Driving safet y
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly . Al
so instruct your passengers to fasten the ir
safety belts properly ¢
page 124.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle, the driver as well as the driver 's abili
ty to concentrate on the rood without being dis
tracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve
hicle and all of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody in the
veh icle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road ¢,&. .Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
• NEVER drive when your driv ing ability is im
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc .).
• Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense .
• ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, t raff ic and
weather cond itions .
• Take frequent breaks on long trips . Do not dr ive
f or more than two hours at a stretch.
• Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres
sure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
114
.
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 129 Co rrect seat ing posit ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver's seat to the following pos ition:
• Adjust the driver 's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keeping your knee(s) slightly bent¢,&..
• 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 dr ive.
• Ad just the steering wheel so th at there is a dis
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering whee l and your breast bone¢
fig. 129 .
If not possible, see your authorized A udi dealer
about adaptive equipment.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at your face.
• Grasp the top of the steer ing wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent.
• App lies to veh icles with adjustable head re
straints: Adjust the head res traint 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 restraint so that it is as close to this posi
tion as possible.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 127.
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the vehicle at all times .
M N
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N ..,., ,....,
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 60.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in
jured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help re
duce 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 breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out
side of the steering wheel rim with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in
jury 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. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head
if the driver's airbag deploys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supplemen
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli
sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are located .
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
and head restraints properly and make sure
that all passengers are properly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving . Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
¢page 152. Special precautions ap
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 132.
Driving safety
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 in
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the following position:
.,. Move the front passenger seat back as far as
possible . There must be a minimum of 10 in
ches (25 cm) between the breastbone and the
instrument panel¢.&, .
.,. 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.
.,. Applies to vehicles with adjustable head re
straints: 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 restraint so that it is as close to this posi
tion as possible .
.,. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c:> page 127.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 59.
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 airbag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious per
sonal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po
sition 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 posi
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri
ously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the front passen
ger's breastbone and the instrument panel.
115
Driving safet y
-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, a lways adjust the front pas
senger seat and head restraint properly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in
strument pane l, out of the window, etc . The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in
c reas e the risk of injury in a crash.
- Never dr ive with the backrest recl ined or
t ilted far back! The farther the backrests are
t il te d back, the greater the r isk of injury due
to incorrect pos itioni ng of the safety bel t
and improper se ating posi tion.
- Children m ust always ride i n child safety
seats ¢
page 152. Special preca utions ap
ply when installing a ch ild safety sea t on the
front passenger seat ¢
page 132.
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 b e properly r estrained wh enever the ve
hicle i s in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow
ing:
"' Make sure that the seatback is securely latched
in the upright pos ition
¢ page 66 .
"' Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
"' Faste n and wear safety belts prope rly
¢ page 127.
"' Make sure that ch ildren are always properly re
stra ined in a chi ld restraint that is appropria te
f o r their size and age ¢
page 15 2.
A WARNING
Passengers who a re improperly seated on the
rear se-at can be se riously i njured in a crash .
116
-Each passenger must always sit on a seat o f
their own and proper ly fasten and wea r the
safety belt belong ing to that seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protection
when the seatback is securely latched in the
upright pos ition and the safety belts are
properly positioned on the body. By not sit
ting upr ight , a rear seat passenger increases
the risk of pe rsonal injury from imprope rly
posi tioned safety belts!
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to vehicles: with adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys
tem and can help to redu ce the risk of injuries in
accident si tua tions.
F ig . 1 30 Head res tra in t: v iewed from th e fro nt
T he head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve t he best protection.
"' Adjust the head restraints so the upper edge is
as even as possib le with the top of your head. If
that is not poss ible, try to ad just the head re
straint so that i t is as close to this position as
possible
c> fig . 130.
Adjust ing head restraints c> page 62.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Driving w ithout head rest raints or with head
restra ints that a re not properly adjusted in
creases the risk of serio us or fatal nec k inju ry
d ramatically. To help reduce the r isk of injury:
- Always drive with the head restra ints in
place and properly a djusted.
-
M N
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N ..,., ,....,
-Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adj usted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly ad justs their head restraint. Adjust
the head restraints so the upper edge is as
even as possib le w ith the top of your head.
If that is not possib le, try to adjust the head
restraint so that it is as close to this position
as possib le.
- Never attempt to adjust head rest raint
wh ile driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the dr iver head rest for any rea
son, first stop the veh icle safely before at
tempting to ad just the head rest raint.
- Children must always be properly restrained
in a ch ild restraint that is appropriate fo r
their age and size
q poge 152.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system con only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore properly
seated.
Improper seating posit ions can cause serious in
jury o r death . Safety be lts can only work when
they are prope rly positioned on the body. Im
p roper seating posit ions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and wi ll even increase the risk of
in ju ry and death by moving the safety belt to cr it
ical areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys a nd strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seating position . A driver
i s responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu
pants and especia lly for children. Therefore:
.. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seat ing pos it ion when the veh icle is being used
~ & -
The follow ing bulletins list only some sample po
sitions that will increase the risk of ser ious injury
and death . Our hope is that these examples w ill
make you mor e aware of seat ing pos itions that
are dangerous.
The refore, whene ver the vehicle is moving:
- never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
Dr ivin g s afet y
-neve r kneel on the seats
- neve r ride w it h the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- never s it sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- neve r put your feet on the instr ument pane l
- neve r rest your feet on the seat cush ion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Imp roper seating posit ions increase the risk
of ser ious personal in ju ry and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a prope r seating position and are
properly rest rained whenever the vehicle is
be ing used.
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
App lies to vehicles : wit h knee airbags
A WARNING ,-.=-
Always make sure that the knee airbag can in-
flate w ithout interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can increase the risk
of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the airbag deploys or by be ing pushed in
to you as the ai rbag deploys .
- No persons (children) or animals shou ld ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat. If the airbag deploys, th is can result in
serious or fatal injur ies.
- No objects of any kind should be ca rried in
the footwell area in front of the driver's or passenger's seat. Bu lky objects (shopping
bags, for example) can hamper or prevent
p roper deployment o f the a irbag . Small ob
jects can be thrown through the vehicle if
117
Driving safety
the airbag deploys and injure you or your passengers.
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 sure that all pedals move freely without in
terference and that nothing prevents them from returning to their original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
a nd can be secured with floor mat fasteners .
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav
el is required to bring the vehicle to a full stop.
_&. WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri
ous injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver's foot
well. An object could get into the pedal area and interfere with pedal function . In case of
sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake or accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fa ll or
move into the dr iver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely at
tached to the floor mat fasteners and do not in
terfere with the free movement of the pedals .
.,. Make sure that the floor mats are properly se-
cured and cannot move and interfere with the
pedals ~.&_ .
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position. You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi
dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi .
118
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Properly securing the floor
mats will prevent them from sliding into posi
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im
pair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.
_&. WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of
serious personal injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are prop
erly secured.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be
properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the ped
als or the ability to control the vehicle.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already installed
floor mats. Addit ional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals.
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for cleaning.
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall
into the driver footwell while the vehicle is moving. Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and acce lerator pedal caus
ing a loss of vehicle control.
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
Al/ luggage and other objects must be properly stowed and secured in the luggage compart
ment .
Fig. 131 Safe load positioning: place heavy ob jects as low
-M N 0 oL CD m
and as far fo rward as possible. ...
M N
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N 1.1'1 ,....,
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly , changing vehicle handling charac
ter istics . Loose items can also increase the risk of
serious personal injury in a sudden veh icle ma
neuver or in a collis ion.
~ Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com
partment.
~ Always place and properly secure heavy items in
the luggage compartment as low and as far for
ward as poss ible
c:> fig . 131 .
~ Secure luggage us ing the tie-downs provided
<=:> page 66 .
~ Make sure that the rea r seatback is secu rely
latched in p lace.
A WARNING ,~ -
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly through the vehicle causing serious per
sonal injury in the event of hard braking or an
accident . To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Always put objects, for examp le, luggage or
other heavy items in the luggage compart
ment.
-Always secure objects in the luggage com
partment us ing the tie-down eye lets and
suitable straps .
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehi
cle handles. To he lp reduce the risk of a loss
of control leading to ser ious persona l inju ry:
- Always keep in m ind when transporting
heavy objects, t hat a change in the ce nter of
gravity ca n also cause changes in vehicle
hand ling:
- Always distribute the load as even ly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as possible .
- Never exceed the Gross Ax le Weight Rating
o r the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance sticker on the left
door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight
standards can cause the vehicle to slide and hand le different ly .
Dr ivin g s afet y
-Please observe information on safe driving
c:> page 113.
A WARNING
-To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed wh ile driving .
- Never transport objects larger than those
fitting completely into the luggage area be
cause the rear lid cannot be fully closed .
- If you absolutely must dr ive with the rear lid
open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power top,
- Open all a ir outlets in the instrument pan-
el ,
- Switch off the air rec irculat ion,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed .
A WARNING ~
Always make sure that the doo rs, all windows,
the power top and the rear lid are securely
closed and locked to reduce the risk of injury
when the vehicle is not being used.
- Afte r closing the rear lid, always make sure
that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended espe cially with the rea r lid left open. A child
could cr awl into the ve hicle through the lug
g age compartmen t and close the re ar lid be
coming trapped and unable to get out . Be
ing trapped in a veh icle can lead to serious
pe rsonal injury .
- Never let c hildren play in or around the vehi
cle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compa rtment . Vehicle occupants must al
ways be properly restrained in one of the ve
h icle's seating posit ions.
(D Tips
- Air circu lation helps to reduce win dow fog
ging . Stale air escapes to the outs ide
through vents i n the t rim panel. Be sure to
keep these slots free and open .
119
Driving safet y
- The tire pressure must cor respond to the
l oad . The tire press ure is shown on the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure labe l is lo
cated on the driver's s ide B-pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its max imum capacity weight and the t ires that
were on you r vehicle at the time it was man
ufa ctu red. For re comme nded ti re p ress ures
fo r normal load cond itions, please see chap
ter
<=> page 219 .
Tie-downs
Applies to vehicles: with tie-downs
The Luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure Luggage and other i tems.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
<=> page 118, Loading the luggage compartment.
In a coll is io n, the laws of phys ics mean that even
smaller items that are loose in the vehicle w ill
become heavy m iss iles that can cause serious in
jury. Items i n the vehicle possess energy which
vary w ith vehicle speed and the weight of the
item . Vehicle speed is the most significant factor .
For examp le, in a frontal coll is ion at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h), the fo rces acting on a 10-lb
( 4 .5 kg) obje ct are abou t 20 times the normal
weight of the item. This means that the we ight
of the item would suddenly be abo ut
200 lbs . (90 kg). Yo u can imagine the injuries
that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying free ly through
t he passenger compartmen t could cause in a co l
lision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to t ie-downs ca n fa il during hard
braking or in a collision and ca use serious pe r
sonal i njury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs i n
t h e luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or f ly ing fo rward as dan
gerous missiles .
- When the re ar seat bac krest is folded down,
always use suitable mounting s traps and
120
-
properly secure items to the t ie-downs in
the l uggage compartment to help prevent
items from flying forward as dangerous mis
siles into the passenger compartment .
- Never attach a child safety seat tether strap
to a tie-down.
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle
has a d efect which could cause a
crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediatel y in
form the Nat ional High way Traffic
S afet y Administration (NH TSA ) in
addition t o notify ing Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA re cei ves similar com
pl aint s, it ma y open an in ves tiga
tion , and if it find s that a safety
defe cts exists in a group of
v ehi cles, it ma y order a recall and
remed y campaign . Howe ver ,
NHTSA cannot become in vol ve d in
indi vidu al pr oblem s betw een you ,
your deal er, o r A udi of Am eri ca ,
In c.
To contact the NHTSA, you ma y
eith er call:
T el.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY :
1 -800-424 -915 3) or
1 -800-424-9 393
or you may write to :
Driving safet y
-the safety belts wit h be lt te nsioners
- the wind shie ld frame
- the rollover sensors
The active rollover protection system provides
addit ional safety in the event of a rollover. W ith in
m ill iseconds, sensors deploy two rollbars located
behind the headrests in the rear seats ¢
fig. 133.
The rollbars, reinforced windshield frame and
belt tens ioners help protect front and rear pas
sengers in the event of a rollover .
The rollover protection system functions when
the power top is both open and closed.
A WARNING
-
Do not use the area beh ind the rear seat
headrests
9fig . 132 as a storage a rea . Th is is
t he a rea whe re the rollbars dep loy. If the ro ll
over pro tect ion system is triggered, objects
placed there can be pro pelled th roug h the
ve
hicle and make it more difficult for the roll
bars to deploy . This increases the risk for seri
ous or life-threaten ing injur ies.
When is rollover protection deployed?
Rollover protection deploys in a collision or roll
over.
Depending on the coll is ion, sensors throughou t
the vehicle and the control mod ule tr igger the
rollover system to deploy.
For safety reasons, ro llover protect ion a lso de
p loys during front, side and rear coll is ions above
a certa in leve l of severi ty .
Retracting rollover protection
F ig . 13 4 Dep loyed roltba r wit h re lease loop .
122
Fig . 13 5 Deployed rollbar w it h power top frame facing up
ward.
If the rollover p rotection has tr iggered but the
vehicle was not involved in an accident, you can
retract the rollover protection yourself in an
emergency. Drive to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified repair facility immed iate ly to have
the malfunct ion corrected.
With the power top open
.. Pull the loop upward in the direction of the ar
row and hold it in place
9 fig. 134.
.. Slide the rollbar down .
.,.. Release the loop just before the ro llbar reaches
its end position by approximately 1-2 in . (3-5
cm).
.,.. Press t he rollbar down unt il i t stops.
.. Ma ke s ure the rollbar is secure be fore releasing
it .
.. Close the cover @¢
fig. 135.
.. Repeat t he proced ure on the other ro llbar.
With the power top closed
.,.. Sw itch the ignit io n on.
.. Press the conver tible switch to adjus t the co n
ver tible frame until it is vertical ¢
fig. 135 .
.. Pull the loop upward in the direction of the ar
row and hold it in place
9 fig. 134.
.,. Slide the rollbar down .
.. Release the loop ju st before the rollbar reaches
its end position (3-5 cm) .
.,.. Press the rollbar down unt il it stops .
.. Ma ke su re the rollbar is secu re before releasing
i t .
.,.. Clo se the cover @¢
fig. 135 .
.. Repeat the procedure on the other ro llba r .
.. Yo u can now close the power top again .