110 On the road
The parking brake warning light. (USA)/ .
(CON) illuminates when the parking brake is
set and you switch on the ignition.
A WARNING
-
Always release the parking brake com
pletely. A partially engaged brake will
overheat the rear brakes, reduce their ef
fectiveness and cause excessive wear. This could lead to brake failure and an accident .
(D Note
Only after the vehicle has come to com
plete stop, should you firmly set the park
ing brake and
move the selector lever into
"P".
Parking
When you park your vehicle, do the
following
• Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
• Apply the parking brake firmly.
• Move the selector lever into the P position
c:>A .
• Switch off the engine and remove the igni-
t ion key from the ignition lock.
When you park your vehicle on hills, do
the following
• Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
• Apply the parking brake firmly.
• If you are parking headed
downhill, turn
the front wheels
toward the curb.
• If you are parking headed uphill, turn the
front wheels
away from the curb.
• Move the selector lever into the
P position.
• Switch off the engine and remove the igni
tion key from the ignition lock.
A WARNING
This is how you can reduce the risk of in
jury when leaving your vehicle.
- Never park the vehicle where it can come
in contact with dry grass, spilled fuel or
any other flammable materials. -
When parking on hills, always turn the
wheels so that the front wheels will first roll into the curb, if the vehicle should
start to roll.
- Never allow anyone - especially small
children - to remain in the vehicle when
it is locked. Locked doors make it more
difficult for rescuers to access the pas
senger compartment in the event of an
emergency. Danger to life!
- Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Children could release the park
ing brake or
move the gearshift lever out
of gear. The vehicle could start to roll
away and cause an accident.
- No matter what the season is, the tem
perature in a parked vehicle can reach
dangerous levels.
(D Note
- Please exercise care when you park your
vehicle in parking areas with parking bar riers or curbs. Parking barriers and curbs
vary in height and could damage your
bumper and related components as the
front of your vehicle moves
over a barrier
or curb that is too high, as you park or as
you back out of a parking spot. In order
to be sure that no such damage can oc
cur, you may wish to stop short of having
the front tires of your car touch the park
ing barrier or curb.
- Please also exercise exceptional care
when you drive up or down steep ramps
or drive over curbs or other obstacles, for
which the vehicle is not designed, be
cause components of the vehicle close to
the ground, such as bumper covers, spoilers and suspension and exhaust sys
tem components, may become dam
aged.
Starting on hills
Hill Hold makes it easier to start on hills.
The system is activated when the brake pedal is depressed
for a few seconds. For this, the ll-
Adaptive Air Suspension
Air suspension and damping
Description
App lies to vehicles: with Adapt ive Air S uspe nsio n
Air suspension and damping con be adjusted
separately.
Adaptive A ir Suspension is an electronically
controlled springing and damping system.
This chassis system makes it easier on the
driver by adapt ing to the particular situation
through imperceptible control processes.
The
Adaptive Air Suspension component reg
ulates ground clearance depending on vehicle
speed and driver input. It functions independ
ently from the load condition . Accelerating to
a speed above a predetermined limit will make the vehicle lower itself. On the other
hand, driving more slowly results in the vehi
cle raising again at specific speeds.
The
damping component provides individual
control of the damping forces . For example,
w ith damping characterist ics set to provide
greater comfort, damping is set somewhat
harder for a br ief per iod only as required, for
example, when go ing aro und a curve or when
braking.
Settings
Adapt ive Air Suspension prov ides the driver
with the opportun ity to set the chassis charac
ter istics also to their individual preference.
W ith the driving modes
Comfort, Automatic
and Dynamic the driver has three chassis set
tings available, ranging from comfort to spor
ty. The
Offrood mode can be selected for driv
ing on poor quality stretches of road. In addi
tion,
Lift provides a fifth mode, which can be
selected when exceptionally high ground
clearance is needed
c::;, page 155, Chassis con
trols .
The modes are set in MMI <::;,page 157.
Adaptive A ir Suspension 155
A WARNING
The height of the parked vehicle can
change due to temperature fluctuations or
changes in load .
@ Note
- Whenever you park your vehicle, a lways
make sure there is adequate clearance
above and below the vehicle. The he ight
of the parked vehicle can change as the
result of temperature fluctuations,
changes in load condition and changes in
the driving mode (ground clearance).
- If the vehicle is being transported (e.g .
by tow truck, train, ship, etc.), mount the
tie-down chains/cables over the running
surface (circumference) o f the tires. Nev
er secure the vehicle by the axle, the sus
pension struts or the front or rear tow
line eye . For technica l reasons, the pres
sure in the suspens ion struts may change
during the transport, which could result
in the vehicle no longer being secured
properly .
- If you are going to tow a trailer with a
trailer hitch that was
not installed ac
cording to factory specif ications, you
must activate the traile r operation mode
man ually
<::;,page 159.
(D Tips
-Before you can raise your vehicle using
the vehicle jack (for example, when
chang ing a flat tire) or a vehicle lift, yo u
must activate the jacking mode
c::;, page 159.
- On some models, the vehicle can reach
its maximum speed only in the
Automat
ic
and Dynamic modes.
Chassis controls
App lies to vehicles : wit h Adaptive A ir Suspensio n
Five different driving modes can be set by the
driver.
T he automatic control processes are speed
and t ime-dependent. For example, it is not
166 Driving Safel y
• Instruct passengers to adjust the head re
straints according to their height.
• Make sure to use the right child restra int
correct ly to protect children<=>
page 205,
Child Safe ty .
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
you r passenge rs do the same<=>
page 71 ,
General recomm endations .
• Fasten your safety bel t an d wear it properly.
Also ins truc t you r passengers to f aste n t heir
sa fety belts properly
<=> page 175.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving i s directly rela ted to the condi
t ion of the vehicle , the driver as well as the
driver 's abili ty to concentrate on the road
without being distracted .
The driver is responsib le fo r the s afety of the
ve hicl e an d all of i ts occupants . If you r ability
to d rive is impai red, safety r is k s for everybody
i n the vehicle increase and yo u also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road <=>
&_.
Therefore:
• Do no t let yo urself be dist racted by passen
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEV ER drive when yo ur dr iv 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 you r speed to road , traff ic
and weathe r con dit ions .
• Take frequent b reaks on long t rips. Do not
dr ive for more than two hours a t a str etch .
• Do NOT drive whe n 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
t ant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fi g. 1 95 Correc t seat ing posit ion
For yo ur own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom
mend that you adjust t he driver's seat to the
fo llow ing pos ition:
• Ad just the driver's seat so that you can easi
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
while keepi ng your knee(s) slightly bent
¢ &_ .
• Adjust the a ngle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full conta ct w ith it when you d rive.
• Adjust t he steer ing whee l so that there is a
d is tance of at least 1 0 inches (2 5 cm) be
t ween the steer ing whee l and yo ur breast
bone ~
fig. 195. If not possible, see your a u
thorized A udi dealer about adaptive equip
ment.
• Adjust the steer ing whee l so that t he steer
ing wheel and airbag cover poi nts at your
ch est and not at your face .
• Grasp the top of the s teer ing wh ee l with
your elb ow(s) slightly ben t.
• Adjust t he head rest rain t so th e up per edge
is as even as possible wi th th e top of y our
head . If that is not poss ible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this pos ition as possib le .
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
<=>page 179.
180 Safety belts
the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt effectiveness and can cause serious per
sonal injury.
- A passenger who is not properly restrain
ed can be seriously injured by the safety belt itself when it moves from the stron
ger parts of the body into critical areas
like the abdomen.
- Always lock the convertible locking re
tractor when you are securing a child safety seat in the vehicle
c:::> page 217 .
Safety belt position
Correc t bel t posi tion is the key to get ting
maximum protection from safety belts .
Fig. 205 Safety belt pos it io n
u, .... 0 :t
~
Standard features on your vehicle help you ad
just the position of the safety belt to match
your body size.
- belt height adjustment for the front seats
and the outer seating positions in the sec
ond row seating,
- height -adjustable front seats.
&_ WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious personal injury in an acci
dent.
-
- Th e shoulder belt shou ld lie as close to
the center of the collar bone as possible
and should fit well on the body. Hold the
belt above the latch tongue and pull it
evenly across the chest so that it sits as
low as possible on the pelvis and there is
no pressure on the abdomen. The belt should always fit snugly
¢
fig. 205. Pull
on the belt to tighten if necessary.
- The lap belt portion of the safety belt
must be positioned as low as possible
across pelvis and never over the abdo men. Make sure the belt lies flat and
snug ¢
fig. 205 . Pull on the belt to ti9ht
en if necessary .
- A loose-fitting safety belt can cause seri
ous injuries by shift ing its posit ion on
your body from the strong bones to more
vulnerable , soft tissue and cause ser ious
injury.
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
c:::> page 178 .
Pregnant women must also be correctly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make
sure that expectant mothers always wear
safety belts correctly -throughout the preg
nancy.
Fig. 206 Safety belt pos it ion during pregnan cy
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the
wearer's body
¢ page 180.
" Adjust the fron t seat and head restraint cor
rectly
c:> page 71 , General recommenda
tions .
" Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in an upright position and securely
latched in place before using the belt.
" Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it
evenly across the chest and pelvis
¢ fig. 206 , ¢ ,&..
.. Inse rt the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
c:> page 179, fig. 204 .
.. Pu ll on the be lt to make sure that it is se
curely latched in the buckle .
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious personal injury in an acci
de nt.
- Expectant mothers must a lways wear the
lap po rtion of the safety belt as low as
poss ible acros s the pe lv is and be low the
ro unding of the abdomen.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other impor tant info rmation
c:> .&. in Fas
tening safe ty belts on page 179.
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only after the vehicle has stopped.
F ig. 20 7 Releas ing the to ngue from t he buck le
.. Push the red re lease button on the b uck le
c:> fig . 207 . The belt tongue wi ll spring out
of the buckle
c:> _& .
.. Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you
guide the belt to ngue to its stowed posit ion.
On vehicles with
third row seat* : an unfas
tened safety belt can be sec ured in the retain
ing clip in t he luggage compartment s ide
tr im . In this way, the luggage compartment
cover can be removed without obst ruct io n. Al
so, the belt tongue height can be adjusted so
t hat luggage compartment can be loade d
without obst ruction wit h the backres t fo lded
forward.
Safety belts 181
A WARNING
Never unfasten safety be lt whi le the vehi
cle is mov ing . Do ing so will increase you r
risk of being inj ured o r killed.
Adjusting safety belt height
With the aid of the safety belt height adjust
ment, the three point safety belt strap rout
ing can be fitted to the shoulder area, accord
ing to body size .
Fig. 208 Safety bel t heig ht adj ustment - loop-around
fittings
The shoulder belt should lie as close to the
center of the co llar bone as possible and
should fit well on the body
c:> .&. in Safety belt
position on page 180 .
.. Push
the loop-around fitt ings up c:>fig. 208
@, or
.. squeeze together the (D button, and push
the loop-around fittings down @.
.. Pull the bel t to make sure tha t the upper at
t achme nt is properly engaged .
A WARNING
-
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other importa nt information
c::> page 178 .
(0 Tips
With the front seats, the he igh t adju st
men t of the sea t can also be used to ad just
the position of the sa fety belts .
to the backrest on the vehicle seat. Ad
just or remove the rear seat head restraint if it is diff icult to install the
child seat w ith the head restraint in place
¢ page 77. Install the head restraint
again immed iate ly once the child seat is
removed. Driving without head rest raints
o r with he ad restraints that are not prop
erly adjusted increases the risk of serious
or fatal neck injury dramatically.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child rest rained in ave
hicle is being used
¢page 175, Safety
belts,¢ page 184, Airbag system
and
¢ page 205, Important things to know.
A WARNING
If except ional circumstances requ ire the
use of a forward-facing child restra int on
the front passenger's seat, the ch ild's safe
ty and well-being require that the follow
ing special precautions be taken:
- Make sure the forward-fac ing seat has
been designed and certified by its manu
factur er for use on a front seat with a
passenge r fron t and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's in
st ruct ions provided with the child sa fety
sea t or infan t carrier.
- Always mov e the front passenge r seat in
to the rearmost posit ion of the passen
ger seat's fore and aft ad justment r ange,
and as far away from the airbag as possi
ble before instal ling the child restraint.
- Always m ake sure that noth ing prevents
the front passenger's seat from bei ng
moved to the rearmost position in its
fore and aft adjustment range .
- Always make sure the backrest is in an upright position.
- Make su re that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on.
- If the light does not stay on, perform the
checks¢
page 195, Monitoring the Ad
vanced Airbag System.
-
Child S afety 213
-Take the chi ld restraint off the front pas
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN
GER AIR BA G OF F
light does not stay on
whenever the ignit ion is switched on.
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats con help protect
children weighing between about 40 lbs. and
80 lbs . (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4
ft. 9 in . (57 inches/1 .45 meters) tall.
In .... N 0 ±
~
Fig . 221 Rear seat: ch ild properly res trained in a boos
ter seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most children until they are at least 4
ft. 9 in .
(57 inches/1.45 me ters) tall and weigh about
80 lbs . (36 kg) . Booster seats raise these chi l
dren up so tha t the safety belt w ill pass p rop
erly over the stronger parts of the ir bodies
and the safety be lt can he lp protect them in a
crash.
.,. Do not use the conver tible locking ret ra ctor
when using the ve hicl e's s afety be lt to re
s train a ch ild on a booster seat.
... The shoulder belt must lie as close to the
center of the ch ild's collar bone as possible
and must lie flat and snug on the upper
body. It must never lie across the throat or
neck . The lap belt must lie across the pelvis
and never across the stomach or abdomen .
Make s ure the belt lies flat and snug. Pull on
th e belt to tighten if necessary.
.,. If you must transport an o lder ch ild in a
booster seat on the front passenger sea t,
you can use the safety be lt height adjust
ment to he lp ad just the shou lder portion
properly.
242 Trailer towing
Weight Rating will also change the per
formance and handling characterist ics of
your vehicle, which could cause a crash result ing in serious injury or death .
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing for your
vehicle would be exceeded if your vehicle
is simultaneously equipped with Panor
am ic sliding sunroof; th ird-row seating;
t railer towing equipment (factory or
dealer-installed) , and running boards
(deale r-installed) . UNDER NO CIRCUM
STANCES MAY ALL SUCH ITEMS BE IN
STALLED ON THE SAME VEHICLE.
Operating instructions
MAX 6.9"
MAX175mm
E
Ill E Ill ... Q) m
Fig. 233 Permi tted ba ll pos it ion of t he t ra iler h itc h
Trailer towing weights
With a factory-installed trailer hitch, the
maximum permissible trailer weight is 6,615
l bs (3,000 kg) . Th e maximum permissible un
braked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg).
With an
aftermarket trailer hitch, the maxi
m um permissible trailer weight is 5,512 lbs
(2,500 kg) . These specifications apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Permissible tongue load
F or best vehicle handling under these
changed condit ions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al
lowable or slightly lower . You can get an ap
prox imation of the tongue load w ith a bath
room scale or you can measure the load at a
trucking company or weighing station .
With a
factory-installed trailer hitch, the
maximum permissible load on the ball h itch may not exceed 662 lbs
(300 kg). With an
af
termarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permis
s ib le load on the ba ll hitch may not exceed
551 lbs (250 kg). It is recommended to use
the maximum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held secure ly
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢&. in Driving instructions on page 243.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used w ith suita
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 233. In stalla
tion of the hitch ball must be carried out in ac
cordance with the manufac turer's instruc
tions. At the height dimension of 1.5 in
(38.5 mm) a tolerance of +/- 0.5 in (12. 7 mm)
is permissib le.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work ha rd
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, infla te the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressu re listed under
" Full l oad" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B
pillar . Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire
manufacturers' spec ificat ions .
Lights
The headlight settings shou ld be checked with
the trai ler attached before driving
off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con
nected from the trai ler to the h itch on the ve
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per
mit turning corners. When you install safety
IJ,,
24 6 Cl eaning and protec tio n
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de
sign of the facility, the filtering of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
I f the pa int has a dull appearance afte r going
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and the Panoramic sliding s unroof.
Factory installed antennas must not be re
moved.
I f you have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle - such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed.
A WARNING
Please take note of the following po ints
before going through an automatic car
wash with your vehicle, so that you can avoid damage to your vehicle .
- Compare the track of your vehicle with the distance between the gu ide rails of
the fac ility- there is a risk of damage to
the whee ls and t ires.
- Compare the height and w idth of your
vehicle with the height and width of the
tunnel at the facility.
- Fold the exte rior mirrors flat - there is a
risk of damag ing the exte rior m irrors.
Power folding exterior mirrors* mus t not
be folded in or out by hand. Use the pow
er function!
- Do not al low the wiper blade to fall onto
the windshield after the vehicle is dried -
there is a risk of damag ing the paint on
the hood.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information ¢
page 245.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi
cle by hand .
.,. Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
¢ .&. in General information on page 245 .
.,. First soak all dried d irt unt il it is soft, then
r inse it off .
.,. As you clean you r vehicle , start w it h the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge g love or a clean
brush.
.,. Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often,
flushing it clean each time.
.,. Use spec ial car shampoo only for very per
sistent d irt .
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly wit h water .
.,. Use a chamo is leather to gently w ipe the ex-
ter ior d ry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
wheels, door s ills and other regions exposed
to road dirt . In this way, you will not scratch
the pa int with coarse pa rticles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
A WARNING ~ -
- Do not clean the underside of the chas
sis, fenders, wheel covers , or other ha rd
to reach pa rts without protect ing your
hands and arms . You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 245.
(D Note
- Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the ve hicle is dry . Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this
co uld scratch your vehicle's paint or win
dows .
- Never wash your car in bright s unlight.
Drops of water act as magn ifying lenses
and may damage your paint .
- When you wash your car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle with a hose, be careful not to aim the stream of water