• ....__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! •
• ....__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 __ i..: v ....:..i.:...n :.::g ~ S:...:a=- f=-- e= ly~ _-
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss of vehicle control
and in crease the risk of serious injury .
• Never place any objects
in the driver 's footwell. An object could
get into the pedal area and interfer e with peda l function . In ca se
of sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake
or accelerate!
• Always make su re that noth ing can fall o r move into the
driver' s footwe ll. •
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can b e securely attach ed to
the floor mat fasteners and do not interfere with the fre e
movement of the pe dals.
- Make sure that the floor mats are properly secur ed and
ca nnot move and i nte rfere with t he peda ls=> &.
Use on ly floor ma ts t hat leave the pe dal area uno bstr ucted and that
are firm ly sec ured so that they cannot slip out of position . You can
obtain s uita ble f loor mats from yo ur authori zed Audi dea ler .
Floo r mat fas teners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached to these fasteners.
P roperly secur ing t he f loor mats wi ll prevent them from s lid ing into
positions that cou ld interfere with the peda ls or impa ir safe opera
ti on of your veh icle in other ways.
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can re sult in a loss of vehicle
control and inc rease the risk of serious personal injury.
• Alway s make sure that floor mats are properly se cured .
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(co ntinued )
• Never place or in stall floo r m ats 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
c ontrol the v ehicle.
• Never place or install floor mat s or other floor coverings on top
of alr eady in stalled floor mats. Additional floor mat s and other
cove rings will reduce the size of the pedal area and interfere w ith
the pedals .
• Always properly rein stall 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 . Obje cts can become trapped
under the brake pedal and accele rator pedal causing a loss of
vehicle control. •
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and oth er objects must be properly stowed
and secured in the lu ggage comp artment.
Vehicle care
Fig . 181 Safe load
po sitio ning : place
heavy obje cts a s low
a nd as far f orw ard as
possible. .,_
Do-it-yourself service Technical data
• ....__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
___ D_ r_ i_v _i_n -=g "-- S_ a_ f_ e--= Ly,__ _____________________________________________ _
Retracting rollover protection
Fig. 184 Deployed
roll bar w it h r ele ase
loop.
F ig . 18 5 Deployed
rollbar w ith po wer top
frame facing upwar d.
If the rollbars deployed but the vehicle was not involved in a
collision or rollover, you can retract them without special
tools . The system is ready for use again once they are
retracted.
W ith th e power top open
- Pull the loop upward in the direction of the arrow and hold
it in place => fig. 184 .
- Slide the rollbar down .
- Release the loop just before the rollbar reaches its end position by approximately 1-2 in . (3 -5 cm). -
Press the rollbar down until it stops .
- Make sure the rollbar is secure before releasing it.
Close the cover@=>
page 188, fig. 185 .
- Repeat the procedure on the other rollbar.
With the power top closed
- Switch the ignition on .
- Press the convertible switch to adjust the convert ible
frame until it is vertical=>
page 188, fig. 185 .
- Pull the loop upward in the direction of the arrow and hold
it in place=>
page 188, fig. 184.
- Slide the rollbar down.
- Release the loop just before the rollbar reaches its end
position (3-5 cm).
- Press the rollbar down until it stops.
- Make sure the rollbar is secure before releasing it .
- Close the cover@=>
page 188, fig. 185 .
- Repeat the procedure on the other rollbar .
- You can now close the power top again .
& WARNING
• Have the roll over prot ectio n syst em ch ec ked b y your aut ho
rize d Audi d ealer if it i s fault y. Oth erwise th ere is no gua rante e
th at the s yste m wi ll dep loy correctl y in a c ollision.
• Mod ifying th e ro llo ver prote cti on sys te m or indi vid u al compo -
ne nts is no t permit ted.
~
___ s_a_ f_ e_ t_y _ b_e _l_t _s ___________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
• Never let any person ride with their feet on the instrument
panel or sticking out the window or on the seat .
• Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle is moving . Doing
so will increase your risk of being injured or killed .
• Never wear belt s twisted.
• Never wear belts over rig id or breakable objects in or on your
clothing, such as eye glasses, pen s, keys, etc ., a s these may cause
injury.
• Never allow safety belt s to become damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware .
• Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt under your arm or
otherwise out of position.
• Several layers of h eavy clothing may interfere with correct
positioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of the
sy stem.
• Always keep belt buckles free of anything that may prevent the
bu ckle from latching securely.
• Never u se comfort clips or devices that create slack in the
shoulder belt. However, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint systems.
• Torn or frayed safety belts can tear , and damaged belt hard
ware can break in an accident. Inspect belts regularly . If webbing,
bindings, buckles , or retractors are damaged, hav e belts replaced
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Safety be lts that have been worn and loaded in an accident
must be repla ced with the correct replacement safety belt by an
authorized Audi dealer. Replacement may be necessary even if
damage cannot be clearly seen. Anchorages that were loaded
must also be inspected.
• Never remove, modify , disas semble, or try to repair the safety
belts yourself .
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work properly
and can impair the function of the inertia reel ::::>
page 272,
"Safety belts". •
Safety belts
Belt positioner
Th e driver and fr ont passenger se ats are e qui pp ed with
b elt pos itione rs.
Fig. 192 Driver 's seat:
Be lt positioner
Th e fron t seats a re equipped with belt posi tioners so it is easie r to
fasten the safety be lts. The belt posit ioners automatically extend
w hen the door closes and the igni tion swi tch es on=> fig. 192.
T he be lt pos it io ner returns to its starting posit ion aga in when
• the tong ue in the be lt latch engages or the belt was not fastene d
w it hi n 60 s eco nds .
• you switc h the ignition off .
• you open the door.
_____________________________________________ S_a _f _e _t _y_b _e_lt _ s __ _
& WARNING
• Only your authorized Audi dea ler should work on the system or
remove and in stalling system component s when performing other
work .
• The belt positioners could cause injury or damage if they pin ch
people or obj ects when extending or retracting .•
Fastening safety belts
Sea t fir st -everybod y buckle u p!
Fig. 19 3 Belt buc kle
and ton gue on t he
dr iv er's seat
To prov ide maxim um protection, sa fe ty be lts must a lways be
pos it io ned cor rect ly on t he wear er's bo dy.
- Ad just the front seat and head rest ra int p roper ly
=> page 77, "General recom mendatio ns" .
- Make sure the seat b ack of the rear sea t ben ch is in a n
u pright pos it ion and secu rely latche d in place before us ing
the belt=> &.
- Ho ld the belt by the to ngu e and pu ll it eve nly acros s the
ches t and pelvis=> &.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
- Ins
ert t he tong ue into the co rrect b uck le of your seat until
yo u h ear it latch securely=> fig. 193 .
- Pull o n th e be lt to make su re th at it is sec urel y la tched in
th e bu ckle.
Automatic safety belt retractors
Eve ry safety be lt is equipped w ith an automatic belt retracto r o n the
shoulder be lt. T his fea ture loc ks th e be lt when the bel t is pulled out
fast, during hard bra king and in an acc ident. The belt may also lock
w hen you dr ive up or down a steep hill or through a sharp curve.
During norma l dr iv ing the belt lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are eq uipp ed with a belt pretens ioner that he lps to
ti gh ten the safe ty bel t and r emove slack whe n the preten sio ner i s
act ivated . T he function of the pretensioner is monitored by a war ning
ligh t~
page 14 .
Switchable locking feature
Eve ry sa fety belt except t he one o n the driver sea t is eq uipp ed with a
switchab le locking feat ure that
must be used when t he safety be lt is
used to att ach a child sa fe ty seat . Be s ure to re ad th e im port ant inf or
mation about th is feature~
page 232.
& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious injury in an
accident ~
page 196, "Safety belt position ".
• Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seat back
is upright and belts are properly positioned on the body.
• Never attach the safety belt to the buckle for another seat.
Attaching the belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause serious personal injury.
• A passenger who is not properly restrained can be seriously
injured by the safety belt itself when it move s from the stronger
parts of the body into critical areas like the abdomen . .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data