88 Transmission
order to adjust the gears to the driving condi
tions by hand
¢page 89.
On slopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position.
This prevents too much stress from being placed on the locking mechanism.
Vehicles with multitronic transmission : Your
vehicle is equipped with
hill hold assist allow
ing you to start while on an incline. The sys
tem is activated when the brake pedal is pressed down and held
for a few seconds. The
br ake pre ssure will hold for
a moment after
the brake pedal loosens to preven t the vehicle
from rolling backwards while starting up.
A WARNING
- The vehicle can also roll when the engine
is stopped .
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause serious injury .
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear . If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running,
activate the parking brake and move the
selector lever to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector
lever is in D/S or R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position
while the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never shift into R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep slope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill . Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re
duces braking performance, increases
braking distance or causes complete fail
ure of the brake system. -
To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it
in place with the brake pedal or parking
brake .
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch. The clutch opens auto
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload . An indicator lamp
mJ illu
minates and a driver message appears
¢ page 91 when the clutch is overload
ed.
- 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 set
¢ page 206. Otherwise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo
tion, even with the parking brake ap
plied .
(D Note
-S tronic- and tiptronic transmission :
When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing the accelerator pedal while a driving gear
is selected . This can cause the transmis
sion to overheat and can damage it. Acti
vate the parking brake or press the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling .
- S tronic- and tiptronic transmission : Al
lowing the vehicle to roll when the en
gine is stopped and the selector lever is
in N will damage the transmission be
cause it is not lubricated under those cir
cumstances.
(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.
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, airbags, child restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this section - for your own
safety as well as that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the
features described in this sections 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
structions and heed the WARNINGS in
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the interest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important infor
mation will always be available to the
driver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find it easily if you have
questions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations .
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an
Driving Safely 121
accident. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi :
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- belt force limiters for the front seats,
- belt pretensioners for the seats,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- special LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features, can work to
gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor
rectly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehide and occv
pant safety always depends on the informed
and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passen
gers,
before driving always:
"'Make sure that all lights and signals are op
erating correctly .
"'Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
"'Make sure that all windows are clean and af
ford good visibility to the outside.
"'Secure all luggage and other items carefully
c::>page 65.
"'Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
"'Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
"' Instruct passengers to adjust the head re
straints according to their height .
"'Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children
c::, page 161,
Child Safety.
"'Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
c::, page 60,
Seats and storage.
ll>
•
•
122 Driving Safel y
• Fasten your safety be lt and wear it properly .
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts proper ly ¢
pag e 132.
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 rood
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 risks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road ¢
.&,.
Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passen
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEVER drive when your dr iving 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.
A WARNING , .
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when
ever a vehicle is being used.
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 132 Correc t seat ing posit 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
following position:
• Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
while 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 with it when you drive.
• Adj ust the steering wheel so that there is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be
tween the steering wheel and your breast
bone ¢
fig. 132. If not possible, see your au
thorized Audi dealer about adaptive equip ment.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
• Grasp the top of the steer ing wheel with
your elbow(s) slightly bent.
• Applies to veh icles w ith 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 that is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this posit ion as possible.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 135.
~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times .
F or detai led information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c:;, page 61.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be ser iously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury :
- Always adjust the dr iver'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 o n the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posit ions to he lp red uce the risk of pe r
sonal in jury if the drive r's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steer ing whee l at the
1 2 o'clock posit ion or w it h your hands at
other pos it ions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the stee ring wheel h ub. Hold
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head i f the driver 's airbag de
ploys.
- Pointing the steering whee l toward your
face decreases the ab ility o f the supp le
menta l dr iver's airbag to protect you in a
co llision.
- Always s it in an upright position and nev
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the a rea where the air
bags are located.
- Before driv ing, a lways ad just the front
seats and head restra ints prope rly and
make s ure that all passengers are prop
er ly 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 recl ined o r
t il ted far ba ck! T he farther the ba ck rests
are t ilted back, the greate r the ris k of in-
Dr iving S afel y 123
jury due to incorrect pos itioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi
tion.
- Ch ildren must a lways ride in ch ild safety
seats
c:;, page 161. Special precaut ions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat
c:;, page 140.
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 m inimum of
1 0 i nches (25 cm) between the breastbone
and the ins trument panel
c:;, &, .
~ Adjust t he a ngle of the seatbac k so that it is
in an upr igh t position and yo ur ba ck comes
in full contact wit h it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
~ Applies to vehicles with adjustab le head re
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the up
per edge is as even as possible wit h the top
of your head. If that is not possib le, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this pos it ion as poss ible.
~ Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
t he fron t passenger seat .
~ Fasten and we ar safe ty be lts cor re ctly
c:;, page 135.
For detailed information on how to adj ust the
fron t passenger's seat, see
c:;, page 60.
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers w ho are un belted,
out of posi tion or too close to the airbag
can be ser iously injured or killed by the air
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
•
•
124 Driving Safely
-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
c::> page 161 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat<=:>
page 140.
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 -sengers on the
rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
" Make sure that the seatback is securely
latched in the upright position <=:>
page 67.
"Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
" Fasten and wear safety belts properly
<=:>
page 135 .
"Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro
priate for their size and age ¢
page 161.
,&. 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!
Proper adjustment of head restraints
-
App lies to vehicles: with adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restrain ts are an im
portant part of your vehicle 's occupant re
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations .
Fig. 133 Head restra int: v iewed from the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust
ed to achieve the best protection.
... Adjus t the head restrai nts so the upper edge
is as even as possib le with the top of yo ur
head. If that is not possib le, try to ad just
the head restraint so that it is as close to
th is position as possible
c> fig. 133 .
Adjusting head rest raints c> page 63.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re
straints . Driving without head restraints or
w ith head restraints that are not properly
adjusted increases the risk of ser ious or fa
tal neck injury dramat ically. To help reduce
the risk of in ju ry:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and proper ly adjusted.
- Every person in the veh icle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int.
-Always make sure each person in the ve hicle properly adjusts the ir head re
straint. Adjust the head restraints so the
upper edge is as even as possible w ith
the top of your head .
If that is not possi
ble, try to adjus t the head restra int so
that it is as close to this position as pos
sible.
- Never a ttempt to adju st head re st rain t
wh ile driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the dr iver head rest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safe ly be
fore attempting to adjust the head re straint.
- Children must always be properly re
strained in a ch ild restraint that is appro
pr iate for their age and size <=>
page 161.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
I mp roper seating positions can ca use serio us
in ju ry or death. Safety belts can on ly work
when they are properly posit ioned on the
Dr iving S afel y 125
body. Improper seating positions re duce the
effectiveness of safety belts and wi ll even in
crease the r is k of i njury and death by moving
the safety belt to crit ica l areas of the body.
Improper seating positions a lso increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an a ir
bag deploys and str ikes an occupant w ho is
not in the p roper seating posit ion. A dr iver is
responsible fo r the safety of all veh icle occu
pan ts and espec ially for children. The refore :
... Never allow anyone to assume a n incor rect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used <=>,& .
The following bulletins list on ly some sample
pos itions that will increase the risk of serious
i njury and death. Ou r hope is that these e xam
ples will ma ke yo u mo re aware o f seati ng po
s itions tha t are d angerous.
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- neve r stand up in the vehicle
- neve r stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride w it h the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cush ion or
back of the seat
- neve r ride in the footwell
- neve r ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
--=
Imp ro p er seating posit ions increase the
risk of serious persona l injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Always make su re that all vehicle occu-
pants stay in a proper seating position
and are properly restrained whenever the
veh icle is being used.
-
•
•
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>-
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 instructions 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.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically
im paired perso ns m ust also use safety
belts. 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 deat h.
- Never 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 .
F ig. 139 Safety belt warni ng lig ht in the instrument
cluster -en larged
Before driv ing off, always :
.. Fasten yo ur safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly .
.. Make sure that your passengers also buck le
up and properly wear their safety be lts.
.. Protect your children wit h a child restraint
system approp riate fo r the size and age of
t he children.
The . war ning light i n the instrument clus
ter lights up when the ig nition is switched on
as a rem inder to fasten the safety belts. In ad
dition, you will hear a warning tone fo r a cer
ta in pe riod of time.
Fasten your safety belt now and make sure
that your pa ssenger s also prope rly put on
their safety belts.