2012 AUDI A5 COUPE warning

.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same ¢
page 61,
General recommendations.
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly¢
page 154.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle , the driver as well as the
driver's ability to concentrate 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 r isks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you a lso become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
~ .&,.
Therefo re:
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passen­
gers or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVE R drive when yo ur driv ing ability is im­
paired (by medicat ions, 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 when­
ever a vehicle is being used.
Driving Safely 145
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 162 Correct seat ing pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
follow ing pos ition:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
wh ile keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
¢&, .
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact w ith it when you drive.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and yo ur breast
bone
~ fig. 162. If not possible, see your au­
thorized Audi dealer about adaptive equip­
ment.
.. Adjust the steer ing wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
.,. Grasp the top of the steering whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. App lies to vehicles with adjustable head re­
s tra ints: Ad just the head restraint so the up­
per 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 pos it ion as possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety be lts correctly
¢ page 15 7 . .,.

146 Driving Safely
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 63.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag de­
ploys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver 's airbag to protect you in a
collision .
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air ­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving . Your seat may move unexpect­
edly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in- jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 186. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat¢
page 162 .
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom ­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
• Move the front passenger seat back as far
as possible . There must be a minimum of
10 inches (25 cm) between the breastbone
and the instrument panel¢,&. .
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
• Applies to vehicles with adjustable head re­
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the up­
per edge is as even as possible with the top
of your head. If tha t is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this position as possible.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 157.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 61.
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:

-Passengers must always sit in an upright
position and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un ­
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye .
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger's breastbone and the instru­
ment panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat and head restraint prop­
erly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in
front of the seat. Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win­
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt will not be able to protect you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats <=:>
page 186 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat
<=:> page 162.
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 properly restrained
whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor­
rect seating position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas-
Driving Safely 147
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
.,. Make sure that the seatback is securely
latched in the upright position<=:>
page 70.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front
of the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
<=:>page 157 .
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro ­
priate for their size and age
Q page 186.
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on
the rear seat can be seriously injured in a
crash.
- 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 protec­
tion when the seatback is securely latch­
ed 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!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection .
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to vehicles: with adjustable head restra ints
Correctly adjusted head restraints ore on im ­
portant por t of your vehicle 's occupant re­
straint system and con help to reduce the risk
of injuries in occident situations .
Fig. 163 Head restra int: v iewed from the front
"' ...
"' 0 ±
~
•
•

148 Driving Safely
The head restraints must be correctly adjust­
ed 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 ad­
just the head restraint so that it is as close to this position as possible
r::!) fig. 163.
Adjusting head restraints r::!)page 67.
A WARNING
-
Driving without head restraints or with
head restraints that are not properly ad­
justed increases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury dramatically. To help reduce
the risk of injury:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the ve­
hicle properly adjusts their head re­
straint. Adjust the head restraints so the
upper edge is as even as possible with
the top of your head . If that is not possi­
ble, try to adjust the head restraint so
that it is as close to this position as pos­
sible.
- 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 be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
straint.
- Children must always be properly re­ strained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their age and size
c:> page 186.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious
injury or death. Safety belts can only work
when they are properly positioned on the
body. Improper seating positions reduce the effectiveness of safety
belts and will even in­
crease the risk of injury and death by moving
the safety belt to critical areas of the body.
Improper seating positions also increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an air­
bag deploys and strikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating position. A driver is
responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especially for children. Therefore:
... Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
r::!) ,& .
The following bulletins list only some sample
positions that will increase the risk of serious
injury and death . Our hope is that these exam­
ples will make you more aware of seating po­
sitions that are dangerous.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- never pu t your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
-
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­
pants stay in a proper seating position
and are properly restrained whenever the
vehicle is being used.

Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee a irbag can
inflate without interference . Objects be ­
tween yourself and the airbag can increase
the risk of inju ry in an acc ident by interfer­
ing w ith the way the a irbag deploys or by
be ing p ush ed into you as the airbag de­
ploys .
- No persons (ch ild ren) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can result in serious or fata l injuries .
- No objec ts of any k ind sho uld be car ried
in t he footwell area in front of the driv­
er's or passenger's seat . B ulky objects
(shopping bags, for example) can ham­
per or prevent proper deployment of the
airbag . Small objects can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you o r 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.
M ake sure t hat all pedals move freely witho ut
in te rference and th at nothing prevents them
from returning to the ir origina l positions.
Only use floo r mats that leave the peda l area
free and can be secured w it h floor mat fas ten ­
e rs.
If a b rake circuit fails, increased b rake pedal
travel is req uired to br ing the vehi cle to a full
stop.
Dr iving S afel y 149
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can cause
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk
of ser ious inju ry .
- Never p lace any objects in the drive r's
footwell . An ob ject cou ld get into the
pedal area and inte rfe re with pedal func­
tion . In case of sudde n bra ki ng o r an ac­
cident, yo u wo uld not be a ble to brake or
ac celer ate!
- Always ma ke su re tha t no thing can fall
or m ove into the driver's footwel l.
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 .
"' Ma ke s ure that the floor mats are prope rly
secured and cannot move and inte rfe re with
t he ped als~ ,&. .
U se on ly floor mats that leave the pedal area
unobst ructed and that are firmly secu red so
that they cannot slip o ut of posi tion . You ca n
obt ain suitab le floo r mats from yo ur aut ho r­
ized Audi dea ler .
Floor mat fastene rs a re insta lled in your Aud i.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be at­
tac hed to these fastene rs . Prope rly secur ing
the floor mats will prevent them from sliding
i nto positions that could interfere with the
peda ls o r impa ir safe ope rat io n of yo ur vehicle
i n othe r ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can result
in a loss of vehicle control and inc rease the
risk of serious persona l injury.
- Always ma ke s ure that floo r mats a re
properly secu red.
- Never p lace or ins tall floor mats o r other
f loor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be properly secured in p lace to prevent
them from slipping and interfer ing with
~
•
•

150 Driving Safely
the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already instal­
led floor mats. Additional floor mats and
other coverings will reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the pedals.
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing.
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver footwell while the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become
trapped under the brake pedal and accel­
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop­
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com­
portment.
Fig. 164 Safe load pos ition ing: place heavy objects as
low an d as far forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics . Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision .
.,. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment.
.,. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as low
and as far forward as possible
cc> fig . 164 . .,.
Secure luggage using the tie-downs provid­
ed
c:>poge 69.
.. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING ,..__
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle causing serious
personal injury in the event of hard brak­
ing 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 com­
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the tie-down eyelets
and suitable straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve­
hicle 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 cen­
ter 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 compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle We ight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently .
- Please observe information on safe driv­
ing
~ page 144.
A 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.
-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 panoramic tilting sunroof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the panoramic tilting sunroof* and
the rear lid are securely closed and locked
to reduce the risk of injury when the vehi­
cle is not being used.
-After closing the rear lid, always make sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially 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.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. On USA vehicles, the
tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er's side B-pillar. On Canada vehicles, the
tire pressure label is located either on
the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel
.
Driving Safely 151
filler flap. The tire pressure label lists
the recommended cold tire inflation
pressures for the vehicle at its maximum
capacity weight and the tires that were
on your vehicle at the time it was manu­
factured . For recommended tire pres­
sures for normal load conditions, please
see chapter
~page 256.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the tie -downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly ~
page 150, Loading the luggage com­
partment .
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10-lb (4.S kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing 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 pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­
ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
•
•

154 Safety belts
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety be lts are nec ­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly .
.. Read a ll the information that fo llows and
heed all of the instruct ions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of ser ious
personal in jury and death .
- Safety belts are the sing le most effective
means avai lab le to reduce the risk of se­
r ious injury and dea th in a utomob ile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
yo ur passenge rs, always co rrectly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
- P regnant women, injured, or physically
im paired perso ns mu st also use safety
bel ts. Lik e all veh icle occup ants, they are
more like ly to be ser iously injured if they
do not wea r safety be lts . 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 seat­
ing position has a safety belt .
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or weari ng them
improp erly increases th e risk of ser ious
pe rsonal i njury and dea th.
- N ever st rap more than one pe rson, in­
cl uding small ch ild ren, into any belt.
It is
e speci ally dange rous to pla ce a safety
belt over a child s itting on yo ur lap.
- N ever le t mo re people ride in the ve hicl e
than there are s afe ty be lts avail able. -
Be s ure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained w ith a separate safe ­
ty belt or child restra int.
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle hos o warning system for the
driver and (on USA models only) front seat
passenger to remind you about the impor­
tance of buckling-up .
Fi g. 165 Safety belt warni ng lig ht in the instrument
cluster -en larged
Before driving off, always :
.. Fasten you r safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly .
.. Make s ure that yo ur passengers a lso buck le
up and properly wear their safety be lts.
.. Protect your children w ith a child rest raint
system approp riate fo r the size and age of
t he children.
The . warning light in the instrument cluster
li ghts up when the ignit ion is switched on as a
r em inder to faste n the safety belts. In addi­
t io n, you will hear a warn ing tone for a certa in
per iod of t ime.
Fasten your safety b elt now and make sure
that your pas sengers al so properly put on
their safety belts.