• ....__D_ r_iv _i_ n_, g=-- S_ a _ f_e _,Ly _ ______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
• Passengers must always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Passengers who are unbelted, out of position or too close to
the airbag can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
• Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between the front passenger's breastbone and the instrument
panel.
• Each passenger must always sit on a seat of their own and
properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
• Before driving, always adjust the front passenger seat and
head restraint properly. • Always keep your feet on the floor in front of the seat. Never
rest them on the seat, instrument panel, out of the window, etc.
The airbag system and safety belt will not be able to protect you properly and can even increase the risk of injury in a crash.
• 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 safety seats~
page 222.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat
~ page 200. •
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both feet on
the floor consistent with their physical size and be prop
erly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect seating
position in the event of a sudden braking maneuver or an
accident, your passengers on the rear bench seat must
always observe the following:
- Make sure that the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position ~
page 84.
- Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of the rear seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts properly ~
page 194.
- Make sure that children are always properly restrained in a
child restraint that is appropriate for their size and age
~ page 222.
& WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the rear seat can be seri
ously injured in a crash.
• Each passenger must always sit on a seat of their own and
properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
• Safety belts only offer maximum protection when the seatback
is securely latched in the upright position and the safety belts are
properly positioned on the body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal injury from improperly
positioned safety belts! •
Driving Safely 11111
----------------------------------------=--- =---
App lies to vehicles : w ith adjusta ble head restrai nts
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. 180 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~
page 181, fig. 180.
Adjusting head restraints=> page 82.
& WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with head restraints that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of serious or fatal neck
injuriy dramatically. To help reduce the risk of injury:
• Always drive with the head restraints in place and properly
adjusted.
• Every person in the vehicle must have a properly adjusted head
restraint.
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(continued)
• 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 222. •
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce the risk of
injury if vehicle occupants are 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 effective
ness 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 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 bulletins list only some sample positions that will
increase the risk of serious injury and death. Our hope is that these .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
• ....__D_ r_iv _i_ n_, g=-- S_ a _ f_e _,Ly _ ______________________________________________ _
examples will make you more aware o f seat ing pos itions that are
d ang erou s.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
• never s tand u p in the ve hicle
• never stand on the seats
• nev er knee l on the seats
• never ride with t he se atb ack reclined
• never lie dow n on the rear seat
• neve r lean up agains t th e i nstr ument pane l
• never sit on the edge of the seat
• never sit s ideways
• never le an out the w indow
• never p ut your feet o ut the window
• never p ut your fe e t on th e ins trumen t panel
• never rest your feet on t he se at cushio n or back of the se at
• never ride in t he footwell
• neve r ride in t he cargo area
& WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.
• Always make sure that all veh icle occupants stay
in a proper
seating position and are properly re strained whenever the vehicle
is being used. •
Driver and passenger side footwell
Applies to veh icles: w it h Knee a irbags
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 pedal s must a lways be free to mov e and must never
b e in terfered wi th by a floor mat or any o ther objec t.
Make s ure tha t all pedals move freely wi thou t inte rference and t hat
nothing prevents them from returning to their or iginal pos it ions.
O nly use floor mats that leave the pedal area free and can be secure d
w it h floor mat fas tene rs.
lfa b rake circuit fails, inc reased brake pedal trave l is req uired to bring
th e ve hicl e to a full stop. .,
• ....__D_ r_iv _i_ n_, g=-- S_ a _ f_e _,Ly _ ______________________________________________ _
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.
- Always place and properly secure heavy items in the luggage compartment as low and as far forward as
possible => fig . 181.
- Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided=>
page 83.
- Make sure that the rear seat back is securely latched in
place.
& WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can fly through the
vehicle causing serious personal injury in the event of hard braking or an accident. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
• Always put objects, for example, luggage or other heavy items
in the luggage compartment.
• Always secure objects in the luggage compartment using the
tie-down eyelets and suitable straps.
& 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 evenly as possible.
& WARNING (continued)
-Place heavy objects as far forward in the luggage compart
ment as possible.
• Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating specified on the safety compliance sticker on the
left door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight standards can cause
the vehicle to slide and handle differently.
• Please observe information on safe driving~
page 176.
& WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from being drawn into the
vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving .
• Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely
into the luggage area because the rear lid cannot be fully closed.
• 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 fresh air fan to the highest speed.
& WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all windows, the power top and
the rear lid are securely closed and locked to reduce the risk of
injury when the vehicle is not being used.
• After closing the rear lid, always make sure that it is 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 .,_
________________________________________________ D_ r_ i_ v _i_n _,,,g "-- S_a_ f_ e_ l _,,y'-- __
& WA RNING (continued)
to get out . Being trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious personal
injury .
• Never let children play in or around the vehicle.
• Never l et passengers ride in the luggage compartment. Vehicl e
occupants must alwa ys be p roperl y res trained in one of the
vehicle 's seat ing posi tions.
(I) Tips
• Air circula tion helps to reduce window fogging. Sta le air escapes
to the outside thro ugh vents in the tr im panel. Be sure to keep these
slots free and ope n.
• Th e tire p ressure m ust co rrespon d to the load . The tire pressure is
show n on the tire p ressu re label. O n USA v ehicles, the tire p ress ure
label is located on the driver's side 8-p illar. On Canada veh icles, the
ti re pressu re lab el is locat ed either on the driver' s sid e B-pillar or
inside the fuel fi lle r flap . The t ire pressure labe l lists the recom
mended co ld tire in flati on press ures f or th e ve hicle at its max imum
capacity weight and the tires that were on yo ur vehicle at the time it
w as m anuf acture d. F or re co m mended ti re p res sur es for normal loa d
conditions, p lease see chapter=>
page 300 . •
Tie-downs
T he l uggage c omp artm ent is equipped with fo ur tie
d ow ns to sec ure l ug gag e a nd oth er ite ms.
Use the t ie-downs to secu re yo ur cargo properly => page 183,
"Lo ading the lugg age comp artmen t" .
I n a co llision, t he laws of physics mean that ev en sma ller items that
are loose i n the vehicle will become heavy missiles t hat can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess e nergy wh ich vary w ith
vehicle speed and the we ight of the item. Vehicle spee d is t he most
signifi cant factor.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
For example,
in a frontal collis io n at a speed of 30 mph (48 km/ h),
t he forces a ctin g o n a 1 0-lb (4 .5 kg) objec t are ab out 20 times the
normal weight of the item . T his means that the weight of the item
wou ld s udden ly be abo ut 200 lbs . (90 kg). You can imagine the inju
ries that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item fly ing freely through the passenger
compartment could cause in a collision like this .
& WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure item s to tie
downs can fail during hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
• Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items
to the tie -downs in the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dangerous missiles.
• When the rear seat backrest is folded down, always us e suit
able mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs
in the luggage compartment to help prevent items from flying
forward as dangerous missiles into the passenger compartment .
• Never attach a child safety seat tether strap to a tie-down .•
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehi cle has a defect
whi ch could cause a crash or could cau se injury
or death, you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying Audi of
Ameri ca, Inc. -.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
___ s_ a_ f_ e_ t_ y~ b_ e_ lt_s _____________________________________________ _
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are necessary, how
they work and how to adjust and wear them correctly.
- Read all the information that follows and heed all of the
instructions and WARNINGS.
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Safety belts are the single most effective means available to
reduce the risk of serious injury and death in automobile acci
dents. For your protection and that of your passengers, always
correctly wear safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
• Pregnant women, injured, or physically impaired persons must
also use safety belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts. The
best way to protect a fetus is to protect the mother -throughout
the entire pregnancy. •
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of four seating positions: two in the front and
two in the rear. Each seating position has a safety belt.
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Never strap more than one person, including small children,
into any belt. It is especially dangerous to place a safety belt over
a child sitting on your lap.
• Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are safety
belts available.
• Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is properly restrained
with a separate safety belt or child restraint. •
Safety belt warning light~
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver and (on
USA models only) front seat passenger to remind you
about the importance of buckling-up.
Before driving off, always:
Fig. 186 Safety belt
warning light in the
instrument cluster -
enlarged
- Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are wearing it
properly . ._
-Make sure that your passengers also buck le up and prop
erly wear the ir safety belts .
- Protect your children with a child restraint system appro-
priat e for the si ze and age of the child ren.
The warn ing light tin the instrument cluster lights up when the igni
tion is switched on as a reminder to fasten the safety belts. In addi
tion, you wi ll hear a war ning sound.
After the ignition is switched on, the warning tone will come on for abou t 6 seconds along with a t warn ing light in the inst rument
cluster if e ither the driver or (on USA models o nly) front seat
passenge r has not fastened their safety bel t. As soon as the driver
and front seat passenger have fastened the safety belt, the warning
tone will stop and the warning light will go out.
If both the driver and front seat passenger have not buckled- up
within about 24 seconds after the warning tone has stopped, the
wa rning tone w ill sound aga in for about 6 seconds. The warn ing tone
w ill sound repeatedly for about 6 seconds at 24 second interva ls unt il
bo th the driver and fron t passenger have bu ckled -up. The safety belt
warning system is active for about 5 minutes and during this time the
warning light in the instrument cluster wi ll stay on.
Fasten your safety b elt now and make sure that your pa ssengers
also properly put on their safety belt s. •
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for people
riding in vehicles .
Fig. 18 7 Unbe lted
occu pant s in a veh icl e
h ea din g for a wall
Fig . 18 8 T he veh icle
cr ash es into t he wall
Th e physical pr incip les are simple. Bot h the vehicle and the passen
gers possess energy which varies with vehicle speed and body weight.
Enginee rs call th is energy "kine tic en ergy ."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater the veh icle's
weight, the more energy that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor.
If the speed doub les
from 15 to 30 mph (25 to SO km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
~
•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to brace the
body in a minor collision. It's simply not true!
Fig . 1 9 1 Driv er is
c or re ct ly re stra ine d in
a s udden bra k ing
m ane uv er
Safety belts used properly can make a big diffe rence. Safety belts
help to keep p assengers in the ir seats, gradually reduce energy leve ls
applied to the body in an accident, and help prevent the uncontrolled
movemen t that can cause serious injuries . In add ition, safety belts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the vehicle.
Safety be lts attach passengers to the car and give them the benefit of
being slowed down mo re gent ly or "softly" through the "give" in the
safety belts, crush zones and other safety features engineered into
today 's vehicles. By "absorbing" the k ineti c ene rgy over a longe r
period of time, the safety belts make the forces on the body more
"tolerable" and less likely to cause injury.
Al though these exam ples are based on a frontal co llision, safety belts
can also substantia lly reduce the risk of injury in other kinds of
crashes. So, whethe r you're on a long tr ip or just go ing to the corner
store, always bu ckle up and make sure others do, too. Accident statis
ti cs show t hat vehicle occupants properly weari ng s afety belts have a
lower risk of being injured and a much better chance of surviving an
acc iden t. Prope rly usi ng sa fe ty belts a lso great ly increases the ab ility
of the supplemental a irbags to do their job in a collision. For this
reaso n, wearing a safety belt is lega lly requ ired in most countr ies
including much of the United States and Canada.
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
Although your Audi is equipped with a irbags, you still have to wear
the safe ty belts provi ded. Fron t airbags, for ex ample, are activa ted
only in some frontal collisions. The front a irbags are not act ivated in
all fronta l co llisions, in side and rear co llisions, in roll overs or i n cases
whe re there is not enough decelerat ion through impact to the front
of the vehicle . The same goes for the ot her airbag systems in your
Audi. So, always wear your safety bel t and make sure eve rybody in
your vehicle is properly restrained! •
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly positioned across
the strongest bones of your body.
- Always wear safety belts as illustrated and described in
this chapter.
- Make sure that your safety belts are a lways ready for use
and are not damaged .
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of seriou s personal injury and death. Safety belts can work
onl y when used correctly .
• Always fa sten your safety belts correctly before dr iving off and
m ake sure all passengers are correctly restrained .
• For ma ximum protect ion, safety belts must always be posi
tioned properly on the body .
• Never st rap more than one person , including small ch ildren,
into any belt.
• Never place a safet y belt over a child s itting on you r lap.
• Always keep feet in the footwell in front of the seat while the
veh icle is being driven. .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data