2017 AUDI Q3 airbag

Airbag syste m
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests
c:> fig . 119 facing the doors.
They are identif ied by the word "AIRBAG".
T he s ide a irbag syste m basicall y consis ts of:
-the electronic control modu le and external side
impact senso rs
- the two airbags located in the sides of the front
backrests
- the a irbag warn ing light in the instrument clus -
ter .
The airb ag sys tem is monitored electronically to
make certa in that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you turn on the ign it ion, the air ­
bag system ind icator light will come on for a few
seconds (self d iagnost ics).
The s ide a irbag system supplements the safety
belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to
the dr iver's and front passenger's upper torso on
the s ide of the veh icle that is struck in a s ide col­
lision . The airbag deploys on ly in s ide impacts
and only when the veh icle acce leration registered
by the contro l unit is high enough. If this rate is
be low the reference value programmed into the
control unit, th e sid e airbags wi ll not be trig ­
gered, even though the car may be badly dam­
aged as a result of the collision. It is not possible
to define an airbag triggering range that w ill cov ­
er every poss ible angle of impact, since the cir­
cumstances w ill vary cons iderably between one
coll is ion and another. Important factors include,
for example, the nat ure (hard or soft) of the im­
pacting object, the ang le of impact , vehicle
speed, etc.
c:> page 133, Important safety in ­
structions on the side airbag system.
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in position in the event of a side collision
so that th e sid e airbags can provide protection.
The a irbag system is
not a subst itute for your
safety belt . Rather, it is part of the overa ll occu ­
pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re­
m ember that the side airbag system can only
he lp to protect you if you are wearing your safety
be lt and wearing it properly. This is another rea­
son why you should always wear your safety
132
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
so
c:> pag e 109, General information .
It is impo rtan t to remembe r that w hile the sup­
plementa l side airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other inju ­
ries, for example, swelling, bruising , and minor
abras ions can also be associated w ith deployed
s ide a irbags. Remember too, s ide airbags will de­
ploy only once and only in certain k inds of acci­
dents - your safety belts are always there to offer
protect ion .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle d amage 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 offe r protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have a lready
deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignit io n is tu rned 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 sid e airbags may be trigg ered
together .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the proper seat ing pos ition
c:> page 133.
-If the airbag ind icator light c:> page 14
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 i nflate when i t is not sup ­
posed to, or will not inflate when it sho uld.

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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 . 120 In fla ted side airbags o n left s ide of v ehicle
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 side trim panel and the pas­
senger . In order to help provide this add itiona l
protection, the side airbag must inflate within a
fract ion of a second at very high speed and with
great force. The s upplemental side airbag cou ld
injure you if your seating position is not p roper or
upright or if items are located in the area where
the supplemental side airbag expands. This ap­
plies especially to childre n
¢ page 13 7, Child
safety.
Supplemental side airbags inf late be­
tween the occupant and the door panel on the side of the vehicle that is struck in certa in side
collis ion
¢ fig . 120 .
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper part
of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys .
This is normal and does not mean there is a fire in 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 according 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 airbag can cause serious or
fatal 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 against the area where the supp le­
mental s ide airbag is located .
- Neve r let a child or anyone e lse rest their
head against the side tr im panel 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 that 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
module 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 _,.
133

Airbag syste m
by being pushed into you as the airbag in­
flates.
- Never p lace or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cupho lders, te lephone
brackets, or even large, bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked
"AIRBAG" on the seat backrests.
- Such objects and accessories can become
dangerous projectiles and cause in ju ry
when the supplemental side airbag de­ ploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the de­ ployment space between them and the
airbags or allow children or other passen­
gers to travel in this posit ion.
- Always use the built-in coat hooks only for
lightweight clothing. Never leave any heavy
or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that
may interfere w it h side airbag deployment
and can cause personal i njury in an accident.
- Always prevent the side airbags from being
damaged by heavy objects knocking against
or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once. If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an author ized
Audi dealership.
- Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to the
orig inal seat covers or to the seam in the
area of the side a irbag mod ule m ust always
be repa ired immed iate ly by an authorized
Audi dealer .
- If children are sea ted improperly, their r is k
of injury increases in the ca se of an ac ciden t
~ page 13 7, Child safety .
-Never attempt to modify any components of
the a irbag sys tem in any way.
- In a side collision, side a irbags w il l not fu nc­
t ion properly if sensors cannot correct ly
measure increasi ng air pressure ins ide the
doo rs when air escapes through larger, un­
closed openings in the door panel.
- Never drive w ith inter io r door tr im panels
removed .
- Never drive when parts have been re­
moved from the inside doo r panel and the
open ings they leave have not been proper­
ly closed.
134
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly closed.
- Always make certain that openings are
covered or filled if additional speakers or
other equipment is installed i n the inside
door panels.
- Always have work on the doors done by an
authorized Aud i dealer or q ualified work­
shop.
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide sup­
plemental protection to properly restrained oc­
cupants.
Fig. 121 S id e curt ain system, drive r's s ide : side curtain air­
bag locatio n
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides
of the inter ior above the fro nt and rear side win­
dows~
fig. 121. T hey are identified by the word
"AIRBAG" on the windshie ld frame and the cen­
ter roof p illar .
The side curtain airbags contain features that provide ejection mitigation to help prevent veh i­
cle occupants or parts of their bodies from being
completely or part ially ejected from the vehicle
interior in certain side impacts and vehicle roll­
overs .
The side c urtain airbag system supplements the
safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury for occupants' heads and upper torso on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in a side coll i­
sion. The side curta in a irbag inflates in side im-
pacts and only whe n the vehicle acce lerat ion .,.

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registered by the control unit is high enough . If
this rate is below the referenc e va lue program­
med into the contro l 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 possible to define an airbag triggering range
that will cover every poss ible a ngle of impact,
since the circumstances will vary considerab ly be­
tween one coll is ion and another. Impo rtant fac­
tors incl ude , fo r example , the nature (ha rd or
soft) of the impacting object , the ang le of im­
pact, vehicle speed, etc .
¢ page 135, How side
curtain airbags work.
Aside from their normal s afety function, safe ty
be lts 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 s ubstitute for yo ur
safety be lt. Rather, it is part of the overa ll 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 . Th is is another reason
why you should always wear your safety belts ,
n ot j ust because the law requires you to do so
¢ page 109, General information .
It is important to remember that while the s ide
curta in a irbag system is des igned to he lp reduce
the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other i njuries,
for example, swel ling, b ruising, and m ino r abra­
sions can a lso be associated w ith these airbags.
Remember too, these a irbags w ill dep loy only
once and only in certa in kinds of acc iden ts -your
safety be lts are always there to offer protection .
The side curtain airbag system basically
con sists of:
- T he elec tronic contro l module and external side
impact sensors
- T he side c urtain airbags above the front and
rea r side windows with ejection mitigation fea ­
tures
- T he airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored e lectronically to
make certain it is f unct ion ing properly at all
Airb ag sys tem
times. Each time you turn on the ignition, the air­
bag system indicato r light wi ll come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics) .
The side curtain airbag is not activated :
- if the ignition is turned off,
- in side co ll isions when the accele ration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions.
A WARNING
- Safety belts an d the airbag system will only
p rovide protec tion when occupants are in
the proper seat ing position
¢ page 44,
Front seats.
- If the ai rbag ind ic a tor light~ page 14
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 inf late when it should.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags con work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who ore properly re­
strained .
Fig. 122 Illust ration of pr incip le: Inflated s ide curta in air­
bags o n the le ft s ide
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the w indows on the side of the veh i-
cle that is struck in a side collision
¢ fig . 122.
When the system is triggered, the side curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
liJ,
135

Airbag syste m
to help provide this additional protection, the
side curtain airbag must inflat e within th e blink
of an eye at very h igh speed and with great force .
The side curtain airbag could injure you if your seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supple ­
mental side curtain airbag inflates . This applies
especia lly to children <::;>
page 137.
Although they are not a soft pillow, 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 a nd 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 wearing safety belts and improper
seating positions increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death whenever a vehicle
is being used.
- Never let occupants p lace any parts of their
bodies in the area from which the side cur­
ta in a irbags inflate.
- Always make sure that the side curtain air­
bags can inflate without interference . Un­
suitable accessories fitted inside the expan­
sion range of a head airbag can dangerously
interfere w ith its function . A deploying head
airbag develops enough force to catapult
any piece of add-on component out of its
path of i nflation and into the passenger
compartment. An occ upant hit by such a
projectile can suffer serious injury or death
<::;> page 220, Technical Modifications .
-Do not swivel the sun visors to the side if
you have any objects clipped onto them (for
136
examp le pens) . If the airbag shou ld deploy,
you could be injured by these objects.
- Use the bui lt-in coat hooks only for light­
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with a irbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in an accident .
- Never use hangers to hang cloth ing from
the hooks .
- On ly use factory-installed sun shades or, in
the case of shades installed after the vehicle
leaves the factory, only Audi roll -up
sunscreens may be used
<::;> page 220, Addi­
tional accessories and parts replacement .
-Always sit in p roper seating position and
wear safety belts while traveling so that the
side curtain airbags can help p rovide protec­
tion .
- The a irbag system can only be triggered
once . If the a irbag has been triggered, the
sys tem must be replaced by an authori zed
Aud i dea ler or qualified workshop .
- Always have wo rk invo lv ing the side curtain
airbag system, remova l and installat ion of
the airbag components, or other repairs
performed by an authorized Audi dea le r or
qualif ied workshop. Otherwise the a irbag
system may not work correctly.
- Never attempt to mod ify any components of
the airbag system in any way.

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Child safety
Important information
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision .
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a crash apply also to children
c:> page 110, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adults and
teenagers, their muscles and bones are not fully
developed. In many respects children are at
greater r isk of serious injury in crashes than
adults .
Because children's bodies are not fu lly devel­
oped, they requ ire restraint systems especially
des igned for their size, we ight, and body struc­
ture. Many countr ies and all states of the United
States and provinces of Canada have laws requir­
ing the use of approved child restraint systems
for infants and small children .
I n a frontal crash at a speed of 20- 3 5 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13-pound
(6 kg) infant will be more than 20 times the
weight of the child . This means the weight of the
child would suddenly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg) . Under these conditions, only an appro­
priate child restraint properly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury . Child restra ints, like
adult safety belts, must be used properly to be
effect ive. Used improperly, they can increase the
risk of serious injury in an accident.
All ch ildren, especially those 12 years and young­
er must always ride in the back seat proper ly re­
stra ined for their age and size. If you must install
a child restra int on the front passenger seat in
exceptional circumstances, be sure to read and
heed the important information and warnings
c:> page 118. Infants and other children who are
properly restrained in an appropriate child re­
straint that is for their size and age can benefit
from the protection that supplemental side air­
bags provide in some kinds of crashes.
For more information please see information
provided by the:
Ch ild safety
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), currently at: http:/ /www.safe ­
rcar.gov (for the USA)
- Transport Canada Information Centre, current-
ly at: http://www.tc .gc.ca (for Canada)
Consult the chi ld safety seat manufacturer's in­
structions in order to be sure the seat is right for
yo ur child's size
c:> page 140, Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats .
Please
be sure to read and heed all of the important in­
formation and WARNINGS about child safety,
Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child restra ints in this chapter .
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad­
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they work
when infants and children in child restraints are on the front passenger seat . Because of the large
amount of important informat ion, we cannot re­
peat it all he re. We urge you to read the detailed
information in this owner 's ma nual about airbags
and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle and the very important information about trans ­
porting children on the front passenger seat.
P lease be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they are
extremely important for your safety and the safe­
ty of your passengers, especially infants and
small children.
A WARNING
-- Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer in the rear seat area than
in the front seat ing pos ition. Always restrain
any child age 12 and under in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children must be restrained prope rly whenever r iding
in a vehicle. An unrestra ined or improperly
rest rained child cou ld be inju red by striking
the interior or by being ejected from the ve­ hicle during a sudden maneuver or impact.
An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death
through contact w ith an inflating a irbag.
-A suitable ch ild restraint properly installed
and used at one of the rear seating positions
provides the h ighest degree of protect ion
for infants and small children in most acci­
dent situat ions.
1 37

Child safety
A WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with
Advanced Airbags can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates. A child in
a rearward-facing child safety seat installed
on the front passenger seat will be seriously
injured and can be killed if the front airbag in ­
flates .
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, or
door .
- Always install rear-facing child safety seats
on the rear seat.
-If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat in
exceptional circumstances and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear­
facing child safety seat in a rear seating po­
sition and have the airbag system inspected
immediately by your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must in­
stall a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-facing seat
has been designed and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's instruc­
tions provided with the child safety seat or
carrier .
- Always move the front passenger seat to
the highest position in the up and down ad­
justment range and move it back to the
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air­
bag as possible, before installing the for­
ward-facing child restraint.
- Always make sure that the safety belt upper
anchorage is behind the child restraint and
not next to or in front of the child restraint
so that the safety belt will be properly posi­
tioned.
138
- Always make sure that the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage to
a child restraint that is not visible could cause
it to fail in another collision situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with United States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208, as well as Canada Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time
your vehicle 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
"suppression" requirements 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.
Even 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 ride. 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
larger child in a rearward-facing seat.

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Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle de ­
tects the presence of an infant or child in a child
restraint on the front passenger seat using the
weight-sensing mat in the seat cushion and the
sensor below the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat that measures the tension on the
safety belt .
The weight-sensing mat measures total weight
of the child and the child safety seat and a child blanket on the front passenger seat. The weight
on the front passenger seat is related to the de­
sign of the chi ld restraint and its "footprint", the
size and shape of the bottom of the chi ld re­
stra int as it sits on the seat. The weight of a child
restraint and its "footp rint" vary for different
kinds o f child restraints and for the different
models of the same kind of child restraint of­
fered by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types,
makes and models of child restraints that the
NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard to­
gether with the weight ranges of typical infants
and typical 1 year-old child have been stored in
the control unit of the Advanced Airbag System .
When a child restraint is be ing used on the front
passenger seat with a typical 1 year-old child, the
Advanced Airbag System compares the weight measured by the weight sensing mat with the in­
formation stored in the electronic contro l unit.
The electronic control un it also registers the ten­
sion on the front passenger safety belt . The ten­
sion on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat will be d ifferent fo r an ad ult who is properly
using the safety belt as compared to the tension
on the belt when it is used to attach a chi ld re­
straint to the seat. The sensor below the latch for
the safety belt for the front seat passenger measures the tens ion on the belt. The input from
this sensor is then used with the weight to "de­
cide", whether there is a child restraint w ith a
typical 1 year-old child on the front passenger
seat and whet her o r not the a irbag must be
turned off.
Ch ild safety
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the ch ild restraint that you use,
make s ure tha t it has been cer tified to mee t Safe­
ty Standards and has been cert ified by its manu­
facturer for use with an airbag. Always be sure
that the c hild 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
t ion on child safety and Advanced A irbags and
heed all of the applicable WARNINGS . Make cer­
ta in that the ch ild restraint is correctly recog­
nized by the weight-sensing mat ins ide the front
passenge r seat, that the front passenge r airbag
is turned off and that the airbag status is always
correctly signaled by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light .
Many types and models of child restra ints have
been avai lab le over the years, new models are in­
t roduced regu larly incorporating new and im­
proved designs and older models are taken out of
production. Child restraints are not standardized.
Child restra ints of the same type typically have
different weights and sizes and different 'foot­
pr ints,' the size and shape of the bottom of the
ch ild rest raint that sits on the seat, when they
are installed on a vehicle seat. These d ifferences
make it virt ua lly impossib le to certify comp liance
wi th the requi rements for advanced a irbags w it h
each and every child restraint tha t has ever been
sold in the past or wi ll be so ld over the course of
the usefu l life of your vehicle .
For t his reason, the Uni ted States N ation al High­
way Traffic Sa fety Administration has published a
list of specific type, makes and mode ls of chi ld
restraints that must be used to certify compli­
ance of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehi­
cle w ith the suppress ion requirements of Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 . These child
restra ints are:
Subpart A - C ar b ed child r estra int s
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel Guard Angel September 2S, 2007 R ide AA2403FOF
139