2013 AUDI A4 SEDAN Owners Manual

.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
¢page 54,
Seats and storage.
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly¢
page 136 .
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 12 7
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 126 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. 126. 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 139 . .,._

128 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 56.
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 165. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat¢
page 144 .
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 139.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 54.
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 165 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat <=:>
page 144.
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 129
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
.,. Make sure that the seatback is securely
latched in the upright position
<=:> page 64 .
.,. 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 belts properly
<=:> page 139 .
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their size and age
<=:> page 165.
& 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 . •
•

130 Driving Safely
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.
Fig. 127 H ead re str ain t: vi ew ed fro m the front
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
e> fig. 12 7 .
.. If there is a passenger on the rear center
seating position, slide the center head re­
straint upward at least to the next notch .
Adjusting head restraints
e> page 57 .
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re­
straints. Driving without head restraints or
with head restraints that are not properly
adjusted increases the risk of serious or fa­
tal 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
e> page 165.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant 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 . 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
e> _& .
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 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
8_ WARNING
-
Improper seat ing positions increase the
r isk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used .
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­
pants stay in a proper seating pos ition
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
i nte rferen ce and that no thing prevents them
from re tu rning to the ir origin al posi tions.
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area
free and can be secured w ith floor mat fasten­
e rs.
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake peda l
travel is required to br ing the vehicle to a full
stop.
8_ WARNING
Pedals that canno t move freely ca n cause
loss o f vehicle control a nd incr ease the r is k
o f serious injury.
- Never pl ace any ob jects in the d river's
f ootwell. An object could ge t into the
peda l area and inter fere with pedal func­
tion . In case of s udden braking or an ac­
c ident, you would not be able to brake or
accele rate!
Dr iving S afel y 131
-Always ma ke 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 mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
.,. Ma ke s ure that the floor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the peda ls
c> &_ .
Use only f loor mats that leave the peda l area
u nobstructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot slip o ut of position. You can
obta in suitable floor mats from your author­
ized Audi dealer.
Floor mat faste ners are insta lled in your Audi.
Floor mats used in yo ur vehicle mus t be at­
tached to these fastene rs . P rope rly securing
the floor mats wi ll prevent them from sliding
into positions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operat ion of your vehicle
in other ways.
8_ WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can result
in a loss of vehicle control and increase the
risk of serious perso na l injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured .
- Never p lace or install floor mats or other
f loor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be prope rly secured in p lace to prevent
them from slipping and interfer ing with
the peda ls o r the a bility to cont ro l t he
veh icle.
- Never place or ins tall floor mats o r other
f loor coverings on top o f al ready in stal­
led floo r mats . Ad ditiona l floo r mats and
o ther cover ings will red uce the size of
the peda l area and interfere with the
pedals.
- Always prope rly reinstall and secure floo r
mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing.
•
•

132 Driving Safel y
-Always make sure that objects cannot
fall into the driver footwe ll wh ile the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become
trapped under the brake pedal and accel­
erator peda l causing a loss of veh icle
contro l.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop­
erly stowed and secur ed in the luggage com­
partment.
Fig. 128 S afe load positio nin g: place heavy objects as
l ow a nd a s far forward as pos sible.
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 p lace and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as low
and as far forward as possible
c> fig. 128.
.,. Secure the load with the cargo net* or with
non -elastic straps secured to the tie-downs
<=> page 65.
.,. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly throug h the vehicle ca using serious
personal inj ury in the event of hard brak­
ing or an accident. To help reduce the r isk
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 t ie-down eyelets
and suitable straps.
.&_ WARNING
-
Heavy loads w ill influence the way your ve­
hicle handles . To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
in 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 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 Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
miss ible weight standards can cause the
veh icle to slide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe dr iv­
ing
c:> page 126.
.&_ 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
a rea because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely m ust dr ive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
red uce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the sunroof,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switc h off the ai r rec irc ulat ion,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.

A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­dows, 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>poge234.
Driving Safely
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 prop­
erly
c> page 132, Loading the luggage com ­
portment .
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 (4.5 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 .
133
•
•

134 Driving Safely
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle
has a defect which could cause
a crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notify­
ing Audi of America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar com­
plaints, it may open an investi­
gation, and if it finds that a
safety defects exists in a group
of vehicles, it may order a recall
and remedy campaign. Howev­
er, NHTSA cannot become in­
volved in individual problems between you, your dealer, or
Audi of America, Inc.
To contact the NHTSA, you may
either call:
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY:
1-800-424-9153) or
1-800-424-9393
or you may write to : NHTSA
U.S. Department of
Transporta­
tion 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E .
West Building
Washington, DC 20590
You can also obtain other infor­ mation about motor vehicle
safety from :
http://www.safercar.gov
Applicable to Canada
If you live in Canada and you
believe that your vehicle has a
defect that could cause a crash
I
injury or death, you should im­
mediately inform Transport
Canada, Defect Investigations
and Recalls. You should also no­
tify Volkswagen Group Canada,
Inc.
Canadian customers who wish
to report a safety-related de­
fect to Transport Canada, De­
fect Investigations and Recalls, may either call Transport Cana-
da toll-free at: ..