airbag off AUDI A7 2017 Owner´s Manual

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\.J ' the vehicle are no longer available. This could cause the vehicle to swerve, which increases
the risk that the vehicle will slide. Drive care­
fully to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility and have the
ma lfunction corrected.
(D Tips
For additional information on ESC and ABS,
see
r:::> page 120 .
ii !i.' Safety systems
The II (USA models) / m (Canada models) indi­
cator l ight monitors the safety systems.
If the
II (USA models)/ m (Canada models) in­
d icator light turns on or blinks, there is a mal ­
function in a safety system such as the airbag or
be lt tensioner system .
Drive to an authori zed Audi dealer or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
_& WARNING
Have the malfunct ion in the safety systems
inspected immediately . Otherwise, there is a
r isk that the systems may not activate during
a collision, which increases the risk of serious
injury or death.
{0 } Brake pads
EIJ Brake pads!
The brake pads are worn.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
b rake pads checked.
Applies to: USA models
The EIJ ind icator light turns on together w ith the
11111 i ndicator light
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
If the 13:a indicator light turns on if there is a
malfunction in the engine control.
Instruments and indicator lights
Drive slowly to an authorized Audi dea ler or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility to have the engine
checked.
W Engine control (diesel engine)
The engine is preheating if the II indicator light
turns on when the ignition is switched on .
If the indicator light does not turn on or blinks
while driving, there is an engine control malfunc­
t ion.
Immediate ly drive s low ly to an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility to have
the malfunction corrected.
C Malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)
The malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) is part of
the On Board Diagnostic system (OBD II) . The
¢4 c;ymbol turns on when the ignition is sw itched
on and turns off aga in once the engine is started
and running at a steady idle speed. This indicates
that the MIL is f unct ion ing correctly.
The indicator light turns on if there is a malfunc­
t ion in the engine electronics . See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility to
have the malfunction corrected. Fo r additional
information, seer:>
page 25.
The ind icator light can also turn on if the fuel fill­
er cap is not closed correctly
r:::>page 193.
_r~ Diesel particulate filter
Applies to: vehicles with diesel engine and diesel particulate
filter
II Particulate filter: System fault See owner's
manual
The diesel particulate filter requires regenera­
t ion . To support the filter 's self -clean ing func ­
t ion:
Drive for approximately 15 minutes at 37 mph
(60 km/h) or above in the S selector lever posi­
t ion . Keep the engine speed around 2,000 RPM .
The temperature increase that will result from
t hi s can burn off the soot in the fi lter. The indica­
tor light wi ll tu rn off when the cleaning has com-
pleted successfully. .,..
17

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\.J ' Opening and closing
Central locking
Description
You can lock and unlock the veh icle centrally . You
have the following options:
- Remote control key¢
page 30,
-Sensors in the door handles* ¢ page 30,
-Lock cylinder on the driver 's door c::> page 32,
or
- Interior central locking switch
c::> page 31.
Turn signals
The turn s ignals flash twice when you unlock the
veh icle and flash once when you lock the veh icle.
If the blinking continues, one of the doors or the
luggage compartment lid/hood is not closed or
the ignition is still switched on.
Auto Lock
The Auto Lock function locks all doors and the
l uggage compartment lid once the speed has ex­
ceeded approximately 9 mph (15 km/h).
The vehicle can be unlocked if the opening func­
tion in the central locking system sw itch is used
or one of the door handles is pulled.
The Auto Lock funct ion can be switched on and
off in the Infotainment system
c::>page 32.
In the event of a crash with airbag deployment,
the doors will also automatically unlock to allow
access to the veh icle.
Selective door unlocking
The doors and luggage compartment lid will lock
when they close. You can set in the Infotainment
system whether
only the driver's door or the en­
tire vehicle should be unlocked when unlocking
c::> page 32.
Unintentionally locking yourself out
The following conditions prevent you from lock­
ing your remote control key in the vehicle :
- If the driver's door is open, the vehicle cannot
be locked by pressing the
Iii button on the re-
Opening and closing
mote contro l key or touching the locking sen­
sor* on a door.
- When locking using the
Iii button in the central
locking switch, the vehicle will not lock if a door
is open
c::> page 31.
- On vehicles with a convenience key*, the lug­
gage compartment lid unlocks again after clos­
ing if the most recent ly used key is in the lug­
gage compartment. The emergency flashers
blink four times.
Do not lock your vehicle with the remote control
key or convenience key* until all doors and the
luggage compartment lid are closed. This helps
to prevent you from locking yourself out acciden­
tally .
Closing aid on the doors*
The vehicle doors are equipped with closing aids.
When closing a door, you only have to let it fall
lightly into the latch. It then closes automatically
c::> &..
A WARNING
-
-When you lock your vehicle from outs ide,
nobody -espec ially children -should rema in
inside the vehicle . Remember, when you
lock the vehicle from the outside the win­
dows cannot be opened from the inside.
- When you leave the vehicle, always take the
ignit ion key with yo u. This will prevent pas­
sengers (children, for examp le) from acci­
dentally being locked in the vehicle should
they accidentally press the power locking
switch in the doors.
- Do not leave children inside the vehicle un­
supervised. In an emergency it would be im­
possible to open the doors from the outside
without the key.
- Applies to vehicles with power side door
closer*:
- When closing a door, make sure nothing
can interfere with the door. Th is could
cause serious person al inj ury.
- You can stop the door from closing at any
time by pulling on the inside or outside
door handle .
27

Sea ts and stor age
Seats and storage
General information
A WARNING
Refer to c::> page 129 , Driving safety for im­
portant information, tips, suggestions and
warnings that you should read and follow for
your own safety and the safety of you r pas­
sengers.
Front seats
Power seat adjustment
App lies to veh icles with power adjustable seats
F ig. 4 5 Fro nt seat: adj ustin g the sea t
@ -Movi ng the seat fo rwa rd/back: p ress the but­
ton forwa rd/back .
@ -Moving the seat up/down: press the button
up/dow n. To adjust the front seat cush ion, press
the front button up/dow n. T o adjus t the rear sea t
cushion, press the rear button up/down.
@ - Switching the massage function * on/off . Se­
lec t the type of massage with the multif unct ion
button
c::> page 48.
© - adjusting the backrest angle : press the but­
ton fo rwa rd/back.
CD -lumbar support or mult ifunct ion button*
c::> page 48 . To adjust the lumbar support, press
the bu tton in the applicable location .
A WARNING
- The power fro nt seats can also be adjusted
when the ign ition is swi tc h ed off. For this
reason, children should never be left una t­
tended in the vehicle -they could be injured!
48
- To reduce the r isk of an accident, only adjust
the driver 's seat when the vehicle is station ­
ary.
- Exercise caution when adjusting the seat
height. Unsupervised or careless seat ad­
justment can pinch fingers or hands causing
injuries .
- The front seat backrests must not be re­
clined too far back when driving, because
this impa irs the effect iveness of the safety
be lts and airbag system, which increases
the risk of i nju ry.
Multifunction button
App lies to: vehicles wit h mult ifunct ion b utto n
You can adjust the massage function , lumbar
support, side bolsters and upper thigh support
using the multifunction button.
Fig . 46 Infotainm ent s ystem: se at settin gs
Operating
.,. If you t urn the mult ifunct ion b utton CD
c::> page 48, fig. 45 to the lef t or to the r igh t,
the poss ible seat settings @are shown in the
Infotainment system
c::> f ig . 46.
.,. To s ele ct a seat sett ing , turn the multifunction
button
CD in the corresponding direction unti l
the des ired seat setting is outlined in red .
.,. The arrows @ represent the possible adjust ­
ments . To lower the lumbar support , for exam­
ple, press the mult ifunct ion button
CD down­
ward. The corresponding arrow © lights up.
The following seat settings @are poss ible:
Ma ssa ge fun ctio n* -select the W ave, Pulse ,
Stretch, Lumbar or Shoulder
massage type or
off. You can adjust the intensity of each massage IIJ,,

Seats and storage
_& WARNING
-Do not put any hot beverages in the cup
holder while the vehicle is moving. Hot bev­
erages could spill, which can cause 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.
0 Note
Beverage containers in the cup holders should
always have a lid . If not, beverages could spill
and cause damage to vehicle equipment, such
electronics or seat covers .
Cooled glove compartment
Applies to: veh icles with cooled glove compartment
The cooled glove compartment only functions
when the
AIC system is switched on.
Fig. 59 Glove compar tm ent: s witch in g coo ling mode on/
off
~ Turn the knob@ counter-clockwise to switch
the cooling on . The symbols on the knob indi­
cate the correct position.
~ Turn the knob @ clockwise to switch the cool-
ing off .
The glove compartment cooling mode only func­
tions when the vehicle A/C system is switched on .
If the heating is switched on, switching the glove
compartment cooling mode off is recommended.
Other storage compartments
You will find a range of storage compartments
and holders at different locations in the vehicle.
54
- Compartments in the doors
-Compartment in the glove compartment
(cooled*) . The glove compartment can be
locked using the mechanical key.
- Glasses holder* in the headliner (near the rear­
view mirror)
- Storage compartment under the front center
armrest*
- Compartments* on the backrests of the front
seats
- Garment hooks on the sides of the pillars in the
rear of the vehicle and in the rear grab handles
- Compartment in the rear center armrest
- Bag hooks in the luggage compartment
_& WARNING
-To reduce the risk of personal injury in an
accident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartment closed while driving.
- Always keep the lid of the compartment for
(sun)glasses* closed while driving to reduce
the risk of injury during a sudden braking
maneuver or in the event of an accident .
- Any articles of clothing that you have hung
up must not interfere with the driver's view.
The coat hooks are designed only for light­
weight clothing. Never hang any clothing
with hard, pointed or heavy objects in the
pockets on the coat hooks. During sudden
braking or in an accident -especially if the
airbag is deployed -these objects could in ­
jure any passengers inside the vehicle .
- Read and follow all WARNINGS
c::> page 168, Important safety instructions
on the side airbag system.
- Hang clothes in such a way that they do not
impair the driver 's vision .
-
-The coat hooks must only be used for light­
weight clothing. Do not leave any heavy or
sharp edged objects in the pockets which
may interfere with the side curtain airbag
deployment and can cause personal injury in
a crash.
- Do not use coat hangers for hanging cloth­
ing on the coat hooks as this can interfere
with proper deployment of the side curtain
airbags in an accident.

Driving
c;,page 130, fig. 142. If you cannot main­
tain this minimum distance, the airbag sys­
tem cannot protect you properly.
- If physical limitations prevent you from sit­
ting 10 in (25 cm) or more from the steer­
ing wheel, check with your authorized Audi
dealer to see if adaptive equipment is avail­
able.
- If the steering wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplemental driver's airbag can­
not provide as much protection in an acci­
dent. A lways make sure that the steering
wheel is aligned with your chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of personal injury if
the driver's airbag deploys .
- Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands inside
the steering wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub . Holding the steering wheel the
wrong way can cause serious injuries to the
hands, arms and head if the driver's airbag
deploys.
Power steering wheel position adjustment
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith power steering wheel adju stment
The steering wheel position can be adjusted elec­
trically up and down and forward and back.
Fig. 75 Switch for adjusting the steering whee l position
• To adjust the height, press the switch up/down.
The steering column will continue moving as
long as you are pressing the switch .
• To move the steering whee l forward or back,
press the switch forward/back. The steering
column will continue moving as long as you are pressing the switch .
68
The steering wheel can also be adjusted when the
ignition is switched off.
In vehicles with memory function*, the steering
column settings are sto red together with the
seat position.
~ WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment
and improper seating position can cause seri­
ous personal injury.
- Adjust the steering wheel column only when
the vehicle is not moving to prevent loss of
vehicle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel so
that there is a minimum of 10 in (25 cm)
between your chest and the steering wheel
c;,page 130, fig. 142 . If you cannot main­
tain this minimum distance, the airbag sys­
tem cannot protect you properly.
- If physical limitations prevent you from sit­ ting 10 in (25 cm) or more from the steer­
ing wheel, check with your authorized Audi
dealer to see if adaptive equipment is avail­
able.
- If the steering wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplemental dr iver's a irbag can­
not provide as much protection in an acci­
dent. Always make sure that the steering
wheel is aligned with your chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of personal injury if
the driver's airbag dep loys.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands inside
the steering wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the
wrong way can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the driver's airbag
deploys.
-

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\.J - greater than the amount being generated in or­
der to maintain an optima l vehicle battery charge
l evel.
(D Tips
- Energy management cannot overcome the
laws of physics. Note that the charge level
and length of the vehicle batte ry life are
li mited.
- When the starting ability is endangered, the
(•j indicator light turns on ¢ page 14.
What you should know
Maintaining the starting ability is the highest
priority .
A lot of stress is placed on the vehicle battery
when driving short distances, during c ity driving,
and at co ld times of the year. A lot of energy is
used but little is generated. It is a lso critical
when the engine is not running but e lectr ica l
equ ipment is switched o n. In th is case, energy is
used but none is generated .
In s ituations like this, energy management will
actively regu late the distribution of ene rgy.
Long periods w ithout use
If yo u do not drive you r vehicle for several days or
weeks, e lectrica l equipment is gradually sca led
back or switched off. This reduces energy use and
ens ures the veh icle w ill be able to start after long
periods of time. Some convenience functions,
such as interior lighting or power seat adjust­
ment, may not be available under certain circum­
stances . These convenience functions will be
ava ilable again once you switch the ig nition on
an d s tart the engi ne.
With the engine switched off
T he vehicle battery will drain if yo u use I nfota in ­
ment f unctions such as listening to the rad io
while the eng ine is switched off .
The vehicle's ability to start may be impaired by
the energy use, a message will appear in the In ­
fotainment system d isplay .
The message ind icates that the system will
switch off automatically soon. If you wou ld like
Intellig ent Technology
to cont inue using the functions, you must start
t h e engine.
With the engine running
Alt hough e lectr ica l energy is ge nerated wh ile
dr iv ing , the ve hicle ba ttery can dra in. This ca n
happen if li ttle ene rgy is generate d but much is
u sed , and the charge level of the vehicle battery
is not optimal.
T o res to re the balance of ene rgy, componen ts
t h at require large amoun ts of ene rgy are tempo ­
rarily scaled back or switched off . Heat ing sys ­
tems in partic ula r req uire a great dea l of energy .
If you notice, for example, that the seat heating*
or rear window defogger is not work ing, then it
has been tempora rily reduced or sw itched off.
These systems are availab le aga in as soo n as the
energy sup ply has bee n restored .
In add ition, you may notice that the idle speed
has slig htly increased. That is normal and no
cause for concern . By increas ing the idling speed,
the addit ional required energy will be generated
and the vehicle battery will be charged .
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
Event Data Recorder
Th is vehicle is equ ipped w ith an Event Data Re­
corder (EDR) . The ma in purpose of a n EDR is to
r ecord, in certai n cras h or nea r crash-like situa­
ti ons, s uch as an airbag deployme nt o r hi ttin g a
road obsta cle, da ta t hat w ill ass ist in underst and­
i ng how a vehicle 's systems performed . The EDR
is des igned to record data related to vehicle dy ­
namics and safety systems for a short perio d of
t ime, typ ica lly 30 seconds or less . The EDR in this
vehicle is designed to record such data as:
- How va rious systems in your vehicle were ope r­
ating;
- W het her o r not the drive r and passenge r safety
be lts were b uckled/fastened;
- How far (if at all) the driver was dep ressing the
accelerator and/or bra ke pedal; and, .,,.
127

Intelligent Technology
-How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better understand­ ing of the circumstances in which crashes and in­
juries occur. NOTE : EDR data are recorded by your
vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs ;
no data are recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal data (e.g.,
name, gender, age, and crash location) are re­
corded. However, other parties, such as law en­
forcement, could combine the EDR data with the
type of personally identifying data routinely ac­
quired during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equip­ ment is required, and access to the vehicle or the
EDR is needed . In addition to the vehicle manu­
facturer, other parties, such as law enforcement,
that have the special equipment, can read the in­
formation if they have access to the vehicle or the
EDR.
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down­
loading of data stored by ED Rs installed in a vehi­
cle for the express purpose of retrieving data af­
ter an accident or crash event without the own­
er's consent.
Audi will not access the EDR and/or similar data
or give it to others -
- unless the vehicle owner (or lessee if the vehi­
cle has been leased) agrees; or
- upon the official request by the police; or
- upon the order of a court of law or a govern-
ment agency; or
- for the defense of a lawsuit through the judicial
discovery process.
- Audi may also use the data for research about
vehicle opera tion and safety performance or
provide the data to a third party for research
purposes without identifying the specific vehi­
cle or information about the identity of its own­
er or lessee and only after the recorded vehicle
data has been accessed.
Vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is also equipped with a number of
electronic control modules for various vehicle
systems, such as engine management, emission
control , airbags, and safety belts.
128
These electronic control modules record data
during normal vehicle operation that may be
needed by trained technicians for diagnostic and
repair purposes. The recording capability of these
modules is limited to data (no sound is record­
ed) . Only a small amount of data is actually re­
corded over a very limited period of time, or stor­
ed when a system fault is detected by a control
module . Some of the data stored may relate to
vehicle speed , direction , or braking, as well as re­
straint system use and performance in the event
of a crash. Stored data can also only be read and
downloaded with special equipment that is di­
rectly connected to the vehicle.
@ Tips
Your vehicle may be equipped with Audi con­
nect. Your use of certain Audi connect fea­
tures requires wireless services that are pro­
vided by a third party wireless telecommuni­
cations provider. For details regarding how in­
formation obtained through Audi connect is
collected, processed, transmitted, used, and
shared, please see your contract with the
wireless telecommunications provider and the
"About Audi connect" tab in your vehicle's
MMI:
I MENU ! button > Audi connect> About
Audi connect.

Driving safety
-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.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­ ger's knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment 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 dr iving, always adjust the front pas­
senger seat properly .
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly .
- Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument pane l, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety be lt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash .
- Never dr ive with the backrest reclined or
ti lted far back! The farther the backrests are
ti lted 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 seats
<='> page 172. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat<='>
page 148 .
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the ve­
hicle is in use.
To reduce the r isk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking
maneuver or an accident, you r passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
ing:
132
.,. For adjustab le head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos ­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
<='> page 132 .
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
<='> page 143 .
.,. Make sure that children are a lways properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age
c:::> page 172.
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat .
- Safety belts only offer maximum protection
when the safety belts are properly posi­
tioned on the body and securely latched . By
not sitting upright, a rear seat passenger in­
creases the risk of personal injury from im­
properly positioned safety belts!
- For adjustable head restraints: always ad­
just the head restraint properly so that it
can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints ore an impor ­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
Fig. 143 Head restraint : viewed from t he front

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\.J ' The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection. .,. 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
poss ible ¢
fig. 143. Move the head restraint so
that it is as close to the back of the head as
possible.
... If there is a passenger on the rear center seat ­
ing posit ion*, slide the center head restraint*
upward at least to the next notch.
Adjusting head restraints
c> page 49.
_& WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints .
Dr iving without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not properly adjusted in­
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury
dramatically. To help reduce the risk of injury:
- Always dr ive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restra int 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
restraint so that it is as close to this position
as possib le. Move the head restraint so that
it is as close to the back of the head as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to adjust the head restra int.
- Children must always be properly restrained in a ch ild restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
c>page 172.
-
Driving safety
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious in­
jury or death . Safety belts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body . Im­
proper seat ing positions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and will even increase the risk of
injury and death by moving the safety belt to crit­
ical areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seating position. A driver
is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants 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 recl ined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- 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 cushion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
133

Safe ty belts
instrument panel, windshield, or whatever else is
in the way
r:!> fig. 147. 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 . 148. 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 . 14 9 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-
142
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
"tolerab 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 rollovers or in cases whe re there 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 .