Airbag syste m
The side curtain airbag system supplements the
safety belts and can he lp to reduce the risk of in
jury for occupants' heads and upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side colli
sion . The side curtain airbag inflates in side im
pacts and only when the vehicle acceleration reg
istered by the control unit is h igh enough . If this
rate is below the reference value p rogrammed in
to the control un it, the side ai rbags wi ll not be
tr iggered, even though the car may be bad ly
damaged as a result of the collision. It is not pos
sible to define an airbag triggering range that
will cover every poss ible ang le of impact, since
the circumstances will vary cons iderably between
one collision and another. Important factors in
clude, for example , the nature (hard or soft) of
the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed , etc.
c:> page 246, How side curtain air
bags work .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
belts work to help keep the driver or front pas
senger in pos it io n in the event of a collision so
that the side curtain airbags can provide protec
tion .
The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect yo u if you are wea ring your safety belt
and wear ing it properly . T his is another reason
why you should always wear your safety belts, not just because the law requires you to do so
c:> page 218, General information.
I t is important to remember that whi le the s ide
curtain airbag system is designed to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swe lling, bruising, and m inor abra
sions can a lso be associated with these airbags
upon deployment. Remember too, these a irbags
w ill deploy only once and only in certa in kinds of
accide nts -your safety belts are a lways the re to
offer protection.
The side curtain airbag system basically
consists of:
- The electronic control module and external s ide
impact senso rs
246
- The side curtain a irbags above the front and
rear side windows
- The a irbag indi cator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is mon itored electro nical ly to
make certain it is func tioning properly at all
times. Each t ime you switch on the ignit ion, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The side curtain airbag i s not activated:
- if the igni tion is switched off,
- in side collisions whe n the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide pro tect ion when occupants are in
t he prope r seating pos ition
c:> page 54,
Seats and storage.
- I f the a irbag ind icator light c:> page 23
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer . It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who are properly re
strained.
F ig. 239 Illu strat io n of pr inc iple : In flated side curta in a ir-
bag s on the left s ide
II>
0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c '
cupant and the windows in a side collision
c::>fig. 239.
When the system is triggered, the side curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
side cur tain airbag must inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with great force.
The side curtain airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supple
mental side curtain airbag inflates . This applies
especially to children
c::> page 248.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain
airbags can "cushion " the impact and in this way
they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and the upper part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys .
This is quite normal and does not mean there is a
fire in the vehicle.
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
properly wear safety belts and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
do their job to provide supplemental protection.
.&, WARNING
-
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper
seating positions increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death whenever a vehicle
is being used .
- Never let occupants place any parts of their
bodies in the area from which the side cur
tain airbags inflate .
- Always make sure that the side curtain air
bags can inflate without interference. Un
suitable accessories fitted inside the expan
sion range of a side curtain airbag can dan
gerously interfere with its function. A de-
Airbag system
ploying head airbag develops enough force
to catapult any piece of add-on component
out of its path of inflation and into the pas
senger compartment. An occupant hit by
such a projectile can suffer serious injury or
death
c::> page 338, Technical Modifications.
- Do not swivel the sun visors to the side if
you have any objects clipped onto them (for example pens). If the airbag should deploy,
you could be injured by these objects.
- Use the built-in coat hooks only for light
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or
sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in an accident.
- Never use hangers to hang clothing from
the hooks.
- Only use factory-installed sun shades or, in
the case of shades installed after the vehicle
leaves the factory, only Audi roll-up
sunscreens may be used
c::> page 338, Addi
tional accessories and parts replacement.
-Always sit in proper seating position and
wear safety belts while traveling so that the
side curtain airbags can help provide protec
tion .
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once . If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Always have work involving the side curtain
airbag system, removal and installation of
the airbag components, or other repairs
performed by a qualified dealership . Other
wise the airbag system may not work cor rectly.
- Never attempt to modify any components of
the airbag system in any way.
247
Child safety
Mounting
.. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench
is in the upright position and securely latched
in place .
.. Attach both hook-on connectors with the spring
catch re lease on the child safety seat onto the
LATCH lower anchorage so that the connectors
lock into place
c> fig. 250.
.. Pull on the connector attachments to make
sure they are properly attached to the LATCH
lower anchorage .
.. Pull straps tight follow ing the child restra int
manufacturer's instructions.
Releasing
.. Loosen the tension on the straps following the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions.
.. Depress the spring catches to release the an
cho rage hooks from the lower anchorages.
Remember: Use tether straps to help keep the
child restraint firmly in place .
.,&. WARNING
Improper use of the LATCH system can in
crease the risk of serious personal injury and
death in an accident .
- Th ese anchors were deve loped only for child
safety seats using the "LA TCH" system.
- Never attach other child safety seats, belts
or other objects to these anchors .
- Always make sure that you hear a click when
latch ing the seat in place. If you do not hear
a click the seat is not secure and could fly
forward and hit the interior of the vehicle,
or be ejected from the vehicle .
.,&. WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will
increase the risk of injury in an acc ident.
- Always follow the child restraint system
manufacturer's instructions for proper in
stallation of the child restraint system and
proper use of tether straps as well as the
lower anchorages or safety belts in your ve
hicle .
- Always read and heed the important infor
mation and WARNINGS about child safety
264 and the installation of child restraint sys
tems
c> page 248, Child safety .
(D Note
On vehicles with power adjustable rear seats*
some crite ria must be observed when attach
ing the child restraint using the
LATCH sys
tem:
- To attach the ch ild restraint securely, the
seat must be moved to the farthest rear po
sition, the seat height set to the lowest po
sit ion and the head restraint must be ad
justed to the vertical position.
- If a child safety seat is attached to one of
the rear seats, this seat must not be adjust
ed using the power controls under any c ir
cumstances. The
Entry assistance for this
seat must also be deactivated in the MMI
c> page 58. Th e child safety seat as well as
the rear seat can be damaged by the adjust
ment process.
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 251 Tether ancho rs: recess flaps behind the rear seat
backs
The tether anchors for the two* /three rear seat
ing positions are located in recesses in the rear
window shelf
c> fig . 251 . Vehicles with two rear
seat ing positions* are equipped with two tether
anchors .
A tether is a straight or V-shaped strap that at
taches the top part of a chi ld restraint to special
anchorage points in the veh icle.
The purpose of the tether is to reduce the for
ward movement of the child restraint in a crash,
in order to help reduce the risk of head injury
111JJ,
0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c '
start pins according to the instructions. (pin un
der the cover= "pos it ive", pin with hexagonal
head
= "negative").
~ Insert the power cable for the charging device
into the socket and switch the device on .
~ At the end of the charging process, switch the
charger off and pull the power cab le out of the
socket.
~ Now remove the charg ing device terminal
clamps.
~ Close the cover @on the positive terminal and
re-install the cover
(D.
~ Close the hood c:> page 2 73.
A drained battery can freeze at temperatures
around 322F (OQC). A frozen or thawed out bat
tery must no longer be used. The battery housing
could be cracked by the formation of ice, which
could cause battery acid to leak out
c:> A .
Charg ing the b att ery
On ly use chargers with a ma ximum cha rg ing
voltage of 14.8 V. The battery connecting cables
do not need to be disconnected. Do not open the
battery when charg ing .
Read a ll of the manufact urer 's instructions for
the charger before charging the battery.
A WARNING
- A highly exp losive mixture of gases can form
when charging batter ies. Only charge the
vehicle battery in well-vent ilated areas.
- A drained battery can freeze at tempera
tures around 32 °F (0 °C). A frozen or
thawed ve hicle battery must not be charged
and must not be used anymore. The battery
housing can crack and battery acid can leak
o ut if ice fo rms, wh ic h in creases the r is k of
an exp losion and chemica l burns. Conta ct an
au thori zed Aud i dealer o r autho rized Aud i
Service Facility fo r mo re information.
- Do not connect o r disconnect the charg ing
cable while charg ing because th is increases
the risk of an exp losion.
Ch eck ing and Filling
{!) Tips
-Only charge the vehicle battery through the
connect ions in the engine compartment.
- Read all of the manufacturer's instructions
for the charger before charging the vehicle battery.
Windshield washer system
F ig . 2 64 Engine compartmen t: was her fluid reservo ir cap
M N ~ N
"' co m
The windshield washer fluid reservoir O contains
the cleaning solution for the w indshield and the
headlight washer system¢
fig. 264, ¢ page 2 74.
The reservoir capacity is found in c:> page 334 .
To reduce the risk of lime scale deposits on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amo unts
of calcium. Always add window cleaner to the wa
ter. When the outside temperatures are cold, an
anti-freezing agent should be added to the water
so that it does not freeze .
(D Note
-The concentration of ant i-freez ing agent
must be adjusted to the veh icle operat ing
conditions in the respective climate . A con
centration that is too high can lead to vehi
cle damage.
- Never add radiator anti-free ze or other addi
tives to the washer fluid.
- Do not use a glass cleaner that con ta ins
pai nt so lvents, because t his could damage
t he paint.
281
Care and cleaning
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi
cle's value.
It can also be a requirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility. Read and follow the instruc
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
-Using cleaning and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health .
- Always store cleaning and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the risk of poi
soning.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably purchase environmentally-friend ly cleaning products.
- Do not dispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with household trash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits such as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road salt remain on the ve hicle, the more the surface can be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
increase the damaging effect .
Before washing, rinse off heavy deposits with
plenty of water.
Stubborn deposits such as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a microfiber cloth.
Also, wash the underside of your vehicle once road salt stops being used for the season .
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icle w ith a pressure wash
er, always follow the operating instructions pro
vided with the pressure washer. This is especially
important in regard to the pressure and spraying
distance. Do not aim the spray directly at the
306
seals on the side windows, doors, lids or the sun
roof* or at tires, rubber hoses, insulating materi
al, sensors* or camera lenses* . Keep a distance of
at least 16 in (40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use cone nozzles or high pressure nozzles.
The water temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °C).
Automatic car washes
Spray off the vehicle before washing.
Make sure that the windows and roof* are closed
and the windshield wipers are off . Follow instruc
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
there are accessories attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Only use car washes where the veh icle remains
stationary and the washing equipment moves
around the vehicle when washing and drying. Car
washes that move the vehicle through the car
wash using a chain are not recommended.
Washing by hand
Clean the vehicle starting from the top and work
ing down using a soft sponge or cleaning brush.
Use solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing, first
remove dust and large particles from your vehi
cle. Insects, grease spots and fingerprints are
best removed with a special cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth. To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutral shampoo and a soft micro
fiber cloth .
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a chamois. ..,..
Care and cleaning Component Situation Solution
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt Water, cleaning solution suitab le for stainless steel, if nee-
essary
Decorative parts/ Deposits Mild
soap solution a), a cleaning solution suitable for stain-
Trim less stee l, if necessary
Paint Paint damage Refer to th e paint number on the vehicle data label, repair
with touch up paint ~
page 333
Spilled fuel Rinse
with water immediately
Surface rust Rust remover, then protect with hard wax; for questions,
consult an author ized Audi dealer or authorized Aud i Serv-
ice Facility.
Corros ion Have it removed by an authori zed Aud i dea ler or author-
ized Audi Service Facility.
Water no longer Pr
otect wi th hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even though Treat wit h suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if
paint has been pro- the polish that was used does not contain any protectant
tected/paint looks
poor
Deposits such as in- Dampen with water immediately and remove with a micro-
sects, bird dropp ings, f iber cloth
tree sap and road salt
Grease-based con- Remove immediately with a mild soap solution a ) and a
taminants such as soft cloth
cosmetics or sunblock
Carbon parts Deposi ts clean the same way as painted parts ~ page 306
a) Mild soap so lution: maxim um two tabl espoo ns of n eu tra l s oap in 1 quart Cl lite r) of w ater
Interior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windows
Deposits Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Decorative parts/ Deposits Mild soap
solution al
Trim
Plastic parts
Deposits Damp clo1th
Heavier deposits Mild soap solution
al, detergent-free pla stic clean ing solu-
tion, if necessary
Displays Deposits Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Controls Deposits Soft brush, then
a soft cloth with a mild soap so lution al
Safety belts Deposits Mild soap solution al, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract
308
...
Care and cleaning
- Damage to the protective layer on the rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately.
- Sensors/camera lenses
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. This
could cause the lens to crack .
- Never use abrasive cleaning materials or
alcohol to clean the camera lens . This
could cause scratches and cracks.
- Door windows
- Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terior mirrors with a plastic scraper. To
avoid scratches, move the scraper only in
one direction and not back and forth.
- Never remove snow or ice from door win
dows and mirrors using warm or hot water
because this could cause cracks to form.
- To avoid damage to the rear window de
fogger, do not apply any stickers on the
heating wires on the inside of the window.
- Decorative parts/trim
- Never use chrome care or cleaning prod-
ucts.
- Paint
- To reduce the risk of scratches, the vehicle
must be free of dirt and dust before pol
ishing or waxing.
- To prevent paint damage, do not polish or
wax the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of paint damage, do not
polish away rust spots.
- Remove cosmetics and sunscreen immedi
ately- these could damage the paint.
- Displays
- To avoid scratches, do not use dry cleaning
methods on displays.
- Controls
- Make sure that no fluids enter the con-
trols , because this could cause damage.
- Safety belts
- Do not remove the safety belts to clean
them.
- Never clean safety belts or their compo
nents chemically or with corrosive fluids
or solvents and never allow sharp objects
to come into contact with the safety belts.
310
This could cause damage to the belt web
bing.
- If there is damage to the webbing, the
connections, the retractors or the buckles, have them replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
- Textiles/artificial leather/ Alcantara
- Never treat artificial leather/ Alcantara
with leather care products, solvents, floor polish, shoe polish, spot remove or similar
products.
- Have a specialist remove stubborn stains
to prevent damage.
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning.
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry the seat .
- Objects with sharp edges, such as zippers
or rivets on clothing or belts, can cause
damage to the surface.
- Open hook and loop fasteners, for exam ple on clothing, can damage seat covers .
Make sure hook and loop fasteners are
closed.
- Natural leather
- Never treat leather with solvents, floor polish, shoe polish, spot remover or simi
lar products.
- Objects with sharp edges, such as zippers
or rivets on clothing or belts, can cause
damage to the surface.
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning.
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry the
seat.
- To help prevent the leather from fading,
do not leave the vehicle in direct sunlight
for long periods of time. If leaving the ve
hicle parked for long periods of time, you
should cover the leather to protect it from
direct sunlight.
- Refrigerator
- Do not try to speed up the defrosting
process by applying heat.
- To help prevent health risks or damage to
the refrigerator, do not use any abrasive ..,.
C) C0 ....
"' " "' .... 0 0 :r
Fig. 287 Driver side cockpi t: fuse panel with plastic bracket
Fuse panel @ (brown)
No. Equipment
1 Light switch
2 Eme rgency start coil (driver identification)
3 Left rear door control module
4 Head-up display
5 Horn
6 Interior lights (headliner)
Steering column lever, multifunction
8 steering whee l controls, steering wheel
heating
10 Power steering column adjustment
11 Driver door control module
12 Diagnostic connector, light/rain sensor
14 Power steering column adjustment
lS Power steering, A/C compressor
16 Brake booster
Fuse panel © (black)
No. Equipment
1 Front seat heating
2 Windshield wipers
Fuses and bulbs
Fuse panel © (black)
3
Front exterior lighting
4 Sliding/tilting sunroof
s Driver power window
6 Driver's seat (pneumat ic)
7 Panorama roof
8 Dynamic steering
9 Front exterior lighting
10 Windshield/headlight washer system
11 Left rear power window
12 Panorama roof
Front passenger side cockpit fuse
assignment
Fig. 288 Fro nt passenger side cockpit: fuse panel with
plastic bracket
Fuse panel @ (black)
No. Equipment
1 Anti-theft alarm system
2 Transmission control module
3 Front climate control fan
4 Engine supply
6 Engine control module
7 Front passenger door control module
323