Airbag system
(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air
bag on the passenger side will be turned off,
and
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.
Repair , care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many
different places on your Audi. Installing , remov
ing, servicing or repairing a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system and prevent that system from working properly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system will not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly:
-
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer
ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in
strument panel or modify them in any way .
- Never attach any objects such as cupholders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov
ering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners could damage the airbag cover or change
the stiffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust , or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instrument
panel, front seats or electrical system (in
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
142
who has the training and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags in
flate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module must always be repaired immedi
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
- The airbag system can be activated only
once . After an airbag has inflated, it must
be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical
information, training and special equipment
necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once . After an airbag has been deployed, it
must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially for
your Audi model version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag compo
nents must be performed by qualified work
shops only. Make sure that any airbag serv
ice action is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- In accidents when an airbag is deployed, the
vehicle battery separates the alternator and
the starter from the vehicle electrical sys
tem for safety reasons with a pyrotechnic
circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt
er must only be performed by a qualified
dealer - risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions
must be followed.
llll-
.... N
0 Ico ....
the control unit of the Advanced Airbag System .
When a child restraint is being used on the front
passenger seat with a typical 1 year-old child, the
Advanced Airbag System compares the weight measured by the weight sensing mat with the in
formation stored in the electronic control unit .
The electronic control unit also registers the ten
sion on the front passenger safety belt. The ten
sion on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat will be d ifferent fo r an adult who is properly
using the safety belt as compared to the tension
on the belt when it is used to attach a child re
straint to the seat. The senso r below the latch for
the safety belt for the front seat passenger
measures the tension on the belt. The input from
this sensor is then used with the weight to "de
cide", whether there is a child restraint with a
typical 1 year-old child on the front passenger
seat and whether or not the airbag must be
turned off .
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restra int that you use,
make sure that it has been cert ified to meet Safe
ty Standards and has been certified by its manu
facturer for use wi th an airbag. A lways be sure
that the child restraint is properly insta lled at
one of the rear seating positions . If in exception
al circumstances you must use it on the front
passenger seat, carefully read all of the informa
tion on chi ld safety and Advanced Airbags and
heed all of the applicable WARNINGS. Make cer
tain that the child restra int is correctly recog
n iz ed by the weight-sensing mat inside the front
passenger seat, that the front passenger air bag
is t urned off and that the airbag status is always
corre ct ly signaled by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light.
Many types and models of child rest raints have
been available over the yea rs, new mode ls are in
troduced regularly incorporating new and im
proved designs and older mode ls are taken o ut of
production . Chi ld restraints are not standardized .
Ch ild restraints of the same type typically have
d ifferent weights and s izes and different 'foot
prints,' the s ize and shape of the bottom of the
Child safety
child restraint that sits on the seat, when they
are installed on a vehicle seat . These differences
make it virtua lly impossib le to certify comp liance
with the requirements for advanced a irbags w ith
each and every child restraint that has ever been
sold in the past or wi ll be sold over the course of
the useful life of your vehicle.
For this reason, the United States Nationa l High
way Traffic Safety Admin istrat ion has published a
list of spec ific type, makes and mode ls of ch ild
restraints that must be used to certify compli
ance of the Advanced Airbag System in your veh i
cl e w ith the suppress ion requirements of Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. These chi ld
restra ints are:
Subpart A - Car bed child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel Guard Angel September 2S , 2007
Ride AA2403FOF
Subpart B - Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century SmartFit 4S43 December 1, 1999
Cosco Arriva September 2S, 2007
22-013PAW and base
22-999WHO
Evenflo Discovery Ad- December 1, 1999
just Right 212
E venflo First Choice December 1, 1999
204
Graco Infant 84S7 December 1, 1999
Graco Snugride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Primo Viag- September 25, 2007
g io SIP IMUNOOUS
Subpart C - Forward-facing and convertible
child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout September 25, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco Touriva 02519 December 1, 1999
153
.... N
0 Ico ....
tion, maintenance and storage . Pay attention to
addit ional information concerning the battery .
Refer to¢
page 200 .
Economical and environ
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and
noise levels.
F ue l economy, environmenta l impact, and we ar
on your engine, brakes and tires la rgely depend
on three factors :
- you r persona l dr iving sty le
- operating conditions
- technical lim itations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can eas ily cut your fue l
consumption by
10-15 percen t. This section will
g ive you some tips on how you can help the envi
ronment and yo ur pocketbook .
(!) Tips
The consumpt ion estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not cor re
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will va ry depending upon vehicle
load and speed, road and wea ther condi tions,
t rip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler
ating.
" Avoid unnecessary accelerating a nd braking .
Veh icles use the most fuel when they are acceler
ating . If you anticipate what is going to happen
next , you will need to brake less and, thus, accel
e rate less . let the vehicle coast wheneve r possi
b le -fo r example when yo u see that the next traf
fic light is red .
Driving and the envir onment
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im
proves your mileage .
"Try and keep well below your car 's maximum
speed.
Acce lerating gently reduces fuel consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ
ment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase disproport ionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather cond itions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is jus t idling it burns up fuel.
" Shut the eng ine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
" Do not warm up the vehicle by lett ing the en-
gine run
at idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at railroad cross ings, or at traff ic lights that have long waits
on red . Turning the engine off for just
30 -40 sec
onds saves more f uel than is burned starting the
. . engine again.
It takes a long time for the eng ine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially h igh when
the engine is warming up . So yo u should dr ive
away as soon as you start the eng ine and avoid
runn ing at high rpms w hile the engine is st ill
warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave eng ine idling unattended after
s tart ing. If wa rning lights sho uld come on to
i ndicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded . Extended idling also prod uces
heat, which could resu lt in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper
ty.
179
.... N
0 Ico ....
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo my and performance.
T railer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re
movable ball mount . Always check with the trail
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage should your vehicle be
struck from beh ind ¢
,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula
tions .
Trailer mode
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system ¢.&. .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
T ra iler lights must meet all regulations . Be sure
to check with your author ized Audi dealer for cor
rect wiring, switches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in
stall extended mirrors. It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
,8. WARNING
-If a trailer has electrical brakes please note
that these brakes are not activated by the
factory-fitted control unit -risk of accident!
- After removing the trailer hitch, do not store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and in
jure you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 182.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cooling system's perform
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid. .,..
181
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles different ly when tow ing a
trailer because of the additional weight and d if
ferent weight distr ibution. Safety, perfo rmance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful
ly you load your trailer and operate your rig .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep practicing until you have be
come completely familiar with the way your vehi
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires pract ice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You will need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When pass ing, remember that you cannot accel
erate as fast as you normally would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your trai ler before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex
tra load
c::> page 244.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
;::; .. Apply the foot brake.
0 ~ .. Have someone place chocks under both the ve-
~ hicle and the trailer wheels. Lil ,...., v:, ,....,
Trailer mode
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.. Apply the parking brake.
.. Place an automatic transmission* in P, respec
tively a manual transmission in first or reverse
gear .
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Start the engine .
.. Move the selector lever to D/S, respectively a
manual transmission in first gear .
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks.
(D Tips
If you move the selector leve r of the automat
ic transmission* to P before applying the
parking brake and before blocking the wheels,
you may have to use more force later to move
the lever out of the P position.
183
.... N
0 Ico ....
er's glycol-basedcoo lant additive Gl3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA mod
e ls; 60% for Canadian models). This m ixture
both assures the necessary frost protection and
protects metal components in the engine's cool
ing system from corrosion and scaling.
It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant .
Do not reduce the concentration of the coolant in
the summer by adding plain water.
Th e propor
tion of coolant addit ive must be at l eas t 50° /4
but not more th an 60 %
to maintain antifreeze
p rotection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protec tion is too low, the coolant co uld
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en
gine cooling system.
F or yea r-round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to:
- -31 °F (- 35 °C) USA
- -40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant addit ive. Mixing the coolant additive
with distilled water is recommended.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment, always read and heed all WARN
INGS
Q &. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 191.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate con
dit ions. This is especially important if you
li ve in a reg ion where the w inte r is ext reme
l y co ld. If ne cessary, in cre ase the proport io n
of coo lant add itive to 60%.
- When addi ng coolant addit ive to you r cool
i ng system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant addi
tive Gl2++ or Gl3 for your ve hicle. T his
coolant additive is available at authorized
Audi dea lers. Othe r types of antifreeze can
significant ly reduce cor ros ion p rotection .
Check ing and Filling
The resulting co rrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator lea k sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling
system and could resu lt in damage not cov
ered by your New Veh icle Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
F ig. 163 Engine compa rtment: Cover on the coolant ex
pans ion tank
.. Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
al ways read and heed all WARN
INGS
q ..&. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 191.
.. Park your ve hicle on a leve l sur face .
.. Tu rn off the ignit io n .
.. Read the eng ine coolan t level from the coo la nt
expansion tank
qfig . 163, Qpage 193,
fig. 160 .
With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the " MIN" and "MAX" mark
ings. When the engine is warm, the level may
be slightly above the "MAX" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
qpage 193.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be switched off.
T he expansion ta nk in your veh icle is eq uipped
with an electric coo lant level senso r.
When the coolant leve l is too low, the warning
light i n the Auto-Check System
Q page 17 will
197
Check ing and F illing
The brake fluid rese rvoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the l eft
side
c!,> pag e 193 .
The fl uid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads . This is not cause for alarm.
If th e b rake fl uid level fa lls considerably be low
the "M IN" mark, the b rake warning/ind icator
lig ht ( U.S. mode ls :
1111 , Canadian models:. )
will come on
c!,> page 15 . Do not contin ue to oper
ate the vehicle . T he comp lete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authori zed
Aud i dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected . If the brake flu id level is too low, the
b rake warning/indicator light will i llum inate.
Contact a n author ized Audi dealer
immediately .
{D) Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located under
neath the cover .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician .
Brake fluid absorbs mo isture from the air. If the
water content in the b rake fluid is too high, cor
rosion in the brake system may resu lt afte r ape
riod of t ime. The boiling poi nt of the brake flu id
will also decrease cons iderably and decrease
b raking perfo rman ce.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every
two year s.
Always use new brake fluid wh ic h con
forms to Fede ral Motor Veh icle Standard "FMVSS
1 16 DO T 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be diff icult to reach,
therefore, we recommend that yo u have the
brake fl uid changed by yo ur autho rized
Audi
dealer .
Your dealer has t he corre ct tools, t he
right brake fluid and the know-how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed orig inal container out of
the reach of chi ldren!
200
- Bra ke fa ilure ca n result from old or inapp ro
priate brake fluid . Observe these precau
tions:
- Use only brake fluid t hat meets SA E speci
fi ca ti on
J 170 3 and con forms to Federa l
Motor Ve hicle Standard 116 . Always check
wi th yo ur autho rized Audi dea le r to make
s ur e yo u are using the correct brake fluid .
The correct type of brake flu id is also ind i
cated on the b rake fluid reservo ir .
- The brake fluid m ust be new . Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapo r lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long .
This can se riously affect the efficiency of
the b rakes as well as your safety . This
could resu lt in an accident .
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your veh i
cle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem o f proper d isposa l o f
brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls re
q ui red a nd the necessary expertise, we rec
omme nd that you have the bra ke f luid
changed by yo ur autho rized Aud i dea le r.
Battery
, General information
U nder normal operating condit ions, the battery
i n your Audi does not need any maintenance.
With
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that you have the elect ro
lyte level c hecked by an au thorized Aud i dealer o r
qualified workshop. The electro lyte level shou ld
a lso be che cked each time the battery is c ha rged
c:!,> page 202.
Have the batte ry chec ked when you take yo ur ve
hicle in for service. You are we ll adv ised to re
pla ce a battery tha t is older than 5 yea rs.
With certain types of airbag deployment, t he
batte ry is d iscon nected from the ve hicle electri
ca l system for safety reasons
c!,> .&. in Repair, care
and disposal of the airbags on page 1 42. .,.
Wheels
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seating
capacities
Refer to the tire inflation pres
sure label ¢
page 215, fig. 170
for the number of seating posi
tions . Refer to the table
¢page216forthe number of
people that correspond to the ve
hicle normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work
on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au
thorized Audi Service Facility.
These facilities have the proper knowledge and are equipped with
the required tools and replace
ment parts.
.,.New tires do not yet have the
optimum adhesion properties. Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 miles (500 km) with new tires .
.,.Use tires of the same construc
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread
pattern as possible on all four
wheels .
212
.,.Do not replace tires individually.
At least replace both tires on the
same axle at the same time.
.,.Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original equipment tires. If
you would like to use different
tires, please note that the tires may perform differently even if
they are the same size ¢
,&.
.,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle with a tire/rim combina
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con
sult with an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before making a pur
chase ¢&, .
The spare tire* is different from
the regular tires installed on the
vehicle -for example, if winter
tires or wide tires are installed -
then only use the spare tire* tem
porarily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use. It
should be replaced with a regular
tire as soon as possible.
On
all wheel drive vehicles, all
four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by .,.