2018 AUDI Q3 airbag

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Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
The individual safety features of your vehicle can
work together as a system to help protect you
and your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
T hese features cannot work as a system if they
are not always correctly adjusted and correctly
used.
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others . We have summar­
ized here what you need to know about safety
belts, airbags, child restraints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1. Al­
ways observe the information and warnings in
this section -for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle. Some of the fea­
tures descr ibed in this sections may be standard
equipment on some models, or may be optional
equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in this
Manual. It is in your interest and in the in­
terest of your passengers .
-
-Always keep the complete Owner's Litera­
ture in your Audi when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important information
will always be available to the driver and
passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy so
that you can find it easily if you have ques­
tions.
Driving safety
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.. Make sure that all lights and signals are operat­
ing correctly.
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good visibility to the outside .
.,. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
¢ page 102, ¢page 45.
.,. Make sure that nothing can interfere with the
pedals.
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height.
.. Make sure to use the right child restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
¢ page 134, Child
safety.
.,. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same¢
page 42, Front
seats.
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts properly ¢
page 106 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle , the driver as well as the driver's abili­
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis­
tracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve­
hicle and all of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody in the
vehicle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
¢ _&. . Therefore:
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVER drive when your driving ability is im­
paired (by med ications, alcohol, drugs, etc .) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense . .,.
97

Driving sa fety
• ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions.
• Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch.
• Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres­
sure or whe n you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driv ing safety inc reases t he risk of
ser ious persona l inju ry and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 9 8 Correct seating pos it io n
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver 's seat to the following
position :
• Adjus t the dr iver's seat so tha t you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor whi le
keeping your knee(s) s light ly bent ~
,A.
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact with it when you drive.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
stee ring wheel and your breast bone~
fig. 98 .
If no t possib le, see you r authorized Aud i dea le r
about adapt ive eq uipment.
98
• Ad just the steering wheel so that the steer ing
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at yo ur face .
• Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent.
• Adjust the head restraint so the uppe r edge is
as even as possib le w ith the top of your head .
If
that is not possib le, try to adjust the head re­
strai nt so that it is as close to this pos it io n as
possible.
• Fasten and wear sa fe ty belts correctly
r=>page 109.
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in contro l of the veh icle at all t imes .
Fo r de tailed informa tion on how to ad just the
dr ive r's seat,
see r=!) page 42 .
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in­
jured by an airbag as it unfo lds. To help
re­
duce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always ad just the driver 's seat and the
steering whee l so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between yo ur breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out­
side of the steering wheel r im with yo ur
hands at t he 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to help reduce the risk of personal i n­
jury if the driver's airbag in flates.
- Never hold the stee ring wheel at the
1 2 o'cl ock position o r wi th you r hands at
o ther posi tion s in side the steer ing whee l
rim o r on the steeri ng wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause serious inju ries to the hands, arms and head
if the drive r's airbag dep loys.
- Pointing the steering wheel towa rd your
face decreases the ability of the supplemen­
tal d river 's airbag to protect you in a coll i­
sion.
- Always sit in an upright pos ition and never
lean aga inst or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located.
-

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- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
and head restraints properly and make sure
that all passengers are properly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position .
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 134 . Special precautions ap­
ply when installing a chi ld safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 114.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the following position:
• Adjust the ang le of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position and your back comes in full
contact with it whenever the vehicle is moving.
• Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as even as possible with the top of your head. If
that is not possible, try to adjust the head re­ straint so that it is as close to this position as
possible ¢
page 43.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat .
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢ page 109.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see¢
page 42 .
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of pos ition or too close to the airbag can be
ser iously injured or killed by the airbag as it
unfolds . To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
Driving safety
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located .
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri­ ously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front pas­
senger's breastbone and the instrument panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front pas­
senger seat and head restraint properly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat . Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Chi ldren must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 134. Special precautions ap­
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 114.
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit uprigh t wi th both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the ve­
hicle is in use .
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking
maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
ing :
• Make sure that the seatback is securely latched
in the upright position¢
page 47. .,.
99

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critical areas of the body . Improper seating posi­
tions also increase the risk of serious injury and
death when an airbag deploys and strikes an oc­
cupant who is not in the proper seating position.
A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle
occupants and especially for children . Therefore:
~ Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
c> &, .
The following bulletins list only some sample po­
sitions that will increase the risk of serious injury
and death. Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions that
are dangerous .
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the seats
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cush ion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
-Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a proper seat ing pos ition and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being used.
Driving safety
Pedal area
Pedals
T he pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat or
any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without in­
terference and that nothing prevents them from
returning to their original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured with floor mat fasteners .
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav­
el is required to bring the vehicle to a full stop.
A WARNING
--Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri­
ous injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere with pedal function. In case of
sudden braking or an accident, you would
not be able to brake or acce lerate!
-Always make sure that nothing can fall or
move into the driver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely at­ tached to the floor mat fasteners and do not in ­
terfere with the free movement of the pedals.
~ Make sure that the floor mats are properly se­
cured and cannot move and interfere with the pedals
c> &, .
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position . You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your author ized Audi
dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi .
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners . Properly securing the floor
101

Safe ty belts
instrument panel, windshield, or whatever else is
in the way
r:!> fig. 104. This impact with the vehi­
cle interior has all the energy they had just be­
fore the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection . Even
when they deploy, airbags provide only additional
protection. A irbags are not supposed to dep loy in
all kinds of accidents. A lthough your Audi is
equipped w ith airbags, all vehicle occupants, in­
cluding the driver, must wear safety belts cor­
rectly in order to minimize the risk of severe in­
jury or death in a crash .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are always there
to offer protect ion in those accidents in wh ic h
airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they
have a lready deployed . Unbel ted occupants can
also be thrown o ut of the veh icle where eve n
mo re severe or fatal injuries can occur .
It is also important for the rear pass engers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passengers
i n t he re ar seats endanger no t on ly themse lves
but also the drive r and other passengers
~ fig . 1 OS. In a frontal collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit and
in jure the driver and/or front seat passenger.
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision . It's simply
not true!
F ig . 10 6 Driver is co rrectly restrai ned in a sudde n brak ing
m aneu ver
Safety belts used properly can make a b ig d iffer­
ence. Safety belts help to keep passengers in
their seats, gradually reduce energy levels ap-
108
plied to the body in an accident , and help prevent
the uncontrolled movement that can cause seri­
ous injuries. In add ition, sa fety belts red uce the
danger of being thrown out of the vehicle.
Safety be lts attach passengers to the car and g ive
them the benefit of being s lowed down more
gently or "soft ly" thro ugh the "give" in the safety
belts, crush zones and other safety feat ures engi­
neered into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the
k inet ic energy over a longer per iod of t ime, the
safety belts make the forces on the body more
"tole rab le" and less likely to cause inju ry .
Although these examples are based on a frontal
collision, safety be lts ca n also substantially re ­
duce the r isk o f injury in ot her kinds of crashes .
So, whethe r yo u're on a long trip or just goi ng to
the cor ne r store, a lways b uckle up and make s ure
othe rs do, too. Ac ciden t st at ist ics show that veh i­
cle o ccupants prope rly wearing safety bel ts have
a lowe r risk of being injured and a m uch better
chance of surviving an acc ident . Properly using
safety be lts also great ly increases the ability of
the supp lemental airbags to do their job in a col­
li sion. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is le­
gally required in most countries including much
of the United States and Canada .
Although your Aud i is equipped with airbags, you
still have to wear the safety belts provided. Front
airbags, for examp le, are activated only in some
frontal collisions. The front airbags are not act i­
vated in all frontal collisions, in side and rear co l­
li sions, in roll overs or in cases where the re is not
eno ugh deceler ation throug h impa ct to the front
of the vehicle . The same goes for the other a irbag
systems in your Audi. So, always wear your safety
belt and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly rest rained!
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safe ty belts must always be correctly positioned
acros s the strongest bones of your body .
.,. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and de ­
scribed in this chapter.
.,. Make sure that your safety be lts are always
ready fo r use a nd are not damaged .

Safety belts
The shou lder belt should lie as close to the center
of th e collar bone as possib le and should fit well
on the body
c::> A in Safety belt position on
page 110.
"' Push
the loop -a round fittings up c::> fig. 111 @ ,
or
"'squeez e together the (D button, and push the
loop-around fittings down@.
"'Pull the belt to m ake sure that the upper at­
tachment is properly engaged .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and oth­ er important informat ion
c::> page 108.
(D Tips
With the front seats, the height adjustment of the seat can also be used to adjust the po ­
sition of the safety belts.
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause se ­
vere injuries .
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause seri­
ous injury or death . Safety belts can only work
when they are correctly positioned on the body.
Improper seating positions reduce the effect ive­
ness of safety belts and will even inc rease the
risk of injury and death by mov ing the safety belt
to cr it ica l areas of the body. Improper seating
positions a lso increase the risk of serious injury
and death when an airbag deploys and strikes an
occupant who is not in the correct seating pos i­
tion . A drive r is responsible for the safety of all
veh icle occupants and especially for children.
Therefore :
"' Never permit anyon e to assume an incorrect
sitting position in the vehicle while traveling
c>_& .
A WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
112
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
are correctly restrained and stay in a correct
seating position whenever the vehicle is be­
ing used.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important informat ion
c::> page 108 .
Belt tensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
Seat belts with pyrotechnic safety be lt preten­
sioners are tensioned automatically in severe col­
lisions, depending on the circumstances . This
helps to reduce the forward motion of the occu­
pants.
A WARNING
- It is possible for the pretensioners to deploy
incorrectly .
- Any work on the tensioner system or remov­
al and installation of system components
for other repairs must be performed by a qualified workshop .
- The pyrotechnic system can only provide
protection for one collision.
If the pyrotech­
nic pretens ioners deploy, the pretensioning
system must be replaced.
(D Note
Never let the belt remain over a rear seatback
that has been folded forward.
(D Tips
- A fine dust is released when the pyrotechnic
safety belt pretensioners deploy . This is nor­
mal and is not caused by a fire in the veh i­
cle.
- The relevant safety requirements must be
observed when the vehicle or components
of the system are scrapped . A qualified
dealership is familiar with these regulations
and will be pleased to pass on the informa­
tion to you.

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Service and disposal of safety belt preten­
sioner
The safety belt pretens ioners are parts of the
safety be lts on your Audi. Installing, removing,
servicing or repairing of belt pretensioners can
damage the safety belt system and prevent it
from working correctly in a collision .
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system w ill not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
-
Improper care, serv icing and repa ir proce­
dures can increase the r isk of personal injury
and death by preven ting a safety be lt preten­
sioner from activating when needed or acti­
vating it unexpectedly:
- T he be lt pretensione r system can be act ivat­
ed only once.
If belt pretensioners have
been ac tiva ted, the system must be re ­
placed.
- Never repair, adjust, or ch ange any parts of
the safety be lt system .
- Safety belt systems in cl ud ing safety belt
pretens ioners cannot be repaired. Specia l
procedures are req uired for removal, insta l­
lation and disposa l of this system.
- For any work on the safety bel t system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au­
thorized Aud i dea ler or qualified technician
who has an A udi approved repair manual,
train ing and spec ial equ ipment necessary.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perch lorate Materi­
al -spec ia l handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate. When the veh icle or parts of the re­
straint system including air bag modules safe­
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all
app licabl e laws and regula tions must be ob­
served. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar
w it h these req uirements and we recommend
S afet y be lts
that you have your dealer perform this service
for you .
113

Airbag syste m
Airbag system
Important information
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . For
airbags to do their job, occupants must always
properly wear their safety belts and be in a prop ­
er seating position.
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
ge rs , before driving off, always :
"' Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel
properly ¢
page 98,
"'Adjust the front passenge r's seat properly
¢ page 99,
"'Wear safety belts p roperly ¢ page 108 ,
"'Always properly use the proper child restraint
to protect children ¢
page 134.
In a coll is io n ai rbags must inflate wi thin the b link
of an eye and with cons iderable force . The sup ­
p lemental airbags can ca use injuries if the driver
or the front seat passenger is not seated proper·
Ly. T herefore in order to help the airbag to do its
job, it is important, both as a dr iver and as a pas­
senger to sit properly at all t imes .
By keeping room between yo ur body and the
steering whee l and the front of the passenger
compartment, the a irbag can inflate fully and
completely and provide supplemental protect ion
in certain frontal collis ions ¢
page 98, Correct
passenger seating positions .
For details on the
operation of the seat adjustment controls
¢ page 42.
It's especially important that children a re proper ­
ly restra ined
¢ page 134 .
There is a lot that the driver and the passengers
can and must do to help the ind iv idual safety fea­
tures installed in your Audi work together as a
system .
Proper seating posit ion is important so that the
front airbag on the drive r side can do its job. If
you have a physical impairment or cond ition that
prevents you from s itting properly on the driver
seat with the safety be lt properly fastened and
114
reaching the peda ls, special modifications to
your vehicle may be necessary.
Contact yo ur autho rized Aud i dea le r, or call A udi
C u stomer Rela tions at 1-800 -82 2-2834.
When the airbag system dep loys, a gas generator
will fill the airbags, b reak open the padded cov­
ers, and inflate betwee n the steeri ng wheel and
the driver and between the inst rument panel and
the front passenger . The a irbags w ill deflate im­
mediate ly after dep loyment so t hat the front oc ­
cupants can see through the windsh ie ld again
without interruption.
A ll of th is takes p lace in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the
airbags have deployed. The airbags a lso inflate
with a great deal of force and nothing should be i n the ir way when they deploy. Front airbags in
combination with properly worn safety belts slow
down and lim it the occupant's forward move­
ment . T ogether they he lp to prevent the driver
a nd front seat passenger from h itti ng pa rts of
t h e inside the veh icle w hile reducing the fo rces
acti ng on the occupant dur ing the cras h. In th is
way they help to reduce the risk of inju ry to the
head and uppe r body i n the crash. Airbags do not
protect the arms or the lower parts of the body.
Both front airbags will not inflate in all frontal
collisions. The trigge ring of the airbag system de ­
pends on the vehicle deceleration rate caused by
the collis ion and registered by the electronic con­
tro l unit . If this rate is below the reference value
programmed into the contro l unit, the airbags
will not be trigge red, even though the car may be
badly damaged as a resu lt of the co llision . Vehi­
cle damage, repa ir costs or even the lack of vehi­
cl e damage is not necessari ly an indica tion of
whethe r an a irbag should inflate o r not.
It is not possib le to define a range of vehicle
speeds that w ill cove r every possible k ind and an­
gle of impa ct that will always tr igger the airbags,
s ince the circumst ances w ill vary cons iderably be ­
tween one collision and another. Important fac­
tors include, for example, the natu re (hard or
soft) of the object which the car hits, the angl e of
i mpact, vehicle speed, etc . The front airbags will ..,_