2008 AUDI A5 Owners Manual

Child safety191
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
Possible alternatives for securing a child safety seat
A child safety seat can be secured on the rear seats and
on the front passenger's seat.The following alternatives are available for safely securing a child
safety seat on the rear seats and on the front passenger's seat.•
Child safety seats of the categories 0 to 3 can be secured with the
standard three-point seat belts.
•
Child safety seats of the categories 0, 0+ and 1 with the “ISOFIX”
system can be secured without seat belts using the “ISOFIX”
retainers* ⇒page 191.
Compatibility of vehicle seat positions for child safety seats
(according to EC directive 77/541):
“universally compatible”
The front passenger's backrest must be set as far forward as
possible or adapted to the child safety seat as required, and the
seat height must be adjusted to its highest position.
The front passenger's airbag must be deactivated if a rearward-
facing child seat is used.
The front passenger's seat can be equipped with optional
“ISOFIX” retainers.
The rear seats can be equipped with optional “ISOFIX” retainers.
WARNING
While the vehicle is moving, children must always be protected
with a restraint system which is suited to their age, height and
weight. Please refer to the chapter “Child seat categories”.•
Never install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat unless the front passenger's airbag has been
deactivated. This could result in potentially fatal injuries. If you
have no alternative but to let a child travel on the front passenger's
seat, the front passenger's airbag must be deactivated before-
hand. Please refer to the chapter “Deactivating airbags”.
•
Note the important information and warnings concerning the
use of child safety seats found in the chapter “Important safety
notes when using child safety seats” and in the installation
instructions provided by the manufacturer of the child safety
seat.
Applies to vehicles: with ISOFIX system“ISOFIX” child seat mounting system
Child safety seats with the “ISOFIX” system can be
secured quickly and easily.When removing or fitting the child safety seat, please be
sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Weight class
Front passen-
ger's seat
Rear seats
0, 0+
u, a, b, c
u, d
1
u, a, b, c
u, d
2
u, a
u
3
u, a
u
AuAaAbAcAd
Fig. 202 The ISOFIX
child safety seat is
pushed into the protec-
tive sleeves.
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Child safety 192
– Fit the protective sleeves onto the retainers
between the backrest and the seat cushion ⇒page 191,
fig. 202.
– Push the mountings on the child safety seat into the
protective sleeves until they engage audibly (2x)
⇒page 191, fig. 202.
– Pull on the child safety seat to check whether both
catches have engaged properly.Child safety seats with the “ISOFIX” system can be secured quickly
and safely on the rear seat* or on the front passenger's seat*.
Detailed fitting instructions are supplied with the child safety seat.
Child seats with “ISOFIX” mountings are available from Audi dealers
and specialist retailers.
If required, the “ISOFIX” mounting system can be retrofitted.
WARNING
The retainers used here are specially designed for child safety
seats with “ISOFIX” mountings. Do not attempt to secure other
types of child safety seat, seat belts or other objects with these
retainers – this could result in serious or possibly fatal injury.
AA
AB
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Child safety193
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
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194
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195 Driving tips
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Intelligent technology 196Intelligent technologyElectronic stabilisation program (ESP)General notes
The electronic stabilisation program increases the car's
stability on the road.The ESP is designed to enhance the control over the vehicle in crit-
ical handling situations, such as when accelerating and cornering.
It reduces the tendency to skid under all road conditions and
improves the stability and roadholding of the vehicle. The system
works at all speeds.The anti-lock brake system (ABS), the electronic differential lock
(EDL) and the traction control system (ASR) are all integrated into
the electronic stabilisation program.
How the system works
The ESP control unit processes data from the three integrated
systems. It also processes additional inputs provided by other high-
precision sensors. These register the vehicle's rotation about the
vertical axis (yaw rate), lateral acceleration, brake pressure and
steering wheel angle.
The system uses the steering wheel angle and road speed to calcu-
late the changes of direction intended by the driver, and constantly
compares them with the actual behaviour of the vehicle. If the
desired course is not being maintained (for instance, if the car is
starting to skid), then the ESP compensates automatically by
braking the appropriate wheel.
The forces acting on the braked wheel effectively bring the car back
to a stable condition. If the car is oversteering (rear wheels losing
grip first) the brake application is concentrated on the outside front
wheel; if the car is understeering (front wheels losing grip first), ESP
brakes the inside rear wheel. This automatic brake application is
accompanied by characteristic noises.
The ESP works in conjunction with the ABS ⇒page 197. If a
malfunction should occur in the ABS, the ESP will also be out of
action.
Switching on
The ESP is switched on automatically when the engine is started
and performs a self-test routine. As soon as this routine is complete,
the system switches back to normal operating mode. You can press
the button ⇒fig. 203 or ⇒fig. 204 to switch on the ESP or traction
control system (ASR) if they have been switched off. The message
ESP/ASR on will appear briefly in the display.
Fig. 203 Without MMI:
Centre console with
ESP switchFig. 204 Centre
console with ESP
switch
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Intelligent technology197
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data Switching off
The ESP should normally be left switched on at all times. If required,
you can press the ESP OFF button to switch off the traction control
system (ASR) or the electronic stabilisation program (ESP).
•
Switching off the traction control system (ASR): Press the ESP
button briefly. The traction control system (ASR) can be switched off
in special driving conditions, e.g. if you are driving with snow chains
⇒page 198. The message ASR off will appear in the display.
•
Switching off the ESP/traction control system (ASR): Press the
ESP button for longer than 3 seconds. The ESP/ASR warning lamp
lights up when the system is switched off, see ⇒page 16. The
message ESP switched off will appear in the display.
WARNING
•
The ESP is not able to overcome the physical limits of adhesion.
Even with ESP, you should always adjust your speed to suit the
conditions. Please bear this in mind, especially on wet or slippery
road surfaces. Do not let the extra safety provided tempt you into
taking any risks when driving – this can cause accidents.
•
Please note that, when the ESP or ESP/traction control system
(ASR) is switched off, the driven wheels may start to spin, causing
the vehicle to lose grip, in particular on slippery or wet roads -
danger of skidding!
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up under braking.The anti-lock brake system (ABS) is an important part of the car's
active safety system. However, the ABS will not necessarily guar-
antee shorter stopping distances in all conditions. For instance, on
loose gravel or fresh snow on top of an icy surface (conditions which
anyway require extreme care and reduced speed), the stopping
distance with ABS may even be slightly longer.How the ABS works
The system runs an automatic self-check when the car reaches a
road speed of about 6 km/h. This may be accompanied by a noise
from the ABS pump.
If one of the wheels is turning too slowly in relation to the road
speed, and is close to locking up, the system will reduce the pres-
sure in the brake line to this wheel. The driver is made aware of this
control process by a pulsating of the brake pedal and accompa-
nying noise. This is a deliberate warning to the driver that one or
more of the wheels is tending to lock up and the ABS control func-
tion has intervened. In this situation it is important to keep the brake
pedal fully depressed so the ABS can regulate the brake application
- do not “pump” the brake pedal.
WARNING
The grip provided by ABS is still subject to the physical limits of
adhesion. Always bear this in mind, especially on wet or slippery
roads. If you notice that the ABS is working (to counteract locked
wheels under braking), you should reduce speed immediately to
suit the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
provided tempt you into taking any risks when driving – this can
cause accidents.
Note
If a malfunction should occur in the ABS, this is indicated by a
warning lamp ⇒page 18.Brake assist system
The brake assist system helps the driver to achieve
optimum braking effect.The brake assist system helps to increase braking power and thus to
achieve a shorter stopping distance. If the driver presses the brake
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Intelligent technology 198pedal very quickly, the brake assist system automatically boosts the
braking force to the maximum level, up to the point where the anti-
lock brake function (ABS) intervenes to stop the wheels from
locking. You should then keep the brake pedal pressed until the
vehicle has braked to the required speed. The brake assist system
switches itself off as soon as you release the brake pedal.
The brake assist system will not be operative if there is a malfunc-
tion in the ABS.
WARNING
Please remember that the accident risk always increases if you
drive too fast, especially in corners or on a slippery road, or if you
follow too close behind the vehicle in front of you. An increased
accident risk cannot be compensated even by the brake assist
system, so always be sure to maintain a safe speed.Traction control system (ASR)
The traction control system prevents the driven wheels
from spinning when the car is accelerating.General notes
The traction control system (ASR) is one of the functions incorpo-
rated in the electronic stabilisation program (ESP).
The traction control system (ASR) helps the car to start moving,
accelerate and climb a gradient in slippery conditions where this
may otherwise be difficult or even impossible.
How the system works
The ASR acts automatically i.e. without the driver's intervention.
With the aid of the ABS sensors ⇒page 197, the ASR monitors the
speed of the driven wheels. If the wheels start to spin, the engine
power is reduced automatically to match the amount of grip avail-
able. The system works at all speeds.The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If a malfunction should
occur in the ABS, the ASR will also be out of action.
Switching on
The ESP is switched on automatically when the engine is started
and performs a self-test routine. As soon as this routine is complete,
the system switches back to normal operating mode. If the traction
control system (ASR) has been deactivated (for one of the reasons
noted below) you can switch it back on manually by pressing the
switch ⇒page 196, fig. 203. The message ESP/ASR on will appear
briefly in the display. If the traction control system (ASR) has been
deactivated, it will switch back on automatically at a speed of about
70 km/h on vehicles with front-wheel drive.
You can switch the traction control system (ASR) on again if neces-
sary by pressing the switch ⇒page 196, fig. 203.
Switching off
If required, the ASR can also be switched off manually by pressing
the switch briefly ⇒page 196, fig. 203 (for less than 3 seconds). The
ESP warning lamp lights up when the traction control system (ASR)
is switched off, see ⇒page 16. The message ASR off will appear in
the display. For safety reasons, the system can only be switched off
at speeds below 50 km/h on vehicles with front-wheel drive. The
ASR can be deactivated at any speed on vehicles with four-wheel
drive.
The traction control system should normally remain switched on at
all times. It should only be switched off manually in particular
circumstances where a certain amount of wheel slip may be desir-
able. For example:
•
when driving with snow chains
•
when driving in deep snow or on loose surfaces
•
when rocking the car backwards and forwards to free it.
The ASR should be switched on again afterwards as soon as
possible.
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