2010 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET ESP

Driving Safely ---------------------"~'----
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant safety
always depends on the informed and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passengers, before
driving always:
- Make sure that all lights and signals are operating
correctly.
- Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
- Make sure that all windows are clean and afford good visi-
bility to the outside.
- Secure all luggage and other items carefully::::>
page 86.
-Make sure that nothing can interfere with the pedals.
- Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors correctly for your height .
- Instruct passengers to adjust the head restraints according to their height.
- Make sure to use the right child restraint correctly to
protect children ::::,
page 222, "Child Safety".
- Sit properly in your seat and make sure that your passen­ gers do the same::::,
page 77, "General recommenda­
tions".
- Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Also instruct
your passengers to fasten their safety belts properly
=:> page 190. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of the
vehicle, the driver as well as the driver's ability to concen­
trate on the road without being distracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the vehicle and all
of its occupants. If your ability to drive is impaired, safety
risks for everybody in the vehicle increase and you also
become a hazard to everyone else on the road::::,,& . There­
fore:
Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers or by using
a cellular telephone.
NEVER drive when your driving ability is impaired (by
medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
- Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and speed limits
and plain common sense .
- ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and weather
conditions.
- Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive for more than two hours at a stretch.
- Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pressure or when
you are stressed .
& WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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 _ ______________________________________________ _
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 . ._

___ s_a_ f_ e_ t_ y _ b_e _l_t _s ___________________________________________ _
areas of the body. Improper seating posit ions also increase
the r isk of ser ious i njury a nd death when an air bag de ploys
and strikes an occupan t who is no t in the correc t seat ing posi­
t ion. A driver is respons ib le for t he safety of a ll vehicle occu­
pants and especially for chi ldren . Therefore:
- Nev er perm it anyo ne to assume an i ncorr ect s ittin g posi­
tion in t he veh icle w hile traveling =>&.
& WARNING
Improperly worn safety b elts in crease the ri sk of seri ous person al
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.
• Alway s make sure th at all vehicl e occupant s 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
information ::::.-
page 193. •
Safety belt pretensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear -end collisions above a particular
s everity, safety belts are tensioned automatically.
Th e safety bel ts are eq uipped w ith safety bel t pre tensioners. The
system is activated by sensors in front, s ide and rear-end co llisions of
great severity . This tig htens the belt and takes up bel t slack ~
& in
"Service and disposal of safety be lt pretensioner" . Taking up the slack
helps to red uce forward occupant movement d uring a collision .
0 Note
Never let the be lt remain over a rear seat back that has been folded
forward .
W Tips
The safety belt p retensioner can only be ac tivated o nce.
• In minor fronta l and side co llisions, in rear -end collisions, in a roll­
over and in acc idents involving very litt le impact force, the safety belt
pretensioner are not activated.
• When the safety belt pretensioners are activated, a fine dust is
re lease d. This is normal an d is not caused by a fire in the ve hicle.
• The relevant safety requirements must be observed when the
veh icle o r com ponen ts of the system a re s crapped. An au thor ized
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop is familiar w it h these reg ulations
and wi ll be pleased to pass on the informatio n to yo u.
• Be sure to observe all safety, enviro nmental and other reg ulat ions
if the vehi cle o r ind iv id ual parts o f the system, p art icularly the s afe ty
be lt or a irbag, are to be d isposed . We recommend you have your
author ized A udi dealer perform this service for yo u.•
Service and disposal of safety belt
pretensioner
Th e safety be lt pretensioners are p arts of the safety bel ts on yo ur
Audi. Install ing, remov ing, servic ing or repairing of belt preten­
sioners can dam age the safe ty belt sys tem and preven t it from
work ing correctly in a collision .
T here are some important things you have to know to ma ke sure that
the effective ness of t he system will not be impaired and tha t
discar ded components do not cause injury or poll ute the environ­
ment.
& WARNING
Improper care , se rvicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of per sonal injury and death by preventing a safety belt
pret ensioner from activating when needed or activating it une x-
pectedly:
9IJ>,

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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 safety and the safety of your passengers, before
driving off, always:
- Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel properly
~ page 178,
-Adjust the front passenger's seat properly~ page 78,
-Wear safety belts properly~ page 193,
-Always properly use the proper child restraint to protect
children~
page 222.
In a collision airbags must inflate within the blink of an eye and with
considerable force. The supplemental airbags can cause injuries if the
driver or the front seat passenger is not seated properly. Therefore 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 keeping room between your body and the steering wheel and the
front of the passenger compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and
completely and provide supplemental protection in certain frontal
collisions =>
page 178, "Proper occupant seating positions". For
details on the operation of the seat adjustment controls=>
page 78.
It's especially important that children are properly restrained
=>page 222.
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.
Proper seating position is important so that the front airbag on the
driver side can do its job. If you have a physical impairment or condi­
tion that prevents you from sitting properly on the driver seat with
the safety belt properly fastened and reaching the pedals, special
modifications to your vehicle may be necessary .
Contact your authorized Audi dealer, or call Audi Customer Relations
at 1-800-822-2834.
When the airbag system deploys, a gas generator will fill the airbags, break open the padded covers, and inflate between the steering
wheel and the driver and between the instrument panel and the front passenger. The airbags will deflate immediately after deployment so
that the front occupants can see through the windshield again
without interruption.
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so fast that many people
don't even realize that the airbags have deployed. The airbags also
inflate with a great deal of force and nothing should be in their way
when they deploy . Front airbags in combination with properly worn
safety belts slow down and limit the occupant's forward movement.
Together they help to prevent the driver and front seat passenger
from hitting parts of the inside the vehicle while reducing the forces acting on the occupant during the crash. In this way they help to
reduce the risk 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 will not inflate in all frontal collisions. The trig­
gering of the airbag system depends on the vehicle deceleration rate
caused by the collision and registered by the electronic control unit .
If this rate is below the reference value programmed into the control
unit, the airbags will not be triggered, even though the car may be
badly damaged as a result of the collision. Vehicle damage, repair _,.

........ _A_ i_rb _ a_,g,:;._ s_, y'- s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
- Be sure to read the important information and head the WARNINGS for important detai ls about children and
Advanced Airbags =:>
page 22 2.
Even though your veh icle is eq uipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that all ch ildren, especially those 12 years and
younger, a lways r ide in the back seat properly rest rained for the ir age
and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a
poten tially dangerous place fo r a child to r ide. The front seat is not
the safest place for a child in a forward-facing c hild safety seat. It can
be a ve ry dange rous place fo r an infant or a child in a rearward-fac ing
seat.
T he Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has been cert ified to
comply with the Req uirements of United States Federa l Moto r
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle
was ma nufactu red .
The Standard requires the front airbag on the passenger side to be tu rned off ("supp ressed") if a c hild up to abo ut one year o f age
restra ined in one of the rear -facing or forward -fac ing infant
restrain ts listed in Federa l Moto r Vehicle Safety Sta ndard 208 with
w hich the Advanced Airbag System in your veh icle was certified has
been installed on the front passenger seat. For a listing of the chi ld
restra ints that were used to cert ify complia nce w ith the US Safety
Standard
=> page 224.
T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t in t he inst rumen t panel tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger s ide has been
tu rn ed off by the electronic con tro l u nit.
Eac h time you turn on the ign ition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will come on for a few seconds and:
• will stay on if th e fron t passenger seat is no t occupied, •
will stay on if there is a small ch ild or child restra int on the front
p assenge r seat,
• will go off if the front passenger seat is occup ied by an adult as
reg iste red by the weight-sens ing mat =:>
page 211, "Monitori ng the
Adva nced Airbag System" .
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when the control unit
detects a tota l we ight on the front passenger seat t hat req uires the
front airbag to be t urned off.
If the tota l we ight on the front passenger sea t is more than th at of a
typical 1 year-old child but less than the weight of a small adu lt, the
front airbag on t he p assenger s ide c an dep loy (the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
li g ht does not come on) . If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger side has
not been tu rned off by the e lectron ic control u nit and can deploy if
the contro l unit senses an impact that meets the conditions stored in
its memory.
For e xample , the a irbag may deploy if:
• a small chi ld that is heavier than a typical 1 year -old child is on the
front passenge r seat (regardless of whether the child is in one of the
child safety seats listed =>
page 224), or
• a chi ld who has outgrown ch ild restra ints is on the front passenger
seat.
If the front passenger a irbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on in the instrument cluster an d stays o n.
Th e front airbag on the passenger side may
not dep loy (t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not illum inate and stay lit) even
if a small adult or teenage r, or a passenger who is no t si tting upright
w ith the ir back against a non-recli ned backrest w it h their feet on the
vehicle floor in front of the seat is on the front passenger seat
=:>
page 178, " P rope r seat ing pos ition for the dr ive r" .
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal Standard requ ires
th e airb ag to meet the "low risk" deployment criteria to red uce the
r is k of injury through interaction with the airbag. "Low risk" deploy­
ment occurs in those crashes t hat ta ke place a t lower decelerations as .,.