2013 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET warning

126 Driving Saf ely
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
Appl ies to vehicles: with knee airbags
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee a irbag can
inflate without interference . Objects be ­
tween yourself and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an acc ident by inte rfer­
ing w ith the way the a irbag deploys or by
being p ushed into you as the airbag de­
ploys .
- No persons (ch ildren) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can res ult in serious or fata l injuries .
- No objects of any k ind sho uld be carried
in the footwe ll area in front of the driv­
er's or passenger's seat . Bulky objects
(shopping bags, for example) can ham ­
per or prevent proper deployment of the
airbag . Small objects can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys
and injure you o r your passengers .
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 tha t all pedals move freely witho ut
i nte rfe rence and that nothing prevents them
from retu rning to the ir origina l posi tions.
Only use floo r mats that leave the peda l area
free and can be secured wit h floor mat fasten­
e rs.
If a b rake circuit fails, increased b rake pedal
trave l is required to bring the vehicle to a full
stop.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can cause
l oss of veh icle control and increase the risk
of ser ious injury .
- Never p lace any objects in the drive r's
footwell . An object cou ld get into the
pedal area and inte rfe re with pedal func­
tion . In case of sudde n brak ing o r an ac­
cident, yo u wo uld not be a ble to brake or
acceler ate !
- Always ma ke s ure that no thing 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 fast eners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
.. Make s ure that the floor mats are properly
secured and canno t move and in terfere with
t he peda ls
£:=? &, .
Use on ly f loor mats that leave the pedal area
u nobst ructed and that are firmly secu red so
t h at t hey cannot slip o ut of position . You ca n
obta in suitab le floor mats from yo ur autho r­
ized Audi dea ler .
Floor mat fastene rs are insta lled in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be at­
tached to these fastene rs. Prope rly securing
the floor mats will prevent them from sliding
i nto posi tions that cou ld interfere with the
peda ls o r impa ir safe ope rat io n of yo ur vehicle
i n othe r ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can result
in a loss of vehicle control and inc rease the
risk of ser ious persona l injury .
- Always make sure that floor mats are properly secu red.
- Never p lace or ins tall floor mats o r othe r
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be properly secured in p lace to prevent
them from slipping and interfer ing with
lill>

the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already insta l­
led floor mats . Additional floor mats and
other coverings will reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the
pedals.
- Always property reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing .
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver footwell wh ile the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become
t rapped under t he brake pedal and accel­
erator peda l causing 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
portment.
F ig. 134 Safe load pos ition ing: place heavy objects as
low a nd as fa r forwa rd as possible .
-M N 0 u.
ill
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characterist ics. Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
veh icle 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 . 134 .
Drivin g Sa fely 12 7
.. Secure luggage using the tie-downs provid­
ed
c::> page 68.
.. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the ve hicle causing ser ious
pe rsonal injury in the event of hard brak­
ing or an accident . To help reduce the risk
of ser ious persona l injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy i tems in the luggage com­
pa rtment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compa rtment using the t ie-down eyelets
a nd suitab le st raps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads w ill influence the way yo ur ve ­
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of contro l leading to serious personal
i nj ury :
-Always keep in mind w hen transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen ­
ter of gravity can a lso cause changes in
veh icle handling:
- Always distribute t he load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible .
- Never exceed the Gross Axle We ight Rat­
ing or the G ross Vehicle We ight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
e r on the left door jamb. Exceeding per ­
miss ible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and hand le different ly .
- Ple ase observe in format ion on sa fe dr iv­
ing
<::> page 121.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaus t gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, a lways
keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting comp letely into the l uggage _..

128 Driving Safely
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power top,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power top and the rear lid are
securely 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
r::::>page 231.
Tie-downs
Applies to vehicles: with tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and o ther
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
r::::> page 12 7, Loading the luggage com­
par tmen t.
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 .S 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

130 Driving Safely
Tel.: 1-800-333-0510 or
Tel.: 1-819-994-3328 (Ottawa region and from other coun­
tries)
TTY for hearing impaired: Tel.:
1-888-675-6863
or contact Transport Canada by
mail at:
Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Investiga­
tions Laboratory 80 Noel Street
Gatineau, QC
J8Z 0Al
For additional road safety infor­
mation, please visit the Road
Safety website at:
http:/ /www.tc .gc.ca/eng/
roadsafety/menu. htm
Active rollover
protection system
Function
The rollover protection system helps protect
vehicle occupants in the event of a rollover.
l '1
I j 1 !
I i I
Fig. 135 Rear seats: Rollbar deplo yment ra nge
Fig. 136 Rear seats: rollbar deploye d
; 0 ii. II) ID
The active rollover protection system consists
of:
- two rollbars
- the safety belts with belt tensioners
- the windshield frame
- the rollover sensors
The act ive rollover protection system provides
additional safety in the event of a rollover.
Within milliseconds, sensors deploy two roll­
bars located behind the headrests in the rear
seats r:!)fig.
136.
The rollbars, reinforced windshield frame and
belt tensioners help protect front and rear
passengers in the
event of a rollover.
The rollover protection system functions
when the power top is both open and closed.
A WARNING
Do not use the area behind the rear seat
headrests
I:!) fig. 135 as a storage area.
This is the area where the rollbars deploy.
If the rollover protection system is trig­
gered, objects placed there can be propel­
led through the vehicle and make it more
difficult for the rollbars to deploy. This in­
creases the risk for serious or life-threat ­
ening injuries.
When is rollover protection deployed?
Rollover protection deploys in a collision or
rollover.
-
Depending on the collision, sensors through­
out the vehicle and the control module trigger
t he rollover system to deploy.
ll>-

For safety reasons, rollover protection a lso de­
p loys during front, side and rear collisions
above a certa in level of severity.
Retracting rollover protection
Fig . 137 Dep loyed rollbar with release loop.
Fig. 138 Deployed rollba r w ith power top frame facing
upward.
If the rollbars deployed but the vehicle was
not involved in a collision or rollover, you can
retract them without special tools. The sys­
tem is ready for use again once they are re ­
tracted .
With the p owe r top ope n
"' Pull the loop upward in the direction of the
arrow and hold it in p lace
r=.> fig. 13 7.
"' Slide the rollbar down .
"' Release the loop just before the rollbar
reaches its end position by approximately 1-2 in. (3-5 cm).
"' Press the rollbar dow n until it stops.
"' Make sure the rollbar is secure before re-
leasing it .
"' Close the cover@i::>
fig. 138.
"' Repeat the procedure on the other rollbar.
With the power top closed
"' Swi tch the ignition on.
Dr ivin g Sa fely 131
"' Press the convertible switch to adjust the
convertible frame until it is vertical
r=.>fig. 138.
"' Pull the loop upward in the direction of the
arrow and hold it in placer=.>
fig. 137 .
"' Slide the rollbar down .
"' Release the loop just before the rollbar
reaches its end position (3-5 cm) .
"' Press the ro llbar down unti l it stops.
"' Make s ure the rollbar is sec ure before re-
leasing it.
"' Close the cover@~
fig. 138.
"' Repeat the procedure on the other rollbar .
"' You can now close the power top again.
A WARNING
-Have the rollover protection system
checked by your author ized Audi dealer if
it is fa ulty. Otherwise, the system may
not deploy correctly in a coll is ion.
- Modifying the rollover protection system
or ind ividual components is not perm it­
ted.
- Work on the rollover protection system
should only be performed by your au­
thorized Audi dealer. Otherwise the sys­
tem may not f unction correctly in a co lli­
sion or it co uld deploy unexpec tedly.
- Have the system inspected at service in­
tervals. This ensures the system w ill al­
ways be ready for use . Have your author­
ized Audi dealer check the rollover pro­
tection system every two years at the lat­
est.

13 2 Safety belts
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety be lts are nec ­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly .
.. Read a ll the information that fo llows and
heed all of the instruct 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 avai lab le to reduce the risk of se­
r ious injury and dea th in a utomob ile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
yo ur passenge rs, always co rrectly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
- P regnant women, injured, or physically
im paired perso ns mu st also use safety
bel ts. Lik e all veh icle occup ants, they are
more like ly to be ser iously injured if they
do not wea r safety be lts . The best way to
protect a fetus is to protect the mother -
throughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of four seating positions: two in the front and two in the rear. Each seat­
ing position has a safety belt .
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or weari ng them
improp erly increases th e risk of ser ious
pe rsonal i njury and dea th.
- N ever st rap more than one pe rson, in­
cl uding small ch ild ren, into any belt.
It is
e speci ally dange rous to pla ce a safety
belt over a child s itting on yo ur lap.
- N ever le t mo re people ride in the ve hicl e
than there are s afe ty be lts avail able. -
Be s ure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained w ith a separate safe ­
ty belt or child restra int.
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle hos o warning system for the
driver and (on USA models only) front seat
passenger to remind you about the impor­
tance of buckling-up .
Fi g. 139 Safety belt warni ng lig ht in the instrument
cluster -en larged
Before driving off, always :
.. Fasten you r safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly .
.. Make s ure that yo ur passengers a lso buck le
up and properly wear their safety be lts.
.. Protect your children w ith a child rest raint
system approp riate fo r the size and age of
t he children.
The . war ning light in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignit ion is switched on as a
rem inder to faste n the safety belts. In addi­
t ion, you will hea r a warning tone for a certa in
per iod of t ime.
Fasten your safety b elt now and make sure
that your pas sengers also properly put on
their safety belts.

Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be correctly posi­
tioned across the strongest bones of your
body.
~ Always wear safety belts as illustrated and
described in this chapter.
~ Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death. Safety belts can
work only when used correctly.
- Always fasten your safety be lts correctly
before driving off and make sure all pas­
sengers are correctly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts must always be positioned properly on
the body .
- Never strap more than one person, in­
cluding small children, into any belt.
- Never place a safety belt over a child sit­ ting on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front
of the seat while the vehicle is being d riv­
en .
- Never let any person ride with their feet
on the instrument panel or sticking out
the window or on the seat.
- Never remove a safety belt while the ve­
hicle is moving. Doing so will increase
your risk of be ing injured or killed.
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause injury.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of posi ­
tion . Safety belts
135
- Several layers of heavy clothing may in­
terfere with correct positioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of
the system .
- Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latch­
ing securely .
- Never use comfort clips or devices that
create slack in the shoulder belt . Howev­
er, special clips may be requ ired for the
proper use of some child restraint sys­
tems .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt hardware can break in an
accident. Inspect belts regularly.
If web­
bing , bindings, buckles, or retractors are
damaged, have belts replaced by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Safety belts that have been worn and
loaded in an accident must be replaced
with the correct replacement safety belt
by an authorized Audi dealer. Replace­
ment may be necessary even if damage
cannot be clearly seen . Anchorages that
were loaded must also be inspected.
- Never remove, modify, disassemble, or
try to repair the safety belts yourself.
- Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts
may not work properly and can impair
the function of the inertia reel
c::> page 205, Safety belts .
Safety belts
Belt positioner
The driver and front passenger seats are
equipped with belt positioners.
Fig. 145 Driv er's se at: Be lt pos itio ner

136 Safet y belt s
The front seats are equipped with belt posi­
tioners so it is easier to fasten the safety
be lts . T he belt positioners automatically ex­
tend when the door closes and the ignition
switches on
¢ fig . 145.
The belt positioner returns to its starting posi­
tion again when
- the tongue in the belt latch engages or the
belt was not fastened within 60 seconds .
- yo u sw itch the igni tion off .
- you open the doo r.
&_ WARNING
- Only yo ur autho rized Aud i dea le r shou ld
wor k on the sys tem or remove and insta l­
ling system com ponents when per form ­
ing other work .
- T he be lt positione rs could cause injury or
damage if they p inch peop le or objects
when extending or retracting .
Fastening safety belts
Safety first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 146 Belt buckle a nd tong ue o n th e dr iver's seat
To prov ide maximum protection, sa fety belts
must always be posit ioned correctly on the
wearer's body .
.. Adjust the front seat an d head restra int
properly ¢
page 61, Seats and storage .
.. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in an upright pos ition and securely
latched in place before using the belt¢,& .
.. Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it
ev enly ac ross th e chest and pe lvis ¢
..&,.
.. Insert the tongue into the correct buck le o f
your seat unti l you hear it latch securely
¢ fig . 146.
.. Pull on the belt to make sure that it is se-
curely latched in the buckle.
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety belt is equipped with an a utomat ­
ic be lt retractor on t he shou lder belt. This fea­
ture locks the belt when the be lt is pulled out
fast, during hard braking and in an accide nt.
The belt may a lso lock when you drive up or
down a steep h ill or through a sha rp curve.
D uring normal driv ing the be lt lets you move
freely .
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped with a belt pre­
tensio ner that he lps to tighten the safety belt
and remove slack when t he pretensioner is ac ­
t ivated . T he function of the pretensione r is
monitored by a war ning light ¢
page 20.
Switchable locking feature
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a sw itchable lock ing fea­
ture that
must be used when the safety be lt is
u sed to attach a c hild safety s eat. Be sure to
read the important information abou t this
feature
¢page 171.
&_ WARNING
Imp roperly posit ioned s afety be lts c an
cause ser ious injury in an accident
¢ page 137, Safety belt position .
-Safety belts offer opt imum p rotection
only when the seat back is u pright and
be lts are proper ly posit ioned o n the
body.
-
- Never attach t he safety belt to the buck­
le for another seat. Attaching the belt to
the wrong buckle will reduce safety be lt
effectiveness and can cause serious per ­
sonal injury .
- A passenge r who is not proper ly restrain-
ed can be seriously injured by the safety ..,.