2008 AUDI A4 AVANT fold seats

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&, WARNING (continued)
• 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.
• Children must always ride in child safety
seats => page 210.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat
=> page 187. •
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 :
- Make sure that the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position =>
page 104.
- Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge is as
even with the top of your head as possible but no lower
than eye level =>
page 171.
-Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of the rear seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts properly =>
page 181.
-Make sure that children are always properly restrained in
a child restraint that is appropriate for their size and age
=>
page 210.
& 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 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!
_,.

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& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important informa­
tion
=> page 180.
[ i] Tips
The seat height adjustment on the front seats can also be used the adjust the position of the safety belts .•
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause severe inju­
nes.
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause serious injury or
death. Safety belts can only work when they are correctly
positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduce
the effectiveness 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 correct seating position. A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle
occupants and especially for children. Therefore:
- Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect sitting posi­
tion in the vehicle while
traveling =>& .
& WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.
• Always make sure that all vehicle occupants are correctly
restrained and stay in a correct seating position whenever the
vehicle is being used.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(continued)
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important infor­
mation
=> page 180. •
Safety belt tensioner
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear collisions above a particular
severity, safety belts in use are tensioned automatically.
The safety belts are equipped with safety belt pretensioners . The
system is activated by sensors in front, side and rear collisions of
great severity. This tightens the belt and takes up belt
slack=> & in
"Care, service and disposal of safety belt pretensioner". Taking up
the slack helps to reduce forward occupant movement during a collision .
0 Note
Never let the belt remain over a rear seat back that has been folded
forward. The rear belt pretensioner will be activated unnecessarily
in a collision and then has to be replaced .
[ i] Tips
The safety belt pretensioner can only be activated once.
• In minor frontal, side and rear -end collisions, in a rollover and in
accidents involving very little impact force, the safety belt preten­
sioner are not activated.
• When the safety belt pretensioner is activated, a fine dust is
released. This is normal and is not caused by a fire in the vehicle.
• The relevant safety requirements must be observed when the
vehicle or components of the system are scrapped. A qualified
deal -_,,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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control unit . Crash severity depends on speed and deceleration as
well as the mass and stiffness of the vehicle or object involved in the crash .
When the electronic control unit registers a low severity crash and
the safety belt is being used, the airbag will not deploy. If the safety belt is not being used, the first stage deploys, followed by the
second stage after a much later time in the crash sequence .
If the electronic contro l unit registers a crash of medium severity,
t he fi rst stage of the airbag deploys followed by the second stage at
a much later time in the crash sequence -regardless of whether the
safety be lt is be ing used or not. In higher severity crashes as regis ­
tered by the e lectronic contro l unit , both the first and second stages
deploy almost at the same time .
On the passenger side, regardless of sa fety belt use, the airbag w ill
be turned off if the weight on the passenger seat is less than th e
amount programmed in the electronic contro l un it . The front airbag
on the passenger side wi ll also be turned off if one of the child
safety seats that has been certified under Federa l Motor Vehic le
Safety Standard 208 has been recognized on the seat. The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t comes on and stays on to tel l you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned
of f=> page 189 , "Child restraints on the front seat -some
important things to know".
& WARNING
To reduce the ri sk of inju ry when an airbag infl ates , always wear
s afety belts properly .
• If you a re unrestr ained , leaning forward , sitting sideway s or out
of po sition in any way , your risk of injury i s much high er.
• You will al so rece ive se riou s injur ie s a nd could e ven be killed if
y ou are up again st the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
e ven with an Advanced
A irbag => page 187. •
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fig . 179 Inflate d fr ont
airbag s
Safety belts are important to he lp keep front seat occupants in the
proper seated position so that airbags can unfold properly and
provide supplemental protection in a fronta l collision.
The front airbags are designed to provide additiona l protect ion for
the chest and face of the driver and the front seat passenger when:
• safety be lts are worn properly,
• the seats have been pos itioned so that the occupant is properly
seated as far as p ossi ble from the airbag,
• and the head restra ints have been properly adjusted.
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye with great force , thi ngs
you have on your lap or have placed on the seat cou ld become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag inf lates .
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released. This is norma l and is
not caused by a fire in the vehic le. This dust is made up most ly of a
powder used to lubricate t he airbags as they deploy . It could irritate
skin.
~

Airbag system 111111
-----------------------------=--=-------
It is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example swelling, bruising and minor abrasions, can
also happen when airbags inflate. Airbags do not protect the arms
or the lower parts of the body. Front airbags only supplement the
three point safety belts in some frontal collisions in which the
vehicle deceleration is high enough to deploy the airbags.
Front airbags
will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,
• in side collisions,
• in rear -end collisions,
• in rollovers ,
• when the crash deceleration measured by the airbag system is
less than the minimum threshold needed for airbag deployment as
registered by the electronic control unit.
The front passenger airbag
will also not deploy:
• when the front passenger seat is not occupied,
• when the weight on the front passenger seat as sensed by the
Advanced Airbag System indicates that the front airbag on the
passenger side has to be turned off by the electronic control unit
(the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays onl.
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the risk of serious injury
in crashes.
• To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags inflate, the driver
and passengers must always sit in an upright position, must not
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Occupants 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 :::::, page 189.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates
-even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
& WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will increase the risk of injury
in a crash by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates .
• Never hold things in your hands or on your lap when the vehicle
is in use.
• Never transport items on or in the area of the front passenger
seat. Objects could move into the area of the front airbags during
braking or other sudden maneuver and become dangerous projec ­
tiles that can cause serious personal injury if the airbags inflate.
• Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup
holders, telephone brackets, large, heavy or bulky objects) on the
doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steering
wheel, instrument panel, seat backrests or between those areas
and yourself. These objects could cause injury in a crash, espe­
cially when the airbags inflate.
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects.
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front _,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING (continued)
• Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a
child is not sitting in it. A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a crash.
• Always make sure the seat backrest to which the child restraint
is installed is in an upright position and securely latched into place
and cannot fold forward. Otherwise, the seat back with the child
safety seat attached to it could fly forward in the event of an acci­
dent or other emergency situation.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=> page 210. Special precau­
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger
seat=> page 189, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know" .•
Deactivating the convertible locking retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child restraints will
be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all
the way back into the retractor.
- Press the red button on the safety belt buckle. The belt
tongue will pop out of the buckle.
- Guide the belt all the way back into its stowed position.
Always let the safety belt retract completely into its stowed position.
The safety belt can now be used as an ordinary safety belt without
the convertible locking retractor for child restraints.
If the convertible locking retractor should be activated inadvert­
ently, the safety belt must be unfastened and guided completely
back into its stowed position to deactivate this feature. If the
convertible locking retractor is not deactivated, the safety belt will
gradually become tighter and uncomfortable to wear.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
LJ}. WARNING
Improperly installed
child safety seats increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision.
• Never unfasten the safety belt to deactivate the convertible
locking retractor for child restraints while the vehicle is moving.
You would not be restrained and could be seriously injured in an
accident.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=> page 210. Special precau­
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger
seat => page 189, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know" .•
Additional Information
What types of child restraint anchors are
available and hovv are they related to child
safety?
For years, child restraints have been installed using the safety belts
already present in every vehicle.
Since September 1, 1999, child restraint manufacturers have been
providing tether straps that attach the top of the child restraint to
the vehicles structure, on most of their forward-facing systems in order to comply with U.S. Federal regulations for child restraint
performance in a crash. Vehicle manufacturers are required to
phase -in tether anchorages for attachment of the tether strap in
their U.S. vehicles beginning September 1, 1999.
The combination of the tether anchorages and the lower anchor­ ages is now generally called the LATCH system for "Lower Anchor
and Tether for Children".
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Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Child Safety -
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lower anchorages and help protect the seat material from
possible damage when installing child restraints that have
rigid lower anchorages and not straps with hooks.
Installing the guidance fixtures
- Push down on the seat cushion so that the lower anchor ­
ages are visible.
- Hold the guidance fixture with the part number facing downward and push it in the direction of the arrow onto
the
anchorage => fig. 193.
- Make sure that each of the two guidance fixtures per seat snaps into place.
Removing the guidance fixtures
- Remove the child restraint according the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions.
- Push down on the seat cushion so that the lower anchor ­
ages are visible.
- Pull off the guidance fixtures from the lower anchorages.
- Always remove the guidance fixtures and keep them in a
safe place when not in use.
You may find it easier to install child restraints equipped with hooks
attached to straps without the guidance fixtures in place. If this is
the case, remove the guidance fixtures by pulling them off the
anchorages. However, the guidance fixtures can help you to locate
the
LATCH anchorages.
& WARNING
Improper use of tether anchorages or lower anchorages can cause
serious personal injury in a crash.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(continued)
• Always carefully follow the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions for proper installation and use of child restraint
systems.
• Never use the
LATCH or tether anchorages to attach safety
belts or other kinds of occupant restraints.
• Child restraint tether attachments and lower attachments are
only designed to secure a child restraint that has been equipped
to use these anchorages.
• Tether anchorages and lower anchorages are designed to with­
stand only those loads imposed by correctly fitted child restraints.
Under no circumstances can they be used safely for adult or child
safety belts or harnesses.
• Never mount more than one child restraint to a single tether or
to a lower anchorage point. Attaching two child restraints to a
single anchorage point can cause the anchorage to fail and cause
serious personal injury in a crash.
0 Note
• Remove the guidance fix tures before folding the rear seatback to
prevent damaging the seat cushion.
• If you leave the guidance fixtures ins talled for several days , they
could leave a mark on the upholstery on the seat cushion and back ­
rest in the area that the guidance fixtures were ins talled. The uphol­
stery would also be permanently stretched around the guidance
fixtures. This applies especially to leather seats .
[ i] Tips
• Always remove the guidance fixtures when not in use.
• Please keep the guidance fixtures in a safe place with the vehicle
when not in use .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Chassis
Have the undercoating checke d for dam age from time to
ti m e.
The lower body shell of your Audi is a lso thoroughly protected
against corros ion.
Any damage to the undercoating caused by road hazards shou ld be
repa ired promptly.
& WARNING
Too mu ch undercoating in the wrong place s can cause a fire.
• Do not apply additional undercoating or ru stproofing on or
near the e xhau st manifold , ex haust pipe s, cata lyti c con verter or
heat sh ields . While driving , the sub stance used for underco ating
could overheat and cau se a fire.
• Alw ays read and heed all WARNINGS and other informat ion
=> pa ge 254 . •
Care of interior
Aluminum trim
Use on ly neutral-pH products to remove spots and depos its from
a lum inum surfaces. Chrome care products and alka line cleaners
wi ll attack aluminum s urfaces and ca n damage them over t ime.
& WARNING
Alway s re ad and heed all WARNING S and the inform ation
=> pag e 254. •
Ap plies to veh ic les: with Fab rics an d fabric cove rings
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics a nd fabr ic coverings (e .g. seats, doo r tr im panels, etc .)
shou ld be c leaned at regular intervals with a vacuum cleaner. This
re moves surface d irt part ic les which could become embedded in
the fabric through use . Steam cleaners shou ld not be used, because
the steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the fab ric a nd lock it
there .
Norm al cleaning
Genera lly, we recommend using a soft sponge or a lint -free
m icrof iber c lo th to the clean fabric . Brushes should on ly be used for
carpets and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces could be harmed
by brushes.
Norma l sur face stains ca n be cleaned us ing a commercially ava il­
able foam cleaner. Spread the foam on the surface of the fabric with
a soft sponge and work it in ge ntly . Do not saturate t he fabr ic. Then
pat the foam dry us ing absorbent, dry cloths (e .g . microfiber cloth)
a n d vacuum i t after it has dr ied comple tely.
Cleaning stains
Stains caused by beverages (e .g. coffee, fru it ju ice, etc.l can be
treated with a mild detergent solution. Apply the detergent so lution
with a sponge . In the case of stubborn stains, a de tergen t paste can
be applied direct ly to the stain and worked into the fabric . After ­
wards, use c opious a mounts of c lean water to rem ove the
remaining detergent . Apply the water with a damp cloth or sponge
a n d pat the fabric dry with an absorbe nt, dry c loth .
Stains from choco late or makeup should have detergent paste (e .g.
ox -ga ll soap) rubbed into them. Afterwards, remove the soap with
water (damp sponge).
A lcoho l can be used to treat stains from grease, oi l, lipstick or a ba ll­
point pen . Melted grease or dye must be patted off us ing abs orbent
material. It may be necessary to retreat the areas with detergent
paste and water . .,,,
Vehicle care

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soiling, etc.I, you will need to be somewhat careful with these
leathers, and a certain type of care is required. For example, dark
clothing materials can discolor leather seats (especially if such
clothing is damp and was not dyed correctly). Dust and dirt particles
in pores, folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect and can
damage the leather surface as well as weaken seams.
The leather shou ld be c leaned regularly as needed. After having
been used for a relatively long time, your leather seats will acquire
a rich aged finish . This is a characteristic of natural leather and a
sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the value of this natural product over the life of
your vehic le , you should fo llow the recommendations below:
0 Note
• To keep your leather from bleaching out, do not allow it to be
exposed to bright sunlight for long periods of time. If you have to
leave the vehicle parked outside for long periods, cover the leather
to protect it from direct exposure to sunlight.
• Sharp objects on c lothing, such as zippers, rivets or sharp pieces
on belts can leave permanent scratches or scrape marks on the
surface of the leather.
[ i ] Tips
• After each time you clean the leather and at regu lar intervals, use
a leather preservative creme that contains UV -blockers and that
works into the leather. This creme wil l nourish and moisturize the
leather, helping it to breathe and stay supple . It also helps to build
up a protective coating on the surface .
• Clean the leather every 2 -3 months, and clean any areas that get
soiled.
• Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
polish, etc . as soon as possible.
• Preserve the color of the leather as needed by using a special
colored leather care creme to touch up areas of uneven color .•
• I I • • I
Ap plies to veh ic les : wi th n atural leat her
Cleaning and caring for leather upholstery
and trim
Natural leather requires special care and attention.
Normal cleaning
-Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened cotton or
woolen cloth.
More stubborn dirt
-More stubborn dirt can be removed using a cloth satu­
rated with a mild soap solution (2 tablespoons mild
liquid soap).
-Never allow the soap solution to saturate the leather, and
make certain that no water soaks into the seams.
Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry cloth .
Cleaning spots
-Remove fresh water-based spots (such as coffee, tea,
juices, blood) with an absorbent cloth or paper towel.
-Remove fresh grease or oil-based spots (such as butter,
mayonnaise, chocolate) with an absorbent cloth or paper
towel, or use the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet penetrated into the surface of the
leather.
-Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if oil/grease spots
have dried on.
-Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint pen, felt
marker, fingernail polish, water-based paint, shoe polish,
etc.) with a spot remover specifically formulated for
leather. _.,
Vehicle care