---------------------------------------------------=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
Fig. 183 Safe load
positioning: place
heavy objects as low
and as far forward as
possible. ...
Do-it-yourself service Technical data
111111 Driving Safely
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a
safety defects exist s in a group of vehicles, it
may order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
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 Investigat ions and Recalls, may tele
phone the toll free hotline:
Tel.: 1-800-333 -0371 or Tel.:
1-613-998 -8616 if you are in Ottawa area
TIY for hearing impaired: 1 -888-675-6863
email comments/questions to: roadsafetyweb [email protected]
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, Ontario K1A 0N5
For additional road safety information, please
visit the Road Safety website at
http://www. tc.gc.ca/roadsafe ty/index.htm •
___ S_a_ f_ e_ t-= y_ b_e_ l_ t _s _______________________________________________ _
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release button only
after the vehicle has stopped.
Fig . 193 Releasing the
tongue from the buckle
-Push the red release button on the buckle~ fig. 193. 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. •
Improper ly worn safetY belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause severe inju
nes.
Wearing safety be lts 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 seat ing 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 vehicle
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 182. •
Safety belt pretensioners
How safety belt pretensianers work
In front, side and rear-end collisions above a particular
severity, safety belts are tensioned automatically.
The safety belts are equipped with safety belt pretensioners. The
system is activated by sensors in front, side and rear-end collisions
of great severity. This tightens the belt and takes up belt slack~,&
in "Service and disposal of safety belt pretensioner " on
page 187 .
Taking up the slack helps to reduce forward occupant movement
during a collision. .,
_,___A_ ir_ b_ a.::g <-- s--
c en ter of the instru ment panel =>
page 200, fig. 197 a nd tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
t urned off.
• A sensor be low the safety belt latch for the front seat passenger
to m easure the tension on the sa fety be lt. The tensi on on the sa fety
belt and the weight reg istered by the weight -sensing mat help the
cont rol unit "decide" whe ther the fron t ai rbag for the fr ont
passenger seat shou ld be turned off or not=>
page 190, "Child
r est raints on the front seat -some im portant t hings t o know".
• A sensor in the safety belt latch for the dr iver and for the front
seat passenge r that se nses whe the r tha t safety belt is la tched or not
and transmits this information to the electronic control 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 Sy stem from func
tioning properly .
• Repairs to the front passenger seat must be performed by qual
ified and properly tra ined workshop personnel .
• Never remove the front passenger or driver seat from the
vehi cle .
• Never remove the uphol stery 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 .
& WARNING (continued )
• 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 work ing
properly .
• Never place seat covers or replacement upholstery that have
not been specifically approved by Audi on the front seats.
• Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag Sy stem from
recogn izing child restraints or occupants on the front passenger
s eat 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 manufacturer's instructions require the use
of a towel, foam cushion or something el se to properly position
the ch ild restraint , make certa in 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 in stall child restraint in a rear seating position
and have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer .•
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
T he fr ont Adva nced Ai rbag Sys tem a nd th e side air bag s su ppl eme nt
the protection offered by the front three -point safety be lts with
pretensioners and load limiters and the adjustab le head re straints
to help reduce the risk of in jury in a w ide ran ge of acc ident and .,_
___ C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_y ____________________________________________ _
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 w ill pop out of the buckle.
- Guide the safety 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 conv ertible locking retractor for child restraints.
If the convertible locking retractor should be activated inadvert
ently, the safety belt must be unfastened and guided completely back into its stowed position to deactivate this feature. If the
convertible locking retractor is not deactivated , the safety belt will
gradually become tighter and uncomfortable to wear.
& WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision.
• Never unfasten the safety belt to deactivate the convertible
locking retractor for child restraints while the vehicle is moving .
You would not be restrained and could be seriously injured in an
accident .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=:>
page 213. Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat=:>
page 190, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know". •
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Anti -Lock Brake System (ABS) ma lfunc
tions, the ESP wil l also shut down .
How the system works
The Anti -Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDU
and the Anti -Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the elec
tronic stabilization program. In addition to the data provided by
th ese functions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure
ment data provided by high performance sensors . The rotational
speed of the vehicle about its vertica l axis, vehicle acceleration in
the fore-and-aft and lateral directions , the brake pressure, and the
steering angle are all measured.
The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continua lly
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehicle starts hydrop laning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the prob lem.
The vehicle is then stabi lized by the forces acting on the whee l
during braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (the vehicle turns too
sharply and the rear wheels slide toward th e ou tside of a curve), the
brakes are main ly app lied on the wheel that is on the outside of the
curve . In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering (the vehicle does
not turn sharply enough and pushes out of a curve), the brakes are
applied as needed on the wheel that is on the inside of the curve or
additional ly on the other wheels. An acoustic signal indicates when
ESP brake app lication cuts in=>&.
T he system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system =>
page 238. If the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP will be out of action as well.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP will automatica lly be activated
and will perform a se lf-test. As soon as the test is comp leted, the
system is in norma l operating mode.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
You
can activate a deactivated ESP or deactivated ESP/ASR if
required by pressing the::::>
page 234, fig. 215 ::::> page 234, fig. 214
button . When they are activated, the message
ESP /ASR on appears
briefly in the display .
Deactivating
The ESP should normally be activated al l the time. If necessary, you
can deactivate Anti -Slip Regu lation (ASR) or the Electronic Stabiliza
tion Program (ESP) by pressing the button=>
page 234, fig. 215.
• Deactivating ASR: Tap the button . In certain exceptional situa
tions (e .g. driving with tire chains), the Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR)
can be deactivated =>
page 236. The message ASR off appears in the
display as we ll.
• Deact ivating ESP/ASR Press the button for more than 3 seconds.
With the ESP/ASR deactivated, the indicator light comes on, see
=>
page 13. The message ESP switched off appears in the disp lay as
we ll.
& WARNING
The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subject to the
laws of physics . It is particularly important to pay attention to this
fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that you
always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and traffic
conditions. Do not allow the increased safety provided by the Elec
tronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into accepting
additional safety risks. •
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
---------
The electronic differential lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
General notes
The electronic differential lock (EDU helps the car to start moving,
acc elerate and c limb a gradient on surfaces providing poor or
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
ll}Jl __ ln_t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
Low brake fluid level
Ma lfu ncti ons can occ ur in th e brake system if the bra ke flu id leve l is
too low. The brake fluid leve l is monitored e lectronically.
Brake lining wear status Bra ke lining wear may be checked by visual inspection of the condi
t ion of the brake pa ds through the o pen in g s in t he wheel. If neces
sary, the wheel may be removed for this inspection=>
page 312,
" C hanging a whee l" .
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuver s for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road cond itions permit . Other
road u sers must not be put at risk -you may cause an accident !
• Before des cending a steep grade , reduce speed and shift trans
mission into a lower gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brake s or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This could
c ause 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, p rem ature wear and in creased stopping distance .
• Under certain climatic and operating conditions such as
passing through water , driv ing in heavy rain or after washing the
vehicle , the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter ,
ice can accumulate on the brake pads , linings , discs and drums.
Carefully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off afte r a few careful b rake appli cations .
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt -covered roads
without using your brakes can also affe ct braking effic ien cy. Clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and pads with a few
careful 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 obstru cted .
Otherwise the brake system could overheat reducing the effe ctive
ness of the entire brake system .
& WARNING (continued )
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increased stopping distance . Avoid driv ing the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
qu alified workshop. •
Brake booster
The bra ke boos ter adds e xtra bra king pow er.
Th e brake boost er wo rks wit h vacuum p ressu re wh ich is created
only when the engine is running=>& .
& WARNING
• Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine shut off.
• If the brake booster is not working , for e xample when towing
your vehicle, or because the brake booster has somehow been damaged , the brake pedal must be pressed considerably harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistance . •
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS}
A BS p revents t he wheels from lockin g up unde r braking.
The ABS co ntrib utes effectively to ve hic le c ont ro l since it preven ts
the whee ls from locking when the bra kes are app lied. Th is means
that the vehicle remains stee rable and is less l ikely to skid .
With ABS you do not need to
pump the brake. Just hold the brake
pedal down .
Ho wever , do not e xpect the AB S to sho rten braking d istance under
all circumstances. When driving o n grave l or on newly fallen snow
o n t op of icy su rfaces, b raking distance may be even lo nger, there
f ore, unde r these circumsta nces, it is especially impo rtan t th at you
drive slow ly and with great ca re. ._
___ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
• Be aware of the different than usual steering response and
adjust your steering force accordingly.
• Have the problem checked and set right by an Audi dealer as
soon as possible.
[ i] Tips
• When the engine is running, never hold the steering wheel
turned all the way to the right or to the left for longer than 15
seconds. The power steering pump will overheat the hydraulic fluid
if you keep holding the steering wheel turned all the way. This is
likely to damage the power steering system.
• If the power steering system should fail en tirely, or if the engine
is not running (for example, while being towed), you will still be able
to steer the vehicle . However,
considerably more effort will be
required to do so.
• If the power steering system should have a leak, or is not func
tioning properly, contact your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
• The power steering system requires a specially formulated
hydraulic fluid. The power steering reservoir is the one located
farthest to the rear on the left side of the engine compartment
=>
page 272. The correct fluid level in the reservoir is important for
proper functioning of the power steering .•
Driving with 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 235, "Electronic differ
ential lock (EDU".
The all wheel drive concept is designed for high engine power. Your
vehicle is exceptionally powerful and has excellent driving charac -teristics both under normal driving conditions and on snow and ice.
Always read and
follow safety precautions =>& .
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 304, "Winter tires".
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
also applies to vehicles with all wheel drive =>
page 305, "Snow
chains".
Replacing vvheels/tires
Vehicles with all wheel drive must always have tires of the same
si ze . Also avoid tires with different tread depths. For details see
page =>
page 299, "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 244.
& 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 there
fore 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
~