
102 Audi side assist
-Improper reliance on the side assist sys
tem can cause collisions and serious
personal injury:
- Never rely only on side assist when
changing lanes.
- Always check rear view mirrors to make
sure that it is safe to change lanes.
- Side assist cannot detect all vehicles un
der all conditions- danger of accident!
- Please note that side assist indicates
there are approaching vehicles, or
vehicles in your blind spot, only after
your vehicle has reached a driving speed
of at least 19 mph (30 km/h).
- In certain situations, the system may not
function or its function may be limited.
For example:
- if vehicles are approaching or being left
behind very quickly . The display may
not turn on in time.
- in poor weather conditions such as
heavy rain, snow or heavy mist .
- on very wide lanes, in tight curves or if
there is a rise in the road surface.
Vehicles in the adjacent lane may not
be detected because they are outside
of the sensor range.
(D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. This can affect the system.
Have your authorized Audi dealer or au
thorized Audi Service Facility check their
function.
@ Tips
- If the window glass in the driver's door
or front passenger's door has been tint
ed, the display in the exterior mirror may
be misinterpreted.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula
tions¢
page 267.
Activating and deactivating
A pp lies to vehic les : wi th Audi s ide ass ist
Fig. 105 D river's door: Side ass ist butto n
.. Press the button c> A in General informa
tion on page 101
to switch the system on/
off. The LED in the button turns on when
side assist is switched on .
Adjusting the display brightness
Applies to vehicles: wit h Audi side ass ist
The signal brightness con be set in the radio
or MM!*.
.. Select: I CAR I function button > Audi side as
sist.
.. Select: !CARI function button> Car systems*
control button > Driver assist> Audi side
assist .
The display brightness adjusts automatically
to the brightness of the surroundings, both in
the information and in the warning stage . In
very dark or very bright surroundings, the dis play is already set to the minimum or maxi
mum level by the automatic adjustment. In
such cases, you may notice no change when
adjusting the brightness, or the change may
only be noticeable once the surroundings
change.
Adjust the brightness to a level where the dis
play in the information stage will not disrupt
your view forward. If you change the bright
ness, the display in the exterior mirror will
briefly show the brightness level in the infor
mation stage. The brightness of the warning
stage is linked to the brightness in the infor
mation stage and is adjusted along with the
information stage adjustment.

@ Tips
-Side assist is not active whi le you are
making the adjustment.
- Your settings are automatica lly stored
and assigned to the remote control key
being used.
Driver messages
Applies to vehicles: with Audi side assist
If s ide ass ist switches off by itself, the LED in
the button turns off and a message will ap
pear in the instrument cluster display:
Audi side assist unavailable: Sensors blocked
The radar sensors' vision is affected. Do not
cover the area in front of the sensors with bike
wheels, stickers, dirt or other objects. Clean
the area in front of the sensors, if necessary
c;.page 101, fig. 104.
Audi side assist: Currently unavailable
Side assist cannot be switched on temporarily
because there is a malfunc tion (for example,
the battery charge leve l may be too low) .
Audi side assist: System fault!
The system cannot guara ntee that it will de
tect veh icles correctly and it is switched off .
The sensors have been displaced or are faulty.
H ave the system checked by an authorized
Aud i dealer or authorized Aud i Service Facility
soon.
Audi side assist: Unavailable when towing
Side assist sw itches off automatically when a
factory- insta lled trailer h itch is connected to
the electrical connector on the trailer. There is
no guarantee the system will switch off when
usi ng a retrofitted trailer hitch. Do not use
side assist when towing a trailer .
Audi side assist 103

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 .,.
•
•

136 Safety belts
prevent it from working correctly in a
collision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system will not be impaired and that dis
carded components do not cause injury or pol
lute the environment .
.&_ WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce
dures can increase the risk of personal in
jury and death by preventing a safety belt
pretensioner from activating when needed
or activating it unexpectedly:
- The belt pretensioner system can be acti
vated only once . If belt pretensioners
have been activated , the system must be
replaced.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the safety belt system.
- Safety belt systems including safety belt
pretensioners cannot be repaired. Spe
cial procedures are required for removal ,
in5tallation and di5po5al of thi5 5y5tem.
-For any work on the safety belt system,
we strongly recommend that you see
your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
technician who has an Audi approved re pair manual, training and special equip
ment necessary.
@) For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material - special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca .gov/haza rdouswaste/per
chlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the restraint system including airbag modules
safety belts with pretensioners are scrap
ped, all applicable laws and regulations
must be observed . Your authorized Audi
dealer is familiar with these requirements
and we recommend that you have your
dealer perform this service for you .

-Never attach any objects such as cu
pholders or telephone mountings to the
surfaces covering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one
moistened with plain water. Solvents or
cleaners could damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness or strength of the
material so that the airbag cannot de
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system.
-All work on the steering wheel, instru
ment panel, front seats or electrical sys
tem (including the installation of audio
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc.) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training
and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work
shop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts
of the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replace
ment upholstery over the front seat backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air
bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer.
- The airbag system can be activated only
once. After an airbag has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified technician who has
the technical information, training and
special equipment necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once. After an airbag has been deployed,
it must be replaced with new replace-
Airbag system 151
ment parts designed and approved espe
cially for your Audi model version. Re placement of complete airbag systems
or airbag components must be per
formed by qualified workshops only. Make sure that any airbag service action
is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Main
tenance booklet under
AIRBAG REPLACE
MENT RECORD.
- In accidents when an airbag is deployed,
the vehicle battery separates the alterna
tor and the starter from the vehicle elec
trical system for safety reasons with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit inter
rupter must only be performed by a
qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter
is scrapped, all applicable safety pre
cautions must be followed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per-
ch lorate. When the vehicle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
safety belts with pretensioners are scrap
ped , all applicable laws and regulations
must be observed. Your authorized Audi
dealer is familiar with these requirements
and we recommend that you have your
dealer perform this service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys
tem performs in a crash. For example, using
tire-rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the springs, suspen
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag
sensors and sent to the electronic control
unit. Some suspension changes can, for
•
•

190 Driving and en vironm ent
- Have your vehicle main tained properly
and in accordance with the service rec
ommendations in your Warranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair
the function of the emission control
system and cou ld lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Contro l System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used.
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w it h lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Shutting down vehicle
If you wou ld like your veh icle to remain inop
e rat ive for a longer period of time, con tact an
Aud i or other specialized dealer. They can ad
vise you on necessary precautions e .g. corro
sion prevention, maintenance and storage. Pay attention to add itiona l information con
cerning the battery. Refer to
c:> page 217.
Operate your vehicle
economically and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex
haust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and t ires largely
depend on three factors:
- yo ur persona l dr iving style
- operating conditions
- tec hnic al lim itations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
d rive economically, you can eas ily cut your
f u el cons umption by 10 -15 pe rcen t. T his sec- t
ion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the environment and your pocketbook .
(D Tips
The cons umption estima tes as published
by ENVIRONME NTAL PROTEC TION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will va ry depending upon vehi
cle load and speed, road and weather con
dit ions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac
celerating .
.. Avo id u nnecessary accelerating and brak ing.
Vehicles use the most fue l when they are ac
ce lerat ing. If you ant icipate what is going to
happen next, you wi ll need to brake less and,
t h us, acce lerate less . Let the veh icle coast
whenever possible -for example when you see
that the next t raff ic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
.. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Acce lerat ing gently red uces fue l cons ump
t ion, eng ine wear, and does not disturb the
environment .
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en
gine noise increase disproportionate ly at h igh
speeds. If you drive at approximately three quarters of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weathe r con
ditions pe rm it.

Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
11-Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
11-Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut
off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at rail road cross ings, or at traffic lights that have
long wa its on red. Turning the engine
off for
just 30-40 seconds saves more fue l than is
burned s tarting the eng ine again.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . However, wear
and nox ious em issions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which cou ld result in over
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel .
11-Have your vehicle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regular ly serviced by an
authorized Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ab ility to hold its value, it also affects fuel
co nsumpt ion .
Ch eck you r oil each time you fill you r ta nk .
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 191
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It i s normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(S,000 kilometers) before yo u can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
Th is also app lies to fue l consumption and en
gine output.
(D Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec
ommendations in your Wa rranty
& Ma in
t enance book let. Lack of p roper mainte
nance as well as improper use of the ve
hicle will impair the function of the
emission cont ro l system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat shie lds, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle compo
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
11-Try to avoid driving short distances w ith a
cold engine.
T he engine and cata lytic converter have to
reach their optimal opera ting temp era ture to
reduce fuel consumpt ion and noxious em is
s ions effectively .
Just after starting, a co ld engine in a mid-size
car on ly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les
per gallon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km). After about
2 .5 miles (4 km), liJI,
•
•

202 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
especially well for winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stations where the sea
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time.
CD Note
- Fuels containing a high percentage of
ethanol such as ESO and E85 may only be used in vehicles with flexible fuel en
gines. Using high ethanol fuel in vehicles not equipped with flexible fuel engines
can cause severe engine damage.
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo nents in the fuel system.
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the
specified criteria in this chapter .
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fuel blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the
Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob
lems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Ethanol fuel (Bio -ethanol)
App lies to vehicles: with flexible fuel e ngi ne
You con recognize vehicles with a flexible fuel
engine by looking at the label on the inside of the fuel filler flap.
Vehicles with flexible fuel engines may be op
erated with bio-ethanol fuels such as E85 (8S% ethanol and
15% gasoline) or with un
leaded gasoline (91 AKI/ROZ 95). The vehicle
may also be operated with a mixture of these
fuels.
Your fuel consumption will increase when us
ing bio-ethanol fuels due to the lower amount
of energy contained per unit volume in etha
nol.
Warming up the flexible fuel engine in low temperatures
Due to the chemical composition of bio-etha
nol, a certain amount of fuel ends up in the
engine oil when driving short distances in very
low temperatures . This fuel evaporates again
when the engine is warmed up.
II Please warm up engine.
If the driver message appears in the instru
ment cluster display, drive with a warm en
gine to reduce the oil level.
CD Note
- Never fill with methanol or with a higher
percentage of bio-ethanol than 85%
(E85). A higher percentage of bio-etha
nol in the fuel can cause damage to the
engine or to the fuel system.
- If you use only E85, it is recommended
to fill the fuel tank completely with un
leaded premium grade gasoline every
5,000 miles.
- If you experience starting, rough idle or
hesitation driveability problems, fill the
fuel tank completely with unleaded pre mium grade gasoline and drive it nor
mally until the gasoline is used. See your
authorized Audi dealer if the problem
persists.
- Inform your authorized Audi dealer that
you are operating or have operated the
vehicle with E85.
- Read and follow the information and tips
about gasoline
c::> page 201. .,.