
• ....__S_ a_ fe_ t _y=-- b_ e_ lt_s ________________________________________________ _
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give them the benefit
of being slowed down more gent ly o r "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety features engineered
into today's vehicles . By "absorbing" the kinetic ene rgy 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 examp les are based on a frontal co llision, sa fety
belts can a lso substantially reduce the risk of injury in other kinds
of crashes . So, whether you're on a long trip or just go ing to the
corner store, always buckle up and make sure others do, too. Acci
dent statistics show that vehic le occupants properly wea ring safety
belts have a lower risk of being injured and a much better chance of
surviv ing an accident . Properly using safety belts also great ly
increases the abi lity of the supplementa l airbags to do their job in a
collision. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally required in
most countries includ ing much of the United States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags, you sti ll have to wear
t he safety be lts prov ided. Fron t ai rbags, for example, are act iva ted
only in some frontal coll isions. The front airbags are not activated in
a ll frontal co llisions, in side and rear c ollisions, in rol l overs or i n
cases where there is not enough dece leration through impact to the
fron t of the vehicle . The same goes for the ot her airbag sys te m s in
your Audi . So, a lways wear your safety belt and make sure every
body in your vehicle is prope rly restrained! •
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be properly positioned a cross
the s trongest bones o f your b ody.
- Always w ear saf ety belts as i llus trat ed and d escrib ed in
th is cha pter .
- M ake sure that your safety b elt s ar e always read y for use
and a re not d am ag ed.
& 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 co rrectly .
• Alway s fa sten your safety belt s corre ctly before driving off and
make sure all pa ssengers are properly restrained .
• For maximum protection , safety belts mu st always be posi
tioned correctly on the body .
• Never strap more than one person , including sm all children ,
into any single safety belt .
• Never pla ce a safety belt ove r a child sitting on your lap .
• Always keep feet in the footwell in front of the seat while the
v ehicle is being dri ven .
• Never let any person ride with feet on the instrument panel or
s ticking out the window or on the seat .
• Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle i s moving. Doing
so will incre ase your risk of being i njured o r killed.
• Never wear belt s twi sted .
• Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects in or on your
clothing , such a s eye glasses , pens , key s, etc ., as the se may cau se
i njury .
• Never wear the shoulder part of the belt under your arm or
otherwise out of position .
• Several layer s of heavy clothing may interfere with correct po si
tioning of belts and reduce their effe ctiveness .
• Alway s keep belt bu ckles free of anyth ing th at may prevent the
buckle from latching securely.
• Never use comfort clips or devices that create slack in the
s houlder belt . H owever , special clips may be required for the
c orre ct use of some child re straint system s.
• Never allow safety belt s to become damaged by being caught
in door or seat ha rdware . .,_

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;:::;_ s--:.. y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The airbag system can pro vid e supp lemen tal prot ection
to p roperly r es tra ined front seat occu pa nts.
Fig . 130 Location of
driver airb ag: in
s te ering wheel
Fig . 13 1 Locat ion of
front p assenger 's
airbag: in the instru
ment panel
You r ve hicle is equipped w ith a dual -stage front "Adva nced Airbag
System" in comp liance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle
Sa fet y S tanda rd (F MVSS) 208 as app licable at the time your ve hicl e
was manufactu red. Your veh icle is also equipped with s ide airbags
fo r th e d river an d front seat passenge r. The safe ty bel ts for the fr ont
seats have "pretens ione rs" that help to take slac k out of the belt
sy stem. Th e pre tensio ners a re a ls o ac tiv ate d b y the elec tron ic
control un it for t he airbag system . T
he front saf ety be lts also have load limiters to help reduce the
f o rc es a pp lie d t o th e b ody in a cra sh .
T he airbag for the driver is in the steerin g wh eel hub~ fig. 13 0 and
t h e ai rbag fo r the front pas senge r is in the i nstrument panel
~ fig. 1 31. The gene ral loca tion of the airba gs is m arke d "AIR BA G".
T here is a lot you need to know about the airbags in your vehicle . We
u rge you t o rea d th e deta iled inf orma tion about a ir ba gs, s afe ty belts
and child safety in this and the other chapters that make up the
owne r's lite ra tu re. P lea se be s ure to hee d the WAR NINGS· th ey are
e xtremely important for your safety and the safety of your passen
ge rs, especia lly i nfa nts a nd sma ll children.
& WARNING
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
• Even when they deploy, airbags provide only supplemental
protection .
• Airbag work most effectively when used with properly worn
safety belts.
• Therefore , always wear your safety belts and make sure that
everybody in your vehicle is properly restrained .
& WARNING
A person on the front passenger seat, especially infants and small
children , will receive serious injuries and can even be killed by
being too close to the airbag when it inflates.
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front passenger airbag if an infant or a
small child is on the front passenger seat , nobody can absolutely
guarantee that deployment under these special conditions is
impossible in all conceivable situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle .
• The Advanced Airbag System will deploy in accordance with
the "low risk " option unde r the U.S . Federal Standard if a child that .._

-Airbag system ----------------
•
a sma ll ch ild th at is heavi er than a typ ica l 1 ye ar-o ld child is on
th e front p assenger s eat (regar dle ss of whet her the child is in on e
of th e child saf ety seats listed~
page 1 70),
• a chil d w ho h as outgrow n chi ld re str ain ts is on the fr ont
passen ger seat.
I f the fr ont passe nge r ai rbag is tu rned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light in the cent er o f the instrum ent pan el wi ll come on and stay
o n.
The front airb ag o n the passenger si de may
not depl oy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not illuminate and stay l it) if:
• a small ad ult or t eenage r is on the fr ont passenger sea t
• a passenger who is not sitting upright with their bac k against a
n o n-re clined back res t w it h th e ir fe et on th e ve hicle flo or in fr ont of
th e se at is on th e front pass enger s eat.
I f the front pas senger ai rbag depl oys, the Federa l Standard requ ires
the airb ag to me et the "low r is k" dep loy ment criter ia to h elp r educe
th e risk of in jury t hroug h in teraction w ith the a irbag. "Low risk"
de ploy ment occu rs in those c ras hes that ta ke p lace a t low er d ecel
erations as defined in the electron ic contro l unit~
page 157.
Always remember:
P lease be sur e to r ead the i mport ant info rm ation
in th e sections that follow and b e sur e to heed all of the WARN INGS.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates , always wear
safety belts properly.
• If you are unrestrained , leaning forward, sitting sideways or out
of position in any way, your risk of injury is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injur ies and could even be killed if
you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates ·
even with an Advanced Airbag~
page 146 .
& 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 .
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front airbag when a rearward -facing child
restraint has been installed on the front passenger seat , nobody
can absolutely guarantee that deployment is impossible in all
conceivable situations that may happen during the useful life of
your vehicle.
• 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, door, or roof .
• 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
If, in exceptional circumstances , you must install a forward -facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat :
• Always make sure the forward -facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag .
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up against or very
near the instrument panel.
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range , as far away from the
airbag as poss ible , before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position. ..,.

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many different places on
your Audi. Ins tal li n g, r em ovin g, s erv ic ing o r re pairi ng a part in an
area of the veh icle can damage a part of an a irbag system and
prev ent th at system from working pr oper ly in a c ollisio n.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure
that the effect ive ness of the system will not be impai red and that
discarded co mpone nts do not cause inju ry or po llute t he env iro n
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
r isk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover , obstruct , or change the steering wheel horn pad
or airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way.
• Never attach any objects such as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units.
• For cle aning the horn pad or instrument panel , use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moi stened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change the stiffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop
erly .
• Never repair , adjust , or change any parts of the airbag system.
• All work on the steering wheel , instrument panel, front seats or
electrical system (including the installation of audio equipment ,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc .} must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training and spec ial equipment
ne cessary .
• For any work on the airbag system , we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body.
& WARNING (continued)
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter
ference :
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use addit ional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
• The airbag system can be activated only once . After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deployed only once . After an airbag
has been deployed , it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only .
Make sure th at any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Maintenance
& Warranty booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .•
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the vehic le 's suspension system can change the way that
th e A dva nced Ai rbag Sys te m p erform s in a c ras h. F or example,
using tire -rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
ve hicle, c hanging the stiff ness of th e sus pensi on, in clud ing the
springs, suspens ion struts, shock absorbers etc . can chang e the
forces that a re measured by the airbag sensor s and sent to the e lec -
tronic control unit. Some suspension changes ca n, for example, .,_

_1--_l_ n _t _ e _ll _,ig ,_,_ e_n _t _ t_ e_ c_ h_n _o_ l_ o ~g""- y.e- __________________________________________ _
Intelligent technology
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR),
installed by some manufacturers for the express purpose of
capturing data for retrieval after an accident or crash event . EDR's
are sometimes called "crash recorders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or downloading of data stored
by EDR's that were installed in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash event w ithout the owner's
consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an EDR, it is equipped
with a number of electronic control modules for various vehicle systems such as, for example, engine function, emission control, as
well as for the airbags and safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record vehic le-related data
during norma l vehicle opera tion for diagnostic and repair purposes .
The recording capacity of the electronic control modules is limited
to data (no sound is recorded) and only a small amount of data is
actually recorded over a very limited period of time and stored when
a system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some
of the data then stored may relate to vehic le speed, direction,
braking as well as restraint system use and performance in the
even t of a crash or other condition . Stored data can only be read and
downloaded with special equipment.
Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP)
Genel'61
The Electronic Stability Program increases driving
sta bility.
Fig . 142 Cente r
cons ole with ESP
sw itch
With ESP, control over the veh icle is increased in situations when
the vehicle is close to the limits of grip, such as during acce leration
and in curves. ESP reduces the risk of skidding a nd improves vehicle
stability under all road conditions . It operates at all speeds .
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), E lec tronic Differentia l Lock (EDS)
and Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the Elec
tronic Stability Program .
H ow ESP work s
The ESP control unit processes the following data from high-sensi
tive sensors: the rotational speed of the vehicle about its vertica l
axis, fore -and -aft and lateral acceleration forces, brake pressure and
steering angle.
Using steering ang le and vehicle speed, the direction the driver
wishes to travel is determined and continuously compared with
actual vehicle behavior . If the two do not match, for example when

the vehicle begins to skid, ESP brakes the appropriate wheel automatical ly .
The vehicle is stabilized again by the forces acting on the wheel during braking. With an oversteering vehicle (tendency for the rear
end to skid out of the curve), the brake application is mainly at the
front wheel on the outside of the curve, with an understeering
vehicle (tendency to run wide in the curve) at the rear wheel on the
inside of the curve or additionally at the other wheels as needed .
This brake application is accompanied by noises.
ESP works in conjunction with ABS=:>
page 189. If there is ma lfunc
tion in the ABS, ESP is also inoperative .
Activa ting
The ESP is automatica lly activated when the engine is started, and
it performs a self-test. As soon as the test is completed, the system
is in normal operating mode . With ASR deactivated, or with ESP/ASR
deactivated, pressing the button=>
page 184, fig. 142 returns the
system to normal operation.
D eac tiva ting
ESP should norma lly be activated at all times because this ensures
optimum vehicle stability . Only in certain exceptional cases it does
make sense to deactivate Anti -Slip Regulation (ASR) or the Elec
tronic Stability Program !ESP) by pressing the button =:>
page 184,
fig. 142. Both deactivation stages can only be activated from normal
mode.
Dea cti vat ing ASR
Tap the switch . Deactivation is indicated by s low flashing of the ESP
lamp in the instrument c luster. In certain situations (e.g. driving
with snow chains, in deep snow or on loose ground, or when rocking the car free), it may be necessary to deactivate ASR. Deacti
vation is effective only up to a speed of about 45 mph (70 km/h). At higher speeds, ASR is switched on again automatical ly in front
whee l drive vehicles, deactivation is possible only up to about 30
mph (50 km/h). With a ll -whee l drive vehicles, ASR is active above
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
In
te llig ent tec hn olo gy
about 45 mph (70 km/h) and deactivated automatical ly below this
speed.
D eac tiva tin g ES P/ASR
Press the button for more than 3 seconds . Deactivation is indicated
by the ESP lamp in the instrument c luster staying on permanently .
This deactivates the E lectronic Stabi lity Program (ESP) in addition to
ASR . No Electronic Stability System operation and no Anti-Slip
Regu lation is availab le across the entire speed range; ASR and ESP
are activated only when the brakes are used for the duration of the
braking action and remain active until a stab le vehicle condition has
been reached. There is no driving situation which requires ESP to be
deactivated, so this should only be done if the driver's skill and the
traff ic situation permit .
& WARNING
• The limi ts of ph ysics ca nnot be suspe nd ed by E SP. E ven in vehi
cles w ith ESP, you should always adapt your dr iving to road and
tr affi c co ndition s. Thi s is part icul ar ly tr ue on a s lippe ry and wet
road . Do not be te mpt ed b y th e incre as ed safet y prov ided t o ta ke
ri sks - dang er of an accident !
• Plea se note that when ASR or ESP /ASR i s deactivated , the drive
w heel s can spin on icy and slipper y ro ad s and the vehi cle can
break away - da nger of skiddin g!
Ii ] Tip s
In the event of a defect in the rear spoiler system or in Audi
magnetic ride, it can happen that ASR and ASR/ESP cannot be deac
tivated, or they are activated automatica lly in the deactivated
state. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
Electronic differential lock (EOL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
General notes
The electronic differential lock (EDU helps the car to start moving,
accelerate and climb a gradient on surfaces providing poor or
almost no grip. Without EDL, this would be difficult, if not impos
sible.
How the system works
Th e EDL operates automatically. It monitors the rotational speed of
the drive wheels on an axle with the help of the ABS sensors
=> page 189. If a noticeable difference in rotational speed between
the drive wheels on one axle is detected (e.g. on slippery ground
on
one side),
the spinning wheel is braked, thereby transferring power
to the other drive wheel or wheels (all-wheel drivel. This is done up
to a speed of about 60 mph (100 km/hl. Noises from the brake
system signal that wheel spin is being controlled.
Driving off
When driving off, always be sure to keep road conditions in mind as
you accelerate . If one drive wheel spins because it is on a surface
with less grip, gradually increase the pressure on the accelerator
pedal until the car starts to move. The wheel less able to transfer
power spins.
Overheating of brakes
To prevent the disc brake of the braked wheel from overheating if
subjected
to excessive loads, the EDL cuts out temporarily . The
vehicle remains operational and behaves in the same way as a
vehicle without EDL.
As soon as the brake has cooled down, EDL switches on again auto
matically.
& WARNING
• When accelerating on slippery surfaces, such as on ice or snow,
always be careful when depressing the accelerator pedal. Even
with the EDL working, the drive wheels can spin and reduce your ability to control your car. -Risk of crash!
• The increased safety afforded by EDL does not mean that you
can take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
[ i] Tips
If a fault occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also not functioning . This is
indicated by the ABS warning light=>
page 20. •
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulation System prevents the driven
wheels from spinning when the car is accelerating.
General notes
The Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) is integrated in the electronic
stabilization program (ESP). When the vehicle starts up and acceler
ates , the wheels are prevented from spinning by adjusting the
engine power to match the amount of grip available from the road
surface .
How the system works
ASR performs automatically, i.e. without the driver's intervention .
With the aid of the ABS sensors =>
page 189, ASR monitors the
speed of the driven wheels. If the wheels start to spin, the engine
torque is reduced automatically until the tires find enough grip to
lock onto the road surface . The system is active across the entire
speed range.
The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If a malfunction should
occur in the ABS, the ASR will also be out of action .
~

Faults in the brake syst em
If you shou ld notice a sudden i ncrease in brake pedal travel, then
one of the two brake circuits may have failed=>
& -
Low brake fluid level
Ma lfunctions can occur in the brake system if the brake fluid leve l is
t oo low. The brake fluid level is moni tored e lect ronica lly .
Brake pow er assist unit
The brake p ow er assist un it increas es th e pressure that you
generate with the brake peda l. It works only when the engine is
running.
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuver s for the purpose of
c leaning the brake system only if road conditions permit . Other
road users must not be put at ri sk -you may cause an accident!
• Before des cending a steep grade , redu ce speed and sh ift trans
mi ssion into a lower gear or lower driving position . Do not ride the
br akes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This could
cause the brakes to get hot and diminish braking efficiency .
• Do not "ride the brakes " by resting your foot on the pedal when
you do not intend to brake . Thi s may cause the brakes to overheat,
premature we ar and increased stopping distan ce .
• Under certain cl imatic and operating condit ions such as
pas sing through water , driv ing in heavy rain or after washing the
vehicle, the effectiveness of the brake s can be reduced . In winter ,
ice can ac cumulate on the brake pads , linings , discs and drums .
Cautiously apply brakes for a te st. Brakes will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few cautious brake appli cations .
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt -covered road s
without using your brakes can also affect brak ing effic iency . Clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and pads with a few
c autiou s brake applications .
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
& W
ARNING (continued )
• If you damage the front spo iler , or if you install a different
s poiler , be sure the air flow to the front brakes is not obstructed.
Otherwise the brake system could overheat redu cing the effective
ness of the entire br ake system.
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increa sed stopping distance. Avoid driving the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.
• Never let the veh icle roll to a stop with the engine shut off .
• If the b rake booster is not working , for e xample when towing
your vehicle, or because the brake booster has somehow been
damaged , the brake pedal must be pre ssed considerably harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistance . •
Anti- lock brake system (ABS)
ABS p revents the wheel s from loc king unde r br ak ing.
The anti -lock brake sys te m (ABS) makes a major contri but ion to
i ncreasing act ive d riv in g sa fety . You should not expect that brakin g
distances wi ll be
shortened unde r all c ircums tances wi th ABS.
B rak in g distance may even become somewhat
longer , for e xa m ple ,
on gravel or in new snow on s lippery ground, even if you are driving
carefully and slowly.
ABS operation
W hen a veh icle speed o f about 10 mph (20 km/ h) is reac hed , an au to
matic test sequence is run. Some noise from the pum p may be
audible.
I f the speed of a wheel s lows down too much re lative to vehicle
speed and i t starts to lock, br ake pressu re to th is whee l is reduce d.
T his adjustment process can be felt as a
pulsing motion of the b rake
pedal ,
accompanied by some noises. Yo u as the d rive r are in tent io n
a lly being g iven the in fo rmation that the wh eels a re tendin g to lock
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data