that:
- the adult on the front passenger seat is proper­
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up against the backrest and the
backres t is not recl ined,
- the adu lt is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or supporting
their weight on the armrest,
- the safety belt is being properly worn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web­
bing,
- 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
pacitive passenger detection system to miscal­
culate electrical capacitance.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
- If the status of the Adv a need Airbag System
has changed while the vehicle is moving, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light blinks for
162
about S seconds to catch the driver's atten­
tion. If this happens, always 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 off when an adult who is not very
small is sitting on the front passenger seat
after taking the steps described above, make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating posi­
tions. Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Audi dealer befo re trans­
porting anyone on the front passenger seat.
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop­
erly cannot provide supplemental protection in a fronta l crash.
- If the airbag indicator light~
page 17
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer.
It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or wi ll not inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a ch ild without a
chi ld restraint, or in a rearward-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-fac ing ch ild re­
straint that has not been properly insta lled
will be seriously injured and can be killed.
- Even though you r vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced A irbag System, make certain
that a ll children, especially 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat prop­
erly restrained for their age and size.
-Always install forward or rear-facing child seats on the rear seat -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- If you must install a rearward-facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of
except ional circumstances and the
PASSEN·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear and
stay on, immediately install the rear-facing
child seat in a rear seat ing position and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dea le r.
~

Airbag syste m
must be performed by qualified workshops
only. Make sure that any airbag service ac­
tion is entered in your Aud i Warranty
&
Maintena nce booklet under AIRBAG RE­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechn ic circuit
in terrupter.
- 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 applicab le safety precautions
must be followed .
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretension ­
ers might be classified as Perch lorate Materi­
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate . When the veh icle o r parts of the re­
stra int system including airbag modules and
safety belts w it h pretensioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regu lations must be
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
m iliar with these requirements and we recom ­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
serv ice for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced A irbag System
pe rforms in a crash. For e xamp le, using t ire -r im
comb inations no t approved by Audi, lowering t he
veh icle, chang ing the stiffness o f the suspe nsio n,
i n cluding the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic contro l unit . Some suspens ion changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in c rashes in w hich it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other ki nds of
164
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­
i ng when it should .
_& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim comb inations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in­
crease the r isk of serious personal injury in a
crash .
- Never install suspension components that do not have the same performance charac­
ter istics as the components origina lly instal­
led on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-r im combinations that have
not been approved by Aud i.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Applies to : vehicles with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants .
Fig . 15 9 Driver 's knee a irbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
u nderneath the s teer ing whee l¢
fig. 159, the
airbag fo r the passenger is at about the same
height in the i nstr ument panel underneath the
glove compa rtment.
The knee airbag offers add itiona l protect ion to
the d river's and passenge r's knees and uppe r and
l ower thigh areas a nd sup plements the p rotec­
t ion prov ided by the safety belts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fron tal coll is ions when t he deployment ..,_

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<.,;) 'SI"
threshold stored in the control unit is met
¢ page 158, More important things to know
about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keep the driver or front passenger in
position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can prov ide supplemental protection.
The airbag system is not a subst itute 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 wearing your safety belt
and wear ing it properly . This is why you should
always wear your safety belt, not just because
the law requires you to do so ¢
page 140, Gener­
al information.
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain k inds of accidents -your safety
be lts are always there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have a lready deployed, for
example when yo ur vehicle str ikes or is str uck by
anothe r after t he f irst collision .
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
n ot a substi tute for the safety belt. The airbag
system works mos t effectively when used with
the safety belts . Therefore , a lways wear your
safety be lts correct ly .
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemen tal knee a irb ag sys tem is designed to re­
duce the like lihood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries, for example, swelling, bruising and minor
abrasions and friction burns can also occur when
an airbag inf lates.
The kn ee airbag sy stem basically con sist s of :
- T he elec tronic contro l module
- Two inflatab le airbags (airbag and gas genera -
tor), one for the drive r and one fo r the front
passenge r
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag s ystem will not deploy:
- when the ign ition is switched off
Airb ag sys tem
-in frontal co llisions when the deceleration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side co llisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
- in the event of a system malfunction (warn ing/
ind icator light is on) ¢
page 17.
.&, WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protect io n when occupants are i n
the proper seat ing position ¢
page 158.
- If the a irbag ind icator light ¢ page 17
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­ posed to, or w ill not inflate when it should.
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.
Fi g. 160 Inflated a irbags protect ing in a frontal coll is ion
The knee airbag system has been des igned so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger dep loy in certain but not all fronta l co llisions .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal coll is io ns when the deployment
threshold stored in the cont rol un it is met .
When the system deploys, the airbags fill with a propellant gas, and inflate between the lower
part of the instrument panel and the driver a nd
the lower part of the instrument panel and the
front passenger ¢
page 158, fig. 157. .,..
165

Airbag syste m
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the lower ex­
tremities .
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the airbags have deployed. The a irbags 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 comb ination with proper­
ly worn safety belts slow down and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement and help to reduce
the risk of inju ry.
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
App lies to : ve hicles w ith knee 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 belts and airbags
to provide supplemental protection .
,&. WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause ser ious in ­
jury. Wearing safety bel ts incorrectly and im­
proper seating positions increase the r isk of
serious 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 airbag locat ions. When adjusting their
seat positions, it is important that both the driver and the front passenger keep their
upper bodies and knees at the following
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 persona l injury increases if you
lean forward or to the s ide, or if the seat is
166 improperly positioned and you are not wear­
ing your safety belt. The risk increases even
more should the airbag deploy.
- Always make sure that the knee a irbag can
inflate w ithout interference. Objects be­
tween you and the airbag can increase the
r isk of injury in an accident by interfering
w ith the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed i nto you as the a irbag deploys.
- Never let anybody, especia lly children or
anima ls ride in the footwell in front of the
passenger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can result in serious or fatal injuries .
- Never carry objects of any kind in the foot ­
well area in front of the driver's or pas­ senger's seat. Bulky objects (shopp ing
bags, for example) can interfere with or
prevent proper dep loyment of the a irbag.
Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you
or your passengers.
- Ma ke sure there are no crac ks, deep scratch­
es o r other damage in the area of the i nst ru­
ment panel where the knee airbags are lo ­
cated .
- If children are incorrec tly seated, their risk
of injury increases in a coll is ion
c:::> page 172, Child safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 161 S ide a irbag locatio n in th e driver 's seat

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\.J ' The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests¢
fig. 161 and the rear back­
rest facing the doors. They are identified by the
word "AIRBAG".
The side airbags installed for the front seating
positions have been designed and certified to
he lp reduce the risk of injury that can be caused
by airbags when they inf late, particularly when
the occupant sitt ing next to it is not seated prop­
erly. The s ide airbag for the front passenger seat
can be used with properly installed child re­
stra ints. Please be sure to read the important in­
formation and wa rnings whenever using a child
r est raint in a ve hicle: Safety belts¢
page 140 ,
Airbag system .!>page 148, Child safety
r::!> page 17 2.
Th e s ide airbag system basicall y con sists of :
-the e lectron ic control module and external side
i mpact sensors
- the two airbags located in the sides of the front
backrests and the two airbags* located in the
rea r backrest
- the a irbag warn ing light in the instrument cl us-
ter.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you switch on the ign ition, the
a irbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diag nostics).
The s ide airbag system supplements the safety
belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to
the dr iver's, fron t and rear passenger's upper to r­
so on the side of the veh icle t hat is struck in a
side coll is ion. The a irbag dep loys only i n side im­
pa cts and o nly when the vehi cle acceleration reg­
i stered by the cont rol un it is high enough. If this
rate is below the reference value programmed in ­
to the control unit, the side airbags wi ll not be
tr iggered, even though the car may be bad ly
damaged as a result of the collision. It is not pos­
sib le to define an airbag tr igger ing range that
will cover every possib le ang le of impact, s ince
the circumstances w ill vary considerably between
one co llision and another. Important fac to rs in­
clude, for example, t he nature (hard or soft) of
the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
Airb ag sys tem
speed, etc. r::!> page 168, Important safety in ­
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from the ir no rm al safety funct io n, safety
belts work to he lp keep the dr iver o r front pas­
senger in posi tion in the event o f a side co llision
so that the side airbags can provide protectio n.
T he airbag system is
not a substi tute for you r
sa fe ty belt. Ra ther, i t is par t of the ove rall occ u­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re ­
member that the side airbag system can only
help to protect you if you are wear ing you r safety
belt and wear ing it properly. This is another rea ­
son why you should a lways wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
so ¢
page 140, General information.
It is important to remembe r that while the sup­
plementa l side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other i nju ­
ries, for example, swelling, bru is ing, friction
burns and m ino r abras ions can also be assoc iated
wi th deployed s ide airbags. Remember too, s ide
airbags will deploy only once and only in certa in
ki nds of accidents - yo ur safety belts are always
there to offe r protection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs o r even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necess aril y an ind ic a tion
of over-sens it ive or fa iled airbag ac tiva tion . In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may
inflate. Remember too, that airbags wi ll dep loy
only once and only in certain kinds of collisions -
your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
t ion in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy :
- when the ignition is switched off
- in side co llisions when the acceleration meas -
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rea r-end co llisions
- in rollovers .
In some types of accidents the front a irbags, side
cu rtain airbags and side a irbags may be triggered
togethe r. .,..
167

Airbag syste m
_& WARNING
-Safety belts and the a irbag system w ill only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
¢ page 168 .
-If the airbag indicator light <:!;> page 17
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediate ly by your
authori zed Audi dealer . It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­ posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce t he risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained .
Fig. 162 Infla ted s ide a irbags o n left s ide of veh icle , rear
s ide a irbag
When the system is triggered, the airbag 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 panel and the pas­
senger . In order to help provide this additional
protection, the side ai rbag must inflate within a
fract ion of a second at very high speed and with
great fo rce. The supplementa l 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
plies especially to children
¢ page 172, Child
safety .
Supplemental side airbags inflate be­
tween the occ upant and the door pane l on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certa in side
collis ion
¢ fig. 162.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"c ushion" the impact and in th is way they can
168
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper part
of the body.
A fine d ust may develop when the a irbag dep loys.
This is norma l and does not mean the re is a fire
in the vehicle.
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
properly wear safety belts and ride in a proper
seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and act according ly to he lp the safety belts
and airbags do their job to provide supplemental protect ion.
_& WARNING
An inflating side a irbag can cause serious or
fata l injury . Improperly wearing safety belts
and improper seating posit ions increase the
risk of serious persona l 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 position and never
l ean against the area where the supple-
mental side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone e lse rest their
head against the side trim panel in the
area where the supplementa l side airbag
i nflates .
- Always make sure that safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do not 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 that the side a irbag can
inflate without interference.
- Never ins tall sea t covers or replacement
u pholstery ove r the fron t seatbacks that
have not been specifica lly approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags de- ploy . ..,.

Airbag system
The side curtain airbag system supplements the
safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury for occupants' heads and upper torso. The side curtain airbag inflates in side impacts and
only when the vehicle acceleration registered by
the control unit is high enough . If this rate is be ­
low the reference value programmed into the
control unit, the side curtain airbag will not be
triggered, even though the car may be badly
damaged as a result of the collision.
It is not pos­
sible to define an airbag triggering range that
will cover every possible angle of impact, since
the circumstances will vary considerably between
one collision 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 170, How side curtain air­
bags work.
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in position in the event of a collision so
that the side curtain airbags can provide protec­
tion .
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 wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly . This is another reason
why you should always wear your safety belts,
not just because the law requires you to do so
¢ page 140, General information.
It is important to remember that while the side
curtain airbag system is designed to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swelling, bruising, friction burns
and minor abrasions can also be associated with
these airbags upon deployment . Remember too,
these airbags will deploy only once and only in
certain kinds of accidents -your safety belts are
always there to offer protection.
The side curtain airbag system basically consists of:
- The electronic control module and external side
impact sensors
170
-The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side windows with ejection mitigation fea­
tures
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to
make certain it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you switch on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignition is switched off,
- in side collisions when the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions .
.&_ WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
¢ page 48,
Seats and storage.
- If the airbag indicator light¢ page 17
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer.
It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­ posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who are properly re­
strained.
Fig. 164 Illustration of principle: Inflated side curtain a ir·
bags o n the left s ide ..,_