2021 AUDI A7 ECU

Sitting correctly and safely

Correct positioning for children
Always secure children in a child safety seat de-
signed for the body size, weight, and age of the
child.
You can secure child safety seats in your vehicle
using the lower LATCH anchors or the safety
belts. You can also secure child safety seats to
the top tether anchor. Depending on the child
safety seat, it may also be necessary to secure it
to the top tether anchor. In Canada, securing for-
ward-facing child safety seats to the top tether
anchors is required by law.
Always transport children in the rear seats
Accident statistics show that children that are se-
cured correctly in the rear seats are safer than in
front seats. Always transport children in suitable
child safety seats secured on the rear seats.
In exceptional circumstances: transporting
children in the front passenger's seat
If exceptional circumstances require the child
safety seat to be placed on the front passenger's
seat, then the front passenger's airbag must be
deactivated. Please note the important informa-
tion for this > page 74, Advanced airbag system.
If you must secure a forward-facing child safety
seat, move the front passenger's seat as far back
as possible so that it is as far as possible from the
front
passenger's airbag. While doing this, make
sure the seat can be adjusted all the way.
Only switch to a larger child safety seat when
absolutely necessary
Switch to a larger child safety seat only when ab-
solutely necessary. Secure your child using a safe-
ty belt without a child safety seat only if all of the
following statements are true:
—The child is large enough to sit upright in the
seat
— The child is able to sit with his or her back rest-
ing completely on the seat backrest
—The child is able to sit with his or her knees
bent over the edge of the seat surface
—The child is able to sit with both of his or her
feet completely touching the floor in the foot-
well
78
— The lap portion of the safety belt lies flat and
securely over the hip area and never over the
stomach
— The shoulder portion of the safety belt lies flat
and securely over the center of the shoulder
and the chest, and never under the arm, behind
the back, or over the neck or face.
—The child is able to maintain this seating posi-
tion throughout the entire trip
Read and follow the important information and
warnings regarding the correct use of safety belts
=> page 68.
@ Tips
— Child safety seats can also be secured to
seats with side airbags. In the event of an
accident, children can also be protected by
the side airbags if the child is correctly se-
cured in a suitable child safety seat that is
attached correctly.
— The lower LATCH anchors as well as the
safety belt may be required to correctly in-
stall some child safety seats. Using both at
the same time is permitted, provided that
the fastening systems or safety belts do not
impair those in an adjacent seating position.
—All child safety seats are constructed so that
they can be secured using the lap safety belt
in the vehicle.
— Child safety seats with a load leg can only
be secured to the outer rear seats and to the
front passenger's seat.




Fig. 60 Rear bench seat: lower LATCH anchors
Observe the safety precautions > page 76. >

4K8012721BF
Sitting correctly and safely

In the United States and Canada, child safety
seats can be secured without safety belts using
the LATCH system. LATCH stands for Lower An-
chors and Tethers for Children. In Canada, similar
systems are called UCRA, LUAS, or UAS.
The lower LATCH anchors in your vehicle are lo-
cated on the outer seats of the rear bench seat
between the seat surface and the backrest. These
seating locations each have two lower LATCH an-
chors that can be used to secure a LATCH child
safety seat. Marking points with a > fig. 60 sym-
bol are located on the covers for the lower LATCH
anchors. You can locate the LATCH anchors using
the marking points.
> Activate the child safety lock > page 46.
> Remove the cover from both lower LATCH an-
chors.
> If you secure a child safety seat to the rear seat,
secure any unused safety belts that are within
reach of the child > A\ in Securing child safety
seats with a safety belt on page 80.
> Secure the child safety seat according to the
child safety seat manufacturer instructions.
> Pull on the child safety seat to check if both
sides are engaged correctly in the LATCH an-
chors.
> If possible, also secure the child safety seat to
the respective top tether anchor on the seat
=> page 80.

Z\ WARNING
The LATCH anchors in the vehicle are only de-
signed for child safety seats with the LATCH
system. To reduce the risk of serious or fatal
injury, never secure other child restraint sys-
tems, belts, or objects to the anchors.

(i) Tips
The LATCH anchors are designed for a total
weight (child and child safety seat combined)
up to 65 lbs (29 kg). If the total weight is
greater than this, the child safety seat must
be secured with the vehicle safety belt.
Securing child safety seats with a safety
Pylhg
Observe the safety precautions > page 76. The
front passenger’s seat is a dangerous location for
a child, even with an advanced airbag system. If
exceptional circumstances require the child safe-
ty seat to be placed on the front passenger's
seat, then the front passenger's airbag must be
deactivated. Please note the important informa-
tion for this > page 78, Correct positioning for
children and > page 74, Advanced airbag sys-
tem.
Securing child safety seats
> Activate the child safety lock > page 46.
> If you secure a child safety seat to the rear seat,
secure any unused safety belts that are within
reach of the child > A\, > page 81.
> If you secure a child safety seat to the front
passenger's seat, adjust the front passenger's
seat to the highest position.
> Secure the child safety seat according to the
child safety seat manufacturer instructions.
> If necessary, activate the belt retractor lock
=> page 79, Activating the belt retractor lock.
> If the child safety seat is secured on the front
passenger's seat, adjust the front passenger's
seat backrest until it rests flat against the child
safety seat. Also make sure that the upper safe-
ty belt fixture is behind the child safety seat.
> If you secure a child safety seat on the rear
seat, also secure it to the correct top tether an-
chor if possible > page 80.
Activating the belt retractor lock
If you secure a child safety seat using the vehicle
safety belt, you must activate the belt retractor
lock. Follow the child safety seat manufacturer
instructions.
The belt retractor lock prevents the safety belt
from becoming loose while driving, which could
result in the child safety seat no longer being ad-
equately secured.
» Secure the child safety seat according to the
child safety seat manufacturer instructions.
While doing so, pull out the safety belt. Insert >
79

Sitting correctly and safely

the safety belt into the belt latch that belongs
to that seat until it audibly locks.
> Pull the upper belt out completely and then al-
low it to retract. You will hear a clicking sound
while the belt is retracting. It will not be possi-
ble to pull the safety belt out any farther.
> Push the child safety seat into the seat and al-
low the belt to retract more.
> Make sure that the child safety seat cannot
move more than 1 inch (2.5 cm).
Deactivating the belt retractor lock
> Unbuckle the safety belt from the belt latch.
> Remove the child safety seat according to the
manufacturer instructions.
> Allow the safety belt to retract completely. The
belt retractor lock is deactivated.


ZA WARNING
— A safety belt that is not locked by the belt
retractor lock or a locking device cannot se-
cure a child safety seat while driving or in
the event of an accident, which increases the
risk of fatal injury. Always make sure the
belt retractor lock on the safety belt is acti-
vated if the child safety seat manufacturer
instructions require it.
— Due to the risk of fatal injury, never place a
rear-facing child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat when the front passenger's
airbag is switched on.
— For the child safety seat to offer the maxi-
mum protection, it is especially important
to route the vehicle safety belt correctly. Al-
ways follow the instructions from the child
safety seat manufacturer for routing the
safety belt correctly. Incorrectly fastened
safety belts can cause injuries, even during
minor accidents.

80

Fig. 61 Rear backrest: top tether anchors to secure a child
safety seat with an upper belt

RAZ-0186|



Fig. 62 Rear backrest: securing the upper belt to the top
tether anchor
Observe the safety precautions > page 76.
There is a top tether anchor behind every seat in
the rear bench seat to additionally secure a child
safety seat with an upper belt.
> Move the head restraint behind the child safety
seat upward.
> Secure the child safety seat according to the
child safety seat manufacturer instructions.
> Guide the upper belt on the child safety seat
under the head restraint or along both sides of
it and toward the rear (depending on the child
safety seat model).
» Fasten the belt to the top tether anchor
=> fig. 62. While doing this, make sure the belt
is not twisted and is not running over any sharp
edges.
> Pull the belt tightly so that the child safety seat
rests at the top of the seat backrest.
> If necessary, move the head restraint behind
the child safety seat downward.

4K8012721BF

Sitting correctly and safely


The top tether anchors in the vehicle are only
designed for child safety seats equipped with
an upper strap. To reduce the risk of serious or
fatal injury, never secure other child restraint
systems, belts, or objects to the anchors.


RONG Ot
NG = GSS
7s.
Fig. 63 Rear bench seat: securing unused safety belts
If a child safety seat is used on the rear bench
seat, the child must not be able to reach any
safety belts that are not being used. Secure safe-
ty belts that are within reach of the child.
> If you secure a child safety seat to the LATCH
anchors, fasten the safety belt on the seat
where the child safety seat is installed using
the seat's safety belt latch.
> If you secure a child safety seat to one of the
outer seats, fasten the safety belt for the cen-
ter seat in its latch.
> Activate the belt retractor lock on the fastened
safety belts. To do this, pull the upper belt out
completely and then allow it to retract. You will
hear a clicking sound while the belt is retract-
ing. It will not be possible to pull the safety
belt out any farther.
> Make sure the fastened safety belt does not
block access to the LATCH anchors. Otherwise,
it may not be possible to secure the child safety
seat to the LATCH anchors correctly.

A child ina child safety seat could play with
the unused safety belts and then become en-
tangled in them, which increases the risk of


fatal injury. Always secure unused safety belts
so that they are not within reach of children in
child safety seats.

81

Storage and convenience

Storage and convenience
Power sources
When the ignition is switched on, you may be
able to use multiple power sources for external
devices, depending on the vehicle equipment.
12 volt sockets
You can connect electrical accessories to the 12
volt sockets. The power usage from the sockets
must not exceed a total of 120 watts. Do not
connect multiple devices to the sockets in the ve-
hicle at the same time.
The 12 volt sockets are labeled with the 12V
symbol. They are located in the front center con-
sole, in the rear* and on the side trim panel in the
luggage compartment”*.
USB ports
Applies to: vehicles with USB port
You can charge mobile devices using the USB
ports. The USB ports are labeled with the «> or
[4 symbol or CHARGE ONLY.


Z\ WARNING
— To reduce the risk of fatal injury, store all
connected devices securely when driving so
that they do not move around inside the ve-
hicle when braking or in the event of an acci-
dent.
— Incorrect usage can lead to serious injuries
or burns. To reduce the risk of injuries, never
leave children unattended in the vehicle
with the vehicle key.



® Note
— Read the operating manuals for the con-
nected devices.
—To reduce the risk of damage to the vehicle
electrical system, never attempt to charge
the vehicle battery by connecting accesso-
ries that provide power to the power sour-
ces.
— Do not connect any device whose network
class (voltage) does not match the network
class designed for the socket.
82
— Disconnect the connectors from the power
sources carefully to reduce the risk of dam-
aging them.
@ Tips
Do not connect any other devices to the sock-
ets when using the compressor* provided by
the factory > page 305. The power consump-
tion in the sockets may be temporarily ex-
ceeded when using the compressor*.
Cup holders
Applies to: vehicles with cup holders

[RAzZ-0745


Fig. 65 Rear center armrest*: cup holders
Cup holders in the front center console
> The cup holder @ may be under a cover. To
open the cup holder, tap on the strip on the
cover.
Cup holders in the rear center armrest*
> Fold the center armrest* downward.
> To open the cup holders @), tap on the strip on
the cover.
> To close the cup holders, slide them back and
push the top of the cover down. >

4K8012721BF
Storage and convenience


ZA WARNING
— Do not put any hot beverages in the cup
holder while the vehicle is moving. Hot bev-
erages could spill, which increases the risk
of injury.
— Do not use any breakable beverage contain-
ers (for example, made out of glass or por-
celain). You could be injured by them in the
event of an accident.
@) Note
Beverage containers in the cup holders should
always
have a lid. Otherwise, the liquid inside
could spill and cause damage to vehicle
equipment.

Storage and
compartments
Additional storage
Depending on vehicle equipment, there are a va-
riety of storage areas, compartments, and retain-
ers, such as the glove compartment, for safely
storing and securing objects.

Z\ WARNING
—To reduce the risk of injury, make sure all
storage compartments are always closed
while driving.
— Loose objects can be thrown around the ve-
hicle interior during sudden driving or brak-
ing maneuvers, which increases the risk of
an accident. Store objects securely while
driving.
— Only use the storage compartments in the
door trim panels to store small objects that
will not stick out of the compartment and
impair the function of the side airbags.
— Only lightweight clothing should be hung
from the garment hooks in the vehicle. Do
not use clothes hangers to hang clothing.
The pockets of the clothing must not con-
tain any heavy, breakable, or sharp-edged
objects. This could impair the effectiveness
of the side curtain airbags.

— Make sure your view toward the rear is not
blocked, for example by hanging clothing or
objects in the vehicle.

Luggage compartment
General information
All pieces of luggage or objects must be securely
fastened in the luggage compartment. Note the
following to maintain good vehicle handling:
> Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com-
partment.
> Stow heavy luggage as far forward in the lug-
gage compartment as possible.
> Use non-elastic cords attached to the tie-downs
to secure objects.

ZA WARNING
— The luggage compartment cover is not a
surface for storing objects. Objects placed
on the cover increase the risk of injury to all
vehicle occupants during sudden driving or
braking maneuvers or in the event of an ac-
cident.
— The luggage compartment cover must al-
ways be securely fastened when in use to re
duce the risk of an accident.
— Loose objects can be thrown around the ve-
hicle interior during sudden driving or brak-
ing maneuvers, which increases the risk of
an accident. Always stow objects securely in
the luggage compartment and secure them
at the tie-downs. Use straps suitable for
heavy objects.
— If pieces of luggage or objects are secured
to the tie-downs with unsuitable or dam-
aged straps, this can increase the risk of in-
jury during braking maneuvers or accidents.
— When transporting heavy objects, the vehi-
cle characteristics will change due to the
shift in the center of gravity, which increases
the risk of an accident. You may need to
adapt your driving style and speed to the
current conditions.

83

Storage and convenience


— The cargo net* is only strong enough to se-
cure light objects. Heavy objects are not ade-
quately secured. Attempting to secure heavy
objects increases the risk of injury.
— Never exceed the permitted axle and load
and vehicle weight > page 332.
— Never secure a child safety seat to the tie-
downs.
— Never leave your vehicle unattended, espe-
cially if the luggage compartment lid is
open. Children could enter the luggage com-
partment and close the luggage compart-
ment lid from the inside. This creates the
risk of fatal injury, since the children would
be locked in and may not be able to escape
by themselves.
— Do not allow children to play in or on the ve-
hicle. Close and lock the luggage compart-
ment lid as well as all other doors when you
leave
the vehicle.
— Never transport passengers in the luggage
compartment. Every passenger must be cor-
rectly secured with the safety belts in the
vehicle > page 68.
— Be careful when releasing the backrest and
folding
it forward. To reduce the risk of be-
ing pinched, pay attention and check when
folding backrests forward.
— The backrest must be securely latched so
objects cannot slide forward out of the lug-
gage compartment during sudden braking.
— The backrest must be latched securely to en-
sure that the safety belt is protecting the
center seating position.
— Always pull forward on the backrest to make
sure it is check if it is correctly locked in
place.

bench seat to protect the backrest from
damage.
— If you move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is folded forward, you
could damage the head restraints on the
rear seat.
— Make sure that the heating grid strips for
the rear window defogger are not damaged
by abrasive objects.
— Plug-in hybrid drive: Never exceed the maxi-
mum cargo weight for the cargo floor that is
specified on the sticker. Otherwise, the
high-voltage battery that is located under-
neath the cargo floor could be damaged.
The sticker is located on the inside of the ve-
hicle body at the left, and is visible when the
luggage compartment lid is open.
@ Tips
— The tire pressure must be adapted to the
load > page 284.
— You can purchase straps at specialty stores.

Luggage compartment cover


—_a


@) Note
—To reduce the risk of damage, move the rear
head restraints down > page 67 before fold-
ing the rear backrests forward.
— When folding the backrest forward, make
sure the outer safety belts are in the belt
guide recess so that they do not get pinched
in the backrest lock and damaged. Other ob-
jects should be removed from the rear
84


Fig. 66 Luggage compartment: luggage compartment lid
cover


Fig. 67 Luggage compartment: cover behind the rear
bench seat

Storage and convenience

Tie-downs
There are tie-downs (a) in the luggage compart-
ment to secure pieces of luggage and objects.
>» Use the tie-downs to secure the cargo.
Cargo net
Applies to: vehicles with cargo net
Use the cargo net (2) to secure lighter objects in
the luggage compartment
> Fold the clip for the tie-downs upward.
» Attach the hooks for the cargo net to the tie-
downs.
Roof rack
General information
Applies to: vehicles with roof rack mount

RAZ-0522




Fig. 72 Roof: mounting points
If luggage or cargo is to be carried on the roof,
you must observe the following:
— These roof racks are the basis for a complete
roof rack system. Only roof racks that are suita-
ble for your vehicle may be used. Audi recom-
mends roof racks and attachments from the
Audi Genuine Accessories program.
— Make sure the roof rack is mounted on the vehi-
cle only at the specified locations @.
— Note the permitted axle load, permitted total
weight, and permitted roof load of your vehicle
=> page 332. The roof load is the total of the
weight of the roof rack, the attachments and
the cargo you are carrying. However, you must
also note the permitted load of the carrier sys-
tem being used.
86


AN WARNING
— Follow the installation instructions provided
with the roof rack system. If you do not se-
cure the roof rack system and objects on the
roof correctly, they could come loose from
the vehicle and cause an accident.
— The risk of an accident increases when using
a roof rack system, because it changes the
driving characteristics by shifting the center
of gravity and/or the increasing the surface
area exposed to wind. You may need to
adapt your driving style and speed to the
current conditions.

() Note
Make sure that the luggage compartment lid
and the panoramic glass roof* do not come in-
to contact with objects on the roof when they
are open.
@) For the sake of the environment
Energy usage will increase because of the in-
creased wind resistance. Remove the roof rack
when you are no Longer using it.