Seats and storage
General recommen
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger. Adjust
your seat properly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
- your body is properly supported thus reduc ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offe r
maximum protection
¢ page 108.
In the following sections, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for installing a child safety seat on the front passenger's seat. Always heed the informa
tion regard ing child safety provided in
¢ page 129, Child Safety.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury.
- Always keep your feet on the f loor when
the vehicle is in motion -never p ut your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the w indow or on top of the seat cush
ion! This applies espec ially to the passen
gers . If your seating position is incorrect
you increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident. If the
airbag inflates and the seating position
is incorrect this could result in personal
injury or even death.
- It is important for bo th the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of a t
Seat s an d sto rage 59
least 10 inches (25 cm) between them
selves and the steering wheel and/or in
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the airbag system can
not protect you properly. In addition to
this, the front seats and head restra ints
must be adjusted to yo ur body height so
that they can give you max imum prote c
tion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible be tween yourself and the s teer
ing wheel o r instrument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your seat may move unexpected ly, caus
ing sudden loss of vehicle control and
personal injury . If you ad just yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, you are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend that you adjust the driver's
seat in the fo llowing manner:
.,. Adj ust the seat in fore and aft direction so
t ha t you can easily push the peda ls to the
floor whi le keeping your knee sligh tly bent
c::> A in Why is your seat adjustment so im
portant? on page 59 .
.,. Adjust the seatback so that when you sit
w ith your back against the seatback, you can
still grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.,. Pos it ion the head restrai nt accord ing to the
occupant 's height
c::> page 62 . For maxi
mum protection, the top of the head re
straint shou ld be at least at eye level, pref
erably higher and idea lly level with the top
of the head
¢ page 94, fig. 100 .
A WARNING
Never place any objects in the dr iver's foot
well. An object could get into the pedal
area and interfere with pedal funct ion. In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate!
60 Seats and stor age
Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position .
To avoid contact with the airbag while it is de
p loying, do not sit any closer to the instru
ment panel tha n necessary and always wear
the three-point safety belt provided ad justed
correctly . We recommend that you adjust the
passenger's seat i n the follow ing ma nner:
• Bring the back rest up to an (a lmost) upr ight
pos it ion.
Do not r ide w ith the seat reclined .
• The idea l position fo r the head restra int is
with the upper edge of the rest ra in t l eve l
with the top o f your head
¢ page 62. You
sho uld
not lower the top o f the restra int be
l ow the level of your eyes .
• Place your feet on the floor in front of the
passenger's seat .
Adjusting front seats
manually
Adjustment controls
Applies to vehicles: with manual seat adjustment
Various controls on the manual seats provide
a wide range for individual adjustments.
Fig . 67 Adj ust ment contro ls : locat ions o n dr ive r's seat
CD Mov ing the seat forward or backward
@ Ad justing the lumbar support
® Adjusting the seat height
© Adjusting the seatback angle
Some of the contro ls are fitted on certa in
models only or they are optional equip
ment.
Adjusting the manual seats
Applies to vehicles: with manual seat adjustment
Position, angle and shape of the manual
seats can be adjusted to provide safe and
comfortable seating .
Reed and heed all WARNINGS¢.&. before
you adjust your seat.
Moving the front seats forward or
backward
• Lift the leve r CD¢ page 60 , fig. 67 and slide
the seat to the desired position .
• Release the lever and then move the seat
fu rther until you fee l and hea r it engage.
Adjusting the seat height
• Pull the lever ® up and pump it to raise the
seat.
• Push the lever down and pump it to lower
the seat .
Adjusting the seatback angle
• Lean forward to take your weight off the
seatback.
• Turn the hand wheel © in the d irection you
want the seatback to tilt.
,&. WARNING ,--
- Never adjust the drive r's or front pas
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
If you do th is w hile the veh icle is moving,
you will be out of posi tion. A lways ad just
the dr iver's or front passenger's seat
when the vehicle is not moving.
- Be ca reful when adjustin g the seat
height . Check to see that no one is in the
way, or ser ious injury cou ld result!
- To reduce the risk of injury in the case of
sudden b raking o r accident, front pas
sengers must never r ide in a moving ve
h icle with the seatback reclined. Safety
be lts and the airbag system only offer
maximum protection when the seatback
is upr ight and the safety belts are prop
erly positioned on the body. The more
the sea tba ck is reclined, the gre ater the
risk of person al injury from a n incorrect
seating position and improperly posi
tioned safety belts!
Power seats
Adjustment switches
App lies to vehicles: with power seats
The operating logic for the switches corre
sponds to the construction and function of the seat.
Fig . 68 Adjustment switches: locations on driver seat
The operating logic for the switches corre
sponds to the construction, the design and
the function of the seat . Push or pull either
switch in exactly the same direction you want
the corresponding part of the seat to move.
(!) Adjusting the lumbar support
@ Adjusting seat height and fore-and-aft po
sition
® Adjusting the angle of the seatback
Power seat adjustment
Applies to vehicles: with power seats
The switches can be moved in various direc
tions to allow precise adjustment.
Read and heed a ll warnings before you adjust
your seat.
~ &,.
Adjusting the curvature of the lumbar
support
"' Push the forward or rear depress ion on the
switch shell@~
page 61, fig. 68 to in
crease or decrease the backrest curvature.
Seats and storage 61
Adjusting the height of the lumbar
support
"'Push the top or bottom depression on the
switch shell(!) to raise or lower the support
in the backrest.
Moving the front seats forward or
backward
"' Press the switch @forwa rd or backward
horizontally.
Adjusting the seat height
"' Pull or push the switch@even ly at both
ends to raise or lower the seat.
Angling the seat cushion up and down
(front)
"' Pull or push the switch @at the front only
to raise or lower the seat.
Angling the seat cushion up and down
(rear)
"' Pull or push the switch@at the rear on ly to
raise or lower the seat.
Adjusting the seatback
"' Push or pull the switch @ in the same direc
tion you want the seatba ck to tilt.
LD._ WARNING
- Never adjust the driver's or front passen
ger seat while the vehicle is moving. If
you do this whi le the vehicle is moving,
you will be out of position. Always adjust
the dr iver's or front passenger seat when
the vehicle is not moving.
- Be careful when adjusting the seat he ight. Check to see that no one is in the
way, or ser ious injury could result!
- Because the seats can be e lectrically ad
justed with the ignition key removed,
never leave children unattended in the
veh icle. Unsupervised use of the electric
seat adjustments may cause serious in
Jury.
7 2 On the road
On the road
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel column
The steering wheel position can be continu
ously adjusted in height and distance .
Fig. 80 Lever under the steer ing colu mn
~ Push the lever Q fig. 80 -Arrow- ¢&_ .
~ Move the steer ing whee l to the desired posi
tion.
~ Push the lever against the steering column
until it locks.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be
tween your chest and the center of the steer ing wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 in
ches (25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steering wheel.
For detai led informat ion on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
Q page 61.
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjust
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury .
- Adjust the steering wheel column only
when the veh icle is not moving to pre
vent loss of veh icle control.
-
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that there is a min imum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel¢
page 92, fig . 99. If
you can not maintain this min imum dis
tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you properly.
- If physical limitations prevent you from
sitt ing 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
the steering wheel, check with your au
thorized Audi dealer to see if adaptive equ ipment is ava ilable .
- If the steer ing wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplemental dr iver's airbag
cannot provide as much protection in an
accident. Always make sure that the
steer ing whee l is aligned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel w ith your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o' clock posi
tions to reduce the risk of persona l injury
if the driver's airbag dep loys .
- Never ho ld the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands 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 driv
er's airbag deploys.
Ignition lock and ignition switch
Ignition lock
The ignition key starts or stops the engine.
F ig . 81 Ign it ion lock pos it ions
Igniti on off @
In position Q fig. 81 @ both the ignition and
engine are off, and the steering is locked .
T o
lo ck th e steering after yo u have removed
the ignition key, turn the steering whee l in ei
ther direction unti l you hear it lock into place .
You should a lways lock the steering whenever
II>
Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, child restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this section - for your own
safety as well as for that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the
features 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 dealer.
A WARNING
- Make certain that you follow the instruc
tions 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 available to the
driver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find it easily if you have
questions.
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
technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an
Driving Safely 91
accident. The following is a listing of just a
few of the safety features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- safety belt pre-tensioners,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features can work to
gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always properly adjusted and
properly used!
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
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,
before driving always:
~ Make sure that all lights and signals are op
erating correctly .
~ Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
~ Make sure that all windows are clean and af
ford good visibility to the outside.
~ Secure all luggage and other items carefully
c::> page 65.
~ Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
~ Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
~ Instruct passengers to adjust the head re
straints according to their height .
~ Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children¢
page 129,
Child Safety.
~ Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same¢
page 59,
General recommendations. .,..
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104 Safety belts
During normal driving the belt lets you move
freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped with a belt pre
tensioner that helps to tighten the safety belt
and remove slack when the pretensioner is ac
tivated. The function of the pretensioner is
monitored by a warning light
q page 15.
Switchable locking feature
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a switchable locking fea
ture that
must be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child seat. Be sure to read the
important information about this feature
¢ page 137.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious injury in an accident
¢ page 104, Safety belt position .
-Safety belts offer optimum protection
only when the seatback is upright and
belts are properly positioned on the
body .
-
- Never attach the safety belt to the buck
le for another seat. Attaching the belt to
the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause serious per
sonal injury.
- A passenger who is not properly restrain
ed can be seriously injured by the safety
belt itself when it moves from the stron-
ger parts of the body into critical areas
like the abdomen.
- Always lock the convertible locking re
t ractor when you are securing a child
seat in the vehicle
q page 139.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting
maximum protection from safety belts.
Fig. 107 Safety belt position
Standard features on your vehicle help you ad
just the position of the safety belt to match
your body size .
- height-adjustable front seats .
.&_ WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious personal injury in an acci
dent.
-
- The shoulder belt should lie as close to
the center of the collar bone as possible and should fit well on the body. Hold the
belt above the latch tongue and pull it
evenly across the chest so that it sits as
low as possible on the pelvis and there is
no pressure on the abdomen . The belt
should always fit snugly
¢ fig . 10 7. Pull
on the belt to tighten if necessary .
- The lap belt portion of the safety belt
must be positioned as low as possible
across pelvis and never over the abdo
men . Make sure the belt lies flat and
snug
q fig. 107. Pull on the belt to tight
en if necessary.
- A loose-fitting safety belt can cause seri
ous injuries by shifting its position on
your body from the strong bones to more vulnerable, soft tissue and cause serious
injury.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
¢page 102.
_& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt
buckle and the center console can cause
the sensors in the buckle to send the
wrong informat ion to the electronic con
trol modu le and prevent the Advanced A ir
bag System from working properly.
- Always make sure that noth ing ca n inte r
fere w ith the safety belt buck les and that
t hey are not obstructed.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supple
mental protection to properly restrained
front seat occupants.
F ig . 11 4 Drive r's a irbag
The driver knee a irbag is in the instrument
panel underneath the steering whee l
~ fig. 114, the airbag for the passenger is at
about the same height in the i nstrument pan
e l underneath the g love compartment.
The knee airbag offers additiona l protection
to the driver's and passenger's knees and up
per and lower thigh areas and supp lements
the protect ion by the safety be lts .
I f the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags
a lso deploy i n frontal collisions when the de
p loyment threshold sto red in the cont ro l uni t
is met ~
page 117, More important things to
know about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function,
safety belts he lp keep the driver or front pas
senger in posit ion in a frontal coll is ion so that
A irba g sy stem 123
the ai rbags can provide supplemental protec
tion .
T he airbag system is no t a subs tit ute for your
sa fety be lt . Rather, it is part of the overall oc
cupant restraint system in your vehicle . A l
ways remember that the airbag system can
only he lp to protect you if you are wearing
your safety be lt and wearing it properly. This
is why you should always wear your safety
belt, not just because the law requires you to
do so
r::;, page 100, General notes .
Remember too, airbags will deploy on ly once
and only in certain kinds of accidents -your
safety belts are always there to offer protec
t ion in those accidents in wh ich airbags are
not supposed to dep loy o r when they have al
r eady deployed, for example when your vehi
cl e strikes or is struck by another after the
f irst collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a s ubstitute fo r the safety be lt. The ai rbag
system works most effect ively when used with
the safety be lts. Therefore, always wear yo ur
sa fety belts correct ly .
It is impo rtant to remembe r that wh ile the
s u pplementa l knee airbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of ser ious inju ries,
other injur ies, for example, swelling, bru ising,
minor ab rasions and friction burns can a lso
occur when an airbag inflates.
The knee airbag system basically consists
of:
- The e lectronic control module
- Two in flatable ai rbags (a irbag and gas gen -
erator), one for the d river and one for the
front passenger
- The ai rbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignit io n is t urned off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
meas ured by the control unit is too low
- in side co llisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u are not sure of their "previous histo
ry." Old used tires may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when d riving, al
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam
age .
(D Note
-Please note that summer and winter
tires are designed for the cond itions that
are typ ic al in those seasons. Aud i recom
mends using w inter t ires du ring the win-
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be replaced)
of automatic tra nsmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory-installed equip
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to the width of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in
d icate a low sidewall for improved steering re
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the pa rt of the ti re that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead s eparation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Tire s an d wheel s 181
ter months . Low temperatu res signifi
cantly decrease the elastic ity of summer
t ires, which affects traction and braking
ability. If summer tires are used in very
co ld temperatures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, res ulting in permanent
ti re damage that can cause loud drivi ng
noise and unbalanced tires. Aud i is not
responsib le for this type of damage.
- Burn ished, polished or chromed rims
must not be used in winter weather. Th e
surfa ce of the rims does not have suffi
c ien t cor rosion pro te cti on for this and
c o ul d be pe rmanen tly damaged by road
salt or similar substances. This damage
is not covered by warranty.
Cold tir e inflation pressure
me ans the t ire press ure re commended by the
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire o f a des igna ted
size that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (k ilomete rs) at low speeds in
the three hour pe riod before the tire press ure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight o f a motor vehicle with
standard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, o il, and coolant, air cond i
tion ing and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
E xtra load tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher
l oads and at higher inflation press ures than
the corresponding standard tire. Extra load
tires my be ident ified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in-
ter~ces.
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