2015 AUDI A3 airbag

70 Driving
Driving
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel position
The steering wheel position is fully adjustable
up and down and forward and bock .
Fig. 64 Steering column: steering column adjustment
lever
.. Tilt the lever¢ fig. 64 downward ¢ &_.
.. Bring the steering wheel into the desired
position .
.. Push the lever against the steering column
until it latches .
_& 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 veh icle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of vehicle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that there is a min imum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel¢
page 122, fig. 109 . If
you cannot maintain this minimum dis­
tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you properly.
- If phys ica l limitations prevent you from
sitting 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
the steering wheel, check w ith your au­
thorized Aud i dealer to see if adaptive
equipment is availab le .
- If the steering wheel is alig ned with your
face, the supplemental driver's airbag cannot p rovid e as much protectio n in an
accident. Always make sure that the steer
ing whee l is aligned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of personal injury
if the driver's airbag deploys.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands inside
the steering 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
Depending on the model, your vehicle has the
follow ing equipment:
- Mechanical ignition key
c::> page 70 or
- Convenience key
c::> page 73
Starting and stopping
the engine (vehicles
with an ignition lock)
Starting the engine with the key
App lies to vehicles: wit h mechanica l igni tio n loc k
The ignition is switched on and the engine
started with the key in the ignition.
Fig. 65 Ignit ion key positio ns
Steering wheel lock
If the steering wheel will not turn, the steer­
ing lock is engaged .
To engage the steering wheel lock: The selec­
tor lever must be in the P position (automatic
transmission*). ..,.

90 Audi pre sense
Audi pre sense
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense basic or Audi pre
sense front
Within the limits of the system, pre sense ba­
sic and pre sense front can initiate steps to
protect vehicle occupants in certain danger ­
ous situations.
Critical driving situations can be recognized by
the pre sense front via a network of different
vehicle systems and can take steps to prepare
the vehicle occupants for a potential collision.
The pre sense front works with a radar sensor
and a video camera*.
It also functions within
the limits of the system when adaptive cruise
control* is switched
off.
General information
General information
App lies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense front or Audi
adaptive cruise control
A WARNING
Also follow the general information found
on
~ page 82, General information.
Audi pre sense basic
Descript ion
Applies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense basic
The function of the pre sense basic is activat­
ed at a speed of 10 mph (30 km/h) or higher.
The following functions can be triggered un­
der certain conditions within the limits of the
system:
- Tensioning of the safety belts (for example,
during heavy braking) : The front safety belts
have reversible belt pretensioners. If a colli­
sion does not occur, the safety belts loosen
slightly and are ready to trigger again .
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (for
example, when over- or understeering): The
windows and the sunroof" close until there is only a small gap open. Audi drive select:
The deployment time is
adapted in dynamic mode.
A WARNING
-The pre sense basic cannot overcome natu- ral physical laws.
It is a system designed to
assist and it cannot prevent a collision. Do not let the increased safety provided
tempt you into taking risks. This could in­
crease your risk of a collision.
- The system can deploy incorrectly due to system-specific limits .
(D Tips
-Certain pre sense basic functions switch
off when ESC is switched off (sport
mode) or when driving in reverse .
- The pre sense basic functions may not be
available if there is a malfunction in the
ESC system or the airbag control mod­
ule .
- Note that with pre sense basic, the rever­
sible safety belt pretensioner on the
front passenger's side deactivates when
the front passenger's a irbag is deactivat­
ed.
Audi pre sense front
Description
Applies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense front or Audi
adapt ive cru ise control
Pre sense front informs you if the distance to
the vehicle ahead falls below the safe distance
for an extended period of time. It can warn of a possible collision and initiate braking ma­
neuvers, within the limits of the system .
When detected in time, the system can assess
dangerous situations where an object ahead
brakes suddenly or if your own vehicle is trav­
eling at a high speed and approaching an ob ­
ject that is moving more slow ly . If detection is
not possible, then pre sense front does not re ­
act.

Driving safety
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, ch ild restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is fo r us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this sect ion - for yo ur own
safety as well as that of your passengers.
The information in this section app lies to all
model ve rsions of your vehicle . Some of the
feat ures 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 dea ler.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
struct 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
your vehicle so that this important infor­
mation will always be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find it eas ily if you have
questions.
- Always adjust your speed to the weather
traffic and conditions. Follow the speed
limits.
- Always drive in such a way that you can
stop your vehicle safely .
- Always adjust your speed to the general
flow of traffic. Fo llow the speed limits.
Dri ving sa fe ty 12 1
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
techno logy have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an
acc ident. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in yo ur Audi :
- sophisticated safety be lts fo r driver and all
passenger seating posit ions,
- safety belt pretens ioners for the front seats,
- safety belt he ight adjustment systems for
the front seats ,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear
seats*,
- side curtain airbags with ejection mitigation
features,
- specia l LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- adjustab le steering col umn.
- Pre sense basic* (preventat ive passenger
protection)
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to­
gether as a system to he lp protect you and
you r passenge rs in a wide range of accide nts .
T hese features canno t work as a system if
they a re not always cor rectly adjus ted and co r­
r ect ly used.
Saf ety is e ve ryb ody 's res ponsibil ity!
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,
b efor e dr iving alwa ys:
.,. Make sure that all lig hts and signals are op­
erati ng correctly . •
•
•

122 Driving safety
• Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
• Make sure that all windows are clean and af­
ford good visib ility to the outside .
• Secure a ll luggage and other items carefully
r:=:> page 60, r:=:> page 58.
• Make sure that noth ing can interfere wit h
the pedals.
• Adjust front seat , head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your he ight.
• Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
stra ints according to their height.
• Make sure to use the right child restraint
correct ly to protect children
r:::;, page 166,
Child Safety .
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
r=:> page 53,
Front seats.
• Fasten your safety belt a nd wear it properly .
Also instruct your passengers to fasten th eir
safety belts properly
r:::;.page 131 .
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 rood
without being distracted.
The driver is respons ible 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 yo u also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
r:::;, &,.
Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be dis tracted by passe n­
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEVER drive when your driving ability is im­
paired (by medications, 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 condit ions .
• Take frequent breaks on long trips . Do not
dr ive for more than two hours at a stretc h.
• Do NOT drive when you are t ired, under
pressure or when you are st ressed.
A WARNING
-Impaired dr iving safety increases the risk
of ser ious personal injury and death when­
ever a vehicle 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 . 109 Correct 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
r:::;,A .
.,. 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.
• 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
c:::> fig. 109 . If not possible, see your au­
thorized Audi dealersh ip 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 .
• For adjustable head restraints: Adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possible with the top of your head. If that..,_

is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible. Move the head restraint so that
it is as close to the back of the head as pos­
sible.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
Q page 134.
.. 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
Q page 54 .
.&, WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. 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.
-
Driving safety 123
-Before driving, always adjust the front
seats properly and make sure that all passengers are properly restrained.
- For adjustable head restraints: before
driving, always also adjust the head re­
straints properly.
- 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
Q page 166. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat ¢
page 140.
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.
.. For adjustable head restraints: adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possible with the top of your head. If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
¢ page 125. Move the head re­
straint so that it is as close to the back of
the head as possible .
.. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 134.
•
•
•

124 Driving safety
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 53.
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:
- 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.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lower part of the
instrument 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 properly .
- For adjustable head restraints: before
driving, always also adjust the head re­
straints properly.
- 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 seats
¢
page 166. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat
c> page 140.
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:
"" For adjustable head restraints: adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possible with the top of your head. If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
¢ page 125.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢page 134.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their size and age¢
page 166.
A 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 safety belts are properly positioned on the body and securely
latched. By not sitting upright, a rear
seat passenger increases the risk of per­
sonal injury from improperly positioned
safety belts!

126 Driving saf ety
Th ere fo re, wh enever th e vehicle i s
mo ving :
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never knee l on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up aga inst the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean 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 o r
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A 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 it ion
and are properly restra ined whenever the
vehicle is be ing used.
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
App lies to vehicles: with knee a irbags
A WARNING
Always make s ure that the knee airbag can
inflate without interference. Objects be­
tween yourse lf and the airbag can inc rease
the risk of in jury in an acc ident by interfer­
ing w ith the way the a irbag deploys or by
being pushed 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 result in se rious or fata l injuries.
- No objects of any kind should 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
ai rbag. Small objects can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys
and i njure you or your passenge rs .
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.
Make su re that a ll peda ls move free ly without
i nterference and that no thing preven ts them
from return ing to their or ig inal positions .
Only use f loor mats that leave the pedal a rea
free and can be secu red with floor mat fasten­
ers.
If a brake c ircu it fa ils, inc reased brake pedal
t ravel is required to bring the vehicle to a full
stop.
A WARNING
P edals that cannot move free ly can ca use
l oss of vehicle contro l and increase the risk
of serious injury.
- Never p lace any objects in the driver's
footwell. An object co uld get into the
pedal area and interfere with pedal func­
tion. In case of sudden braking or an ac­
cident, you wou ld not be able to brake or
accelerate!
-Always make sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwell.
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 sure that the floor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals
¢ A . ..,_

occupant will slam violently into the steering
wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or what­
ever else is in the way
c::> fig. 114. This impact
with the vehicle interior has all the energy
they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
additional protection. Airbags are not sup­
posed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Al­
though your Audi is equipped with airbags, all
veh icle occupants, including the driver, must
wear safety belts correctly in order to mini­
mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
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 already deployed. Unbelted
occupants can also be thrown out of the vehi­
cle where even more severe or fatal injuries
can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passen­
gers in the rear seats endanger not only them­
selves but also the driver and other passen­
gers
c::> fig. 115. In a frontal collision they will
be thrown forward violently, where they can
hit and injure the driver 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!
Fig. 116 Driver is correctly restra ined in a sudden brak­
ing maneuver
Safety belts 133
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif­
ference. Safety belts help to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
applied to the body in an accident, and help
prevent the uncontrolled movement that can
cause serious injuries. In addition, safety belts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle.
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and
give them the benefit of being slowed down
more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety
features engineered into today's vehicles. By
"absorbing" the kinetic energy over a longer
period of time, the safety belts make the
forces on the body more "tolerable" and less
likely to cause injury .
Although these examples are based on a fron­
tal collision, safety belts can also su bsta ntia l­
ly reduce the risk of injury in other kinds of
crashes. So, whether you're on a long trip or
just going to the corner store, always buckle
up and make sure others do, too. Accident sta­
tistics show that vehicle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of being
injured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident. Properly using safety belts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen­
tal airbags to do their job in a collision . For
this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in most countries including much of
the United States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags,
you still have to wear the safety belts provid­
ed. Front airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions. The front air­
bags are not activated in all frontal collisions,
in side and rear collisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is not enough deceleration
through impact to the front of the vehicle.
The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt
and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!