• ....__D_ r_iv _i_ n_, g=-- S_ a _ f_e _,Ly _ ______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
• 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 221.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat~
page 199. •
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both feet on
the floor consistent with their physical size and be prop
erly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect seating
position in the event of a sudden braking maneuver or an
accident , your passengers on the rear bench seat must
always observe the following :
- Make sure that the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position ~
page 84.
-Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of the rear seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts properly~
page 193.
-Make sure that children are always properly restrained in a
child restraint that is appropriate for their size and age
~page 221.
& WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the rear seat can be seri
ously injured in a crash.
& WARNING (continued)
• Each passenger must always sit on a seat of their own and
properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
• Safety belts only offer maximum protection when the seatback
is securely latched in the upright position and the safety belts are
properly positioned on the body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal injury from improperly
positioned safety belts! •
Applies to veh icles : w ith adjustable head restraints
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. 179 Head
restraint: viewed from
the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to achieve the
best protection.
- Adjust the head restraints 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~ fig. 179.
~
________________________________________________ D_ r_ i_ v _i_n ""'g "-- S_a_ f_ e_ l _,,y'-- __
Adjusting head restraints=> page 82.
& WARNING
Driving without head rest raints or with head restraint s that are
not properl y adju sted increa se s the risk of seriou s or fatal neck
injuriy dram atically. To help reduce the risk of injury :
• Always drive w ith the h ead restraints in place and properly
adjusted.
• Every person in the vehicle must have a prope rly adju sted head
restraint.
• Always make sure each person in the vehicle properly ad justs
their head restraint. Adju st the head restraints so the upper edge
i s as even a s pos sible with th e top of your head . If that i s not
possible, try to adjust the head re straint so that it is as close to
this position as po ssible.
• 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 adju st the head
restraint.
• Children must alwa ys be properly restrained in a child re straint
that is appropriate for their age and size
=> page 221 . •
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant res traint sy stem can o nly redu ce the risk of
injury i f veh icle occup ants are properly sea ted .
Im proper seati ng positio ns can caus e ser ious inju ry o r death .
Safety belts can on ly work w hen t hey are pro perly posi tio ned
on t he body. Impro per sea tin g posit io ns re duce the effect ive
ness of safety belts and w ill even increase the risk of i njury
and deat h by moving the s afety belt to crit ic a l areas of the
body. Imp roper seati ng positions also increase the r is k of
serious injury and death when an airbag deploys and str ikes
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
an occ
upan t who is not in th e proper s eati ng pos ition . A
d river is respons ib le f or t he safe ty o f all vehic le occu pants
a nd especial ly for children . Therefore:
- Never allow anyone to a ssum e an in correc t sea ting pos i-
t ion whe n the v ehic le is bei ng us ed::::;, &.
The follow ing b ulletins list only some sample positions that will
increase the risk of serious in ju ry and death. O ur hope is that these
examples will ma ke you mo re awa re of seat ing posi tions t hat are
dangero us.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving :
• never stand up in the vehicle
• never stand on the seats
• never knee l on t he se ats
• never ride with the seatback reclined
• never lie down on the rear seat
• never le an up agains t th e ins tru ment panel
• never sit on the edge of the seat
• neve r sit s ideways
• never lean o ut the win dow
• never put your feet out the window
• never p ut yo ur feet on the ins trumen t panel
• never rest your feet on the seat c ush ion or back of the seat
• never ride in the footwell
• never ride in the cargo area
& WARNING
Improper seating position s in crease the ri sk of seriou s 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 ,.__ ______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
• Always make sure that all vehicle occupants stay in a proper
seating position and are properly restrained whenever the vehicle
is being used. •
Driver and passenger side footwell
Applies to veh icles : w ith Knee ai rbags
Important safety instructions
& WARNING
Always make sure that the knee airbag can inflate without inter·
ference. Objects between yourself and the airbag can increase the
risk of injury in an accident by interfering with the way the airbag
deploys or by being pushed into you as the airbag deploys.
• No persons (children) or animals should ride in the footwell in
front of the passenger seat. If the airbag deploys, this can result in serious or fatal injuries.
• No objects of any kind should be carried in the footwell area in
front of the driver's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping bags, for example) can hamper or prevent proper deployment of
the airbag. Small objects can be thrown through the vehicle if the
airbag deploys and injure you or your passengers. •
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and must never
be interfered with by a floor mat or any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without interference and that
nothing prevents them from returning to their original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free and can be secured
with floor mat fasteners.
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal travel is required to bring
the vehicle to a full s top.
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss of vehicle control
and increase the risk of serious injury .
• Never place any objects in the driver's footwell. An object could
get into the pedal area and interfere with pedal function. In case
of sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake
or accelerate!
• Always make sure that nothing can fall or move into the
driver's footwell. •
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely attached to
the floor mat fasteners and do not interfere with the free
movement of the pedals.
- Make sure that the floor mats are properly secured and
cannot move and interfere with the pedals~& .
• ....__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 176.
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 power top,
- 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 power top 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 .,_
________________________________________________ D_ r_ i_ v _i_n ""'g "-- S_a_ f_ e_ l _,,y'-- __
the driver's s ide B-pillar. The tire pressure label lists the recom
mended co ld tire in flatio n press ures fo r th e ve hicle at its max imum
capacity weight and the tires that were on your vehicle at the time it
was manufactured . For recommended tire press ures for normal loa d
conditions, p lease see chapte r=>
page 300. •
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equippe d with four tie
do wns to sec ure lu gga ge a nd oth er items.
Use the t ie-downs to sec ure yo ur cargo properly=> page 183,
"Lo ad ing t he lugg age comp artmen t".
In a co llision, the laws of physics mean that even sma ller it ems that
are loose in the vehicle will become heavy missiles that can cause
ser iou s injury. Ite ms i n t he vehi cle pos se ss e ne rgy w hich va ry w it h
vehicle speed and the we ight of the item. Vehicle speed is t he most
s ig nifi ca nt f acto r.
For examp le, in a frontal coll is io n at a speed of 30 mph (48 km/h),
the forces acting on a 1 0-lb (4. 5 kg) object are a bout 20 times t he
normal weig ht o f the item. T his means that t he weight o f the ite m
wou ld s uddenly be a bo ut 200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imagine the inju
r ies tha t a 200 lbs . (9 0 kg) item fly ing free ly throug h the p ass enge r
compartment cou ld cause i n a collision lik e this .
& WARNING
Weak , damaged or improper straps used to secure item s to tie
downs 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 tie-downs in the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dangerous missiles.
• When the rear seat backre st is folded down, always use suit
able mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(co ntinued )
in the luggage compartment to help prevent items from flying
forward as dangerous missiles into the passenger compartment.
• Never attach a child safety seat tether strap to a tie -down. •
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehi cle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury
or death , you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it find s that a
safety defe cts exist s in a group of vehicles, it
may o rder a recall and remedy campaign.
However , NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you, your dealer,
or Audi of America, Inc.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at:
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153)
or write to:
Administrator
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
instructions 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 t
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. 185 Safety belt
warning light in the
instrument cluster -
enlarged
- Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are wearing it
properly .
IJ,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
___ s_a_ f_ e_ t_ y _ b_e _l_t _s ___________________________________________ _
Safety be lts attach passe ngers to t he car an d give th em the benef it of
b ei ng s lo we d d own mor e gentl y or "so ftly" throu gh th e "give" in the
sa fety bel ts, crush z ones a nd oth er safety feat ures engin eered in to
today 's vehicles . By "absor bing" the kinetic e ner gy over a lo ng er
p eriod of time, th e saf ety belts make the forces o n th e body mor e
"to lerable" and less likely to ca use inju ry .
Alt hou gh the se ex amp les a re based on a fr ontal col lis ion, safety bel ts
can a lso s ubstantially red uce the risk of in jur y in other ki nds of
cras hes. So , whe ther you 're o n a long tri p o r ju st go in g to th e co rner
sto re, a lways b uckle up a nd make sure others do, too. Accident statis
t ics s how t hat vehi cle occupan ts properly wea rin g safety belts have a
lower risk of bei ng in jured and a muc h better cha nce of s urvivi ng an
acc ident. Properly usi ng safety belts also greatly increases the ability
of the supp lemental a irbags to do t heir job in a co llisio n. For this
reason, wea ring a safety belt is lega lly re quir ed in most countries
including muc h of th e Uni ted Stat es and Canad a.
Altho ugh your Audi is equipped with a irbags, yo u still have to wear
t he s afety bel ts provi ded. Fr ont airba gs, for ex ample, are activ ated
only in some fro nta l collisions . T he front a irbags are not activated in
all fr ont al collis ions, in side and re ar co llisions, in ro ll overs or in cases
w her e th er e is no t enough d ecelerat io n t hroug h im pac t to th e fron t
o f th e ve hicle. T he same goes for the ot he r air bag sys tems in yo ur
Audi. So, always wear your saf ety be lt and make sure eve rybody in
your vehicle is properly restrai ned! •
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
S afety bel ts m ust alw ays b e co rre ctly po sitio ned a cross
t he str ongest bones o f your bo dy.
- Al ways we ar saf ety be lts as illustra te d an d descri bed i n
this c hapter.
- M ake sure that your s afet y be lts are alw ays re a dy f or use
a nd a re n ot d amaged .
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death. Safety belts can work only when used correctly.
• Always fasten your safety belts correctly before driving off and
make sure all passengers are correctly restrained.
• For maximum protection , safety belts must always be posi
tioned properly on the body.
• Never strap more than one person, including small children,
into any belt.
• Never place a safety belt over a child sitting on your lap.
• Always keep feet in the footwell in front of the seat while the
vehicle is being driven.
• Never let any person ride with their feet on the instrument
panel or sticking out the window or on the seat.
• Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing
so will increase your risk of being injured or killed.
• Never wear belt s twisted .
• Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects in or on your
clothing, such as eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause
injury .
• Never allow safety belts to become damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware.
• Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt under your arm or
otherwise out of position.
• Several layers of heavy clothing may interfere with correct
positioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of the
system .
• Always keep belt buckles free of anything that may prevent the
buckle from latching securely . .._
& WARNING (continued)
• Never use comfort clips or devices that create slack in the
shoulder belt. However, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint systems.
• Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and damaged belt hard
ware can break in an accident. Inspect belts regularly. If webbing,
bindings, buckles, or retractors are damaged, have belts replaced
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Safety belts that have been worn and loaded
in an accident
must be replaced with the correct replacement safety belt by an
authorized Audi dealer. Replacement may be necessary even if
damage cannot be clearly seen. Anchorages that were loaded
must also be inspected.
• Never remove, modify , disassemble, or try to repair the safety
belts yourself.
• Always keep the belts clean . Dirty belts may not work properly
and can impair the function of the inertia reel=> page 2 72,
"Safety belts". •
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
Safety belts
Belt positioner
The driver and front passenger seats are equipped with
belt positioners.
Fig. 191 Driver's seat:
Be lt positioner
Th e front seats are equipped with belt positioners so it i s easier to
fasten the safety belts. The belt positioners automatically extend
when the door closes and the ignition switches on=> fig. 191.
The belt positioner returns to its starting position again when
• the tongue in the belt latch engages or the belt was not fastened
within 60 seconds .
• you switch the ignition off.
• you open the door .
& WARNING
• Only your authorized Audi dealer should work on the system or
remove and installing system components when performing other
work.
• The belt positioners could cause injury or damage if they pinch
people or objects when extending or retracting. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data