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label is located on the driver's side 8-p illar . On Canada veh icles, the
ti re pressu re lab el is loca ted ei ther on the d river's s ide 8-pillar or
inside the fuel fille r flap . The tire pressure label lists the recom
mended co ld tire inflatio n pressures fo r the ve hicle at its maximum
capacity weight and the tires that were on yo ur vehicle at the t ime it
was manufactured . For recommended tire pressures for normal loa d
c ondi tions, p lease see chapte r=>
page 295. •
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equippe d with four tie
d o w ns to secu re lu ggage and other i tems.
Use the t ie-downs to sec ure yo ur ca rgo prope rly=> page 177 ,
"Load ing the luggage compartment" .
In a c oll ision, t he laws of physics mean that eve n small er item s tha t
are loose in the vehicle will become heavy missiles that can cause
s er iou s injury. Ite ms i n t he vehi cle p osses s ene rgy w hich vary w it h
vehicle speed and the weight of the item. Vehicle speed is th e most
sig nifi ca nt fa ctor.
For examp le, in a frontal collis ion at a speed of 30 mph (4 8 km/h) ,
the forces acting on a 10- lb (4.5 kg) object are a bout 20 times the
normal weig ht o f th e ite m. Th is mea ns that t he weight of t he ite m
wou ld s uddenly be abo ut 200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imagine the inju
r ies tha t a 200 lbs . (9 0 kg) item fly ing freely throug h the pa ssenge r
compartment could cause in a collision like this.
& WARNING
Weak , damaged or improper straps used to secure items to tie
downs can fail during hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal inju ry.
• 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.
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(co ntinued )
• When the rear seat backrest is folded down, always u se suit
able mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs
in the luggage compartment to help p revent 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 finds that a
safety defe cts exist s in a group of vehicles, it
may o rder a recall and remed y campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you , your dealer,
or Audi of America, Inc .
To contact NHTSA, you m ay call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at:
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) _,.
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. 167 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
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop themselves from flying forward and being injured or killed. Always
wear your safety belts!
Fig. 170 A driver not
wearing a safety belt is
violently thrown
forward
Fig. 171 A rear
passenger not wearing
a safety belt will fly
forward and strike the
driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tremendous forces of
impact by holding tight or bracing themselves. Without the benefit
of safety restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant will slam
violently into the steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or
whatever else is in the way=:> fig. 170. This impact with the vehicle
interio r has all the energy they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection . Even when they deploy,
airbags provide only additional protection. Airbags are not supposed
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is equipped
with airbags, all vehicle occupants, including the driver, must wear
safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of severe injury or
death in a crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and that your
safety belts are always there to offer protection in those accidents in
which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed . Unbelted occupants can also be thrown out of the vehicle
where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear safety belts
correctly. Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only
themselves but also the driver and other passengers=:> fig . 171. In a
frontal collision they will be thrown forward violently, where they can
hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger. •
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to brace the
body in a minor collision. It's simply not true!
Fig. 172 Driver is
correctly restrained in
a sudden braking
maneuver
Safety belts used properly can make a big difference. Safety belts
help to keep passengers in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
applied to the body in an accident, and help prevent the uncontrolled
movement that can cause serious injuries. In addition, safety belts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the vehicle. .,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
& 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
mu st 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 267,
"Sa fety belts". •
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Seat first -everybody buckle up!
Safety belts
Fig. 173 Belt buckle
and tongue on the
driver's seat
To provide maximum protection, safety belts must always be
pos itioned correctly on the wearer's body.
- Adjust the front seat and head restraint properly
=> page 73, "General recommendations" .
- Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench is in an
upr ight position and securely latched in place before using
the belt => & .
- Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly across the
chest and pelvis =>& .
- Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of your seat until
you hear it latch securely => fig. 173.
- Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely latched in
the buckle.
II>
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
& WARNING (continued)
• The lap belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned as
low as possible across pelvis and never over the abdomen. Make
sure the belt lies flat and snug=> fig. 174. Pull on the belt to
tighten if necessary.
• A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious injuries by shifting
its position on your body from the strong bones to more vulner
able, soft tissue and cause serious injury.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important
information
=> page 184 . •
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. 175 Safety belt
position during preg
nancy
To provide maximum protection, safety belts must always be
positioned correctly on the wearer's body~
page 186.
-Adjust the front seat and head restraint correctly
~ page 73, "General recommendations".
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
-Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench is in an
upright position and securely latched in place before using
the belt.
- Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly across the
chest and pelvis~ fig. 175,
~ &-
- Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of your seat until
you hear it latch securely ~
page 185, fig. 173 .
- Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely latched in
the buckle.
& 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 185. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
_____________________________________________ S_a _f _e _t =-y _b_ e_lt _ s __ _
0 Note
Never let the belt rema in over a rea r seatbac k that has been folded
forward.
(I) Tips
The safety bel t pretensioner can only be activated once.
• In m inor frontal and side co llisions, in rear-end collisions , in a roll
over and in accidents involving very litt le impact force, the safety be lt
pretensioner are not activated.
• In the case of a side crash, the safety belt p retensioners wi ll acti
vate o n the dr ive r's or front passenge r's sides only, depe nding on
whic h side of the ve hicle the c rash occurs.
• When the safety belt pretensioners are activated, a fine dust is
re lease d. This is norma l and is not caused by a fire in the vehicle.
• The relevant safety requirements must be observed when t he
vehicle o r com ponents of the system a re scrapped . An autho rized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop is familiar w ith these reg ulat io ns
and w ill be pleased to pass on the information to yo u.
• Be sure to observe all safety, enviro nmental and other reg ulations
if the vehicle or individ ua l pa rts of the system, part icu la rly the safety
belt or a irbag, are to be d isposed . We recommend you have your
authorized Au di dea le r p erfo rm this se rvice fo r yo u.•
Service and disposal of safety belt
pretensioner
Th e safety be lt preten sione rs ar e parts of the safe ty belts on your
Audi. I nstall ing, remov ing, servic ing or repai ring of belt preten
sioners can dam age the sa fety belt system and prevent i t from
work ing correctly i n a collision .
Th ere are some importa nt th ings you have to know to make s ure that
t he effectiveness o f th e sy stem w ill no t be i mpaire d and that
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
discarded compo
nents do not cause injury or po llute t he e nviron
me nt.
& WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing a safety belt
pretensioner from a ctivating when needed or activating it unex
pectedly:
• The belt preten sioner sy stem can be activated only once . If belt
pretensioners have been activated , the system must be replaced.
• Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of the safety belt
system.
• Safety belt systems including safety belt pretensioners cannot
be repaired . Special procedures are required for removal, in stalla
tion and d ispo sal of this sy stem.
• For any work on the safety belt system, we strongly recom
mend that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified tech
nician who has an Audi approved repair manual, training and
special equipment necessary .
ffi For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag module s and pre tens ioners m ig ht be cl as sified as
Perch lorate Material -spec ia l hand ling may apply, see
www.d ts c.ca .gov/h azardousw aste/ perchlor ate . W he n t he vehi cle or
parts of t he restraint system i nclud ing a irbag modu les safety belts
with pre tens ioners are scr appe d, all appli cabl e laws and reg ulatio ns
must be observed . You r author ized Aud i dealer is familiar with these
req uirements and we recommen d that yo u have yo ur dea le r pe rform
t his se rvice fo r you .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
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costs o r even t he lack of ve hicle damage is not necessarily an ind ica
t ion of w heth er an a irba g should inflat e or not.
It is not poss ible to define a range of ve hicle speeds t hat w ill cover
every possible k ind and a ngle of impact that will always trigger the
a ir bags, sin ce the cir cums ta nc es w ill vary con sid erab ly be twee n one
co llision and another . Important factors inclu de, for exam ple, the
n at ure (h ard or so ft ) of th e obje ct wh ich t he c ar hi ts, the an gle of
impact, vehicle speed, etc . T he front airbags w ill also not inflate in
s ide or rear co ll is io ns, or i n roll-o ve rs.
Always remember: Airbags w ill deploy only once, a nd only in certain
kinds of coll isions . Yo ur safety be lts are a lways there to offer protec
ti on in t hose situ ations i n w hich air bags are not s upposed to deploy,
or w hen they have alrea dy de ploye d; for examp le, w hen your ve hicle
st rike s or i s struc k by ano ther afte r the firs t collis io n .
T hi s is just one of the reasons w hy a n airbag is a s upplementary
res tra in t a nd i s no t a su bs titu te for a saf ety bel t. The air bag syste m
works most effective ly whe n used w ith the safety belts . Therefore,
always p rope rly wea r you r sa fety belts ~ page 18 1.
& WARNING
Sitting too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel will
decrease the effectiveness of the airbags and will increase the r isk
of personal injury in a collision.
• Never sit closer than 10 inches (25 cm ) to the steer ing wheel or
instrument panel.
• If you cannot sit more than 10 inches (25 cm ) from the
steering wheel, investigate whether adaptive equipment may be
available to help you reach the pedals and increase your seating
distance from the steering wheel.
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sideways or
out of pos ition in any way, your risk of injury is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag .
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(co ntinued )
• To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, always
wear safety belts properly=>
page 185, "Safety belts ".
• Always make certain that children age 12 or younger always
ride in the rear seat. If children are not properly restrained, they
may be severely injured or killed when an airbag inflates.
• Never let children r ide unrestrained or improperly restrained in
the vehicle. Adjust the front seats properly .
• Never r ide with the backrest reclined.
• Always sit as far as possible from the steering wheel or the
instrument panel=>
page 172.
• Always sit upright with your back against the backre st of your
seat .
• Never place your feet on the instrument panel or on the seat.
Always keep both feet on the floor in front of the seat to help
prevent serious injuries to the leg s and hips if the airbag inflates .
• Never recline the front passenger 's seat to transport objects .
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden maneuver. Objects near the
airbags can become projectiles and cause injury when an airbag
inflates .
& WARNING
Airbags that have deployed in a crash must be replaced.
• Use only original equ ipment airbags approved by Aud i and
installed by a trained technician who ha s the necessary tools and
diagnostic equipment to properly replace any airbag in your
vehicle and assure system effectiveness in a crash.
• Never permit salvaged or recycled airbags to be installed in
your vehicle. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
_________________________________________________ A_ ir_ b_ a_,,g :;..__ s-=y '"- s_ t_ e_ m __ _
defined in the electronic contro l unit~ page 202, "PASSE NGER
AI RB AG OF F ligh t".
Always remember, a c hild safety seat or infa nt ca rr ie r i nstalled on th e
front seat may be str uck and k noc ked out of position by the ra pidly
in flating p assenge r's ai rbag in a frontal coll is io n. T he a irbag could
great ly reduce the effect iveness of the c hild restraint and even seri
o us ly i njur e the chi ld dur ing inflation.
For this reason, and because t he back seat is the safest place for chil
dren -whe n properly restrained according to their age an d size -we
st rong ly recommend t hat childre n always sit in the back seat
~ page 21 5, "C hild Safety" .
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be ser iously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• The inflat ing airbag w ill hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest, door or roof .
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat .
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• Forward-facing child safety seats installed on the front
pa ssenger 's seat may interfere with the deployment of the airbag
and cause ser ious personal injury to the child.
& WARNING
If , in exceptional circumstances , you must install a forward-facing
c hild restraint on the front passenger's seat:
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(co ntinued )
• Always make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up against or very
near the instrument panel.
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be ad justed to an upright position.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will be displayed whenever a child
re straint is installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition
is switched on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not stay on, perform
the checks described~
page 201, "Monitoring the Advanced
Airbag System ".
• Take the child restra int 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.
• Always carefully follow instructions from child restraint manu
facturers when installing child restraints .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances , you must install a forward or
rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat :
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data