________________________________________________ D_r_iv _ i _n_ g~ S_ a_ fe_ ly __ !II
& WARNING (continued)
• 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
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 167.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat~
page 145. •
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 ris k of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the
seat for the front passenger to the following pos ition:
- 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 mov ing.
- 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 129.
Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the front
passenger seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly::::;,
page 139.
For detailed information on how to adjust the front passenger's
seat, see
~ page 72.
& 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
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.
• 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. •
Safety first
Driving Safely
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly stowed
and secured in the luggage compartment.
Fig. 127 Safe load
positioning: heavy
cargo positioned as far
forward as possible.
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 far forward as possible
:=> fig.127.
Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided=> page
82.
Make sure that the rear seat back is securely latched in
place.
1iJ,,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data
lllffl Driving Safely
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 Investigations and Recalls, may tele
phone the toll free hotline:
Tel.: 1-800-333 -0371 or
Tel.: 1-613-998-8616 if you are in the 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 K1 A
ON5
For additional road safety information, please
visit the Road Safety website at:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/index.htm •
___ S_a_ f_ e_ t-= y_ b_e_ l_ t _s _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal
injury in an accident.
• Expectant mothers must always wear the lap portion of the
safety belt as low as possible across the pelvis and below the
rounding of the abdomen.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important infor
mation ~
& in "Fastening safety belts" on page 139. •
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release button only
after the vehicle has stopped.
Fig . 137 Releasing the
tongue from the buckle
-Push the red release button on the buckle=> fig. 137. The
belt tongue will spring out of the buckle=>& .
- Let the be lt wind up on the retractor as you guide the belt
tongue to its stowed pos ition.
& WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing so
will increase your risk of being injured or killed .•
Adjusting safety belt height
With the aid of the safety belt height adjustment, the three
point safety belt strap routing can be fitted to the shoulder area, according to body size.
Fig . 138 Safety belt
height adjustment for
the front seats -loop
around fittings
Push the loop -around fittings up => fig. 138 @, or
- squeeze together the G) button , and push the loop
around f ittings
down @.
- Pull the belt to make sure that the upper attachment is
properly e ngaged .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important informa
tion
~ page 138.
[ i ] Tips
• The shoulder belt part should route approximately over the
middle of you r shoulder -und er no circu mstanc es should it route
over your neck and throat area
~ & in "Safety belt position" on
pag e 140. ~
_________________________________________________ .:.A ..:. i :..:.r..::b :...:a:..:. g~ s::.. y .!....::. s..:t ..:e :..:.m.:....:...._ffllll
• A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver and for the front
seat passe nger that s enses whe ther that sa fety belt i s latch ed or n ot
and transmits this informatio n to the e lectronic cont rol 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 trained workshop personnel .
• Never remove the front passenger or driver seat from the
vehicle.
• Never remove the upholstery 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 .
• 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 working
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 System from
recognizing child restraints or occupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from
deploying properly.
Controls and equip ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued )
• Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or similar items on the
front passenger seat . The additional padd ing will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from a ccurately registering the
child re straint 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 instru ctions requ ire the use
of a towel , foam cu shion or something else to properly position
the child 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 install 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
The front Advanced Air bag System and the side airbags s upplement
the protection offered by th e front three -point safety belts with
pretensioners and load limiters and the adjustable head restraints
to help re duce the r is k of in jury in a w ide ra nge o f accide nt a nd
crash situations. Be su re to read the important information about
safety and heed the WARNI NGS in t his c hap te r.
Dep loyment of the Advanced Airbag System and the activation of
t he sa fe ty be lt pretensione rs depe nd on the decele ration mea su red
by the crash sensors and registered by the electronic control unit .
C rash severity depends on s peed and deceleration a s well a s the
mass and st iffness o f the veh ic le or object involved in th e c ras h.
When the e lectronic control unit registers a low severity crash and
t he sa fe ty belt is being use d, the a irbag w ill not deploy . If the sa fe ty
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
_,___C_ h_il _d _ S_a_ f_ e _ t...:y ________________________________________________ _
Deactivating the convertible locking retractor The convertible locking retractor for child restraints will
be deactivated aut omatically when the belt is wound all
the way back into the retractor.
- Press the red button on the safety belt buckle . T he belt
tongue w ill pop out of the buckle .
- Guide t he safety belt a ll the way back into its stowed
position .
Always let the safety belt retract completely into its stowed position.
The safe ty belt can now be used as an ordinary safety belt without
the conv ertible locking retractor for child restraints.
If the conver tible locking ret ract or should be activa ted inadvert
ently, the safety belt must be unfastened and guided completely bac k 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 seriou s
per sonal injury and death in a colli sion .
• Never unfa sten the safety belt to de activate the convertible
lock ing retra ctor for ch ild re straint s while the veh icle i s moving .
You would not be restrained and could be seriously injured in an
acc ident .
• Alway s read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
rest rained in a vehi cle i s being used
=:> page 1 67. S pe cial pre cau
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
pa ssenger seat =:>
pag e 147 , "Child restraint s on the front seat -
some important thing s to know ".•
LATCH Lower anchorages and
tethers for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how are
they related to child safety
T o prov ide a simpler and more practicable way to attach the child
restra int on the vehicle seat, Federa l regulations require spec ia l
lower anchorages in vehicles and devices on new child restraints to
attach to the vehicle anchorages .
The combination of the tether anchorages and the lower anchor
ages is now generally called the
LATCH system for " Lowe r Anchor
ages and Tethers for Children ."
Forward -facing child restraints manufactured after September 1,
1999, are required by U .S . federa l regu lations to comply with new
chi ld head movement performance requirements . These new
performance requiremen ts make a te ther necessary on most new
chi ld seats .
I nstalling a child restraint that requires a top tether without one can
seriously impair the performance o f the child restra int and its abi lity
to protect the child in a collision . Installing a child restraint that
r equires a top tethe r w ithout the top tether may be a v iolat ion o f
state law .
Ch ild restra int manufactu rers offer LATCH lower a nchorages on
their child seats with hook -on or push -on connectors attached to
adjustable straps .
I n addition to the LATCH lower anchorages, these ch ild restraint
systems usually require the use of tether straps to he lp keep the
chi ld restraint firmly in place .
& WARNING
Improper installatio n of child restraint s will increase the risk of
injury and death in a crash .
-Intelligent technology
---""'------------ ....::....:...:~---------------------------
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual inspection of the condi
tion of the brake pads through the openings in the wheel. If neces sary, the wheel may be removed for this inspection=> page
270,
"Wheel change" .
L1}. WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit. Other
road users must not be put at risk -you may cause an accident!
• Before descending a steep grade, reduce speed and shift trans
mission into a lower gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often. This could
cause 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,
premature wear and increased stopping distance.
• Under certain climatic and operating conditions such as
passing through water, driving 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 after a few careful brake applications.
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt-covered roads
without using your brakes can also affect braking efficiency. 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 obstructed.
Otherwise the brake system could overheat reducing the effective
ness of the entire brake system.
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increased stopping distance. Avoid driving the
& WARNING (continued)
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop. •
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra braking power.
The brake booster works with vacuum pressure which is created
only when the engine is running=>& .
L1}. WARNING
• Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine shut off.
• If the brake booster is not working, for example 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. •
Func ... ion=ng of Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up under braking.
The ABS contributes effectively to vehicle control since it prevents
the wheels from locking when the brakes are applied. This means
that the vehicle remains steerable and is less likely to skid.
With ABS you do not need to pump the brake. Just hold the brake
pedal down.
However, do not expect that the ABS shortens braking distance
under
all circumstances . When driving on gravel or on newly fallen
snow on top of icy surfaces, braking distance may be even longer,
therefore, under these circumstances, it is especially important that
you drive slowly and with great care. .,_
__ _:_:ln..:..t::.: e::.: l~ li :.;:g t:e::..: n..:.. t:...::. te::::..:: c~h :.:.n .:..: o:::.: l:.: o :.;g~ yL- ________________________________________ _
speed. This is most noticeable when turning the steering wheel at
low speeds (for example when parking), -more effort will be
required than usual.
• Be aware of the different than usual steering response and
adjust your steering force accordingly.
• Have the problem checked and set right by an authorized Audi
dealer as soon as possible.
• If a steering malfunction occurs, this is signaled with the or.
@ indicator lights and a warning tone, see.
[ i) Tips
• If the power steering system should fail, or if the engine is not
running (for example, while being towed), you will still be able to
steer the vehicle. However, more effort will be required to do so.
• If the power steering system is not functioning properly, contact
your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
Applies to vehicles: with All Wheel Drive
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 189, "Electronic differ
ential lock (EDU".
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 259, "Winter ti res".
Snow chains
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
also applies to vehicles with all-wheel drive:::::,
page 260, "Snow
chains".
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with All Wheel Drive must always have tires of the same
size. Also avoid tires with different tread depths. For details see
page ::::,
page 254, "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 198.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic conditions. Do not
let the extra safety afforded by the all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
• Although the quattro ®all-wheel drive is very effective, always
remember that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore 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 (hydro planing). If this should occur, you will have no warning from a
sudden increase in engine speed as with a front-wheel drive
vehicle. Always drive at speeds which are adjusted to the road
conditions -risk of crash!
n