
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 77, fig. 80 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 77, fig. 80 to apply
the parking brake.
78
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 77, fig. 80 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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~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal and ac
ce lerate .
Stopp ing tempo raril y
~ Keep the veh icle stat ionary using t he b raking
peda l, for example at traffic lights.
~ Do not press the accelerator pedal when doing
this.
~ To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you
start driving, set the park ing brake when stop
ping on steep inclines¢&, .
~ The parking brake w ill release automatically
and the vehicle w ill start moving once you press
the accelerator pedal.
Stopping /parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position when
you open the driver's door, the vehicle could roll. The message
Tran smission: Car may roll! Shift
to park! appears.
~ Press and hold the brake pedal unt il the vehicle
has come to a complete stop .
~ Apply the parking brake ¢ page 78, Parking .
~ Select the P selector leve r pos ition ¢ ,&.
Stopp ing on an incline
~ Always press the brake pedal to hold the vehi
cle 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 engi ne speed ¢0 .
Starting on an incline
~ Activate the parking brake .
~ With the driving gear selected, press the accel
erator peda l carefully. The parking brake will
re lease automatically if your seat belt is fas
tened .
Unde r certain c ircumstances, such as dr iv ing in
the mountains, it may be useful to switch tempo rari ly to the manua l shift program in orde r to ad
just t he gears to the d rivi ng conditions by hand
¢ page 86.
On slopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P pos it ion.
Autom atic tran sm iss ion
This prevents too m uch stress from being placed
on the locking mechanism .
A WARNING ,-
-The vehicle can also ro ll when the eng ine is
stopped.
- Unintended vehicle movement can ca use se
rio us injury .
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
r u nning while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle when the engine is running, ac
tivate the pa rking brake and move the selec
tor lever to P .
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is runn ing at idle . To pre
vent the vehicle from "creepi ng", you must
keep your foot on the b rake when the en
g ine is r un ning and the selector lever is in D/
Sor R or "ti ptroni c" mode is selected.
- D o not press the acce le rator peda l when
cha nging t he se lecto r lever position while
t he vehicle is sta tionary and the engine is
r u nning .
- Never s hift into R or P wh ile driving.
- Before d riving down a s teep slope, reduce
your speed a nd s hift into a lowe r gear w it h
" t i pt ronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often o r too long when dr iv ing
down a hill. Const ant brak ing c auses t he
brakes to overheat and s ubstant ially re
duces bra king performance, increases brak
ing distance or causes comp lete fai lure of
the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rol ling bac k
when stopp ing on inclines, always hold it in
p lace with the brake peda l or park ing brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens a utomati
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload. An ind icator lamp@] illuminates
a nd a driver message appears
¢ page 87
when the clu tch is over loaded .
- If the engine must rema in running, never
have any d riving position engaged when
checking unde r the hood . Make s ure these
lecto r lever has se cu rely engage d and is
lo ck ed in P with the par kin g b rake set
85

Automatic transmission
¢ page 191. Otherwise, any increase in en
gine speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
(D Note
-When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac
celerator pedal while a driving gear is se lected . This can cause the transmission to
overheat and can damage it. Activate the
parking brake or press the brake pedal to
prevent the vehicle from rolling .
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the eng ine
i s stopped and the selector lever is in N w ill
damage the transmission because it is not
l ub ricated under those circumstances .
@ Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re
leased automatically only when the dr iver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
Applies to veh icles: w ith S tronic/tiptron ic
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down declines.
Hill descent contro l is activated when the selec
tor lever is in D/S and you press the brake pedal.
The transm ission automatically selects a gear
that is suitable for the incline. Hill descent con
trol tries to mainta in the speed achieved at the
time of braking, within physical and technical
limitations.
It may still be necessary to adjust the
speed with the brakes .
Hill descent control switches off once the decline
levels out or you press the accelerator peda l.
On veh icles w ith the cruise contro l system*
¢ page 80, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
& WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physica l
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all condit ions . Always
be ready to apply the brakes.
86
Manual sh ift program
App lies to vehicles: with S tronic/tiptronic
Using the manual shift program you can man
ually select gears.
'
Fig. 88 Center console: shift ing the gears manua lly
Fig. 89 Steering whee l: sh ift paddles•
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected either w ith
the vehicle stationary or on the move.
.,. Push the se lector lever to the right from D/5.
An M appea rs in the instrument clus ter disp lay
as soon as the transmission has shifted.
.. To upshift, push the selector lever forward to
the plus position
G) ~ fig. 88.
.. To downshift, push the lever to the minus posi-
tion
0 .
Gear selection with shift paddles*
The shift paddles are activated when the selector
lever is in D/S or the tiptronic manual shift pro
gram.
.,. To upshift, touch the shift paddle on the right
G)¢fig. 89.
.. To downsh ift, touch the shift paddle on the left
0 .
.. If you do not press a shift paddle within a short
time while in the 0/5 position, the transmission
II>

Driving sa fe ty
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safe ty first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instruct ions and warn ings 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
be lts, a irbags, child restra ints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1 . Al
ways observe the i nfo rmation and wa rn ings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The information i n this section applies to all
model versions of yo ur vehicle . Some of the fea
tures descr ibed in t his sections may be s tanda rd
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 th is
Manual.
It is in your interest and in the in
te rest of your passengers .
- Always keep the comp lete Owner's Litera
ture in your A udi when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important information
will always be available to the d river and
passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner 's literature handy so
t h at you ca n find it easily if you have ques
t ions.
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 occident si t
uations.
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advan ces i n tech
nology have made a var iety of features avai lab le
to help reduce t he risk of injury in an accident .
112
The following is a list of just a few of the sa fety
features in your Audi :
- sophis tica ted safety be lts fo r dr ive r and all pas-
senge r seat ing pos itions,
- belt fo rce limi ters for the front seats,
- be lt pretensione rs fo r the seats,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- side curtain airbags,
- special LATCH anchorages fo r ch ild rest rai nts,
- adj ustab le steer ing column.
T hese ind iv idual safety features, can work to
gether as a system to help protect you and your
passengers i n a wide range of acc idents . These
features canno t wo rk as a system if they are not
always correc tly adj uste d and correct ly used.
Safety i s everybody' s responsibil ity!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the inform ed and care
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen
gers,
before dri ving always:
.. Make sure that a ll 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 vis ibility to the outs ide .
.,. Secu re all luggage and othe r items carefully
~page 60.
.,. Mak e sure th at noth ing c an interfere wi th the
pedals .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct rear seat passengers to adj ust the
head restraints according to their he ight.
.. Make sure to use the rig ht child restraint cor
rectly to protect children
c:> page 151, Child
safety .
.. Si t proper ly in yo ur seat a nd make sure t hat
your passenge rs do the same
~ page 54, Seats
and storage.

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0 1-CX)
rl I.Cl U"I
..... I.Cl ......
.. Fasten your safety be lt and wea r it properly. Al
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe
ty belts properly ¢
page 121.
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 road 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
eve ryone else on the road ¢,&. .Therefore :
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular te lephone .
.. NEVER drive when your driv ing ability is im
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc .).
.. Observe a ll traffic laws, ru les of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust you r speed to road, traffic and
weather cond itions.
.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch .
.. Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres
sure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired dr iv ing safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Dr iving safety
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
F ig. 118 Co rrect seating pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver 's seat to the following
pos ition:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keep ing your knee(s) slightly bent¢,&. .
.,. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contac t wi th it when you dr ive.
.. Adj ust the steer ing wheel so that there is a d is
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering whee l and your breast bone¢
fig. 118.
If not poss ible, see your author ized A udi dealer
about adaptive equipment .
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at your face .
.,. Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. App lies to veh icles w ith adjustable head re
s tra ints : Adjus t the head rest raint 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 .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 124.
.,. Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the veh icle at a ll times .
113

Driving safety
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
~ page 55.
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 risk 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 su pplemen
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 always ride in child safety
seats~
page 151. Special precautions ap
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat
q page 129.
114
-
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 accident, 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 124.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
~ page 54.
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.

.... N
0 I-co ....
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
tilted 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 151. Spec ial precaut ions ap
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 129.
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the ve hicle is 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 seat must always observe the follow
ing:
~ Make sure that the seatback is securely latched
in the upright position ¢
page 64.
~ Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢page 124.
~ Make sure that children are always properly re
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age¢
page 151 .
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash .
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 .
- 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 upright, a rear seat passenger increases
the risk of personal injury from improperly
positioned safety belts!
-Always adjust the head restra int properly so
that it can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to vehicles: with adjustable head restraints
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. 119 Head restraint: viewed 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 . 119.
Adjusting head restraints ¢page 57.
A WARNING
-~
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:
~
115

Driving sa fe ty
-Always drive with the head restraints i n
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restra ints so the upper edge is as
even as possib le w ith the top of your head.
If that is not possib le, try to adjust the head
restra int so that it is as close to th is position
as possib le.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint wh ile driving.
If you have dr iven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea
son, fi rst stop the vehicle safely before at
tempting to ad just the head restr aint.
- Children must always be p roperly restrained
in a chi ld restrain t th at is appropria te fo r
their age and size~
page 151.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated.
I mp roper seating positions can cause se rious in
ju ry or deat h. Safety belts can only wo rk when
they are p roperly posi tioned o n the body . Im
p roper seating posi tions reduce t he effe ct iveness
of sa fety belts and w ill even increase the r isk o f
in jury and death by moving the safety be lt to crit
ical areas of the body . Improper seating posit ions
also increase the risk of ser ious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the prope r seat ing position. A driver
is respo nsible for the safety of all vehicle occu
pants and especially fo r children. Therefo re:
~ Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seat ing pos ition w hen the veh icle is being used
~ .&. -
The follow ing bulletins list only some sample po
sitions that will inc rease the risk of serious inju ry
and death. Ou r hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seat ing pos it io ns that
a re dangero us.
116
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is moving :
-neve r stand up in the vehicle
- neve r sta nd on the seats
- neve r kneel on the seats
- never ride w ith the seatback recl ined
- neve r lie down on the rear seat
- neve r lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out t he window
- neve r put your feet o ut the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- neve r 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
Imp roper seating positions inc rease the risk
of ser ious personal injury and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all veh icle occupants
stay in a proper seating posit ion and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is be ing used .
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
' Important safety instructions
Applies to vehicles : wi th knee airbags
A WARNING
Always make su re that the k nee airbag can in
fl ate w ithout interfe rence. Object s between
yourself and the airb ag can inc re ase the risk
of injury in an accident by in terfering with the
way the ai rbag dep loys o r by being pushed in
to you as the airbag dep loys.
- No persons (ch ild ren) or animals should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat .
If the airbag deploys, this can res ult in
serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the dr iver's or
passenger's seat. Bu lky objects (shopping
bags, for examp le) can hamper or prevent