
182 Child Safet y
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 178 Tethe r ancho rs: attachment hook locat io ns
behind the rea r sea tbacks
The tethe r anchors for the rear sea ting posi
tions are located on the backside of the rea r
seatbacks
~ fig. 178.
A tether is a straight or V-shaped strap that
attaches the top part of a child restraint to
specia l anchorage points in the veh icle.
The purpose of the tether is to reduce the for·
ward movement of the ch ild restra int in a
crash, in order to he lp reduce the r isk of head
in ju ry that could be ca used by s tri king the ve
hicle interior.
Forward facing child restra ints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, a re required by U .S .
federal regulations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements.
These new performance requ irements make a
tether necessary on most new chi ld safety
seats.
A WARNING
Improper insta llation of chi ld restraints
w ill increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash.
- Always follow the instructions prov ided
by the manufacturer of the ch ild re
st ra int you intend to install in your Audi.
- Improper use of c hild restra int anchors
(including tether anchors) can lead to in ·
jury in a co llision. Th e anchors are de·
sign ed to withstand only those loads im
posed by cor rect ly fi tted ch ild restraints.
- Never mou nt two chi ld restraint systems
on one LA TCH lower anchor po int. -
Never attach two child restraint systems
to one tether strap or tether ancho rage.
- Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment.
- Never use child restraint tether ancho
rages to secure safety belts or other
kinds o f occupant restraints.
- Never secure or attac h any luggage or
other items to the LATCH lower ancho
rages or to the tether anchors.
- If you must install a rearwa rd facing
chi ld safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptiona l c ircumstan
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im
mediately insta ll the rear-fac ing ch ild
safety seat i n a rea r seating position and
h ave the air bag system ins pe cte d by your
Au di dea le r.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
F ig . 1 79 Tet her st rap: prope r rou ting and mou nting
Installing the tether strap
.,. Release or deploy the tether st rap on the
child res traint accord ing to t he child re
s traint manufa cturer's instructions.
.,. Guide the upper te ther s trap unde r or side
ways o f the rear head restraint~
fig. 179
(depending on the c hild restraint) .
.,. Attach the tether strap anc horage hook into
the tether anchorage.
.,. Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages .
.,. Tighten t he tether strap firmly fol low ing the
child r estraint manufacture r's instructions .
liJJ,

M N
0:: <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Releasin g the teth er str ap
"' Loosen the tens ion following the child re
stra int manufac turer's instructions .
"' Depress the spring catch on the hook and re
l ease it from the anchorage.
(D Note
If you leave the child restraint with the
tether strap firmly insta lled for severa l
days, this cou ld leave a mark on the up
holstery on the seat cushion and backrest
in the area where the tether strap was in
stalled. The upholstery would a lso be per
manently stretched around the tether
strap. This applies especially to leat her
seats.
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rear-facing child restraint sys
tems come with a tether. P lease read and
heed the child restraint system manufactur
er's instructions carefully to determine how to
properly install the tether.
A WARNING
-
A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat insta lled on the front passenge r seat
w ill be se riously injured and can be killed if
t he fron t air bag inflates - even with an Ad
vanced Airbag System .
- T he inf lat ing airb ag w ill hit the child
sa fety seat or infant carrier w it h great
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, or door.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circ umstan
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im
med iately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have t he a irbag system inspected by you r
Audi de aler.
Child Sa fet y 183
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number o f sources of additiona l
information abo ut child restraint se lection, in
stallation and use :
N HT SA advises t hat the bes t ch ild safety seat
is the one that fits your chi ld and fits in your
vehicle, and that yo u will use correct ly and
consistently.
T ry before yo u buy!
U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Admin
istration
Tel.: 1 -888 -3 27-42 36 (TIY: 1-800-424-9153)
www. n hts a .gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Tel.: (202) 66 2-0600
www.safe kids.o rg
Safety Belt Safe U .S .A
Tel.: (800) 7 45-SAFE (English)
Te l.: (800) 7 47-SANO (Span ish)
www.carseat.org
Transpo rt Canada Information Centre
Tel.: 1-800-333-0371 o r ca ll
1-6 13-998-86 16 if yo u are in the Ottawa a rea
http://www .t c .gc. ca/eng/ roadsafety/
men u.h tm
Audi Cu stomer R elation s
Tel.: (800) 822-2834 •
•

184 Audi pre sense
Audi pre sense
Preventative passenger
protection
A pp lies to veh icles: with Audi pre se nse
Audi pre sense can initiate steps to help pro
tect vehicle occupants in certain situations.
The functions described depend on equ ipment
installed in your vehicle:
Audi pre sense basic*
The following functions can be triggered in
certain driving situations:
- Tightening of the safety belts (for example,
during heavy braking) : the front safety belts
have reversible belt pretensioners. If a colli
sion does not occur, the safety belts loosen
slightly and are ready to be tightened again.
- Closing the windows and the sunroof*: the
windows and the sunroof* close leaving a
small open gap.
Audi pre sense basic functions can be trig
gered at speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Vehicles with Aud i drive select*: the deploy
ment time is adapted in
Dynamic mode.
Audi pre sense front (vehicles with
adaptive cruise control*)
Audi pre sense front includes the functions in
Audi pre sense basic. In addition, within the
limits of the system, the likelihood of a colli
sion with the vehicle immediately ahead is al
so calculated . If the system senses an immi
nent collision the following functions can be
tr iggered :
- Braking guard c::>poge
87
-Tightening the safety be lts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (leav -
ing a small open gap)
Audi pre sense rear (vehicles with Audi
side assist*)
Audi pre sense rear includes the functions in
Audi pre sense basic. In addition, the likeli
hood of a rear-end collision with the vehicle
coming from behind is also calcu lated.
If the risk
of a co llision is detected, the following
functions can be triggered:
- Tig htening the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (leav-
ing a small open gap)
Audi pre sense plus*
Audi pre sense plus includes the functions in
Audi pre sense front and Audi pre sense rear.
Error message
Audi pre sense: not available
Preventative passenger protection is not avail
able. See your authorized Audi dealer immedi
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
_& WARNING
-=
Audi pre sense cannot overcome the laws
of physics. It cannot prevent a collision. Do
not let the increased safety provided
tempt you to take risks. This will increase
the r isk of a collis ion and serious personal
in juries .
- The sensors cannot always detect all ob
jects. This increases the risk of a colli
s10n.
-Aud i pre sense does not detect people or
an im als or objects that are crossing the
veh icle's path c::> page
81.
-The radar sensor's vis ion can be reduced
by heavy rain, ice, snow, heavy road sp ray
and reflections from guard rails, tunnel
entrances, etc. These and similar condi
tions can prevent vehicles from being ac
curately detected and in some cases they
may not be detected at all.
(D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. This can affect the function of
the Audi pre sense system. Have your au
thorized Audi dealer check to make sure
that the system is working properly.

188 Intelligent technology
Anti-slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerat e and drive up hills .
Electronic differential lock (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive powe r to the o ther wheels.
This function is not availab le at higher speeds.
I n extreme cases , ED L automat ica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from ove rheating. EDL wi ll sw itch on aga in au
tomatically when conditions have returned to
norma l.
Steering recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the ve hicle by
changing the steering to rque.
In vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC also
he lps to stabilize the stee ring in critical s itua
tions.
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when
driving on curves . The front wheel on the in
side of the curve o r both wheels on the inside
of the curve are braked selective ly as needed.
This a llows more prec ise driving in curves. The
appl icable system may no t activ ate when driv
ing in wet or snowy condi tions .
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integrated systems can
not overcome the lim its posed by natural
physical laws. This is especia lly impor- tant on slippery or wet roads
. If the sys
tems beg in acting to stabilize your vehi
cle, you should immediately change your
speed to match the road and traffic con
ditions . Do not let the increased safety
provided by these systems tempt you to
take risks. Do ing so will increase the risk
of a loss of veh icle contro l, collision and
serio us pe rsonal inj uries.
- Always ad apt your speed to road, traffic
a nd wea ther conditions. The risk of los
ing con trol of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast, especially through
curves and on slippe ry or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead . The ESC and its integrated sys
tems cannot a lways prevent collisions -
there is still a risk of acc idents!
- Always accelerate with special care on
even, smooth su rfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even w ith
these assistan ce sys tems that cannot al
ways he lp to re duce the risk of loss of ve
h icle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR o nly wo rk correctly when
all four wheel s are equipped with identi
c al tires . D iffe ren t tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- Yo u may hear noises when the systems
descr ibed are working.
- If the ind icator lig ht
BJ or rJlll (USA
mode ls)/ l§J (Can ada models) appears,
t here may be a malfunction ¢
page 18,
r:!>page 18.

"' N
a:: I.J "". rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
Intelligent technolog y 189
Switching on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig. 180 Center console,:, OFF button
The ESC is designed to function in levels. De
pending on the leve l that is selected, the sta-
ESC levels
bilization function of the ESC is limited or
switched off. The amount of stabilization con
trol will differ depending on the level.
The following situations are exceptions where it may be useful to switch on sport mode to
allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is st uck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose g round
- Dr iving with snow chain s
Sport mode on ESC/ASRoff Sport mode off or
ESC /ASRon
Behavi or
The ESC and ASR stabili za- The stabiliza tion f unct ion The f ull stabil iza tion f unc-
tion funct ions are lim ited is no t avai lable~ &.. ESC tion of the ESC and ASR is
~ Lr,. . and ASR are sw itched off .
available again .
Operat ion Press the I~ OF FI button Press and hold the I~ OF FI Press the l.!7-OFFI button
briefly . button longer than 3 sec- again.
ands.
I n dicato r II turns on. II and Ill turn on. II turns off or II and II
lights turn off.
Driver m es- Stabilization control Sta b il iza tion control Stabilization c ontrol
s age s (
ES C): S po rt. Warning ! (ESC): Off. Warning! Re- (ESC ): On
Redu ced stabilit y duced stabilit y
A WARNING
-
cont rol system * or the adaptive cruise
control* is switched on.
Yo u should only sw itch sport mode on or
switch ESC/ASR off if your driving ab ilities
and road conditions perm it.
- The stabilization function is limited
when sport mode is switched on. The
driv ing whee ls could spin and the vehicle
cou ld swe rve, especially on slick or slip
pery road surfaces.
- The re is no vehicle stab ilization w hen
ESC/ASR are switched off.
(D Tips
- ESC/ASR cannot be switc hed off o r sport
mode cannot be sw itched on if the cruise
- If the rear spoi ler system malfunct ions,
sport mode may not switch on o r it may
switch off again automatically.

190 Intelligent technology
Rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling
and enhances driver control.
Fig. 181 Center console: Switch for rear spo iler
The rear spoiler deploys and retracts. Spoiler
operation can be set for automatic or manual
operat ion.
Automatic mode (normal operation)
-Automatic deployment: At a speed of about
80 mph (130 km/h), the rear spoiler deploys
automatically.
- Automatic retraction: When speed drops be
low about SO mph (80 km/h), the rear spoil
er retracts automatically.
Manual mode
- Manual deployment: Tapping briefly on the
switch
c:> fig. 181 deploys the rear spoiler .
- Manual retraction: At speeds up to about
10 mph (20 km/h), retract the rear spoiler
by pressing and holding the switch
c:> fig. 181 . At speeds between 10 mph (20
km/h) and 80 mph (130 km/h), retract the
rear spoiler by tapping on the switch
<=?fig. 181.
Indicator lights
I)/. Rear spoiler: system malfunction!
The rear spoiler may not have extended due to
a malfunction. This could change the vehicle's
driving characteristics at high speeds. Do not
exceed 85 mph (140 km/h). Drive to your au
thorized Audi dealer immed iately to have the
malfunction corrected . The co lor of the indica
tor light depends on the veh icle speed.
A WARNING
-Driving at higher speeds without the rear
spoiler deployed can impair handling char
acteristics, making the vehicle harder to
control.
-Always make sure that the spo iler is de
p loyed when driving at speeds over
85 mph (140 km/h) . If the rear spoiler
warn ing/ indicator light in the instru
ment cluster comes on, the rear spoiler
may not have deployed.
- Never drive at speeds higher than
85 mph (140 km/h) if the spoiler is not
deployed. Have the spoiler inspected as
soon as possible by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop.
- Always obey speed limits and other traf
fic laws.
A WARNING
Improper operation of the rear spoi ler can
cause crushing injuries.
- Always make sure that nobody, especially
children, is in the way when the rear
spoiler is deployed or retracted.
(D Note
- Never push the vehicle or apply force to
the rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
- To prevent damage to the rear spo iler do
not lean or place anything on it.
- Only operate the rear spoiler manually
when the rear lid is closed and the rear
spoiler moving parts are not blocked. Otherwise, damage cou ld occur.
(D Tips
Clean the spoiler compartment every 2 to
3 months. The spoiler compartment must
always be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debris.

M N
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating condi tions and d riv ing hab it s
The brakes on today's automobi les are sti ll
subject to wear, depending largely on operat
ing conditions and driving habits
c:> A . On
vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop
and-go city traffic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your author
i zed Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warr ant y & Maint enan ce bookle t. Failure
to have your b rake pads inspected can res ult
i n red uced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing
effect of the engine. This way, you prevent un
necessa ry wea r on the brake system.
If you
must use yo ur brakes, do not ho ld the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inter
va ls.
Moistu re or road salt
Unde r ce rtain conditions, for example, when
driving through wate r or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced d ue to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads . A
few careful brake app lications should dry
off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
When you are driving at higher speeds with
the windshield wipers on, the brake pads will
briefly touch the brake discs in regular inter
vals so as to improve reaction t ime when brak
ing on wet surfaces . You the driver w ill not no
tice anything .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean
off accumulated salt coat ing
from b rake discs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake
c:> ,&. .
t5 Cor ro sion
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
Int ellig ent technolog y 191
the d iscs if the car is not driven regu larly or
only for short trips with litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes a re not used frequently, o r if cor
rosion has formed on the discs, it is adv isable
to clean
off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
c:> ,&. .
Fault s in the brak e syste m
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal trave l, then one of the two brake
circuits may have fai led ¢
A.
Low brake fluid lev el
Malfunctions can occu r in the bra ke system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake flu id
level is monitored elect ronica lly.
Brake booster
The brake booster works with vacuum pres
su re which is created only whe n the engine is
runn ing ¢,&. .
Brake lining we ar s tatus
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the wheel. If neces
sary, the wheel may be removed fo r thi s in
spection ¢
page 263, Changing a wheel.
_& WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit .
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear or lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to b rake. This may cause the brakes to
•
•

192 Intelligent technology
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopp ing distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa
ter, driving in heavy ra in or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice ca n
accumulate on the brake pads, linings ,
discs and d rums . Carefully apply brakes
for a test . B rakes wi ll dry a nd ice coat
ings will be cleaned off after a few c are
f ul brake app lications .
- Dr iv ing fo r an ex tende d pe riod of time on
salt-covere d roads w ithout us ing yo ur
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
bra ke discs and pads w ith a few caref ul
brake applicat ions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct ed. Otherwise the brake system could
over heat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system .
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability res ulting in an in
creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to t he near
est Aud i dea le r o r q ualified w ork sho p.
- Never let the vehicle ro ll to a stop w ith
the e ngine shu t off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be p ressed conside ra
bly harder to make up for the la ck of
booster assistance.
Electromechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering .
Power stee ring adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Steer ing defective! Stop the vehicle
If this indicato r light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering
may have failed.
Do
not con tinue dr iv ing . See your author ized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
for assistance .
l;r-ij Steering: System fault You can continue
driving
If the indicato r light turns on and the mes
sage appea rs, the stee ring may be more diffi
cul t to move o r more sensi tive th an usua l. The
steering wheel may a lso be at an ang le when
driving straight .
Drive slowly to you r authorized Aud i dea le r o r
qualified wo rks hop to have the ma lf u nct ion
corre cted.
l;r,ij Dynamic steering: Initializing
If this driver message appears and t he indica
tor light is f lashing on the instrument panel,
dynam ic steer ing* is being rei nitia lized. Afte r
sta rting the engine, the stee ring wheel will
move s ligh tly. Re- ini tiali zation mig ht be ne c
e ssa ry if the stee ring wheel was moved h ard
to the left an d right wh ile the vehicle was not
moving . The display goes out as soon as initi
alization is complete.
D rive slowly to you r aut horized Audi de aler or
qualified wo rkshop to have the ma lf u nct ion
corrected.
A WARNING
Have t he dynamic stee ring * system mal
f u nction repa ired as soon as possib le by an
a uthorized Audi dealer or qua lified wor k
shop - risk of accident !
(D Tips
If the . or@ indicator light on ly stays
on for a short time, yo u may continue driv
i ng.
- The dynamic steering * sta bility systems
are not avai lab le in the event of a system
ma lf u nction.
- For add itiona l information on dynamic
steering *, refer t o
c> page 96.