___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
Airbag system
Important things to know
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For airbags to
do their job, occupants must always properly wear their
safety belts and be in a proper seating position.
For your safe ty a nd the safety of your passengers, before
driving o ff, a lways:
- Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel properly
~ page 202,
-Adjust the front passenger's seat properly~ page 87,
- Wear safety belts properly~ page 214,
-Always properly use the proper child restraint to pro tect
children~
page 245 .
In a collision, airbags must inflate within the blink of an eye and w ith
considerable force. The supplemental airbags can cause injuries if
the driver or the front seat passenger is not seated properly. There
fore in order to help the airbag to do its job, it is important, both as
a driver and as a passenger to sit properly at all times.
By keep ing room between your body and the steering wheel and the
front of the passenger compartment, the airbag can inflate fu lly and
comp letely and prov ide supplementa l protection in certain frontal
collisions =>
page 202, "Proper occupant seating positions". For
detai ls on the operation of the seat adjustment controls=>
page 87.
It's especially important that children are properly restrained
=>
page 245 .
There is a lot that the driver and the passengers can and must do to
help the individual safety features installed in your Audi work
together as a system.
P roper seating position is important so that the front airbag on the
driver side can do its job. I f you have a physical impairment or
condition that prevents you from sitting properly on the driver seat
with the safety belt properly fastened and reaching the pedals, o r if
you have concerns with regard to the function or operation of the
Advanced Airbag System, p lease contact your authorized Audi
dea ler or qua lif ied workshop, or call Audi Customer CARE at 1-800-
822 -2834 for possib le modifications to your vehicle.
When the airbag system deploys, a gas generator wi ll fill the
airbags, break open the padded covers, and inflate between the
steering wheel and the driver and be tween the instrument panel
and the front passenger. The airbags wil l deflate immediate ly after
deployment so that the front occupants can see through the wind
shield again without interruption.
A ll of this takes p lace in the b link of an eye, so fast that many people
don't even rea lize that the airbags have dep loyed . The airbags also
inflate with a great deal of force and nothing should be in their way
when they dep loy. Fron t airbags in combination wi th properly worn
safety belts slow down and limit the occupant's forward movement.
T ogether they help to prevent the driver and front seat passenger
from hitting parts of the inside of the vehicle while reducing the
forces acting on the occupant during the c rash. In this way they he lp
to reduce the r isk of injury to the head and upper body in the crash.
Airbags do not protect the arms or the lower parts of the body .
Both front airbags w ill not in flate in al l fro ntal col lisions . The trig
gering of the airbag system depends on the vehic le decelerat ion
r ate caused by the colli sion and registe red by the electronic contro l
unit. If this rate is below the reference value programmed into the
cont rol unit, the airbags w ill not be t riggered, even though the car
may be bad ly damaged as a result of the collision. Vehicle damage, .,,,.
Airbag system -----------------=~-
& WARNING (continued )
• 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 pe rson 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 spe cial conditions is
impossible in all conceivable situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle.
• The Advanced Airbag System can deploy in accordance with
the "low risk" option under the U .S . Federal Standard if a child that
is heavier than the typical one -year old child is on the front
passenger seat and the other conditions for airbag deployment
are met.
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position .
• For their own safety , all children , especially 12 years and
younger , should always ride in the back properly restrained for
their age and size. •
Advanced front airbag system
Your ve hicle is equipped with a front Advanced Airbag System in
c o mp lia nce wi th United States Fede ral Moto r Vehicle Sa fety Stan
dard 208 as appl icab le at the time your vehicle was manufactured.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
T
he front Advanced Airbag System supplements the safety bel ts to
p ro v id e ad ditional p rotecti on for t he dr iver's an d fro nt p assenger's
heads and upper bodies in fronta l cras hes . The ai rbags inflate only
in fro ntal im pac ts whe n the vehic le dece le ra tio n is h igh enoug h.
T he fron t Adva nced Airbag System for the fron t seat occ upa nts is
not a substitute for your safety belts . Rather, it is part of the overa ll
occupa nt rest rai nt syste m in you r veh icle. A lways r em emb er that
the ai rbag system can only help to protect you, if you are sitting
u pr igh t, w ear ing yo ur safety b elt and w earin g it p ro perly . This is w hy
you and your passeng ers must a lways be prop erly r estrained, not
ju st beca use the law req uires y ou to be .
The Ad va nced A irbag System in you r ve hicle has been certi fied t o
meet the " low risk" req uirements f or 3 a nd 6 yea r-o ld child ren on the
p asse nger sid e and very s mall adu lts on t he dr iver s ide. The l ow risk
dep loyment crite ria are intended to he lp reduce t he ris k of in jury
th rough interac tion w ith the front a irb ag that can occur, for
examp le, by being too close to the stee ring whee l and instrument
p a nel wh en the a irbag i nflates.
I n add ition, the s yst em has been cert if ied to comply with the
"su ppressio n" re quir emen ts of the Sa fe ty Standa rd, to tu rn off th e
fr ont a irba g for in fa nts 12 months old and youn ger who a re
rest rained on the front passenger seat in child restraints that are
li ste d i n the Sta ndard:::::,
page 247 , "Child r estrai nts and Adva nced
A irbags".
"S upp ression" req uires the fron t airb ag on th e pas se nger s ide to be
turned off if:
• a child up to a bout one yea r of age is restrained on the front
passen ger seat in on e of the re ar -faci ng or forward -fac in g i nfa nt
restra ints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safe ty Standard 208 with
whi ch the A dvanc ed A irbag Sys tem in your vehic le w as c ertifi ed. For
a listing of the child rest raints that were used to cert ify your
v ehi cle's c om plia nce w ith the US S afet y Standar d:::::,
pag e 24 7,
• weight le ss than a threshold leve l stored in the cont ro l u nit is
d etected on the fr ont passe ng er sea t. .._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
When a person is detected on the front passenger seat, weighing
m ore tha n the to tal weigh t of a c hild that is ab out 1 year old
restra ined in one of the rear -fac ing or forward -facing infant
r es traints (listed in Fede ra l M oto r Vehicle Safe ty S ta ndard
208 with
which the Advanced Airba g System in your ve hic le was certified),
the fro nt airbag on the pas se nge r si de may o r may not dep loy .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li gh t com es o n when the elect ro ni c
contro l unit detects a total weight on the front passenger seat that
requ ires th e front ai rbag to be tur ned off. If th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger side
h as not been tu rned off by the c ontrol unit and can depl oy if the
control unit senses an impact that meets the conditions stored in its memo ry .
If t he to tal we ight on the fro nt passen ge r seat is more t han t hat of
a typical
1 year -old, but less than the weight of a small adult, the
fro nt a irba g on t he passen ger side may dep loy (the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
li ght does not come onl.
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
• a small ch ild that is heav ie r th a n a typ ical 1 yea r-old ch ild is o n
the front passenger seat (regardless of whether the child is in one
o f th e c hild seats listed
~ page 24"11,
• a ch ild wh o ha s ou tg rown chi ld re strain ts is on the fron t
passen ger seat.
If the front passenge r airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
lig ht in the ce nter of t he inst rument panel wi ll co me on a nd stay
on.
The fron t airb ag o n the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht does not i llu m ina te and s ta y lit) i f:
• a small adu lt or teenager is on the front passenger seat
• a passenger who is no t sitt ing up rig ht with the ir back aga inst a
non -reclined bac krest with their feet on the vehicle f loor in front of
t h e seat is on th e fro nt pass enger se at.
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federa l Standard requires
t he a irbag to m eet th e "low ri sk" deploy ment criter ia to he lp reduce the risk of injury through interaction with the airbag. "
Low risk"
d eployme nt occ urs in those cras hes that ta ke place a t lower de ce l
erations as defined in the electronic contro l unit~
page 231 .
Always remember :
Even though your vehicle is equipped with
A dva nced Air bags , th e sa fes t place fo r chi ldren is properly
r estra ined on the back seat. Please be sure to read the important
i nf orm atio n in t he sect ions t hat follow and b e sur e to hee d 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 posit ion in any way, your risk of injury is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injuries 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 220 .
& WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child 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
de signed 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 dur ing the useful life of
your vehicle.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child seat or infant carrier with
great force and will smash the child seat and child against the
ba ckrest , center arm rest , door , or roof .
• Always install rearward -facing child restraints on the rear seat . ..,.
-Airbag system PW,._____ -=--=-----------------
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
1~ J,
i
( ~ I :."!l.t.~ A I ~ )
Fig. 235 Sectio n fr om
th e i nstrument panel:
PAS SENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center of the
instrument pane l => fig.
235 .
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on to tel l
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has
been turned off by the electronic contro l unit . Each time you turn on
the ignition, the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light wi ll flash for a few
seconds and :
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied,
• will stay on if there is a small chi ld or chi ld restraint on the front
passenger seat ,
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight -sensing mat .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on if the
ignition is on and
• a car bed has been installed on the front seat, or
• a rearward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passenger seat, or
• a forward-facing child restraint has been insta lled on the front
passenger seat, or
• the weight registered on the front passenger seat is equal to or
less than the combined weight of a typical 1 year-old restrained in one of the rear
-facing or forward-facing infant restraints listed in
Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which the Advanced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified .
I f the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag wil l not
deploy, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght wi ll stay on. Never
install a rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
the safest place for a child in any kind of child restraint is at one o f
the seating posi tions on the rear seat=>
page 222, "Child restraints
o n the front seat -some important things to know" and=>
page 245,
"Chi ld Safety".
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when one of the
conditions listed above is met , be sure to check the light regularly
to make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light stays on
continuously whenever the ignition is on. If the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not appear on and does not stay on all the time,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turning the ignition off and then turning
it on again;
• remove and reinstal l the child restraint. Make sure that the child
restraint is properly insta lled and that the safety belt for the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed through the child restraint
as described in the child restraint manufacturer's instructions;
• make sure that the convertible locking feature on the safety belt
for the front passenger seat has been activated and that the safety
belt has been pulled tight . The belt must not be loose or have loops
of slack so that the sensor below the safety belt latch on the seat can
do its job =>
page 255.
• make sure that things that may increase the weight of the child
and child seat are not being transported on the front passenger
seat;
• make sure that the safety belt tension sensor is not blocked .
Shake the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat back and
forth;
• If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child seat to the front
passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes the .,_
___ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
Intelligent technology
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modu les
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 retrieva l or downloading of data stored
by EDR's that were insta lled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash event without 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 vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle operation for diagnost ic 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 vehicle speed, direction, braking as well as restraint system use and performance in the
event of a crash or other condition . Stored data can only be read and
down loaded with special equipment .•
Electron ic Stabilizat ion Program (ESP)
General =nformation
The ESP improves the vehicle stability.
I~
"' " "'
- -
( ra I 5£ IA I -3, )
Fi g. 256 C ente r
co nso le w it h ES P
swi tch
ESP is designed to he lp you maintain vehic le control in situations
where the car approaches the limits of "grip", especia lly when
accelerating and cornering. ESP reduces the risk of skidding and
improves stabil ity under all road conditions .
T he system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc
tions, the ESP wil l also shut down .
How th e sys te m w ork s
The Anti -Lock Brake System (ABS) , Electronic Differential Lock (EDU
and the Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the e lec
tronic stabi lization program . In addition to the data provided by
these functions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure ment data provided by high performance sensors . The rotational
speed of the vehic le about its vertical axis, the lateral acce leration
acting on the vehicle, the brake pressure and the steering angle are
a ll measured .
tenance boo klet. Failure to have your brake pads inspected can
r esult i n reduce d brake pe rfor mance .
On steep slopes , you s hou ld use the braking effect of the engine .
T his way, you prevent unnecessary wear on the bra ke system . If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes down con tinuo usly.
P ump the brakes at intervals.
Moisture or road salt
U nder ce rtain conditions, for example, when driving through water
or very heavy rain, or even after washing your vehicle, the brak ing
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in freezing conditions ice)
on the b rake pads. A few carefu l brake appl icat io n s sh ould d ry o ff
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
Th e eff ectiveness of the b rakes ca n b e re d uce d whe n the ve hicle is
driven on a salt -covered road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you sh ould clean off acc umulated sa lt coat ing from brake d iscs and
pads with a few careful app lications of the brake~&.
Corrosion
T here may be a tendency for dirt to build up on the brake pads and
co rrosion to form o n the discs if the car is not d rive n regu lar ly or
only for short trips with little use of the brakes .
I f the brakes are not used frequently, or if corrosion has fo rmed on
t he d iscs, i t is a dv isab le to clea n off th e pads an d discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderate ly high speed~& .
Faults in the brake system
I f you shou ld notice a sudden increase in brake pedal trave l, then
one of the two brak e circu its 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. T he b rake fl uid level is mon ito red e lect ro nica lly .
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
Brake lining wear status
Brake l ini ng w ear may be checke d by visua l ins pec tion of the co nd i
tion of the brake pads throu gh the open ings in the wheel. If neces
sa ry, the wheel may be removed for this i nspectio n
~ page 353,
"Changin g a whee l".
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit . Other
road use rs must not be put at r isk -you may cause an accident !
• Before descending a steep grade , reduce speed and shift trans
mi ssion into a lower gear or lower driving range . Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This could
cau se 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. This may cause the brakes to overheat ,
premature wear and increased stopping distance.
• Under certain climati c and operating conditions such as
passing through water , driving in heavy rain or after washing the
vehi cle , the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter ,
ice can accumulate on the brake pads , linings , discs and drums .
Carefully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few careful brake applications .
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt -covered roads
without using your brakes can also affect braking efficiency. Clean off accumulated salt coating from brake disc s and pads with a few
careful brake applications .
• If you damage the front spo iler , or if you install a different
spoiler, be sure the air flow to the front brakes is not obstructed.
Otherwise the brake sy stem could overheat reducing the effective
ness of the entire brake system.
• Failure of one brake cir cuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increased stopping distance. Avoid driving the
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
___ D_ r_i v_ in_... g"'- a_ n_ d_ e_ n_ v_i_r _ o _n_ m __ e_n _ t _______________________________________________ _
one half. Never drive faster than the posted speed limit and weather
conditions permit. •
Reducing unnecessary =citing
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
- Shut the eng ine off when you are not driving the vehicle .
- Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the engine run at
idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic jams, when waiting
for trains to pass at rai lroad crossings , or at traffic lights that have
long waits on red. Turning the engine off for just 30 -40 seconds
saves more fuel than is burned starting the engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up fu lly when it is
running at idle. However, wear and noxious emissions are especially
high when the engine is warming up. So you should drive away as
soon as you start the engine and avoid running at high rpms while
the engine is still warming up.
0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting . If warning
lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would
go unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which could result in overheating or other damage to the vehicle or other
property .•
Regu1ar ma1--.tenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
-Have your vehic le serviced at regular intervals .
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an Audi dealer helps to
ensure that it runs properly and economically. The condition of your
vehic le not only affects its safety and abi lity to hold its value, it also
affects
fuel con sumpt ion.
C hec k your o il e ach time you fill your t ank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load and speed.
It is norma l for the oil consumption of a new engine to reach its
lowest va lue after a certain mileage has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) before you can properly assess oil consumption .
This also applies to fuel consumption and engine output .
0 Note
• Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with
the service recommendations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet. Lack of proper ma intenance as well as improper use of the
vehic le wi ll impair the function of the emission control system and
cou ld lead to damage.
• Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control
System unless approved by the manufacturer.
• Do not alter or remove any device, such as heat shields,
switches, ignition wires, valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Em ission Control System and other important vehicle
components .•
Fewer short tr ips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high on short
trips.
- Try to avoid driving short dista nces wi th a cold engine. _,
___ T_ r _a_ il_e _r_ t_ o_ vv_ in__... g,_ __________________________________________________ _
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the rig. Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions
are unfavorable -particularly when going downhi ll.
Reduce vehicle speed
im med ia tel y if the trailer shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to s top the swayi ng by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for vehicles towing
trai lers are lower than for regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes ear ly. When driving downhill, shift into a lower
gear to use the engine braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes a lone can cause them to overheat and fail.
C ool ant t emp era tur e
The coolant temperature gauge=> page 12 must be observed care
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immed iately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flashing
- F- , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
& WARNING
A nyo ne n ot properly re str aine d in a moving vehi cle i s at a mu ch
g re ater ri sk in an accident . Never let any on e r ide in y our car who
is n ot pr operl y wea ring th e re stra ints pr ovided b y Audi . •
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a trailer because of
the additional weight and different weight distribution. Safety, performance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you
l
oad your trailer and operate your r ig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area away from traffic . Keep practicing unti l you
have become comp letely familiar with the way your vehicle-trai ler
combination behaves and responds.
Back ing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a
trailer generally requires steering action opposite to that when backing up your vehic le without a tra iler.
Ma intain a greater distance between your veh ic le and the one in
front of you . You will need more room to stop. To compensate for
the trai ler, you w ill need a larger than norma l turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you nor mally wou ld because of the added load . Make su re you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trai ler befo re changing lanes again .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
[ i ] T ips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break -in period of your vehicle.
• I f you tow a trailer, your Audi may require more frequent main te
nance due to the extra load=>
page 382. •
Parking on a slope
Do n ot park on a slope with a trailer. If it cann ot be
avoi ded, do so only after d oing the followi ng:
When p arking :
-Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone p lace chocks under both the vehicle and
the trailer wheels. ._