M N
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'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
Displaying the vehicle level
The current vehicle leve l is shown with seg
ments fi lled out in the segment disp lay @. If
on ly the bottom segment is filled out, the ve
hicle is at highway leve l. If all segments are
fi lled out, the vehicle is at high level 2 and has
the greatest amount of ground clearance pos
sible.
While the vehicle is being raised or lowered,
the target level is indicated by an arrow @
¢
fig. 191 or a white border @¢ fig. 192. The
arrow/border disappears aga in when the vehi
cle is at the target level.
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire
Applies to vehicles: with Adaptive Air Suspension
This mode must be activated in the MMI be
fore raising the vehicle with a jack or on a ve
hicle lift.
.,. Select: ICARI funct ion button> ! SETUP I func
t ion button >
Jacking mode. Or
.,. Select:
I CARI funct ion button > Car systems*
control button > Servicing & checks > Air
susp.: tire change .
The vehicle jack mode must be activated be
fore changing a wheel so that the automatic
control processes fo r the a ir suspension do
not make lift ing with the vehicle jack more dif
ficult.
The check lamp
II i n the instrument cluster
d isp lay illuminates in vehicle jack mode.
0) Tips
The vehicle jack mode is switched off auto
mat ically at speeds above 9 mph (15 km/
h).
Towing a trailer
Appl ies to vehicles: with towing hitch and Adaptive Air
Suspension
Automatic lowering is not desirable when
towing a trailer.
.,. Se lect: ICAR I function button> !SETUP I func
tion button >
Towing mode . Or
Adaptive A ir Suspension 161
.,. Select: !CAR I function button > Car systems*
contro l button > Vehicle settings > Air
susp.: towing .
As long as towing mode is activated, a vehicle
with a trai ler appears in the
adaptive air sus
pension
main menu.
Level Adjustment when towing a trailer
- Before hitching up the trailer and before ad
jus ting the tongue weight at the trailer, the
automatic or comfort mode
must be select
ed so that the ve hicle can be at normal level
¢ page 159, MMI settings.
-If driving in dynamic mode is desired, this
mode
must be selected before hitching up
the trailer and before adjusting the tongue
weight. However, note that your vehicle is lowered and ground clearance is reduced.
- If you have to dr ive under difficult road con
ditions, you can select offroad or lift mode,
after hitch ing up the trailer or after adjust
ing the tongue weight.
- If the veh icle is at
normal level, and you se
lect offroad mode wh ile traveling at speeds
higher than 22 mph (35 km/h), the veh icle
w ill not be ra ised. Offroad mode will appear
as the active mode in the MMI Display.
- If the veh icle is in offroad mode at
high level
1 ,
it automatically lowers to normal level
when the ve hicl e is t ravel ing at speeds ex
ceeding approximately 31 mph (SO km/h).
The vehicle is automatically raised to
high
level 1
again when the traveling speed falls
be low approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
Restrictions when operating with a trailer
When operating w ith a tra iler, the lift mode
can only be selected up to about 12 mph (20
km/h). Lift mode is automatically cance led
again when a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/
h) is exceeded.
If the vehicle is in automatic, comfort, offroad
or lift mode before the trai ler towing mode is
activated, the dynamic mode cannot be acti
vated.
If the vehicle is in dynamic mode before tow-
ing operation is activated, it can be driven in
IJI,-
M
"' 0 ..J
-
"' rl
"' rl
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com
partment.
Fig . 196 Safe load pos ition ing: place heavy objects as
low and as far forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics . Loose items can also increase
the r isk of serious personal injury in a sudden
veh icle maneuver or in a collision .
.. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment.
.. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as low
and as far forward as poss ible
q fig. 196.
.. Secure luggage using the tie-downs provid
ed
¢ page 83.
.. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle causing serious
personal injury in the event of hard brak
ing or an acc ident. To help reduce the r isk
of serious personal injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment us ing the tie-down eye lets
and suitable straps .
Drivin g Sa fely 169
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve
h icle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
injury:
-Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per
miss ible weight standards can cause the
veh icle to slide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driv
ing
qpage 163 .
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, a lways
keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transpo rt objects larger than
-
those fitting comp letely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fu lly
closed .
- If you absolutely must dr ive with the rea r
lid open, observe the following notes to
red uce the risk of poisoni ng:
- Close all windows,
- Close the Panoramic s liding sunroof *,
- Open all air outlets in the inst rument
panel,
- Switch off the air rec irculat ion,
- Set the fresh a ir fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
A lways make sure that the doo rs, all win
dows, the Pano ramic s liding sunroof* and
the rear lid are securely closed and locked
170 Driving Safel y
to reduce the risk of inj ury when the vehi
cle is not be ing used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es
pecially with the rear lid left open . A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Be ing trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious persona l injury.
- Never let children p lay in or around the
vehicle .
- Never let passengers r ide in the luggage
compartment . Veh icle occupan ts must
always be proper ly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging . Sta le air escapes to the o utside
th rough vents in the trim pane l. Be su re
to keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load . The t ire pr essure is shown on the
tire p ressu re label. The tire pressure la
bel is loc ate d on the driver's s ide B-pi lla r.
The tire pressure label lists the recom
men ded cold t ire inflat ion pressu res for
the veh icle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufact ured.
For recommended t ire pressures for nor
mal load conditions, please see chapter
Q page278.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop
erly ¢ page 169 , Loading the luggage com
partment .
In a coll is ion, the laws of phys ics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause se
rious injury. Items in t he vehi cle possess en
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of t he item . Vehicle speed is the most
s ignificant factor.
F or example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10 -lb (5 kg) object a re abo ut 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would sudden ly be
about 200 lbs . (90 kg) . You can imag ine the
injur ies that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item fly ing
fr ee ly t hro ugh the passenger compa rtment
cou ld cause in a col lision like this.
_& WARNING
We ak, damaged or imprope r straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur
i ng hard braking or in a collision and cause
se rious pe rsonal injury.
-Always use s uita ble mo unt ing straps an d
p roperly secu re items to the tie-downs in
the l uggage compa rtment to he lp pre
vent items from shift ing or fly ing fo r
ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rea r seat backrest is folded
down, a lways use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to hel p prevent items from fly ing for
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas
senger compartment.
- Never attach a chi ld safety seat t ether
s trap to a t ie-down .
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If yo u b eli eve that your vehi cle
has a def ect whi ch could cau se
a crash or could cau se injury or
death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway
Traffic Safet y Administration ""
17 4 S afet y belt s
_&. WARNING
-Sa fety belts are the sing le most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se
rious injury and death in a utomob ile acci
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
- Failure to pay attention to the warning
light that come on, could lead to person
al injury .
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles.
Fig. 198 Unbe lted occupants in a ve hicle h ead ing for a
wall
Fig. 199 Th e ve hicle c ras hes into the w all
The physical principles are simple . Both the
vehicle and the passengers possess energy
which varies with veh icle speed and body
weight . Engineers call this energy "kinetic en
ergy.''
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the g reater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" i n the crash. Vehicle speed is the most significant factor
. If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of this vehicle a re not
us ing sa fety belts ~
fig. 198, they will keep
moving at the same speed the vehicle was
moving just before the crash, until someth ing
stops them -here , the wall~
fig . 199.
The same principles 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 acting on the body can
reach one ton (2,000 lbs. o r 1,000 kg) or
more. At greater speeds, these forces are even
higher .
Peop le who do not use safety belts are also
not attached to their vehicle . In a frontal colli
s ion they will also keep moving forward at the
speed their veh icle was t ravell 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 .
184 Airbag sys tem
Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
• Be sure to read the important information
and heed the WARNINGS for important de
ta ils about ch ildren and Advanced Airbags
i=> page 203.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag System, make certain that
all children, especially those 12 years and
younger, a lways ride in the back seat properly
restra ined for their age and size. The airbag
on the passenger side makes the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to r ide .
The front seat is not the safest place fo r a
chi ld in a fo rward-facing chi ld safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for a n infan t or
a child in a rearward -facing seat.
The Advanced Airbag System i n your veh icle
has been certified to comply with the require
men ts of United States Federa l Mo to r Veh icle
Safety Standard 208 as applicable at the time
your ve hicle was manufact ured.
The Standa rd requires the fron t air bag on t he
passenger side to be turned off ("sup
p ressed") if a ch ild up to about one yea r of
age restrained in one of the rear-facing or for
ward-facing infant restraints listed in Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which
the Advanced A irbag System in your vehicle
was certified has been installed on the front passenger seat . For a listing of the child re
straints that we re used to certify compliance
with the US Safety Sta ndard
c> page 205.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the in
strument panel tells you when the front Ad
vanced A irbag on the passenger side has been
turned off by t he e lectronic control unit.
Each t ime you tur n on the ignition, the
PAS
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght will come on for a
few seconds a nd:
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied
- will stay on if there is a small child or child
restraint on the front passenger seat -
w ill go off i f the front passenger seat is oc
cupied by an adult as registere d by the
weight -sensing mat
r::!) page 193, Monitor
ing the Advanced Airbag System.
T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when the control unit detects a tota l weight
on the front passenger seat that req uires the
front a irbag to be turned off .
If the total weight on the front passenge r
seat is more than that of a typica l 1 year -old
c hi ld b ut less than the weight of a small
adult, the front airbag on the passenger side
can deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght does not come on). If the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on, the
front a irbag on the passenger side has not
been turned off by the elect ronic con trol unit
and can deploy if the control uni t se nses an
impact that meets the cond itions stored in its
memory .
For exampl e, the airbag may deploy if:
- a small ch ild that is heav ie r th an a typical 1
year-old ch ild is on the front passenger seat
( r egard less of whethe r the child is in one of
the child safety seats listed
r::!) page 205), or
- a child who has outgrown ch ild restraints is
on t he front passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on in
the instrument cluster and stays on.
The front airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght does not illum inate and stay lit) even if a
small ad ult o r teenager, or a passenger who is
not sitt ing up rig ht w ith their back against a
non- re cli ned ba ck res t w it h thei r feet on the
vehicle floor in front of the sea t is on the front
passenge r seat
c::> page 164, Proper sea ting
position for the driver.
If t he fron t passenger a irbag dep loys, the
F ede ra l St andard req uires the airbag to meet
the "low risk" dep loyment criteria to red uce
the risk of injury t hro ugh interactio n wit h the
airbag. "Low risk" dep loyment occ urs in those
crashes that take place at lower dece lerat ions ..,_
186 Airbag system
prevent them from providing any
protection.
- An improperly installed child restraint
can interfere with the airbag as it de
ploys and serious ly injure or even kill the
child -even with an Advanced Airbag
System .
- Always carefully follow the manufactur
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier.
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight regis
tered by the weight-se nsing mat and can
cause injury in a crash.
Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig. 2 08 Locat ion of dr ive r air bag : in stee ring wheel
Fig. 2 09 Locat ion of front passenger's a irbag: in the in
st rument panel
Your veh icle is equipped with an "Advanced
A irbag System" in complia nce w ith United
States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
( FM VSS) 208 as app licab le at the time your
veh icle was manufactured. The safety belts f
or the seats have "pretensioners" that help
to take slack out of t he belt system . The pre
tens ioners are also act ivated by the electronic
control unit for the airbag system.
T he front safety be lts also have load limiters
to help reduce the forces applied to the body
i n a crash .
T he airbag for the drive r is in the stee ring
whee l hub ¢
fig. 208 and the airbag for the
front passenger is in the instr ument panel
~ fig. 209 . The general locat ion of the a irbags
is marked "AIRBAG".
T here is a lot you nee d to know about the ai r
bags in your vehicle . We urge you to read the
detailed information about airbags, safety
belts and child safety in this and the other
chapters that make up the owner's literature.
P lease be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they
are extremely importa nt for your safety and
the safety of you r passengers, especially in
fants and small chi ldren.
_&. WARNING
Neve r rely on airbags alo ne for p rotection.
- E ven w hen they deploy, airbags provide
only supplement al pro tectio n.
- Airbag work most effect ive ly when used
with p roperly wor n safety bel ts.
- Therefore, always wea r you r safety belts
a nd make sure tha t eve rybody in your ve
h icle is properly res trained.
_&. WARNING
A pe rso n on the fron t passenger seat, es
pe cial ly infa nts and sm all ch ildren, w ill re
ceive serio us inju ries and can even be kil-
l ed by being too close to the airbag when
it inflates .
- A lthough t he Advanced Airbag System in
your veh icle is des igned to tur n off the
front passenge r airbag if an infant or a
small child is on the front passenger
seat, nobody can absolutely guarantee
-
that deployme nt under these special ..,
M N
0 ...J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
conditions is impossible in all conceiva
ble situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle.
- The Advanced Airbag System can deploy
in accordance with the "low risk" option
under the U.S. Federal Standard if a child
that is heavier than the typical one-year
old child is on the front passenger seat
and the other conditions for airbag de
ployment are met.
- Accident statistics have shown that chil
dren are generally safer in the rear seat
area than in the front seating position.
- For their own safety, all children, espe
cially 12 years and younger, should al
ways ride in the back properly restrained
for their age and size.
Advanced front airbag system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front Advanced
Airbag System in compliance with United
States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was
manufactured.
The front Advanced Airbag System supple ments the safety belts to provide additional
protection for the driver's and front passeng
er's heads and upper bodies in frontal crashes.
The airbags inflate only in frontal impacts
when the vehicle deceleration is high enough .
The front Advanced Airbag System for the
front seat occupants is not a substitute for
your safety belts . Rather, it is part of the over
all occupant restraint system in your vehicle .
Always remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you, if you are sitting up
right, wearing your safety belt and wearing it
properly. This is why you and your passengers
must always be properly restrained, not just
because the law requires you to be.
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
has been certified to meet the "low risk" re
quirements for 3 and 6 year-old children on
the passenger side and very small adults on
the driver side. The low risk deployment crite
ria are intended to help reduce the risk of in-
Airbag system 187
jury through interaction with the front airbag
that can occur, for example, by being too close to the steering wheel and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates.
In addition, the system has been certified to
comply with the "suppression" requirements
of the Safety Standard, to turn off the front
airbag for infants 12 months old and younger
who are restrained on the front passenger
seat in child restraints that are listed in the
Standard
~ page 205, Child restraints and
Advanced Airbags .
"Suppression" requires the front airbag on the
passenger side to be turned off if:
- a child up to about one year of age is re
strained on the front passenger seat in one
of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant
restraints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 with which the Ad
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle was
certified. For a listing of the child restraints
that were used to certify your vehicle's com
pliance with the US Safety Standard
~page 205,
-weight less than a thresho ld level stored in
the control unit is detected on the front pas
senger seat .
When a person is detected on the front pas
senger seat, weighing more than the total
weight of a child that is about 1 year old re
strained in one of the rear-facing or forward
facing infant restraints (listed in Federal Mo
tor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
was certified), the front airbag on the passen ger side may or may not deploy.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when the electronic control unit detects a to
tal weight on the front passenger seat that re quires the front airbag to be turned off . If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on, the front airbag on the passenger
side has not been turned off by the control
unit and can deploy if the control unit senses
an impact that meets the conditions stored in
its memory. ..,. •
•
188 Airbag sys tem
If the tota l weight on the front passenger
seat is more than that of a typical 1 year-o ld,
but less than the weight of a small adu lt, the
front airbag on the passenger side may deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on).
For e xample , the airbag m ay deploy if :
-a small child that is heavier than a typical 1
year-o ld child is on the front passenger seat
(regardless of whether the child is in one of
the chi ld safety seats listed
¢ page 205),
-a chi ld who has outgrown child restraints is
on the front passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the center
of the instrument pane l w ill come on and stay
on.
The front airb ag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not ill uminate and stay lit) if:
- a small adu lt o r teenager is o n the front pas
senger se at
- a passenger who is not sitt ing upr ight w it h
their back against a non-reclined backrest
with their feet on the veh icle floo r in front
of the seat is on the front passenge r seat .
I f the front passenge r airbag deploys, the
F ederal Standa rd requires the airbag to meet
the " low ris k'' deployment criter ia to help re
d uce the risk of inj ury through interaction
with the airbag. "Low risk" deployment occurs
in those crashes that take place at lower de
celerations as defined in the electronic control un it.
¢ page 193
Always remember: Even tho ugh yo ur vehicle
is equipped with Advanced Airbags, the safest
p lace for children is properly restrained on the
back seat. Please be sure to read the impor
tant information i n the sect ions that follow
and be sure to heed a ll of the WARNINGS.
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag
inf lates, a lways wear safety belts prope rly. -
If you are unrestra ined, leaning forward,
sitt ing s ideways or o ut of pos ition in any
way, your risk of injury is m uch higher.
- You will a lso receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if yo u are up aga inst
the airbag or too close to it when it in
f lates -eve n w it h an Advanced A irbag
¢page 182.
A WARNING "---
A child in a rearward-fac ing ch ild safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
will be serious ly inju red and ca n be killed if
the front air bag infla tes -even with an Ad
vanced A irbag System.
- Al tho ugh t he Advanced Airbag Sys tem in
your veh icle is designe d to tur n off the
front airbag when a rearward -facing
child restraint has been insta lled on the
front passenger seat, nobody can abso lutely g uarantee that dep loyment is im
possible in all conceivable situations that
may happen dur ing the usefu l life of your
veh icle.
- The inflating airbag will h it the c hild
safety seat or i nfant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
a nd child aga inst the bac krest, center
armrest, doo r, or roof.
- Always install rea rward-fac ing ch ild re
s traint s on the rear seat.
- If you must ins tall a rearwa rd fac ing
child safety seat on the fro nt passenger
seat because of exceptiona l circu mstan
ces and t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on an d stay on, im
mediately insta ll the rear-facing c hild
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
author ized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
-If, in except io nal circumstances, you m ust
i nstall a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenge r's seat:
II--