________________________________________________ D_r_iv _ i _n_ g~ S_ a_ fe_ ly __ !II
& WARNING (continued)
• Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that
there are at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the
lower part of the instrument panel.
• Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering
wheel rim with your hands at the
9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions
to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag inflates .
• Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with
your hands at other positions inside the steering wheel rim or on
the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the
driver's airbag inflates
• Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the
ability of the supplemental driver's airbag to protect you in a colli
sion .
• Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or
place any part of your body too close to the area where the airbags
are located.
• Before driving, always adjust the front seats and head
restraints properly and make sure that all passengers are properly
restrained .
• Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat
may move unexpectedly and you could lose control of the vehicle.
• Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The
farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper
seating position.
• Children must always ride in child seats=>
page 157. Special
precautions apply when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat =>
page 135. •
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the ris k of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the
seat for the front passenger to the following pos ition:
- Move the front passenger seat back as far as possible.
There must be a minimum of 10 inches (25 cm) between
the breastbone and the instrument panel =>
&.
- Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in an upright
position and your back comes in full contact with it
whenever the vehicle is moving.
- Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge is as
even with the top of your head as possible but not lower
than eye level and so that it is as close to the back of your
head as possible =>
page 119.
-Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the front
passenger seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly=>
page 129.
For detailed information on how to adjust the front passenger's
seat, see => page 69.
& WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out of position or too
close to the airbag can be seriously injured or killed by the airbag
as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury : .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
---------------------------------------------------=D..:.r..:..iv .:....:..: in..:. 9 ::!-- S .=..::a:..:f...:e :..: l~y ---
& 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.
& 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.
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
• 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.
Vehicle care
co N
9
g!
Fig. 99 Safe load posi
tioning: heavy cargo
positioned as far
forward as possible. ..
Do-it-yourself service Technical data
lllffl Driving Safely
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 (TIY: 1-800-424-9153)
or write to:
Administrator NHTSA
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
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 Transport Canada, Defect Investigations and Recalls, may tele
phone the toll free hotline:
Tel.: 1-800-333-0371
or contact Transport Canada by mail at:
Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation
Di recto rate
Transport Canada
Tower C, Place de Ville, 330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N5
For additional road safety information, please
visit the Road Safety website at:
http://www. tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/menu .htm •
-Safety belts ----=-----------------
& WARNING
Improperly positioned
safety belts can cause serious personal
injury in an accident.
• Expectant mothers must always wear the lap portion of the
safety belt as low as possible across the pelvis and below the
rounding of the abdomen.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important infor
mation =>
& in "Fastening safety belts" on page 129. •
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release button only
after the vehicle has stopped.
Fig . 109 Releasing the
tongue from the buckle
-Push the red release button on the buckle=> fig. 109. The
belt tongue will spring out of the buckle=>& .
- Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you guide the belt
tongue to its stowed position.
& WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing so
will increase your risk of being injured or killed .•
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause severe inju
ries.
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause serious injury or
death. Safety belts can only work when they are correctly 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
and strikes an occupant who is not in the correct seating
position . A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehic le
occupants and especially for children. Therefore :
- Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect sitting posi
tion in the vehicle while traveling=>&.
& WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.
• Always make sure that all vehicle occupants are correctly
restrained and stay in a correct seating position whenever the
vehicle is being used.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important infor
mation
=> page 128. •
__________________________________________________ A_ i _r_b _a...; g::-- s_ y =--- s_t _e _m __ ftllll
passeng er seat shou ld be turn ed off or not~ page 137, "Ch ild
restr aint s o n the fro nt seat - some impor tant thin gs to know".
• A sensor in the safety belt latch fo r the d rive r and for the front
s e at pass enger th at s enses wh ether th at safe ty belt i s la tch ed o r not
and transmits this information to the e lectronic contro l unit.
& WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can prevent the front airbag
from working properly .
• Improper repair or disassembly of the front passenger and
driver seat will prevent the Advanced Airbag System from func
tioning properly .
• Repairs to the front passenger seat must be performed by qual
ified and properly trained workshop personnel .
• Never remove the front passenger or driver seat from the
vehicle.
• Never remove the upholstery from the front passenger seat .
• Never disassemble or remove parts from the seat or disconnect
wires from it.
• Never carry sharp objects in your pockets or place them on the
seat . If the weight-sensing mat in the passenger seat is punctured
it cannot work properly.
• Never carry things on your lap or carry objects on the
passenger seat . Such items can increase the weight registered by
the weight-sensing mat and send the wrong information to the
airbag control unit .
• Never store items under the front passenger seat . Parts of the
Advanced Airbag System under the passenger seat could be damaged , preventing them and the airbag system from working
properly.
• Never place seat covers or replacement upholstery that have
not been specifically approved by Audi on the front seats.
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
• Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag System from
recognizing child restraints or occupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from
deploying properly.
• Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or similar items on the
front passenger seat. The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from accurately registering the
child restraint or person on the seat and prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from functioning properly .
• If you must use a child restraint on the front passenger seat
and the child restraint manufa cturer's instructions require the use
of a towel , foam cushion or something else to properly position
the child restraint, make certain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on , immediately install child restraint in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer. •
How the Advanced Airbag System
components
work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the side airbags suppl ement
the protection offe red by t he front t hree -point safety bel ts with
pretens ioners and load limiters and the ad justable head restraints
to help reduce the risk of in jury in a wide range of accident and
c ras h situati ons. Be sure to read t he impo rtant inf ormatio n abou t
safety and heed the WARNI NGS in th is chapter.
D ep loym ent of the A dva nce d Ai rbag Sy stem and the activati on of
th e safety be lt pretension ers depend on the decel eration measur ed
b y the c ra s h sens ors and regis te re d by th e electr onic control unit.
C rash severity depends on speed and decel eration as we ll as t he
mass and s tiff ness of the veh ic le or object in vo lved in the crash.
9J.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
___ C_ h_ il_ d _S_ a_fe _ ty ______________________________________________ _
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a child
restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer's instruc
tions when installing a ch ild restraint in your vehicle. To
activate the convertible locking retractor:
- Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably on the rear
seat.
- Slowly pull the belt
all the way out .
-Route it around or through the child restraint belt path
=>& -
- Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight.
- Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that seating
position.
- Guide the safety belt back into the retractor unt il the belt
lies flat and snug on the child safety seat .
- You should hear a "clicking" noise as the belt winds back
into the inertia reel. Test the convertible locking retractor
by pulling on the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The convertible locking
retractor is now act ivated.
- Make sure that the red release button is facing away from
the child restraint so that it can be unbuckled quickly.
- Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt is properly
tight and fastened so that the seat cannot move forward or sideways more than one inch (2 .5 cm) .
& WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an improperly installed child
restraint can cause serious personal injury or death in a crash.
• Always make sure that the safety belt retractor is locked when
installing a child safety seat. An unlocked safety belt retractor
cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or
in a crash.
• Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a
child is not sitting in it. A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a crash.
• Always make sure the seat backrest to which the child restraint
is installed is in an upright position and securely latched into place
and cannot fold forward. Otherwise, the seat back with the child
safety seat attached to it could fly forward in the event of an acci
dent or other emergency situation.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=>
page 157. Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat=>
page 137, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know" .•
Deactivating the convertible locking retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child restraints will
be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all
the way back into the retractor.
-Press the red button on the safety belt buckle. The belt
tongue will pop out of the buckle.
- Guide the belt all the way back into its stowed position .
Always let the safety belt retract completely into its stowed position.
The safety belt can now be used as an ordinary safety belt without
the convertible locking retractor for child restraints.
IJll-
Child Safety -
--------------------''---
If the convertible locking retractor should be activated inadvert
ently, the safety belt must be unfastened and gu ided co mple te ly
back into its stowed position to deactivate this feature. If the
convertible lock ing retractor is not deactivated, the safe ty be lt will
gradually become tighter and uncomfortab le to wear.
& WARNING
Improper ly in stalled child safet y seat s in crea se the risk of seri ous
personal injury and death in a colli sion.
• Never unfasten t he safety belt to d eactivate the c onvertible
locking retractor for child re straint s while the vehicle is moving .
You would not be re strained and could be seriou sly injured in an
accid ent.
• Alway s re ad and heed all WARNINGS whenever us ing a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=:>
page 15 7. Spec ial precau
tion s app ly when in stalling a child safety se at on the fr ont
p assen ger seat =:>
pag e 13 7, "Child re straint s on the front seat -
s ome important thing s to know ".•
Additional Information
What types of child restraint anchors are
available and how are they related to child
safety?
For years, child restraints have been installed using the safety belts
a lready present i n every vehicle.
Since September 1, 1999, chi ld restraint manufacturers have been
providing tether straps that attach the top of the child restraint to
the vehicles structure, on most of their forward -facing systems in
order to comply with U.S. Federa l regu lations for child restraint
performance in a crash. Vehicle manufacture rs are required to
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
phase-in tether anchorages for attachment of the tether strap in
t heir U.S. vehic les beg inn ing September 1, 1999 .
The combination of the tether anchorages and the lower anchor
ages is now genera lly called the
LATCH system for " Lower Anchors
and Tether for C hildren".
( T he term "ISOFIX" regarding lower anchorages had been used by
Audi and other manufacturers in t he pas t, but LATCH is now the
standard name for the new child restraint anchorage system.)
Some child restraint system manufacturers have been providing
tether straps on certain models o f their child restraint systems,
either as standard equipment or as a retrofit, for severa l years.
Check w ith the manufacturer of the child restraint sys te m f or tether
strap availabi lity.
To provide a simpler and more practicable way to attach the child restraint system on the vehicle seat, U.S . Federal regu lations require
t he phase -in of lower anchorages in veh icles an d devices on new
child restraint systems to attach to the veh ic le ancho rages .
Child restraint system manufacturers will probably offer two kinds
of lower anchorages on their child safety seats
They cou ld come with:
• hook-on or push-on connectors attached to adjustable straps or
• rigid latches on bars that extend out the back of the child
restraint and are released with re lease buttons at the bottom of the
child restraint.
I n addition to the LATCH lower anchorages, both of these child
restra int systems use tether straps to help keep the chi ld restraint
system firmly in p lace. •
Where can I get additional information about
child restraint application and usage?
There are a numbe r of sources of additional information about child
restra int select ion, installation and usage: _.,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
If t he brakes ar e not used frequently , or if corrosion has for med on
th e d iscs, i t is adv isa ble to cl ean off the pads a nd disc s by braki ng
firm ly a f ew times from a moderate ly high speed=:> &.
Faults in the brake system
I f yo u shou ld notice a
sudden i ncrease in bra ke pedal trave l, then
o ne of th e two b rake c ircui ts may hav e fa iled =:>& .
Low brake fluid level
M alf unc tions ca n occu r in the br ake system if th e b ra ke flu id leve l is
too low . Th e brake fluid level is monitored e lectronica lly.
Brake lining wear status
B ra ke l inin g wea r may be c hec ked by v is u al inspection of the condi
tion o f the b rake pads t hrou gh the ope ning s in th e wheel. If neces
sary, the wheel may be removed for this inspection=:> page 268,
' 'W hat s hou ld I be aw are o f wh en ch ang ing a ti re ?".
Brake power assist unit
T he bra ke po wer assist unit increas es the pressure that you
generate with the b ra ke peda l. It work s only when the engine is
r u n nin g.
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit . Other
road users must not be put at risk -you may cause an accident!
• Before descending a steep grade , reduce speed and shift trans
mission into a lower gear or lower driving position . Do not ride the
brakes 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 . This may cause the brakes to overheat ,
premature wear and increased stopping distance .
• Under certain climatic and operating conditions such as
passing through water , driving in heavy rain or after washing the
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
& WARNING
(continued )
vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winter ,
ice can accumulate on the brake pads , linings , discs and drums .
Cautiously apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few cautious 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 discs and pads with a few
cautious brake applications.
• If you damage the front spoiler , or if you install a different
spoiler, be sure the air flow to the front brakes is not obstructed.
Otherwise the brake system could overheat reducing the effective
ness of the entire brake system.
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increased 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 brake booster is not working, for example 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 CABS)
ABS preve nts th e wheels from lo cking under br aking.
The anti -loc k brake syste m (ABS) makes a major contribution to
i nc reas ing active d rivi ng sa fety . You s ho ul d not e xp e ct that braki ng
distances wi ll be
shortened und er all circumstances with ABS .
B ra kin g dis tance may even become s omewhat lon ger, for exa mple,
on gravel or in new snow on s lippery ground, even if you are driving
c aref ully a nd s lowly .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data