74 On the road
you leave your vehicle. This makes a vehicle
theft even more difficult ¢ .&. .
Ignition key saf ety lock
Afte r swi tching off the ignition, t he ig nit ion
key can on ly be removed from the ig nition
lock when the se lector lever is in the "P"
(Park) position . After you have removed the
key, the selector lever is locked and cannot be
moved.
Ignition on @
If it is diffic ult to tu rn the key after you have
inserted it into the ignition lock, turn the
steering wheel back and forth. This will take
the load
off the steering lock mechanism and
you will be able to turn the key freely and
start the engine.
Starting the engine @
In this position the engine starts . While the
engine is starting , the power supply to the
headlights and other e lectrica l consumers is
temporari ly interrupted to conserve battery
power. After the engine has started, release
the key and it will return to posit ion
(D .
Before the starter can be operated again the
key must be turned back to position @. The
non -repeat loc k prevents you from damaging
the starter when the engine is runn ing .
A WARNING
-Never remove the key from the ign it ion
lock whi le the vehicle is moving. The
steeri ng wheel will lock causing loss of
c ontrol.
- If you have to leave your vehicle - even
for just a m inute -always remove t he ig
nition key and take it with you. This is es
pecially important if you a re going to
leave chi ldren behind in the vehicle. The
children co uld start the engine or use
other vehicle controls. Unsupervised use
of vehicle controls (for examp le, power
windows) can cause serious personal in
jur ies .
(D Tips
If the vehicle battery has been disconnect
ed and then reconnected, then you must
l eave the key in position
(D for about 5
seconds before you can start the engine.
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with an origi
nal Audi key.
.,. Set the park ing brake.
.,. Move the selector lever in P or
N ~ &_ .
.,. Turn the ignition key to position @
¢ page 73, fig. 82 -do not depress the gas
pedal when starting the engine!
.,. Let go of the key as soon as the engine
starts .
A cold engine may at first be loud after it has
been started. This is due to the hydraulic
valves bu ild ing up the oil pressure . Th is nor
mal and no need for concern .
If the engine does not start immediate ly, stop
trying after 10 seconds and then try to restart
the engine about 30 seconds later .
A WARNING
-Never start or let the engine run in a con-
f ined or enclosed area. Exhaust fumes
from the engine conta in carbon monoxide,
a colorless and odorless gas. Carbon mon
oxide can be fatal if inhaled .
- Never leave the engi ne idling unattend
ed. An unat tended veh icle w ith a runn ing
engine poses a danger of personal injury
or theft .
(D Note
-Avo id h igh engine speeds, fast accelera
tion or heavy engine loads while the en
gine is still cold. This could damage the
engine.
- T he engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle . ..,.
76 On the road
On ly afte r th e ve hic le has come to com
plete stop, shou ld you f irm ly set t he park
ing b rake and either move the selector lev
er i nto "P".
Parking
P a rkin g
"' Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
"' Set the parki ng brake firmly .
"' Swi tc h off the engine.
"' Mov e the selector lever into the P pos ition
~ A -
.. When on incl ines or decli nes, turn the steer
ing wheel so that the vehicle will roll into
the curb if it begins to move .
A WARNING
This is how you can reduce the risk of in
jury when leaving your veh icle.
- Never park the vehicle where it can come
in contact with dry grass, spilled fuel or
any other flammable mater ials.
- Never allow anyone -especia lly small
children -to remain in the vehicle when
it is locked. Locked doors make it more
difficult for rescuers to access the pas
senger compartment in the event of an
eme rgency. Danger to life!
- Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle . Children could re lease the park
ing brake o r move the gea rshift lever out
of gear. The vehicle could start to roll
away and ca use an accident.
- N o matter wha t the season is, the tem
perature in a par ked vehicle can rea ch
dangero us levels .
Starting on hills
Applies to vehicles: wit h hill h old ass ist
H ill hold assist ma kes it easie r to sta rt on
h ill s.
The system is act ivated when the brake pedal
i s depressed
for a few s econds .
After releasing the brake pedal, the brake
power is held for a brief moment to prevent
the vehicle from rolling back when start ing . At
th is time, you can easi ly beg in to move your
vehicle.
A WARNING
-- If you did not begin moving immed iate ly
after releasing the brake pedal, under
c e rtain ci rcumstances, the vehicle would
begin to ro ll backwa rd. Depr ess the
b rake ped al immedi ately o r engage the
hand brake .
- Should t he e ngine sta ll, dep ress the
b ra ke ped al immediate ly or eng age the
hand b rake .
- I n or der to prevent the vehicle from roll
ing back unintentionally when s tarti ng in
s top -and-go traffic, keep the brake pedal
depressed for a few seconds before driv
ing off.
(J} Tips
You can find o ut if yo ur vehicle is eq uipped
with "Hill hold ass ist" at an autho rized
A udi dealersh ip.
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep
your driving speed below a set speed limit.
The speed warn ing system warns the driver if
he exceeds a previous ly stored max imum
speed . A warning tone will sound as soon as
the ve hicle speed exceeds the set speed by
about 3 mph (3 km/h). At the same time, a
warning symbo l appea rs in the display.
The speed warn ing system has
two warning
thr esho lds
that f unction independently of
each other and that have somewhat different
purposes:
Speed warning 1
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maxi mum speed while you are driving . This setting
will remain in effect unti l yo u tur n off the ..,.
86 Transmis sion
If you have selected a lower gear than the cur
rent one, the transmission w ill only shift down
when the engine cannot be overspeeded.
I f kick-down is actuated, the transmiss ion
shifts into a lower gear independently of
speed and engine rpm .
Steering wheel with Tiptronic controls
Applies to vehicles: with S tro nic
The selector paddles allow the driver to keep
both hands on the steering wheel when shift
ing gears.
Fig. 95 Spo rt stee ring wheel w ith selecto r paddle s
Shifting up
.,. Pull the right paddle, marked 0 ¢ fig. 95
briefly towards you .
Shifting down
.,. Pull the left paddle, marked O ¢ fig. 95
briefly towards you .
The selector paddles on the steering wheel
are activated when the selector lever on the
center console is in D, 5 or in the manual posi
tion ( Tiptronic mode).
You can also shift gears in the Tiptronic mode
using the selector lever on the center console.
(D Tips
With the gear selector lever in either Dor
5 the transmission will switch back to the
automatic mode if you do not use the pad
dles within approx . 30 seconds.
Kick-down feature
Applies to vehicles: w it h S tronic
The kick-down feature allows maximum ac
celeration.
If you depress the accelerator pedal fully be
yond the full-throttle position, the transmis·
sion automatically downshifts one gear, de·
pending on vehicle speed and eng ine rpm. The
upshift into the next higher gear takes place
as soon as the maximum specified engine
speed is reached.
.&_ WARNING i-==
Please note that the drive wheels can spin
if the kick-down is used on a smooth slip·
pery road -risk of skidding!
Launch Control Program
Applies to veh icles: w it h S t ronic
The Launch Control Program permits maxi
mum acceleration.
In order to use Launch Control, the ASR (Anti
S lip Regulation) must be disabled . When ASR
is disabled , the ESC warning/indicator light
fl
in the instrument cluster illuminates. So that
Launch Control can be used, the engine must
be at operating temperature and the steering
wheel must not be turned.
.,. With the engine running, briefly press the
ESC button . The message "Stabilization pro
gram off" or "Sport control Warning! Re
stricted stability" in the driver information
system display .
.,. Shift the gear lever to "5" or the tiptronic
position .
.,. Step on the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep the brake pedal fully depressed for
at least one second.
.,. With yo ur right foot, step on the accelerator
to the wide-open throttle position or Kick·
down. The eng ine speed settles at about
3,200 rpm .
.,. Take your left foot off the brake. ..,.
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly ¢
page 101.
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
veh icle and a ll 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 us ing a cellular telephone.
.. NEVER drive when your driv ing ability is im
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc.) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, ru les 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.
Drivin g Sa fely 93
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 101 The correct d istance between driver an d
steer ing wheel
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
f o ll ow ing pos ition:
.,. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi
ly push the pedals all the way to the floo r
while keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
q&_ ,
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive.
.. Adjust 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. 101. If not possible, see your au
thorized Audi dealership about adaptive
equ ipment .
.. 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 steering whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head . If that is not poss ible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this pos ition as possib le .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
qpage 104.
94 Driving Safely
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed 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 seriously
injured by an airbag as it deploys. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver'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 adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- 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 positions to help reduce the risk of per
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in
flates
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision.
- Always sit in an upright position and nev
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop
erly 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 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 seats
c::> page 130. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat¢
page 109.
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 :
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
• Adjust the head restraint so that the upper
edge is as even with the top of your head as
possible but not lower than eye level and so
that it is as close to the back of your head as
possible
c::> page 95.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c::> page 104.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c::> page 60 .
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
102 Safet y belt s
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles .
Fig. 10 4 Unbe lted occupa nts in a vehicle heading for a
wall
Fig . 105 The ve hicle c ras hes into t he wa ll.
The physical principles are simp le. Both the
vehicle and the passengers possess energy
which varies w ith veh icle speed and body
weight . Engineers call th is energy ''kinetic en
ergy ."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor . If
the speed doub les from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h) , the energy increases 4 t imes!
Because the occupants in this vehicle are not
using safety belts ¢
fig. 104, they will keep
mov ing at the same speed the vehicle was
mov ing just before the crash, unti l something
stops them -here, the wall
¢ fig . 105 .
The same pr inc iples apply to people sitting in
a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision .
Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50
km/h), the forces act ing on the body can reach one ton (2,000 lbs, or 1,000 kg) or
more. At h
igher speeds, these forces are even
greater.
People who do not use safety belts are also
not attached to their vehicle. In a frontal colli
sion they wi ll also keep moving forward at t he
speed their vehicle was travell ing just before
the crash. Of course, the laws of physics don't
just app ly to frontal collisions, they determine
what happens in all kinds of acc idents and col
lis ions .
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in
jured or killed . Always wear your safe ty belts!
Fig . 106 A dr iver not wea ring a safety belt is vio le n tl y
t hrown forward
Unbelted occ upants a re not able to resist the
tremendous forces of impact by hold ing tight
or bracing themse lves. Without the benefit of
safety restra int systems, the unrestrained oc
cupant will slam violently into the steering
wheel, instr ument panel, w indshield, or what
ever else is i n the way ¢ fig. 106. This impact
with the veh icle inte rior has all the energy
they had j ust before the c rash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection .
Even when they deploy, a irbags provide only
additional protection . Airbags a re not sup
posed to deploy in all k inds of accidents. A l
t h ough your Aud i is equipped wi th airbags, all
vehicle occupants, including the driver, must
wear safety be lts cor rectly in order to m ini
mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash .
Airbag system Important things to know
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For
airbags to do their job, occupants must al
ways properly wear their safety belts and be
in a proper seating position.
For your safety and the safety of your passen
gers, before driving off, always:
"" Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel
properly¢
page 93,
"" Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
¢page 61,
""Wear safety be lts properly ¢ page 103,
""Always properly use the proper child re-
straint to protect children
r::::> page 130.
In a collision airbags must inflate within the
blink of an eye and with considerable force.
The supplemental airbags can cause injuries if
the driver or the front seat passenger are not
seated properly . Therefore in order to help the
airbag to do its job, it is impo rtant, both as a
d river and as a passenger to s it properly at all
times.
By keeping room between your body and the
steer ing whee l and the front of the passenger
compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and
comp lete ly and provide supplemental protec
tion in certain frontal collisions
r::::> page 93,
Proper occupant seating positions.
F or details
on the operation of the seat adjustment con
trols ¢
page 61 and ¢ page 62.
It's especially important that children a re
properly restrained
r::::> page 130.
There is a lot that the driver and the passen
ger can and must do to help the individua l
safety features installed in your Aud i work to
gether as a system.
Proper seating pos ition is important so that
the front airbag on the driver side can do its
job. If you have a physical impairment or con-
Airbag system 109
dition that prevents you from sitting properly
on the driver seat with the safety belt properly
fastened and reach ing the pedals, or if you
have concerns with regard to the function or
operation of the Advanced Airbag System,
please contact your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop, or call Audi Customer Re
lations at 1-800-822-2834 for poss ible modi
fications to your vehicle.
When the airbag system dep loys, a gas gener
ator will fill the a irbags, break open the pad
ded covers, and inflate between the steer ing
whee l and the driver and between the instru
ment panel and the front passenger. The air
bags will deflate immediately after deploy
ment so that the front occupants can see
through the windshield again without inter
ruption.
A ll of th is takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that
the airbags have deployed. The airbags a lso
inflate with a great dea l of force and nothing
should be in their way when they deploy.
Front airbags in combination with properly
worn safety belts slow down and lim it the oc
cupant's forward movement. Together they
help to prevent the driver and passenger from
hitt ing parts of the inside the vehicle while re
ducing the forces acting on the occupant dur
ing the crash . In this way they help to reduce
the risk of injury to the head and upper body
in the crash. Airbags do not protect the arms
or the lower parts of the body.
Both front airbags will not inflate in all fronta l
collisions . The triggering of the airbag system
depends on the vehicle dece leration rate
caused by the co llision and registered by the
electronic control unit. If th is rate is below
the reference value programmed into the con
trol unit, the airbags will not be triggered,
even though the car may be badly damaged as
a result of the collision . Vehicle damage, re
pair costs or even the lack of veh icle damage
is not necessarily an indication of whether an
airbag shou ld inf late or not .
It is not possible to define a range of vehicle
speeds that will cover every possible kind and ..,. •
•
110 Airbag system
angle of impact that will always trigger the
airbags, since the circumstances will vary con
siderably between one collision and another.
Important factors include, for example, the
nature (hard or soft) of the object which the
car hits, the angle of impact, vehicle speed,
etc. The front airbags will also not inflate in
side or rear collisions, or in roll-overs.
Always remember: Airbags will deploy only
once, and only in certain kinds of collisions.
Your safety belts are always there to offer pro
tection in those situations in which airbags
are not supposed to deploy, or when they have
already deployed; for example, when your ve hicle strikes or is struck by another after the
first collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
a supplementary restraint and is not a substi
tute for a safety belt. The airbag system
works most effectively when used with the
safety belts. Therefore, always properly wear
your safety belts¢
page 101.
A WARNING
Sitting too close to the steering wheel or
instrument panel will decrease the effec
tiveness of the airbags and will increase
the risk of personal injury in a collision .
- Never sit closer than 10 inches (25 cm)
to the steering wheel or instrument pan el.
- If you cannot sit more than 10 inches
(25 cm) from the steering wheel, investi
gate whether adaptive equipment may
be available to held you reach the pedals
and increase your seating distance from
the steering wheel.
- If you are unrestrained, leaning forward,
sitting sideways or out of position in any
way, your risk of injury is much higher.
- You will also receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if you are up against
the airbag or too close to it when it in
flates -even with an Advanced Airbag.
- To reduce the risk of injury when an air
bag inflates, always wear safety belts
properly
c::> page 104, Safety belts.
- If children are not properly restrained,
they may be severely injured or killed
when an airbag inflates.
- Never let children ride unrestrained or
improperly restrained in the vehicle. Ad
just the front seats properly.
- Always sit as far as possible from the steering wheel or the instrument panel
¢ page 93, Proper occupant seating po
sitions.
- Always sit upright with your back against
the backrest of your seat.
- Never place your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both
feet on the floor in front of the seat to help prevent serious injuries to the legs
and hips if the airbag inflates.
A WARNING
Airbags that have deployed in a crash must
be replaced.
- Use only original equipment airbags ap
proved by Audi and installed by a trained
technician who has the necessary tools
and diagnostic equipment to properly re
place any airbag in your vehicle and as
sure system effectiveness in a crash.
- Never permit salvaged or recycled air bags to be installed in your vehicle.
Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
.. Be sure to read the important information
and head the WARNINGS for important de
tails about children and Advanced Airbags
¢page 130.
The airbag on the passenger side makes the
front seat a potentially dangerous place for a
child to ride. The front seat is not the safest
place for a child in a forward-facing child safe
ty seat.
It can be a very dangerous place for an
infant or a child in a rearward-facing seat.
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
has been certified to comply with the Require
ments of United States Federal Motor Vehicle .,.