68 Seats and stor age
tightly around the sack and its contents
¢ fig. 82.
-For safety reasons, do not t ransport
more than two pairs of skis in the ski
sack.
- You m ust sec ure the ski sack with t he
strap after loading.
- Make su re that all objects you are trans
porting with the backrests folded for
ward are secured. Otherwise they could slide aro und during sudden braking ma
neuvers and cause injuries.
(D Tips
- Never stow the sk i sack away when it is
still wet or damp (for example, snow melt ing from sk is) . Allow it to dry com
plete ly before stowing it away.
- When transporting skis or snowboards,
tighte n the securing strap between the
bindings .
- Position skis in the ski sack w ith the
po inted ends fac ing t he front and ski
po les w ith the pointed ends facing th e
rear.
78 On the road
This message appears if the master key is re
moved from the vehicle with the engine run
n ing.
If the master key is no longer in the ve
h icle, you cannot switch on the ignition after
stopping the engine and you also cannot start
the eng ine again . Moreover, you can not lock
the veh icle from the outside w ith the key.
Shift to P otherwise vehicle can roll away .
Doors do not lock if lever is not in
P.
This message appears for safety reasons
a long w ith a warning signa l. It appears if the
selector lever for the automat ic transm iss ion
is not in the P position when sw itch ing off the
ignition . Move the selector lever to the P pos i
tion, othe rwise the ve hicle is not secured
against rolling away . You also cannot lock the
vehi cle using the locking bu tton* on the door
han dle or using the remote key.
Convenience key defective! Use ignition lock
This message appears if the eng ine must be
started or stopped using the ignition key and
not the
I STAR T ENGIN E ST OP ! button .
Electromechanical
parking brake
Operation
The electromechanical parking brake replaces
the hand brake.
F ig. 92 Cen te r console: Parking brake
.., Pull on the switch @ c.> fig. 92 to apply the
parking brake. The indicator lights in the
switch and. (USA models)/. (Cana-
da models) in the instrument cluste r ill umi
nate. ..,
With the ignition switched on, step on the
brake peda l or the accelerator pedal and
press the switch @ at the same time to re
lease the parking brake . The indicator lights
in the switch and. (USA mode ls)/ . (Can
ada models) in the instrument cluster go
out.
Your vehicle is equipped with an electrome chanical parking brake. The parking brake is
designed to prevent the veh icle from rolling
u nintentionally and replaces the hand brake.
In add ition to the normal functions of a tradi
t ional hand brake, the electromechanical
parking brake provides various convenience
and safe ty funct ions .
When starting from rest
-The integral start ing ass ist helps you when
driving by automatically releasing the park
ing brake
c> page 79, Starting from rest .
- When start ing o n inclines, the starting as
sist prevents the vehicle from unintentional
ly rolling back. The braking force of the
pa rking brake is not released until suffic ient
driving force has been bui lt up at the
wheels.
Emergency brake function
An emergency brake ensures that the veh icle
can be slowed down even i f the normal brakes
fail ¢ page 79, Emergency braking.
A WARNING
If a drive rang e is engaged with the vehicle
stationary and the engine running, yo u
must in no instance accelerate carelessly.
Otherwise the vehi cle wi ll start to move
immediately -risk of an accident.
(0 Tips
-If the parking brake is applied with the
ign ition switched off, the ind icator lights
in the switch and - (USA models) .
(Canada mode ls) in the instrument clus
ter will go out after a certain period of
time.
86 Transmission
-Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury .
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running,
activate the parking brake and move the
selector lever to P .
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector
lever is in D/S or R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position
while the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never shift into
R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep slope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re
duces braking performance, increases
braking distance or causes complete fail
ure of the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it
in place with the brake pedal or parking
brake .
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch . The clutch opens auto
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload . An indicator lamp
l'§J illu
minates and a driver message appears
Q page 88 when the clutch is overload
ed.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake set
Q page 195. Otherwise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo- tion
, even with the parking brake ap
plied.
@ Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator pedal while a driving gear is selected. This can cause the transmis
sion to overheat and can damage it. Acti
vate the parking brake or press the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling .
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en
gine is stopped and the selector lever is
in N will damage the transmission be
cause it is not lubricated under those cir
cumstances.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re
leased automatically only when the driv
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines.
Hill descent control is activated when these
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmission automatically selects
a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill de
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach
ieved at the time of braking, within physical
and technical limitations. It may st ill be nec
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the de
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
Q page 81 , hill descent control is also activat
ed when the speed is set.
A WARNING -
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain a constant speed under all
M N
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u..
co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Audi adaptive cru ise control and brakin g guar d 97
-Always remember that the radar sensor
for the braking guard works only within
defined detection and range limits that
may prevent the proper detection of oth
er vehicles.
- The radar sensor's function and range
can be reduced by rain, snow and heavy
spray. Moving vehicles up ahead may not be promptly detected or may not be de
tected at al l.
- Reflective surfaces includ ing crash barr i
ers or tunnel ent ran ces may impair the
function of the radar sensor.
- You can cance l the braking that is initiat
ed by the system by braking yourself, by
accelerating noticeab ly or by swerving.
- Bra king guard error messages
<> page 97.
-Keep in mind that braking guard can
brake u nexpectedly . Always secure any
ca rgo or objects that you are transport
i ng to reduce the risk of d amage or in
ju ry.
Settings in the radio/MM!
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise co ntrol
~ Se lect: ICARI f u nction button> Car system s*
control button > Dri ver assist > Audi brak
ing guard .
Or
~ Select : I CARI funct ion button > A udi braking
guard .
System -
Switch Audi braking g uard On and
Off . When you switch the ignition on, the
message
Aud i braking guard off appears if
the system is sw itched off .
Early warning -The distance and app roac h
warn ings in the display can be switched
On /
Off .
(D Tips
-Your settings are automatica lly stored
and ass igned to the remote control key
being used at the t imes the settings are
made. -
If you restrict or sw itch off the ESC, the
braking gua rd also switches itself off
<> page 173.
-Switch braking guard off when you a re
loading the vehicle onto a vehicle carrier,
train, ship or other type of transporta
tion. This can prevent undesired warn
ings from the braking guard system.
Messages
App lies to vehicles : wit h Audi ada ptive c ruise contro l
Braking guard : Off
This driver message appears if the system is
turned off via the radio/MMI *. Otherwise, if
the system is turned off, the informat ion ap
pears every t ime shortly after the start of the
trip.
The driver message a lso appears if the system
is not ava ilable d ue to a malfunct ion or if the
ESC is not switched
on <> page 173. If this is
the case, the system w ill not prov ide warnings
about a poss ible collision.
Braking guard : Acti vated
T h is dr iver message appears if sharp b rake
pressure was applied due to an acute warning.
•••
Three white dots appear if a sett ing cannot be
selected w ith the operating lever . For exam
ple, this happens if you want to raise/lower
the speed even thoug h there was no previous
l y saved speed.
ACC: S ensor blo cked
This message appears if the sensor v iew is ob
structed, for examp le by leaves, snow, heavy
spray or d irt. Clean the sensor<>
page 90,
fig. 103 .
ACC: not a vailable
The driver message appears if there is a mal
functio n. The adaptive cruise contro l tu rns off .
A chime sounds as a reminder . Have the sys
tem checked by an authori zed Aud i dea ler or
authorized Aud i Service Fac ility.
ACC: unavailable ll-
112 Driving Saf ely
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 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 described 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 Audi dealer.
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 inte rest of you r passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important info r
mation will always be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passengers.
- 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 list of 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,
- be lt fo rce limi ters fo r the front seats,
- belt p retensioners for the seats,
- head restra ints for each seating posit io n,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- specia l LATCH anchorages for child re -
straints,
- adj ustab le steering column .
T hese ind iv idual safety features, can wo rk to
ge ther as a system to he lp p rotect you and
yo ur passengers in a w ide r ange of acci dents .
T hese features canno t work as a system i f
they a re not always correct ly adjusted and co r
rect ly used.
Safety i s everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Sofety is everybody's job! Vehide ond occu
pant safe ty alw ays depends on the informed
and careful driver.
F o r yo ur safe ty and the safety of your passen
gers,
before driving alwa ys:
" Make su re t hat all lights and signa ls are op
erati ng correctly .
" Ma ke sur e that the t ire p ressu re is co rrect.
" Ma ke su re t hat all windows are clean and af
ford good v isibili ty to the outs ide.
" Secure all luggage and other items caref ully
¢page 65.
"Ma ke su re that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
" Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly fo r your height .
" Inst ruct passe ngers to adjust the head re
straints according to the ir height .
" Ma ke sur e to use the r igh t chi ld res traint
correctly to p rotect children ¢
page 15 2,
Child Safety .
"Sit prope rly in your seat and ma ke sure t hat
your passengers do the same ¢
page 60,
Seats and storage. ..,
"' N
a: LL co
rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
-Passengers must always sit in an upright
posit ion 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
passenge r's breastbone and the instru
ment pane l.
- Ea ch passenger must always sit on a seat
of the ir own and properly fasten and
wear the safety bel t be long ing to that
seat .
- Before driv ing, a lways adj ust the front
passenger seat and head restra int prop
er ly .
- Always keep your feet on the f loor 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 w ill not be ab le to protect you prop
er ly 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 ti lted back, the greater the risk of in
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi
t io n.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
c::> page 152 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
o n t he front pas senge r sea t
c::> page 131.
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 seat ing pos ition in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas-
Dr ivin g Sa fely 115
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
'" Make su re that the seatba ck is secure ly
la tched in the up right position
c::> page 66.
'" Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
'" Fasten and wear safety belts proper ly
c::> page 126 .
'"Make sure that children are always properly
restrai ned in a child restraint that is appro
pr iate for the ir s ize and age
c::> page 152.
.&, WARNING
Passengers who are imp roperly seated on
the rea r seat can be seriously i njured in a
crash.
- Each passenge r must always si t 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 sea tback is sec urely latch
ed in the upright position and the safety
be lts are properly positioned on the
body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
inj ury from improperly positioned safety
be lts!
Proper adjustment of head restraints
App lies to vehicles: with adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im
portant part of your vehicle's occupant re
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations .
Fig . 1 32 Head restra int: vi ewed from the front
M N
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co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee a irbag can
inflate without interference . Objects be
tween yourself and the airbag can increase
the risk of inju ry in an acc ident by interfer
ing w ith the way the a irbag deploys or by
be ing p ush ed into you as the airbag de
ploys .
- No persons (ch ild ren) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas
senger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can result in serious or fata l injuries .
- No objec ts of any k ind sho uld be car ried
in t he footwell area in front of the driv
er's or passenger's seat . B ulky objects
(shopping bags, for example) can ham
per or prevent proper deployment of the
airbag . Small objects can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you o r 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.
M ake sure t hat all pedals move freely witho ut
in te rference and th at nothing prevents them
from returning to the ir origina l positions.
Only use floo r mats that leave the peda l area
free and can be secured w it h floor mat fas ten
e rs.
If a b rake circuit fails, increased b rake pedal
travel is req uired to br ing the vehi cle to a full
stop.
Dr iving S afel y 117
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can cause
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk
of ser ious inju ry .
- Never p lace any objects in the drive r's
footwell . An ob ject cou ld get into the
pedal area and inte rfe re with pedal func
tion . In case of sudde n bra ki ng o r an ac
cident, yo u wo uld not be a ble to brake or
ac celer ate!
- Always ma ke su re tha t no thing can fall
or m ove into the driver's footwel l.
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 s ure that the floor mats are prope rly
secured and cannot move and inte rfe re with
t he ped als~ ,&. .
U se on ly floor mats that leave the pedal area
unobst ructed and that are firmly secu red so
that they cannot slip o ut of posi tion . You ca n
obt ain suitab le floo r mats from yo ur aut ho r
ized Audi dea ler .
Floor mat fastene rs a re insta lled in your Aud i.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be at
tac hed to these fastene rs . Prope rly secur ing
the floor mats will prevent them from sliding
i nto positions that could interfere with the
peda ls o r impa ir safe ope rat io n of yo ur vehicle
i n othe r ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can result
in a loss of vehicle control and inc rease the
risk of serious persona l injury.
- Always ma ke s ure that floo r mats a re
properly secu red.
- Never p lace or ins tall floor mats o r other
f loor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be properly secured in p lace to prevent
them from slipping and interfer ing with
~
•
•
118 Driving Safely
the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already instal
led floor mats. Additional 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 clean
ing.
- Always make sure that objects cannot
fall into the driver footwell while the ve
hicle is moving. Objects can become
trapped under the brake pedal and accel
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com
portment.
Fig. 133 Safe load pos itio nin g: place heavy objects as
low a nd as fa r forward as possible.
-M N 0 u.
l:l
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics . Loose items can also increase
the risk o f serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle 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 possible
cc> fig . 133 .
... Secure luggage using the tie-downs provid
ed
c:> poge 67.
... 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 accident. To help reduce the risk
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 using the tie-down eyelets
and suitable straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve
hicle 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
vehicle 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
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently .
- Please observe information on safe driv
ing
~ page 112.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always
keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
~