______________________________________________ D_ ri_v _ i_n _,,g ,c.._ S_a_ f_ e_ l..:: y __ _
& WARNING (continued)
• Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that
there are at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the
lower part of the instrument panel.
• 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 inflates
• 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 seats ::::;, page 231. Special
precautions apply when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat ::::;,
page 206. •
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 191.
-Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the front
passenger seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly=>
page 201.
For detailed information on how to adjust the front passenger's seat,
see::::;,
page 76 .
& 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 __ i..: v ....:..i.:...n :.::g ~ S:...:a=- f=-- e= ly~ _-
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss of vehicle control
and in crease the risk of serious injury .
• Never place any objects in the driver 's footwell. An object could
get into the pedal area and interfer e with peda l function . In ca se
of sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake
or accelerate!
• Always make su re that noth ing can fall o r move into the
driver' s footwe ll. •
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can b e securely attach ed to
the floor mat fasteners and do not interfere with the fre e
movement of the pe dals.
- Make sure that the floor mats are properly secur ed and
cannot move and i nte rfere with t he peda ls=> &.
Use on ly floor ma ts t hat leave the pe dal area uno bstr ucted and that
are firm ly sec ured so that they cannot slip out of position . You can
obtain s uita ble f loor mats from yo ur authori zed Audi Dealer .
Floo r mat fas teners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached to these fasteners.
P roperly secur ing t he f loor mats wi ll prevent them from s lid ing into
positions that cou ld interfere with the peda ls or impa ir safe opera
ti on of your veh icle in other ways.
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can re sult in a loss of vehicle
control and inc rease the risk of serious personal injury.
• Alway s make sure that floor mats are properly se cured .
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(co ntinued )
• Never place or in stall floo r m ats 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
c ontrol the v ehicle.
• Never place or install floor mat s or other floor coverings on top
of alr eady in stalled floor mats. Additional floor mat s and other
cove rings will reduce the size of the pedal area and interfere w ith
the pedals .
• Always properly rein stall 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 . Obje cts can become trapped
under the brake pedal and accele rator pedal causing a loss of
vehicle control. •
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and oth er objects must be properly stowed
and secured in the lu ggage comp artment.
Loose items in t he luggage compartme nt can s hift suddenly ,
chang ing ve hicle handling c haracteristics. Loose items ca n
also incre ase the r isk of serious pe rsonal i njury in a sudde n
veh icle maneuver or in a co llis io n.
- Distr ibute the loa d eve nly in t he luggage compartme nt.
- Always pla ce and p roperl y se cure heavy it em s in the
l u gg age compar tme nt a s far forwar d as possi ble .
- S ecur e luggag e using t he tie -d ow ns prov id ed =>
page 90,
"Lugga ge com partm ent". 1111-
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
ffl Driving Safely
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
TTY 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 Directorate
Transport Canada
Tower C, Place de Ville, 330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario
KlA ONS
For additional road safety information, please
visit the Road Safety website at:
http:/ /www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/index.htm •
& WARNING (continued)
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important
information ~
page 200. •
Pregnant women must also be correctly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make sure that
expectant mothers always wear safety belts correctly -
throughout the pregnancy.
Fig. 209 Safety belt
position during preg
nancy
To provide maximum protection, safety belts must always be
positioned correctly on the wearer's body=:>
page 202.
- Adjust the front seat and head restraint correctly
::::, page 76, "General recommendations".
- Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly across the
chest and pelvis::::, fig.
209, ::::, /1.
- Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of your seat until
you hear it latch securely::::,
page 201, fig. 207.
-Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely latched in
the buckle.
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
& 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
information ~
& in "Fastening safety belts" on page 201. •
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release button only
after the vehicle has stopped.
Fig. 210 Releasing
the tongue from the
buckle
Push the red release button on the buckle::::, fig. 210. The
belt tongue will spring out of the buckle::::,
/1.
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. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
........ _A_ ir_ b_ a-=g :..- s.:o.y _s _t _e_ m _______________________________________________ _
• A sensor in the safety belt latch for t he driver and for the front
sea t passenge r that senses w hether t hat s afe ty bel t is la tc h ed or not
and transmits this information to the electron ic cont rol un it .
& 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 mu st be performed by qual
ified and properly trained wo rkshop personnel.
• Never remove the front passenger or driver seat from the
vehicle.
• Never remove the uphol stery from the front passenger seat.
• Never disas semble or remove parts from the seat or disconnect
wires from it.
• Never carry sharp object s in your pockets or place them on th e
seat.
If the weight -sens ing mat in the passenger seat is punctured
it cannot work properly.
• Never carry things on your lap or carry objects on the passenger
s eat. Such items can in crease the weight regi stered 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
Advan ced Airbag Sy stem under the pass enger seat could be
damaged, prevent ing 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 seat s.
• Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag System from
recognizing child re straints or occupants on the front pas senger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from
deploying properly .
& WARNING (c on tinued )
• Never u se cushions , pillow s, blankets or s imilar items on the
front passenger seat . The additional padding will prevent the
weight-sens ing mat in the seat from accurately registering the
child restraint or person on the seat and prevent the Advan ced
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 else to properly po sition
the child restraint , make certain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light come s on and stay s on whenever the child re straint is
i nstalled 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 posi
tion and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer. •
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
Th e front Advanced A irbag System and the side airbags sup plement
the protect ion offered by the fro nt three -po int safety belts with
pretens ioners and load lim iters a nd the adjustable head restra ints to
he lp red uce the risk of i nju ry in a wide range of accident and crash
si tua tions. Be su re to re ad the impo rtan t info rmat ion about safe ty
and heed the WARNINGS in this c hapter.
Deploy ment o f the Advan ced Air bag Sys tem and t he activ ation o f the
safety belt pretensioners depend on the deceleration measured by
the crash sensors and registered by the electronic contro l u ni t. Crash
sever ity depe nds on speed and decelerat ion as well as the mass a nd
st iffness of the ve hicle or object invo lve d in the crash.
W hen the elect ronic contro l uni t reg isters a low sever ity cras h and
the safety belt is being used, the airbag will not dep loy . If the safety
be lt i s no t being used , the fi rs t sta ge dep loy s, followed by t he second
stage after a much later time in the crash sequence. ..
lffll.___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 automatically when the belt is wound all
the way back into the retractor .
- Press the red button on the safety be lt buckle . T he belt
tongue will pop out of the buckle.
- G uide the safety belt all the way back into its stowed posi-
t ion.
Always let the safety be lt retract completely into its stowed position .
The safety belt can now be used as a n ord inary safety belt withou t the
convertible locking retractor for c hild rest raints.
If the co nvertible locking retra ctor should be activated inadve rten tly,
the safety be lt must be unfastened and guided completely back into
i t s s towed posi tion to de activa te this fe ature. If the convert ible
locking retractor is not deactivated, the safety belt w ill gradually
become tighter and uncomfortable to wear.
& WARNING
Improperly in stalled child safety seats increase the ri sk of seriou s
personal injury and death in a collision .
• Never unfa sten the safety belt to deactivate the convertible
locking retracto r for child restraints while the vehicle is mo ving.
You would not b e re strained and could be seriously injured in an
accident.
• Alway s read and heed all WARNINGS whenever u sing a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used~
page 231. Special precau
tions apply when installing a child safety sea t on the front
passenger seat~
page 208, "Child restraints on the front seat -
s ome important thing s to know ".•
LATCH Lower anchorages and
tethers for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To prov ide a simpler and more practicable way to attach the child
restrain t on the vehicle se at, Federal regulat io ns re quire special
lower ancho rages in ve hicles and devices on new chi ld restraints to
a ttac h to the veh icle an chorages.
T he combination of the tether anchorages and the lower anchorages
is now generally called the
LATCH system for " Lower Anc horages and
T ethers fo r Children."
Forward -fac ing ch ild restraints manufactured after September 1,
1 999 , a re requ ired by U.S. federa l reg ulat ions to com ply w ith new
child head movement performance requirements . These new perfor
m an ce req uiremen ts make a tether necessary on most new c hild
seats .
Insta lling a child restraint that req uires a top tether without one can
ser iously impair the performance of the chi ld restra int and its abi lity
to protect the chi ld in a collision. Insta lling a child restraint that
req uires a top te ther w ithout t he top tethe r may be a violation of
state law.
Chi ld restraint manufacturers offer LA TCH lowe r anchorages on their
child seats with hook -on or push -on connectors attached to adj ust
ab le st raps.
In addit ion to the LA TC H l owe r an chorages, these ch ild restrain t
systems usually require the use of tethe r straps to help keep the child
restraint firm ly in pla ce.
& WARNING
Improper in stallation of child re straint s will increase the ri sk of
i njury and death in a crash. .,
________________________________________ __;I:..: n~ t -=-e .=.:.: ll:.:.;igent technology .__==-
On steep s lopes , you shou ld use the brak ing effect of t he e ngine. This
w ay, y ou p revent unne ce ss ary we ar o n t he bra ke sys te m . If you mus t
use your brakes , do not ho ld the brakes down conti nuously . Pump the
bra kes at intervals.
Moisture or road salt
Under cer ta in c on di tions, for ex ample, when drivin g thr ough w at er or
very heavy rain, or e ve n after was hing your veh icle, the braking effect
c an be re duced due to moi st ur e (o r in freezi ng condi tio ns ice) o n the
bra ke pads . A few care ful b rake app lica tions should dry off the bra ke
pads or
remove any ice coatings .
Th e effec tiveness of the bra ke s ca n be re d uced whe n the vehicle is
driven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used . He re too,
yo u sh ould clean off a ccumula ted sa lt c oat ing from brake disc s and
pads with a few caref ul app lications of the brake::::;,&.
Corrosion
The re may be a tendency fo r dirt to build up on the bra ke pads and
cor ro si on t o fo rm on the di scs if t he c ar is not driven re gularly or o nly
for short t rips w ith litt le use of the bra kes.
If the bra kes are not used fre quent ly, o r if corrosion ha s fo rme d on
t he d iscs, i t is advisable to clean off t he pads and d is cs by bra king
fi rm ly a few t imes from a mo derately high speed ::::;,& .
Faults in the brake system
If yo u shou ld no tice a sudden in cre ase in b rake ped al t ravel, t hen one
o f t he two brake circ uits may have failed::::;,&.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occ ur in the brake system if the brake fluid level is
t o o low. The bra ke f lui d level is mon itored e lectroni cally.
Brake lining wear status
Brak e lining we ar may be checked by v isual inspec tio n o f the condi
tion of the brake pads throug h the openings in the wheel. If neces
sa ry, t he wheel m ay be re m oved f or this in spection ::::;,
page 335,
"C hanging a w hee l" .
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
•
You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road condition s 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 di stan ce.
• 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 di stance . Avoid driving the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest Audi dealer or qualified
workshop .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
lillill.a._...:I:..: n~ t .::.e::::..::.: ll~igent technology ,_ _______________________________________ _
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra braking power.
The brake booster works with vacuum pressure which is created on ly
w hen the eng ine is ru nn ing =>& .
& WARNING
• Nev er let the vehicle roll to a stop w ith the engine shut off.
• If the brake booster is n ot working , for e xample when towing
your vehicle, or because the brake booster has som ehow been
damaged , the brake pedal must be pressed conside rably harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistan ce. •
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS)
A BS prevents the wheels fr om locking up under braking.
The ABS co ntributes effectively to ve hicle contro l s i nee it preve nts the
w heels from
locking when the brakes a re applied. T his 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 the A BS to shorten brak ing distance under all
circumstances. When driving on grave l o r on newly fa llen snow on top
of icy su rfaces, b raking distance may be even longer, therefore, under
these circumstances, it is especially important that you drive slowly
and w ith great care.
How the ABS system works
An automatic check is made w hen a speed of abo ut 4 mph (6 km/h) is
reached . When this happens, a pumping noise can be heard . If a
n ind iv idua l wheel begins to rotate too slow ly in relat ion to ve hicle
speed and tends to lo ck, the ABS automat ically redu ces bra ke pres
su re to p revent t hat wheel from lock ing.
Th is automatic adjustment process wi ll cause a
slight vib ration of
t he bra ke pedal and so me noises to al er t you tha t vehicle s peed mus t
be adapted to existing road and traff ic conditions.
& WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective, always remember that braking
capability is limited by tir e traction. Always adjust your driving
speed acco rding to the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the
extra safety afforded by the ABS tempt you into taking extra ri sks .
The ABS cannot ove rcome the laws of physics.
[I) Tips
• If ABS is not funct ioning properly, a warning light will come on.
See=>
page 19.
• If a fa ult occ urs in the ABS, the ED L is also not functioning . This is
ind icated by the A BS warn ing ligh t.•
Brake assistant
T he brake assistant is designed to achi eve the optimum
b ra king effect.
The b rake ass istant helps to i ncrease the effective brak ing power and
thus to achieve a shorter stopping distance. If the driver p resses the
bra ke pedal
very quickly, the brake assistan t automatically boosts t he
brak ing fo rce to the maximum level, up to the po int where the anti
lo ck bra ke f un ct ion (ABS) intervenes to stop the whee ls from locking.
You shou ld then keep the brake pedal pressed unt il the ve hicle has
bra ked to t he required s peed . T he bra ke ass ist ant sw itches itse lf off
as soon as you re lease the brake pedal. ._