2014 AUDI A5 COUPE airbag

On the road
Steering
Manually adjustable steering wheel
The steering wheel position is fully adjustable
up and down and forward and back .
Fig. 73 Lever under the stee ring column
First, adjust the driver's seat correctly.
• Pull the lever
c> fig . 73 c> ,& .
• Move the steering wheel to the desired posi­
t ion.
• Push the lever against the steering column
until it locks.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween your chest and the center of the stee~
ing wheel.
If you cannot sit more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steering wheel.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c> page 54.
& WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury.
- Adjust the steering wheel column only
when the vehicle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of vehicle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that there is a minimum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel
c> page 120 , fig . 119. If
you cannot maintain this minimum dis-
On the road 71
tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you properly.
- If physical limitations prevent you from
sitting 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
the steering wheel, check with your au­
thorized Audi dealer to see if adaptive equipment is available .
- If the steering wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplemental driver's airbag
cannot provide as much protection in an
accident . Always make sure that the
steer ing whee l is aligned with your
chest .
- Always hold the steering whee l w ith your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of persona l injury
if the driver's airbag dep loys .
- Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands inside
the steeri ng wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel
the wrong way can cause serious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv­
er's airbag deploys.
Ignition lock
Starting engine with the key
Applies to veh icles : w it h ig ni tio n lock
The ignition is switched on and the engine
started with the ignition key .
Fig. 74 Igni tion key
Starting the engine
• Insert the key into the ignition lock .
• Manual transmission: Fully depress the
clutch pedal and move the shift lever to the
neutral position .

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. ~
•
•

120 Driving Safel y
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
yo ur passengers do the same¢
page 53,
Seats and storage.
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passenge rs to fasten their
safety belts properly¢
page 129 .
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 road
without being distracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the
vehicle and all of its occupants . If your ability
to drive is impa ired, safety r isks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
9 .&,.
Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passen­
gers or by us ing a cellular telephone.
• NEV ER dr ive when your dr iv in g 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 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
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 119 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. 119. 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 adjustab le 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 132.

~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
F or de tai led information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c:;, page 54.
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 on 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
12 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 properly 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 121
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 137 .
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 inches (25 cm) between the breastbone
and the ins trument panel
c:;, &, .
~ Adjust the a ngle of the seatbac k so that it is
in an upr igh t position and yo ur back comes
in full contact wit h it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
~ Applies to vehicles with adjustab le head re­
stra ints: 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 132.
Fo r detailed information on how to adj ust the
fron t passenger's seat, see
c:;, page 53.
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers w ho are unbelted,
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:
•
•

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>

with the vehicle interior has all the energy
they had just before the crash.
Never rely on air bags a lone for protec tion.
E ven when they deploy, airbags provide only
additional protection . Ai rbags are not sup­
posed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Al­
though your Audi is equipped with a irbags, all
veh icle occupants, including the driver , must
wear safety belts correctly in order to min i­
mize t he risk of severe injury or death in a
crash .
Remember too, that airbags wi ll deploy on ly
once and that your safety belts are always
there to offer protection in those accidents in
which airbags are not supposed to deploy or
when they have a lready deployed . U nbelted
occupants ca n also be thrown out of the vehi ­
cle whe re even mo re severe o r fa tal in ju ries
can occur .
It is also impo rtant fo r the rear passenge rs to
wear safety belts co rrec tly. Unbe lted passen­
ge rs i n the rea r seats endanger no t on ly them­
se lves bu t also the driver a nd o ther passen­
gers
¢ fig. 126 . In a frontal collision they will
be thrown forward vio lent ly, where they can
h it and injure the dr iver and/or front seat pas­
senger .
Safety belts protect
People think it 's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision. It 's simply
not true!
F ig . 127 D river is correctly restra ined in a sud den bral<·
ing maneuve r
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif­
ference . Safety be lts he lp to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
Safety belts 131
applied to the body in an accident, and he lp
prevent the uncontrolled movement that can
ca use serio us injuries . In addition, safety be lts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle.
Safety be lts attach passengers to the car and
give t hem the benefit of being s lowed down
more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety
features enginee red into today's vehicles. By
"absorbing" t he kinetic energy over a longer
per iod of t ime, the safety be lts make the
fo rces on the body more "tolerable" and less
li kely to ca use inju ry.
Althoug h these examples a re based o n a fron­
ta l co llision, safety belts can a lso substantia l­
l y red uce the risk of in jur y in other kinds of
cr ashes. So, whethe r you're on a long trip o r
just going to the co rner store, a lways buckle
u p and make sure others do, too . Accident sta ­
tistics show that vehicle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of be ing
i njured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident. Properly using safety belts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen ­
ta l airbags to do the ir job in a collision . Fo r
th is reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in mos t coun tries including much of
t he United States and Canada.
Althoug h your Aud i is equipped wi th a irbags,
you st ill have to wear the safety be lts p rov id­
ed . Front airbags, fo r example, a re activa ted
o nly in some frontal collisions. The fron t air­
bags are not act ivated in a ll fron tal coll isions,
in s ide and rear co llisions, in roll ove rs or in
cases where t here is not eno ugh deceleration
through impact to the front of the veh icle.
The same goes for the other a irbag systems in
your Audi . So, always wear your safety belt
and make su re everybody in your veh icle is
properly restrai ned!

Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause
severe injuries .
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause se­
rious injury or death. Safety belts can only
work when they are correctly positioned on the body . Improper seating positions reduce
the effectiveness of safety belts and will even increase the risk of injury and death by mov­
ing the safety belt to critical areas of the
body . Improper seating positions also in­
crease the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occu­
pant who is not in the correct seating posi­
tion . A driver is responsible for the safety of
all vehicle occupants and especially for chil­
dren . Therefore:
... Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect
sitting position in the vehicle while traveling
¢ ,& .
A WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­
pants are correctly restrained and stay in
a correct seating posit ion whenever the
vehicle is be ing used.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
c:>page 132.
Safety belt preten­
sioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear-end collisions above a
particular severity, safety belts are tensioned
automatically.
The safety belts are equipped with safety belt
pretensioners . The system is activated by sen­
sors in front, side and rear-end collisions of
great severity. This tightens the belt and takes
up be lt slack
c:> .&. in Service and disposal of
Safety belts 13 5
safety belt pretensioner on page 136. Taking
up the slack he lps to reduce forward occupant
movement during a collision.
Q) Note
Never let the belt remain over a rear seat­
back that has been fo lded forward.
(D Tips
The safety belt pretensioner can only be
activated once.
- In minor frontal and side collisions, in
rear-end collisions, in a rollover and in
accidents involving very little impact
force, the safety be lt pretensioner are
not activated.
- In the case of a side crash, the safety
belt pretensioners will activate on the
driver's or front passenger's sides only,
depending on which side of the vehicle
the crash occurs.
- When the safety belt pretensioners are
activated, a fine dust is released. This is
normal and is not caused
by a fire in the
vehicle.
- The relevant safety requirements must
be observed when the vehicle or compo­
nents of the system are scrapped. An au­
thorized Aud i dealer or qualified work­
shop is familiar w ith these regu lations
and will be pleased to pass on the infor­
mation to you.
- Be sure to observe all safety, env iron­
menta l and other regu lations if the vehi­
cle or individual parts of the system, par­
ticularly the safety belt or airbag, are to
be disposed. We recommend you have
your authorized Audi dealer perform this
service for you.
Service and disposal of safety belt
pretensioner
The safety belt pretens ioners are parts of the
safety belts on your Aud i. Insta lling, remov­
ing, servicing or repair ing of be lt pretension-
ers can damage the safety belt system and .,.
•
•