2018 AUDI A7 steering

Airbag syste m
The front Advanced Airbag System for the front
seat occupants is not a substitute for your safety
be lts. Rather, it is part of the overa ll occupant re­
stra int system in your vehicle. Always remember
that the airbag system can on ly help to protect
you, if you are sitting upr ight, wearing your safe ­
ty belt and wearing it properly . This is why you
and your passengers must always be properly re­
stra ined, not just because the law requ ires you to
be.
The Advanced Airbag System in your veh icle has
been cert ified to meet the " low r isk" requ ire­
ments for 3 and 6 yea r-o ld children o n the pas­
senge r side and very sma ll adul ts on the d river
side . The low r isk dep loymen t cr iteria are intend ­
ed to he lp reduce t he risk of injury through inter­
action with the front airbag that can occur, for
examp le, by being too close to the steering wheel
and instrument panel when the airbag inflates .
I n addition, the system has been certified to
comp ly with the "suppression" requirements of
the Safety Standard, to turn off the front airbag
for infants 12 months old and younger who are
restrained on the front passenger seat in ch ild re­
stra ints that are listed in the Standard
c::> page 172, Child restraints and Advanced front
airbag system.
"Suppression" requ ires the front a irbag on the
passenger side to be turned off if:
- a chi ld up to about one year of age is restra ined
on the front passenger seat in one of the rear­
facing or forward-facing infant restraints listed
in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208
with wh ich the Advanced Airbag System in your
vehicle was ce rt ified . For a listing of the ch ild
r estra ints tha t were used to certify your veh i­
cle's compl ian ce with the US Safety Standard
c::> page 172,
-When a person is detected on the fron t passen ­
ger seat th at has an electr ica l capacitance t hat
is mo re than the tota l electrical capac itance of
a chi ld that is about 1 year old restrained in one
of the rear -facing or forward-facing infant re­
straints (listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with w hich the Advanced A irbag
System in your veh icle was certified) , the front
152 airbag on the passenger side may or may not
dep loy.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht comes o n
whe n the ele ct ronic control unit detec ts a t otal
e lectrica l capacitance on the front passenger seat
that requires the front airbag to be turned off. If
t h e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on, the front airbag on the passenger side
has not been turned off by the contro l unit and
can deploy if the contro l unit senses an impact
that meets the cond itions stored in its memory .
If the total e lectr ica l capacitance registered on
the front passenger seat is more than that of a
typ ica l 1 year-old, but less than the weight of a
small adult, the front a irbag on the passenger
s ide may deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght does not come on).
For e xample, th e airb ag may deploy if :
- a small ch ild that is heav ier than a typica l 1
year-old child is on the front passenger seat (regard less of whether the child is i n one of the
child seats listed
c::> page 172),
-a child who has outgrown c hild restraints is on
the front passenger seat .
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG O FF light in the center of
the instrument panel will come on and stay on.
If the front passenger airbag dep loys, the Feder ­
al Standard requires the airbag to meet the "low
risk" dep loyment criteria to help reduce the r isk
of injury t hrough interaction with the airbag.
"Low risk" deployment occurs in those crashes
that take p lace at lower decelerations as defined
i n the elect ronic co ntrol unit
c::> page 158 .
Always remember : Even though your vehicle is
equipped with Advanced Airbags, the safest place
for ch ildre n is properly restra ined on the back
seat. Please be su re to read the impo rtant info r­
mation in the sect ions that fo llow and be sure to
heed all of the WARNINGS.
_&. WARNING
T o redu ce the r is k of injury when an air ba g i n-
flates, always wear safe ty be lts prope rly.
II)>

Airbag syste m
Airbag System for the front passenger seat from
doing its job in a crash.
The front Advanced Airbag S ystem con sists
of the follo wing :
-Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that
measure vehicle acceleration/deceleration to
provide information to the Advanced Airbag
System about the severity of the crash.
- An electronic control unit, with integrated
crash sensors for front and side impacts. The
control unit "decides" whether to fire the front
airbags based on the information received from
the crash sensors . The control unit also "de ­
c ides" whether the safety belt pretens ioners
shou ld be activated .
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
contro l valve for the driver ins ide the steer ing
whee l hub.
- An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and
contro l valve inside the instrument pane l for
the front passenger.
- A capacitive passenger detect io n system under­
neath t he front passenger seat cover. This sys­
tem measures the elect rical capac ita nce of the
person in the seat. The info rm ation registe red
is sent continuous ly to the e lectronic 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
Q page 158 .
-A sensor in each front seat registers the dis ­
tance between the respective seat and the
steering wheel or instrument pane l. The infor ­
mation reg istered is sent continuously to the
electronic control un it to regulate deployment
of the front Advanced Airbags .
- The
PASS ENGER AIR BA G OFF light comes on
and stays on in the center of the instrument
panel
Q page 158, fig . 156 and tells you when
the front Advanced A irbag on the passenger
s ide has been turned off .
- A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver
and for the front seat passenge r that senses
whethe r th at safety belt is latched or not and
t ransm its this info rmat ion to the electronic
contro l unit.
154
_&. WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can pre­
vent the front airbag from work ing properly.
- Improper repair or disassembly of the front
passenger and driver seat will prevent the
Advanced A irbag System from function ing
properly.
- Repairs to the front passenger seat must be
performed by qualified and properly trained
wo rkshop personne l.
- Never remove the front passenger or driver seat from the vehicle .
- Never remove the upholstery from the front
passenger seat.
- Never d isassemble or remove parts from the
seat or disconnect wires from it.
- Never carry sharp objects in your pockets or
put them on the seat. The capacit ive pas­
senger detect ion mat in the front passenger
seat will not function p roperly 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 capaci tive passenger detection
system, so that incorrect in format ion is pro­
vided to the airbag control unit.
- Never store i tems under the front passenger
seat. Parts of the Advanced Airbag System
under the passenger seat could be dam­
aged, p reventing them and the airbag sys­
tem from working p roper ly.
- Never p lace 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 res tra int system on
this seat.
- Never use cushions, p illows, blankets, or
sim ila r items on the front passenge r seat.
The additional laye rs prevent the capac it ive

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \,;J ' A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat instal­
led 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 hit the child seat or
infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear-facing child seats on the
rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing child
seat on the front passenger seat because of
exceptional circumstances and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear­
facing child seat in a rear seating position and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dealer.
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash by interfer­
ing with the way the airbag unfolds or by be­
ing pushed into you as the airbag inflates .
- Never hold things in your hands or on your
lap when the vehicle is in use .
- Never transport items on or in the area of
the front passenger seat. Objects could
move into the area of the front airbags dur­
ing braking or other sudden maneuvers and
become dangerous projectiles that can
cause serious personal injury if the airbags
inflate.
- Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone
brackets, large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked
"AIRBAG" on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, seat backrests or between
those areas and yourself. These objects could cause injury in a crash, especially
when the airbags inflate .
- Never recline the front passenger 's seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the area of the side airbag or the front air-
-
Airbag system
bag during braking or in a sudden maneu­
ver. Objects near the airbags can become projectiles and cause injury, particularly
when the seat is reclined .
- Never place or transport objects on the
front passenger seat. Objects on the front passenger seat could cause the capacitive
sensor in the seat to signal to airbag system
that the seat is occupied by a person when it
in fact is not, or that the person on the seat
is heavier than he or she actually is. The
change in electric capacitance because of
such objects can cause the passenger front
airbag to be turned on when it should be
off, or can cause the airbag to work in a way
that is different from the way it would have
worked without objects on the seat.
- Always make sure that there is nothing on the front passenger seat that will cause the
capacitive passenger detection system in
the seat to signal to the Airbag System that
the seat is occupied by a person when it is not , or to signal that it is occupied by some­
one who is heavier than the person actually
sitting on the seat. The presence of an ob­
ject could cause the passenger front airbag to be turned on when it should be off, or
could cause the airbag to work in a way that is different from the way it would have
worked without the object on the seat.
A WARNING ...__ -
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can
cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing condi­
tions .
- To reduce the risk of breathing problems,
those with asthma or other respiratory con­
ditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening win­
dows or doors.
- If you are in a collision in which airbags de­
ploy, wash your hands and face with mild
soap and water before eating.
- Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes,
or into any cuts or scratches.
- If the residue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water.
157

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \,;J ' -If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's
fore and aft adjustment range, as far away
from the airbag as possible. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition 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 taking the steps
described above, make sure the adult is
properly seated and restrained at one of the
rear seating positions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer before transporting anyone on
the front passenger seat .
(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-
-
Airbag system
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
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
161

Airbag system
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 pyrotechn ic 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 modules and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi­
al
-special handling may apply , see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo ­
rate . When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts w ith 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
performs in a crash. For example, using tire-rim
comb inations not approved by Audi, lower ing the
vehicle, chang ing the stiffness of the suspension,
including the springs, suspension struts , shock
absorb ers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic 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 which it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other kinds of
162
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 combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash .
- Never install suspension components that do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components origina lly instal­
led on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim 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 . 157 D river 's knee airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
underneath the steering wheel ¢
fig. 157, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers add itional protect ion to
the driver's and passenger's knees and upper and lower thigh areas and supplements the protec­
tion prov ided by the safety belts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal coll is ions when the deployment
..,.

Airbag system
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 injury.
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
App lies to : ve hicles with 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 serious in ­
jury. Wearing safety belts incorrect ly 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 locations. 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 personal injury increases if you
lean forward or to the s ide, or if the seat is
164
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 airbag can
inflate without interference. Objects be­
tween you and the airbag can increase the
risk of injury in an accident by interfering
w ith the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed into you as the airbag deploys.
- Never let anybody, especia lly children or
animals 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 deployment of the a irbag.
Small objects
can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you
or your passengers.
- Make sure there are no crac ks, deep scratch­
es or 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 io n
~ page 170, Child safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 159 Side a irbag locatio n in the driver 's seat

Child sa fety
all the time whenever the ignition is
sw itched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immediate­ ly install the forward-facing child seat in a
rear seating posit ion and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Aud i
dealer .
- Always buckle the child seat firmly in
place even if a ch ild is not sitt ing in it . A
loose child seat can fly around during a
sudden stop o r in a collision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
wheneve r us ing a child restraint in a vehi­
cle ~ page 138 , Safety belts, ~ page 146,
Airbag system
and ~ page 170, Impor­
tant information .
(D Tips
Always replace chi ld restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle dur ing a crash. Damage to
a child res traint that is not visib le cou ld cause
it to fail in anothe r collision situation .
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your ve hicle 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 Veh icle Safe ty
Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time
your ve hicle was manufactured .
The Advanced Airbag system in you r veh icle has
been cert ified to meet the "low-risk" requ ire­
ments for 3- and 6 -year old children on the pas ­
senger s ide and small adults on the driver side .
The low risk deployment cr ite ria are intended to
reduce t he r isk of injury through inte ract ion with
the airbag t hat can occur, for examp le, by being
too close to the steering whee l and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates . In addition, the
system has been certified to comply with the
"suppress ion" req uirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to
12 months who are restra ined on the front pas­
senger seat in child restraints that are listed in
the Standard .
172
Even though your vehicle is equipped w it h an Ad ­
vanced Airbag system, all chi ldren, especially
t h ose 12 years and younger, sho uld a lways ride
i n the back seat properly restrained for their age
and s ize . The airbag on the passenger s ide makes
the front seat a potentia lly dangerous p lace for a
c hi ld to ride . T he front seat is not the safest place
fo r a ch ild in a fo rward-fac ing ch ild safety seat .
It
can be a very dangerous place fo r an infant o r a
l a rge r ch ild in a re ar war d-facing seat.
The veh icle's Advanced A irbag System has a ca­
pac it ive passenger detection system in the front
passenge r seat cushion that can detect the p res ­
ence of a baby o r a c hild i n a child res train t sys ­
tem on this seat .
The capacitive passenger detection system reg is­
te rs the changes that result i n an elect rical field
whe n a child, a chi ld restra int, and a baby b la nk et
are on the front passenger sea t. The change in
the measured capacitance due to the presence of
a chi ld, a c hild restraint, and a baby blanket on
the front passenger seat is re lated to the child
restra int system resting on the seat . The meas­
ured capacitance of a child restra int system var­
i es depending on the type of system and specific
make and model.
The elect rical capac itance of the various types,
makes, and models of child restraints specif ied
by the U .S . National Highway Traffic Safety Ad­
min istrat ion (NHTSA) in the releva nt safety
standard are stored in the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem contro l unit together with the capacitances
typ ic al of infants and a 1 -year old ch ild. When a
c hi ld restraint is used on the front passenger
seat wit h a typical 1 year-old infant, t he Ad ­
vanced Airbag System compares the capacitance
measured by the capacitive passenger detection
system with the data stored in the electronic con­
tro l unit .
Child restraints and Advanced front airbag
system
Regardless of the ch ild rest raint that yo u use,
make s ure tha t it has been ce rtified to mee t Safe ­
ty Standards and has been cert ified by its man u-
facturer for use with an airbag . A lways be sure
..,.

Wheels
-Only use tires that are more than six years old when abso­lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle. Using them when not permitted can lead to
ve­
hicle damage or accidents.
-If you install wheel covers on the vehicle, make sure they al­low enough a ir circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 188 Tire profile: trea dwear indica ­
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear.
-Inflation pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
l) Obey any applicable regulations in your
country.
214
-Driving qu ickly through curves,
rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear.
-Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty check the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear.
-Have the wheels rebalanced if an imbalance is causing noticeable
vibration in the steering wheel. If you do not, the tires and other
vehicle components could wear more quick ly.
Treadwear indicator
Original equipment tires contain
treadwear indicators in the tread pattern, which are bars that are 1/16 in (1.6 mm) high and are
spaced evenly around the tire per­ pendicular to the running direc­
tion
c> fig . 188. The letters "TWI"
or triangles on the tire sidewall indicate the location of the tread­
wear indicators.
The t ires have reached the mini­
mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones
c> A . "'