2012 AUDI A6 fold seats

52 Seats and storage
Adjusting the armrest
.,. To adjust the angle, raise the armrest from
the start ing pos ition detent by detent.
.,. To bring the armrest back into its origina l
position, lift it above the top position and
then fold it back down.
Opening the storage compartment
.,. Press the button -arrow- upward.
Please note that the driver's arm movements
may be restr icted w ith the armrest fo lded
down. For this reason, the arm rest should not
be folded down when driving in c ity traffic.
Head restraints
Front head restraints
App lies to vehicles: with adj ustable head restraints
Head restraints that ore adjusted according
to body size, along with the seat belt , offer
effective protection .
' Fig. 47 Front seat : Ad justing t he head restrain t
"' ;g 0 6
"' m
Adjust the head restraint so the upper 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 position
as possible
¢ page 52.
.,. To move the head restrai nt up or forward,
s lide it until it locks into place.
.,. To move the head restraint down or back,
press the side button -arrow-¢
fig. 47 and
slide the head restraint until it locks into
place.
Refer to¢
page 127 , Proper adjustment of
head restraints
for guidelines on how to ad- just the
height of the front head restraints to
suit the occupant's body size .
.&_ WARNING
--
-Driving without head restraints or with
head restraints that are not properly ad­
justed increases the risk of ser ious or fa­
tal neck injury dramatically.
- Read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ page 12 7, Proper adjustment of head
restraints .
(D Tips
Correct ly adjusted head restraints and
safety belts are an extremely effect ive
combination of safety features.
Rear head restraints
Fig. 48 Rea r seats: Head restraint
Fig. 49 Rear head res tra ints: release
If there is a passenger on the rear center seat ­
ing position, slide the center head restraint
upward at least to the next notch.
Adjusting the head restraints .,. To move the head restraint up, hold it at the
sides with both hands and s lide it upward
until you fee l it lock i nto place. .,..

60 Seats and st o rage
Enlarging cargo capacity of the vehicle
interior
The seat backs can be folded forward to en­
large the cargo capacity .
Fig. 61 Re lease handle on the seatback
Folding th e se atback forward
.. When you pu ll the release leve r@ ¢ fig. 61
in the direction of the arrow, the safety knob
@ pops out far enough for the red marking
on knob to be visible.
.. Fold the seatback forward .
Raising th e se atback
.. Raise the seatback until it is securely latch­
ed ¢&_ . When you can no longer see the
red mark on the safety knob@, the seat is
l atched.
When the seatback is latched in its upright
position, it can be locked and unlocked with
the mechanical key
c> page 31 next to the re­
lease handle ©
c>fig. 61. This prevents any
entry from the vehicle interior into the lug­
gage compartment .
The luggage compartment can only enlarged
when the seatback is unlocked.
A WARNING
-
-The backrest must a lways be securely
latched so that the safety belt of the cen­
ter seating pos ition can work properly to
help protect the occupant .
- The backrest must be securely latched in
posit ion so that no items contained in
the luggage compar tment can slide for­
wa rd upo n sudden b raking . -
Always check whether the latch is fully
engaged by pull ing the seatback for­
ward.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by be ing caught in door or seat
hardware.
-Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and
damaged be lt hardware can break in a
crash . Inspect the belts periodica lly.
Belts show ing damage to webb ing, b ind­
ings, buckles, or retractors must be re­
p laced.
(D Note
- If you move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is folded forward, you
cou ld damage the head r estraints on th e
rea r seat.
- Slide the belt guide on the outside safety
be lt a ll the way up befo re fold ing the
backrest back forward. Make sure the
sea t belt is not pinched or damaged
when the rear seat backrest if fo lded
back. Other objects should be removed
from the rear seat bench to protect the
seatback from damage.

Tie-downs and cargo net
The cargo net* prevents small objects from
sliding .
Fig. 62 Location of th e tie -downs in the luggage com­
partment
Fig. 63 Lugg age compartment: cargo net•
.. To secure objects with the luggage com·
partment net*, fold the tie-down bracket
upward
q fig. 62.
.. Insert the hooks on the luggage compart­
ment net* into the tie-downs
q fig . 63 .
.. Read and heed all WARNINGS 9page 129,
Stowing luggage.
In a collision, the laws of phys ics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will turn into heavy missiles that can cause
serio us i njury. Items in the vehicle pick up ki­
netic energy which varies with the vehicle and
the weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the
most significant factor.
F or example, in a frontal coll is ion at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10- lb (4.5 kg) object are about
20 times the
no rma l weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be the
equivalent of about 200 lbs (90 kg). One can
easily imagine the injuries that an item of that
weight flying freely through the passenger
Seats and storage 61
compartment can cause in a collision at a
speed considered relatively low.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing h ard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable retaining straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­
ward.
- Never attach a child seat tether strap to
a t ie-down .
- For strength-related reasons, the mount ­
ing hooks can only be used to secure ob­
jects weigh ing up to 10 lb. (5 kg). Heavi­
er objects will not be adequately secured
- there is a risk of injury.
Pass-through with ski
sack
Pass-through with ski sack
App lies to vehicles : wi th ski sa ck
Long objects such as skis can be transported
in the ski sack* .
Fig. 64 Rear bench seat: opening the pass -through
Fig. 65 Sk i sack: secu ring with rea r seat safety belt

~ 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
c:> page 51.
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 adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- 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 in­
flates.
- 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-
Driving Safely 125
ed ly 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 seats
c:> page 168 . Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat
c:> page 142.
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 :
~ 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.
~ Adjust the head restraint so the upper 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 position as possible
<=:>page 127.
~ Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
<=:>page 136.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c:> page 50 .
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:
•
•

126 Driving Saf ely
- Passengers must always sit in an upright
posit ion 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
sit ion or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un­
folds with g reat force in the blink of an
eye.
-Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) betwe en the front
passenge r's breastbone and the inst ru­
ment pane l.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lowe r part of the
ins trument panel.
- Each passenger m ust always s it on a seat
of the ir own and properly fasten and
wea r the safety belt be long ing to that
seat .
- Be fore driv ing, a lways ad just the front
passenger seat and head restraint prop­
er ly .
- Always keep your feet on the f loor in
front of the seat . Never rest them on the
seat, instr ument panel, out of the win­
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt w ill not be ab le to protect you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest recl ined or
t ilted far back! The farther the back rests
are t ilted back, the greate r the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
t ion.
- Children must always ride i n chi ld seats
~ page 168. Specia l precautions apply
when insta lling a child seat on the front
passenge r seat ~
page 142 .
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical si ze and be properly restrained
whenever the vehicle is in use.
T o redu ce the risk o f injury caused by an inco r­
rect seating posi tion in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas ­
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
.., Adjust the head rest raint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head . If t hat is not possible , try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this pos ition as possib le
~ page 12 7 .
.., Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front
of the rear seat.
.., Fasten and wear safety belts p roperly
~ page 136 .
.., Make su re that children are always properly
restrai ned in a child restraint that is appro­
pria te fo r the ir s ize and age~
page 168.
.&, WARNING ,.__
Passengers who are imp roperly seated on
the rea r 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 safety belts are properly
positioned on the body and securely
latched . By not sitting upr ight, a rear
seat passenger inc reases the r is k of per­
sonal injury from imp roperly pos itioned
safety belts!
- Always adjust the head rest raint p roperly
so that it can give maximum protection.

152 Airbag system
same effect . If the front passenger
frontal a irbag is turned on, the
PA SSEN ·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light light will go out.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the
side a irbags supplement the protect ion of­
fered by the front three-point safety be lts
with pretensioners and load limiters and the
ad justab le head restraints to he lp red uce the
risk of injury in a wide range of accident and
crash situations. Be sure to read the impor­
tant information about safety and heed the
WARNINGS in this chapter .
Deployment of the Advanced Airbag System
and the activation of the safety be lt preten­
sioners depend on the dece lerat ion measured
by the crash sensors and registered by the
electronic control un it . The amount of infla ­
tion of the front airbags can also be adapted
to the front seat position, depend ing on the
d istance between the respective front seat
and the steering wheel or instrument panel as registered by sensors in the seats. Crash se­
verity depends on speed and deceleration as
well as the mass and stiffness of the vehicle
or object invo lved in the crash.
On the passenger s ide, regard less of safety
be lt use, the front passenger fro nta l airbag
will be turned off if the electrical capacitance
measured by the capacitive passenger detec­
tion system on the front passenger seat is less
than the amount programmed in the electron·
i c control unit . The front passenger frontal air­
bag will also be turned off if the capac itance
measured by the system for the front passen­
ge r sea t equa ls tha t of an infant of abo ut one
yea r of age in one of the child sea ts tha t was
used to certify the Advanced Airbag System
u nder Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208 . T he
PASSENGER AIR BA G OFF light
comes on and stays on to tell you when the
front Advanced A irbag System on the passen­
ger s ide has been turned off
c> page 155 .
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of injury w hen an a irbag
in flates, always wear safety be lts properly.
- If you are unrestra ined, leaning forward,
sitt ing s ideways or out of pos ition in any
way, your risk of injury is much h igher .
- You will a lso receive se rious injuries and
could even be killed if you a re up aga inst
the airbag o r too close to it when it in­
flates - even w ith an Advanced A irb ag
<=> page 142 .
More important things to know about
front airbags
Fig . 14 6 Inflated fro nt a irbags
Safety belts a re important to he lp keep front
seat occupants in the proper seated position
so that a irbags can unfold properly and pro­
v ide s upplementa l pro te cti on in a fron tal col­
li sion .
T he front airbags are des igned to provide ad­
ditional p rotection fo r the chest and face of
the driver a nd the front seat passenger w hen:
- safety belts are worn properly,
- the seats have bee n positioned so that the
occupant is properly seated as far as poss i­
b le from the airbag ,
- and the head restraints have been properly
adj usted .
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye
with great force, th ings you have on your lap
or have placed on the seat cou ld become dan ­
gerous projecti les, and be p ushed into you if
the a irbag inflates .
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is re leased.
This is norma l and is not caused by a f ire in ..,.

the vehicle. This dust is made up most ly of a
powder used to lubricate the airbags as they
deploy . It cou ld irritate skin .
It is importan t to remember that while the
supplemental airbag system is designed to re­
duce the likelihood of serious injuries , other
in ju ries, for example swell ing, bruising and
minor abrasions, can also happen when air­
bags inflate. Airbags do not protect the arms
or the lower parts of the body . Front airbags
supplement the three-poi nt safety belts only
i n some frontal collisions in which the vehicle
decelerat ion is high enough to deploy the air­
bags.
Front airbags will not deploy:
- if the ignit ion is switched off when a crash
occurs,
- in s ide collisions,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in ro llovers,
- when the crash deceleration measured by
the airbag system is less than the minimum
threshold needed for airbag deployment as
registered by the electronic control unit.
Th e front pa sseng er airbag al so will not
d e plo y:
-when the front passenger seat is not occu ­
pied,
- when the electrical capacitance measured by
the capacitive passenger detect ion system
for the front passenger seat indicates that
the passenger side frontal airbag must be
switched off by the electronic control unit (the
P ASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
¢ page 155 and how they wo rk comes on
and stays on).
A WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase
the risk of serious injury in crashes .
- To reduce the r isk o f injury when the air ­
bags inflate, the driver and passengers
must a lways sit in an upright position,
must not lean against or place any part
A irbag system 153
of their body too close to the area where
the airbags are located.
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be se­
riously injured by an airbag as it unfolds
with great force in the blink of an eye
¢page 144.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-fac ing ch ild seat in­
stalled on the front passenger seat will be
se riously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even w ith an Ad­
vanced A irbag System.
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild seat
or infant carrier with great fo rce and will
smash the child seat and child against
the backrest, center armrest, doo r or
roof.
- Always install rear -facing chi ld seats on
the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward fac ing
child seat on the front passenger seat
because of exceptional circumstances
and the PASS ENG ER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immed i­
ately insta ll the rear-facing child seat in a
rea r seat ing pos ition and have the airbag
system inspected by your Audi dealer .
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will
increase the r isk of injury in a crash by in­
terfering with the way the ai rbag unfolds
or by be ing p ushed into you as the airbag
inflates.
- Neve r hold things in yo ur hands o r on
your lap when the veh icle is in use.
- Never transpo rt items on or in the a rea
of the front passenger seat. Objects
co uld move into the area of the front air ­
bags during braking or other sudden ma ­
neuvers and become dangero us projec­
tiles that can cause ser ious personal in­
jury if the a irbags inf late.
•
•
-
-

182 Child Safety
into place and cannot fold forward. Oth­
erwise, the seatback with the child safety
seat attached to it could fly forward in
the event of an accident or other emer­ gency situation .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c:;, page 168. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
c:;, page 144, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible locking retractor far child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically
when the belt is wound all the way back into the retractor.
• Press the red button on the safety belt
buckle . The belt tongue will pop out of the
buckle.
... Guid@ th@ safety belt all th@ way back into
its stowed position.
Always let the safety belt retract completely into its stowed position. The safety belt can
now be used as an ordinary safety belt with­
out the convertible locking retractor for child
restraints .
If the convertible locking retractor should be
activated inadvertently, the safety belt must be unfastened and guided completely back in­
to its stowed position to deactivate this fea­
ture . If the convertible locking retractor is not
deactivated, the safety belt will gradually be­
come tighter and uncomfortable to wear .
_&, WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in a collision.
- Never unfasten the safety belt to deacti­
vate the convertible locking retractor for
child restraints while the vehicle is mov- ing
. You would not be restrained and
could be seriously injured in an accident.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c:;, page 168. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
c:;, page 144, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To provide a simpler and more practicable way
to attach the child restraint on the vehicle
seat, Federal regulations require special lower anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
child restraints to attach to the vehicle ancho ­
rages.
The combination of the tether anchorages and
the lower anchorages is now generally called
the
LATCH system for "Lower Anchorages and
Tet hers for Children ."
Forward-facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1 , 1999, are required by U.S.
federal regulations to comply with new child head movement performance requirements .
These new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new child seats.
Installing a child restraint that requires a top
tether without one can seriously impair the
performance of the child restraint and its abil­
ity to protect the child in a collision. Installing
a child restraint that requires a top tether
without the top tether may be a violation of
state law.
Child restraint manufacturers offer LATCH
lower anchorages on their child seats with
hook-on or push -on connectors attached to
adjustable straps.
In addition to the LATCH lower anchorages,
these child restraint systems usually require .,.