2021 AUDI A7 ESP

4K8012721BF
Sitting correctly and safely

Sitting correctly and
safely
Correct passenger
seating position
General information
As the driver, you are responsible for making sure
every passenger is sitting correctly in their seat
and maintaining this seating position while driv-
ing. Make sure that:
— Every passenger in the vehicle has adjusted his
or her seat correctly > page 63
— The steering wheel is adjusted correctly
=> page 66
— The mirrors are adjusted so that there is a suffi-
cient view of the area around the vehicle
=> page 57
— Every passenger in the vehicle has his or her
head restraint adjusted correctly > page 67
— Every passenger in the vehicle has his or her
safety belt fastened correctly > page 68
— The activation status of the front passenger's
airbag is suitable for the passenger in the front
passenger's seat > page 74
— Children are secured in suitable child safety
seats that are secured to appropriate vehicle
seats > page 76. Read and observe the impor-
tant safety information pertaining to the use of
child safety seats on the front passenger's seat
=> A\ in General information on page 76.
Examples of incorrect seating positions
Safety belts can only provide its optimal protec-
tion when they are routed correctly. Incorrect
seating positions significantly reduce the protec-
tive functions of the safety belts and increase the
risk of injury due to incorrect belt routing.
The following list includes examples of seating
positions that could be dangerous for all vehicle
occupants. This is not a complete list. Audi would
simply like to increase your awareness of the top-
ic. The following points apply when the vehicle is
in motion:
— Never stand inside the vehicle.
— Never stand on the seats.
— Never kneel on the seats.
— Never tilt your backrest too far back.
— Never lean against the instrument panel.
— Never lie down on the rear bench seat.
— Never sit only on the front section of the seat.
— Never sit sideways on the seat.
— Never lean against the window.
— Never place your feet out of the window.
— Never place your feet on the instrument panel.
— Never place your feet on the seat cushion.
— Never ride in the footwell.
— Never sit on the armrests.
— Never drive or ride in a seat without fastening
your safety belt.
— Never ride in the luggage compartment.

ZA\ WARNING
Incorrect seating positions, failure to wear a
safety belt, or being too close to an airbag in-
crease the risk of serious or fatal injury to ve-
hicle occupants, especially if the airbags de-
ploy and come into contact with occupants
who are not seated correctly. Note the impor-
tant information and warnings in the chapters
for the topics given above.
Gi) Tips
— Save your seat profile* > page 71. This al-
lows you to access your personal seat profile
quickly and easily at any time.


— If you or other vehicle passengers have
physical limitations that prevent sitting ina
correct position, modifications to the vehi-
cle may be necessary. For more information,
contact an authorized Audi dealer or author-
ized Audi Service Facility, or call Audi cus-
tomer support at 1-800-822-2834.
Front seats
General information
Make sure that:
— You can press the pedals down completely
while your legs are slightly bent
63

Sitting correctly and safely

— The distance between your upper body and the
steering wheel or instrument panel is at least
10 inches (25 cm)
— The distance between your knees and the in-
strument panel is at least 4 inches (10 cm)
— Your thighs are lightly supported by the front
surface of the seat
— The backrest is in an upright position and your
back is resting against it
— You have a sufficient view of the area around
the vehicle
— You have a clear view of the instrument cluster,
indicator lights, and the head-up display*
Seat settings menu: quick access
Applies to: vehicles with seat settings in the MMI
If you press on the image of the driver's or front
passenger's seat in the climate control system
menu > page 87, fig. 73 @, you will go directly
to the seat settings for that seat.

Z\ WARNING
— If you are too close to the steering wheel or
instrument panel, the airbag system cannot
provide the optimal protection, which in-
creases the risk of injury and death.
—To reduce the risk of injury in the event of
sudden braking maneuvers or accidents,
never drive with the backrest reclined very
far. The airbag system and seat belts can on-
ly provide optimal protection when the back-
rest is in an upright position and the driver
is wearing the seat belt correctly. If the
backrest is angled back too far, the safety
belt can shift to soft areas of the body, such
as the stomach, which increases the risk of
injury.
—To reduce the risk of an accident, only adjust
the seats when the vehicle is stationary.
— Be careful when adjusting the seat. Lack of
control or attention when adjusting can re-
sult in injuries due to pinching to vehicle oc-
cupants both in the front seats and rear
seats.
— Never place objects in the driver's footwell.
Objects could shift and enter the area
around the pedals, which could prevent you
from using them. You would then be unable

64

to use the pedals if sudden driving or brak-
ing maneuvers were needed, which increas-
es the risk of an accident.
— Make sure that the floor mats are always se-
curely attached.
—To reduce the risk of an accident, never place
additional floor mats or other floor covers
over the installed floor mats, because this
reduces the pedal's range of motion and can
impair pedal operation.
—To reduce the risk of injury, never place your
feet on the instrument panel, out of the
window, or on the seat surfaces. This also
applies to passengers in the rear seats.

@) Note
To reduce the risk of damage, be very careful
when adjusting the seat to make sure the
head restraints do not come into contact with
the headliner or the sunroof*.
G@) Tips
At the same time, only move the respective
seat using the controls.
Adjusting the front power seats

7
©
|


[RAz-0172

Fig. 47 Front seat: seat adjustment buttons
You can adjust the basic settings using the but-
tons.
The settings depend on the vehicle equipment.
Adjusting the seat position
> To move the seat forward or backward, push
the button @ forward or backward.

4K8012721BF
Sitting correctly and safely

> To adjust the seat upward or downward, push
the rear section of the button @) upward or
downward.
> To adjust the seat surface, press the front part
of the button @ upward or downward.
Adjusting the backrests
> To move the backrest forward or backward,
press the button @) forward or backward.
Adjusting the lumbar support
> To adjust the lumbar support, press the button
@) in the desired direction.
Massage function
Switching the massage function on or off @). Set-
ting
the massage type and intensity > page 65.

ZA WARNING
The power front seats can also be adjusted
when the ignition is switched off. To reduce
the risk of injury, children should never be left
unattended in the vehicle.

ONC em a Rice) MRE
Applies to: vehicles with seat settings in the MMI
al 8 3 | | | |
cc


Fig. 48 Upper display: seat setting
You can adjust additional settings in the MMI.
The settings and the number of menus and but-
tons depend on the vehicle equipment.
Operating
Applies to: MMI
> Select on the home screen: VEHICLE > Seats.
> To access the various menus ®, swipe to the
left or right.
> To display the various seats, press ) or (@).
The red coloring in the symbol ©) indicates which
seat is selected.

Seat setting
Applies to: MMI
> To select a seat setting, press (@ if necessary.
> Press the respective arrow @) until the desired
position is reached.
Massage
See > page 65
Additional seat settings
See > page 65
Front seat massage function
Applies to: vehicles with massage function
Selecting the massage function
Applies to: MMI
> To open the Massage menu, press the button
@ > page 64, fig. 47.
Switching the massage function on or off
Applies to: MMI
> To switch the massage function on or off, press
the J button @ © page 64, fig. 47. Or:
> Press Start/Stop on the MMI.
Setting the massage type and intensity
Applies to: MMI
> To adjust the massage type, press the desired
button on the MMI, for example Wave.
> To adjust the intensity of the massage, press
Intensity on the MMI repeatedly until the de-
sired level is reached.
(i) Tips
The massage function switches off automati-
cally after approximately 10 minutes.
PX Celpe Coe eeaad ie em
You can adjust additional settings and switch
functions on or off in the MMI.
> Applies to MMI: Select on the home screen: VE-
HICLE > Seats > Additional seat settings.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the follow-
ing options may be available.
65
>

Sitting correctly and safely

> Insert a suitable object, such as the extended
vehicle key or mechanical key, into the release
point @ on the inside or outside of the base.
> Press the button @) and pull the head restraint
out of the backrest > /\ in General informa-
tion on page 67.
Installing the headrests
Applies to: vehicles with removable head restraints
> Fold the backrest forward slightly > page 85.
>» Slide the posts on the head restraint down into
the guides until the posts click into place.
> Press the button (2) and slide the head restraint
all the way down. It should not be possible to
remove the head restraint from the backrest
without pressing the button.
Safety belts
Each seat is equipped with a three-point safety
belt. Safety belts that are worn correctly are the
most effective way to reduce the risk of serious or
fatal injuries in a collision. Therefore, wear your
safety belt correctly and make sure that all vehi-
cle passengers are also wearing their safety belts
correctly when the vehicle is moving.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an air-
bag system, every vehicle passenger must still al-
ways wear the appropriate safety belt. In addi-
tion to their normal protective function, safety
belts also hold vehicle occupants in the correct
seating position in the event of a collision so that
the airbags can deploy correctly and provide addi-
tional protection. Safety belts provide protection
during collisions when the airbags do not deploy
or if they have already deployed.

Z\ WARNING
The risk of serious or fatal injury increases if
the safety belt is not fastened, if it is worn in-
correctly, or if it is damaged.
—All vehicle occupants, including the driver,
must fasten their safety belts correctly be-
fore every trip and must always keep their
safety belts fastened during the trip, regard-
less of whether the seat is equipped with an


68


airbag or not. This also applies to children
that are seated in a child safety seat that is
appropriate for their weight and age and
that is secured with a safety belt.
In the event of a collision, vehicle occupants
that are not wearing safety belts could be
propelled through the vehicle interior and
collide with vehicle components, such as the
steering wheel, instrument panel, wind-
shield, or doors. In some situations, vehicle
occupants could also be ejected from the ve-
hicle. Vehicle occupants in the rear seats
who do not wear safety belts not only en-
danger themselves, but also other people in
the vehicle.
Only one person may be fastened with a
safety belt at a time. Never secure more
than one person, including children, with a
single safety belt.
Never allow children or infants to ride on an-
other person's lap and be belted into the
safety belt with them.
Insert the belt buckle only in the belt latch
belonging to the corresponding seat, so that
the protective function is not impaired.
To ensure the maximum protective function
of the safety belts, all vehicle passengers
must sit in the correct seating position
> page 63.
Check the condition of your vehicle’s safety
belts regularly > page 299. If you find dam-
age to the belt webbing, the belt connec-
tions, the retractor, or the buckle, have the
damaged safety belt replaced by an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
The safety belts must not be removed or
modified in any way. Do not attempt to re-
pair the safety belts yourself.
Safety belts that are strained during an acci-
dent must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili-
ty.

Sitting correctly and safely

rivets on clothing in the area where the safety
belt is worn. Otherwise, the safety belt could
be damaged.
Cm cele tL mre


B4H-0462

° Rg a 2
z| x oO

Fig. 56 Releasing the belt buckle from the belt latch
Observe the safety precautions > page 68.
Fastening the safety belt
> Pull the safety belt by the belt buckle evenly
across your chest and lap.
> Insert the belt buckle in the belt latch belong-
ing to the seat until it audibly engages
> fig. 55.
> Pull on the belt to make sure that the belt is se-
curely locked in the latch.
Unfastening the safety belt
> Press the red button on the belt latch > fig. 56.
The belt buckle will pop out.
> Guide the belt back by hand so that the safety
belt can roll up more easily.
Safety belt monitoring system
eB - If the indicator light turns on or flashes, a
safety belt is not fastened or it has been unbuck-
70

led while driving. Above certain speeds, addition-
al warning tones will sound.
Depending on the equipment, the safety belts in
the rear may also be monitored using the follow-
ing indicator lights:
aI - If this indicator light turns on, the safety
belt for the corresponding rear seat is not fas-
tened.
Ba - If this indicator light turns on, the safety
belt for the rear seat has been fastened.
- If this indicator light turns on with a white
light, the safety belt for the rear seat has been
fastened. If the indicator light flashes or turns
gray, a safety belt in the rear is not fastened or
has been unfastened while the vehicle is in mo-
tion.
Adjusting the height of the safety belt



B4G-0004| Rp \.

Fig. 57 Belt height adjustment for the front seats - safety
belt relay
> To move the belt higher, slide the safety belt re-
lay @ upward.
> To move the belt lower, press the release but-
ton @ and slide the safety belt relay 2) down-
ward.
> To check if the safety belt relay is securely
locked in place, pull firmly on the belt.
lav
@) Tips
You can also adjust the height of the front
seats
to change the position of the safety
belts.

Sitting correctly and safely


— In an emergency, the recall process can be
canceled by pressing the seat adjustment
button on that seat.

Airbag system
Z\ WARNING
— If you have not fastened your safety belt,
you are in an incorrect seating position, or
you are too close to the airbag system, the
airbag system will not be able to protect
you. This increases the risk of serious or fa-
tal
injuries. Make sure that every vehicle
passenger has their safety belt correctly fas-
tened and is sitting in a correct seating posi-
tion = page 63. This is necessary regardless
of whether the seat is equipped with an air-
bag or not.
— Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, out of the window, or on the seat sur-
faces. To help ensure that the airbag system
can deploy correctly, never bend forward or
lean on the door or the side window. Other-
wise, serious and possibly fatal injuries can
occur if the airbags deploy.

— People, animals, or objects between the
passengers and the airbag system can inter-
fere with the correct deployment of the air-
bag or can be thrown through the vehicle in-
terior, increasing the risk of serious or fatal
injuries. Make sure that nothing is located
between the vehicle occupants and the air-
bag system. Do not secure or transport any
objects within the deployment zone of the
airbag systems, especially on the steering
wheel, on the instrument panel, on the
doors, on the windows, or in the footwell.
— Never put stickers on the airbag system cov-
ers or cover them with any objects.
— 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.

72
— You must not use seat or protective covers
that are not specifically approved for use on
Audi seats with side airbags. Since the side
airbags deploy from the seat backrest, such
covers could impair the protective function
of the side airbags.
— Damage to the original seat covers in the
side airbag deployment area must always be
repaired by an authorized Audi dealer or au-
thorized Audi Service Facility.
— Airbag system components are installed at
various locations in your vehicle. Incorrect
work or repairs on the vehicle could damage
the airbag system components or impair
their functionality. This may prevent the air-
bags from deploying or cause them to de-
ploy incorrectly in the event of an accident,
which increases the risk of serious or fatal
injuries. Only have an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility make re-
pairs or modifications to a vehicle.
— The airbag system can only provide protec-
tion during one collision. If there is another
collision, the airbag system will not deploy
again. If the airbag system has deployed,
have it replaced immediately by an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
— Fine dust may appear if the airbags deploy.
This is completely normal and does not indi-
cate a fire in the vehicle. The fine dust can ir-
ritate the skin and mucous membranes in
the eyes and can cause difficulty breathing,
particularly for individuals who have or have
had asthma or other health issues that af-
fect breathing. Exit the vehicle or open the


windows or doors to get access to fresh air.
@ Tips
If you are transporting children in the vehicle,
read the information and follow the safety
precautions > page 76.
Safety systems monitoring
The Ea indicator light in the instrument cluster
monitors the safety systems such as the airbags
(including the control modules, sensor, and

>

Sitting correctly and safely

condition of the object that the vehicle hits (hard
or soft), the angle of impact, vehicle speed, etc.
The deciding factor for the deployment of the air-
bag system is the deceleration that occurs during
an accident. Sensors in the vehicle are designed
to detect the severity of an accident in conjunc-
tion with the control module, and to provide a
targeted and timely deployment of the restraint
system. If the vehicle deceleration that is meas-
ured during an accident is below the specified
reference values in the control module, then the
airbags will not deploy, even though the vehicle
may be severely damaged from the accident. In
these cases, the vehicle occupants will be pro-
tected by the safety belts if they are fastened and
worn correctly.
The deployment of the front passenger's airbag
will depend on the occupancy of the seat
=> page 74.
Each deployed airbag is filled with gas. When this
occurs, the airbag covers open and the airbags
unfold with great force into the deployment zone
within milliseconds. Inflated airbags reduce the
movement of passengers wearing safety belts in
the direction of the impact and thus help to re-
duce the risk of injury. They can help to protect
the head, upper body, and lap, for example. How-
ever, there is the possibility that airbag deploy-
ment can cause injuries.
The airbag system only works when the ignition
is turned on.
If you or other vehicle passengers have physical
limitations that prevent sitting in a correct posi-
tion, modifications to the vehicle may be neces-
sary. For more information, contact an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili-
ty, or call Audi customer support at
1-800-822-2834.
G) Tips
The side curtain airbags in your vehicle have
ejection mitigation functions. This reduces
the risk of being ejected from the vehicle inte-
rior during an accident, especially in the event
of a vehicle rollover.
74
Advanced airbag system

Fig. 59 Headliner: indicator light to display the status of
the front passenger's airbag
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has
been certified to comply with the requirements
of the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (FMVSS) 208, as well as Canada Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applica-
ble at the time your vehicle was manufactured.
According to these requirements, the front Ad-
vanced Airbag System on the passenger’s side
has been certified for “suppression” for infants
approximately 12 months old and younger, and
for “low risk deployment” for children aged 3 to
6 years old (as defined in the standard).
The advanced airbag system will activate or deac-
tivate the front passenger's airbag based on the
occupancy of the seat. If a front airbag deploys
during an accident, the deployment force will
adapt to the passenger.
Components
The advanced airbag system consists of the fol-
lowing components:
— Front airbags in the steering wheel and in the
instrument panel on the front passenger's side:
these can protect the front passengers during
an accident
— Passenger occupant detection sensor in the
front passenger's seat: this detects if the front
passenger's seat is occupied (for example, by a
person or a small child in a child safety seat)
— Seat position sensors on the front seats: these
determine the distance between the seat and
the steering wheel or instrument panel
— Sensors in the front seat belt latch: these de-
tect if the safety belts are fastened

4K8012721BF
Sitting correctly and safely

— PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; ON ® indi-
cator light in the headliner:this indicates if the
front passenger's airbag is activated or deacti-
vated
- indicator light in the instrument cluster:
this monitors the function of the Advanced Air-
bag System components to ensure they are
functioning correctly
How the components function together
The passenger occupant detection sensor in the
front passenger's seat detects if the front pas-
senger's seat is occupied. The passenger occu-
pant detection sensor measures the electrical ca-
pacity on the front passenger’s seat. The pas-
senger's airbag is activated or deactivated de-
pending on the electrical capacity that is meas-
ured.
The passenger's airbag is activated if:
— The electrical capacity is higher than the
threshold stored in the control module
— The electrical capacity is the same as or greater
than the electrical capacity of a typical adult
The passenger's airbag is deactivated if:
— The electrical capacity is lower than the thresh-
old stored in the control module
— The electrical capacity is the same as or less
than the electrical capacity of a typical one-
year-old child in a child safety seat that has
been used for certification in accordance with
FMVSS 208
If the front passenger's airbag is activated, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON @ indicator light
will turn on. If the front passenger's airbag is de-
activated, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #;
indicator light will turn on.
The deployment force of the front airbags adapts
based on whether or not the safety belt is used
and the distance between the seat and the steer-
ing wheel/instrument panel. For example, if a
person is too close to the front airbag, the front
airbag will deploy with less force to help reduce
the risk of injury.
Meaning of PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3%, ON
® indicator light
When the ignition is switched on, the system de-
tects whether the front passenger's seat is occu-
pied. PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #;, ON @
will turn on for several seconds during this proc-
ess. Then it will indicate whether the front pas-
senger's airbag is activated or deactivated.
— PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #%;: the front
passenger's airbag is deactivated and will not
deploy in the event of an accident.
— PASSENGER AIR BAG ON ®: the front pas-
senger's airbag is activated and could deploy in
the event of an accident.
If a change to the occupancy status of the front
passenger's seat is detected
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; ON @ will
flash for several seconds and will then display the
status of the front passenger's airbag.
Always make sure the indicator light corresponds
to the occupancy of the front passenger's seat.
— An adult or individual of similar size in the
front passenger's seat: the front passenger's
airbag must be activated, therefore
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON ® must remain
turned on.
— An individual of smaller size (for example, an
adolescent or small adult) in the front pas-
senger's seat: the front passenger's airbag
must be activated, so
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON ® must stay on.
— Child in a child safety seat on the front pas-
senger's seat: the front passenger's airbag
must be deactivated, so
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; must stay on.
— Front passenger's seat not occupied: the front
passenger's airbag must be deactivated, so
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; must stay on.

ZA\ WARNING
— An adult or a person with a small stature
(such as a young person or small adult) seat-
ed on the front passenger's seat will not be
protected by the passenger's airbag in the
event of a collision if the passenger's airbag

75