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-When the vehicle is locked, no one - part icu
larly not children should remain in the vehi
cle. Locked doors make it more diff icu lt for
emergency workers to get into the vehicle -
putt ing lives at risk.
Starting from rest
The starting assist function ensures that the
parking brake is released automatically upon
starting .
Stopping and applying parking brake
~ Pull the switch @9 page 76, fig. 91 to apply
the parking brake.
Starting and automatically releasing the
parking brake
~ When you start to drive as usual, the parking
brake is automatica lly released and your vehicle
begins to move.
When stopping at a traffic signal or stopping in
city traffic on vehicles w ith an automatic trans
miss ion, the park ing brake can be applied. The
vehicle does not have to be held with the foot brake . The park ing brake eliminates the tendency
to creep with a drive range engaged. As soo n as
you dr ive off as usual, the parking brake is re
leased automatically and the veh icle starts to
move.
Starting on slopes
When starting on inclines, the start ing 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.
Driving
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an in
cline, do the following:
~ Keep the switch @9 page 76, fig. 91 pulled
and depress the accelerator. The parking brake
stays applied and prevents the vehicle from
rolling backwa rd .
~ You ca n release the sw itch @once you a re sure
that you are develop ing enough dr iv in g force at
t he 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
i ng backwards by holding the pa rking brake
swi tch @ pulled out and accelerating -just as
you wou ld when starting on a hill with a conven
t iona l hand brake .
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional broke system
foils or locks.
~ I n an emergency, pull the switch@Q page 76,
fig. 91 and continue to pull it to slow your vehi
cle down with the parking brake.
~ As soon as you re lease the switch @or acceler-
ate, the braking process stops .
If you pull the switch @and hold it above a
speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h), the emergency
braking f unction is init iated. The vehicle is braked
at all four whee ls by activating the hydraulic
brake system . The brake performance is s imilar
to making an emergency stop
Q .& .
In order not to activate the emergency braking by
mistake, an audible warning tone (buzzer)
sounds when the switch @is pulled . As soon as
the switch @ is released, or the accelerator pedal
i s depressed, emergency braking stops .
A WARNING
Emergency braking should only be used in an
emergency, when the normal foot bra ke has
failed or the brake pedal is obstructed. Using
the parking brake to perform emergency
braking w ill slow your vehicle down as if you
77

At speeds above about 1 mph (2 km/h) the Auto
matic Shift Lock is automatically deactivated in
the N position.
A time delay element prevents the selector lever
from locking when it is moved through the N po
sition (going from R to D/S). The locking e lement
will lock the se lector lever if the lever is left in N
(Neutral) for more than approx imately 2 sec
onds, without the brake pedal being pressed.
Release button
The release button on the se lector lever prevents
the lever from being accidentally sh ifted into cer
tain positions. Depending on the d irection of the
shift, the selector lever locks at d ifferent posi
tions . The positions are highlighted in the illus
tration ¢
fig. 96 .
Ignition key safety interlock
The key cannot be removed from the ignition un
less the selector lever is in the P park posit ion.
When the ignit ion key is removed, the selector
lever will be locked in the P pos ition .
Driving the automatic transmission
App lies to: ve hicles with multitro nic/S tronic/tiptronic
Fig . 97 S hift gate o n the ce nte r conso le: selecto r leve r w ith
release button
Starting the engine
~ The selector lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
~ Press and hold the brake pedal.
~ Press and hold the release button in the selec-
a:,
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~ er position such as D/S and release the button. N ...... 0
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Automatic transm ission
~ Wait briefly unti l the transmission has shi fted
(you will feel a slight movement).
~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal and ac
celerate.
Stopping temporarily
~ Keep the vehicle stationary using the braking
pedal, for examp le at traffic lights.
~ Do not press the acce lerator pedal when doing
this .
~ To prevent the veh icle from rolling when you
start driv ing, set the parking brake when stop
p in g on steep incl ines ¢.&_ .
~ The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start moving once you press
the acce le rator 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
Transmission: Car may roll! Shift
to park!
appea rs.
~ Press and hold the brake pedal until the vehicle
has come to a complete stop .
~ Apply the parking brake ¢ page 76, Parking.
~ Select the P selector lever position ¢ .&_ .
Stopping 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
"rolling back" when a gear is engaged by in
creas ing the engine speed
¢0.
Starting on an incline
~ Activate the parking brake.
~ With the driving gear selected, press the accel
erator pedal carefully . The park ing brake will
release automatically if your seat belt is fas
t ened.
Under certain circumstances, such as driving in
the mountains , it may be useful to switch tempo
rarily to the manual shift program in order to ad
just the gears to the driv in g conditions by hand
¢page 85.
On slopes, act ivate the park ing brake first and
then move the selecto r lever to the P position.
83

Automatic transmission
This prevents too much stress from being placed
on the locking mechanism.
Vehicles with multitronic transmission: Your ve hicle is equipped with
hill hold assist allowing
you to start while on an incline. The system is ac
tivated when the brake pedal is pressed down
and held
for a few seconds. The brake pressure
will hold for
a moment after the brake pedal
loosens to prevent the vehicle from rolling back
wards while starting up.
A WARNING
- The vehicle can also roll when the engine is
stopped.
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause se rious injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running, ac tivate the parking brake and move the selec
tor lever to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To pre
vent the vehicle from "creeping", you must
keep your foot on the brake when the en
gine is running and the selector lever is in 0/
Sor R or "tiptronic" mode is selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when changing the selector lever position while
the vehicle is stationary and the engine is
running.
- Never shift into R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep slope, reduce
your speed and shift into a lower gear with
"tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re
duces braking performance, increases brak
ing distance or causes complete failure of
the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it in
place with the brake pedal or parking brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens automati-
84
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload. An indicator lamo
[O ] illuminates
and a driver message appears
c::;, page 86
when the clutch is overloaded.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure these
lector lever has securely engaged and is
locked in P with the parking brake set
¢page 193. Otherwise, any increase in en
gine speed may
set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
(D Note
- S tronic- and tiptronic transmission: When
stopping on an incline, do not try to hold
the vehicle in place by pressing the accelera
tor pedal while a driving gear is selected.
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.
- S tronic- and tiptronic transmission: Allow
ing th@ vehicle to roll when th@ engine is
stopped and the selector lever is in N will
damage the transmission because it is not
lubricated under those circumstances.
(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
App lies to: vehicles with mult itron ic/S tron ic/t iptronic
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down declines .
Hill descent control is activated when the selec
tor lever is in D/S and you press the brake pedal.
The transmission automatically selects a gear
that is suitable for the incline. Hill descent con
trol tries to maintain 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. ..,..

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Driving safety
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 described 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 variety 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 seating positions,
- belt 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,
- special 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 wide 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
f1,1/ 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
qpage 62.
.,. Make sure that nothing can interfere with the
pedals.
.,. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
.,. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re
straints according to their height.
.,. Make sure to use the right child restraint cor
rectly to protect children
¢ page 150, Child
safety.
.,. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
q page 57, Seats
and storage.
Ill>
111

Driving safety
• Fasten your safety be lt and wear it properly . Al
so instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety be lts properly ¢
page 122.
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 ¢.&, .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 .
112
.
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 128 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¢.&, .
• 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 ¢
fig. 128.
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
¢ page 125.
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in contro l of the veh icle at a ll times .

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For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 58.
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 150. Special precautions ap
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat ¢
page 130.
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 125.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenge r's seat, see ¢
page 57.
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.
113

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 150. Special precaut ions ap
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 130.
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
i ng:
... 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 125 .
.,. Make sure that children are always properly re
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age¢
page 150.
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash.
114
-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!
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. 129 Head 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 edg e 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 . 129 .
Adjusting head restraints¢ page 60 .
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:
-Always drive with the head restra ints in
place and properly adjusted.
-

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-Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restraints so the upper edge is as
even as possible with the top of your head.
If that is not possible, try to adjust the head
restraint so that it is as close to this position
as possible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at
tempting to adjust the head restra int.
- Children must always be properly restrained
in a child restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
q page 150.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system con only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore properly
seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious in
jury or death. Safety belts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body. Im
proper seating positions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and will even increase the risk of
injury and death by moving the safety belt to crit
ical areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seating position. A driver
is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu
pants and especially for children. Therefore:
.. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
q& -
The following bulletins list only some sample po
sitions that will increase the risk of serious injury
and death. Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions that
are dangerous.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
Driving safety
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the risk
of ser ious personal injury and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
-Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a proper seating posit ion and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being used.
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to: vehicles with knee airbags
A WARNING
--=
Always make sure that the knee airbag can in-
flate without interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can increase the risk
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 should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat . If the airbag deploys, this can result in
serious or fatal injur ies.
- 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
115