2021 AUDI Q8 warning light

Sitting correctly and safely

Sitting correctly and
safely
Correct passenger
seating position
(eT reeeleur isola)
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 62
— 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 55
— 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.
62
— 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.
G) 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 in a
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

4M8012721BF
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 90, fig. 82 @, you will go directly
to the seat settings for that seat.

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.


ZA 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

@) 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

[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.
63

Sitting correctly and safely

Adjusting ory


Sl
B8R-0388

Fig. 51 Adjusting the seat position
The settings depend on the vehicle equipment.
Adjusting the backrests
> Secure the backrest with one hand and pull the
lever
upward > fig. 50.
> Move the backrest forward or back to the de-
sired position.
> Release the lever and continue moving the
backrest until it locks into place.
Adjusting the seat position
> To adjust the seat forward or back, pull the
handle > fig. 51 and slide the seat.
> Release the handle and continue sliding the
seat until it locks into place.
Steering wheel
erally)
Make sure that:
— The distance between your upper body and the
steering wheel is at least 10 inches (25 cm)
— Your arms are bent slightly at the elbows
66
— You have a sufficient view of the area around
the vehicle and you have a clear view of the in-
strument cluster and head-up display”.
— You are always holding the steering wheel with
both hands on the outer edge at the sides (9:00
and 3:00 position) when driving

ZA\ WARNING
— To reduce the risk of an accident, make sure
the steering wheel is adjusted correctly and
cannot be moved out of position before you
start to drive.
— If you are too close to the steering wheel,
the driver's airbag cannot provide optimal
protection, which increases the risk of injury
or fatality.
— Never hold the steering wheel in the 12:00
position or in any other way, such as holding
the center of the steering wheel. Otherwise,
your arms, hands, and head could be injured
in the event that the driver's airbag deploys.

Power steering wheel position adjustment

BFY.0110
:



Fig. 52 Steering column: switch for adjusting the steering
wheel position
The steering wheel position can be adjusted elec-
trically up/down and forward/back.
> To move the steering wheel upward or down-
ward, press the switch upward or downward.
> To move the steering wheel forward or back-
ward, press the switch forward or backward.
The steering wheel can also be adjusted when the
ignition is switched off.

4M8012721BF
Sitting correctly and safely

Head restraints
General information
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable head restraints

B4G-0454


Fig. 53 Correctly-adjusted head restraint
Make sure that:
— The upper edge of the head restraint is as even
as possible with the top of your head
— The head restraint is as close as possible to the
back of the head
— The head restraints on rear seats that are occu-
pied are raised up at least one level.

Z\ WARNING
— There is one head restraint for each seat. All
vehicle occupants must adjust the head re-
straint correctly before every trip. Having
head restraints that are not adjusted cor-
rectly or not installed in the vehicle increas-
es the risk of a neck injury during sudden or
unexpected driving or braking maneuvers or
in a collision.
— Only remove the rear seat head restraints if
it is necessary to install a child safety seat
= page 76. Stow the removed head re-
straints securely, for example in the luggage
compartment. Reinstall the head restraints
immediately once the child safety seat has
been removed. Driving without head re-
straints increases the risk of serious neck in-
juries.

Front head restraints
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable head restraints

[RAZ-0683]


Fig. 54 Front seat: adjusting the head restraint
Adjusting the head restraints
> To adjust the head restraint upward, slide it un-
til it locks into place.
> To adjust the head restraint downward or back-
ward, press the button on the side and slide the
head restraint. Release the button and slide the
head restraint farther until it locks into place.
Rear head restraints
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable head restraints



Fig. 55 Rear seat: adjusting or removing the head restraint
Adjusting the head restraints
> To adjust the head restraint upward, slide it un-
til it locks into place.
> To adjust the head restraint downward, press
the button @) and slide the head restraint. Re-
lease the button and slide the head restraint
farther until it locks into place.
Removing the headrests
Applies to: vehicles with removable head restraints
> Applies to: vehicles with folding backrests: Fold
the backrest forward slightly. See > page 86.
> Move the head restraint upward all the way. >
67

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 86.
>» 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 62.
Check the condition of your vehicle’s safety
belts regularly > page 281. 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. 59 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. 58.
> 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. 59.
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. 60 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 62. 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

>

4M8012721BF
Sitting correctly and safely

wiring) and the belt tensioners. It turns on when
you switch the ignition on and turns off after sev-
eral seconds.
If the indicator light does not turn on when the
ignition is switched on, does not turn off after
several seconds, or turns on or flashes while driv-
ing, there may be a malfunction in one of the
safety systems. Drive to an authorized Audi deal-
er or authorized Audi Service Facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.
Descript


Z\ WARNING
Have the malfunction in the safety systems in-
spected immediately. Otherwise, there is a
risk that the systems may not activate during
an accident, which increases the risk of seri-
ous or fatal injury.





RAZ.0185



The locations of the airbags are labeled with
“AIRBAG”. The following airbags are installed in
your vehicle:
©@ Driver's airbag
@ Front passenger's airbag
@® Front and rear side airbags, if applicable
@ Head curtain airbag with ejection mitigation
Airbags offer the best possible protection in your
vehicle during an accident when they are used to-
gether with safety belts that are fastened cor-
Fig. 61 Airbag overview image (enlarged section: deployed airbags)
rectly, and when passengers are sitting in the cor-
rect seating position. Airbags are a supplementa-
ry restraint system and do not replace safety
belts.
Airbags may deploy during front-impact, side-im-
pact, or rollover accidents.
The deployment area for the airbag system can-
not be defined for every situation, since the cir-
cumstances surrounding accidents can vary wide-
ly. Factors that play an important role include the
condition of the object that the vehicle hits (hard >
73