86 On the road
Emerge ncy b rake function
An emergency brake ensures t hat the vehicle
can be slowed down even if the normal brakes
fail
c::> page 87, Emergency broking.
Indicat or light s
-If the par king b rake is closed w ith the igni
t ion
s witc hed on the . (USA mode ls) /
• (Canada models) indica tor lights come
on in the instrument cluster and the switch .
-If the parking brake is closed w ith the igni
tion
s witc hed off the . (USA mode ls) /
• (Canada models) indicator lights come
on in the instrument cluster and the switch
for about 20 seconds .
A WARNING
If a gear or a drive range (automat ic trans
m ission) is engaged with the vehicle sta
tionary and the engine runn ing, you must
in no instance accelerate o r release the
cl utch * careless ly. Otherw ise the vehicle
w ill sta rt to move immediately- r isk of an
accident .
@ Note
If the . symbol in the display or the.
(USA models) . (Canada models) indica
tor light i n the instrument cluster flashes,
t here is a mal function i n the brake system.
By pressing the
ISETI button, you can bring
up a driver message which explains the malfunct ion in more detai l. If the driver
message
Parking b rake! appears, there is
an operating malfunction in the park ing
brake wh ich you shou ld have repa ired im
mediately by an author ized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop c::>poge 15.
(D Tips
-You can apply the parking brake at any
time -even w ith the ignition switched
off . The ignit ion must be turned on and
the b rake peda l must be pressed in o rder
to release the pa rking brake . - Occasional noises when the parking
brake is applied and released are normal
and are not a cause for concern.
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking
brake goes through a self-test cycle at
regu lar interva ls. Any associated noises
are normal.
Parking
.. Press the brake pedal to stop the veh icle .
.. Pull the sw itch @
c::> page 85, fig . 98 to set
the parking brake .
.,. Automatic transmission: Move the selecto r
lever to P.
.. Turn the engine off
c::> ,&. .
.. Manual transmission: Shift into 1st gear.
.. When on inclines o r declines, turn the steer
ing wheel so that the vehicle will roll into
the curb if it begins to move.
A WARNING ...__
- When you leave your vehicle -even if on
ly br iefly -always remove the ignition
key . Th is app lies pa rticularly whe n chi l
d ren remai n in the vehicle. Otherwise the
children could st art the eng ine , release
the par king brake or operate electrical
equ ipment (e.g. power windows). The re
is the risk of an accident.
- When the veh icle is locked, no one -par
ticularly not children should remain in
the vehicle. Locked doors make it more
d ifficult for emergency workers to get in
to the vehicle -putting lives at risk.
Starting from rest
The starting assist function ensures that the
parking broke is released automatically upon
starting.
Stopping and applying par king brake
.. Pull the switch @¢ page 85, fig. 98 to ap-
ply the parking brake .
Ill>
-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.
(D 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 278.
Audi side assist 111
Activating and deactivating
App lies to vehicles : wi th Aud i side ass ist
Fig. 125 Driver 's doo r: Side ass ist button
.,. Press the button ~ A in General informa
tion on page 110
to switch the system on/
off . The LED in the button turns on when
side assist is switched on.
Adjusting the display brightness
A pp lies to vehicles: wi th Audi side ass ist
The signal brightness can be set in the radio
orMMI* .
.,. Select: !CAR ! function button > Audi side as
sist.
.,. Select: I CAR I 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.
128 Driving Safely
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 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
qpage 64 .
.,. 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¢
page 167,
Child Safety. "'
-never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lea n out the w indow
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwe ll
- never ride in the cargo area
8_ WARNING
-
Improper seat ing positions increase the
r isk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used .
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu
pants stay in a proper seating pos ition
and are properly restra ined whenever the
vehicle is be ing used.
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
mus t never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
M ake sure that all pedals move freely without
i nte rferen ce and that no thing prevents them
from re tu rning to the ir origin al posi tions.
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area
free and can be secured w ith floor mat fasten
e rs.
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake peda l
travel is required to br ing the vehicle to a full
stop.
8_ WARNING
Pedals that canno t move freely ca n cause
loss o f vehicle control a nd incr ease the r is k
o f serious injury.
- Never pl ace any ob jects in the d river's
f ootwell. An object could ge t into the
peda l area and inter fere with pedal func
tion . In case of s udden braking or an ac
c ident, you would not be able to brake or
accele rate!
Dr iving S afel y 133
-Always ma ke sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwel l.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
.,. Make s ure t hat the f loor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the peda ls
c> &_ .
Use only f loor mats that leave the peda l area
u nobstructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot slip o ut of position. You can
obta in suitable floor mats from your author
ized Audi dealer.
Floor mat faste ners are insta lled in your Audi.
Floor mats used in yo ur vehicle mus t be at
tached to these fastene rs . P rope rly securing
the floor mats wi ll prevent them from sliding
into positions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operat ion of your vehicle
in other ways.
8_ WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can result
in a loss of vehicle control and increase the
risk of serious perso na l injury.
- Always ma ke sure that floor mats are
properly secured .
- Never p lace or install floor mats or other
f loor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be prope rly secured in p lace to prevent
them from slipping and interfer ing with
the peda ls o r the a bility to cont ro l t he
veh icle.
- Never place or ins tall floor mats o r other
f loor coverings on top o f al ready in stal
led floo r mats . Ad ditiona l floo r mats and
o ther cover ings will red uce the size of
the peda l area and interfere with the
pedals.
- Always prope rly reinstall and secure floo r
mats that have been taken out for clean
ing.
•
•
134 Driving Safel y
-Always make sure that objects cannot
fall into the driver footwe ll wh ile the ve
hicle is moving. Objects can become
trapped under the brake pedal and accel
erator peda l causing a loss of veh icle
contro l.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop
erly stowed and secur ed in the luggage com
partment.
Fig. 141 S afe load positio nin g: place heavy objects as
l ow a nd a s far forward as pos sible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle hand ling
characteristics. Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision .
.,. Distribute the load even ly in the luggage
compartment .
.,. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as low
and as far forward as possible¢
fig. 141.
.,. Secure the load with the cargo net* or with
non -elastic straps secured to the tie-downs*
¢ page 71 ¢page 72 .
.,. Make sure that the rea r seatback is secu rely
latched in place.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly throug h the vehicle ca using serious
personal inj ury in the event of hard brak
ing or an accident. To help reduce the r isk
of serious personal injury: -
Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the t ie-down eyelets
and suitable straps.
.&_ WARNING
-
Heavy loads w ill influence the way your ve
hicle handles . To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
in jury:
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle handling :
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible .
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per
missible weight standards can cause the
veh icle to slide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe dr iv
ing
c> page 128.
.&_ WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always
keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
a rea because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely m ust dr ive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
red uce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the sunroof,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switc h off the ai r recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all windows, the sunroof and the rear lid are se
curely closed and locked to reduce the risk
of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es
pecially with the rear lid left open . A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle .
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open .
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor
mal load conditions, please see chapter
c:>poge234.
Driving Safely 135
Tie-downs
App lies to veh icles : w ith tie -d owns
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop
erly
c:> page 134, Loading the luggage com
partment .
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller i tems that are loose in the vehi
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment could cause in a collision like this.
A WARNING
----Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre
vent items from shifting or flying for
ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help prevent items from flying for
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas
senger compartment .
- Never attach a child safety seat tether
strap to a tie-down . •
•
Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be correctly posi
tioned across the strongest bones of your
body.
~ Always wear safety belts as illustrated and
described in this chapter.
~ Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death. Safety belts can
work only when used correctly.
- Always fasten your safety be lts correctly
before driving off and make sure all pas
sengers are correctly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts must always be positioned properly on
the body .
- Never strap more than one person, in
cluding small children, into any belt.
- Never place a safety belt over a child sit ting on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front
of the seat while the vehicle is being d riv
en .
- Never let any person ride with their feet
on the instrument panel or sticking out
the window or on the seat.
- Never remove a safety belt while the ve
hicle is moving. Doing so will increase
your risk of be ing injured or killed.
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause injury.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam
aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of posi
tion .
Safety belts 141
-Several layers of heavy clothing may in
terfere with correct positioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of
the system .
- Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latch
ing securely.
- Never use comfort clips or devices that
create slack in the shoulder belt . Howev
er, special clips may be requ ired for the
proper use of some child restraint sys
tems .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt hardware can break in an
accident. Inspect belts regularly.
If web
bing, bindings, buckles, or retractors are
damaged, have belts replaced by an au
thorized Audi dealer.
- Safety belts that have been worn and
loaded in an accident must be replaced
with the correct replacement safety belt
by an authorized Audi dealer. Replace
ment may be necessary even if damage
cannot be clearly seen. Anchorages that
were loaded must also be inspected.
- Never remove, modify, disassemble, or
try to repair the safety belts you rs elf .
-Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work properly and can impair
the function of the inertia reel¢
ta
ble Cleaning interior on page 206.
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 148 Be lt bu ckle and to ngue o n th e drive r's se at
156 Airbag sys te m
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi
t ion 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
~ page 147 .
A WARNING
-
A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
w ill be seriously injured and can be k illed if
the front a irbag inflates -even with an Ad
vanced Airbag System.
- T he inflating a irbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with g reat
force and wi ll smash the chi ld safety seat
and child against the backrest , center
armrest, door or roof .
- 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 because of exceptional circ umstan
ces and the
PAS SENG ER A IR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im ·
med iately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the a irbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer .
A WARNING
Objects between you and the a irbag will
increase the risk of injury in a crash by in
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the a irbag
inflates.
- Never hold th ings in your hands or on
yo ur lap when the vehicle is in use.
- Never transport items on or in the area
of the front passenger seat . Objects
cou ld move into the area of the front air
bags during braking or other s udden ma
neuver and become dangerous projec
t iles that can cause serious personal in
jury if the airbags inflate .
- Never place or attach accessories or oth
er objects (such as cupholders, te le
phone brackets, large, heavy or bu lky ob -
-
jects) on the doors, over or near the area
marked "AIRBAG" on the steer ing whee l,
instrument panel, seat backrests or be
tween those areas and yourself . These
objects could cause inju ry in a crash, es
pecia lly when the airbags inflate .
- Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects . Items can a lso
move into the area of the s ide airbag or
the front a irbag du ring bra kin g or in a
sudden maneuver. Objects nea r the air
bags can become projectiles and cause
inj ury, partic ularly when the seat is re
clined .
A WARNING ~
The fine dust created when airbags deploy
can cause breathing prob lems for people
with a history of asthma or other breath i ng cond itions .
- To reduce the risk of breath ing problems,
those with asthma or other respiratory conditions shou ld get fresh air right
away by getting o ut of the veh icle or
open ing windows or doors .
- If you are in a collision in which airbags
deploy, wash your hands and face with
mild soap and wate r before eating.
- Be ca reful not to get the dust into your
eyes, o r into any c uts or sc ratches .
- If the res idue should get into your eyes ,
f lush them w ith wate r.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light
T wo separate indicators monitor the function
of the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag
monitoring indicator light and the
PASSEN·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light.
The Advanced A irbag System (including the
electron ic cont ro l unit , sensor circu its and sys
tem wiring) is monitored continuously to make su re that it is funct io ni ng properly