M N
0:: <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
caused by airbags when they inflate, particu
l arly when the occupant sitting next to it is
not seated properly. The s ide a irbag for the
front passenger seat can be used with proper ly installed chi ld restraints. Please be sure to
read the important information and warnings
whenever us ing a child restraint in a veh icle :
Safety belts
c::;, page 130, A irbag system
c::;, page 139, Child safety ~ page 165.
The side airbag system basically con sists of:
- the e lectronic control module and external
s ide impact sensors
- the two airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests and the two airbags* located
in the rear backrest
- the airbag warning light in the instrument
cluster.
The airbag system is monito red elect ron ica lly
to make certain that it is functioning properly
at all times. Each time you switch on the igni
tion, the airbag system indicator light will
come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics) .
T he side airbag system supplements the safe
ty belts and can help to reduce the risk of in
jury to the driver's, front and rear passenger's upper torso on t he side of the vehicle that is
struck in a side collision . The airbag deploys
only in s ide impac ts and on ly when the veh icle
acceleration registered by the control u nit is
hi gh enough . If this rate is below the refer
e nce va lue progr ammed i nto the con trol un it,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
though the ca r may be badly damaged as a re
sult of the collision . It is not possible to de
f ine an a irbag trigger ing range that will cover
eve ry possible angle of impact, since the cir
cumstances will vary considerably between
one co llision and another . Important facto rs
in clude, for examp le, the natu re (hard o r soft)
of the impacting objec t, the ang le of impact ,
ve hicl e speed, etc. ~
page 1 60, Impor tan t
safety instructions on the side airbag sy stem.
Aside from the ir no rmal safety function, safe
ty belts wor k to he lp keep the d river or front
passenger in posi tion in the event of a side
Airbag system 159
collision so that the side airbags can provide
protection.
T he airbag system is
not a substi tute fo r your
s af ety belt . Ra ther, it is part o f the over all oc
cupant restra int system in you r vehicle . A l
ways remember that the side airbag system
can on ly help to protect yo u if you are wearing
your safety be lt and wearing it proper ly. This
is another reason why you should always wear
your safety be lts, not just because the law re
quires you to do so c::;,
page 130, General
notes.
It is important to remember that wh ile the
suppleme nta l side airbag system is desig ned
to r educe the likelihood of ser ious injuries,
othe r injur ies, for exampl e, swelling, bru is ing ,
friction bur ns and m ino r abrasions can a lso be
associ ated w ith dep loye d side airbags. Re
member too, si de a irbags w ill dep loy o nly
once an d only in ce rtain kinds of accidents -
yo ur safety be lts a re a lways there to offer p ro
tection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs o r even the lack
of ve hicle damage are not necessarily a n indi
cation of ove r-sensitive or failed airbag activa
tion. In some coll is ions, both front and side
a irbags may inflate. Remember too, that air
bags will deploy only once a nd only in certain
ki nds of col lisions - you r safety belts a re a l
ways t he re to offe r protection in those acc i
dents i n which a irbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have a lready deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignit io n is switched off
- in side co llisions whe n the acceleration
meas ured by t he sensor is too low
- in front-end collisions
- in rear -end co llisions
- in rollove rs .
In some types of accidents the front airbags,
s ide cu rtain airbags and s ide a irbags may be
t rigge red together. .,,. •
•
"' N
a:: I.J "". rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
-Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
deploy.
- Damage to the original seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air
bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer .
- Objects between you and the airbag can
increase the risk of injury in an accident
by interfering with the way the airbag
unfolds or by being pushed into you as
the airbag inflates.
- Never place or attach accessories or
other objects (such as cup holders., tel
ephone brackets, or even large, bulky
objects) on the doors, over or near the
area marked "AIRBAG" on the seat
backrests .
- Such objects and accessories can be come dangerous projectiles and cause
injury when the supplemental side air
bag deploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the
deployment space between them and
the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position.
- Always use the built-in coat hooks only
for lightweight clothing. Never leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the
pockets that may interfere with side air
bag deployment and can cause personal
injury in an accident.
- Always prevent the side airbags from be
ing damaged by heavy objects knocking
against or hitting the sides of the seat
backs.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once. If the airbag has been triggered,
the system must be replaced by an au
thorized Audi dealership.
- Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to
the original seat covers or to the seam in
the area of the side airbag module must
always be repaired immediately by an au
thorized Audi dealer.
Airbag system 161
-If children are seated improperly, their
risk of injury increases in the case of an
accident
Q page 165, Child Safety.
- Never attempt to modify any compo
nents of the airbag system in any way .
- In a side collision, side airbags will not
function properly if sensors cannot cor
rectly measure increasing air pressure in
side the doors when air escapes through
larger, unclosed openings in the door
panel.
- Never drive with interior door trim pan els removed.
- Never drive when parts have been re
moved from the inside door panel and
the openings they leave have not been
properly closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly
closed.
- Always make certain that openings are
covered or filled if additional speakers
or other equipment is installed in the
inside door panels.
- Always have work on the doors done by
an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop .
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain a irbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide
supplemental protection to properly restrain
ed occupants.
Fig. 167 Sid e curta in airbag s, driver's sid e: s ide curta in
airbag locatio n ....
162 Airbag sys tem
The side curtain airbags are located on both
sides of the interior above the front and rear
side windows ~
fig. 167. They are ident ified
by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshie ld
frame and the center roof p illar.
The side curtain airbag system supp lements
the safety belts and can help to reduce the
risk of injury for occupants' heads and upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck
in a side co llision . The side curtain airbag in
flates in s ide impacts and only when the veh i
cle acce lerat ion reg istered by the contro l unit
is high enoug h. If th is rate is below the refe r
ence va lue programmed i nto the control un it,
the side curtain airbag wi ll not be triggered,
even though the car may be badly damaged as
a result of the collision . It is not possible to
define an airbag triggering range that will
cover every possible angle of impact, since the
circumstances will vary cons iderably between
one co llision and another. Important factors
i nclude, for example, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the ang le of impact,
vehi cle speed, etc.
~ page 163, How side cur
tain airbags work.
As ide from the ir normal safety function, safe
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a co lli
sion so that the side curta in airbags can pro
vide protection.
The airbag system is not a subst itute for you r
safety belt. Rathe r, it is pa rt of the overall oc
cupant res traint system in your ve hicle. Al
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety be lt and wearing it properly. This
is another reason why you sho uld always wear
your safety belts, not just because the law re
qu ires you to do so
Q page 130, General
notes.
It is important to remember that while the
side curta in a irbag system is designed to help
reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swell ing, bruisi ng, fric
tion burns and m ino r abrasions can also be as
sociated with these a irbags upon deployment.
Remembe r too, these airbags w ill dep loy only once and on
ly in certain kinds of accidents -
your safety belts are always there to offer pro
tection.
The side curtain a irbag system basically
con sists of :
-The e lectronic control module and external
side impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side windows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
T he airbag system is mon itored e lectronically
to make ce rtain i t is func tioning prope rly at all
times . Each time you switch on the ignition,
the airbag system indicator light will come on
for a few seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag i s not activated :
-if the ignition is sw itched off,
- in side co llisions when the acceleration
measured by the se nsor is too low,
- in rear-end col lisions.
_&. WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide protection when occupants
are in the proper seating posi tion
¢ page 53, General recommendations.
- If the ai rbag ind icator light Q page 18
comes when the veh icle is being used,
have the system inspected immediately
by your authorized A udi dealer. It is pos
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should.
.
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.
194 Intelligent technology
Basically, energy management consists o f
battery di agno sis, idling current manage
ment
and dyn ami c ene rg y m anagement.
B attery diagno sis
Battery d iagnosis continuously dete rm ines
the state of the battery. Sensors determ ine
battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling curr ent mana gem ent
Idling c urrent management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing.
With the ignition switched off, it contro ls the
energy s upply to the various e lectrica l compo
nents . Data from battery diagnosis is consid
ered.
D epending on the battery's state of charge,
individual consumers are gradually turned off
to prevent excess ive d ischarge of the battery
and thus mainta in start ing capability.
Dynamic en erg y managem ent
While the vehicle is being dr iven, dynamic en
ergy management distributes the energy gen
erated according to the needs of the individu
a l components. It reg ulates cons umption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti
mal state of charge for the battery.
(D) Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
li mited.
- If starting ab ility is threatened, t he indi
cator
light (•i appears ~page 16.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the co ld time
of year. Abu ndant e lectr ical energy is re- quired, but on
ly a little is generated .
It is also
critica l if the engine is not r unning and electri
ca l components are turned on. In this in
stance energy is be ing consumed but none is
being generated .
It is in precise ly these situations that you will
notice energy management active ly regu lat
ing the d istribution of energy.
V ehicle stand s for an e xtended period
If you do no t drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, e lectrica l compo
nents a re g radually cut back or switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main
ta ins start ing capability over a longer period .
Some of the convenience functions may not
operate, such as the interior l ights or the
power seat adjustme nt. The convenience
funct ions wi ll be available again when you
switch on the ignition and sta rt the eng ine .
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for examp le, w ith
the engine turned off or use other MMI func
t io ns, the battery is be ing discharged .
If starting capability is jeopardized d ue to en
ergy consumption, the following warning ap
pears in the MMI d isplay:
Please sta rt the engine soon o r the system
will be turned off .
The warning indicates that the system will be
turned off automatically after 3 minutes . If
you w ish to continue using the funct ions, yo u
have to start the eng ine.
With the eng ine running
Although e lectrical energy is generated when
t h e vehicle is being driven, the battery can be
come discharged . This happens mostly when
li ttle energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
c h arge is not opt imal.
To bring the energy ba lance back into equili
brium, consumers which requ ire espec ially
large amounts of energy are temporar ily cut
back or sw itched off . Heat ing systems in .,.
202 Vehicle care and cleaning
Rinse the vehicle tho roughly again and let it
air dry . Remove any water residue using a
shammy .
S tu bborn depos its s uch as bird dropp ings or
tree sap are best removed with plenty of wa
ter and a microfiber cloth.
A WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents .
- To reduce the r isk of cuts, protect your
self from sharp meta l compone nts whe n
was hing t he underbody or the ins ide of
t h e whee l hous ings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef
fect may be delayed due to mo isture on
the brake roto rs o r ice in th e winter . The
brakes mus t be dried first with a few
c a refu l br ake appli cat io ns.
(D Note
- If you wash t he veh icle in a n au tomatic
ca r wash, yo u m ust retrac t the r ear spoi l
er if necessary, and fo ld the exter io r mir
r o rs in t o reduce the r is k of dam age. P
ower fo lding ex terior mirrors * mus t on
ly be folde d in an d out using the powe r
folding function.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle i n direct sunlight.
- T o reduce the ris k of damage to the sur
face, do not use insect removi ng spong
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo
nents :
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishi ng agen ts or
ha rd wa x.
- N eve r use car wash cycles that apply
p rotectiv e wax .
It can des troy the
ma tte fi nish effect .
- D o not place any st ickers o r magnet ic
signs on v ehicle parts painted w ith
ma tte fi nish paint. The paint cou ld be
d am aged when the stickers o r m agne ts
a re removed.
~ For the sake of the environment
Only wa sh the ve hicl e in facili tie s sp eci ally
d esigne d for th at pu rpose. Thi s will re duce
the r is k of dirty wate r contam inated with
oi l from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When clea ning and cari ng fo r individua l vehi
cle components, refer to the fo llow ing tab le.
The informa tion con tained there is s imply rec
ommendations. Fo r q uest ions or for compo -nents that are not listed
, refer to a n author
i z ed Audi dea ler or a qu alified workshop. Also
f o llow the inform ation fo und in ~ .&. .
Cleaning exterior Component Situation Solution
Wiper blades Dirty
~ page 49, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlights / Dirty Soft sponge with a m ild soap solution a>
tail lights
Sensors/ Dirty Sensors: soft cloth w ith a so lvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
so lution
Snow/ice Hand b rush/so lvent-free de -icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake d ust Acid-free special cleaning so lution
204 Vehicle care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
T ex tile s,
Stains adhering to Vacuum cleaner
Vin yl, the surface
A lcan ta ra Water -based stains Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
O il-based stains Apply a mild soap solutiona>, blot away the d issolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afterward w ith water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special stains such Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material,
as ballpoint pen, treat afterward with mild soap solutiona>, if necessary
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe po lish,
etc.
N atu ral leather Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solutiona>
Water-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dr ied stains: sta in remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oi l-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and sta in remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such Stain remover suitable for leather
as ballpo int pen,
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc.
Care Regular
ly apply condit ioning c ream that protec ts from
light a nd penetrates into the materia l. Use specially-col-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon part s Dirty Clean tlhe same way as plastic parts
a) Mi ld soap so lut ion : maximum two tablespoons neut ra l soap in 1 quart (I lite r) of water
& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with
water -repe lling windshield coating agents .
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in
creased glare. W iper blade chatter is a lso
possible .
(V Note
-Headlights /tail lights
- Never clean headlights or tail lights
w it h a dry cloth or sponge. -
Do not use any cleaning product that
contains alcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form.
-Wheels
- Never use any paint polish or other
abrasive mater ials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratc hes
must be repa ired immediately.
- Sensor s/camera len ses
- Never use warm or hot water to re-
move snow or ice from the camera
le ns. This could cause th e lens to crack . ""
218 Check ing and filling
fig . 188. With a cold engine, the coo lant
l evel should be between the "min" and
"max" markings . When the engine is warm ,
the leve l may be slightly above the "max"
mark ing .
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus
tration
9 page 213.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine
must be switched off .
The expans ion tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an e lectric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning l ight in the Auto-Check System
9 page 15 w ill
illum inate unti l you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level senso r, we
still recommend you check the coolant leve l
from time to time .
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a le ak in the cooling
system . In the event of coolant loss, the cool
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
I n a
s ealed system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald
ing from hot coolant by followi ng these
steps .
- Turn off the engine and allow it to coo l
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag .
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefu lly in
a counter-clockwise direction w hile ap
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap . -
To avoid being burned, do not spi ll anti
freeze or coolant on the exha ust system
or hot engine parts. Under certain cond i
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine coo l
a nt can catch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sea l
ant to your veh icle's engine coolant. Add
i ng radiator repair fluid may adverse ly af
fect the funct ion and pe rformance of you r
cooling system and could result in damage
not cove red by your New Veh icle Limited
War ran ty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Befo re you check anyth ing in the eng ine com
partment,
always read and he ed all WARN
INGS ¢ ..&. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page
211.
" Requirement: There must be a residua l
amo unt of coolant in the expansion ta nk
¢ (D .
"Tu rn off the engi ne.
" Le t the eng ine cool down.
" Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
t ank
9 page 217, fig. 191 and ca refully
twist the cap counter-clockwise ¢&,, .
" Add coolant m ixed in the correct rat io
¢
page 217, Coolant up to the MAX mark
ing.
" Make sure that the flu id leve l remains sta -
ble . Add more coo la nt if necessary .
" Twist the cap o n again
tightly .
Replacement engine coo lant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions ¢
page 217, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant add i-
tive
Gl2++, Gl3 or in an emergency Gl2 +. Do
not use a d ifferent addit ive . In an emergency
use p la in water until you can get the correct
additive and can resto re the co rrect rat io . This
shou ld be done as soon as possib le. .,..