
66 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
8_ WARNING
-
- The ski sack is intended only for the
transportation of skis and other light ob
jects . To reduce the risk of serious per
sonal injury, never transport heavy or
pointed objects in the ski sack.
- When brak ing rapidly or during an acci
dent, the load could be displaced and
ca use injury to occupants.
- Sharp edges on the load must be covered
for protect ion. Always fasten the belt
t ightly around the sack and its contents
¢ fig. 70.
-For safety reasons, do not transport
more than two pairs of skis in the ski
sack .
- You must sec ure the ski sac k with the
st rap after loading.
- Make su re that all objects you are t rans
porting in the pass-through are secured.
Otherwise they cou ld slide around during
sudden braking maneuvers and cause in
jur ies.
(D Tips
- Never stow the sk i sack away when it is
still wet or damp (for examp le, snow
melting from skis). Allow it to dry com
plete ly before stowing it away.
- When transporting skis or snowboards, tighten the securing strap between the bindings.
- Position skis in the ski sack wit h the
pointed ends facing the front and ski
po les with the pointed ends facing the
rear.
- You can lock or un lock the pass-through
u sing the mechanical key. This prevents
any access to the luggage compartment
from the vehicle interior .
Parcel shelf
The parcel shelf behind the rear seatback can
be used to car ry light items of cloth ing .
8_ WARNING
No heavy or hard objects should be p laced
on the parcel shelf. They are a hazard to
the veh icle occupants during s udden brak
i ng . The is a risk of injury .
(D Note
Please make sure that the heating w ires
for the rear window defogger are not dam
age by abrasive objects .
(D Tips
To ensure problem-free ven tilation , the
vent ilation slots between the rear window
and the pa rcel she lf must not be covered .

86 Transmis sion
illuminates and a driver message ap
pears
¢ page 88 when the clutch is
overloaded.
- 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 park ing brake ap
plied.
(D Note
- 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.
- Allowing 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.
@ Tips
For safety reasons, the park ing brake is re
leased automatically only when the driv
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic/tiptronic
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines.
Hill descent control is activated when these
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmi ssion automatically selects
a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill de
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach ieved at the time of braking, within physical
and technical limitations. It may st ill be nec
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes. Hill descent contro
l switches off once the de
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
¢ page 80, hill descent control is also activat
ed when the speed is set.
A WARNING
--
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain a constant speed under all
conditions. Always be ready to apply the brakes .
Manual shift program
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic/tiptron ic
Using the manual shift program you can
manually select gears.
Fig. 86 Center console: shift ing the gears manually
Fig. 87 Steering whee l: Shift butto ns~
Gear selection with selector lever
L'> N ... "!
"' m a,
N
--N ,;,
gi
The tiptronic mode can be selected either with
the vehicle stationary or on the move.
.,. Push the selector lever to the right from 0/
S. An M appears in the instrument cluster
display as soon as the transmission has
shifted .

Audi adaptive cru ise control and brakin g guar d 97
-If a co llision is imminent, the system will
first provide an
acute wa rnin g by briefly and
sharp ly app lying the brakes .
- If you do not react to the ac ute warning,
braking guard can brake within the limits of
the system. This reduces the vehicle speed
in the event of a coll is ion.
- At speeds under 20 mph (30 km/h), the sys
tem can in it iate a complete decelerat ion
shortly before a collis ion
1>.
- If the braking guard senses that you are not
braking hard enough when a collision is im
minent, it can increase the braking force.
Which function s can be controll ed?
You can switch braking guard and the dis
tance/approach warning on or off in the radio
or MM I
¢ page 9 7, Settings in the radio/
MMI.
A WARNING
Lack of attention can cause col lis ions, oth
er accidents and serious persona l injuries.
The braking guard is an assist system and
cannot prevent a coll is ion by itself. The
driver must always intervene. The d river is
always responsib le for br aking at the cor
rect time .
- Always pay close attention to traffi c,
even when the bra king g uard is switched
on . Be ready to intervene and be ready to
take complete control whenever necessa ry. A lways keep the safe and lega l dis
tance between your vehicle and vehicles
up ahead.
- Braking guard works w ith in limits and
will not respond outs ide the system lim
its, for example when approaching a
stopped vehicle or stationary obstacle
(end of a traff ic jam or vehicle that has
broken down in traffic).
- Always remember that the radar sensor
for the braking guard wo rks only within
defined detection and ra nge limits that
1
> T hi s is not ava ilable in some countries .
may prevent the proper detection of oth
er vehicles .
- The radar sensor's function and range
can be reduced by rain, snow and heavy
spray. Moving ve hicles up ahead may not
be prompt ly detected or may not be de
tected at all.
- Reflective surfaces incl uding crash barri
ers or tunne l entrances may impair the
function of the radar senso r.
(D Tips
- Yo u can cancel the bra king that is in itiat
ed by the system by braking yourself, by
accelerating not iceably or by swerving.
- Braking guard error messages
¢page 98.
- Keep in mind that braking g uard can
brake unexpected ly. Always secure any
cargo or objects that you a re tra nsport
ing to reduce the risk of damage or in
jury .
Settings in the radio/MMI
Applies to veh icles: w it h Audi ada ptive cru ise co ntro l
.,. Sele ct: !CAR ! func tion button> Car sy ste m s*
con trol butto n > Driv er a ssist > Audi brak
ing guard .
Or
.,. Select: !CAR ! function button > Audi braking
gua rd.
Sy stem -
Switch A udi braking guard On an d
Off. When you switch the ignit ion on, the
message
Audi braking guard off appears if
the system is switched off.
Early warning -The distance and approach
warnings in the d isplay can be switched
On/
Off.
(D Tips
- Yo ur settings are au tom atically stored
and assigned to the remote cont ro l key
bein g used at the times the settings are
made.

Homelink
Universal remote
control
Description
Applies to vehicles: with Home link
The HomeLink universal remote control can
be programmed with the remote control for
devices that are already present.
With Home Link, you can control devices such
as the garage door, security systems, house
lights , etc. comfortably from the inside of you
vehicle.
Homelink makes it possible for you to rep lace
three different remote controls from dev ices
in your home with one universal remote. This
feature works for most garage door and exte
rior door motor signals. Programming the in
dividual remote control for your remote con
trol takes place near the center of the radiator
grille. There is a control module attached at
this location .
A one-time programming of the sensor must be performed before you are able to use sys
tems with Homelink. If the system does not activate after performing the one-time pro
gramming, check whether the system uses a rolling coder:!.>
page 118 for vehicles without
the
MMI*.
,& WARNING
-
- Never use the Homelink transmitter
with any garage door opener that does
have not the safety stop and reverse fea
ture as requ ired by federa l safety stand
ards. This includes any garage door open
er model manufactured before April 1,
1982.
-A garage door opener which cannot de
tect an object, signaling the door to stop
and reverse does not meet current feder
al safety standards . Using a garage door
opener without these features increases
risk of serious injury or death.
Homelink 115
- For safety reasons never release the
parking brake or start the engine while
anyone is standing in front of the vehicle .
- A garage door or an estate gate may
sometimes be set in motion when the
Homelink remote control is being pro
grammed. If the device is repeatedly ac
tivated, th is can overstrain motor and
damage its electrical components - an
overheated mo tor is a fire hazard!
- To avoid possib le injuries or property
damage, please always make abso lutely
certa in that no persons or objects are lo
cated in the range of motion of any
equipment being operated.
(0 Tips
- If you would like more information on
Homelink, where to purchase the Home
Link compat ible products, or would like
to purchase the Home Link Home Light
ing Package, please call toll-free :
1-800-355-3515.
-For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula
tions
¢ page 267.
-For security reasons, we recommend that
you clear the programmed buttons be
fore selling the vehicle.
Operation
App lies to vehicles : with Homeli nk
,~
1~
1 r ·O : O ·) 1111 ~
®
Fig.
116 Headl iner: controls
Req uirement: The buttons must be program-
med
¢page 116 or ¢page 117. ..,_

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 119
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,
- side curtain airbags ,
- 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! Vehicle and occu
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
qpage59.
"'Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
"'Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
"'Instruct rear seat passengers to adjust the
head restraints according to their height.
"' Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children
q page 161,
and~~fy. ~
•
•

122 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<=:>
page 161 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat <=:>
page 13 7.
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 63.
"Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
" Fasten and wear safety belts properly
<=:>page 132.
"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!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection .
Proper adjustment of head restraints
-
Applies to vehicles: with adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints 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. 120 Head restraint : v iewed from the front

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

the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already insta l
led floor mats. Additional floor mats and
other coverings will reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the
pedals.
- Always property reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean
ing.
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver footwell wh ile the ve
hicle is moving. Objects can become
t rapped under t he brake pedal and accel
erator peda l causing a loss of veh icle
control.
Stowing Luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com
partment.
F ig. 121 Safe load pos ition ing: place heavy objects as
low and as far forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics. Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
veh icle maneuver or in a collision .
.. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment.
.. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as low
and as far forward as poss ible r::!)
fig. 121.
Dr ivin g Sa fely 125
.. Secure the load with the cargo net* or with
non-elastic straps secured to the tie-downs
r::!) page 64.
.. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly t hro ugh the ve hicle causing ser ious
personal injury in the event of ha rd brak
ing or an accident. To help reduce the risk
of ser ious personal injury:
- Always put obje cts, fo r example, luggage
or other heavy i tems in the luggage com
partment .
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the t ie-down eyelets
and suitable straps .
A WARNING
Heavy loads w ill influence the way yo ur ve
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of contro l leading to serious personal
i njury:
- Always keep in mind w hen transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle handling:
- Alway s distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle We ight Rat
ing or the G ross Vehicle Weight Rating
speci fied on the safe ty comp lian ce stick
er on the left door jamb . Exceeding per
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and hand le different ly .
- Please observe information on safe driv
ing
<::!)page 119.
WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, a lways
keep the rear lid closed w hile driving.