2017 AUDI A4 warning

Driving sa fe ty
Driving safety
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety 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 t he i nfo rmation and wa rn ings in
this section - for your own safety as well as tha t
of yo ur passengers.
The information i n this section applies to all
model ve rsions of your vehicle . Some of the fea­
tures descr ibed in t his sec tions may be s tanda rd
eq uipment on some models, or may be optional
equipment on others. If yo u are not sure, ask
your author ized 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 inte rest and in the in­
te rest of your passengers .
- Always keep all of the Owner's Lite rature
manuals in your Audi when you lend o r sell
yo ur vehicle so that this important informa­
t ion w ill always be availab le to the dr iver
and passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner 's Lite rature handy
so that you can find i t easi ly if yo u 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 occident si t­
uations.
Your safety and the safety of yo ur passenge rs
should not be left to chan ce. Advan ces in tech­
nology have made a var iety of features av ail ab le
to help reduce t he risk of injury in an accident .
236
The following is a list of just a few of the sa fety
features in your Audi :
- sophis tic ated safety be lts fo r dr ive r and all pas-
senge r seat ing pos itions,
- safety belt p re tensioners,
- be lt height adjustment for the front seats,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags fo r the front seats,
- side airbags in the front seats and outboard
rear seats *,
- side curtain airbags,
- special LA TC H anchorages for the outboard rear
seats and top tether anchorages for chi ld re ­
straints for all of the rear seats,
- adjustab le steering col umn.
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to­
gether as a system to he lp protect you and your
pa ssengers in a wide range of a cciden ts. These
fea tures canno t wo rk as a sys tem if they a re not
a lways cor rec tly ad juste d and cor rect ly used.
Safety is everybod y's responsibilit y!
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 a nd the safety of your passen ­
gers,
before driving alway s:
.,. Make sure that all lights and signals are operat­
ing correctly .
.,. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
.,. Make sure that a ll windows a re clean and afford
good v is ibility to the outs ide.
.,. Se cur e all luggage and othe r items ca refully
q page 242.
.,. Make sure that noth ing can i nter fere with the
peda ls .
.,. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for yo ur height.
.,. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their he ight .
.,. Make sure to use the rig ht child restraint co r­
rectly to protect chi ldren
q page 2 77 , Child
safety. ..,.

.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same¢
page 61, Front
seats .
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly . Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts properly ¢
page 245 .
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
everyone else on the road ¢_& .T herefo re :
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVER dr ive when your dr iv ing ability is im­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.) .
.. Observe a ll traff ic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather condit ions.
.. 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
Impai red dr iv ing safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal inju ry and death whenever a
vehicle is being used .
Driving safety
Correct seating position
for passengers
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
F ig. 20 5 Correct seating pos it io n
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 fo llowing
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. 205.
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 .
.. Ad just the head res tra int so the upper edge is
as even as possib le w ith the top of yo ur head.
If
that is no t possib le, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 248 .
.. Always keep both feet i n the footwell so that
you are in control of the veh icle at all t imes .
237

Driving safety
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 61.
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 adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the
lower part of the instrument panel.
- 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 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.
238
-
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 2 77. Special precautions ap­
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 253.
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 :
.,. 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.
.,. 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 re­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
possible
¢ page 62.
.,. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts correct­
ly¢
page 248.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 61.
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.
Ill>

-Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­
ger's knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- Eac h passenger must always sit on a seat of
t h eir own and properly fasten and w ear 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
c rease the risk of injury in a crash.
- Never drive with the backrest recli ned or
t il ted fa r bac k! The farther the backrests are
t il ted back, the greater the risk of i njury due
to incorrect posi tioning of the safety bel t
and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child safety
sea ts¢
page 2 77. Spec ial precaut ions ap­
ply when installing a chi ld safety seat on the
front passenger seat
c::> page 253.
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 r isk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking
maneuver or a n accident, you r passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
in g:
.,. If there are passengers on the outer rear seats,
adjust the head restraints so the upper edge is
as even as possible with the top of your head. If
that is not poss ible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
poss ible.
If there is a passenger in the ce nte r
rea r seat, slide the head res traint upward
¢page 62.
.,. Make s ure that the seatback is sec urely latched
in t he upright position
c::> page 65.
Dr iving safety
.,. Keep both feet f lat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
c::>poge248 .
.,. Make sure that children are always properly re­
strained in a child restra int that is appropr iate
for their size and age
c::> page 2 77.
_&. WARNING
Passengers w ho are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be serio usly inju red in a crash.
- Each passenge r must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fas ten and wear the
safety bel t belonging to tha t seat.
- Safety bel ts only offer maxim um protect ion
when the seatba ck is securely latched in t he
upright pos ition and the safe ty belts are
properly positioned on the body. By not sit­
ting upright, a rear seat passenger increases
the risk of personal injury from improper ly
positioned safety belts!
- Always ad just the head restraint proper ly so
that it can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints ore on impor ­
tant port of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and con help to reduce the risk of injuries in
occident situations.
F ig. 20 6 Head restra int: v iewed from t he front
The head rest raints mus t be correct ly adjusted to
achieve the best protection.
.,. Ad just t he head restra ints so the upper edge is
as even as possib le w ith the top of you r head . If
that is not possib le, t ry to adjust the head re-
stra int so that it is as close to this pos it ion as .,.
239

Driving sa fe ty
possible . Position* the head restraint as close
as possible to the back of your head.
~ If there is a passenger in the center rear seat,
slide the head restraint upward .
Adjusting head restraints
r=-, page 62.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints .
Dr iv ing without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not proper ly adjusted in­
creases the risk of ser ious or fatal neck injury
dramatically . To help reduce the r isk of injury:
- Always dr ive with the head restraints in
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, t ry to adjust the head
restra int so that it is as close to t his position
as possib le.
- Never attempt to adjust head restrai nt
wh ile driving. If you have dr iven off a nd
mus t adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, fi rst stop the vehicle sa fely before at ­
tempting to ad just the head restra int .
- C hildren must always be p roper ly restrained
in a chi ld restraint that is appropriate fo r
their age and size
i=-, page 2 77.
Examples of improper seating positions
-
The oc cupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated .
Imp roper seating positions can cause se rious in­
jury or deat h. Safety belts can only work when
they are proper ly positioned on the body. Im ­
proper seating positions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and w ill even increase the r isk of
in ju ry 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 pos ition . A driver
240
is responsible fo r the safety o f all veh icle occu ­
pants and especia lly for children. Therefore :
~ Never allow anyone to assume a n incorrect
seating posi tion when the vehicle is being used
q _& .
The following bulletins list on ly some samp le po ­
s itions that w ill increase the r is k of se rious injury
and death. Our hope is that these examples wi ll
make yo u more aware of seating positions that
are dangerous.
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is moving :
-neve r sta nd up in the vehicle
- neve r stand on the seats
- never k neel on the seats
- never ride w it h the seatback recl ined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- neve r sit on the edge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out the w indow
- never put your feet out the window
- neve r put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat c ushion 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 inju ry 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 a re
proper ly restrained whenever the vehicle is
be ing used.
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
A WARNING
A lways make su re that the knee airbag can in­
flate w ithout inte rfe rence. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can in cr ease the risk

<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the airbag deploys or by being pushed in­
to you as the airbag deploys.
- No persons (children) or animals shou ld ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat.
If the airbag deploys, this can result in
serious or fatal injuries .
- No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the driver's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping
bags, for example) can hamper or prevent
proper deployment of the airbag. Small ob­
jects can be thrown through the vehicle if
the airbag deploys and injure you or your
passengers.
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat or
any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without 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 circ uit fails, increased brake pedal trav­
e l is required to bring the vehicle to a full stop.
,8. WARNING
-
Peda ls that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri­
ous injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver's foot­
well. An object cou ld get into the pedal area
and interfere with pedal function. In case of
sudden braking or an accident, you would
not be able to brake or accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fall or
move into the driver's footwell.
Driving safety
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely at­ tached to the floor mat fasteners and do not in­
terfere with the free movement of the pedals .
""Make sure that the floor mats are properly se-
cured and cannot move and interfere with the pedals~ .&_.
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position . You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi
dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Properly securing the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into posi­
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im ­
pair safe operat ion of your vehicle in other ways .
,8. WARNING
=
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of
serious personal injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are prop­
erly secured.
- Never p lace or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be
properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the ped­
als or the ability to control the vehicle.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
f loor coverings on top of already installed
f loor mats . Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals.
- Always proper ly reinsta ll and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for cleaning.
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall
into the driver footwell whi le the vehicle is
mov ing. Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and accelerator pedal caus­ ing a loss of vehicle control.
241

Driving safety
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All Luggage and other objects must be properly
stowed and secured in the Luggage compart ­
ment.
Fig. 207 Safe load positio ning: place heavy objects as low
and as far forwar d as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling charac­
teristics . Loose items can also increase the risk of
serious personal injury in a sudden vehicle ma­
neuver or in a collision.
• Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com­
partment.
• Always place and properly secure heavy items in
the luggage compartment as low and as far for­
ward as possible
¢ fig. 207.
• Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided
¢ page 66.
• Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place .
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly through the vehicle causing serious per­ sonal injury in the event of hard braking or an
accident . To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage or
other heavy items in the luggage compart­
ment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage com­
partment using the tie-down eyelets and
suitable straps.
242
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehi­
cle handles. To help reduce the risk of a loss
of control leading to serious personal injury:
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the center of
gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance sticker on the
front end of the driver's door. Exceeding
permissible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driving
¢page 236.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than those
fitting completely into the luggage area be­
cause the rear lid cannot be fully closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear lid
open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the sliding sunroof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
A WARNING
-
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the sliding sunroof* and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the risk
of injury when the vehicle is not being used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make sure
that it is properly closed and locked.

<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
-Never leave your vehicle unattended espe­
cially with the rear lid left open. A child
could crawl into the vehicle through the lug­
gage compartment and close the rear lid be­
coming trapped and unable to get out . Be­
ing trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious
personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the vehi­
cle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must al­
ways be properly restrained in one of the ve­
hicle's seating positions.
-Air circulation helps to reduce window fog­
ging . Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure to
keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity weight and the tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it was man­
ufactured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load conditions, please see chap­
ter
c:> page 328.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
c:> page 242, Loading the luggage compar tment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even
smaller items that are loose in the vehicle will
become heavy missiles that can cause serious in­
jury . Items in the vehicle possess energy which
vary with vehicle speed and the weight of the
item. Vehicle speed is the most significant factor .
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h) , the forces acting on a 10-lb
(4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the normal
weight of the item. This means that the weight
Driving safety
of the item would suddenly be about
200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imagine the injuries
that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying freely through
the passenger compartment could cause in a col­
lision like this.
A WARNING
= -
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail during hard
braking or in a collision and cause serious per­
sonal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dan­
gerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded down,
always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent items from flying forward as dangerous
missiles into the passenger compartment.
- Never attach a child safety seat tether strap
to a tie-down.
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a
crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately in­
form the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in
addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar com­
plaints, it may open an investiga­
tion, and if it finds that a safety
defects exists in a group of
vehicles, it may order a recall and ""'
243