2011 AUDI A3 belt

Seats and storage Raising /Lowering the head restraint
The head restra ints on the front seats can be adjusted to
provide safe support to head and neck at the optimum
height . When opt imally ad justed, the top of the res traint
should be level w ith the top of the head . If that is not
possible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close
to this position as possib le =>
page 128, "Proper adjustment
of head restraints".
- To move the head restraint up , hold it at the sides with
both hands and slide it upward until you feel it click into
p lace.
To move the head restraint down, press t he button @ and
slide the head restra int downward until you feel it click
into place =>
page 77, fig. 74 .
Removing the head restraint
-Pull t he head rest rain t all the way u p.
- Press the release button®=>
page 77, fig . 74 and pull
the restraint straight up and out of the seat.
Installing the head restraint
- Insert the rods into the g uides a nd push the res traint back
i n until you hear it click.
Refe r to => page 128, "P roper adjustme nt of head restrain ts" for
guidelines on how to adjust the he ight of the fro nt head restra ints to
fit the occupant's body size.
& WARNING
• Driving without head restraint s or with head re straint s that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of serious o r fatal neck
injur y dramatically .
& WARNING (contin u ed )
• Read and heed all WARNINGS => page 128.
[ i ] Tips
Correct ly adjusted head restraints and safety belts are an extremely
effect ive comb inat io n of safety features .•
Rear head restraints
Fig. 7 5 Rear seat :
he ad re st ra ints
Fig. 76 Rear head
re strai nts: re leas e
If the re is a passe nger on the rea r ce nter seat ing position,
slide th e cente r head restrai nt upward a t least to the nex t
notch . ..,.

Adjusting the head restraints
-To move the head restraint up, hold it at the sides with
both hands and slide it upward until you feel it click into
place.
- To move the head restraint down, press the button@
=>
page 78, fig . 75 and slide the head restraint downward.
Removing the head restraints2>
- Fold the backrest forward=> page 81.
-Move the head restraint upward as far as it can go.
- Press the release@=>
page 78, fig. 76 with the screw-
driver=>
page 2 70 and the button@=> page 78, fig. 75.
Pull the head restraint out of the backrest at the same
time=> &.
Installing the head restraints
Slide the posts on the head restraint down into the guides
until you feel the posts click into place.
- Press the button@=>
page 78, fig. 75 and slide the head
restraint all the way down. You should not be able to pull
the head restraint out of the backrest.
So that the driver can have a better view to the rear, the head
restraints should be pushed down completely when the rear seats are
not occupied.
& WARNING
• Only remove the rear seat head restraints when necessary in
order to install a child seat. Install the head restraint again imme-
2 l The head restraints cannot be removed from rear seats with fixed backrests.
Control s and equ ip­
m ent Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
& WARNING (continued)
diately once the child seat is removed. Driving without head
restraints or with head restraints that are not properly adjusted
increases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury dramatically.
• Read and heed all WARNINGS~
page 128.
[I) Tips
Correctly adjusted head restraints and safety belts are an extremely
effective combination of safety features. •
Center armrest
The front center armrest can be adjusted to several posi­
tions and contains a storage bin.
Adjusting the armrest
- Push the armrest down .
Fig. 77 Between the
front seats: armrest
folded down
-Lift the armrest slowly until it is in a comfortable position.
Opening the storage bin
- Pull the release button =>fig. 77 upward.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Luggage compartment
Increasing the size of the luggage
compartment
To increase the size of the luggage compartment, both
parts of the seatback can be folded forward, individually
or together.
Folding the seatback forward
U')
"'
"' 0 a. ., CD
Fig. 79 Release lever
for the seatback (left
side)
Fig. 80 Rear seatback
folded forward (with
pass-through*)
- Let the backrest latch into the lowest position.
- Swing the outer rear head restraints forward=:>
page 78,
fig. 75.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
-Push the release lever=:> fig. 79 @in the direction of the
arrow.
- Tilt the seatback forward.
Raising the seatback
- Raise the seatback until it is securely latched=:>& . When
you can no longer see the red mark on the pin@, the seat
is latched.
Stowing luggage
- For safe loading and securing of items read and follow the
guidelines on=:>
page 131, "Loading the luggage
compartment" .
The rear seatback is divided into two segments-one third/two thirds.
You can fold down either or both parts of the seatback.
& WARNING
• The backrest must always be securely latched so that the safety
belt of the center seating position can work properly to help
protect the occupant.
• The backrest must be securely latched in position so that no
items contained in the luggage compartment can slide forward
upon sudden braking.
• Never allow safety belts to become damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware.
• Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and damaged belt hardware
can break in a crash. Inspect the belts periodically. Belts showing
damage to webbing, bindings, buckles, or retractors must be
replaced.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Seats and storage
& WARNING
Always read and heed WARNINGS=> & in "Loading the luggage
compartment " on
page 131.
0 Note
• If you move the front seat back when the rea r seat backrest is
folded forward, you co uld damage the head restraints o n the rear
seat.
• When fo ld in g th e backrest back into place, make s ure the safety
belt does not get c aug ht, because it can be dama ged . A damaged belt
can fail to provide safe restraint. •
Fastening eyes
The lugga ge compa rtme nt is eq uipped with four tie- down
eyele ts to secu re l ug gage and o ther it em s.
Fig. 81 L uggage
compartm ent:
fastening eyes
- Use the fas ten ing eye s to se cu re your ca rgo pro pe rly
=:> fig . 81 -arrows- .
- Adhere to a ll safety instru ctions =:>
page 131, "Stowing
lugg age".
In a co llision, the laws of phys ics mean that even sma ller items that
a re loose in the vehicle will be come he avy missile s th at ca n caus e
ser ious injury. It ems in th e vehicle possess energy which va ry with
vehicle and t he weight of the item. The veh icle s peed i s the most
significant factor .
For example, in a frontal col lision at a speed of 30 mp h (4 8 km/h),
t he forc es a ct in g on a 10 lb s (4,5 kg) obje ct are about 20 time s th e
normal weight of t he item. This means that the weig ht of t he item
wou ld su dde nly be about 200 l bs (90 kg). Yo u can ima gine the inju­
r ies that a 200 lbs (90 kg) item flying freely through the passenger
compar tment cou ld ca use in a colli sion like this .
& WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure items to
fastening eyes can fail during hard braking or in a collision and
cause serious personal injury.
• Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items
to the fastening eyes in the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shift ing or flying forward .
• When the rear seat backrest is folded down, always use suit­
able mounting straps and properly secure items to the fastening
eyes in the luggage compartment to help prevent items from
flying forward into the passenger compartment .
• Never atta ch a child safety seat tether strap to a fa stening
eye. •

Applies to veh icles : w ith ski sac k
Ski sack
The ski sack allows a maximum of 4 pairs of skis or 2
snowboards to be carried inside the vehicle.
L oading
Open the rear hatch.
Fig. 86 Sect ion of the
rear sea t from the rear:
ski sack hatch cove r
Fig. 87 Sec uring th e
ski sack at the center
r ear seat belt buc kle
- Slide the releas e button for the pass-through down (with
the center armrest)=> fig . 86 -Arrow -and tilt the pass ­
through forward .
- Remove the sack from the luggage compartment and
unfold it.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
-Place the empty sack in the hatch so that the end with the
zip fastener is in the luggage compartment.
- Load objects from the luggage compartment into the ski
sack.
Securing
- Insert the ski sack strap=> fig. 87 © into the center seat
belt buckle ®·
- With ski ing items, place the strap in the middle between
the bindings =>
&-
- Pull the loose end of the strap tight in the direction of the
arrow .
Opening the safety strap buckle
-Take the long sides of safety strap buckle between thumb
and forefinger => fig . 87
@ .
- Squeeze the buckle and pull it away from the cargo.
Stowing
- Raise the pass-through until it is securely latched. It is
secure when you can no longer see the red mark on the
latch in the luggage compartment.
- Carefully fold up the empty (dry) ski sack .
- Stow the ski sack in the luggage compartment so that it
cannot slide around .
& WARNING
• Aft er loa din g, th e sk i sac k m ust be se cu red wit h th e strap .
• The saf ety s trap must fi t tig htly a rou nd the c argo .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

1111 ....... _D_ r_iv _i_ n .... g=-- S_ a_f _e _Ly :,.._ ______________________________________________ _
Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
Th is chapter contains important information, t ips, instructions and
warnings that you need to read an d observe fo r you r own safe ty, the
safety of you r passengers and others . We have summarized here
w hat you need to know about sa fety belts, airbags, child restra ints as
we ll as child safety . You r safety is for us
priority number 1. Always
observe the information and warnings in this section -for your own
safety as well as t hat of your passengers.
The informat ion in this section applies to all mode l versions of yo ur
veh icle . Some of the fe atures des cribed in this se ctions m ay be st an­
dard equ ipment on some models, or may be optional eq uipment on
others. If you a re not sure, ask your a uth o rized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
• Always make sure that you follow the instructions and heed
the WARNINGS in th is Manual. It is in your interest and in the
intere st of your passengers.
• Always keep the complete Owner's Literatu re 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
s y stem and wor k together to he lp reduce the ris k of injury
in a wide variety of accident situations.
Your sa fety and t he safety o f yo ur passenge rs shou ld no t be left to
chance . Adva nces in technology have made a variety of features avai l­
a b le to help re duce the risk of injury in an a cc ident . The fo llow ing is a
list of jus t a few of the safety features in your Audi:
• sophisticated safety belts for driver and a ll passenger seating
p osi tion s,
• safety belt pretensioners,
• safety belt fo rce lim iters for the fro nt sea ts,
• safety belt he igh t adju stmen t sys tems for the fro nt sea ts,
• automatic safety be lt height adjustment for the rear seats,
• head restraints fo r eac h seating position,
• front airbags,
• side airbags in the fro nt seats a nd outer rear seats*,
• side curtain air bags,
• special LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
• head restraints fo r eac h seating position,
• adjus table stee ring co lumn.
Th ese ind ividual safety features, can work together as a system to
he lp protec t you and yo ur passengers in a wide range of accidents.
Th ese featu res ca nnot work as a syst em if they are not always
correct ly adjusted and cor rect ly used.
Safety is everybody' s re sponsibility! •

Driving Safely ---------------------"~'---
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 operating
correctly.
- Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
- Make sure that all windows are clean and afford good visi-
bility to the outside.
- Secure all luggage and other items carefully::::>
page 91.
-Make sure that nothing can interfere with 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 child restraint correctly to
protect children ::::,
page 167, "Child Safety".
- Sit properly in your seat and make sure that your passen­ gers do the same::::,
page 73, "General recommenda­
tions".
- Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Also instruct
your passengers to fasten their safety belts properly
=:> page 135. •
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

• ....__D_ r_iv _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. 122 Correct
seating position
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
pos ition 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 . 122. If not possible, see your
authorized Audi dealership 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 the upper edge is as even as
possible with the top of your head. If that is not possible,
try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to this
position as possible.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly~
page 139.
-Always keep both feet in the footwell so that you are in
control of the vehicle at all t imes.
F o r deta iled informat ion on how to adjust the d river 's seat, see
=>
page 74 , "Adjusting front seats manually " or => pag e 75,
"Adjus ting the power sea t".
& 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
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. .,