92 Driving Safel y
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, a irbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori
ty number 1.
Always observe the info rmat ion
and warn ings in th is sect ion -fo r yo ur own
safety as well as for that of your passengers.
The information in this se ction app lies to all
model ve rsions of your veh icle . Some of the
feat ures desc ribed in this sec tions may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others . If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Aud i dealer.
A WARNING
- Make certain that you follow the instruc
t ions 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
yo ur vehicle so that this important info r
mation will a lways be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find i t eas ily if you have
ques tions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a varie ty o f fea tures
avai la bl e to he lp re duce the risk of injury in an accident
. The following is a lis ting o f just a
few of the safety features in your Audi:
- sophis tic ated s afety be lts fo r drive r and a ll
passenger sea ting pos it ions,
- safety belt pre-tensione rs,
- fro nt airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
- ad justab le steering column .
T hese ind iv idual safety features can wor k to
ge ther as a sys tem to he lp p rotec t you and
you r passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot wo rk as a system if
they are not always p roper ly adjusted and
properly used!
Safet y is everyb ody's re spon sibilit y!
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 yo ur safety and the safety of you r passen
gers,
befor e driving alwa ys:
"' Make s ure that all lights and signa ls are op
erati ng correctly .
"' Ma ke su re t hat the t ire p ressu re is co rrec t.
"' Mak e su re that all windows are clean and a f
ford good vis ibility to the outs ide.
"' Sec ure all luggage and other items caref ully
I:!) page 66.
"'Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
"' Adjust front seat, head res traint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
"' Inst ruct passe ngers to adjust the head re
st raints accord ing to the ir height .
"' Ma ke sur e to use the r igh t chi ld restraint
correc tly to protect c hild ren
¢ page 130,
Child Safety .
"'Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
I:!) page 60,
General recommendations. .,_
146 Intellig ent technolog y
gear or lower driving range. Do no t ride
t h e brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often. This cou ld cause the
bra kes to get hot and dimin ish braking
efficiency .
- Do no t "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . Th is may cause the brakes to
overheat, prematu re wear and inc reased
stopp ing distan ce.
- Under certain climat ic and operating
c ondit ions such as passing through wa
ter, driving i n heavy ra in or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be red uced . In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and d rums . Carefully apply brakes
for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat
ings will be cleaned off after a few care
ful brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads w ithout us ing your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake d iscs and pads w it h a few cautious
brake appli cat ions.
- If you damage the fro nt spo iler, or if you
ins tall a different spoiler, be su re the air
flow to the fron t bra kes is not o bstr uct
ed. O therwise the brake system co uld
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- F ailure o f one bra ke c ircuit will impair
the b raking capability resulting in an in
creased stopp ing distance . Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near
est Aud i dea le r o r qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle ro ll to a stop w ith
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, t he
brake pedal must be pressed considera
bly harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance . Electro-mechanical
power assist
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering .
The degree of power assi st is electronically
matched to vehicle speed .
T he power steering system assists the driver
so that he can steer the vehicle with reduced
physical effor t.
Power steering will not work if t he engine is
off . As a result, the steering wheel will be hard
to turn.
A WARNING
If the system develops a problem , you
must seek qualified profess iona l assis
tance .
(D Note
-
If there is an e lectronic malfunction, ser
votronic
will still function like a conven
tiona l power steering system, providing a
constant steering support force that is no
l onge r proportionate to the vehicle speed .
This is most not icea ble whe n tu rni ng the
s tee ring w heel a t low speeds (fo r example
when pa rking), -more effort w ill be re
q uired than us ua l.
- Be aware o f the diffe rent than usual
steering response and adjust your steer
ing force acco rdingly.
- Have the problem checked and set right
by an autho rize d Aud i dealer as soon as
possible.
- If a s teer ing mal func tion occurs, this is
signa led wit h the
,'Zr~ or .• indicato r
lights and a warning tone, see.
(D Tips
- If the powe r stee ring system sho uld fai l,
or if the engine is not ru nning (fo r exam
ple, whi le being towed), you will still be
able to steer the vehicle. However, more
effort will be required to do so.
11-
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
""Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fu el consumption, exhaust emissions and en
g ine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con
ditions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
""Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
""Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut
off the engine in traff ic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at ra il
road crossings, or at traffic lights that have
l ong wa its on red. Turning the engine
off for
just
30-40 seconds saves more fue l than is
burned starting the engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle. However, wear
and noxious emissions 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 whi le the engine
is sti ll warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
would go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which could result in over-
Driving and environment 153
'
heating or othe r damage to the vehicle or
other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel.
""H ave your veh icle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regu larly serviced by an
Audi dealer helps to ensu re that it runs prop
erly and economically. The condition of your
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
hold its value, it also affects
fuel consump
tion.
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of o il used is related to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certain
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles
(5,000 kilometres) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and en
gine output.
(U) Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main
tenance booklet. Lack of proper mainte
nance as well as improper use of the ve
hicle will impair the function of the
emission control 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 shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System
and other important vehicle compo
nents .
•
•
156 Vehicle care and cleaning
_& WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your
self from sharp metal components when
washing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef
fect may be delayed due to moisture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter. The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applications .
@ Note
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, you must fold the exterior mir
rors in to reduce the risk of damage to
the mirrors. Power folding exterior mir rors* must only be folded in and out us
ing the power folding function.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of damage, do not
wash the power top with a pressure
washer. -
To reduce the risk of damage, do not
wash decorative decals* with a pressure
washer.
- To reduc e the risk of damage to the sur
face, do not use insect removing spong
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishing agents or
hard wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply
protective wax.
It can destroy the
matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte finish paint. The paint could be
damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilities specially
designed for that purpose. This will reduce
the risk of dirty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individual vehi
cle components, refer to the following table.
The information contained there is simply rec
ommendations. For questions or for compo- nents that are not listed,
refer to an author
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Also
follow the information found in~.&. .
Cleaning exterior Component Situation Solution
Wiper blades Dirty
~ page 56, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlights/ Dirty Soft sponge with a mild soap solutional
tail lights
Sensors Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a solvent-free cleaning product
Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
solution
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special
cleaning solution
158 Vehicle care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
T ex tile s,
Stains adhering to Vacuum cleaner
Vin yl, the surface
Alcan ta ra Water -based stains Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
O il-based stains Apply a mild soap solutiona>, blot away the d issolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afte rward w ith water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special stains such Special stain remover, b lot with absorbent material,
as ballpoint pen, treat afterward with mild soap solutiona>, if necessary
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe po lish,
etc.
Natu ral leather Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solutiona>
Wate r-based stains Fresh s tains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dr ied stains: sta in remover sui table for leather
blood, etc.
Oi l-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and sta in remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such Stain remover suitable for leather
as ballpo int pen,
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc.
Care Regular
ly apply condit ion ing c ream that protec ts from
light a nd penetrates into the materia l. Use specially-col-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon part s Dirty Clean tlhe same way as plastic parts
a) Mi ld soap solut ion : maximum two tablespoons neut ra l soap in a lite r of wate r
& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with
water -repe lling windshield coating agents .
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in
creased glare. W iper blade chatter is a lso
possible .
(V Note
- Headlights /tail lights
- Never clean headlights or tail lights
w it h a dry cloth or sponge. -
Do not us e any cleaning product that
contains alcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form.
-Wheels
- Never use any paint polish or other
abrasive mater ials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratc hes
must be repa ired immediately.
- Power top
-Remove bird droppings immediately.
- Never use gasoline, stain remover, ben-
zene, paint thinner or other so lvents to
remove .
176 Check ing and filling
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than S years .
Disconn ect ing the battery terminals
Some veh icle functions (power w indow regu
lators, for example) are lost if the battery ter
minals are disconnected . These functions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals are
connected again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be d isconnected from the vehicle
electr ical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
V ehicles not dri ven for l ong period s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo nents are gradually cut back or switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main tains starting capab ility over a longer period
c:::>
page 147. Some of the convenience func
tions may not operate, suc h as the inte rior
l ights or power seat adjustme nt. The conven
i ence functions wi ll be ava ilable aga in whe n
you switch on the ignition and start the en
gine.
Winter operati on
During the winter months, batte ry capacity
tends to decrease as tempe ratu res d rop . This
is because more powe r is also consumed while
start ing , and the headlights, rea r window de
fogger, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par
ticularly in c ity traffic or when t rave ling on ly
short distances. Let you r authorized Aud i
dea ler check the capacity of the vehicle bat
tery before winter sets inc:::>
page 179 . A we ll
charged battery w ill not only prevent starting
prob lems when the weather is cold, but will
a lso last longer .
Replacing battery
The new battery must have the same capaci
ty, vo ltage (12 volts), amperage, construction
and p lug sealing, as the origina l battery. Spec
if ications are listed on the battery housing.
Batteries specially developed by Audi fulfill the maintenance, outp
ut, and safety require
ments .
When install ing the battery, m ake su re the ig
ni tion and a ll ele ct rical consumers are switch
ed off
c:::> (i) .
We recommend that you use maintenance
free or
cy cle-re si stant /leak -proof b atter ies
accord ing to the s tanda rds TL 825 06 (from
Apri l 2008) and VW 7 SO 73 (from April
2010) .
Rep lac ing the bat tery shou ld be car ried by a
qualified wo rkshop. Please fo llow the instruc
tions on the battery cover .
(D Note
- All wo rk on the ba tte ry req uire s techn i
c al know ledge . Please con ta ct an Aud i
dealership o r another authorized faci lity
for questions abo ut the batte ry -danger
o f ac id burns and exp losion hazard!
- The battery must not be opened! Do not
try to change the battery's liquid level,
otherwise detonating gas will escape
from the battery - explosion hazard!
- The AGM battery in the l uggage com
partment cannot leak, because the elec
tro lyte for this battery is absorbed into a
special glass mat. This leak-proof battery
must not be replace with a convent ional
battery.
- Make sure the ventilation hose on the
side of the battery is connected, other
w ise fumes or battery ac id can leak out .
- Batte ry holder and termina ls always
have to be secured correctly .
- Before all work on the battery follow the
warnings be low c:::> .&. in Working on the
battery on page 177.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author
iz ed Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfur ic acid and
l ead and must a lways be disposed o f prop-
erly in compliance wi th al l envi ronmental ..,.
1 78 Che cking and filling
must be disconnected . If you are just go
ing to rep lace a light bu lb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switc h
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other
wise you will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable .
- Before reconnect ing the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch
ed off . Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inte r
change the cables - th is could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out battery.
It could explode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced. A dis
charged battery ca n freeze over at 32 °F
(0 oc).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attach
ed to the opening on the side of the bat
tery .
- Never use batte ries which are damaged.
Danger of explos ion! Always rep lace a
damaged battery .
8_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, te rm inals and related ac
cessories contain lead and lead com
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc
tive problems. Wash hands after han dling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when the ignition is switched on
or when
the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage e lectronic components in the
electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth
erwise it w ill be damaged and w ill then
have to be replaced .
Checking the battery acid level on magic
eye batteries*
The battery acid level in the battery can be
checked through the clear inspection window .
Fig . 1 36 Lu gga ge compar tment: Battery w ith magic
eye .
On top of the battery, there is a round "win
dow". This window (magic eye) changes co lor
as the battery cha rge and ac id leve l change.
.,. Read and heed all WARNINGS
<=> .&_ in
Working on the battery on page 177
.,. Read the acid level from the window on the
battery <=>
fig. 136.
Air bubbles in the window can cause an inac
curate reading . Carefu lly tap on the s ide of
the window.
- If the window is
green , the battery acid level
is correct.
- If the window has
no colo r or is brigh t y el
lo w,
the battery acid level is too low . Have
the battery tested by your author ized Audi
dea ler or a qualified workshop.
- If the w indow is
black , then the battery is
insufficiently charged . Recharge the battery
as soon as possible¢
page 179 .
(D Note
Do not overfill the battery, otherw ise bat
tery acid will ove rflow through the vent
opening . This can damage the paint and
cause corrosion .
214 Fuses and bulbs
Fuse Location, Instrument Panel left
0
Fi g. 163 Fuse carrier behind the instrument panel end
face, cove r removed
Some of the equipment items listed are op
tional or only available on certain model con
figurations .
Note that the following table is accurate at
the time of going to press and is subject to
change. In the event of discrepancies, the la
bel on the inside of the cover always takes
preceden ce .
The power seats are protected by circuit
breaker s,
which automatically reset after a
few seconds after the overload has been rem
ed ied.
No . Equipment Amps
Engine relay, fuel tank control
1
unit, A irbag Off light, light
10 switch (sw itch illumination), d i-
agnos tic connector
2
ABS, ASR, ESC, brake light
5 switch
3 AFS headlight (left) s
No.
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
Equipment Amps
Oil level sensor (extended main-
tena nce interval) (WIV), tire
pressure monitoring system,
switch for Electronic Stabiliza-
s tion Control (ESC), AFS head-
lights (control unit), A/C system
(pressure sensor), backup light
sw itch
Automatic headlight range con-
trol, AFS headlight (right) /
5/10
manual headlight range con-
trol, halogen headlights
Control unit for CAN data trans-
fer (gateway), electromechani-
s cal steering, automatic trans-
mission shift gate
Acoustic Park Assist, automatic
dipping interior rear view mir- ror, garage door opener, heata-
s ble windshield washer nozzles,
washer pump, wind deflector
relay (Roadster)
H aldex clutch/Ha ldex clutch
5/10 (T TS)
Control un it Audi magnetic ride
s
Airbag contro l unit s
Mass airflow sensor, crankcase 5/10
heating
Door control unit (central lock-
10 ing driver/passenger)
Diagnostic connector
10
Rain sensor, automatic trans-
s miss ion shift gate
Roof light (interior lighting)
5
A/C system (control unit) 10
Tire pressure monitoring sys-
5 tern (control un it)
Not used
Not used
Not used
Fuel injectors (gasoline engine)
10
Wind deflector (Roadster) 30
Horn 20