warning AUDI Q7 2011 Owner´s Manual

________________________________________________ D_ r_ i_ v _i_n ""'g "-- S_a_ f_ e_ l _,,y'-- __
& WARNING (continued)
• Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or
place any part of your body too close to the area where the airbags
are located.
• Before driving, always adjust the front seats and head
restraints properly and make sure that all passengers are properly
restrained.
• Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat
may move unexpectedly and you could lose control of the vehicle.
• Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The
farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of injury
due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper
seating position.
• Children must always ride in child safety seats~
page 233.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat~
page 211. •
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the seat
for the front passenger to the following position:
- Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in an upright
position and your back comes in full contact with it when­
ever the vehicle is moving.
- Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is as even as
possible with the top of your head. If that is not possible,
try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to this
position as possible=>
page 194.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
-
Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the front
passenger seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly::::>
page 205.
For detailed information on how to adjust the front passenger's seat,
see ~
page 85.
& WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out of position or too
close to the airbag can be seriously injured or killed by the airbag
as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
• Passengers must always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Passengers who are unbelted, out of position or too close to
the airbag can be seriously 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 passenger's breastbone and the instrument
panel.
• Each passenger must always sit on a seat of their own and
properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
• Before driving, always adjust the front passenger seat and
head restraint properly.
• Always keep your feet on the floor
in front of the seat. Never
rest them on the seat, instrument panel, out of the window, etc.
The airbag system and safety belt will not be able to protect you properly and can even increase the risk of injury in a crash.
• Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The
farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of injury
due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper
seating position.
II>
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

111....__D_ r_iv _i_ n_, g=-- S_ a _ f_e _,Ly _ ______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
• Children must always ride in child safety seats=> page 233.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat=>
page 211. •
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 prop­
erly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect seating
position in the event of a sudden braking maneuver or an
accident, your passengers on the rear bench seat must
always observe the following :
- If there are passengers in the rear seat, fold the head
restraints up on the occupied seats or slide the center
head restraint upward at least to the next notch
~ page 93.
Make sure that the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position ~
page 96.
-Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of the rear seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts properly~
page 205.
- Make sure that children are always properly restrained in a
child restraint that is appropriate for their size and age
~ page 233.
& WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the rear seat can be seri­
ously 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 seatback
is securely latched in the upright position and the safety belts are
properly positioned on the body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal injury from improperly
positioned safety belts!
• Always adjust the head restraint properly so that it can give
maximum protection. •
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an important part
of your vehicle's occupant restraint system and can help
to reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations .
Fig. 187 Head
restraint: viewed from
the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to achieve the
best protection.
~

________________________________________________ D_ r_ i_ v _i_n ""'g "-- S_a_ f_ e_ l _,,y'-- __
- Adjust the head restraints 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 possible=:> fig. 187.
- If there are passengers in rear seat, fold the head
restraints up on the occupied seats or slide the center
head restraint upward at least to the next notch.
Adjusting head restraints=> page 92.
& WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with head restraints that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of serious or fatal neck
injury dramatically. To help reduce the risk of injury:
• Always drive with the head restraints in place and properly
adjusted.
• Every person in the vehicle must have a properly adjusted head
restraint.
• Always make sure each person in the vehicle properly adjusts
their head restraint. Adjust the head restraints 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 possible.
• Never attempt to adjust head restraint while driving. If you
have driven off and must adjust the driver headrest for any reason,
first stop the vehicle safely before attempting to adjust the head restraint.
• Children must always be properly restrained in a child restraint
that is appropriate for their age and size=>
page 233. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
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 injury or death.
Safety belts can only work when they are properly positioned
on the body. Improper seating positions reduce the effective­
ness of safety belts and will even increase the risk of injury
and death by moving the safety belt to critical 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 occupants
and especially for children . Therefore:
- Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect seating posi-
tion when the vehicle is being used=:>&.
The following bulletins list only some sample positions that will
increase the risk of serious injury and death . Our hope is that these
examples will make you more aware of seating positions that are
dangerous.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
• never stand up in the vehicle
• never stand on the seats
• never kneel on the seats
• never ride with the seatback reclined
• never lie down on the 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
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

• ....__D_ r_iv _i_ n_, g=-- S_ a _ f_e _,Ly _ ______________________________________________ _
• never p ut your feet on the instrument panel
• neve r rest y our feet on the se at cu sh io n o r back of the se at
• never ride in the footwe ll
• nev er ride in t he cargo area
& WARNING
Improper seating posit ions increase the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used .
• Always make sure that all vehicle occupants stay in a p roper
seating position and are properly restrained whenever the vehicle is being used .•
Pedal area
Pedals
The ped als mus t alw ays be free t o move a nd must never
b e in terfe red with by a f loor mat o r any oth er objec t.
Make s ure that a ll pedals move freely without inte rference and t hat
no thing preven ts them from re tu rning to their origin al po sit ions.
On ly use floor mats t hat leave t he pedal area free and can be secured
w ith floor mat fastene rs .
If a brake cir cu it fails, in cre ase d br ak e ped al trave l is re quir ed to br ing
the vehicle to a fu ll stop.
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss of vehicle control
and increa se the risk of serious injury.
• Never place any objects in the driver 's footwell. An object could
get into the pedal area and interfere with pedal function. In case
& WARNING (co ntinued )
of sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake
or accelerate!
• Always make sure that nothing can fall or move into the
driver' s footwell. •
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats th at can be securely attached to
t he floor mat fasteners and do not interfere with th e fr ee
m oveme nt of t he pe dals .
- Mak e su re t hat th e flo or mat s a re pr oper ly se cured and
cann ot mov e and i nte rfere with t he ped als =>& .
Use on ly floo r m ats th at leave the pe da l area u nobst ructed and that
are firm ly secu red so that t hey cannot slip out of pos ition. You can
ob tain s uitabl e floor mats fr om you r auth o riz ed Audi de aler.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Aud i.
Floor mats used in your vehicle m ust be attached to t hese fasteners .
P roperly secur ing t he floor ma ts w ill preven t them from s liding into
positions that could interfere w ith the pedals or impair safe opera­
ti on of your ve hicle in o ther w ay s.
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a loss of vehicle
cont rol and increase the risk of serious personal injury .
• Always make sure that floor mats are properly secured.
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings in the
vehicle that cannot be properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the pedals or the ability to control the vehicle. .,_

______________________________________________ D_ ri_v _ i_n _,,g ,c.._ S_a_ f_ e_ l..:: y __ l!'II
& WARNING (continued)
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings on top
of already installed floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal area and interfere with
the pedals.
• Always properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have been
taken out for cleaning.
• Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver foot­
well while the vehicle is moving. Objects can become trapped
under the brake pedal and accelerator pedal causing a loss of
vehicle control. •
Stowing luggage
Loading the Luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly stowed
and secured in the luggage compartment.
Fig. 188 Safe load
positioning: place
heavy objects as low
and as far forward as
possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can shift suddenly ,
changing vehicle handling characteristics. Loose items can
also increase the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
-
Distribute the load evenly in the luggage compartment.
- Always place and properly secure heavy items in the
luggage compartment as low and as far forward as
possible => fig. 188.
- Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided=>
page 97.
- Make sure that the rear seatback is securely latched in
place .
& WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can fly through the
vehicle causing serious personal injury in the event of hard braking or an accident. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
• Always put objects, for example, luggage or other heavy items
in the luggage compartment.
• Always secure objects in the luggage compartment using the
tie-down eyelets and suitable straps.
& WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehicle handles. To help
reduce the risk of a loss of control leading to serious personal
injury:
• Always keep in mind when transporting heavy objects, that a
change in the center of gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as possible.
-Place heavy objects as far forward in the luggage compart-
ment as possible.
• Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating specified on the safety compliance sticker on the left door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight standards can cause
the vehicle to slide and handle differently.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

• ....__D_ r_iv _i_ n_, g=-- S_ a _ f_e _,Ly _ ______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Pleas e obse rve information on s afe driving => page 190.
& WARNING
To help prevent poi sonous exhau st ga s from being drawn into the
vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving.
• Never transport object s larger than tho se fitting completely
into the luggage area because the rear lid cannot be fully closed.
• If you ab solutely must drive with the rear lid open, observe the
following notes to reduce the ris k of po isoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the Pano ramic sliding sunroof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument panel,
- Swit ch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the h ighest speed.
& WARNING
Alway s make sure that the doors, all windows, the Panorami c
sliding sunroof* and the rear lid are secur ely closed and locked to
reduce the risk of injury when the vehicle is not being used.
• After closing the rear lid, always make sure that it is properly
clo sed and locked .
• Never leave your vehicle unattended especially with the rear lid
left open . A child could crawl into th e vehicle through the luggage
compartment and close the rear lid becoming trapped and unable
to get out . Being trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious personal
injury.
• Never let children play in or around the vehicle.
• Never let passengers ride in the luggage compartment. Vehicle
occupants must alway s be properly restrained in one of the
vehicle 's seating positions.
W Tips
• Air circulation helps to reduce window fogging. Sta le air escapes
to the outside th rough vents in the trim panel. Be sure to keep these
slo ts free and open.
• Th e tire pressure m ust correspond to the load . The tire pressure is
shown o n th e t ire pressu re label. The tire pressure label is located o n
the driver's side 8-pillar . The tire p ress ure label lists the recom­
me nded co ld tire inflation pressures fo r th e ve hicle at its max imum
capacity weight and the tires that were on your vehicle at t he time it
was manufactured. For recommended t ire pressu re s for normal loa d
conditions, p lease see chapter=>
page 322. •
Tie-downs
The lug gage c omp artm ent is equ ipped with fo ur tie­
do wns to secur e luggag e and oth er items .
Use the t ie-downs to sec ure yo ur cargo properly => page 197,
"Load ing the l uggage comp artmen t".
In a co llision , the laws of physics mean that even smaller items that
are loose in the vehicle will become heavy m issi les t hat can ca use
ser ious injury. Items in the vehicle possess energy which va ry with
veh icle speed and the weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the most
sign ifi cant factor .
For example, in a frontal coll is ion at a speed of 30 mp h (48 km/h),
the forces a cting on a 1 0-lb (4.5 kg) o bje ct are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that the weight of the item
wou ld sudden ly be abo ut 200 l bs. (9 0 kg). You can imagine the inju ­
r ies that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying freely through the passenger
compar tment cou ld cause in a collision like this .
liJ,

& WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure items to tie­
downs can fail during hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
• Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items
to the tie-downs in the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dangerous missiles.
• When the rear seat backrest is folded down, always use suit­
able mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs
in the luggage compartment to help prevent items from flying
forward as dangerous missiles into the passenger compartment.
• Never attach a child safety seat tether strap to a tie-down. •
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a
safety defects exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Driving Safely
-
individual problems between you, your dealer,
or Audi of America, Inc.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at:
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or write to:
Administrator NHTSA 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
You can also obtain other information about motor vehicle safety from:
http:/ /www.safercar.gov
Applicable to Canada
Canadian customers who wish to report a
safety-related defect to Transport Canada,
Defect Investigations and Recalls, may tele­
phone the toll free hotline:
Tel.: 1-800-333-0371 or
Tel.: 1-613-998-8616 if you are in the Ottawa area
TTY for hearing impaired: 1-888-675-6863
email comments/questions to: [email protected] ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_______________________________________________ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_ y_ b_ e_ lt_s __ _
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are necessary, how
they work and how to adjust and wear them correctly.
- Read all the information that follows and heed all of the
instructions and WARNINGS.
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Safety belts are the single most effective means available to
reduce the risk of serious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of your passengers, always
correctly wear safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
• Pregnant women, injured, or physically impaired persons must
also use safety belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts. The
best way to protect a fetus is to protect the mother - throughout
the entire pregnancy. •
Number of seats
Vehicles with five seats: Your vehicle has two front seats and three
rear seats. Each seating position has a safety belt.
Vehicles with six seats:* Your vehicle has two front seats, two seats
in the second row and two seats in the third row. Each seating posi­
tion has a safety belt.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation Vehicles with
seven seats:* Your vehicles has two front seats, three
seats in the second row and two seats in the third row . Each seating
position has a safety belt.
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Never strap more than one person, including small children,
into any belt. It is especially dangerous to place a safety belt over
a child sitting on your lap.
• Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are safety
belts available.
• Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is properly restrained
with a separate safety belt or child restraint. •
Safety belt warning light l
Your vehicle hos a warning system for the driver and front
seat passenger (on USA models only) to remind you about the importance of buckling-up.
Vehicle care
Fig. 189 Safety belt
warning light in the
instrument cluster·
enlarged ...
Do-it-yourself service Technical data

... Safety belts PNM-- -=-------------------------------
Before driving off, always:
-Fasten your safety belt and mak e sure you are wea ring i t
p roperly .
- Make sure that your passengers also buckle up and prop­
erly wear their safety be lts.
- Prot ect ch ildren w ith a child rest raint system appropriate
for the size and age.
T he warning light -if. in the instrument cluster lights up when the igni­
tion is sw itched on as a reminder to fasten the safety belts. In addi­
tion, you will hear a warning tone for a certa in period of time.
Fasten your safety belt and make s ure that your passenger s al so
properly put on their safety belts .
& WARNING
• Safety belts are the single most effective means available to
reduce the ri sk of serious injury and death in automobile a cci­
dents. Fo r your protection and that of your passengers , always
c orrectly wear safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
• Failure to pay attention to the warning light that come on ,
could lead to personal injury. •
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes cre ate very stron g forc es for people
ri din g i n vehi cles.
Fig . 19 0 Unbelted
o ccupa nts in a v ehicle
h eading f or a w all
Fig . 191 Th e vehicle
cr as hes into the wall
T he p hys ica l pr inc iples are simple. Both the vehicle and the passen­
gers possess energy which var ies wit h veh icle speed and body weight.
E nginee rs ca ll t his ene rgy "kinetic energy."
The higher the speed of the veh icle and t he greater the vehicle's
we ight, the more energy that has to be "abso rbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most sig nifican t fa ctor. If t he speed doubles
from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times! .,

__ _:::S:.::a :..:f...:e :.:t::1y ~ b:..:e:.: l:.: t :.:s :._ ____________________________________________ _
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to brace the
body in a minor collision . It's simply n ot true!
F ig. 194 Driver is
correct ly re str ain ed in
a s udden b rakin g
m ane uver
Safe ty belts used properly can make a big d ifference. Safe ty belts
help to keep passengers in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
applied to the body in an accident, an d help prevent the uncon trolled
movement that can cause serious injuries. In add it ion, safety belts
red uce the danger of be ing t hrown ou t of the vehicle .
Safety be lts attach passengers to the car and give them the benefit of
being slowed down more gently or "softly" through the "give" in the
safety belts, crush zones and othe r saf ety features engine ered into
today's vehicles. By "absorb ing" the kinetic energy over a longer
per iod of time , the safety belts m ake the forces on the body more
"tolerable" and less likely to cause injury.
Altho ugh these examples are based on a fronta l collision, safety belts
can also s ubstant ially red uce the risk of injury in other ki nds of
crashes. So, whether you're on a long trip or just going to the corner
sto re, always buckle up and make sure others do, too. Acc ident statis­
tics show that vehicle occupants properly wear ing safety belts have a
lower ris k of bei ng inj ured and a mu ch better cha nce of s urviv ing an
acc ident . Properly using safety belts also greatly increases the ability
of the supp lemen tal air bags to do the ir job in a coll is ion. For this
reason, wearing a safety bel t is lega lly requ ired in most coun tries
including muc h of the Un ited States and Canada. Altho
ugh your Audi is equ ipped with a irbags, you still have to wear
t he safe ty belts provided. Fron t air bags, for ex ample, are a ctiv ate d
only in some frontal collisions . T he front a irbags are not act ivated in
all frontal co llisions, in s ide and rear coll isio ns, in roll overs or in cases
where there is not enough decelerat ion thro ugh impact to the front
of the vehicle . The same goes for the other airbag systems in yo ur
Audi. So, always wea r your safety be lt and make su re everybody in
your vehicle is properly restrained!
Important safety Instructions about safety
belts
Safety b elts must always be correctly positioned across
the strongest bones of your body .
-Always wear safety belts as illustrated and described in
this chapter .
- Make sure that your safety belts are always ready for use and are not damaged .
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts o r wearing them improperly inc reases
the risk of s eriou s personal injury and death . Safety belts can work
only when u sed correctl y.
• Alway s fasten your safety belts correctly bef ore driving off and
make sure all passengers are corre ctly restrained.
• For ma ximum protection , safety belts must alw ays be posi ­
ti oned properly on the body.
• Never strap more than one person , including small children ,
into any belt .
• Never place a safety belt o ver a ch ild sitting on you r lap .
• Alway s keep feet in the footwell in front of the seat while the
vehicle is being driven.
~