204 Airbag system
vehicle that is struck in a side collision
~fig. 216.
When the system is triggered , the side curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In or
der to help provide this additional protection,
the side curtain airbag must inflate within the
blink of an eye at very high speed and with
great force. The side curtain airbag could in
jure you if your seating position is not proper
or upright or if items are located in the area
where the supplemental side curtain airbag
inflates . This applies especially to children
~ page 205.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side cur
tain airbags can "cushion" the impact and in
this way they can help to reduce the risk of in
jury to the head and the upper part of the
body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de ploys. This is quite normal and does not mean
there is a fire in the vehicle.
Important safety instructions on the
side curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Al ways properly wear safety belts and ride in a
proper seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and do to help the safety belts and
airbags do their job to provide supplemental
protection.
A WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and im
proper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death when
ever a vehicle is being used .
- Never let occupants place any parts of
their bodies in the area from which the side curtain airbags inflate.
-Always make sure that the side curtain
airbags can inflate without interference .
Unsuitable accessories fitted inside the expansion range of a side curtain airbag
can dangerously interfere with its func
tion. A deploying head airbag develops
enough force to catapult any piece of
add-on component out of its path of
in
flation and into the passenger compart
ment. An occupant hit by such a projec
tile can suffer serious injury or death
~ page 328, Technical Modifications.
-Do not swivel the sun visors to the side if
you have any objects clipped onto them
(for example pens). If the airbag should
deploy, you could be injured by these ob
jects.
- Use the built-in coat hooks only for light
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that
may interfere with airbag deployment
and can cause personal injury in an acci
dent.
- Never use hangers to hang clothing from
the hooks.
- Only use factory-installed sun shades or,
in the case of shades installed after the
vehicle leaves the factory, only Audi roll up sunscreens may be used
~ page 32 7,
Additional accessories and parts re
placement.
-Always sit in proper seating position and
wear safety belts while traveling so that the side curtain airbags can help provide
protection.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once .
If the airbag has been triggered,
the system must be replaced by an au
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work
shop.
- Always have work involving the side cur
tain airbag system, removal and installa
tion of the airbag components, or other repairs performed by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop . Otherwise
the airbag system may not work correct ly .
- Never attempt to modify any compo
nents of the airbag system in any way .
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be
come discharged. This happens most ly when
litt le energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equili
brium, consumers which require especia lly
large amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off. Heating systems in par
ticular requ ire a great deal of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they h ave been temporar ily cut back or switched
off. These systems will be available again as
soon as the energy ba lance has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has
been increased slightly. This is normal and not
a cause for concern . By increasing engine idle
speed the additional energy required is gener
ated and the battery is charged .
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the ab ility of the engine to start, th is
is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•) Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
This notification reminds you that the starting
capability of the engine may be limited. As
soon as you start driving again, the battery
will be recharged and the notification will go
out.
Driver notification appears and goes out
again
If th is driver notification appears after the ig
nition is turned on or while driving and it goes
out again after a wh ile, the battery has been
adequately recharged.
Intelligent technology 233
Driver notification appears and does not
go out again
If this driver notification appears after the ig
nition is turned on or whi le driving and does
not go out again, the battery's state of charge
is not in the optimal range. Starting ab ility is
restricted . Have the battery checked as soon
as possible by an authorized Aud i dealer or
qualified workshop.
•
•
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
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack aluminum surfaces and can dam
age them over time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information ¢
page 245.
Touch-up paint
Minor paint damages should be touched up
immediately.
.. Use either a touch-up paint st ick or spray
paint to cover minor scratches and nicks.
Your authorized Audi dealer has touch-up paint for minor sc ratches and stone chips.
Scratches should be touched up soon after
they occur to prevent corrosion .
I f a spot starts to rust, however , a simple
touch -up job wi ll not be enough . The affected
surface must be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti-r ust primer before the painted
finish can be restored.
The number for the origina l vehicle paint can
be found on the vehicle identification labe l
¢page 320.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 245.
Windows
Clear vision to all sides .
Clea n all windows reg ularly to remove road
fi lm and carwash wax bui ldup.
.,. Remove snow from windows using a brush.
.. Use a plast ic ice scraper to remove ice from
windows and mirro rs.
.. Remove other residue on the windows with
a spray-on glass cleaner.
.. Wipe th e windows dry with a clean piece of
cloth or kitchen paper towel.
Cleaning and protec tion 249
The best way to remove snow from windows
and mirrors is to use a brush . Use a non-abra
s ive
pl astic ice scrape r -better sti ll, a spray
deicer -to remove
ice from w indows and mir
rors.
The windows must not be cleaned with insect remover or wax since these can interfere w ith
the function of the windshie ld w iper blades
(chatter) .
Oil, grease, or s ilicone residue can be removed
with
gla ss cle ane r or s ilicone remo ve r. How
ever, wax re sidue requires the use of a spec ial
ly formulated solvent. Please contact your au
thorized Audi dea ler for advice on safe prod
ucts for wax removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside
at regu lar in tervals .
Never dry windows w ith the same chamois
that you use to dry painted surfaces. Wax resi due on the chamois can impair v is ion through
the windows .
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS a nd
other information ¢
page 245.
-The windsh ield must not be treated w ith
water -repellent materials . They can in
crease glare unde r poor v is ibility condi
tions such as wetness, da rkness, or when
the sun is low on the hor izon. In addi
tion, they can ca use the w indshield w ip
ers to chatter.
(D Note
- Never use warm o r hot wate r to remove
s now and ice from windows and mirro rs.
T his could cause the glass to crack .
- To prevent damage to t he w ires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
st ic kers on the ins ide of the rear w indow
over the wires.
- To help prevent d irt from scra tching the
w indow, always scrape in a forward di
rection -pushing the sc ra per away from
you -never back and forth .
•
•
thoroughly checked by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected .
If the brake fluid level is too low ,
the brake warning/indicator light will i llum i
nate. Con tact an au thori zed Aud i dealer
im ·
mediately .
@ Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located under
neath the cover.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moist ure from the a ir. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
h igh, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of the
brake fluid w ill also decrease considerably and
decrease b raking performance .
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
every two years . Always use new brake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standa rd "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake f lu id reservoir can be difficult to
reach, therefore, we recommend that yo u
have the brake f lu id changed by your author
i zed
Audi dea ler . Your deale r has the co rrect
too ls, the right b rake fluid and the know-how
to do this fo r you.
_& WARNING
- Br ake fluid is po isonous . It must be s to r
ed only in the closed orig inal con tainer
o ut of the reac h of c hildren!
- Br ake f ailure can resu lt from old or in ap
propr iate b ra ke fluid. Observe these pre
caut ions:
- Use on ly brake fluid that meets SAE
specif ication
J 1 703 and conforms to
Federal Motor V ehicle Sta ndard 116.
A lways check wi th you r auth o riz ed Audi
deale r to ma ke s ure you are using the
correct brake flu id . T he correc t type of
Checkin g and fillin g 275
brake f luid is also ind icated on t he
brake f luid rese rvoir.
- The bra ke fl uid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapo r lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
l ong. This can seriously affect the effi
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safe ty. This co uld resu lt in an accide nt.
(1) Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because o f the prob lem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
required and the necessary expertise, we
recomme nd that you have the brake flu id
changed by you r autho rized Aud i deale r.
Battery
General information
U nder normal operating cond itions, the bat
tery in your Audi does not need any ma inte
nance. With
high outside temperatures or
long da ily drives we recommend that you have
the e lectrolyte level chec ked by an au thorized
Audi dealer or qualified wo rkshop . The elec
t ro lyte level should also be che cked each time
t h e battery is cha rged
~ page 2 77.
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for se rv ice . You a re well advised to
replace a battery that is o lde r th an 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the ba tte ry is disconnected from the ve hicle elec
t rical sys tem for safety reasons
~ A in Re
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 198.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle fu nctions (power window regu
lators, fo r example) are lost if the battery te r
mina ls are disconn ected . T hese functions have
to be relearned after the bat tery termina ls are
conne cte d ag ain. To p revent t his, the battery .,.
•
•
2 76 Chec king and filling
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
e lectrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a pe riod
of several days or weeks, electrical compo
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main
tains starting capab ility over a longer period
<=> page 231.
Take into consideration that when you un lock
your vehicle, some convenience functions, such as the interior lights or the power seat
adjustment, may not be available. The con
venience functions will be available again
when you turn on the ignition and start the
engine .
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as temperatures drop . This
is because more power is also consumed while
starting, and the headlights, rear window de
fogger, etc., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par
ticularly in city traffic or when traveling only
short d istances . Let your authorized Audi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat
tery before w inte r sets in
<=> page 277. A well
cha rged battery w ill not only prevent starting
p rob lems when the weather is cold, but will
a lso last longer.
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery should be removed and
stored where it will not freeze . This wi ll
prevent it from being damaged and having
to be replaced.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located under the driver 's seat.
Before you check anyth ing under the driver 's
seat,
read and heed all WARNINGS c:> _&.
Always heed the safety warnings, when work
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle elec
trical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM BOLS and safety precautions when working
on the battery.
® Always wear eye protection .
b.. Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Al
~ ways wear gloves and eye protection.
~ No
\!:!Y -sparks
- flames
- smoking.
A When a battery is charged, it produces
~ hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
Always keep the battery well out of reach of children.
,&. WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire . Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery ac id or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes .
Exp losive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfu
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear g loves and eye protection.
-
Do not tilt the battery because acid ~
310 Fuses and bulb s
Left cockpit fuse assignment
Fig. 270 Left cockpit: fuse panel w ith p lastic clip
No. Consumer
Fu se pa nel @ (red )
8 Intelligent power modu le driver
25
1 5 (lights left s
ide of veh icle)
3
MMI 7,5 9 Intelligent power module driver 25
6 Lumbar support driver's seat
(lights right side of vehicle)
Window regulators (left side of 10 Instrument cluster
10
7 vehicle) 35
11 Headlight
washer system
Door control module (left side 12 Diagnostic connector
10
8 of vehicle) 15 Fu
se panel © (black )
9 Tire pressure monitoring sys-
5 1 Headlight electron
ic system
10
tern (left side of vehicle)
.
Electronic ignition lock,
2 Adaptive cruise control
5
10 power steering column adjust-
30
5 Rear Seat Ente rtainment
s
I ment 6 Terminal 15 (interior)
5
11 Switch module steering co lumn 10
7 Oil level sensor 5
I 12 Intelligent power module con-5 8 Diagnostic connector
5
venience
F u se pa nel @ (b ro wn) 9 Automatic dipping
interior m ir-5 ror
3 10 Homelink
5
4 Wiper system 11 Control module Gateway 5
5 5
12 Headlight range adjustment 5
6 Horn
25
7 Intelligent power module driver 30
Fuse s and bulb s 311
Right cockpit fuse assignment
Fig . 27 1 Righ t cockp it: f use pane l w ith pla stic clip
No. Con sumer Amps No. Consumer Amps
Fu se pa nel@ (bla ck )
6 Automatic transmission
5/20
1 Heated rear seats
7
Electronic Stabilization Control 5
2 Telephone, cell phone package (ESC)
--Shift gate automatic transmis-
Front seat hating/seat ventila-
8 s 3 30/15
tion (right) sion
Electron ic Stab ilizat ion Control
9 Parking system 5
4 (ESC) 20
10 Airbag s
s
Door control module (right side 15 Heated rear seats
5
of vehicle) 12 Ai r·conditioning 5
6 Rear electrical outlets 25 Fuse panel © (red )
7
Lumbar support passenger's
10 1
Instrument cluste r 10
seat 2 Rearview camera 5
9 Front electrical outlets 25
3 CD player, DVD drive s
10 A/C controls 10
MMI Display 5
11 Coo ler 15
5 Automatic transmission 15
I 12 Intelligent power module pas-
15 Panoramic sliding sunroof seg-
senger 7 ment 1 20
Fu
se p anel@ (b rown ) Panoramic sliding sunroof seg-
Headlight electronic system
8 ment 2 20
1 10
(right side of vehicle) Panoramic sliding sunroof sun-
2 Ride height adjustment 5
9 blind 20
5 Window regulators (right side
1 1 35
4 Audi side assist
5 of vehicle)
5 Electronic Stabili
zation Control
5 12 Rear air-conditioning controls
(ESC)