2015 AUDI S3 airbag

74 Driving
Driving
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel position
The steering wheel position is fully adjustable
up and down and forward and bock .
Fig. 69 Steering column: stee ring column adjustmen t
lever
.. Tilt the lever ¢ fig. 69 downward ¢ &_.
.. Bring the steering wheel into the desired
position .
.. Push the lever against the steering column
until it latches .
_& WARNING
Incorrect use of the steer ing whee l adjust­
ment and an incorrect seating position can
cause serious injuries.
- Only adjust the steering column when
the vehicle is stationary so that you do
not Lose control of the vehicle .
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that there is at least 10 inches
(25 cm) distance between your chest and
the steering wheel~
page 126,
fig. 114.
If you do not maintain this dis­
tance, the airbag system will not be able
to provide its full protect ion
<=> page 126, fig. 114.
- If your phys ical characteristics prevent
you from sitting at least 10 inches
(25 cm) or more away from the steer ing
wheel, see if your authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility can
provide adapters that will help.
- If your face is level with the steering
wheel, the airbag does not provide as much protection during a co
llision. Al­
ways make sure that the steering wheel is level with your chest .
- Always hold the steering wheel with your
hands in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock pos i­
tions to reduce the risk of injury if the
airbag deploys.
- Never hold the steering wheel in the 12
o'clock position or with both hands on
the rim or the center of the steering
wheel. Holding the steering wheel incor­
rectly significantly increases the r is k of
inj ury to the hands, arms and head if the
airbag deploys.
Starting and stopping
the engine (vehicles
with an ignition lock)
Starting the engine with the key
Applies to vehicles: wit h mechanical ignition loc k
The ignition is switched on and the engine
started with the key in the ignition.
Fig. 70 Ignit ion key pos itions
Steering lock
If the steering wheel will not turn, the steer­
ing lock is engaged.
To engage the steering wheel Lock: The selec­
tor leve r must be in the P position.
.. To engage the steering wheel lock, turn the
wheel until it locks when the ignition key is
removed .
.. To release the steering wheel Lock, insert
the key in the ignition lock and turn the key
in the -direction of the arrow-whi le turning
the steering wheel. .,.

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) ..,.,
M ..,., ,....,
Driving safety
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, airbags, ch ild restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is fo r us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this sect ion - for yo ur 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
feat ures described in this sections may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others. If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Audi dea ler.
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 interest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter­
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important infor­
mation will always be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find it eas ily if you have
questions.
- Always adjust your speed to the weather
traffic and conditions. Follow the speed
limits.
- Always drive in such a way that you can
stop your vehicle safely .
- Always adjust your speed to the general
flow of traffic. Fo llow the speed limits.
Dri ving sa fe ty 12 5
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance . Advances in
techno logy have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an
acc ident. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in yo ur Audi :
- sophisticated safety be lts fo r driver and all
passenger seating posit ions,
- safety belt pretens ioners,
- safety belt force lim iters for the front seats,
- safety belt he ight adjustment systems for
the front seats,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear seats *,
- side curtain ai rbags with ejec tion mitiga tion
features,
- specia l LATCH an chorages for child re-
straints,
- head restra ints for each seating posit ion,
- adjustab le steer ing column.
- pre sense basic* (preventat ive passenger
protect ion)
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to­
gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accide nts .
T hese features cannot work as a system if
they a re not always correctly adjusted and co r­
rect ly used .
Safety is ev erybody' s respon sibil it y !
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
b efor e driv ing alw ay s: ...
•
•
•

126 Driving safety
• Make sure that all lights and signals are op­
erating correctly .
• Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
• Make sure that a ll windows are clean and af ­
ford good visibility to the o utside.
• Secure all luggage and other items ca refully
c:::> page 64, c:::>page 62 .
• Make sure that noth ing can i nterfere with
t h e pedals.
• Adjust front seat, head rest rain t and mirro rs
correct ly for your he ight .
• Instr uct passenge rs to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height.
• Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect chi ldren
c:> page 170 ,
Child Safe ty .
• Sit properly i n your seat and make sure that
you r passenge rs do the same
c:::> page 57,
Front seats .
• Fasten your safety be lt and wear it properly.
Also ins truc t your passengers to faste n their
sa fety belts proper ly
c:> pag e 13 5.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving i s direc tly rela ted to the condi­
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver 's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted .
The driver is respons ib le for the safety of the
ve hicl e and a ll of its occupants . If you r ability
to drive is impaired , safety r is k s for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you a lso become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
c:> &_ .
Therefore:
• Do not let you rself be distracted by passen­
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEV ER dr ive when your dr iv 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 ad just your speed to road, t raff ic
and weathe r condit ions .
• Take frequent breaks on long t rips. Do not
dr ive for mo re th an two hours a t a str etc h .
• Do N OT drive when you are t ired, under
pressure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
-Impaired driving safety increases the r isk
of ser ious perso nal inju ry and death when ­
ever a vehicle is bei ng use d.
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig . 11 4 Correct seat ing pos it io n
For you r own safety and to reduce t he risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
me nd that you adjust t he d river's seat to the
f o llow ing pos ition:
.,. Ad just the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly p ush the pedals all the way to the floo r
while keep ing you r knee(s) slightly bent
c:>& ,
.,. Adj ust t he an gle of the seatba ck so th at it is
in an uprigh t position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive.
• Adj ust the steering whee l so that t here is a
distance of at least 10 inches
(25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and your breast bone
c:::> fig. 114 . If not possible, see your a u­
thor ized Audi dealersh ip about adaptive
equ ipment .
.. Ad just t he steering whee l so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag c over poi nts at your
ches t and not a t your f ace.
• Grasp the top o f the steering whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent .
• For ad justab le head restra ints : Adjust the
head restra int so the uppe r edge is as even
as poss ible with the top of your head. If that..,_

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
M 1.1'1 ,....,
is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible. Move the head restraint so that
it is as close to the back of the head as pos­
sible.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
Q page 138.
.. Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
Q page 58.
.&, WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce 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 breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver 's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per ­
sonal injury 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. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in­
flates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision.
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air­
bags are located.
-
Driving safety 127
-Before driving, always adjust the front
seats properly and make sure that all passengers are properly restrained .
- For adjustable head restraints: before
driving, always also adjust the head re­
straints properly.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat may move unexpect­
edly and you could lose control of the ve­ hicle .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion .
- Children must always ride in child seats
Q page 170 . Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat ¢
page 144.
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
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
pass enger to the following position :
.. 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.
.. Fo r adjustable head restraints: 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 re ­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
¢ page 129. Move the head re­
straint so that it is as close to the back of
the head as possible .
.. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts corr ectly
¢ page 138.
•
•
•

128 Driving safety
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 5 7.
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 air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright
position 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
passenger's breastbone and the instru­
ment panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lower part of the
instrument panel.
- 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
passenger seat properly .
- For adjustable head restraints: before
driving, always also adjust the head re­
straints properly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor 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 will not be able to protect you prop­
erly 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 tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion. -
Children must always ride in child seats
¢
page 170. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat
c> page 144.
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 seating position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas­
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
"" For adjustable head restraints: 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 re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
¢ page 129.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢page 138.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their size and age¢
page 170.
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on
the rear seat can be seriously injured in a
crash.
- 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 protec­
tion when the safety belts are properly positioned on the body and securely
latched. By not sitting upright, a rear
seat passenger increases the risk of per­
sonal injury from improperly positioned
safety belts!

130 Driving saf ety
Th ere fo re, wh enever th e vehicle i s
mo ving :
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never knee l on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up aga inst the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the w indow
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion o r
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Improper seat ing positions increase the
r isk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used .
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­ pants stay in a proper seating pos it ion
and are properly restra ined whenever the
vehicle is be ing used.
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
App lies to vehicles: with knee a irbags
A WARNING
Always make s ure that the knee airbag can
inflate without interference. Objects be­
tween yourse lf and the airbag can inc rease
the risk of in jury in an acc ident by interfer­
ing w ith the way the a irbag deploys or by
being pushed into you as the airbag de­
ploys.
- No persons (ch ildren) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can result in se rious or fata l injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried in the footwe ll area in front of the driv- er's or passenger's seat
. Bulky objects
(shopping bags, for example) can ham­
per or prevent proper deployment of the
ai rbag. Small objects can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys
and i njure you or your passenge rs .
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.
Make su re that a ll peda ls move free ly without
i nterference and that no thing preven ts them
from return ing to their or ig inal positions .
Only use f loor mats that leave the pedal a rea
free and can be secu red with floor mat fasten­
ers.
If a brake c ircu it fa ils, inc reased brake pedal
t ravel is required to bring the vehicle to a full
stop.
A WARNING
P edals that cannot move free ly can ca use
l oss of vehicle contro l and increase the risk
of serious injury.
- Never p lace any objects in the driver's
footwell. An object co uld get into the
pedal area and interfere with pedal func­
tion. In case of sudden braking or an ac­
cident, you wou ld not be able to brake or
accelerate!
-Always make sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwell.
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 sure that the floor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals
¢ A . ..,_

....,
N
0 > co
rl I.O
"' ....,
"' rl
occupant will slam violently into the steering
wheel, instrument panel, w indshield , or what­
ever else is in the way
c::> fig. 120. This impact
with the vehicle interior has all the energy
they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
additional protection. Airbags are not sup­
posed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Al­
though your Audi is equipped with airbags, all
vehicle occupants, including the driver, must
wear safety belts correctly in order to mini­ mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are always
there to offer protection in those accidents in
which airbags are not supposed to deploy or
when they have already deployed. Unbelted
occupants can also be thrown out of the vehi­
cle where even more severe or fatal injur ies
can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passen­
gers in the rear seats endanger not only them­
selves but also the driver and other passen­
gers
c::> fig. 121. In a frontal collision they will
be thrown forward violently, where they can
hit and injure the driver and/or front seat pas ­
senger.
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision . It's simply
not true!
Fig. 122 Driver is cor rect ly r est rain ed in a sudd en brak­
ing man euve r
Safety belts 13 7
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif­
ference. Safety belts help to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
applied to the body in an accident, and help
prevent the uncontrolled movement that can
cause serious injuries . In addition, safety belts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle .
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and
give them the benefit of being slowed down more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety
features engineered into today's vehicles. By
"absorbing" the kinetic energy over a longer
period of time, the safety belts make the
forces on the body more "tolerable" and less
likely to cause injury.
Although these examples are based on a fron­
tal collision, safety belts can also su bsta ntia l­
ly reduce the risk of injury in other kinds of
crashes. So, whether you're on a long trip or
just going to the corner store, always buckle
up and make sure others do, too. Accident sta­
tistics show that vehicle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of being
injured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident. Properly using safety belts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen­
tal airbags to do their job in a collision . For
this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in most countries including much of
the United States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags,
you still have to wear the safety belts provid­
ed. Front airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions. The front air­
bags are not activated in all frontal collisions,
in side and rear collisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is not enough deceleration
through impact to the front of the vehicle.
The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt
and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!

....,
N
0 > co
rl I.O
"' ....,
"' rl
_& WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehi­
cle is movi ng . Doing so will increase your
r isk of being injured or killed .
Adjusting the safety belt latch tongue
Fig. 127 Safety be lt: la tc h ton gue clip (exa mple)
.. Slide the cl ip so that you can easi ly reach the
belt latch when putt ing the safety belt on.
Adjusting safety belt height
With the aid of the safety belt height adjust­
ment , the three point safety belt strap rout­
ing can be fitted to the shoulder area, accord­
ing to body size.
Fi g. 12 8 Safety be lt heig ht ad justment fo r th e fro nt
seats -loop -arou nd fitt ings
;g 0 0 6
" m
The sho ulder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possib le and
should fit well on t he body
c::> A in Safety belt
position on page 140 .
.. Push
the loop-a round fittings up c::> fig . 128
@ , or
.. squee ze together the (D button, and push
the loop-around fitt ings down @.
Safety belts 141
.. Pull the belt to make sure that the uppe r at­
tachment is proper ly engaged .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNI NGS and
other important information
c::> page 138 .
{I) Tips
With the front seats, the height a djust­
ment of the seat can also be used to ad just
the position of the sa fety belts.
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause
severe injuries.
Wea ring sa fety belts improper ly can cause se ­
rious injury or deat h. Safety belts can o nly
wor k when they are correctly positioned on
the body. Imprope r seating positions reduce
the effectiveness of safety be lts and will even
increase t he risk of injury and death by mov­
ing the safety be lt to crit ica l areas of the
body . Improper seating positions also in­
cr ease the r is k of se rio us injury a nd death
whe n an airbag dep loys and st rikes an occu ­
pan t who is no t in the co rrec t seating posi­
t ion . A driver is respons ible for the safety of
all vehicle occupants and especially for chil­
dren. Therefore :
.. Never perm it anyone to assume an incor re ct
sitt ing pos ition in the vehicle while trave ling
c::> A .
A WARNING
Im properly worn safety be lts i ncrease the
risk of serious persona l injury and death
wheneve r a ve hicle is being used.
- Always make s ure t hat all vehicle occ u­
pa nts are co rrectly restra ined and stay in
a co rrect seati ng position whenever the
veh icle is being us ed .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS a nd
other impo rtant informat ion
c::> page 138.