2010 AUDI A5 COUPE ESP

___ o_ r_iv _ i _n....; g::;_ S_ a_f _e _ly=-- -------------------------------------------------
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! •

________________________________________________ D_r_iv _ i _n_ g~ S_ a_ fe_ ly __ BI
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 operat ing
correctly.
- Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
- Make sure that all windows are clean and afford good
visibility to the outside.
- Secure all luggage and other items carefully =>
page 88.
-Make sure that noth ing can interfere w ith 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 ch ild restraint correctly to
protect children =>
page 213, "Child Safety ".
- Sit properly in your seat and make sure that your passen ­
gers do the same=>
page 69, "General recommenda ­
tions".
- Fasten your safety belt and wear it p roperly. Also instruct
your passengers to fasten the ir safety belts properly
=>
page 179. •
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 ---------------=------------'-
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. 182 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 173, fig. 182.
Adjusting head restraints=> page 76.
& WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with improperly adjusted head
restraints increases the risk of serious injuries in a collision . 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 213. •
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce the risk of
injury if vehicle occupants ore 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 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 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

___ o_ 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. 183.
Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided~
page 79.
- 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 168.
& 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 panoramic tilting sunroof*,
- 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 panoramic
tilting sunroof* 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_iv _ i _n_ g~ S_ a_ fe_ ly __ !II
& WA RNIN G (continu ed )
to get out . Being tr apped in a vehi cle can lead to serious personal
injury.
• Never let children play in or around the vehicle .
• Never let pa ssengers ride in the lugg age compartment . Vehicle
occupants must always be properly restrained in one of the
vehicle 's seating po sitions.
[ i ] Tips
• Air circu lation helps to reduce window fogging . Stale air escapes
to the outside through vents in the tr im panel. Be sure to keep these
s lots free a nd ope n.
• T he tire pressure must correspond to the load. The ti re pressure
is shown on th e tire pressure label. On USA vehicles, the tire pres ­
sure label is located on the driver 's side 8 -pillar. On Canada vehicles,
t he t ire pressure la bel is located e ither on the driver's s ide 8 -p illar
or ins ide the fuel fil ler flap. The tire pressu re labe l lists the recom ­
m en ded c old tire in flati on press ures for the vehicle at i ts m axim um
capacity weight and the tires that were on your vehicle at the time
i t w as manu factur ed. F or rec ommend ed tire pressu res for normal
load conditions, p lease see chapter=>
page 291 . •
Tie-downs
T h e lu gga ge compart ment is equipped with four tie­
do wns t o sec ure lu gg ag e and oth er item s.
Use the tie -downs to secure your cargo properly=> page 175,
"Lo adi ng th e luggag e compartm ent".
I n a co llis ion, the laws of physics mean that even smaller items that
are l oose i n t he vehic le wi ll become heavy mis siles that can ca use
serious injur y. It e ms in the vehicle possess energy which vary with
veh ic le speed and the weight of the item . Vehic le speed is the most
s ign ificant factor.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
F
or example, in a frontal co llision at a speed of 30 mph ( 48 km/h),
t he forces acting on a 10 -lb (4. 5 kg) o bjec t are abo ut 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that the we ight of the item
wo uld sudden ly be about 200 lbs . (90 kg) . Yo u can imagine the inj u­
ries that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying free ly through the passenger
compa rtment cou ld cause in a coll ision like this .
& WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure items to tie ­
downs can fail dur ing 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 ba ckrest is folded down , always use 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 atta ch a ch ild safety seat tether strap to a tie -down . •
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A. If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death , you should immediately inform
the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis ­
tration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Audi of
America, In c. _,.
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
instruct ions 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 .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& 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 . 184 Safety belt
warning light in the
instrument cluster -
enlarged
- Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are wearing it
properly.
1J,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ 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_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
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, _,.