
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 93.
-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 215, "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 181. •
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

___ s_a_ f_ e_ t_ y _ b_e _l_t _s ___________________________________________ _
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safe ty be lt is equipped with an automatic be lt retractor on the
shoulder belt . This feat ure locks t he be lt whe n the belt is pulled out
fast, d uring ha rd braking and in an accident. The belt may also lock
w hen you dr ive up or dow n a steep hill or throug h a sharp curve .
Dur ing norma l driv ing the belt lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
T he safety belts are eq uipped w ith a belt p retensioner that helps to
tighten the safety belt and remove slac k w hen the p retensioner is
activated . The f unction of the p retens ioner is monitored by a warn ing
light=>
page 16.
Switchable locking feature
E very safety be lt except the one on the driver seat is equipped with a
switchab le locking feature that
must be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child safety seat. Be sur e to read t he importa nt info r
mation about this feature=>
page 225.
& WARNING
Improperly po sitioned safety belt s can cau se serious injury in an
accident =>
page 186, "Safety b elt position ".
• Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seatback
is upright and belts are properly posit ioned on the body .
• Alway s make sure that the r ear seat backre st to which the
center rear safety belt is attached is se curely latched whene ver the
rear center safety belt is being u sed . If the ba ckre st is not securely
latched, the passenger will move forwa rd with the backrest during
sudden braking, in a sudden maneuve r and e specially in a crash.
• Never attach the safety belt to the buckle for another seat .
Attaching the belt to the wrong bu ckle will reduc e safety belt
effect iveness and can cause serious personal injury .
• A passenger who i s not properly restrained can be seriou sly
injured by the safety belt itself when it moves from the stronger
parts of the body into critical area s like the abdomen.
& WARNING (c on tinued )
• Alway s lock the convertible locking retractor when you are
securing a child safety seat in the vehicle=>
page 227. •
Safety belt position
Co rrect bel t posi tion is the key to get ting maximum
pro tec tion f rom safety belts .
Fig. 174 H ead
res traint a nd safety
belt po sit io n a s se en
from the side
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust th e position of the
safety belt to match your body si ze.
• height-ad justable fron t sea ts.
& WARNING
Improperly po sitioned safety belts can cau se serious per sonal
i njury in an accident.
• The shoulder belt portion of the safety be lt must b e position ed
over the middle of the occupant's shoulder and never acro ss the
neck or throat.
• The safety belt must lie flat and snug on the occupant's upper
body => fig. 174. Pull on the belt to tighten if neces sary. .,,,.

-L~C:_.!:h~ i~ld ~ S~ a:!: f~ e~ t~ y ~ ------------------------------------------
- Do not use the convertible locking retractor when using
the vehicle's safety belt to restrain a child on a booster
seat.
- Always position the shoulder portion of the safety belt midway over the child's shoulder . If you must transport an
older child in a booster seat on the front passenger seat,
you can use the safety belt height adjustment to help
adjust the shoulder port ion properly .
- Always make s ure that the shoulder por tion of the safety
belt never rests against or across the child's neck .
- Always make sure that the child can properly wear the lap portion of the belt low across the thighs or pelvis and
never over the stomach or abdomen .
Children up to about 40 lbs. (18 kg) are best protected in child safety
seats designed for their age and weight. Experts say that the skeletal
st ruct ure, particularly the pelv is, of these chi ldren is not fully deve l
oped, and they must not use the vehicle safety belts without a suit
able child rest raint .
Children who are at least 4 ft. 9 in . (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall can
generally use the vehicle's three point lap and shoulder belts . Never
use the lap belt port ion of the vehicle's safety belt alone to restra in
any child, regard less of how big the child is. Always remember that
childre n do not have the pronounced pelvic structure required for the
proper function of lap belt portion of the vehicle's three point lap and
shoulder belts. The ch ild's safety absolutely requires that a lap belt
portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and as low as possible
around the pelvis. Neve r let the lap belt po rtion of the safety bel t
pass over the child's stomach or abdomen.
It is usua lly best to p ut these ch ildren in appropriate booster seats.
Be sure the booster seat meets all appl icable safety standards .
Booster seats raise the seating position of the child and reposition
both the lap and shoulder parts of the safety belt so that they pass across the child
's body in the right places . The rout ing of the belt over
t he c hild's body is very impo rtan t for the chi ld's p ro tect io n, whether
or not a booster seat is used. Children age 12 and under must always
ride in the rear seat .
In a crash, airbags m ust inflate with in a blink of an eye and with
considerable force. In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
infl ate so that it w ill be t he re to protect t he oc cupan t as the occupant
moves forward into the a irbag.
A vehicle occupant who is out of position and too close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating a irbag . When a n occupant is too close,
he or she will be struck violently and will receive serious or possibly
even fatal injury.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is important that all
veh icle occupants , espec ia lly any ch ild ren, who must be in the front
seat because of exceptional c ircumstances, be properly restra ined
and as far away from the airbag as possib le . By keeping room
between the child's body and the front of the passenger compart
ment, the airbag can inflate completely and provide supplemental
protection in certa in frontal collisions.
& WARNING
Not using a booste r sea t, using th e boo ste r seat improp erl y, inc or
rectl y installing a boo ste r seat or u sing the vehicle saf ety b elt
i mp roperly increa se s the risk of serio us per sonal injur y and death
i n a colli sion or oth er emergenc y situatio n. To he lp red uce the ri sk
of s eriou s pers onal injury and /or d eath:
• Alway s make su re to po sition the shoulder portion of the three
point b elt ove r the middl e of child' s sho ulder.
• Never l et the shoulder p orti on of the b elt re st again st or acro ss
th e neck, fa ce, chin , or thro at of the ch ild.
• Alwa ys make sure the lap belt portion of th e thr ee -point belt i s
worn snug and pa sses as low a s pos sible across the ch ild 's pel vis.
N ever le t th e be lt pa ss over the soft abdomen .
liJ>

________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ....... JIII
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 21 6 Tire s pecificati on co des on th e sidew all of a tire
No .
©
@
®
©
©
©
Descript ion
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal width of tire in mil limeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index an d speed rating
Vehicle OP-eration
(j)
®
®
@
@
U.S. DOT tire identification number
Audi Orig inal tire
Sever snow conditions
Tire p ly composition and materia ls used
Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pressure
T he tires and rims are essential pa rts of the vehicle's design . The tires
and r ims approved by Audi are specially matched to the character is
t ics of the vehicle and can make a major contribut ion to good road
holding and safe handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
=> & .
We recommend that all work on t ires and wheels be performed by an
authori zed Au di deale r. They are fam il ia r with recommended proce
dures and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as well as
the proper facilities for disposing of the o ld tires.
Authorized Aud i dea lers have the necessary info rmation about tech
nical requirements for insta lling or changing tires and rims .
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pa irs and not ind iv idually (for
example both front tires or both rea r tires together) .
Be sure to read and heed the in formation to the tire pressure mon i
t o ring system *=>
page 310.
Always b uy replacement radial tires t hat have the same specificat ions
a s t he tires approved for yo ur ve hicl e by Audi. Re placemen t tires must
always have the same load rating specification as the orig inal eq uip
me nt or approved optiona l tires listed in the table =>
page 295.
Audi -app roved spe cifica tion tires are spec ially ma tched to yo ur
vehicle and its load lim its, and can contrib ute to the important road- _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle . The table
(::::>
page 295) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label (On USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is
located on the driver's side B-pillar. On Canada vehicl es, the tire pres
sure label is located either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the
fuel filler flap)(=>
page 295, fig. 213) l ists the specifications of the
orig inal equipment tires installed on your vehicle at the time it was
manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor
mation on the sidewall of all tires =>
page 303, fig. 216. This infor
mation identifies and descr ibes the fundamental characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a tire identification number
for safety standard cert ification and in case of a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the correct
tires. Radia l tires have the tire specifications marked on the sidewall,
for examp le:
P255 / 35 Rl9 96V XL
This contains the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars (where applicable)
255 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side -
wall edge . In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
35 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in inches)
96 Load rating code
Y Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "E XTRA LOAD", or "RF" Indicates that the tire is a"Rein
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa
bility The tires could a
lso have the information of direction of rotation
=>
page 291 .
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on the tire sidewall
(poss ibly only on the
inner side of the wheel):
"DO T ... 2209 ... "means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2009.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels ind icates the maximum
permissible road speeds =>
& in "Winter tires" on page 307.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mp h (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (1 70 km/h)
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h) H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
3
)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)3
)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)3
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)3>
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excellent driving characterist ics and give yo ur Audi optimum driv in g
comfort. An electronic speed limiter=>
page 29 will normally prevent
your vehicle from go ing faster than the tire speed rating::::>
&-
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins with the letters "DOT" and
ind icat es that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two
~
3l For tires w ith a maximum speed capability over 149 mph (240 km/h), t ire
man ufact urer s sometimes use the letters "ZR."

________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
wheels are fitted secure ly and that the brake system func tions
cor rectly.
I n certa in circumsta nces, yo u may not use wheel bo lts from a
different vehicle -even if it is the same model =>
page 342 .
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become
loose causing loss of control, a collision and serious personal
injury .
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened.
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled, even
if tightened to the specified torque.
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed .
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle.
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low, they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving. If the tightening torque is too high, the wheel
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose.
0 Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is 90 ft lbs. (120 Nm) wit h a
tol eran ce o f± 7,4 ft lbs.( ± 10 Nm ). Tor qu e wheel bolts di ag on ally.
After chang ing a wheel, the to rque must be checked as soon as
p ossib le wi th a tor qu e wrench - prefer ably by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified wo rkshop .•
Safety first
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect rat io tires. These tires
h ave bee n t horo ugh ly te st ed a nd bee n sele cted spe cifica lly for your
mode l for their supe rb performance, road fee l and hand ling u nder a
v ariety o f dr iv ing co ndi tio ns . Ask your author ized A udi d ealer for
more deta ils.
Th e low as pect rat io of these tires is indicated by a numera l o f
55 or
less
in t he ti re 's s ize des ig nation. The nu meral represen ts the ratio o f
the t ire's si dewall height in relat io n to its tread wi dth expressed in
per ce nta ge. Conve ntiona l t ires h ave a heigh t/w idt h rat io of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is particularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure . It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pressure is regularly checked and maintained. Tire pre s
sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long trip~ pag e 297, "Ch ecking tire pre ss ur e".
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low as pect ratio t ires ca n be damaged more easi ly by impact w ith
potholes, curbs, gullies or ridges on the road, pa rtic ularly if t he tire is
unde rinflated.
I n order to minim ize the occurrence of impact damage to the t ires of
your vehicle, we re co mmend that y ou o bserve the f ollowin g pre ca u
tions :
• Always maintai n recommen ded in flation p ressures. Chec k your
tire pressu re e very 2,0 00 m ile s (3,0 00 km) an d add air if n ecess ary .
• D rive ca refu lly on roads with potholes, deep gulli es o r ridges. The
impact from d riving thro ugh or over such obs tacles can damage your
tires. Im pact w it h a cu rb may also cause damage to your tires .
• After a ny impact , immediately inspect you r tir es o r have t hem
inspected by the nea rest author ized Aud i dealer . Replace a damage d
t ire as soon as possib le. _.,
Vehicle care Technical data

Alphabetical index -________________ fNi'II
Release lever for hood ...... .. .. .. .. . 274 Safety belts .... ..... ... ......... ... 185
Remote control garage door opener Cleaning ... ................ ..... 267
(Homel ink ®) ........... .... ... . 166 Danger to passengers who do not wear a
Remote control key safety belt ..................... 183
Unlocking and locking ... .. .. ....... 47 Fastening .... .. .... .. ........... 185
Remote rear lid release ........... .. .. 51 Improperly worn · · · · . · · · · · · · · .... 188
Repair manuals ................ ..... 340 Not worn · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 183
Safety belt position ............. .. 186
Repairs
Airbag system .................. . 204
Rep lacing bulbs ........ .... .. .. .. .. . 327
Replacing tires and wheels ......... .. . 303
Replacing windshield wiper blades ...... 67
Reporting Safety Defects ........ 179, 180
Reset button .......... ...... .. .. .. .. 13
Retractor ....... .. .... .. ... ... ..... 185
Rims Cast alloy .............. .. .... .. . 261
Roof luggage rack Mounting points .................. 89
Roof rack ............. ...... ... . .. .. 88
Roof load . ............. ...... .. .. 90
See also Roof luggage rack .......... 88
s
Safe dr iving habits ............... ... 170
Safety belt position .. .. .. ........ .... 186
Safety belts worn by pregnant women . ..
187
Safety belt pretensioner .. .. ... .... ... 188
Service and disposal ............. . 189
Safety belt warning light . . . . . . . . . 16, 181 Safety instructions
.. .. .. ...... .. . 184
Securing child safety seats . ........ 225
Special considerat ions for pregnant
women ........................ 187
Unfastening .. ................... 188
Warning/indicator light .. ....... .. 181
Why YOU MUST wear them ......... 181
Worn properly .. ..... ......... .. . 183
Safety compliance sticker ............. 336
Safety equipment .... ............. .. 170
Safety features for occupant restraint and
protection ................... .. 170
Safety guidelines Seat adjustment .................. 73
Safety instructions
Engine compartment ... .......... 275
for side curtain airbags ... .. .. ..... 213
for using child safety seats ....... .. 218
for using safety bel ts ...... ...... .. 184
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System .
203
Seat adjustment Driver's seat .... ....... .... ...... . 73
Easy entry funct ion ............. .. . 78
Easy entry manual function ......... 76
For-and-aft manually .. .. .. ........ 7 5 Front passenger's seat .
... .. .. .. ... 7 4
Front seats ...... ................. 73
Head restraints ................ .. 17 4
Manual . ........... .. .... .. .. .. .. 74
Power ............. .. .... .... .. .. 76
Seat back angle manual ly ....... .. .. 75
Seat height manually ............ .. 75
Seat belts
See Safety belts .................. 181
Seat heating
Front seats ...................... 109
Seat memory ... ...... ............... 78
Seat symmetry ... .. .. ... ... .. .. ... .. 80
Seating capacity ............. ....... 181
Seat ing position
Driver ............. .. .. .. .... .. . 172
Front passenger .. .. ............. . 173
How to adjust the front seats ....... 173
Incorrect seat position . ........... 175
Occupants .................... .. 172
Rear passengers ................. 174
Seats Number of seats . .. ............. . 181
Selective unlock feature ............... 47
Selector lever . ... .. .. ............ .. 152
Emergency release ............... 156
Service and disposal Safety belt pretensioner .......... . 189
Service interval display ................ 23
Service position for windshie ld wipers ... 66
Servotron ic
Power steering ........... ... ... .. 242
SET button . ...... .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data