Seats and storage
General recommendations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can only provide
maximum protection if the front seats are correctly
adju sted.
Th ere a re various ways of adjusting t he front seats to provide safe and
comfortable support for the driver and the front passenger . Ad just
your seat properly so that :
• you can easily and quickly reach a ll the switc hes and contro ls in the
ins trumen t pa nel
• your body is properly supported thus reducing phys ica l stress and
fatigue
• the safety be lts and airbag system can offer maximum protection
=>
page 197 .
In the following sections, you w ill see exact ly how you can best ad just
your sea ts .
Th ere are special regulations a nd instr uctions for install ing a child
safety seat on the front passenger's sea t. Always follow the informa
tion regarding child safety p rovided in=>
page 219, "Child Safety ".
& WARNING
Incorrect seating posit ion of the dri ver and all other passengers
can result in seriou s personal injury.
• Always keep your feet on the floor when the vehicle is in
motion -never put your feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the window o r on top of the seat cush ion. This applies especially
to the passengers.
If your seating po sition is incorrect, you
increase the ri sk of injury in the case of sudden braking or an acci-
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Seats and storage
& WARNING
(con tinu ed)
dent . If the airbag inflates and the seating position is incorrect ,
this could result in per sonal injury or even death .
• It is important for both the dri ver and front passenger to keep
a distan ce of at least 10 inche s (25 cm) between themselves and
the steering wheel and /or instrument panel. If you 're sitting any
closer than this , the airbag system cannot protect you properly. In
addition, the front seats and head restraints must be adjusted to
your body height so that they can give you maximum protection .
• Always try to keep as much distance as possible between your
self and the steering wheel or instrument panel.
• Do not adjust the driver's or front passenger 's seat while the
vehicle is moving. You r seat may move unexpectedly , causing
sudden loss of vehicle control and personal injury . If you adjust
your seat while the vehicle is moving , you are out of position. •
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for saf e and
re lax ed driving.
W e recomme nd that you a djust the drive r's sea t in the
f ollowing man ner :
- Ad just the seat in fore and aft direction so that you can
easily pus h the pedals to the floor w hile keeping your
knees slightly bent=>
& in "Why is yo ur seat a djus tme nt
so importa nt?" .
- Adjust the seatback so that when yo u sit with yo ur back
agai nst t he seatback , you can st ill grasp t he top of the
steering w heel. ..,
Vehicle care Technical data
Seats and storage
-Position the head restraint according to the occupant's
height=>
page 81. For maximum protection, the top of
the head restraint should be at least at eye level, prefer
ably higher and ideally level with the top of the head
=>
page 181, fig. 168.
& WARNING
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. •
Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost
position.
To avoid contact with the airbag while it is deploying, do not
sit any closer to the instrument panel than necessary and
always wear the three-point safety belt provided adjusted
correctly. We recommend that you adjust the passenger's
seat in the following manner:
- Move the front passenger seat into the rearmost position
of the fore and aft adjustment range=>
& in "Why is your
seat adjustment so important?" on
page 75.
- Bring the backrest up to an (almost) upright position.
Do
not ride with the seat reclined.
- The ideal position for the head restraint is with the upper
edge of the restraint level with the top of your head
=>
page 81. You should not lower the top of the restraint
below the level of your eyes . -
Place your feet on the floor in front of the passenger's
seat. •
Power seat
Controls
The operating logic for the switches corresponds to the
construction and function of the seat.
Fig. 64 Power seat:
Controls for seat
adjustment
The switches to adjust the seats correspond to the layout, the design
and the function of the seat. The seats are adjusted
by moving the
switches following this logic.
© Seat adjustment=> page 77
@ Adjusting the angle of the seatback ::::> page 77
© Adjusting the lumbar support => page 78
® Upper thigh support*=> page 78
& WARNING
• Never adjust the driver's or front passenger's seat while the
vehicle is moving. If you do this while the vehicle is moving, you
will be out of position. Always adjust the driver's or front
passenger's seat when the vehicle is not moving. _,,,
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Be careful when adjusting the seat height. Check to see that no
one is in the way, or serious injury could re sult!
• Becau se the seats can be ele ctrically adjusted with the ignition
key removed, never leave children unattended in the v ehicle.
Unsupervised use of the electric seat adjustments may cau se
serious injury .•
Seat adjustment
Fi g. 65 P ower s ea t:
Swit ch f or sea t adjust·
ment
Moving the seat forward and backward ©
- Press th e switc h forwa rd or backward horizonta lly=>& .
Adjusting the seat height@ and ® together
-Pull the switch evenly at both ends to raise th e seat=> &.
-Push the switch evenly at both ends to lower the seat
=> & .
Angling the seat cushion up and down@ or®
-To a ngle t he seat c ushio n up, pull the switch at the front
only =>& .
Cont rols a nd e quip
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
-Alternative ly, push the sw itch at the rear only=>& .
-To angle t he seat cushion down, push the switch at the
front only=>& .
-Alternative ly, pull the sw itch at the rear only=>& .
& WARNING
• Never adjust the driver' s or front passenger's seat while the
vehicle is moving . If you do this while the vehicle is moving , you
will be out of position. Always adjust the dri ver's or front
pa ssenger 's seat when the vehicle is not moving.
• Be careful when adjusting the seat he ight. Check to see that no
one i s in the way , or seriou s injury could result!
• Be cause the seats can be ele ctrically ad justed with the ignition
key removed, never leave children unattended in the veh icle.
Unsupervised use of the electric seat adjustments may cause
serious injury. •
Adjusting the seatback
,.._
----:-:----:--=-=-=-=-1~ jg
Fig. 66 Power s eat:
Sw itch for sea t bac k
an gle
- Push the switch => fig . 66 forward or to the rear i n the
direction of the arrow to adjust the angle of the seat back
=> & . ...
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
Head restraints
Front head restraints
Head restraints that are adjusted according to body size,
along with the seat belt, offer effective protection.
Fig. 69 Fro nt seat:
Adjus tin g the head
r est rai nt
The head restraints on the front seats can be adjusted to
provide safe support to head and neck at the optimum
height. When optimally adjusted, the top of the restraint
should be level with the top of the head=>
page 181, "Proper
adjustment of head restra ints".
R ai sing the head restr aint
- Grasp the sides of the head restraint with both hands.
- Lift the head restraint.
Lowering the head restraint
- With one hand push down on the middle of the head
restraint .
- With the other hand press the release knob:::;, fig. 69 and
push the head restraint down .
Contro ls a nd e quip
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
Refer to::::;, page 181, "Proper adjustment of head restraints" for
guidelines on how to adj ust the height of the front head restraints to
suit the occupant's body size .
& WARNING
• Drivin g w ith out hea d res traints or w ith hea d r estra ints th at a re
n ot prop erl y a dju st e d inc reases the risk of seri ou s o r fa tal nec k
i n ju ry dram atically.
• Rea d an d h eed all W ARNINGS ::::;,
page 1 8 1 .
(I] Tip s
Correctly adjusted head restraints and safety belts are an extremely
effective combination of safety features. •
Rear head restraints
Passengers may only be carried if the head restraints has
been raised to its uppermost position.
Fig. 70 Rear seats:
h ead res train ts
The rear head restraints mus t be raised fully upward when
passengers ride in the rear seats . _,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
1111....__0_ n_ t_h_ e_ r_ o_ a _ d _________________________________________________ _
On the road
Steering
Applies to vehicles : w ith manua lly ad justab le stee ring whee l
Manually adjustable steering wheel
The height and reach o f the steering wheel can be
adjusted.
First, adjust t he driv er's seat correctly.
- Pull the lever~ fig. 98 -arrow-~ &.
Fig. 98 L ever under
the stee ring colum n
-Move the steering w heel to t he desired position.
- Push t he leve r against the s teering colum n unti l it locks .
The re m ust be at leas t 10 inc hes (25 cm) be tween yo ur chest and the
center of the steering wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 inches
(25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if adaptive equ ipment is avail
able to help you reach the pedals and increase the d istance from the
steering wheel.
For detailed info rmation on how to adjust the dr ive r's seat, see
=> page 76.
& WARNING
Improp er use of steering wh eel adjustment and improper seating
position can cause serious personal injury .
• Adjust th e steering wheel column only when the v ehicle i s not
moving to p revent loss of vehicle control.
• Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel so that th ere is a
minimum of 10 inches (25 cm ) between your chest and the
steering wheel=>
page 178 , fig. 166 . If you cannot maintain this
minimum distance , the airbag sy stem cannot protect you prop
erl y.
• If physical limitat ions p revent you from sitting 10 in ches (25
cm ) or more from the steering wheel, check with your authorized
Audi dealer to see if adaptive equipment is available.
• If the steering wheel is aligned with your face , the supple
mental driver' s airbag cannot provide a s much p rote ction in an
accident . Always make sure that the steer ing wheel i s aligned with
your che st.
• Always hold the ste ering wheel with your hands at th e 9 o'clock
and 3 o 'clock positions to reduce the risk of per sonal injury if the
driver' s airbag deploy s.
• Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o 'clock position o r w ith
your hands inside the steering wh eel rim or on the steering wh eel
hub. Holding the stee ring wheel the wrong way can cause seriou s
injuries to the hands, arms and head if the driver' s airbag
deploy s. •
_________________________________________________ O_ n_ t_ h_ e_ r _o_ a_d _ __.fflll
App lies to veh icles : w ith electrically adju stab le steer ing wheel
Electrically adjustable steering wheel
The height and reach of the stee ring wheel ca n be ele ctri
c ally adj usted to sui t th e d river.
Firs t, a djust t he dr iver's se at correct ly.
Height adjustment
Fig . 99 Switch for
s teering whee l ad ju st
ment
- Push t he s witch © up or down=> fig. 99 . T he st ee rin g
w he el heig ht chang es f or as long as you press t he swi tch .
Reach adjustment
- Push t he switc h© forward or backward=> fig. 99 . T he
ste ering w hee l reac h changes for as long as yo u press the
swi tch .
The re m ust be at leas t 10 inches (25 cm) between you r chest and the
cen ter of the steering whee l. If you cannot sit more than 10 inches
(25 cm) from the steer ing wheel, see if adapt ive equ ipment is ava il
able to h elp you reach the pedals and increase the distance from the
steeri ng wheel.
For detailed information on how to adjust the dr iver 's seat , see
~ page 76.
Cont rols a nd e quip
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
The steering wheel ca n be adjusted even when the ign ition is turned
O ff. For veh icles with sea t memory, the individu al pos it io ns for the
steer ing wheel can be sto red along with t he seat pos it ion.
& WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment and imprope r seating
position can cau se seriou s per sonal injury.
• Adjust the steering wheel column only when the vehicle i s not
moving to prevent loss of vehicle control.
• Adjust the driver 's seat or steering wheel so that there is a
minimum of 10 in ches (25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel~
page 178, fig. 166. If you cannot maintain this
minimum distance , the airbag system cannot prote ct you prop
erly.
• If phy sical limitations prevent you from sitting 10 inches (25
cm ) or more from the steering wheel, check with you r authorized
Audi dealer to see if adaptive equipment is available .
• If the steering wheel is aligned with your face , the supple·
mental driver 's airbag cannot provide as much protection in an
accident. Always make sure that the steering wheel is aligned with
your che st.
• Always hold the steering wheel with your hands at the 9 o'clock
and 3 o'clock po sition s to reduce the risk of personal injury if the
drive r's airbag deploys.
• Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock po sition or with
your hands 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
deploy s.•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
• ....__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,
• front ai rbags,
• side air bags in the front sea ts a nd ou ter rear seats*,
• side curtain airbags,
• special LATCH an chorages fo r ch ild restra in ts,
• head restraints fo r eac h seating position,
• adjustable steering co lumn .
These individual safety feat ures, can work together as a system to
he lp protect you and yo ur passengers in a wide range of accide nts .
T hese feat ures ca nnot work as a system if they are not a lways
c o rre ctly adjusted and co rre ct ly u sed .
Safety is everybody's responsibility! •
alll!II Safety belts Pffl _______________ _
-Ins ert t he tongue into the correct buckle of your seat unti l
you hear it latch secure ly=> fig. 176 .
- Pull on t he be lt to make sure t hat it is secure ly latched in
the buck le.
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety be lt is equipped with an automatic be lt retractor on the
shoulder bel t. This fea ture locks the be lt whe n the belt is pulled out
fast, during hard braking and in an acc ident. The belt may also lock
w hen you dr ive up or dow n a s teep hill or throug h a sharp curve.
During norma l dr iving the belt lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety bel ts are equipped w ith a belt pretensioner that helps to
t ighten the s afety be lt and remove sla ck when the pre tensioner is
act ivated. The function of the pretensioner is monitored by a warn ing
light =>
page 14.
Switchable locking featu re
Eve ry sa fe ty be lt exc ep t the one on the driver sea t is e quipped wi th a
switchable locking feature that
must be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child safety seat. Be s ure to read t he import ant info r
mation about this feature=>
page 229.
& WARNING
Improperly positio ned safety belts can cause serious injury in a n
accident =>
page 192, "Safety belt po sition ".
• Safety belts offer optimum p rote ction onl y when the seat back
i s upright and belts are properly positioned on the body .
• Always make sure th at the rear seat backre st to which the
center rear safety b elt is attached i s securely latched whenever the
rear center safety belt is being used. If the ba ckrest is not securely
latch ed, the passenger will move forward with the ba ckrest during
sudden br aking, in a s udden maneu ve r and e speci ally in a crash.
& WARNING (contin u ed )
• Never atta ch the safety belt to the buckle fo r another seat.
Attaching the b elt to the w rong buckle will reduce safety belt
effecti veness and can cause serious personal injury.
• A pass enger who is not properly restr ained can be s eriou sly
injured by the safety belt it self when it move s from the stronger
parts of th e body into critical
areas like the abdomen.
• Alway s lock the convertible locking retractor when y ou are
securing a child safety seat in the vehicle=>
page 231. •
Safety belt position
Correct belt posi tion is the key to get ting maximum
protection from safety belts .
Fig. 17 7 Hea d
re stra int an d safe ty
belt posi tio n as se en
fro m the s ide
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust the position of the
safety belt to match your body size.
• belt height adj ustment for the fro nt seats,
• automatic belt height adjustment for the rear seats .