2010 AUDI A5 COUPE steering

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Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information, tips, instructions and
warnings that you need to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others. We have summarized here
what you need to know about safety belts, airbags, child restraints
as well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1. Always
observe the information and warnings in this section -for your own
safety as well as that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all model versions of your
vehicle. Some of the features described in this sections may be
standard equipment on some models, or may be optional equip­
ment on others. If you are not sure, ask your authorized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
• Always make sure that you follow the instructions and heed
the WARNINGS in this Manual. It is in your interest and in the
interest of your passengers.
• Always keep the complete Owner's Literature in your Audi
when you lend or sell your vehicle so that this important informa­
tion will always be available to the driver and passengers.
• Always keep the Owner's literature handy so that you can find
it easily if you have questions .•
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant restraint
system and work together to help reduce the risk of injury
in a wide variety of accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers should not be left to
chance. Advances in technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident. The
following is a list of just a few of the safety features in your Audi:
• sophisticated safety belts for driver and all passenger seating
positions,
• belt force limiters for the seats,
• belt pretensioners for the seats,
• head restraints for each seating position,
• front airbags,
• side airbags in the front seats,
• side curtain airbags,
• special LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
• adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features, can work together as a system to
help protect you and your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if they are not always
correctly adjusted and correctly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility! •

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Proper occupant seating positi ·ons
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important for safe,
relaxed driving.
Fig. 180 The correct
distance between
driver and steering
wheel
Fig. 181 Correct head
restraint position for
driver
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the
driver's seat to the following position:
- Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily push the
pedals all the way to the floor while keeping your knee(s)
slightly bent=:>& . - Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in an upright
position so that your back comes in full contact with it
when you drive.
- Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a distance of at
least 10 inches (25 cm) between the steering wheel and
your breast bone=:> fig. 180. If not possible, see your
authorized Audi dealer about adaptive equipment.
- Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering wheel and
airbag cover points at your chest and not at your face.
- Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your elbow(s)
slightly bent.
- Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge is as even with the top of your head as possible but no lower
than eye level and so that it is as close to the back of your
head as possible =:> fig. 181.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly=:>
page 183.
- Always keep both feet in the footwell so that you are in
control of the vehicle at all times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the driver's seat, see
=> page 72.
& WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help reduce
the risk of serious personal injury:
• Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that
there are at least 10 inches
125 cm) between your breastbone and
the steering wheel.
• Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering
wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions ..

Driving Safely -
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& WARNING (continued)
to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag
inflates.
• Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position or with
your hands at other positions inside the steering wheel rim or on
the steering wheel hub . Holding the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the
driver's airbag deploys .
• Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the
ability of the supplemental driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­
sion.
• Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or
place any part of your body too close to the area where the airbags
are located .
• Before driving, always adjust the front seats and head
restraints properly and make sure that all passengers are properly
restrained.
• Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat
may move unexpectedly and you could lose control of the vehicle.
• 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 213.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat
=> page 188 . •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the
seat for the front passenger to the following pos ition:
- Move the front passenger seat back as far as possible.
There must be a minimum of 10 inches (25 cm) between
the breastbone and the instrument panel
=> &.
- Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in an upright
position and your back comes in full contact with it
whenever the vehicle is moving.
- Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge is as
even with the top of your head as possible but not lower
than eye level and so that it is as close to the back of your
head as possible .
- Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the front
passenger seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly =>
page 183.
For detailed information on how to adjust the front passenger's
seat, see
=> page 69.
& WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out of position or too
close to the airbag can be seriously injured or killed by the airbag
as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury : .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Because the passengers of this vehicle are not using safety belts
=:> page 180, fig. 185, they will keep moving at the same speed the
vehicle was moving just before the crash, until something stops
them -here, the wall
=:> page 180, fig. 186.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision. Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph
(30 to 50 km/h), the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs. or 1,000 kg) or more . At greater speeds, these forces are
even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also not attached to their
vehicle. In a frontal collision they will also keep moving forward at
the speed their vehicle was travelling just before the crash. Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to frontal collisions, they
determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions. •
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop themselves
from flying forward and being injured or killed. Always
wear your safety belts!
Safety first
Fig . 187 A driver not
wearing a safety belt is
violently thrown
forward
Safety belts
Fig . 188 A rear
passenger not wearing
a safety belt will fly
forward and strike the
driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tremendous forces of
impact by holding tight or bracing themselves. Without the benefit
of safety restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant will slam
violently into the steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or
whatever else is in the way=:> fig. 187. This impact with the vehicle
interior has all the energy they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even when they deploy,
airbags provide only additional protection. Airbags are not
supposed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, including the driver,
must wear safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of
severe injury or death in a crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and that your
safety belts are always there to offer protection in those accidents
in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have
already deployed. Unbelted occupants can also be thrown out of the
vehicle where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear safety belts
correctly . Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only
themselves but also the driver and other passengers=:> fig. 188. In a
frontal collision they will be thrown forward violently, where they can hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger. •
Vehicle care I I Technical data

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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 safe ty a nd the safety of your passengers, before
driving o ff, a lways:
- Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel properly
~ page 170,
-Adjust the front passenger's seat properly~ page 70,
- Wear safety belts properly~ page 182,
-Always properly use the proper child restraint to pro tect
children~
page 213 .
In a col lision 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. There ­
fore 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 a ll times.
By keep ing room between your body and the steering wheel and the
front of the passenger compartment, the airbag can inflate fu lly and
comp letely and prov ide supplementa l protection in certain frontal
collisions =>
page 170, "Proper occupant seating positions". For
detai ls on the operation of the seat adjustment controls=>
page 72.
It's especially important that children are properly restrained
=>
page 213 .
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.
P roper seating position is important so that the front airbag on the
driver side can do its job. I f you have a physical impairment or
condition that prevents you from sitting properly on the driver seat
with the safety belt proper ly fastened and reaching the peda ls,
special modifications to your vehicle may be necessary.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer, or call Audi Customer Rela ­
tions 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 def late immediate ly after
deployment so that the front occupants can see through the wind­
shield again without interruption.
All of this takes p lace in the b link of an eye, so fast that many people
don't even rea lize that the airbags have dep loyed. The airbags also
inflate with a great dea l of force and nothing shoul d be in their way
when they deploy . Front airbags in combination with properly worn
safe ty belts slow down and limi t the occupant's fo rward movement .
Together they help to prevent the driver and front seat passenger
from hitting parts of the inside the vehicle while reducing the forces
act ing 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 col lisions. The trig­
gering of the a irbag system depends on the veh ic le dece leration
rate caused by the collision and registered by the electronic contro l
unit . If this rate is below the refe rence value programmed into the
control unit, the airbags will not be triggered, even though the car
may be bad ly damaged as a result of the collision . Vehicle damage, _,.

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repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage is not necessari ly an
indication of whether an airbag should inflate or not.
It is not possible to define a range of vehicle speeds that will cover
every possible kind and ang le of impact that wil l always trigger the
airbags, since the circumstances wil l vary considerab ly between
one collision and another. Important factors include, for example,
the nature (hard or so ft) of the object which the car hits, the angle
of impact, vehicle speed, etc. The front airbags wi ll also not inflate
in side or rear co llisions, or in roll -overs .
Al way s rem ember : Airbags wi ll deploy only once, and on ly in certain
kinds of coll isions . Your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those situat ions in wh ich airbags are not supposed to deploy,
or when they have already deployed; for example, when your vehic le
strikes or is struck by another a fter the first coll ision.
T his is just one of the reasons why an airbag is a supplementary
restraint and is not a substitute for a sa fety be lt. The airbag system
works most effectively when used with the safety be lts. Therefore ,
a lways prope rly wea r your safety belt s =>
page 179 .
& WARNING
Sitting too clo se to the steering wheel or in strument panel will
de crease the effect ivene ss of the airbags and will incr ease the risk
of personal injury in a collision.
• Never sit closer than 10 in ches (25 cm) to the steering wheel or
in strument panel.
• If you c annot sit more than 10 in ches (25 cm ) from the steering
wheel , inve stiga te whether adaptive equipment may be available
to help you reach the pedal s and in crease your se ating dist ance
from the steering wheel.
• If you are unrestra ined , leaning forward , sittin g side ways or out
of position in any way , your risk of injury i s much higher .
• You will also receive serious injur ies and could even be killed if
you are up again st the airba g or too clo se to it when it infl ates -
ev en with an Advanced Airbag .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WAR N IN G ( continued )
• To reduce the ri sk of injury when an airbag inflate s, alw ays
wear safety belt s prope rly~
page 183 , "Safet y belt s".
• Always make certain that ch ildren age 12 or younger alway s
ride in the rear seat. If children are not p rope rly re str ained , they
may be severely injured or killed when an airbag inflate s.
• Never let children ride unre str ained or impr operly rest rained in
the vehicl e. Adju st the front seat s properly .
• Never ride with the b ackrest r eclined .
• Alway s sit a s far as possible from the steering wheel or the
instrument p anel
~ pag e 170.
• Alway s sit upright with your back again st the backre st of your
seat .
• Ne ver pla ce your feet on the instrument panel or on the seat .
Always keep both feet on the floor in front of the seat to help
prevent seriou s injurie s to the leg s and hips if the airbag inflate s.
• Nev er r ecline th e front passenger 's seat to transpo rt obje cts .
Item s can al so mo ve into the area of the side a irbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden m aneuver . Obje cts near the
a irbags can become pro je ctile s and cau se injury when an airbag
inflates .
& WARNING
Airbags that have deployed in a crash must be repla ced.
• U se only original equipment airbags approved by Audi and
in stalled by a trained technician who ha s the neces sary tool s and
diagnostic equipment to properly r epla ce any airb ag in your
vehicle and as sure sy stem effectivenes s in a crash .
• Never perm it salvag ed or re cy cled airb ag s to be i nstall ed in
your vehicle. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING (con tinued )
• Improper in stallation of child re straints can reduce their effec­
tiveness or even prevent them from p roviding any protection .
• An improperly installed child re straint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child -
even with a n Advanced Airbag System .
• Always carefully follow the manufa cturer's instruction s
provided with the child safety seat or carrier .
• Never pl ace additional items on the seat that can in crease the
total weight regi stered by the weight -sensing mat and can cause
injury in a crash .
u
Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The air bag system c an pr ovi de su ppleme ntal pr otecti on
t o prop erl y re stra ined fr ont se at occu pant s.
Fig . 194 Location of
driver airbag: in
s teering wheel F
ig . 195 Locat ion of
front pa ssenger' s
airbag : in the in stru ­
ment pa nel
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Airbag System" in
complia nce with United States Federal M oto r Ve hicle Sa fe ty Stan ­
dard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manu ­
f actured. The sys tem senses the posi tion o f the front sea ts a nd
co ntrols front airbag i nflat io n with a va lve, depending on the
distance between the respective seat and the steering whee l or
i nstru ment pane l. The sa fety be lts for t he seats have "pr eten­
sioners" that help to take slac k out of the belt system. The preten ­
s io n ers are als o ac tiva ted by the electronic con trol unit fo r t he
a irbag system.
T he front safe ty be lts als o have load limite rs t o h elp reduce the
fo rces applied to the body in a crash.
T he airbag for the driver is in the steering wheel hub~ fig. 194 and
t h e air bag for the fr ont passeng er is in th e in stru men t pa nel
~ fig. 195. The genera l location of the airbags is marked " AIRBAG".
T here is a lot you nee d to know ab out the airbags in y our ve hicle. We
ur ge you to read the deta iled information about airbags, safety belts
and child safety in this and the other chapters that make up the
owner's literature . P lease be sur e to heed the WARNINGS - th ey are
e xtremely important for your safety and the safety of your passen ­
gers, espec ia lly in fants a nd sma ll ch ildr en.
& WARNING
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.

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& WA RN ING (co ntinued)
• Th e inflating airb ag will hit th e child safety sea t o r inf ant
ca rrier with g re at f orc e and will sm ash th e child safety sea t a nd
c hild again st t he backre st, c enter armre st, doo r, or roof .
• Alway s in sta ll re arwa rd-f acing child re str aints i n the ba ck seat.
• If you mu st in stall a rearw ard facing child safety seat on the
fro nt pa ssenger seat be cau se of e xceptional cir cumstance s and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not come on and stay on ,
imm edi ately in sta ll the re ar- fa cing child safe ty s eat in a rea r
seating p osition and h ave th e airbag system in spected by your
autho riz e d Audi de aler.
& WARNING
If, in e xceptional circum sta n ce s, y ou mu st in stall a forw ard -f aci ng
c hild restraint on the front pa ssenger' s seat:
• Alway s make sure the forw ard -fa cing seat has b een de signed
and cert ified by it s manufa cturer for use on a front seat with a
pa ssenge r fr ont and side airb ag .
• Never put the forward -facing child re straint up again st or very
near the instrum ent p anel .
• Alway s move the p assenger seat into it s rearmo st po sition in
the seat's fore and aft adju stme nt r ange , as far aw ay from the
a irb ag as pos sible , before in stalling the forward -fac ing child
r e stra int . The b ackrest must be adjusted to an upright po sition .
• Make sure that the PASSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light come s on
a nd stay s on all the time whe never the ign it ion i s sw itch ed on . •
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very important
parts of the Advanced A irbag System in it. These parts inc lude the
weight -sensing mat, sensors, wiring, brackets, and more. The func -
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation tion of the system in the front passenger seat is checked by
the elec­
tronic contro l unit when the ignition is on . The control unit monitors
the Advanced Airbag System and turns the a irbag indicator light on
when a malfunction in the system components is detected . The
function of the airbag indicator light is described in greater detail below. Because the front passenger seat conta ins important parts
of the Advanced Airbag System, you must take care to prevent it
from being damaged. Damage to the seat may prevent the
Advanced Airbag for the front passenger seat from doing its job in
a crash.
T he front Ad van ced Airbag System consi sts of th e
following:
• Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that measure vehicle
acce leration/deceleration to provide information to the Advanced
A irbag System about the sever ity of the crash .
• An electronic control unit, with integrated crash sensors for front
and side impac ts. The control unit "decides" whether to fire the
front airbags based on the information received from the crash sensors . The control unit also "decides" whether the safety belt
pretensioners should be activated.
• An Advanced Airbag w ith gas generator and contro l valve for the
driver inside the steering wheel hub.
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and contro l valve inside
the instrument panel for the front passenger .
• A weight -sensing mat under the upholstery padding of the front
passenger seat cushion that measures the total weight on the seat .
The information registered is sent continuously to the e lectronic
control unit to regu late dep loyment of the front Advanced Airbag on
the passenger s ide.
• An airbag monito ring system and indicator light in the instru ­
ment cluster=> page
199.
• A sensor in each front sea t registers t he distance between the
respective seat and the steering wheel or instrument panel. The
information registered is sen t continuously to the electronic control
unit to regulate dep loyment of the front Advanced Airbags. ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data