
146 Child Safety
_& WARNING
Rearward -fac ing ch ild restraints:
- A ch ild in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenge r
seat will be seriously injured and can be
ki lled if the front airbag inflates - even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the backrest, door or
roof.
- Always be especially careful if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception
al circumstances .
- Make sure that the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
t ime whenever the ignition is switched
on.
- Never install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
ligh t comes on and stays on. H the PAS
SEN GER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on have the airbag sys
tem inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer.
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se
cure a child restraint.
A lways heed the child safety seat man ufactur
er's instructions when installing a child re
straint in your vehicle. To activate the conver
tible locking retractor:
• Place the child restraint on a seat .
• Slow ly pull the be lt
all the way out .
• Route it around or through the child re
stra int be lt path
c::> &_ .
• Push the child safety seat dow n with your
full weight to get the safety belt really t ight .
• Insert the be lt tongue into t he buckle for
t h at seating position. •
Guide the safety belt back into the retractor
until the be lt lies flat and snug on the child
safety seat .
• You shou ld hear a "clicking" noise as the
be lt winds back into the inertia reel. Test the
convert ible lock ing retractor by pu lling on
the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the be lt out of the retractor . The con
ve rtible locking re trac to r i s now activated .
• Ma ke s ure t hat the red release b utton is fac
ing away from the child rest raint so that it
can be unbuckled quic kly.
• Pull on the belt to make sure the safety be lt
is properly tight and fastened so that the
seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2 .5 cm).
_& WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an im
p roperly installed chi ld restrai nt can cause
se rious pe rsonal injury or deat h in a cr ash.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re-
tracto r is loc ked when insta lling a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re
tracto r ca nnot hold the child safety sea t
in place dur ing no rma l dr iving o r in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child sa fe ty seat firmly
in p lace even if a ch ild is not si tt ing in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a s udden stop or in a crash .
- Always ma ke sure the seat backrest to
which the child restraint is installed is in
an upright pos ition. Otherw ise, the seat
back with the ch ild safety seat attached
to it could fly forward in the event of an
accident o r other emergency situation .
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS
whenever us ing a child restrained in ave
h icle is being used
c::> page 136. Special
p reca utions apply when insta lling a child
safety sea t on the front passenger seat
c::> page 116, Child re straints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
-

A WARNING
- The limits of physics cannot be suspended by ESP. Even in vehicles w ith ESP, you
should always adapt your driving to road
and traffic conditions. This is particular ly
t rue on a slippery and wet road. Do not
be tempted by the inc reased safety pro
vided to take ris ks - danger of an acci
dent!
- Please note tha t when ESP/ASR is deacti
vated, the drive whee ls can spin on icy
and slippery roads and the veh icle can
break away - danger of skidding!
Switching on and off
Fi g. 130 Center co nsole wit h ESP switch
The ES P is a utomatically activated when the
engine is star ted, and it performs a self-test.
As soon as the test is completed, the system
is in normal operating mode.
Deactivating
ESP should normally be activated at all times
because this ensures optimum vehicle stabil i
ty. Only in some cases it does make sense to
deactivate the Electronic Stability P rogram
(ESP) by press ing the button
~fig . 130. Deac
tivation is ind icated by the ESP lamp
I in the
instr ument cluster f lashes. The message
ESP
OFF
appears in the instrument cluster. Ant i
Slip Regulation is completely deactivated and
the stabilization effects from the ESP system are lim ited. Th is makes a mo re agile and spor
ty driv ing style poss ible, but the fu ll exte nt of
t he s tabiliza tion f unct ion is not available .
Intelligent technolog y 149
Activating
Press the@] button again~ fig. 130. T he ind i
cator light
I goes out . The message ESP ON
appears brief ly in the instrument cluster dis
play.
&_ WARNING
i=
You shou ld only switch the ESP off if your
driving ab ility and the traff ic situat ion al
low. Please note that when ESP/ASR is de
activated, the d rive wheels can spin on icy
a nd slippery roads and th e vehicle can
b reak away- dange r of skidd ing!
a) Tips
- If Aud i magnetic ride* is malfunct io ni ng,
the ESP may not sw itch off or it may
switch off automatically.
- In the event of a defect in the rear spoil er sys tem or in Audi magnet ic ride, it can
happen that ASR and ASR/ESP cannot be
deactivated, o r they are ac tiva ted au to
matically in the deactiva ted st ate.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the
rotational speed of the drive wheels.
General notes
The electronic d ifferential lock (EDL) helps the
ca r to start moving, accele rate and climb a
gradient on su rfaces provid ing poor or a lmost
no g rip. Withou t EDL, this would be d iff icul t ,
i f not impossib le.
How the system works
The EDL operates automatica lly. It mon itors
the rotational speed of the dr ive wheels on an
axle with the help of the ABS sensors
c;:> page 153. If a noticeable difference in ro
tational speed
between the drive wheels on
o ne axle is detected (e.g. on s lippery ground
on one side), the s pinning wheel is braked,
thereby t ransferring power to the other drive
whee l or wheels (a ll-wheel drive). This is done
up to a speed of about 60 mph (100 km/h). ..,_

150 Intelligent te chn olog y
Noises from the b rake system signal that
wheel spin is being controlled.
Driving off
When drivi ng off, a lways be sure to keep road
conditions in mind as you accelerate. If one
d rive wheel spi ns because it is on a surface
with less grip, gradua lly increase the press ure
on the accelerator pedal until the car starts to
move. The wheel less able to transfer power
spins.
O verheating of bra kes
To prevent the disc brake of the braked wheel
from overheating if subjected to excessive
loads, the EDL cuts out temporarily. The vehi
cle rema ins operationa l and behaves in the
same way as a vehicle without EDL.
As soon as the brake has cooled down, EDL
switches on again automatically .
A WARNING
-When accelerating on slippery surfaces,
such as on ice or snow, always be careful
when depressing the acce lerator pedal.
Even with the EDL working, the drive
wheels can spin and reduce yo ur ability
to contro l your car. -Risk of crash!
- The increased safety afforded by EDL
does not mean that you can ta ke safety
risks. Always adapt your dr iving sty le to
the road conditions and traff ic situa tion.
@ Tips
If a fa ult occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also
not f unct ion ing. This is indicated by the
ABS warning light ¢
page 17.
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulation System prevents the
driven wheels from spinning wh en the car is
accelerating.
General notes
The Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) is inte
grated in the electronic stabilization program
(ESP). When th e vehicle starts up and acceler- ates, the whee
ls are prevented from spinning
by adjusting the engine power to match the
amount of grip available from the road sur
face.
How the system works
ASR pe rforms a utomat ica lly, i.e . w ithout t he
driver's intervention. With the aid of the ABS
sensors ¢
page 153, ASR monitors t he speed
of the dr iven whee ls . If the whee ls start to
spin, the engine torq ue is reduced automati
cally until the tires find enough gr ip to lock
onto the road surface . The system is active
across the ent ire speed range .
The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If
a malfunction should occur in the ABS, the
ASR w ill also be out of act io n.
@ Tips
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all
four whee ls must be fitted wit h ident ica l
tires . Any differences in ro lling radius of
the tires can cause the system to reduce
engine power wh en this is not desired. See
a lso
¢ page 205, New tires and repla cing
tires and wheels.
Rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling
and enhances driver control .
Fig. 131 Switc h fo r rear spo iler
The rear spoiler deploys and retracts. Spoiler
operation can be set for automat ic or manual
operation .

Automatic mod e (normal operat ion)
- Automatic deployment: At a speed of about
75 mph (120 km/h), the rear spoiler deploys
automatically .
- Automatic retraction: When speed drops be
low abo ut SO mph (80 km/h), the rear spoil
er retracts automatically.
Manual mode
- Manua l dep loyment: Tapping briefly on the
switch
¢ fig. 131 dep loys the rear spo iler .
- Manual retraction: At speeds up to about 10
mph (20 km/h), retract the rear spoiler by
pressing and holding the switch ¢
fig. 131.
At speeds between 10 mph (20 km/h) and
75 mph (120 km/h), retract the rear spoi ler
by tapping on the switch
¢ fig. 131 .
A WARNING
Driv ing at higher speeds w ithout the rear
spoiler dep loyed can impair handling char
acteristics, making the vehicle harder to
control.
- Always make sure that the spoiler is de·
ployed whe n driving at speeds over 85
mp h (140 km/h) . If the rea r spo ile r
wa rning/ind icator light in the instru
ment cluster comes on, the rear spo iler
may not have dep loyed.
- Never drive at speeds hig her than 85
mp h (1 40 km/h) if the spoiler is not de
ployed. Have the spoi ler inspected as
soon as possible by an authorized A udi
dealer or qualified workshop .
- Always obey speed limits and other traf
fic laws.
A WARNING
Improper operation of the rear spoiler can
cause crushing injuries .
- Always make sure that nobody, especia lly
children, is in the way when the rear
spoiler is deployed or retracted.
Q) Note
Never push the vehicle o r apply fo rce to
the rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
Int ellig ent technolog y 151
(D Tips
Clean the spoiler compa rtment every 2 to
3 months. The spoiler compartment must
a lways be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debr is .
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Ope rating condition s and driving h abits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat
ing condit ions and driving habits ¢.&, . On ve
hicles that a re either dr iven mostly in stop
and-go city t raff ic or are dr iven hard, the
brake pads should be chec ked by yo ur author
ized Audi dea ler mo re often than specified in
the
W arranty & Maintenanc e boo klet. Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you should use the braking
effect o f the engine . This way, you prevent un
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down cont in uous ly. Pump the brakes at inter
vals.
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and o utside condi
tions such as temperature and humid ity.
Moisture o r ro ad s alt
U nder certa in conditions, for examp le, when
driving through water or very heavy rain , or
even after washing your vehicle, the b raking
effect can be reduced due to moist ure (or in
freezing cond itions ice) on the brake pads. A
few cautious brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road and t he brakes are not used. L ikewise,
you clean off accumulated salt coating from brake d iscs and pads with a few cautious ap-
plications of the b rake ¢ .&, .
IJJ,
•
•

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking under braking.
The anti-lock brake system (ABS) makes a ma
jor contribution to increasing active dr iving
safety. You should not expect that braking d is
tances will be
shortened under all circumstan
ces with ABS. Braki ng d istance may even be
come somewhat
longer, for example, on grav
e l or in new snow on slippery g round, even if
you are driving care fully and s low ly.
ABS operation
When a vehicle speed of about 10 mph (20
km/h) is reached, an automatic test sequence
is run. Some noise from the pump may be au
d ible.
I f the speed of a wheel slows down too much
r e lative to veh icle speed and it starts to lock,
brake pressure to this wheel is reduced. This
ad justment process can be felt as a
pul sin g
moti on of the br ake pedal , accompanied by
some noises. You as the driver are intentiona l
ly being given the information that the whee ls
are tending to lock (ABS control range). In or
der for ABS to be able to operate optimally in
this range, you must keep the brake pedal de pressed - do not "pump the brakes ".
Brake a ssist ant
The brake power assist unit increases the
pressure that you generate with the brake
pedal. It works only w hen the eng ine is run
ning .
Automatic full br ak ing
This function allows full brak ing in spite of
high brake pedal forces (e.g. when the brakes
are severely stressed because the vehicle is
fully loaded) . The driver notices th is function
throug h a reduction of pedal force and in
creased pedal travel. When the brake pedal is released, fu ll braking assist switches off again
automatically .
Intellig ent technolog y 153
If there is an ABS failure, the b rake assistant
and automatic fu ll braking assist are not avail
able.
A WARNING
- ABS cannot suspend the laws of physics.
You should keep th is in mind in particu
lar on an icy or wet road . If ABS control
of braking intervenes, you should adjust
your speed immed iately to road and traf
fic conditions. Do not be tempted by the increased safety provided to take risks -
danger o f an accident .
- Please keep in mind tha t the risk of an
accident is increased by driving too fast,
particularly in bends and on icy or wet
roads, and by driving too close to the ve
hicle ahead . The increased risk of an acci
dent cannot be reduced by the brake as
sistant - danger of an accident.
(D Tips
If a malfunction occurs in the ABS, this is
s ignalled by an indicator light, see
<=:> page 17.
Electro-mechanical
power assist
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering .
The degree of power assist is electronically
matched to vehicle speed.
The power steering system assists the driver
so that he can steer the vehicle with reduced physical effort .
Power steering will not work if the engine is
off . As a result, the steering wheel will be hard
to turn .
A WARNING
If the system develops a problem, you
must seek qualified professiona l assis
tance.
•
•

160 Driving and en vi ro nment
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel .
.,. Shut the engine off when you are not dr iving
the vehicle.
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut
off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at ra il
road crossings, or at traff ic l ights that have
l ong wa its on red . Turning the engine
off fo r
just 30-40 seconds saves more fue l than is
burned starting the eng ine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is running at idle . However , wear
and nox ious em issions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high RPMs whi le the engine
is sti ll warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate imp roper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which cou ld result in over
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel .
... Have your vehicle serv iced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi dea ler helps to ensure that it runs prop
erly and economica lly. The cond it ion of yo ur
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
hold its value, it also affects fuel consump
tion .
Check you r oil ea ch time you fill you r tank. T
he amount o f oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It i s normal fo r the oil consump tion of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been d riven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(S,000 kilometres) before yo u can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
T his also app lies to fue l consumption and en
gine o utput.
(D Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in acco rdance with the service rec
ommendations in your Wa rranty
& Main
t enance boo klet . Lack of p roper ma inte
nance as well as improper use of the ve
hicle will impair the function of the
emission contro l system and cou ld lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap
proved
by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat sh ie lds, switches, ign it ion w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle compo
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
.,. Try to avoid driv ing short distances w ith a
cold engine .
T he engine and cata lytic converter have to
reach their opt imal operat ing temperature to
reduce fuel consumption and nox ious emis
s ions effectively .
- Ju st after starting, a cold engine in a mid
size car burns the fue l at a poor rate of 6-8
m iles per gallon (30-40 l/l00km). Half a
m ile down the road , the mileage improves
to 12 MPG (20 l/100 km). It w ill take the
ll>

162 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and
protect ion
General information
Regular care preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industr ial
f umes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after pu rchase . Regula r and correct care w ill con
tr ibute to maintain ing the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furthermore , good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint de fects occur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicl e-care products and can ad
v ise wh ich ones to use for cleaning the exter i
or and inte rior of your vehicle .
Whether you use produc ts recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply t hem cor
r ectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them o ut of t he rea ch of childre n.
- Heed a ll ca ution labels.
- Always read directions on th e co ntai ner
b efore using a ny product . Follow the di
rec tions caref ully.
- Most chemical cleaners a re concentrat ed
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol is h remover or ot her volati le
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
h azar dou s in other w ays. Do not was h,
w ax or dry the vehicle wi th the ig nit ion
on or the eng ine running .
- D o not cl ea n the under sides of ch assis,
f en ders, wheel cove rs , etc. without pro
tectin g your hands and a rms. You may
c u t yourself on s harp-ed ged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on b rakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 151 , General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash t he vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally friendly clean
i ng products. Leftover cleaning products
s hou ld not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best p rotection against environmen tal i n
fluences is
frequent wash ing and waxing . How
often t his is requi red depends o n:
- How much t he ve hicle is used
- Whe re the veh icle is parked (garage, i n the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird d roppings, inse cts, tree res in,
r oad and indus trial grime, ta r, soo t, road salt
and other mater ials remain on the vehicle
paint, the more lasting t heir destr uctive ef
f ects w ill be .
Hig h tempera tures, as from e xpos ure to in
tense sun light, intensify the co rrosive e ffect
part icu lar ly when humidity is high as well.
Un der certa in ci rcumstances,
weekly w ashing
may be ne cessary. Un der othe r cond it ions , a
mon thly washing and waxing may be a de
quate.
After the winter, the unders ide of the vehicle
sho uld be thoro ughly washe d pre ferab ly in a
pro fessional ca r wash.
A WARNING ~
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS a nd
the information
c::> page 162.

Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de
sig n of the fac ility, the filte ring of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
If the paint has a dull appearance afte r go ing
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
The power top does not require special pre
cautions be fore passing through a car wash.
Howe ver, the car mu st not be tre ated with
hot w ax after the wa sh cy cle!
The wax could
adversely affect the power top and
even dam
age the fabric
over a period of time.
The power top does not have to be washed
ev
ery time you use a car wash. The power top
can be spared if the car wash facility is equip
ped with manually adjustable roof brushes or
rollers .
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precaut ions such as clos ing the
windows . Remove antenna if applicable .
If yo u have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle -such as spoilers, etc. -it is best to
ask the car wash operator if these should be
removed .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
Qpage 162.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi
cle by hand.
~ Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
9 A in General informa tion on page 162 .
~ First soak all dried dirt until it is soft, then
rinse it off.
Cleaning and protec tion 163
~ As yo u clean yo ur vehicle , start with the roo f
and work your way down to the bottom, us
ing a sponge, a sponge g love or a clean
brush.
~ Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often,
flushing it clean each time.
~ Use spec ial car shampoo only for very persis
tent d irt .
~ Rinse the ca r tho roughly with water .
~ Use a chamois leather to gently w ipe the ex-
ter ior dry .
U se a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls , door s ills and othe r regions exposed
to road dirt. In this way, yo u will no t scratch
the paint with coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car .
A WARNING
-Do not clean the underside of the chas
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts without protect ing your
hands and arms . You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
9 page 162 .
(D Note
-Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the veh icle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this
cou ld scratch your vehicle's paint or win
dows .
- Never wash your car in bright sunlight.
Drops of wate r act as mag nifying lenses
and may damage yo ur paint .
- When you wash your car in the winter: if you rinse you r vehicle with a hose, be
carefu l not to aim the stream of water
directly at locks, or at doo r or hatch
openings -they can freeze sh ut.
- Never use sponges designed to
remove
insects, or any k itche n sco uring sponges
or s imilar p rod ucts. They can damage
your paint finish .
- Yo u should remove debris (such as in
sects) from the headlight lenses on a •
•