2013 AUDI A4 warning

128 Driving Safel y
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
yo ur passengers do the same¢
page 58,
Seats and storage.
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passenge rs to fasten their
safety belts properly ¢
page 13 7.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
t ion 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 o f the
vehicle and all of its occupants . If your ability
to drive is impa ired, safety r isks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
9 .&, .
Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be dist racted by passen­
gers or by us ing a cellular telephone.
• NEVER drive when your dr iv in g ability is im­
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, dr ugs, 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 condit ions .
• Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not
drive for more than two hours at a stretch.
> Do NOT drive when you are t ired, under
pressure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when ­
ever a veh icle is being used.
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 139 Correc t seat ing posit 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
following position:
• Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
while 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 with it when you drive .
• Adjust the steer ing whee l so that there is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and your breast
bone ¢
fig. 139. If not possible, see your au­
thorized Audi dealer about adaptive equip­ ment.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
• Grasp the top of the steer ing whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent.
• Applies to veh icles 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 that is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this posit ion as possible.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 140.

~ 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 60.
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-
Driving Safely 129
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion .
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
c:;, page 166. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat
c:;, page 145 .
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
c:;, &, .
~ 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
stra ints: Adjust 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 position as possible .
~ Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c:;, page 140.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c:;, page 58.
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:
•
•

130 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) between the front
passenge r's breastbone and the inst ru­
ment pane l.
- Each passenger must 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.
- Before driv ing, a lways adjust the front
passenge r seat and head restra int prop­
er ly .
- Always keep your feet on the f loor in
front of the seat . Never rest them on the
seat, instrument pane l, 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 backrests
are t ilted back , the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
t ion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 166 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenge r seat ¢
page 145.
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 s udden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas- sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
.. Make s ure that the seatback is secure ly
la tched in the up right pos ition ¢
page 69.
.. If there is a passenger on the rear center
seating position, slide the center head re­
straint upward at least to the next notch .
.. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front
of the rear seat.
.. Fasten and wear safety be lts properly
¢ page 140 .
.. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child rest raint that is appro­
priate fo r the ir s ize and age¢
page 166.
& 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 sec urely latch­
ed in the upright position and the safety belts are properly posit ioned on the
body . By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
injury from improperly positioned safety
be lts!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection.

Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to vehicles: with adj ustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints ore on im­
portant port of your vehicle's occupant re­
straint system and con help to reduce the risk of injuries in occident situations.
F ig . 140 H ead re str ain t: v ie w ed fro m the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust ­
ed to achieve the best protection .
.,. Adjus t the head restraints so the upper
edge is as even as possible with the top of
your head. If that is not possib le, try to ad­
just the head restraint so that it is as close to this position as possible
r::> fig . 140.
.,. If there is a passenger on the rear center
seating position, slide the center head re­
straint upward at least to the next notch .
Adj usting head restraints
c:;, page 61.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re­
straints. Driv ing without head restraints or
w ith head restra ints that are not properly
adjusted increases the risk of ser ious or fa­
tal neck injury dramat ica lly. To help reduce
the risk of in ju ry:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every pe rson in the veh icle must have a
properly adj usted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the ve­
hicle properly adjusts their head re­
strain t. Adj ust the head restrain ts so the
upper edge is as even as poss ib le w ith
the top of your head .
If that is not possi­
ble, try to adjust the head restraint so
Dr ivin g Sa fely 131
that it is as close to this posit ion as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adj ust 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 .
- Ch ildren must a lways be properly re­
strained i n a child rest raint that is appro­
priate for their age and size
c:;, page 166 .
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupan t restraint system con only re­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore
properly seated .
Improper seating positions can cause serious
injury or death . Safety belts can only work
when they are properly positioned on the body . Imp roper seating positions red uce the
effe ct iveness of safety belts and wi ll even in ­
c rease the r is k of injury and dea th by moving
the safety be lt to crit ica l areas o f the body.
Improper seating positions a lso increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an air­
bag deploys and strikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating posit ion. A driver is
responsible for the safety of all veh icle occu­
pants a nd espec ially for children . Therefo re :
.,. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
c:;, .&, .
The following bulletins list on ly some samp le
positions that will increase the risk of serious
injury and death . Our hope is that these exam­
ples will make you more aware of seat ing po­
s itions 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
- neve r ride wit h the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- neve r lean up aga inst the instrumen t panel ..,_

132 Driving Safel y
- never sit on the edge of t he seat
- never sit s ideways
- n ever lean out the w indow
- never put 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 footwe ll
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
-
Improper seat ing pos itions increase the
r isk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used .
- Always make sure that a ll vehicle occu­
pants stay in a proper seating position
and are properly restra ined whenever the
vehicle is be ing used .
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 that all pedals move freely without
in te rfe ren ce and that nothing prevents them
from retu rni ng to the ir origina l posi tions.
Only use floo r mats that leave the pedal area
free and can be secured with f loor mat fasten­
e rs.
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal
travel is required to br ing the vehicle to a full
stop.
A WARNING
Pedals t hat canno t move freely ca n cause
loss o f vehicle control and in cr ease the r is k
o f serious injury.
- N ever pl ace any o bje cts in t he d river 's
f ootwell. An objec t could ge t into the
peda l area and inter fere w ith pe dal func ­
tion . In case of s udden braking or an ac­
cident, you would not be able to bra ke o r
accele rate! -
Always make sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwel l.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mot fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
.,. Ma ke s ure that the f loor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals
c:> & -
Use only f loor mats that leave the peda l area
u nobst ructed and that are firmly secu red so
that they cannot slip o ut of position. You can
obta in suitab le floor mats from your author­
ized Audi dealer.
Floor mat fasteners a re insta lled in your Audi.
Floor ma ts used in yo ur vehicle mus t be at­
tached to these fasteners . Prope rly securing
t h e floor mats wi ll prevent them from sliding
into positions that cou ld interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operat ion of yo ur vehicle
in other ways.
A WARNING
-Pedals that ca nnot move free ly can result
i n a loss of vehicle control and inc rease the
r isk of ser ious persona l inju ry .
- Always make sure that floor mats are
p roperly secu red .
- Never p lace or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be prope rly secured in p lace to prevent
them from slipping and int erfer ing with
the ped als o r th e abili ty to con trol t he
veh icle.
- Neve r place or ins tall f loor mats o r othe r
f loor coverings on top o f al ready ins tal­
led floo r ma ts . Ad ditiona l floor mats and
o ther coverings will red uce the size of
the peda l area an d interfere w ith the
pedals.
- Always prope rly reinsta ll and secure floo r
mats that have been taken o ut for clean­
ing.

-Always mak e sure that objects cannot
fall into the driver footwell wh ile the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become
trapped under the brake pedal and accel­
erator pedal caus ing a loss of veh icle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All Luggage and other objects must be prop­ erly stowed and secured in the luggage com­
partment.
F ig. 1 41 Safe lo ad pos itio nin g: pl ace heavy objects as
l ow a nd a s far forwa rd a s possible .
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly , changing vehicle hand ling
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 poss ible
c> fig. 141 .
.,. Secure the load w ith the cargo net* or with
non -elastic straps secured to the tie -downs*
c> page 71 c>page 72 .
.,. Make sure that the rear seatback is secu rely
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored l uggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle caus ing serious
personal inj ury in the event of hard b rak­
ing or an accident. To help reduce the r isk
of serious personal injury :
Drivin g Sa fely 133
-Always put objects , for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­ partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the t ie-down eyelets
and suitab le straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads wi ll influence the way your ve­
h icle handles . To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
i n jury:
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle hand ling:
- 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
specif ied on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
missible weight standards can cause the
veh icle to slide and handle different ly .
- Please observe informat ion on safe dr iv­
ing
c> page 127 .
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, a lways
keep the rear lid closed w hile driving.
- Never transpo rt objects larger than
those f itting comp lete ly into the luggage
area beca use the rear lid cannot be f ully
closed.
- If you absolutely m ust dr ive with the rea r
lid open, observe the following notes to
red uce the r isk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the sunroof,
- Open all air outlets i n the instrument
panel,
- Swi tc h off the air rec irculat ion,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.

134 Driving Safely
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the sunroof and the rear lid are se ­
curely closed and locked to reduce the risk
of injury when the vehicle 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. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended 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 manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
c:>page238.
-
Tie-downs
Applies to vehicles: with tie -downs
The luggage comportment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo p rop­
erly
c:> page 133, Loading the luggage com ­
portment .
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller i tems 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 (4.5 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
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help prevent items from flying for­
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas­
senger compartment.
- Never attach a child safety seat tether
strap to a tie-down .

Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter exp lains why safety be lts a re nec ­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly.
~ Read all the information that fo llows and
heed all of the inst ruct 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 availab le to red uce the r isk of se­
rious injury and death in a utomob ile acci­
de nts . For your prot ecti on and that of
yo ur passenge rs, always co rrec tly wear
sa fe ty bel ts when the ve hicle is mov ing.
- P re g nant women, injured, or physically
imp aired perso ns must also use safe ty
belts. L ike a ll vehicle occup ants, they are
more like ly to be ser ious ly injure d if they
do not wea r safety be lts . The best way to
protect a fet us is to protect the mother -
thro ughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating posit ions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each
seating position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
N ot wea ring safety belts or wea ring the m
improperly increases the risk of ser ious
perso nal i njur y an d deat h.
- Never st rap more than one pe rson, in­
cl ud ing s mall ch ild ren, into any belt . It is
e speci ally dangerous t o pl ac e a safety
bel t over a child s itting on yo ur lap.
- N ever le t mo re peo ple ride in t he ve hicle
th an there are s afety be lts availab le.
Safety belts 13 7
- Be s ure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained w ith a separate sa fe­
ty belt or child restra int.
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and (on USA models only) front seat
passenger to remind you about the impor­
tance of buckling-up.
Fig . 14 2 Safety belt warni ng lig ht in the instr ument
cl uster -enla rged
Before driving off, alway s:
~ Fasten your safety be lt and make sure you
are wearing it properly .
~ Make sure that yo ur passengers a lso buck le
up and properly wear their safety be lts.
~ Protect your childre n w ith a child rest raint
sys tem app ropriate fo r the size a nd age of
t h e children.
The . warn ing light in the instrument cluster
li ghts up when the ig nit ion is switched on as a
reminder to fasten the safe ty belts. In addi­
tion, you will hea r a warning tone for a certa in
per iod of t ime.
Fasten your safety belt now and make sure
that your pas sengers also properly put on
th eir safety belts.
•
•