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General information
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide maximum protection if the front seats are corr ectly 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 quickly reach all the switches
and controls in the instrument panel
- your body is properly supported thus reducing
physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offer
maximum protection
Q page 138.
In the following sections, you will see exact ly
how you can best adjust your seats.
There are spec ial regulations and instr uctions for
installing a child safety seat on the front pas
senger's seat. Always fo llow the information re
garding child safety provided in
¢page 158,
Child safety.
A WARNING -
Refer to Q page 121, Driving safety for im
portant information, tips, suggestions and
warnings that you should read and follow for
your own safety and the safety of yo ur pas
senge rs.
A WARNING
Incorrect seat ing position of the driver and all
other passengers can result in serious person
al injury .
- Always keep yo ur feet on the floor when the
vehicle is in motion -never pu t your feet on
top of the instrument pane l, out o f the win
dow or on top of the seat cushion. This ap
plies especially to the passengers. If your
seating pos it ion is incorrect, you increase
the risk of injury in the case of sudden brak
ing or an accident. If the airbag inflates and
Seat s and sto rage
the seating position is incorrect, this could
result in persona l injury or even death.
- It is important for both the driver and front
passenger to keep a distance of at least
10 inches (25 cm) between themselves and
the steering wheel and/or instrument pan
el. If you're sitt ing any closer than this, the
airbag system cannot protect you properly.
In addition, the front seats and head re
stra ints must be adjusted to you r body
he ight so that they can g ive you maximum
p rotection.
- Always try to keep as much dis tance as pos
sible between yourself and the steer ing
wheel or instrument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's o r front passeng
er 's seat while the veh icle is moving . Your
seat may move unexpectedly, causing sud
den loss of vehicle contro l and personal in
jury. If you ad just your seat while the veh icle
is moving, you are out of pos ition.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend that you adjust the dr iver's seat
in the following manner:
.,. Adjust the seat in fo re and aft direction so tha t
you c an ea sil y push the pedals to the floor
while keeping yo ur knees s light ly bent¢ .&.
in
Why is your seat adjustment so important? on
page 59.
.,. Adj ust the seatback so that when you sit with
your back against the seatback, you can still
grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.,. App lies to ve hicles w ith ad justab le head re
stra ints: Adjust the head rest raint so the upper
edge is as even as possible w ith the top of your
head. If t hat is not possible, try to adjust the
he ad restraint so that it is as close to this pos i
tion as possible ¢
page 61.
A WARNING ~
Never place any objects in the driver's foot-
well. An object could get into the pedal area and interfere with pedal function. In case of
59
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Controls
@-Adjusting the lumbar support*: press the
button in the corresponding position¢.&. .
@ -Moving the seat up/down: press the button
up/down¢ .&_.
@ -Moving the seat forward/back: press the but
ton forward/back¢ .&,.
©-Adjusting the backrest angle: press the but
ton forward/back¢ .&..
©-Raising/lowering* the head restraints: press
the button up/down
c:> .&. .
@ -Lengthening /short ening the uppe r thigh
support*: lift the handle. A spring moves the
front seat cushion forward
c:> .&..
A WARNING
-Never adjust the driver's or front passeng
er's seat while the vehicle is moving. If you
do this while the vehicle is moving, you will
be out of position. Always adjust the driver's
or front passenger's seat when the vehicle is
not mov ing.
- Be careful when adjusting the seat height.
Check to see that no one is in the way, or se
rious injury could result!
- Because the seats can be electrically adjust
ed with the ignition off or with the ignition
key removed, never leave children unattend
ed in the vehicle. Unsupervised use of the
electric seat adjustments may cause serious
injury.
- To reduce the risk of injury in the case of
sudden braking or accident, front passen
gers must
never ride in a moving vehicle
with the backrest reclined. Safety belts and
the airbag system only offer maximum pro
tection when the backrest is upright and the
safety belts are properly positioned on the body. The more the backrest is reclined, the
greater the risk of personal injury from an
incorrect seating posit ion and improperly
positioned safety belts .
-
Seats and storage
Center armrest
The center armrest can be adjusted to several
levels .
Fig. 62 Armrest between the driver 's/front passenger's
seats.
Adjusting the center armrest
... To adjust the angle, raise the armrest from the
starting position
c:> fig. 62 detent by detent.
... To bring the armrest back into the starting po
sition, raise it out of the top detent and fold it
back down .
The armrest can slide forward and back.
Head restraints
Front head restraints
Appl ies to vehicles: wi th adjus tab le head restrain ts
Head restraints that are adjusted according to
body size, along with the seat belt, offer effec
tive protection.
Fig. 63 Front seat: adj usting the head restrain ts
Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is as
even as possible with the top of your head . If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head restraint so
that it is as close to this position as possible
¢page 61 .
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Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others . We have summar
ized here what you need to know about safety
belts, airbags, child restraints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1. Al
ways observe the information and warnings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle. Some of the fea
tures descr ibed 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
- Always make sure that you follow the in
structions and heed the WARNINGS in this
Manual. It is in your interest and in the in
terest of your passengers .
-
-Always keep the complete Owner's Litera
ture in your Audi when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important information
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 ques
tions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant re
straint system and work together to help reduce
the risk of injury in a wide variety of accident sit
uations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in tech
nology have made a var iety of features available
to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
Driving safety
The following is a list of just a few of the safety
features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all pas-
senger seat ing pos itions,
- be lt force limiters for the front seats,
- belt pretensioners for the seats,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- side curtain airbags,
- specia l 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 w ide range of accidents. These
features cannot work as a system if they are not
always correctly adjusted and correctly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care
ful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passen
gers,
before driving always:
.. Make sure that all lights and signals are operat
ing correctly.
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
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 rear seat passengers to adjust the
head restraints according to their height.
.. Make sure to use the right child restraint cor
rectly to protect children
c:::> page 158, Child
safety .
.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
c:::> page 59, Seats
and storage.
121
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For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 60.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in
jured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help re
duce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out
side of the steering wheel rim with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi
tions to help reduce the r isk of personal in
jury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head
if the driver's airbag deploys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supplemen
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are located .
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
and head restraints properly and make sure
that all passengers are properly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving . Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Children must a lways ride in child safety
seats¢
page 158 . Special precautions ap
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat ¢
page 138 .
Driving safety
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in
jury in the event of an acc ident, we recommend
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the following position:
" Move the front passenger seat back as far as
possible . There must be a minimum of 10 in
ches (25 cm) between the breastbone and the
instrument panel¢.&, .
"Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position and your back comes in full
contact with it whenever the vehicle is moving.
" Applies to vehicles with adjustable head re
straints : Adjust the head restraint so the upper
edge is as even as possible with the top of your
head . If that is not possible, try to adjust the
head restraint so that it is as close to this posi
tion as possible .
" Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat.
" Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 133.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenge r's seat, see ¢
page 59.
A WARNING ~
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured or killed by the airbag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po
sition and never lean against or place any
part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located .
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri
ously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
-Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the front passen
ger's breastbone and the instrument panel.
123
Driving safety
-Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front pas
senger seat and head restraint properly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat in-
'
strument panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in
crease the risk of injury in a crash.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
t il ted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 158. Special precaut ions ap
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 138.
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 b e properly restrained wh enever the ve
hicle i s in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking
maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench sea t must always observe the follow
ing:
... Make sure that the seatback is securely latched
in the upright position ¢
page 69.
... If there is a passenger on the rear center seat
ing position, slide the center head restra int up
ward at least to the next notch .
... Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety be lts properly
¢ page 133.
... Make sure that children are always properly re
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age¢
page 158.
124
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 protection
when the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position and the safety belts are
properly positioned on the body . By not sit
ting upr ight, a rear seat passenger increases
the risk of personal injury from improperly
positioned safety belts!
-Always adjust the head restraint properly so
that it can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to vehicles: with adjustable head restra ints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
Fig. 139 He ad restraint : viewe d from t he front
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection .
... Adjust the head restraints so the upper edge is
as even as possible with the top of your head . If
that is not possible, try to adjust the head re
straint so that it is as close to this position as
possible ¢
fig. 139 .
... If there is a passenger on the rear center seat
ing position, slide the center head restraint up
ward at least to the next notch .
Adjusting head restraints¢
page 61.
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All seats are equipped with head restraints. Driving without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not properly adjusted in
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury
dramatically. To help reduce the risk of injury:
-Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restraints so the upper edge is as
even as possible with the top of your head.
If that is not possible, try to adjust the head
restraint so that it is as close to this position
as possible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
whi le driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at
tempting to adjust the head restra int.
- Children must always be properly restrained
in a child restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
q page 158.
Examples of improper seating positions
-
The occupant restraint system con only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore properly
seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious in
jury or death. Safety belts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body. Im
proper seating positions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and will even increase the risk of
injury and death by moving the safety belt to crit
ical areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seating position. A driver
is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu
pants and especia lly for children. Therefore:
.. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
q& ,
Driving safety
The following bulletins list only some sample po
sitions that will increase the risk of serious injury
and death. Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions that
are dangerous .
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
-Improper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a proper seating position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being used.
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mot or
any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely w ithout in
terference and that nothing prevents them from
returning to their original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured with floor mat fasteners .
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav-
el is required to bring the vehicle to a fu ll stop . .,._
125
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_& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death . Safety belts can work only
when used correct ly.
-Always fasten your safety belts correctly be fore driving off and make sure all passen
gers are cor rect ly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts must
always be posit ioned properly on the body .
- Never strap more than one person, includ
ing small ch ildren, into any belt .
- Never place a safety belt over a child sitt ing
on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front of
the seat wh ile the vehicle is being driven.
- Never let any person ride w ith their feet on
the instrument panel or st icking out the
window or on the seat .
- Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle
is moving . Do ing so will increase your risk of
being injured or k illed.
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts over rigid or breakable ob-
jects in or on your clothing, such as eye
glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause
injury.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam
aged by being caught in door or seat hard
ware.
- Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of position .
- Several layers of heavy clothing may inter
fere with correct positioning of belts and re
duce the overall effectiveness of the system.
- Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latching
securely .
- Never use comfort clips or devices that cre
ate slack in the shoulder be lt . However, spe
cial clips may be requ ired for the proper use
of some child restraint systems.
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt ha rdware can break in an acc i
dent. Inspect belts regularly.
If webbing,
bind ings, buckles, or re tractors are dam-
Safet y bel ts
aged, have belts rep laced by an authorized
Aud i dea ler .
- Safety belts that have been worn and loaded
in an accident must be replaced with the
correct replacement safety belt by an au
thorized Audi dealer. Replacement may be
necessary even if damage cannot be clearly
seen. Anchorages that were loaded must al
so be inspected.
- Never remove, mod ify, d isassemble, or try
to repair the safety belts yourse lf.
-Always keep the belts clean . Dirty belts may
not work properly and can impair the func
tion of the inert ia reel¢
page 193.
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety first -everybody buckle up!
F ig. 14 7 Belt buckle and tongu e on t he d river' s se at
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the wear
er 's body .
... Adjust the front seat and head restraint proper
ly
¢ page 59, Seats and storage.
... Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench
is in an upright posit ion a nd securely latched in
place before using the belt
Q _&. .
"' Ho ld the bel t by the tongue and pu ll it evenly
across the chest and pelvis¢_&. .
... Insert the tongue in to the correct buckle of
your seat unti l you hear it latch securely
Qfig. 147.
... Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buckle .
IIJ,,
133
Airbag syste m
Airbag system
Important information
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . For
airbags to do their job, occupants must always
properly wear their safety belts and be in a prop
er seating position.
For your safety and the safety of your passen
ge rs , before driving off, always :
"' Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel
properly ¢
page 122,
"'Adjust the front passenge r's seat properly
¢ page 60,
"'Wear safety belts p roperly ¢ page 132 ,
"'Always properly use the proper child restraint
to protect children
¢ page 158.
In a coll is io n airbags must inflate wi thin the b link
of an eye and with cons iderable force . The sup
p lemental airbags can cause injuries if the driver
or the front seat passenger is not s eated proper ·
Ly. T herefore in order to help the airbag to do its
job, it is important, both as a dr iver and as a pas
senger to sit properly at all t imes .
By keeping room between your body and the
steering whee l and the front of the passenger
compartment, the a irbag can inflate fully and
completely and provide supplemental protect ion
in certain frontal collisions¢
page 122, Correct
passenger seating positions .
For details on the
operation of the seat adjustment con trols
¢ page 60.
It's especially important that children are proper
ly restra ined
¢ page 158 .
There is a lot that the driver and the passengers
can and must do to help the ind iv idual safety fea
tures installed in your Audi work together as a
system .
Proper seating posit ion is important so that the
front airbag on the drive r side can do its job. If
you have a physical impairment or cond ition that
prevents you from s itting properly on the driver
seat with the safety be lt properly fastened and
138
reaching the peda ls, special modifications to
your vehicle may be necessary.
Contact yo ur aut ho rized Aud i dea le r, or call A udi
C u stomer Rela tions a t 1-800-822-2834.
When the airbag sys tem dep loys, a gas generator
will fill the a irbags, b reak open the padded cov
e rs, and inflate betwee n the steering wheel and
the driver and between the inst rument pa nel and
the front passenger . The a irbags w ill deflate im
mediate ly after dep loyment so t hat the front oc
cupants can see th ro u gh the windsh ie ld again
without interruption.
A ll of th is takes p lace in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even rea lize that the
airbags have deployed. The airbags a lso inflate
with a great deal of force and nothing should be i n the ir way when they deploy. Front airbags in
combination with properly worn safety belts slow
down and lim it t he occupant's forward move
ment . T ogether they he lp to prevent the driver
and front sea t passenger from h itti ng pa rts of
t h e i nside the veh icle w hile reducing the fo rces
acti ng on the occupant dur ing the cras h. In th is
way they help to reduce the risk of inju ry to the
head and uppe r body i n the crash. Airbags do not
protect the arms or the lower parts of the body.
Both front airbags will not infla te in all frontal
collisions . The trigge ring of the airbag system de
pends on the vehicle deceleration rate caused by
the coll is ion and registered by the electronic con
tro l unit . If this rate is be low the reference value
programmed into the contro l unit, the airbags
will not be triggered, even though the car may be
badly damaged as a resu lt of the co llision. Vehi
cle damage, repa ir costs or even the lack of vehi
cl e damage is not ne cessari ly an indication of
whethe r an a irbag should infla te o r not.
It is not possib le to define a range of vehicle
speeds that w ill cove r every possible k ind and an
gle of impa ct that will always tr igger the airbags ,
s in ce the circumst ances w ill vary cons iderably be
tween one collision and anot her. Important fac
tors include, for examp le, the natu re (hard or
soft) of the object which the car hits, t he angle of
i mpact, vehicle speed, etc . The front airbags will ..,_