
7 4 Seats and storage
Ski sack
App lies to vehicles: with sk i sack
Long objects such as skis or snowboards can
be transported in the ski sack .
Fig. 87 Backrest: pass -through cover
F ig . 88 Rear be nch seat: securing the sk i sack
Loading
.,. Fold the rear seat center armrest down .
.,. Fold the pass-thro ugh cover
¢fig. 87-arrow-down.
.,. Slide the sk i sack from t he luggage com
partment through the pass -through with
the zipper at the rear¢,&. .
Securing
.,. Inse rt the ski sack st rap @ ¢ fig. 88 in the
c en ter buck le @ .
.,. Pu ll the safe ty belt taut on the free end of
the belt @.
A WARNING
-The ski sack is intended only for the
transportation of skis and other light ob
jects. To reduce the risk of serious per
sonal i njury, never transport heavy or
pointed objects in the ski sack. -
When braking rapid ly or during an acci
dent, the load could be displaced and
cause injury to occupants.
- Sharp edges on the load must be covered
for protection. A lways fasten the belt
tightly around the sack and its contents
¢fig. 88.
-For safety reasons, do not transport
more tha n two pairs of skis in t he ski
sack.
- You must secure the ski sack with the
strap after load ing.
- Make sure all objects that you are trans
port ing in the pass-through are secured.
Othe rwise they could slide around du ring
sudden b rak ing ma ne uvers and cause in
Jury.
(D Tips
- Never stow the ski sack away when it is
st ill wet o r damp (for example, snow
me lting from skis). Allow it to dry com
pletely be fore stow ing it away.
- When transporting sk is or snowboa rds,
tighten the securing st rap between the
bindings .
- Pos ition skis in the sk i sack with the
pointed ends facing the front and ski
poles with the pointed ends facing the
re ar.
- Sedan: Y ou can lo ck or unloc k the pass
t hrough using the mechan ica l key. This
prevents any access to the l uggage com
partment from the vehicle interior .

Starting and autom ati call y relea sing the
pa rking b rake
~ When you start to drive as usua l, the park
ing brake is automatically re leased and your
vehicle begins to move.
When stopping at a traffic signa l or stopp ing
in city traffic on vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the parking brake can be ap plied. The vehicle does not have to be held
w ith the footbrake . The park ing brake elimi
nates the tendency to creep with a drive range
engaged. As soon as you dr ive off as usual,
the park ing brake is released automatically
and the vehicle sta rts to move .
Starting on slop es
When starting on inclines, the start ing ass ist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally roll
ing back. The braking force of the parking
brake is not released until sufficient dr iving
force has been b uilt up at the whee ls.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the park ing brake is re
leased automatically only when the dr iv
er 's safety belt is engaged in the bu ckle.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline, do the following:
~ Keep the switch@¢ page 85, fig . 98
pulled and depress the accelerator . The
park ing b rake stays app lied and p revents
the vehi cle from rolling backward.
~ You can release the switch @once you are
s u re that yo u are developing enough driving
force at the wheels by depressing the accel erator.
D epending on the weight of the rig (vehicle
and trai ler) and the severity of the incline, you
may roll backwards as you start. Yo u can pre
vent roll ing backwards by holding the parking
brake switch @pulled out and accelerating -
just as you would when starting on a hill wit h
a conventional hand brake .
On the ro ad 87
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake sys
tem fails or locks .
~ In an emergency, pull the sw itch @
¢
page 85, fig. 98 and continue to pull it to
slow your vehicle down with the parking
brake .
~ As soon as you release the switch @ or ac-
celerate, the b ra ki ng process s tops.
If you pull the switch @and hold it above a
speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h), the eme rgen
cy bra king funct ion is initia ted . T he ve hicle is
braked at all four whee ls by activating the hy
draulic brake system. The brake performa nce
is similar to making an emergency stop¢&..
In order not to act ivate the eme rgency brak
ing by mis take, an audib le warning tone (buz
zer) so unds when the switch @is pulled. As
soon as the switch @ is re leased, or the acce l
erato r peda l is depressed, emergency braking
stops.
A WARNING
...--
Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal foot brake has fa iled or the brake pedal is obstructed .
Using the par king b rake to pe rform eme r
gency brak ing will slow your vehicle down
as if you had made a full bra ke application.
The laws of physics cannot be suspended
even with ESC and its associated compo
nents (ABS, ASR, EDS) . In corners and
when road or weather conditions are bad,
a full brake application can ca use the vehi
cle to sk id or the rear end to break away -
risking an accident.
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep
your driving speed below a set speed limit.
The speed warn ing system warns if the driver
exceeds a p reviously sto red max imum speed .
A warn ing tone w ill sound as soon as the
Ill>

94 Transmission Starting the engine
.. The selec to r l eve r must be in P or N.
Starting off
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Press and hold the release button in these
lector lever handle, select t he des ired selec
tor lever position such as D/S and release
the b utton .
.. Wait briefly until the transmission has shift
ed (you will feel a slight movement) .
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
acce lerate.
Stopping temporarily
.. Keep the vehicle stationary using the b rak
ing peda l, for examp le at traffic lights .
.. Do not press the accelerator pedal when do
ing this.
.. To prevent the vehicle from rolling when
you start dr iving, set the parking brake
when stopping on steep inclines ¢&_ .
.. The parking brake will release automatically
and the vehicle w ill start moving once you
press the accelerator peda l.
Stopping/parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the dr iver's door, the vehicle
could roll. The message
Transmission: Car
may roll! Shift to park!
appears.
.. Press and hold the brake pedal unt il the ve
hicle has come to a complete stop .
.. Apply the parking brake¢
page 86, Park-
ing .
.. Se lect the P selector lever position ¢ &.-
Stopping on an incline
.. Always press the brake pedal to hold the ve
hicle in place and prevent it from "rolling
back"
¢ &_ . Do not try to prevent the vehi
cle from "rolling back" when a gear is en
gaged by increasing the engine speed ¢Q).
Starting on an incline
.. Activate the parking brake.
.. With the driving gear selected, press the ac
celerator pedal carefully . The parking brake will release automatically if your seat
belt is
fastened .
Under certain circumstances, such as driving
in the mountains, it may be usefu l to switch
temporarily to the manual shift program in or
der to adjust the gears to the driving condi
tions by hand ¢
page 96.
On s lopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position .
This prevents too much stress from being
placed on the locking mechanism .
Vehicles with multitronic transmission: Your
vehicle is equipped with
hill hold assist allow
ing yo u to start while on an incline. The sys
tem is activated when the brake pedal is
pressed down and he ld
for a few seconds . The
brake pressure will hold for
a moment after
the brake pedal loosens to prevent the vehicle
from roll ing backwards w hile starting up .
A WARNING
-The vehicle can also roll when the engine
is stopped.
-Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
r un ning while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle when the engine is running,
activate the parking brake and move the
selector lever to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is runn ing at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector
lever is in 0/5 or R or "t iptronic" mode is
selected .
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when changing the selector lever position
while the veh icle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never shift into R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep s lope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic" .

-Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re
duces braking performance, increases
braking distance or causes complete fail
ure of the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it
in place with the brake pedal or parking
brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch. The clutch opens auto
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload. An indicator lamp
[O] illu
minates and a driver message appears
¢ page 9 7 when the clutch is overload
ed .
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake set
¢ page 213, Engine compartment . Oth
erwise, any increase in engine speed may
set the vehicle in motion, even with the
parking brake applied .
0 Note
-S tronic ®- and tiptronic transmission:
When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator pedal while a driving gear
is selected. This can cause the transmis
sion to overheat and can damage it. Acti
vate the parking brake or press the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- S tronic ®- and tiptronic transmission: Al
lowing the vehicle to roll when the en
gine is stopped and the selector lever is in N will damage the transmission be
cause it is not lubricated under those cir
cumstances .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re
leased automatically only when the driv
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Transmission 95
Hill descent control
App lies to veh icles: w it h m ult itro nic/S tro nic/t iptro nic
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines .
Hill descent control is activated when these
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmission automatically selects
a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill de scent control tries to maintain the speed ach
ieved at the time of braking, within physical
and technical limitations. It may still be nec
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the de
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
¢ page 89 , hill descent control is also activat
ed when the speed is set.
.&_ WARNING
-
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain a constant speed under all
conditions. Always be ready to apply the brakes.

Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, child restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this section - for your own
safety as well as that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the
features described in this sections may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others. If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in
structions and heed the WARNINGS in
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the interest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important infor
mation will always be available to the
driver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find it easily if you have
questions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations .
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an
Driving Safely 127
accident. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi :
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- belt force limiters for the front seats,
- belt pretensioners for the seats,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- side curtain airbags ,
- special LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features, can work to
gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor
rectly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occu
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passen
gers,
before driving always:
"' Make sure that all lights and signals are op
erating correctly .
"' Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
"' Make sure that all windows are clean and
afford good visibility to the outside.
"' Secure all luggage and other items carefully
qpage 64.
"' Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
"' Adjust front seat, head restraint and mir
rors correctly for your height.
"' Instruct rear seat passengers to adjust the
head restraints according to their height.
"' Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children
q page 166,
and~~fy. ~
•
•

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.