& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a crash.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System .
A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the
inflating airbag hits the child safety seat or infant carrier with
great force and smashes the child safety seat and child against the
backrest, or door=>
page 137, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know" .
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat.
• Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the forward-facing
direction. Such restraints are designed for the special needs of
infants and very small children and cannot protect them properly
if the seat is forward-facing.
• 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 .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=>
page 125 , "Safety belts",
=> page 135, "Airbag system" and=> page 157, "Important things
to know". •
Safety first
Child Safety
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats can help
protect toddlers and children over age one who weigh
between 20 and 40 lbs. (10 and 20 kg) in a crash.
Fig. 119 Rear seat:
smalle r child in a prop
erly installed forward
facing convertible child
safety seat
When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat, you must first activate the convertible locking
feature on the safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving :::;,
page 168 or install the seat using the
LATCH attachment .
Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot
move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm)
:::;, page 168 .
A toddler or child is usually too large for an infant restraint if it is
more than one year old and weighs more than 22 lbs. (10 kg).
Toddlers and children who are older than one year up to about 4
years old and weigh more than 22 lbs (10 kg) up to 40 lbs . (18 kg)
should be properly res trained in a child safety seat certified for their
size and weight=> fig. 119 .
The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a child to ride . The front seat is not the safest •
Vehicle care I I Technical data
____________________________________________ __:C:::. h :....:..:..:. il.:::d ~S :::.:::a.:.:fe :::. t:.! y~ _ffllll
& WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must install a forward or
rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat in
exceptional situations:
• Whenever a forward or rearward -facing child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat , the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light must come on and stay on whenever the ignition is
switched on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on , perform the checks described
=> page 146, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System".
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on .
• Improper installation of child restraints can reduce the ir effec
tiveness or even prevent them from providing any protection .
• An improperly installed ch ild restraint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child.
• Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
• Never place additional items on the seat that can increase the
total weight registered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause
injury in a crash .
& WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
• 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 .
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued )
• 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 possible before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position .
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on.
& WARNING
Rearward -facing child restraints :
• 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 .
• 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 .
• Always be especially careful if you must install a rearward
fac ing child safety seat on the front passenger seat in e xceptional
circumstances .
• A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight registered can make
the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy
the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is sw itched on .
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on , immediately install the rear-fac ing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
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
_______________________________________________ C_h _ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t..,:c y __ __
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
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 187. 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 182, fig. 130 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 182,
fig. 130. Both deactivation stages can only be activated from normal
mode.
Dea cti vat ing ASR
Tap the switch . Deactivation is indicated by slow 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 all -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 acc ide nt!
• Plea se not e that when ASR or ESP /ASR i s de activ ated , the drive
w heel s ca n spin on icy and slipper y ro ad s an d 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
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
• Be aware of the different than usual steering response and
adjust your steering force accordingly.
• Have the problem checked and set right by an authorized Audi
dealer as soon as possible.
• If a steering malfunction occurs, this is signaled with the or.
~ indicator lights and a warning tone, see.
[ i] Tips
• If the power steering system should fail, or if the engine is not
running (for example, while being towed} , you will still be able to
steer the vehicle. However, more effort will be required to do so.
• If the power steering system is not functioning properly, contact
your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
Ap plies to vehicles : w ith A ll Wheel Drive
0 iving w i h your quattro®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driven.
General information
With All Wheel Drive, power is distributed to all four wheels. This
happens automatically depending on your driving style and the
road conditions at the time. See also=> page
184, "Electronic differ
ential lock (EDU".
Winter tires
When driving in the winter , your vehicle with All Wheel Drive has an
advantage, even with regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-season tires} for improved
driveability and braking : these tires must be mounted on all four
wheels. See also=> page 250, "Winter tires".
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
Snow
chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
also applies to vehicles with All Wheel Drive=> page 251, "Snow
chains".
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with All Wheel Drive must always have tires of the same
size. Also avoid tires with different tread depths . For details see
page => page 246, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels".
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clearance to be used as an
off-road vehicle. It is therefore best to avoid rough tracks and
uneven terrain as much as possible. Also refer to=> page 192.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic conditions. Do not
let the extra safety afforded by All Wheel Drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
• Although the All Wheel Drive is very effective, always
remember that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces.
• On wet road surfaces, be careful not to drive too fast because
the front wheels could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua planing}.
If this should occur, you will have no warning from a
sudden increase in engine speed as with a front-wheel drive
vehicle . Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road condi
tions. -risk of crash. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a full braking
effec t during the first 250 miles (400 kilometres) after they
are installed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" before they have optima l
grab=> &.
During the break -in period, you should avoid putting severe loads
on the brakes. Severe loads include, for example, sudden hard
braking, in particular at very high speeds or, for example, on moun
tain passes.
& WARNING
U ntil the y develop the m axim um "b ite " fo r be st stoppi ng p owe r,
th e s urfaces on new br ake p ads re quir e some " brea king -in " during
th e ini tia l 100 to 150 miles 1 150 to 200 k ilom etres) of nor ma l c ity
driving . You can comp ensa te fo r thi s by press ing the brak e ped al
more fi rml y. T his appl ie s w henev e r ne w pad s a re in sta lled . •
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission control system
(catalytic converter) is fu nctioning properly to ensure that
y o ur vehicle is running in an environmentally s ound
manner.
- Always use lead-free gasoline~ page 211, "Fuel supply".
- Never run the tank down a ll the way to empty.
- Never put too much motor o il in your engine~
page 222,
"Adding engine oi l 'l=:;r\11
•
- Neve r try to push -or tow -s tart your ve hicle.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Dri
ving and environm ent
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean-up" device built into the
exhaust system of the vehicle . The cataly tic converter burns many
of the pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re leased into the
atmosphere.
The exclusive use of un leaded fuel is critica lly important for the l ife
of the catalytic converter and proper functioning of the engine.
& WARNING
• Do not park or oper ate th e ve hi cle in are a s whe re the hot
exha ust sys te m may c ome in conta ct wi th dr y grass, bru sh , fu el
s pill or other mat eri al which can cau se a fi re.
• Do not app ly a dditi onal u nder co at ing or ru stpr oofing on or
near the exhau st m anifold , exh au st pipe s, cata ly tic convert er or
he at shi elds. During dri ving, the s ubstance use d f or und ercoa ting
c ould ov erheat an d ca u se a fire.
0 Note
• Be aware that just one tank fi lling with
le ad ed fuel wi ll a lready
seriously degrade the performance of the catalytic converter.
• Do not exceed the correct engine oil level =>
page 222.
• Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes completely empty. The
engine could misfire . Unburned fuel could a lso get into the exhaust
system and this could cause the catalytic converter to overheat .
• Do not turn off the igni tion wh ile the vehicle is moving.
• Do not continue to operate your vehicle under these conditions,
as otherwise fue l can reach the cata lytic converter. This could resu lt
in overheating of the converter, requiring its replacement .
• To assure efficient operation of the Emiss ion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with
the service recommendations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data