child restraint AUDI Q7 2014 Owner´s Manual

72 Seats and stor age
Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so
important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger. Adjust
you r seat prope rly so that :
- you can easily and quickly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
-your body is properly supported thus reduc­
ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety be lts and airbag system can offer
maximum protection
¢ page 183 .
In the following sections, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat. Always follow the informa­
tion regarding child safety provided in
¢ page 204, Child Safety.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury.
- Always keep your feet on the floor when
the vehicle is in motion -never put your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the window or on top of the seat cush­
ion . This applies especially to the passen­
gers .
If your seating position is incorrect,
you increase the risk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an accident.
If the
airbag inflates and the seating position
is incorrect, this could result in personal
injury or even death.
- It is important for both the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of at least 10
inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel. If you're sitting any
closer than this, the airbag system can­ not protect you properly . In addition, the
front seats and head restraints must be
adjusted to your body height so that they
can give you maximum protection.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the steer­
ing wheel or instrument panel.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas­
senger's seat while the vehicle is moving.
Your seat may move unexpectedly, caus­
ing sudden loss of vehicle control and
personal injury. If you adjust your seat
while the vehicle is moving, you are out
of position.
Driver's seat '
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend that you adjust the driver's
seat in the following manner :
.,. Adjust the seat in fore and aft direction so
that you can easily push the peda ls to the
floor wh ile keeping your knees slightly bent
i::::> A in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page 72.
.. Adjust the seatback so that when you sit
with your back against the seatback, you can
still grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head . If that is not poss ible , try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
c:::> page 77.
A WARNING
Never place any objects in the driver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal
area and interfere with pedal function. In
case of sudden braking or an accident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate .

Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost position .
To avoid contact with the airbag while it is de­
ploying, do not sit any closer to the instru­
ment panel than necessary and always wear
the three-point safety belt provided adjusted
correctly . We recommend that you adjust the
passenger's seat in the following manner:
.. Move the front passenger seat into the rear ­
most position of the fore and aft adjustment
range
~ .&. in Why is your seat adjustment
so important? on page
72.
• Bring the backrest up to an (almost) upright
position.
Do not ride with the seat reclined.
.. 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 77 .
.. Place your feet on the floor in front of the
passenger's seat .
Power front seat
adjustment
Seat adjustment controls
The operating logic for the switches corre­
sponds to the cons truction and function of
the seat.
ui
"' ~ -" __.___,., 1,--~--,-,:,
Fig. 74 Front seat: Co ntr ols for seat a djustment
The switches to adjust the seat cushion and
the seatback correspond to the layout, the de­
sign and the function of the seat. The seats
are adjusted by moving the switches following
this logic.
Seats and storage 73
Controls
@ Seat adjustment
® Seatback adjustment
© Lumbar support
Adjusting the seat
Position, angle and shape of the seat can be
adjusted electrically to ensure safe and com­
fortable seating .
Read and follow the warning notices¢.&. be­
fore you adjust your seat .
Fore-and-aft adjustment
.. Push the switch @forward or backward
¢ page 73, fig. 74 .
Adjusting seat height
.. Pull or push the switch @up or down.
Front seat cushion up/ down
.. Press the switch @at the front up or down .
Rear seat cushion up/ down
.. Press the switch @at the rear up or down.
Adjusting seatback angle
.. Push the switch @ forward or backward.
Adjusting the curvature of the lumbar
support
.. Push the switch plate© forward or back­
ward to increase or reduce the curvature.
Adjusting the height of the lumbar
support
.. Push the switch plat e© up or down to posi­
tion the curvature higher or lower .
A WARNING
-Adjust the driver's seat only when the ve­
hicle is stationary. You risk an accident
otherwise.
- The power adjustment for the front seats
also works with the ignition sw itched off
or with the ignition key removed. For this
reason, children should never be left
IJIJ>

78 Seats and storage
@ Tips
Correctly adjusted head restraints and
safety belts are an extremely effective
combinat ion of safety features.
Rear head restraints
F ig. 82 Rear seat: ou ter hea d rest raint
Fi g. 83 Rear se at: ce nte r h ead restra int
I f the re are passengers in the rear seat, fold
the head restraints up on the occupied seats
or slide the cente r head restraint upward at
least to the next notch
~ .,& .
Adjusting the outer head restraints
.,. To fold the head restraint out, pull on the
tab ¢
fig. 82 .
.. To fo ld the head rest raint up, ti lt it upward
until you feel it c lick into p lace.
Adjusting the center h ead restraint
.,. To move the head restra int up , hold it at the
s ides wi th both hands and slide it upwa rd
u ntil you feel it cl ick into p lace
"* fig . 83 .
.. To move the head restraint down, press the
button -arrow -and slide the head restraint
downward.
Remo ving the center head re straint
.,. Move the head res traint upw ard as f ar as i t
can go.
.. Press the b utton -arrow -and pull the head
restraint o ut of the backrest "*.,& .
Installing the center head restraint
.. Slide the posts on the head restraint down
into the guides u ntil you feel the posts click
into place .
.. Press the b utton -arrow- and slide the head
r estraint all th e way down . You should not
be able to pull the head restraint out of the
backrest .
A WARNING
=
-On ly remove the rea r seat head restra int
when necessary in orde r to install a child
seat . Install the hea d restraint aga in im­
mediately once the child se at is removed.
Driving without head res train ts or with
head restraints that are not properly ad­
justed increases the r isk of serious or fa­
tal neck injury dramatica lly.
- The head restraints for the outer seats in
the second row must be folded up when
persons are being carr ied in the third row
seating* - danger of injury!
- Read and heed all WARNINGS
¢page 167
Armrest
The arm rest contains a storage comportment
and two cup holders .
Fig . 8 4 Arm rest betwee n driver's a nd pass enge r's seat
.,. Push on the release lever ¢ fig. 84 to open
the storage compartmen t.

164 Driving Safel y
Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, a irbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the info rmat ion
and warn ings in th is sect ion -fo r yo ur own
safety as well as that of your passengers .
The information in this se ction app lies to all
model ve rsions of your veh icle . Some of the
feat ures desc ribed in this sec tions may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others . If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Aud i dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
struct ions and heed the WARNINGS in
this manual. It is in your interest and in
the inte rest of you r passengers.
- Always keep all of the Owner's Literature
man uals in your Audi when you lend or
sell your veh icle so that this impo rtant
information will a lways be availab le to
the drive r and pas sengers.
- Always keep the Owner's Literature han­
dy so tha t you can find it easily if yo u
have ques tions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of you r passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a varie ty o f fea tures
avai la bl e to he lp re duce the risk of inj ury in an accident
. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophis tic ated s afety be lts for d rive r and a ll
passenger sea ting pos it ions,
- be lt te nsione rs fo r th e fro nt sea ts a nd the
ou ter sea ting posit ions in the second row
seating,
- be lt h eight adjustment fo r th e front sea ts
an d the o ute r seat ing pos itions in the sec ­
ond row seating,
- he ad restra ints for e ach sea ting pos ition,
- fro nt airbags,
- side airbags in the fro nt seats and the outer
seating positions in the second row seat­ ing*,
- side curta in ai rbags,
- specia l LATCH anchorages for child re-
st raints,
- ad justab le steering colum n.
These individual safety features, can work to­ gether as a system to he lp protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents .
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor­ rectly used .
Safety is everybody's responsibil ity!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed
and careful driver.
Fo r yo ur safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.. Ma ke s ure t hat all lights and sign als are op ­
erati ng correctly .
.. Make s ure t hat the tire pressure is correct.
.. Make s ure that all windows are clean and af­
ford good vis ibility to the outs ide.
.. Secure all luggage and other items carefu lly
¢ page 88.
.. Make s ure that nothing can inte rfere with
the peda ls.
.. Adj ust fron t seat, head restraint and m irrors
correc tly fo r you r height . .,.

.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height.
.. Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children
c:> page 204,
Child Safety .
.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
c:> page 72,
General recommendations .
.,. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also ins truc t your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly
c:> page 17 4.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted.
The driver is respons ible for the safety of the
vehicle and a ll of its occupants . If your ability
to drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
c:> .&,..
Therefore:
.. Do not let yoursel f be distracted by passen­
gers or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVER drive when your driving ability is im­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense .
.,. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traff ic
and weather cond it ions .
.. Take frequent breaks on long t rips. Do not
drive for more than two hours at a stretc h.
.. Do NOT drive when you are t ired , under
pressure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a veh icle is being used.
Driving Safely 165
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 193 Correct seat ing pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
follow ing pos ition:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi ­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
wh ile keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
c:> .&,. .
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive .
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that th ere is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and yo ur breast
bone ~
fig. 193. If not possible, see your au­
thorized Audi dealer about adaptive equip­
ment .
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face.
.,. Grasp the top of the steer ing whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent.
.. Adjust the head rest raint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not poss ible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c:> page 178 .

166 Driving Safely
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 73.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag de­
ploys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision.
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving . Your seat may move unexpect­
edly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in- jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 204. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat¢
page 183.
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 recom ­
mend 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 whenever 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 167.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
• Fasten and wear safety belts correct­
ly ¢
page 178 .
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 72.
A WARNING
-Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag 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 po­
sition 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 instru­
ment panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of the ir own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt be longing to that
seat .
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat and head restra int prop ­
erly .
- Always keep your feet on the f loor in
front of the seat. Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win­ dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt w il l not be ab le to protec t you prop­
er ly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined o r
ti lted far back! The farther the backrests
are ti lted back , the greater the risk of in ­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
t ion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
c> page 204 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat
c> page 183 .
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 vehicle is in use .
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor ­
rect seat ing pos ition in the event of a sudden
brak ing maneuve r or an acc ident , your pas­
se ngers on the rea r bench seat must always
observe the fo llow ing :
~ If there are passengers in the rear seat, fold
the head rest ra ints up on the occupied seats
or slide the center head restrain t upward at
least to the next notch
c> page 78 .
Drivin g Sa fely 167
~ Make sure that the seatback is secure ly
latch ed in the upright posi tion
c> page 80.
~ Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts proper ly
<=> page 178 .
~ Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
pria te for the ir s ize and age
c> page 204.
A WARNING
Passengers who are imp roperly seated on
the rea r seat can be seriously inj ured in a
crash .
- Each passenger must always si t on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protec­
tion when the seatback is sec urely latch­
ed in the upright position and the safety
bel ts are properly posit ioned on the
body . By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
in ju ry from improperly positioned safety
be lts!
- Always adjust the head rest raint p roperly
so that it can give maximum protection .
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im­
portant port of your vehicle's occupant re ­
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations .
Fig. 1 94 Head restr ain t: v ie wed from th e front
The head restraints must be correct ly adjust-
ed to achieve the best protectio n. ..,.

168 Driving Safely
• Adjust the head restraints so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possib le, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
Q fig . 194.
• If there are passengers in rear seat, fo ld the
head restraints up on the occupied seats or
s lide the cent er head restra int upward at
least to the next notch.
Adjusting head restraints
Q page 77 .
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re­
straints. Dr iv ing without head restraints or
w ith head restra ints tha t are not properly
adjusted incre ases the risk of ser io us or fa­
t al neck injury dramat ically. To help reduce
the risk of inju ry:
- Always drive with the he ad restraints in
place and proper ly adjusted.
- E very pe rson in the veh icle must have a
properly ad justed head restra int .
- Alw ays m ake su re e ach pe rso n i n the ve­
hicle proper ly adjusts the ir head re­
st raint . Ad just the head restrain ts so the
upper edge is as even as possi ble wit h
the top of your head . If that is not possi­
ble, try to adjust the head restra int so
that it is as close to this position as pos­
sible .
- Never attempt to adjust head rest raint
wh ile driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the dr ive r head rest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safe ly be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
s t rain t.
- Children must always be properly re­
stra ined in a ch ild restrai nt tha t is appro­
pr iate for their age a nd s ize
Q page 204.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly sea ted.
Imp roper sea ting posit ions can ca use serio us
in ju ry or death . Safe ty belts can on ly work when they are properly positioned on the
body. Improper seating positions red uce the
effectiveness of safety belts and wi ll even in ­
crease the r isk of injury and death by moving
the safety belt to crit ica l areas of the body.
Improper seating positions a lso inc rease the
risk of ser ious in jury and death when an a ir­
bag dep loys and str ikes an occupant w ho is
not in the p roper seating posi tion. A dr iver is
responsible fo r the s afety of all ve hicle occu­
pan ts and espec ially for child ren . There fore :
• Never allow anyone to assume an incor rect
seating posi tion when the vehicle is bei ng
used
Q .&, .
The following bulle tins list o nly some sample
pos it ions that w ill increase the r isk of serious
i njury and dea th. O ur hope is that t hese exam­
ples will ma ke yo u more aware o f seat ing po ­
s itions that are dangerous .
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- never sta nd up in t he vehicle
- neve r sta nd on the seats
- neve r kneel on the seats
- neve r ride wit h the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- neve r lean up against the instrument panel
- neve r sit on the edge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out t he window
- neve r put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cush ion or
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- neve r ride in the ca rgo a rea
A WARNING ._
Improper seating posit ions increase the
risk of ser ious persona l injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
-Always make sure that all vehicle occ u-
pants stay in a proper seating position
and are p roperly rest rained whenever the
veh icle is being used .
-

forces on the body more "tolerable" and less likely to cause injury.
Although these examples are based on a fron­
tal collision , safety belts can also substantial­
ly reduce the risk of injury in other kinds of
crashes. So, whether you're on a long trip or
just going to the corner store, always buckle
up and make sure others do, too. Accident sta­
tistics show that vehicle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of being
injured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident . Properly using safety belts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen­
tal airbags to do their job in a collision. For
this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in most countries including much of
the United States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags ,
you still have to wear the safety belts provid­
ed. Front airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions. The front air­
bags are not activated in all frontal collisions,
in side and rear collisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is not enough deceleration
through impact to the front of the vehicle .
The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt
and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!
Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be correctly posi­
tioned 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.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death. Safety belts can
work only when used correctly .
Safety belts 177
-Always fasten your safety belts correctly
before driving off and make sure all pas­
sengers are correctly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned properly on
the body .
- Never strap more than one person, in­ cluding small children, into any belt .
- Never place a safety belt over a child sit­
ting on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front
of the seat while the vehicle is being driv­
en.
- Never let any person ride with their feet
on the instrument panel or sticking out
the window or on the seat.
- Never remove a safety belt while the ve­ hicle is moving. Doing so will increase
your risk of being injured or killed .
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these
may cause injury.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­ aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of posi­
tion .
- Several layers of heavy clothing may in­
terfere with correct positioning of belts
and reduce the overall effectiveness of
the system .
- Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latch­
ing securely .
- Never use comfort clips or devices that
create slack in the shoulder belt. Howev­
er, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint sys­
tems .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt hardware can break in an
accident. Inspect belts regularly. If web-
bing, bindings, buckles, or retractors are .,..
L,_ _______________ _J
•
•

Airbag system Important things to know
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For
airbags to do their job , occupants must al­
ways properly wear their safety belts and be
in a proper seating position.
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers, before driving off, always:
"" Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel
properly
¢ page 165,
"" Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
¢ page 73 ,
""Wear safety be lts properly r::::> page 177,
""Always properly use the proper child re-
straint to protect chi ldren
r::::> page 204.
In a collision, airbags must inflate within the
blink of an eye and with considerable force .
The supplemental airbags can cause injuries if
the driver or the front seat passenger is not
seated properly . T herefore in order to help the
a irbag to do its job, it is important, both as a
driver and as a passenge r to s it properly at all
times.
By keeping room between your body and the
steer ing whee l and the front of the passenger
compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and
comp lete ly and provide supp lemental protec­
tion in certain frontal collisions
r::::> page 165,
Proper occupant seating positions.
F or detai ls
on the operation of the seat adjustment con­
trols ¢
page 73.
It's especially important that children a re
properly restrained
r::::> page 204.
There is a lot that the driver and the passen­
gers can and must do to help the individual
safety features installed in your Aud i work to­
gether as a system.
Prope r seat ing pos ition is important so that
the front airbag on the driver side ca n do its
job. If you have a physical impa irment or con-
A irbag system 183
dition that prevents you from sitting properly
on the driver seat with the safety belt properly
fastened and reaching the pedals, or if you
have concerns with regard to the function or
operation o f the Advanced Airbag System,
please contact your author ized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop, or call Audi Customer Re­
l ations at 1-800-822-2834 for poss ible modi­
ficat io ns to your veh icle.
When the airbag system dep loys, a gas gener ­
ator will fill the a irbags, break open the pad­
ded covers, and inflate between the steer ing
whee l and the dr iver and between the instru­
ment panel and the front passenger. The a ir­
bags will deflate immediately after dep loy­
ment so that the front occupants can see
through the windshield again witho ut inter­
ruption .
A ll of th is takes place in the blink o f an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that
the airbags have deployed. The airbags a lso
inflate with a great dea l of force and nothing
should be in their way when they deploy.
Front a irbags in combinat ion with properly
worn safety belts slow down and lim it the oc ­
cupant's forward movement . Together they
help to prevent the driver and front seat pas­
senger from h itti ng pa rts of the inside of the
vehicle while reducing the forces acting on the
occupant during the crash . In this way they
help to reduce the risk of injury to the head
and upper body in the crash. Airbags do not
protect the arms or the lower parts of the
body.
Both front airbags will not inflate in all fronta l
collisions . The triggering of the airbag system
depends on the vehicle de ce lerat ion rate
caused by the collision and regis te red by the
elec tron ic control unit. If th is rate is below
the reference value programmed into the con ­
trol unit, the airbags will not be trigge red,
even though the car may be bad ly damaged as
a res ult of the co llision . Ve hicl e damage, re­
pair costs or even the lack of ve hicle damage
is not necessarily an indication of whether an
airbag should inflate or not . •
•