Sea ts and stor age
Ski sack
Applies to vehicles: w ith sk i sack
Long objects such as skis or snowboards can be
transported in the ski sack .
Fig. 89 Backrest : pass-throug h cover
F ig . 90 Rear bench sea t: securing the ski sack
Loading
.,. Fold the rea r seat center armrest down.
.,. Fol d the pass -through cover ¢
fig. 89 -arrow
down.
.,. Slide the ski sack from the luggage compart
ment through the pass-through with the zipper
at the rear ¢,&. .
Secur ing
.,. Inse rt the ski sack strap@¢ fig. 90 in the cen
ter buck le @ .
.,. Pull the safety belt taut on the free end of the
belt @.
A WARNING
-The ski sack is intended only for the trans
portation of skis and other light objects . To
reduce the risk of serio us pe rsonal injury,
never transpo rt heavy o r po inted objects in
the ski sa ck.
74
-
-W hen braking rapidly or during an accident,
the load could be displaced and cause injury
to occupants.
- Sharp edges on the load must be covered
for protection . Always fasten the be lt t ight
ly around the sack and its contents
¢fig. 90.
-For safety reasons, do not transport more
than two pairs of skis in t he ski sack.
- You must secure the ski sack with the strap
after loadi ng.
- Make sure that all objects you are transport
ing in the pass-through are secured. Othe r
wise they could slide around during sudden braking maneuvers and cause injur ies.
{!) Tips
- Never stow the ski sack away when it is still
wet or damp (for example, snow melting
from skis) . Allow it to dry completely before
stowing it away .
- Whe n transporting skis or snowboards,
t ighten the securing strap between the
bind ings.
- Pos it ion skis in the ski sack with the pointed
ends facing the front and sk i poles with the
pointed ends facing the rear.
- Sedan: You can lock or unlock the pass
throug h using the mecha nical key . This pre
vents any access to the luggag e compart
ment from the veh icle inter io r .
Driving
- Occasional noises when the parking brake is
applied and released are normal and are not
a cause for concern.
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking
brake goes through a self-test cycle at regu
lar intervals. Any associated noises are nor
mal.
Parking
.,. Press the brake pedal to stop the vehicle .
.,. Pull the switch @¢
page 85, fig. 100 to set
the parking brake.
.,. Automatic transmission: Move the selector lev-
er to P.
.. Turn the engine off¢.&, .
.. Manual transmission: Shift into 1st gear.
.. When on inclines or declines, turn the steering
wheel so that the vehicle will roll into the curb
if it begins to move.
A WARNING
-
-When you leave your vehicle -even if only
briefly -always remove the ignition key. This
applies particularly when children remain in
the vehicle. Otherwise the children could
start the engine, release the parking brake
or operate electrical equipment (e.g. power
windows). There is the risk of an accident.
- When the vehicle is locked, no one -particu
larly not children should remain in the vehi
cle. Locked doors make it more difficult for
emergency workers to get into the vehicle -
putting lives at risk.
Starting from rest
The starting assist function ensures that the
parking broke is released automatically upon
starting .
Stopping and applying parking brake
.. Pull the switch @¢ page 85, fig. 100 to apply
the parking brake.
86
Starting and automatically releasing the parking brake
.. When you start to drive as usual, the parking
brake is automatically released and your vehicle
begins to move.
When stopping at a traffic signal or stopping in city traffic on vehicles with an automatic trans
mission, the parking brake can be applied. The
vehicle does not have to be held with the foot brake. The parking brake eliminates the tendency
to creep with a drive range engaged . As soon as
you drive off as usual, the parking brake is re leased automatically and the vehicle starts to
move .
Starting on slopes
When starting on inclines, the starting assist pre
vents the vehicle from unintentionally rolling back. The braking force of the parking brake is
not released until sufficient driving force has
been built up at the wheels.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re
leased automatically only when the driver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an in
cline, do the following:
.. Keep the switch @¢ page 85, fig . 100 pulled
and depress the accelerator. The parking brake
stays applied and prevents the vehicle from
rolling backward.
.,. You can release the switch @once you are sure
that you are developing enough driving force at
the wheels by depressing the accelerator.
Depending on the weight of the rig (vehicle and
trailer) and the severity of the incline, you may
roll backwards as you start. You can prevent roll
ing backwards by holding the parking brake
switch @pulled out and accelerating -just as
you would when starting on a hill with a conven
tional hand brake .
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tor lever handle, select the desired selector lev
er position such as D/5 and release the button.
~ Wait briefly until the transmission has shifted
(you w ill fee l a slight movement) .
~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal and ac
celerate .
Stopp ing tem pora ril y
~ Keep the vehicle stationary using the braking
pedal, for example at traffic lights.
~ Do not press the accelerator pedal when doing
th is .
~ To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you
start driving, set the park ing brake when stop
ping on steep inclines ¢
,&.
~ The pa rking brake w ill release automatically
and the vehicle will start moving once you press
the accelerator pedal.
Stopping /park ing
If the se lecto r lever is not in the P position when
you open the d river 's door, the vehicle could roll.
The message
Tr an smi ssion: Car ma y roll! Shift
t o pa rk!
appears .
~ Press and hold the brake pedal unt il the vehicle
has come to a comp lete stop.
~ Apply the pa rking brake ¢ page 86, Parking .
~ Select the P selector leve r position ¢ .&,.
Stopp ing on an incline
~ Always press the brake peda l to hold the vehi
cl e in place and prevent it from "rolling back"
¢
,& . Do not try to prevent the vehicle from
"ro lling back" when a gear is engaged by in
c reasing the eng ine speed ¢(!).
Starting on an incline
~ Activate the parki ng b rake .
~ With the driving gea r se lected, press the acce l
erator pedal caref ully. The parking b rake will
r e lease automatically if your seat belt is fas
tened .
Unde r ce rtain c ircumstances, suc h as dr iv ing in
the mountai ns, it may be usef ul to switch tempo
rari ly to the manua l shift program in order to ad-
Autom atic tran sm iss ion
just the gears to the driv ing conditions by hand
¢ page 94.
On slopes, act ivate the park ing brake first and
then move the selec to r l ever to the P posi tion .
T his prevents too m uch stress from being placed
on the locking mechanism .
Vehicles with mult itro nic tr ansmission : Your ve
hicle is equipped wi th
hill hold assist allowing
you to start whi le on an incl ine. The system is ac
tivated when the brake peda l is pressed down
and held
for a few second s. The brake pressure
will ho ld for
a momen t after the brake peda l
loosens to prevent the veh icle from rolling back
wards while starting up .
A WARNING
--The vehicle can also ro ll when the eng ine is
stopped .
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause se rious injury .
- Never leave your veh icle with the engine
running while in gear .
If you must leave
your ve hicle when the eng ine is running, ac
tivate t he pa rking brake and move the selec
tor lever to P.
- Power is still transmi tted to the wheels
when the engine is runn ing at idle. To pre
vent the vehicle from "creepi ng", yo u m ust
keep your foot on the brake when the en
gine is running and the selector lever is in D/
Sor R or "tiptronic" mode is se lected .
- Do not press the acce le ra t or peda l when
changing the se lector lever position while
the vehicle is stationary and the engine is
running.
- Never sh ift into R or P whi le driving.
- Before driving down a steep slope, reduce your speed and sh ift into a lower gear w ith
"t i ptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hi ll. Constant brak ing causes the
brakes to overheat and substant ially re
duces brak ing performance, increases brak
ing d istance or causes comp lete failure of
the brake system.
~
93
Automat ic t ra nsm iss io n
-To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, a lways hold it in
place with the brake pedal or parking brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
s li pping clutch. The clutch opens automati
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload . An indicator lamp
mJ illuminates
and a driver message appears
~ page 96
when the cl utch is overloaded.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any dr iv ing pos ition engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure these
lector lever has secure ly engaged and is
locked in P with the parking bra ke set
~ page 203. Otherwise, any increase in en
gine speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
- S tronic- and tiptron ic transmission: When
stopping on an incline, do not try to ho ld
the vehicle in place by pressing the acce lera
tor pedal while a driving gear is selected.
This can cause the transm ission to overheat
and can damage it. Activate the parking brake or press the brake pedal to prevent
the vehicle from rol ling .
- S tronic- and tiptron ic transmission: Allow
i ng the veh icle to roll when the eng ine is
stopped and the selector leve r is in N will
damage the transmission because it is not
l ub ricated under those c ircumstances .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re
leased automatically only when the driver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
Applies to vehicles: with multitro nic/5 tronic/tip tronic
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down declines.
H ill descent control is activated when the selec
tor lever is in D/S and you press the brake pedal.
The transmission au tomatically selects a gear
that is suitable for the in cl ine. Hill descent con-
94
trol tries to maintain the speed achieved at the
time of braking, within physica l and techn ical
li mitations .
It may still be necessary to adjust the
speed with the brakes .
Hill descent control switches off once the decline
l evels out or you press the accel erator pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
~ page 88 , hill descent control is a lso activated
when the speed is set.
./1. WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions . A lways
be ready to apply the brakes .
Manual shift program
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic/5 tronic/tiptronic
Using the manual shift program you con man
ually select gears.
Fig. 108 Cente r co n sole: s hift in g the gea rs m anually
Fig. 109 Stee ring whee l: shift paddle s•
Gear selection w ith selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be se lected either w ith
the veh icle stat ionary or on the move .
"' N N
N
"' CD m
N ~ N ><'. co m
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0 ::..:: co ,....,
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
Driving safety
• Fasten your safety be lt and wear it properly . Al
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe
ty belts properly
<:!) page 130.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle, the driver as well as the driver 's abili
ty to concentrate on the rood without being dis
tracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve
h icle and all of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody in the
veh icle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
Q ,&. . Therefore :
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
• NEVER drive when your driving ability is im
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.) .
• Observe all traff ic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense .
• AL WAYS ad just you r speed to road, traffic and
weathe r cond itions.
• Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not d rive
for more than two ho urs at a stretch .
• Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres
s u re or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driv ing safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal injury and death whe never a
vehicle is being used .
122
.
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 138 Co rrect seat ing pos it ion
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 drive r's seat to the following
pos ition:
• Ad just the driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
c:> ,&. .
• Ad just the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contac t with it when you dr ive.
• Ad just the steer ing wheel so that t here is a d is
t ance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steer ing whee l and your breast bone
Q fig. 138 .
If not possible, see your authorized A udi dealer
about adaptive equipment.
• Ad just the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at yo ur face .
• Grasp the top of the steer ing wheel with your
elbow(s) sligh tly bent.
• App lies to veh icles with adjustable hea d re
s trai nts: Adjus t 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 ad just the
head restraint so that it is as close to this pos i
tion as possible .
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c:> poge 133.
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in contro l of the veh icle at a ll times .
..... N
0 :,,:: co ..... ,J:> Lil
..... ,J:> .....
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.