___ D_ r_ i_ v _i_n _.g"-- S_ a_ f_ e__. LY.__ _____________________________________________ _
Proper occupant seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important for safe,
relaxed driving.
Fig. 183 The correct
distance between
driver and steering
wheel
Fig . 184 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. 183. 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. 184.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly=>
page 203.
-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 84 .
& 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 (25 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 ..
________________________________________________ D_ r_ i_ v _i_n ""'g "-- S_a_ f_ e_ l _,,y'-- __
& 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 231.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat =>
page 209. •
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 position:
- Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in an upright
position and your back comes in full contact with it when
ever 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=>
page 193.
- Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the front
passenger seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly=>
page 203.
For detailed information on how to adjust the front passenger's seat,
see
=> page 83 .
& 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:
• 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. ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
• ....__D_ r_iv _i_ n_, g=-- S_ a _ f_e _,Ly _ ______________________________________________ _
in. 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.
- 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 188 .
in. 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.
& WARNING (continued)
• 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 sliding sunroof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
in. WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all windows, the Panoramic
sliding 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
to get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious personal
injury.
• Never let children play in or around the vehicle.
• Never let passengers ride in the luggage compartment. Vehicle
occupants must always be properly restrained in one of the
vehicle's seating positions .
(I) Tips
• Air circulation helps to re du ce win dow fogging. Stale air escap es
to the outside th rough vents in the trim panel. Be sure to keep t hese
slots free and open.
• Th e tire pressure must correspond to the load . The tire pressure is
shown on the tir e pressure label. The tire pressure label is located on .,_
___ s_ a_ f_ e_ t_ y~ b_ e_ lt_s _____________________________________________ _
- Insert t he tongue into the correct buck le of your seat until
you hear it latch secure ly==> fig. 193 .
- Pull on the be lt to make sure tha t it is secure ly la tched in
the buck le.
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety be lt is equipped with an automatic be lt retractor on the
shoulder be lt. This feat ure locks the be lt whe n the belt is pulled out
fast, during hard braking and in an acc ident. The belt may also lock
w hen you dr ive up or dow n a steep hill or throug h a sharp curve.
Dur ing normal driv ing the belt lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped w ith a belt pretensioner that helps to
t ighten the safety be lt and remove sla ck when the p re tensioner is
act ivated. The function of the pretensioner is monitored by a warn ing
light =>
page 17.
Switchable locking feature
Every sa fety be lt ex ce pt t he one on the driver sea t is eq uipped wi th a
switchab le locking feature that
must be used when the safety belt is
used to at tach a child safety seat. Be s ure to read t he importa nt info r
mation about this feature=>
page 241.
& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can c au se se rious injury in a n
accident =>
page 204, "Safety b elt po sition ".
• Safety belt s offer optimum p rotection only when the seat back
i s upr ight and belts are properly positioned on the body .
• Always make sure th at the rear seat backre st to which the
center rear safety belt is attached i s secur ely latched when ever the
rear cente r sa fety belt is be ing u sed . If the ba ckre st is not securely
latched, the pas senger will move forward with th e backre st during
sudde n braking, in a sudden maneuve r and especiall y in a crash .
& WARNING (continued )
• Never attach the safety belt to the buckle fo r another seat .
Attaching the belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause ser ious personal injury.
• A pass enger who i s not properly restrained can be seriou sly
i njured by the safety belt itself when it mo ves from the stronger
part s of the body into critical area s like the abdomen.
• Alway s loc k the convertible locking retractor when you a re
securing a child safety seat in the vehicle=>
page 243. •
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maximum
pro tection from safety belts .
Fig. 194 H ead
r e str aint a nd safet y
belt po sit ion a s seen
from the side
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust the position of the
safety belt to match your bo dy size.
• belt h eigh t adjustment for the front seats and the oute r seat ing
positions in the second row seating,
• height-ad justable front seats. .,
Airbag system -----------------=--=---
& WARNING (continued)
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should.
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your autho·
rized Audi dealer. •
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 201 Section from
the instrument panel:
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center of the
instrument panel=> fig. 201.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on to tell
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been turned
off by the electronic control unit. Each time you turn on the
ignition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will flash for a few
seconds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied
• will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front
passenger seat
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight-sensing mat
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on if the
ignition is on and
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
• a car bed has been installed on the front seat, or
• a rearward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passengerseat,or
• a forward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passengerseat,or
• the weight registered on the front passenger seat is equal to or
less than the combined weight of a typical 1 year-old restrained in
one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant restraints listed in
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which the Advanced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag will not
deploy, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on. Never
install a rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
the safest place for a child in any kind of child restraint is at one of the
seating positions on the rear seat=>
page 211, "Child restraints on
the front seat -some important things to know" and=>
page 231,
"Child Safety ".
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when one of the
conditions listed above is met, be sure to check the light regularly to
make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light stays on
continuously whenever the ignition is on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not appear on and does not stay on all the time, stop
as soon as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turning the ignition
off and then turning
it on again;
• remove and reinstall the child restraint . Make sure that the child
restraint is properly installed and that the safety belt for the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed through the child restraint
as described in the child restraint manufacturer 's instructions;
• make sure that the convertible locking feature on the safety belt
for the front passenger seat has been activated and that the safety
belt has been pulled tight. The belt must not be loose or have loops
of slack so that the sensor below the safety belt latch on the seat can
do its job=>
page 241. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
-L___:_A~ i r'....: b~ a ::::: gL:: s~y -=s ::..:t :.:e :..: m..:..:.. ______________________________________________ _
• make sure that thi ngs that may increase the weig ht o f the child
and ch ild safe ty se at are not be ing transported on t he front
passenger seat;
• make sure that the safety belt tens ion sensor is not blocked.
Shake the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat back and
fort h;
• If a strap or tether is being used to t ie the child safety seat to the
front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes
the weight -sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on
t he seat.
If the P ASSENGER AIR BA G OFF li ght still doe s not come on and
does not stay on continuous ly (when the ignition is switched on),
• t ake the child restraint off the front passenger seat and insta ll it
properly at one of the rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspected by your a uthorized Audi dealer immediately.
• move the child to a rear seat position and make sure that the child
is p roperly rest rained in a c hild restrain t that is appropriate for its
size and age .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light shou ld NO T come on when the
ignition is on a nd an adult is sitt ing in a proper seat ing pos ition on the
front passenger seat. If the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on o r flashes fo r abo ut 5 seconds while driving, under these
circumstances, make sure that:
• t he adult on the front passenger sea t is properly seated on the
center of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the backrest
and the backrest is not reclined=>
page 190, "Proper occupant
seating posit ions",
• the adult is not taking weig ht off the seat by holding on to the
passenger assist handle above the front passenger door or
supporting their weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is be ing properly worn and that there is not a lot of
slack in the safety be lt webb ing,
• accessory seat covers or cushions or other th ings that may cause
an inco rre ct re ad ing o r impress ion on the weight-sens ing mat under the upholstery of the seat have bee
n removed from the front
p assenge r seat,
• a safety belt extender has not been left in the safety belt latch for
the front passenge r se at.
In add it io n to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the center of the
instrument panel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON will br iefly appear in the instrument cluster
display . This is to inform the driver of the current front passenger
airbag status .•
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An a irbag system that is not fun ction ing properly cannot provide
supplemental protect ion in a frontal crash.
• If th e airbag indic ato r light comes on , it means th at there may
be someth ing wrong with the Advanc ed Airbag S ystem . It i s
poss ible that th e airbag will inflat e when it is not suppos ed to , or
will not inflate when it should.
• Hav e the a irb ag system inspected immediately by your autho
rized Audi d ealer .
& WARNING
If the fr ont airb ag inflate s, a child without a child restraint, or in
a rearwa rd -facing child safet y seat, o r in a fo rwa rd-facing child
re stra int that h as not b een properl y install ed will be seriou sly
i njured and can b e killed.
• Even though your v ehicl e is equipped with an Advan ced Airbag
S y stem , ma ke certain that all children , especi ally 1 2 yea rs and
yo unger, alway s ride on the back seat properly restra ined for their
a ge and size . .,,_
ffl,___C_ h_ il_d _ S_a _ f_ e _ t-= y ;....._ ____________________________________________ _
C. Forward-facing convertible child restraint
systems, manufactured on or after September 1,
2004:
• Britax Roundabout 161
• Century Encore 4612
• Century STE 1000 4416
• Cosco Olympian 02803
• Cosco Touriva 02519
• Evenflo Horizon V 425
• Evenflo Medallion 254
• Safety First Comfort Ride 22-400
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on whenever a
child restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition is switched on.
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not stay on.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately.
W Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been tested by Audi
only for the Advanced Airbag function. •
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially reduces the
risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsible for the safety of everybody
in the vehicle, especially children:
Always use the right child safety seat for each child and
always use it properly~
page 236.
-Always carefully follow the child safety seat manufac
turer's instructions on how to route the safety belt prop
erly through the child safety seat.
- When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat, you must first activate the convertible locking retractor on the safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving ~
page 241.
-Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot
move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
- If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child safety seat
to the front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so
tight that it causes the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on the seat.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, especially those 12 years and
younger, should always ride in the back seat properly restrained for
their age and size . _,,
Ill Child Safety __ .,.___ ____________ _
& WARNING (continued )
-Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost
position of the passenger seat's fore and aft adjustment range,
and as far away from the airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents the front
pas senger' s seat from being moved to the rearmost position in
its fore and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure that the backrest i s in the upright pos i
tion.
• Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a
child i s not sitting in it. A loo se child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=>
page 199, "Safety belts",
=>
page 209 , "Airbag system " and => page 231, "Child Safety ".
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of seriou s injury, make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on whenever a
child restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and the
ign ition is switched on.
• Take the child re straint off the front pa ssenger seat and install
it prope rly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately .
& WARNING
A child in a child restraint installed with the LATCH lower anchor
ages or with the standard safety belt on the rear seat may play
& WARNING (cont inued )
with unused rear seat safety belts and become entangled
re sulting in serious personal injury and even death.
• Always buc kle unused rear se at safety belts out of reach of chil
dren in child seats and p roperly activate the convertible locking
retractor so that the child cannot unreel the safety belt from the
retractor. •
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babi es an d infants up to about one year old and 20 lbs. or
9 k g n eed sp ecial r earward -facing child res traints tha t
suppor t the back, neck and head in a cras h.
Fig. 206 Schemati c
ove rview : re arwa rd
facing infan t seat ,
prope rly installed o n
t he rear s eat
- W hen usi ng the ve hicle safety bel t to i nstall a c hild safety
seat, you must first activa te the co nvert ible locki ng
ret ractor on the safety belt to preven t the child sa fety seat
fro m mo ving=>
page 241 or install the seat usi ng the
L ATCH attach ments. ..,_