
66 Seats and st o rage
kinetic 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 (5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. Th is means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be the
equivalent of about 200 lbs (90 kg). One can
eas ily imagine the injur ies that an item of that
weight flying freely through the passenger compartment can cause in a co llision at a
speed conside red relat ively low.
& WARNING
Weak, d amaged or improper s traps used
to secure items to t ie-downs can fail du r
ing hard brak ing or in a coll ision and cause
serious persona l in jury .
- Always use suitab le 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 tie-down.
- For strength-related reasons, the mount
ing hooks can only be used to secure ob
jects weighing up to 10 lb. (5 kg). Heav i
er objects w ill not be adequately secured
- there is a r isk of injury .
Ski sack
Applies to vehicles: with sk i sack
Long objects such as skis or snowboards can
be transported in the ski sack.
F ig . 6 8 Backre st: pass-t hrough cover
Fig. 69 Rear bench seat: secu ring the sk i sack
Loading
.,. Fold t he rear seat center armrest down.
.,. Fold the pass-through cover
¢ fig. 68 -arrow- down.
.,. Slide the ski sack from the luggage com
pa rtment thro ugh the pass-through w it h
t he zipper at the rear¢ .&,.
Securing
.,. Insert the ski sack strap @¢ fig . 69 in the
center buckle @.
.,. Pull the safety belt taut on the free end of
the belt @.
A WARNING
-
-The ski sa ck is intende d only for the
transportat io n of skis and other light ob
jects . To red uce the risk of serio us per
sonal injury , never transport heavy or
pointed objects in the ski sack.
- When braking rapi dly or during an acci
dent, the load could be d isplaced 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.
69.
- For safety reasons, do not transport
mo re than two pairs of sk is in the ski
sack.
- You must secure the ski sack with the
strap afte r load ing.
- Make sure all objects that you are trans
porting in the pass-through are sec ured .
Otherwise they could slide around du ring
sudden b rak ing maneuvers and cause in-
Jury. ..,.

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 starts 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 77, fig. 77
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 79
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake sys
tem fails or locks .
~ In an emergency, pull the sw itch @
¢
page 77, fig. 77 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>

necessary to keep the vehicle from
rolling.
- If the selector lever is unintentionally
moved into N while you are driving, take
your foot
off the accelerator pedal and
wait for the engine to return to idle
speed before selecting a driving position .
- Never shift into R or P when the vehicle is
in motion .
- Never get out of the driver's seat when
the engine is running.
- If you must get out of the vehicle, move
the selector lever securely into the P po
sit ion and apply the parking brake firmly.
- 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
firmly set ¢
page 208, Engine compart
ment.
Otherwise, any increase in engine
speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
(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.
Selector lever positions
Applies to vehicles: with multit ronic or tiptronic
This section describes the selector lever posi
tions and driving ranges .
2
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Fig. 83 Display in the in str um ent cluste r: selecto r leve r
i n positi on P
Transmission 85
The selector lever position engaged appears
next to the selector lever as well as in the in
strument cluster display .
P -Park
In this selector lever position the transmis
s ion is mechanically locked. Engage P only
when the vehicle is
completely stopped ¢ &
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 84.
T o shift in or out of position P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the re lease button in the selector lever handle
while moving the selecto r lever to or from P.
You can shift out of this position only with the
ignition on.
R- Reverse
The transmission will automatically select the
lowest gear ratio when you shift into reverse.
Select R only when the vehicle is at a
full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed ¢ & in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 84.
Before you move the selector lever to R, press
both the button in the handle of the selector
lever
and the brake pedal at the same time .
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illu
minate when the selector lever is moved into
R.
N -Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this position.
Shift to th is position for standing with the
brakes applied ¢
page 86.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds
below 3 mph (S km/h), you must always apply
the footbrake before and while mov ing the
lever out of N.
D /S -Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S pos ition, the transmission can be
operated either in the normal D mode or in
the S sport mode . To select the S sport mode,
pull the selector lever back briefly . Pulling the
lever back again will se lect the normal D ...,

press the brake pedal to prevent the ve
hicle from rolling .
- Allow ing the ve hicl e to roll when the en
gine is stopped and the selector lever is i n N will dama ge the S tronic transm is
s ion because it is not lubricated under
those c ircumstances.
@ 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 buck le.
Hill descent control
Applies to vehicles: with S tro nic transmiss ion and hill de
scent co ntrol
T he hill descen t control sys tem assists the
driver when driving down declines .
Hill desce nt co ntrol is activated when these
l ec to r lever is in D/S and you press the bra ke
p edal. The S tro nic tr ansm ission au tom atically
shifts down into a gear sui table for the de
cline. Hi ll descent control tr ies to maintain
the speed achieved at the time of braking,
wit hin physical and techn ica l limitations . If
may still be necessary to adjust the speed
with the brakes.
H ill descent control switches off once the de
cline levels out or you press t he accelerator
pedal.
On ve hicles with the cruise co ntrol system *
c::> page 81, hill descent control is also act ivat
ed when the speed is set.
A WARNING
-
Hi ll descent control cannot overcome
physical l imitations, so it may not be able
t o m aintain a cons tant speed under all
c o nditions. Alway s be r eady to app ly th e
br ak es.
Transm ission 93
Manual shift program
Applies to vehicles: wit h S tronic transm ission
Using the manual shift program you can
manually select gears .
Fig. 92 Center console : sh ift in g t he m ult itron ic/t ip ·
tro nic m an u ally
Fig. 93 Steering w hee l: S hift b utto ns
Gear selection with selector lever
"' ... .... "!
"' co a,
The tipt ronic mode can be selected eit her with
the ve hicle stat ionary or on the move.
.,. Push the se lec tor lever to the rig ht from D/
S. As soon as the t ransmission has switched
over, the se lected gear ap pears in the dis
p lay .
.,. To upshift, push the se lector lever forward
to the plus position
0 c::> fig. 92.
.,. To downshift, pus h the lever to the mi nus
position
0 .
Gear selection with paddle levers*
The shift buttons are activated when these
lector lever is in D/S or the tiptronic manual
shift program .
.,. To upshift, touch the button o n the right ©
c::> fig. 93 .
.,. To downshift , touch the butto n on the left
0 . ~

126 Driving Saf ely
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, a irbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori
ty number 1.
Always observe the info rmat ion
and warn ings in th is sect ion -fo r yo ur own
safety as well as that of your passengers .
The information in this se ction app lies to all
model ve rsions of your veh icle. Some of the
feat ures described in this sec tions 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
struct ions and heed the WARNINGS in
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the inte rest of you r passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important info r
mation will always be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find i t eas ily if you have
ques tions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a varie ty o f fea tures
avai la bl e to he lp re duce the risk of injury in an accident
. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophis tic ated s afety be lts fo r drive r and a ll
passenger sea ting pos it ions,
- be lt fo rce limi ters fo r the seats,
- belt p retensioners for the seats,
- head restra ints for each seating positio n,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- side curtain a irbags,
- specia l LATCH anchorages for child re-
s tr aints,
- ad justab le steer ing colum n.
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to
gether as a system to he lp protect you and
you r passengers in a w ide range of accidents.
T hese fe atures canno t work as a system if
they a re not always correct ly adjusted and co r
rect ly used.
Safety i s everybody' s respon sibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occu
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver.
Fo r yo ur safety and the safety of your passen
gers,
before driv ing alway s:
.,. Make sure that all lights and signals a re op
erati ng correctly .
.,. Make su re that the tire pressu re is co rrect.
.,. Make su re that all w indows are clean and
afford good v is ib il ity to the o utside.
.,. Sec ure a ll lugg age and o ther items caref ully
qpage 60 .
.,. Make s ure that nothing can interfere with
the peda ls .
.,. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mir
rors correctly for your height.
.,. Instruct rear seat passengers to adjust the
head restra ints according to their he ight.
.,. Make su re to use the right child restraint
co rrectly to p rotect chi ldren¢
page 165,
Child Safety. "'

.. 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 . •
•