2009 AUDI A4 CABRIOLET Owners Manual

Driving Safely ---------------=------=~
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an important part
of your vehicle's occupant restraint system and can help
to reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations.
Fig . 156 Correctly
adjusted head restraint
viewed from the side
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to achieve
the best protection.
- Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge of the
restraint is level with the top of your head, but no lower
than eye level and so it is as close to the back of your
head as possible
=> fig . 156.
Adjusting head restraints=> page 95 and=> page 98.
The head restraints on the rear seats are fixed and cannot be
adjusted =>
page 101.
& WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with improperly adjusted head
restraints increases the risk of serious injuries in a collision . To
help reduce the risk of injury:
• Always drive with the head restraints in place and properly
adjusted .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(continued)
• Every person in the vehicle must have a properly adjusted head
restraint.
• Always make sure each person in the vehicle properly adjusts
their head restraint. Each head restraint must be adjusted
according to occupants' size so that the upper edge is as even
with the top of the person's head, but no lower than eye level and
so it is as close to the back of to the head as possible .
• Never attempt to adjust head restraint while driving. If you
have driven off and must adjust the driver headrest for any reason,
first stop the vehicle safely before attempting to adjust the head
restraint .
• Children must always be properly restrained in a child restraint
that is appropriate for their age and size=>
page 190.
[ i] Tips
In the event of a rear collision, the shape of the seat specifically
supports the upper part of the body and the head is supported at an
early stage. This increases the protective action and decreases the
risk of whiplash. •
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce the risk of
injury if vehicle occupants ore properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious injury or
death. Safety belts can only work when they are properly
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 ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Driving Safely
_---:;.._----=------------------
and strikes
an occupant who is not in the proper seating
position. A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle
occupants and especially for children. Therefore:
Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect seating posi ­
tion when the vehicle is being used~&, .
The following bullets list only some sample positions that will
increase the risk of serious injury and death. Our hope is that these
examples will make you more aware of seating positions that are
dangerous.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving: • never stand up in the vehicle
• never stand on the seats
• never kneel on the seats
• never ride with the seatback reclined
• never lie down on the rear seat
• never lean up against the instrument panel
• never sit on the edge of the seat
• never sit sideways
• never lean out the window
• never put your feet out the window
• never put your feet on the instrument panel
• never rest your feet on the seat cushion or back of the seat
• never ride in the footwell
• never ride in the cargo area
& WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.
& WARNING (continued)
• Always make sure that all vehicle occupants stay in a proper
seating position and are properly restrained whenever the vehicle
is being used . •
Driver and passenger side footwell
Important safety instructions
& WARNING
Always make sure that the knee airbag can inflate without inter­
ference. Objects between yourself and the airbag can increase the risk of injury in an accident by interfering with the way the airbag
deploys or by being pushed into you as the airbag deploys.
• No persons (children) or animals should ride in the footwell in
front of the passenger seat.
If the airbag deploys, this can result in
serious or fatal injuries .
• No objects of any kind should be carried in the footwell area in
front of the driver's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping
bags, for example) can hamper or prevent proper deployment of
the airbag. Small objects can be thrown through the vehicle if the
airbag deploys and injure you or your passengers. •
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and must never
be interfered with by a floor mat or any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without interference and that
nothing prevents them from returning to their original positions.
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Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free and can be
secured with floor mat fasteners.
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal travel is required to
bring the vehicle to a full stop.
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss of vehicle control
and increase the risk of serious injury.
• Never place any objects in the driver's footwell. 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!
• Always make sure that nothing can fall or move into the
driver's footwell. •
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely attached to
the floor mat fasteners and do not interfere with the free
movement of the pedals.
-Make sure that the floor mats are properly secured and
cannot move and interfere with the pedals~&.
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area unobstructed and that
are firmly secured so that they cannot slip out of position. You can
obtain suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi Dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached to these fasteners.
Properly securing the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into
positions that could interfere with the pedals or impair safe opera ­
tion of your vehicle in other ways .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a loss of vehicle
control and increase the risk of serious personal injury.
•
Always make sure that floor mats are properly secured .
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings in the
vehicle that cannot be properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the pedals or the ability to control the vehicle.
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings on top
of already installed floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal area and interfere with
the pedals.
• Always properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have been
taken out for cleaning .
• Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver foot­
well while the vehicle is moving. Objects can become trapped
under the brake pedal and accelerator pedal causing a loss of
vehicle control . •
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly stowed
and secured in the luggage compartment.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can shift
suddenly, changing vehicle handling characteristics. Loose
items can also increase the risk of serious personal injury in
a sudden vehicle maneuver or in a collision.
- Distribute the load evenly in the luggage compartment . ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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- Alw ay s place an d prop erly secure h eavy items in the
luggage com partm en t as fa r fo rwa rd as possi ble.
& WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can fly through the
vehicle causing ser ious personal injury in the event of hard br aking
or an a ccident. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury :
• Always put objects , for e xample , luggage or other heavy items
in the luggage compartment.
& WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehicle handles. To help
reduce the risk of a loss of control leading to serious personal
injury :
• Always keep in mind when transporting heavy objects , that a
change in the center of gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
-Always distribute the load as e venly as possible .
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the luggage compart -
ment as possible .
• Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gros s
Vehicle Weight Rating specified on the safety compliance sti cker
on the left door jamb. Exceeding permis sible weight standards
c an cau se the veh icle to slide and handle differently .
• Please ob serve information on safe driving:::::,
page 146.
& WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from being dra wn into the
vehicle , always keep the rear l id clo sed while driv ing.
• Ne ver t ransport obje cts larger than those fitting completely
into the luggage area because the rear lid cannot be fully closed.
& W ARNING (continued )
• If you absolutely must drive with the rear lid open, observe the
following notes to reduce the risk of poisoning :
- Close all windows ,
- Close the power top ,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument panel ,
- Switch off the air recirculation ,
- Set the fre sh air fan to the highest speed .
& WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all windows , the power roof and
the rear lid are securely closed and locked to reduce the ri sk of
injury when the vehicle is not being used.
• After closing the rear lid , always make sure that it i s properly
closed and locked .
• Never leave your vehicle unattended especially with the rear lid
left open. A child could crawl into the vehicle through the luggage
compartment and close the rear lid becoming trapped and unable
to get out . Being trapped in a vehi cle can le ad to serious personal
injury.
• Never let ch ildren play in or around the vehicle.
• Never let pa ssengers ride in the luggage compartment . Vehicle
occupants must always be properly restrained in one of the
vehicle's seating po sition s.
[ i ] Tips
• Air circu lat io n helps to reduce window fogg in g when the power
top is c losed. Stale air escapes to the outside through slots in the
t rim pa nels o n both sides of the luggage co mpartment. Make sure
that these s lots are not b locked. _.

• The tire pressure must correspond to the load -see the tire pres ­
s ur e s tick er on d river 's s ide B-p ill ar o r insid e t he f uel fill er fla p.•
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
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 Adminis­
tration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA re ceives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a
safety defects 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:
Tel.: 1 -888 -327 -4236 (TTY: 1 -800 -424 -9153)
or write to:
Admini strator
NHTSA
1200 New Jersey Avenue , SE
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Driving Safely 1111
Washington
, D.C. 20590
You can also obtain other information about motor vehicle safety from:
http: //www.safercar.gov
Applicable to Canada
Canadian customers who wish to report a
safety -related defect to Tran sport Canada ,
Defect Investigations and Recall s, may tele­
phone the toll free hotline:
Tel.: 1 -800 -333 -0371
or conta ct Transport Canada by mail at:
Road Safet y and Moto r Veh icle Regulation
Directorate
Transport Canada
Tower C, Place de Ville, 330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, ON K1 A 0N5
For additional road safety information , please
vi sit the Road Safety web site at:
http:/ /www.tc.gc.ca /roadsafety /menu.htm •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Automatic rollover protection system
Function
The automatic roll over protection system helps to protect
the passengers in case the vehicle turns over.
1J ~
I ...
,
... . ' : :
: :
'
F ig . 157 Rear sea ts:
ex te n sio n area o f ro ll­
over ba rs
F ig . 158 Rea r sea ts :
r ollo ver bars up and
full y dep loyed
The automatic rollover protection system cons ists of these compo ­
nents:
• two solid rollover bars
• the safety bel ts with belt tensioners
• the windshield frame
• the ro llover sensor system. The automatic rol
lover protection system provides additional
protection in case the vehicle ro lls over. As the vehicle starts to tilt,
the sensors activate the two rollover bars located behind the rear
seats to shoot up wi thin a fraction of a second~ fig. 158 .
In combinat ion with the reinforced windshield frame and the bel t
tensioners, the rollover p rotection bars help to protect the passen ­
gers in the front and in the rear in case of a rollover.
The automatic rollover protection system activates with the power
top open
and closed.
& WARNING
Do not place any obje cts in the ar ea be hind the r ear seats
~ fig . 157. T his is the e xact area where the rollover b ars will shoot
up wh en th e syst e m i s triggered . An y ob jects si tting in th is s pac e
w ill be cata p ulte d into the inter ior. Depending on the ir wei ght,
object s pl ace d there can also s lo w do wn rap id deploym ent of th e
r o llover bars. -Ri sk of seri ou s inj ur y or deat h! •
When is the rollover protection system
triggered?
T he rollover protection system is triggered in a collisi on or
if the vehicle overturns in an accident.
The electronic control unit processes the signals from the on -board
sensors, evaluates vehicle motion and forces act ing on the vehic le.
Depending on the severity of the co llision, the control unit then acti ­
vates the rol lover protection system .
If the vehicle rol ls sideways beyond a certain angle , the first action
is to extend the ro llover bars . If the vehicle rolls further, the system
wil l additional ly activate the front belt tensioners and, if there are
passengers on the rear seats and they are wearing the safety belts,
the rear belt tensioners as well. ..,

To provide extra safety, the rollover protection system is also acti­
vated in head -on, side and rear -end collisions if the impact is severe
enough. •
Lowering the rollover protection bars after
deployment
Lower the rollover protection bars only if the bars were
automatically deployed without the vehicle actually
colliding or overturning.
0
9 :,:
"' m
~
"' 0 ±
"' m
Fig . 159 Extended roll­
over bar with release
lever.
Fig. 160 Rollover bar
with the power top
base frame raised
straight up
If the rollover protection system deployed the rollover bars
without the car actually overturning or colliding, you can
lower the roll bars yourself without having to use a special
Safety first
Driving Safely
tool. Once it has been lowered, the rollover protection
system is once again fully operational. If you do not feel
comfortable doing this sort of work, have it done by a
professional mechanic.
With the power top open
- Push the lever=> fig. 159 downward to the left in the
direction indicated by the arrow and keep holding it
down.
- Now simultaneously push the rollover bar down.
Release the lever an inch or two before you push it back
in completely.
- Then press the rollover bar all the way down until you
hear it engage.
- Check to make sure the rollover bar is securely engaged
before you release your grip on the bar.
- Close the cover@=> fig. 160.
- Perform the same procedure on the second rollover bar.
With the power top closed
-Turn on the ignition .
- Press the power top switch to raise the base frame with
the rear window until it stands straight up=> fig. 160.
- Press the lever=> fig. 159 down and to the left in the
direction indicated by the arrow and keep holding it
down.
- Now simultaneously push the rollover bar down.
- Release the lever an inch or two before you push it back
in completely. .._.
~ehicle care irechnical data

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- Then press the rollover bar all the way down until you
hear it engage.
Check to make sure the rollover bar is securely engaged
before you release your grip on the bar.
Close the cover @~ page
157, fig. 160 .
- Perform the same procedure on the second rollover bar.
- You can now open and close the power top again.
& WARNING
• If there is a problem in the rollover protection system, the
system must be checked by a professional mechanic as soon as
possible.
If this is not done, there is a risk that the rollover protec­
tion system may not be activated in the event of an accident.
• No modifications of rollover protection system components
are permitted.
• Work on the rollover protection system must only be done by a
professional mechanic . Improperly performed work can cause the
system to fail or release unintentionally, possibly causing an
injury!
• Always have your vehicle serviced whenever the service
interval display indicates that it is time for service . This will ensure
that the system will operate properly over the long term. The roll­ over protection system must be checked by a professional
mechanic every two years or sooner. •