2008 AUDI A4 AVANT Owners Manual

Driving Safely -
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Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four tie­
downs to secure luggage and other items.
Use the tie -downs to secure your cargo properly => page 173,
"Loading the luggage compartment".
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even smaller items that
are loose in the vehicle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess energy which vary with
vehicle speed and the weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed of 30 mph (48 km/h),
the forces acting on a 10 lbs. (4,5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that the weight of the item
would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the inju­
ries that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying freely through the passenger
compartment could cause in a collision like this.
& 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.
•
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Reporting safety defects
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 (NHTSAl in addi­
tion to notifying Audi of America, Inc. If NHTSA receives similar
complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy
campaign. However, NHTSA cannot become involved in individual
problems between you, your dealer, or Audi of America, Inc.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY:
1-800-424-9153);
go to
http://www.safercar.gov;
or write to: Administrator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.
You can also obtain other information about
motor vehicle safety from
http://www.safercar.gov. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ S_a_ f_ e_ t...: y_ b_e_ l_ t _s _______________________________________________ _
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safe ty belts correctly saves lives!
T hi s ch apter explain s why s afe ty belts ar e necess ary , h ow
they w ork an d how t o ad just an d wear th em corr ectly.
- Read all the inf ormat ion that follows a nd heed all of the
i ns tru ction s and WARNINGS.
LJ}. 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
wear the safety belts properly when the vehicle is moving .
• Pregnant women , injured, or physically impaired persons must
also use safety belts . Like all vehicle o ccupants , 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
Y o ur Aud i has a total of fi ve seati ng po siti ons: tw o in t he fr ont and
three in t he rear . E ac h seating position has a safety b elt.
LJ}. 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 ~
Your vehicle has a warn ing system for the d river and (on
USA models only) f ront seat passenger to re mind you
a b ou t the i mpor tanc e o f b uckl in g -up.
Fig . 166 Safety belt
warning light in the instrument cluster -
enlarged
.,.

Before driving off, always:
-Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are wearing it
properly.
- Make sure that your passengers also buckle up and prop­ erly wear their safety belts.
- Protect your children with a child restraint system appro-
priate for the size and age of the children.
The warning light {} in the instrument cluster lights up when the
ignition is switched on as a reminder to fasten the safety belts . In
addition, you will hear a warning sound.
After the ignition is switched on, the warning tone will come on for about 6 seconds a long with a{} warning light in the instrument
cluster if either the driver or (on USA models only) front seat
passenger has not fastened their safety belt. As soon as the driver
and front seat passenger have fastened the safety belt, the warning
tone will stop and the warning light will go out.
I f both the driver and front seat passenger have not buckled -up
within about 24 seconds after the warning tone has stopped, the
warning tone will sound again for about 6 seconds. The warning
tone will sound repeatedly for about 6 seconds at 24 second inter­
vals until both the driver and front passenger have buckled-up. The
safety belt warning system is active for about 5 minutes and during
this time the warning light in the instrument cluster will stay on .
Fasten your safety belt now and make sure that your passengers
also properly put on their safety belts.
•
Safety first
Safety belts
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for people riding
in vehicles.
"' "' 9 w
"' a,
Fig. 167 Unbelted
occupants in a vehicle
heading for a wall
Fig . 168 The vehicle
crashes into the wall
jlJ>
Technical data

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T he physical principles are simple . Both the vehicle and the passen­
gers possess energy wh ich varies w ith vehicle speed and body
weight . Engineers cal l this energy "kinetic energy ."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater the vehicle's
weight, the more energy that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor . If the speed doub les
from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of this vehicle are not using safety belts
~ page 177, fig. 167, they will keep moving at the same speed the
vehic le was moving just before the crash, until something stops
them
-here, the wall ~ page 177, fig . 168 .
The same principles apply to people sitting in a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision . Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph
(30 to 50 km/h), the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs, or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater speeds, these forces are
even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are a lso not attached to their
vehic le. In a frontal collision they will also keep moving forward at
the speed their vehicle was trave lling just before the crash. Of
course, the laws of physics don't just apply to frontal collisions, they
determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and coll isions .•
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop themselves
from flying forward and being injured or killed . Always
wear your safety belts!
0
F ig . 169 A driver not
wear ing a safety belt is
v iol ently thr own
forwa rd
Fig. 17 0 A rear
passenge r not wearing
a safe ty belt w ill
fly
for wa rd a nd strik e the
dr iver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tremendous forces of
impact by holding tight or bracing themselves . Without the benefit ._

of safety restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant will slam
violently into the steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or
whatever else is in the
way=> fig . 169. This impact with the vehicle
interior has all the energy they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection . Even when they dep loy,
airbags provide only additional protection . Airbags are not
supposed to deploy in all kinds of accidents . Although your Audi is
e quipped wi th airbags, all vehicle occupan ts , including the driver,
must wear safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of
severe injury or death in a crash .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and that your
safety belts are always there to offer protection in those accidents
in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have
already deployed . Unbelted occupants can also be thrown out of the
vehicle where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear safety belts
correctly . Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only
themselves but also the driver and other
passengers~ page 178,
fig. 170. In a frontal collision they will be thrown forward violently,
where they can hit and injure the driver and/or front seat
passenger. •
Safety first
Safety belts
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!
&l
9 w a, a,
Fig. 171 Driver is
correctly restrained in
a sudden braking
maneuver
Safety belts used properly can make a big difference. Safety belts
help to keep passengers in their seats, gradually reduce energy
levels applied to the body in an accident, and help prevent the
uncontrolled movement that can cause serious injuries. In addition ,
safety belts reduce the danger of being thrown out of the vehicle .
Safety belts 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 other safety features engineered
into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the kinetic energy over a
longer period of time, the safety belts make the forces on the body
more "tolerable" and less likely to cause injury .
Although these examples are based on a frontal collision, safety belts can also substantially 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, a lways buckle up and make sure others do, too . Acci­
dent statistics 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 .,,_
irechnical data

___ S_a_ f_ e_ t...: y_ b_e_ l_ t _s _______________________________________________ _
increases the ability of the supplemental airbags to do their job in a
collision. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally required 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 provided. Front airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions. The front airbags 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 every­
body in your vehicle is properly restrained!
•
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts 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 or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death. Safety belts can work
only when used correctly.
• Always fasten your safety belts correctly before driving off and
make sure all passengers are correctly restrained.
• For maximum protection, safety belts must always be posi­
tioned properly on the body.
• Never strap more than one person, including small children,
into any belt.
& WARNING (continued)
• Never place a safety belt over a child sitting on your lap.
• Always keep feet in the footwell in front of the seat while the
vehicle is being driven.
• 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 vehicle 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 damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware.
• Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt under your arm or
otherwise out of position .
• Several layers of heavy clothing may interfere with correct posi­
tioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of the system.
• Always keep belt buckles free of anything that may prevent the
buckle from latching securely.
• Never use comfort clips or devices that create slack in the
shoulder belt. However, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint systems.
• Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and damaged belt hard­
ware can break in an accident. Inspect belts regularly. If webbing,
bindings, buckles, or retractors are damaged, have belts replaced
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Safety belts that have been worn and loaded in an accident
must be replaced with the correct replacement safety belt by an
authorized Audi dealer . Replacement may be necessary even if
damage cannot be clearly seen. Anchorages that were loaded
must also be inspected.
.,_

/b, WARNIN G (conti nued )
• Never remove , modify , di sass emble , or try to repair the safety
belt s yourself .
• Always keep the belt s cl ean . Dirty belt s may not work properly
and can impair the fun ction of the i nertia ree l
=> pag e 265, "S afety
belt s".•
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Seat first
-everyb ody buckle up!
Fig . 17 2 Bel t buckle
an d to n g ue on th e
driver' s se at
To provide maximum protection, safety belts must always
be positioned co rrect ly on the wearer's body.
-Adjust the front seat and head restraint properly
=> page 95, "General recommendat ions".
Safety first
Safety b elts
-Make sure the seat back of the rea r sea t bench is in an
uprig ht p osit ion and sec ure ly la tch ed in place before
us ing the
belt=> &-
-Ho ld the belt by t he to n gue and pull it evenly across the
c h es t an d
pelvis => &-
-Insert t he tongue into the correct buckle of you r seat
unti l you hear it latch
securely => fig. 172.
-Pu ll on the belt to make su re that it is securely latched in
t h e buckle.
Automati c safety b elt r etr ac tors
Every safety belt is equipped with an automatic belt retractor on the
shoulder belt. This feature locks the belt when the belt is pulled out
fast, during hard braking and in an accident. The belt may also lock
when you dr ive up or down a steep hill or through a sharp curve.
Dur ing normal d riving the belt lets you move free ly .
Sa fety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equip ped with a belt pretensioner tha t he lps to
tighten the safety belt and remove slack when the pretensioner is activated. The function of the pretensioner is monitored by a
warning
light=> page 20.
Sw itchable l ocking featur e
Every safety be lt except the one on the driver seat is equipped with
a switchable locking feature that
mu st be used when the safety be lt
is used to attach a child safety seat . Be sure to read the important
informat ion about this
feature => page 220.
& WARNING
Improperly po sitioned safety belt s can cau se seriou s injury in an
a c cident =>
page 182 , "Safety belt p osition ". ...
irechnical data

___ s_a_ f_ e_ t-= y_ b_e_ l_ t _s _______________________________________________ _
& W ARNING (continued )
• Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat back
is upright and belts are properly positioned on the body.
• Always make sure that the rear seat backrest to which the
center rear safety belt is attached is securely latched whenever
the rear center safety belt is being used. If the backrest is not securely latched, the passenger will move forward with the back ­
rest dur ing sudden braking , in a sudden maneuver and especially
in a crash.
• Never attach the safety belt to the buckle for another seat.
Attaching the belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause ser ious personal injury .
• A passenger who is not properly restrained can be ser iously
injured by the safety belt itself when it moves from the stronger
parts of the body into critical areas like the abdomen .
• Always lock the convertible locking retractor when you are
securing a child safety seat in the vehicle
=> page 222. •
Safety belt position
Corre ct be lt posit ion is th e key to get ting maximum
p ro te ct ion fro m sa fe ty belt s.
Fig . 17 3 Head restraint
and safety belt posi ­
tion as seen from the
side
Sta ndard fea tures on you r veh icl e help yo u a djust the po sit io n of
the safety belt to match your body size .
• b elt heig ht adj ustm ent for th e fron t sea ts ,
• automatic belt height ad justment for the rear se ats .
& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal
injury in an accident .
• The shoulder belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned
over the middle of the occupant's shoulder and never across the
neck or throat.
• The safety belt must lie flat and snug on the occupant's upper
body
=> fig . 173. Pull on the belt to tighten if necessary.
• The lap belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned as
low as possible across pelvis and never over the abdomen . Make _.