2013 AUDI TT steering wheel

How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area con be re­
duced by fully inflated knee airbags.
Fig. 109 Inflated airbags protecting in a fro ntal coll i­
sio n
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front pas­
senger deploy in certain but not all frontal
collisions .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags
also deploy in frontal collisions when the de­
ployment threshold stored in the control unit
is met .
When the system deploys, the airbags fill
with a propellant gas, and inflate between the
lower part of the instrument panel and the
driver and the lower part of the instrument
panel and the front passenger~
page 117,
fig . 106.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cush ion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower
extremities.
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that
the airbags have deployed . The airbags also
inflate with a great deal of force and it is im­
portant for occupant safety that nothing
should be in their way when they deploy.
Fully inflated airbags in combination with
properly worn safety belts slow down and lim­
it the occupant's forward movement and help
to reduce the risk of injury.
Airbag system 125
Important safety instructions on the
knee airbag system
Airbags ore only supplemental restraints . Al­
ways wear safety belts correctly 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 to provide supplemental protection.
_& WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious injury. Wearing safety belts incorrectly and
improper seating positions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect
you properly if you a re seated too close
to any of the airbag locations. When ad­
justing their seat positions, it is impor­
tant that both the driver and the front
passenger keep their upper bodies and
knees at the following minimum safe
distances:
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instru­
ment panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- The risk of personal injury increases if
you lean forward or to the side, or if the
seat is improperly positioned and you are not wearing your safety belt. The risk in­
creases even more should the airbag de­ ploy.
- Always make sure that the knee airbag
can inflate without interference. Objects
between you and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by inter­
fering with the way the airbag deploys or
by being pushed into you as the airbag
deploys.
- Never let anybody, especially children
or animals ride in the footwell in front

-Always install rear-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat in exceptional circumstances and
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately
install the rear-facing child safety seat in
a rear seating position and have the air­
bag system inspected immediately by
your Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's in­
structions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position .
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays
on all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were
installed in a vehicle during a crash. Dam­
age to a child restraint that is not visible
could cause it to fail in another collision
situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with United
States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
Child Safety 131
(FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your
vehicle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle
has been certified to meet the "low-risk" re­
quirements for 3- and 6-year old children on
the passenger side and small adults on the driver side. The low risk deployment criteria
are intended to reduce the risk of injury
through interaction with the airbag that can
occur, for example, by being too close to the
steering wheel and instrument panel when
the airbag inflates . In addition, the system
has been certified to comply with the "sup­
pression" requirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up
to 12 months who are restrained on the front
passenger seat in child restraints that are list­
ed in the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, espe­ cially those 12 years and younger, should al­
ways ride in the back seat properly restrained
for their age and si ze. The airbag on the pas­
senger side makes the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to ride . The front
seat is not the safest place for a child in a for­
ward-facing child safety seat. It can be a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child
in a rearward-facing seat .
Advanced Airbags and the weight­
sensing mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
detects the presence of an infant or child in a
child restraint on the front passenger seat us­
ing the weight -sensing mat in the seat cush­
ion and the sensor below the safety belt latch
on the front passenger seat that measures the
tension on the safety belt.
The weight -sensing mat measures total
weight of the child and the child safety seat
and a child blanket on the front passenger seat. The weight on the front passenger seat
is related to the design of the child restraint
and its "footprint", the size and shape of the
bottom of the child restraint as it sits on the ..,.
•
•

150 Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers fo r the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event . EDR's are sometimes ca lled "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A lthough your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, eng ine function, em is­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic contro l modules also record
vehicle-re lated data during normal vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited pe riod of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidd ing and loss of vehicle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESC detects certain difficult driving situat
ions, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering assistance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
G) in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It wi ll not always be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of
dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it wou ld on the dry surface . If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered.
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations as at lower
speeds.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to
road , traffi<;: and weather conditions. ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the available tract ion, or keep a vehicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
driver inattention . Instead, ESC improves the
poss ibility of keeping the vehicle under con­
t rol and on the road during extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection . If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti- lock brake system (ABS), brake assist sys-
tem and anti-slip regu lation (ASR). ESC is .,..

overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­
creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­ est Aud i dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop w ith
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your ve hicle, or
because the brake booste r has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerab ly harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Electro-mechanical
power assist
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering.
The degree of power assist is electronically
matched to vehicle speed.
The power steer ing system ass ists the driver
so that he can stee r the veh icle w ith red uced
phys ica l effort.
Power steering w ill not work if the engine is
off. As a result, the steering wheel w ill be hard
to turn.
& WARNING
If the system develops a prob lem, you
must seek qualified professional assis­
tance.
(D Note
-
If there is an electronic malfunct ion, ser­
votronic
wi ll sti ll function like a conven­
tional power steering system, providing a
constant steering support force that is no
longer proportionate to the vehicle speed.
This is most noticeable when turning the
steer ing wheel at low speeds (for example
when parking), -more effort will be re­
quired than usual.
Int ellig ent technolog y 155
-Be aware of the different than usual
steering response and adjust your steer­
ing force accordingly.
- Have the problem checked and set right
by an authorized Audi dea ler as soon as
possible.
- If a steering malfunction occurs, this is
signaled with the,~ , or .• indicator
lights and a warn ing tone, see.
(D Tips
- If the power steering system sho uld fail,
or if the engine is not running (for exam­
ple, while being towed), you will still be
able to steer the vehicle. However, more
effort will be required to do so.
- If the power steering system is not func­
tioning properly, contact your authorized
Audi dealer immediately.
Driving with your
quattro ®
Applies to vehicles : wit h all -w hee l d rive
With oil -wheel drive, oil four wheels ore driv­
en.
General information
With a ll-wheel drive, power is distr ibuted to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depend ing on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time. See also
c::> page 1 SO.
The all-whee l dr ive concept is des igned for
high eng ine power. Your veh icle is except ion­
ally powerfu l and has excellent driving charac­
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precautions
c::> &. .
Winter tires
When dr iving in the winter, your vehicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
all fou r
wheels. See also c::> page 211, Winter tires. ..,_
•
•

-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when d riving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age .
(D Note
Please note that summe r and wi nte r tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic transmission, power steer ing ,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the rat io o f the height to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overa ll handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the part of the t ire t hat is made o f
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead .
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Tire s an d wheel s 197
typica l in those seasons . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
dec rease the e lasticity of summer t ires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer t ires are used i n very co ld tem ­
peratures, cracks ca n form o n the tread
bars , res ulting in perma nen t tire damage
that can cause loud driving noise and un­
bala nced ti re s. Audi i s not respon sible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire p ress ure recommended by t he
vehicle manufacture r fo r a tire o f a des ignated
s ize t hat has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is m easured or adjusted.
Curb weight
me ans the we ight of a motor ve hicle with
st andard equipmen t incl ud ing the max imum
capacity of fuel, oi l, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weig ht of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire designed to operate a t higher
loads and at higher inflat ion p ress ures than
the corresponding standar d tire. Extra load
ti res may be ident ified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
me ans the lo ad-ca rry ing capa city of a si ngle
axle system, measured a t the tire -ground in­
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
the ve hicl e. .,.. •
•

206 Tires and wheels
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balancing, correct tire pressure and driv­
ing style.
Fig. 144 Tire tread: tre ad wea r ind icators (TWI)
l --------- ---
Fig. 145 Rotating t ires for more ev en wea r
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The original tires on your vehicle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear indicators"
c::> fig . 144 running across the tread. Depend­
i ng on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly p laced around the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewa ll (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear ind icators . Worn t ires must be replaced .
Different figures may apply in other countries
c::> & .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear
and can cause sudden t ire blow-out. For th is
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c::> page 202 .
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration
and hard braking increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remember the follow­
ing :
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
vehicle service interva ls outlined in your
Warranty
& Maintenance Booklet.
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested
tire rotation intervals .
- Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience
more tread wear on the front wheels com­
pa red to all-wheel drive (quattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
c::> fig. 145.
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
c::> page 22 7 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced.
However, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, re sulting in vibrat ions you can usually
feel through the steer ing wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wear on steering, suspension
and tires. A whee l must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause exces ­
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the veh i­
cle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment checked by an authori zed
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop.
all-wheel drive
Vehicles with quattro ® mus t always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type .
For details see
c::> page 155. ..,.

218 Tires and wheels
When it is not possible to continue
driving , even with run-flat tires?
-If the E lectronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
is not working or keeps coming on.
- If the
Tire Pr essure Monitoring System does
not work .
- If the tire has been severely damaged, in a
crash , for example. The tread can separate
from a damaged tire as the wheel turns, and
hit parts of the vehicle, such as the fuel tank
filler neck , fuel lines or brake lines.
- Do not continue driving if severe vibration occurs or if the tire starts to smoke because
the tire is running hot.
- Do not continue driving if damage to the
tire, such as cracks in the sidewall, appears.
A WARNING
Improper use of run-flat tires can cause
vehicle damage that can lead to loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash and serious personal
lnJUry.
- Run-flat tires can only be used with spe­
cial rims.
- Run-flat tires must always be mon itored
with a properly programmed Tire Pre­
ssu re Monit oring Sys tem.
- Always inspect a tire that has lost air to
make sure it is safe to drive with the tir e
in the run-flat mode.
- Never drive with run-flat tires that have
been damaged in a collision.
- Never drive with run-flat tires if heat
build-up causes the tire to give off
smoke.
- Never drive with run-flat tires if the vehi­
cle shakes or vibrates severely.
- Never drive with a run-flat tire that de­
velops sidewall cracks or other damage
wh ile in use .
-If you switch between standard and run­
flat tires, an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop must reprogram the
control module.
(D Note
Run-flat tires have specia l characteristics
and requirements, that are very different
from conventional tires. Run-flat tires re­
quire special rims for run-flat use and can­
not be used on conventional wheel rims.
(D Tips
- If you are not able to cont inue driv ing
w ith run-flat tires, please seek professio­
nal assistance.
- Please contact your authorized Audi
dealer or Audi of America, Inc. if you
have questions about tires and rims .
Driving with run-flat tires
Applies to vehicles: wit h Run -flat tires
Handling characteristics change when tire
pressure is low .
Driving on tires with low tire pressure changes
the way a veh icle handles, particularly when
cornering and braking. The handling charac­
teristics of run-flat tires do not seem to
change a lot even when driving on low pres­
sure or in the run-flat mode . Nevertheless you
must still take spec ia l precautions when oper­
at ing a vehicle on run-flat tires when tire pres­
sure is low o r the tire(s) is flat:
.,. Th e Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
must be switched on.
.,. Never drive faster than SO mph (80 km/h)
q &_ .
.,. Plan ahead when driving and anticipate
what you will have to do considering traffic
and road conditions up ahead .
.,. Accelerate carefully.
.,. Avo id unnecessary and sudden steering and
brak ing maneuvers .
.,. Reduce your speed in plenty of time before
intersections, curves and other places where
you may have to react qu ickly.
Please see:
qpage 218, When it is not possi­
ble to continue driving, even with run-flat
tires?

A
A/C operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Acoust ic park assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Adapt ive light .. ........... .. .. .. .... 43
defect ive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Adding Eng ine coolant .............. .... . .
E ng ine oi l .. ............. .... .. .. .
W indshield washer fl uid ... .. .. .. .. .
Addit ional accessories .... .. .. .. .. .. .
Additives Engine oil .. .... .. .... ... .. .. .. .. . 188
185
194
245
185
Ad justab le steer ing colum n .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 1
Adjusting front seats ....... .. .. .. .. .. 54
Ad justing steering co lumn ... .. .. .. .. .. 71
Ad just ing the seats ............. ... ... 55
Advanced Airbag System Chi ldren . .. ............. .... .. .. .
Components ............. .... .. .. .
Front airbags ............... ... .. .
H ow the components work together ..
Mo nitor ing . .. ........... .. .. .. .. . 131
115
113
116
1 19
Weight-sens ing mat ...... .. .. .. .. . 13 1
Airbag War ning/ indicator lights . ...... ... ... 15
Ai rbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108, 127
Care . .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. ... 122
C hi ld restra ints ........... .... .. .. . 132
Components (front airbags) . . . . . . . . . 115
Danger of fitting a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
D isposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Fr ont airbag s ............ .... .. .. .
H ow do the front a irbags wo rk? . .. .. .
H ow many airbags does my vehi cle
have? ... .. .. .. ... . .... ... .. .. .. .
Important safety instructions on the knee airbag system ....... .. .. .. .. .
Important things to know .. .. .. .. .. .
Indicator light .. ...... ... .... .. .. . 1
12
1 17
115 125
108 119
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Mo nitor ing .... ........... ... ... .. 119
P ASSENG ER AIR BAG OFF light .. .. .. . 119
Repa irs .. .. ............. .... .. .. .
Side airbags .. ........... .. .. .. .. .
When must the system be inspected? . 12
2
126 1 19
Inde x 247
All- wheel drive . ..... . .. .. ..... ... . .
Winter tires ... .... . ... ...... ... . .
Alloy w heels .. .. .. ................ .
Alternator lSS
211 169
refer to Generator .. . ... .... ... .. .. . 16
Anti-freeze
refer to Engine cooling system ... .. .. 187
A nti- lock b rake system
W arning/ind icator lights ........ .. .. . 18
Anti -lock braking system ............. 150
Anti-slip reg ulation
150
Ant i-theft systems
An ti- theft a la rm system ........ .. .. . 38
El ectronic immob ilizer .......... .... . 33
Ashtray .......... .. ..... ........... 62
Aste risk
What does it mean when something is marked w it h an aster isk? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
A udi magnet ic r ide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1, 78
Desc ription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Indicator light ..... . ... ...... ... .. . 21
Audi Se rv ice Repair Manuals and Litera-
tu re ..... .. .. .. .. .... . · · · · · · · · · · · ·
Automat ic be lt retractor .. ...... .... .
Automatic car wash
refer to Washing ... . ... .... ... .. . . 243
104
165
Automa tic transm iss ion . ......... .... . 80
D rivi ng No tes .. .. ............... .. . 82
Emergency prog ram . .. ..... ... .. .. . 85
Emergency re lease . .. .. ..... ... .. .. . 86
Ignit ion key safety lock . ..... ... .. .. . 72
K ick-down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Launch Control Program .......... .. .
8S
Se lector lever lock ... ... .... ... .. .. . 81
Se lector lever positions
80
Tiptronic .. .. .. .... ... ....... ...... 84
T iptronic controls on the stee ring wheel 84
Auto Safety Hotline ................. . 98
Ave rage fuel mileage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Avoid damaging the vehicle .... ... .. .. 160
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190, 193
Charg ing . ... .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 193
Checking battery acid level ........ .. 193
•
•