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@ Tips
- You can open the pass-through from the
luggage compartment. Push the release
button down and push the cover forward.
- You can lock or unlock the pass-through us
ing the mechanical key. This prevents any
access to the luggage compartment from
the vehicle interior.
Securing the ski sack
Applies to vehicles: with sk i sack
The ski sock must be secured in the luggage com
portment.
Fig. 70 Luggage compartment: Securing the ski sack
Fig. 71 Rear bench seat: securing the ski sack
There are two straps with hooks on the bottom
side of the ski sack~
fig. 70@. There is also a
securing strap®~
fig. 71 on the sack.
~ To secure the ski sack in the luggage compart
ment, hang the hooks in the rear tie-downs
C?fig. 70.
~ Tighten the strap on the ski sack to prevent the
objects in the sack from sliding
~ fig. 71.
Sea ts and sto rage
A WARNING
-- The ski sack is intended only for the trans-
portation of skis and other light objects . To
reduce the risk of serious personal injury,
never transport heavy or pointed objects in
the ski sack.
- When braking rapid ly or during an accident,
the load could be displaced and cause injury
to occupants.
- Sharp edges on the load must be covered for p rotection. Always fasten the belt tightly
around the sack and its contents~
fig. 71.
- For safety reasons, do not transport more
than two pairs of skis in the ski sack.
- You must secure the ski sack with the strap after loading.
- Make sure that all objects you are transport
ing in the pass-through are secured. Other
wise they could slide around during sudden b rak ing maneuvers and cause injuries.
(l} Tips
- Never stow the ski sack away when it is still
wet or damp (for example, snow melting
from skis). Allow it to dry completely before stowing it away.
- When transporting sk is or snowboards,
tighten the securing strap between the bindings.
- Pos ition skis in the sk i sack with the pointed
ends facing the front and ski poles with the
pointed ends facing the rear.
- You can lock or unlock the pass-through us
ing the mechan ical key. This prevents any
access to the luggage compartment from
the vehicle interior.
Parcel shelf
The parcel shelf behind the rear seatback can be
used to carry light items of clothing.
A WARNING
-
No heavy or hard objects should be placed on
the parcel shelf. They are a hazard to the vehi
cle occupants dur ing sudden braking. The is a
risk of injury.
~
65
When stopping at a traffic signal or stopp ing in
city traffic on vehicles with an automatic trans miss ion, the park ing brake can be applied . The
vehicle does not have to be held with the foot brake. The parking brak e eliminates the tendency
to creep with a drive range engaged . As soon as
you dr ive off as usual , the parking brake is re
leased automatically and the veh icle starts to
move.
Starting on sl opes
When starting on inclines, the start ing ass ist pre
vents the vehicle from unintentionally rolling back. The braking force of the parking brake is
not released until sufficient driv ing force has
been b uilt up at the whee ls .
@ Tips
For safety reasons, the park ing brake is re
leased automatically only when the dr iver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake system
fails or locks.
.,. In an emergency, pull the switch @c::, page 75 ,
fig. 79
and continue to pull it to slow your vehi
cle down with the park ing brake.
.,. As soon as you release t he sw itch @ or acceler-
ate, the braking process stops.
I f you pull the sw itch @and ho ld it above a
speed of about
5 mph (8 k m/ h), the emergen cy
b rak ing func tion is initia ted . The vehicle is braked
at all four wheels by activa ting the hydrau lic
b rake system. The brake pe rformance is s imilar
to making an emergency stop
c::, A .
In o rder no t to activate the emergency bra king by
mista ke, an audible warning tone (b uzzer)
sounds when the sw itch @ is pulled. As soon as
the switch @ is released, or t he accelerator peda l
is depressed, emergency braking stops.
~ &_ WARNING
0::
~ Emergency braking should only be used in an ......
~ emergency, when the normal foot brake has
N
"' ......
Dri ving
failed or the bra ke peda l is obstructed. Us ing
the parking brake to perform emergency brak i ng will slow your vehicle down as if you had
made a full brake application. The laws of
physics cannot be suspended even with ESC
and its assoc iated components (ABS, ASR,
E DS). In corners and when road o r weather
conditions are bad, a f ull bra ke applica tion
can cause the ve hicl e to skid o r th e rear end to
break away -risking an ac cident.
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep your
driving speed below a set speed limit.
T he speed warning system warns if the driver ex
ceeds a previous ly stored maximum speed . A
warning tone will sound as soon as the veh icle
speed exceeds the set speed by about 3 mph
(3 km/h) . At the same t ime, a warning symbol
appears in the display . The symbol's appearance
mig ht be different in some models .
The speed warn ing system has two warning
t hr esholds that funct ion independent ly of each
othe r and t hat have somewhat d ifferent pu rpos
es:
Speed wa rning 1
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maximum
speed wh ile you are driving. Th is sett ing will re
main in effect until you turn off the ign ition, as
suming that you have not changed or reset th e
setting.
The . (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
speed warning symbo l in the warn ing 1 disp lay
appears when you exceed the maximum speed .
It
goes out when the spe ed falls be low the stored
ma ximum speed.
The speed warn ing symbol will also go out if the
speed
exceeds the stored maximum speed by
more than about
25 mph (40 km/h) for at least
10 seco nds. The stored maxim um speed is dele t-
ed.
~
77
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(Neutral) for more than approximately 2 seconds,
without the brake pedal being pressed.
Release button
The release button on the selector lever prevents
the lever from being accidentally shifted into cer
tain positions. Depending on the direction of the
shift, the selector lever locks at different posi
tions . The positions are highlighted in the i llus
tration ¢
fig. 84.
Ignition key safety interlock
The key cannot be removed from the ignition un
l ess the selecto r lever is in the P park position .
When the ignition key is removed, the selector
lever will be locked in the P position.
Driving the automatic transmission
M N 0 0 .,:.
gi
Fig. 85 Shift gate on the center conso le: selector lever with
release butto n
Starting the engine
.,. The selector lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
.,. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.,. Press and ho ld the release button in the se lec
tor lever handle, select the desired selector lev
er position such as D/S and release the button.
.,. Wait briefly until the transmission has shifted
(you will feel a slight movement).
.,. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and ac
celerate.
Stopping temporarily
.,. Keep the vehicle stationary using the braking
pedal, for example at traffic lights.
.,. Do not press the accele rator pedal when doing
~ t hi s. rl
Automatic transmission
.,. To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you
start driving, set the parking brake when stop
ping on steep inclines¢ &_.
.,. The parking brake wi ll release automatica lly
and the vehicle will start moving once you press
the acce lerator pedal.
Stopping /parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position when
you open the driver's door, the vehicle could ro ll.
The message
Transmission: Car may roll! Shift
to park!
appears.
.,. Press and hold the brake peda l until the vehicle
has come to a complete stop.
.. App ly the parking brake¢
page 76.
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion ¢ &_ .
Stopping on an incline
.,. Always press the brake pedal to hold the vehi
cle in p lace and prevent it from "ro lling back"
¢ &_ . Do
not try to prevent the veh icle from
"rolling back" when a gear is engaged by in
creasing the engine speed ¢(D .
Starting on an incline
.,. Activate the parking brake .
.,. With the driving gear selected, press the acce l
erator pedal carefu lly. The parking brake will re
lease automatically if your seat belt is fastened.
Und er certain circumstances, such as driving in
the mountains, it may be useful to switch tempo rarily to the manual shift program in order to ad
just the gears to the driving conditions by hand
¢page 85 .
On s lopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position.
This prevents too much stress from being placed on the locking mechanism .
_& WARNING
-
-The vehicle can also roll when the engine is
stopped.
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause se
rious injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave your
~
83
Automatic transmission
vehicle when the engine is running, activate
the parking brake and move the selector lev
er to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To pre
vent 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, reduce
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 brak
ing distance or causes complete failure 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 automati
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload. An indicator lamp
5] illuminates
and a driver message appears¢
page 86
when the clutch is overloaded.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure these
lector lever has securely engaged and is
locked in P with the parking brake set
¢page 187. Otherwise, any increase in en
gine speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
(D Note
-When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac
celerator pedal while a driving gear is se
lected. This can cause the transmission to
overheat and can damage it. Activate the
84
parking brake or press the brake pedal to
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped and the selector lever is in N will
damage the transmission because it is not
lubricated under those circumstances .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re
leased automatically only when the driver'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 the selec
tor lever is in D/S and you press the brake pedal.
The transmission automatically selects a gear
that is suitable for the incline. Hill descent con
trol tries to maintain the speed achieved at the
time of braking, within physical and technical
limitation s.
It may still be necessary to adjust the
speed with the brakes .
Hill descent control switches off once the decline
level s out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
¢
page 78, hill descent control is also activated
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 conditions. Always
be ready to apply the brakes.
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Driving safety
Basics
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 summar
ized here what you need to know about safety
belts, airbags , chi ld restraints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1. Al
ways observe the informat ion and warn ings in
this section - for your 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 fea
tures described in this sections may be standard
equipment on some models, or may be optional
eq uipment 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 in
terest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owne r's Litera
ture in your Aud i when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important info rmation
will always be ava ilable to the driver and
passenge rs.
-
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy so
that you can find it easily if you have ques
tions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant re
straint system and work together to help reduce
the risk of injury in a wide variety of accident sit
uations.
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in tec h
nology have made a var iety of fea tures available
to help reduce the r isk o f injury in an accident.
Dr ivin g sa fet y
The following is a list of just a few of the sa fety
features in your A udi:
- sophisticated s afety be lts fo r drive r and a ll pas-
senger seat ing pos itions,
- be lt fo rce limi ters for the front seats,
- belt pretensioners for the seats,
- head restra ints for each seating posit ion,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- side curtain a irbags,
- specia l LATCH anchorages for child rest raints,
- adjustab le steering colum n.
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to
gether as a system to help protect you and your
passengers in a w ide range of accidents . T hese
features cannot wo rk as a system if they are not
always cor rect ly adjusted and co rrectly used.
Saf ety is ev erybody' s re sponsibility!
Important th ings to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen
gers,
befor e driv ing alway s:
.. Make sure that all lights and signals are operat
ing correctly.
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
.. Make sure that all w indows are clean and afford
good vis ibility to the outs ide .
.. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
Q page59.
.. Ma ke s ure that nothing can interfere with the
pedals .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct rear seat passengers to adjust the
head restra ints according to their he ight.
.. Make sure to use the r ight child restraint cor
rectly to protect ch ildren
Q page 150, Child
safety .
.. Sit p rope rly in your seat and make su re that
your passengers do the same
Q page 53, Seats
and storage. .,.
111
Driving safet y
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly . Al
so instruct your passengers to fasten the ir safe
ty belts properly ¢
page 120 .
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 road 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.
112
.
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 118 Co rrect seat ing position
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. 118.
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 123.
• 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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For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see ¢
page 54.
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 150 . Special precautions ap
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 128.
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 123.
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 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.
113
Driving safety
-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 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 panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in
crease the risk of injury 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 injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
r:=;, page 150. Special precautions ap
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat
r:=;, page 128.
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 ve hicle is 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 position
r:=;, page 63.
.. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢ page 123.
.. Make sure that children are always properly re
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and ager:=;,
page 150.
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash.
114
- 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 protection
when the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position and the safety belts are properly positioned on the body. By not sit
ting upright, a rear seat passenger increases
the risk of personal injury from improperly
positioned safety belts!
-Always adjust the head restraint properly so
that it can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
App lies to vehicles : wit h adjusta ble h ead r estra ints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
Fig. 119 Head restra int: v iewed from the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection.
.. Adjust the head restraints 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
¢ fig. 119 .
Adjusting head restraints¢ page 56 .
A WARNING -
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Driving without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not properly adjusted in
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury
dramatically. To help reduce the risk of injury:
Iii>