Safe driving
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 respons ible for the safety of the ve
hicle and all of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody in the
vehicle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
c:::> .&_. Therefore :
~ Do not let yourself be distracted by passenger
or by using a cellular telephone.
~ NEVER drive when your driving ability is im
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
~ Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense.
~ ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions.
~ 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.
..&, WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 152 Correct seating position
182
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
position:
~ Adjust the driver 's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
c:::> .&_.
~ Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact with it when you drive.
~ Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a d is
tance of at least 10 in (25 cm) between the
steering wheel and your breast bone
c:::>fig. 152.
If not possible, see your authorized Audi deal
ership 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.
~ Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c:::> page 192.
~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the vehicle at all times .
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c:::> page 47, Seats and storage.
..&, 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 in (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 in
(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
-
Safe driving
_& 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 left
door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight
standards can cause the vehicle to slide and hand le differently .
- Please observe information on safe driving
c';> page 181.
_& 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 convertible top,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed .
_& WARNING
'
-
Always make sure that the doors, all win
dows, the convertible top 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.
186 -
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.
{1) Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window fog
ging . Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel, on the left
side of the luggage compartment. 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 257.
Tie -downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items .
fl AUD I I
Fig. 153 Lug gage compar tmen t: loca ti on of th e tie-dow ns ....
co
co
.... N
" N .... 0
" "' c:o
-Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags in
flate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
- The airbag system can deploy only once. Af
ter an airbag has been deployed, it must be
replaced with new replacement parts de
signed and approved especially for your
Audi model version. Replacement of com plete airbag systems or airbag components
must be performed by qualified workshops
only. Make sure that any airbag service ac
tion is entered in your Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt
er must only be performed by a qualified
technicians who have the experience, in
formation and special tools necessary to
perform the work safely.
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions must be followed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretension
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo
rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts with pretensioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regulations must be
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa
miliar with these requirements and we recom
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for you.
Airbag system
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag System
performs in a crash. For example, using tire-rim
combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehicle, changing the stiffness of the suspension, including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control unit. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy ing when it should.
A WARNING
-Changing the vehicle's suspension including use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac
teristics as the components originally instal
led on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
211
Wheels
Wheels
Wheels and Ti res
General information
.,. Check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob
jects from the tire tread.
.,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap proach the curb at an angle.
.,.Have faulty tires or rims re
placed immediately.
.,.Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
.,.Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
.,. Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
(D N ote
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons . Audi recom
mends using winter tires dur
ing the winter months . Low
temperatures significantly de crease the elasticity of summ
er tires, which affects traction
2 4 6
and b raking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form
on the tread bars, resulting in permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter driving condi
tions. The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
F ig. 188 Tire des ignat ion on the side
wall
Wheels
able to provide you with more in
formation.
® Mud and snow capability
"M/S" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has properties making it suitable
to drive in mud or snow.
& indi
cates a w inter t ire.
@ Compos ition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay
ers in the tire . In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry. Tire manufacturers must also specify the materia ls
used in the tire. These include
steel, nylon, polyester and other
materials .
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi
mum load in k ilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature
resistance
Tread wear, t raction and temper
ature ranges ¢
page 262.
248
@ Running direction
~ Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi
mum pressure to wh ich a t ire can
be inflated unde r normal operat
ing condit ions .
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto
matic transmission , power steer
ing , power brakes , power win
dows, power seats , radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items a re available as fac tory-in
stalled equipment (whet her in
stalled or no t).
Aspect ratio
means the rat io of the height to
the width of the tire in pe rcent.
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewall fo r imp roved steer
ing response and better overa ll
handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or ...
a, a, .... N
" N .... 0
" V, a:,
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recom
mended by the vehicle man ufac
turer for a tire of a designated
size that has not been driven for
more than a couple of miles (kilo
meters) at low speeds in the
three ho ur period before the tire
pressure is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve
hic le with standard equipment in
c lud ing the maximum capac ity of
fuel, oil, and coolant, a ir condi
tioning and add itional weigh t of
optional equ ipment .
Extra load ti re
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at h igher in
flation pressures than the corre
sponding standard tire . Extra load
tires may be ident ified as "XL",
Wheels
"xl" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" on , ,
the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity
of a single axle system, measured
at the tire-ground in terfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
( " GVWR ")
means the maxim um total loaded
weight of the vehic le.
Groove
means the space between two ad
jacent tread ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maxim um load that a
tire is rated to carry for a g iven in
flation pressu re. You may not find
this informat ion on all tires be
ca use it is no t requ ired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible infla
tion pressure for that tire .
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory we ight
2 4 9
...
Wheel s
(c) Vehicle capaci ty weight, and
(d) Production options we ig ht
Maximum (permissible)
inflation pressure
means the maximum cold infla
tion pressure to which a tire may be inflated . Also called "max i
mum i nflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs (68 kg) times the
number of occupants seated in
the vehicle up to the to tal seat ing
capacity of your vehicle .
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants
in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an
inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance be
tween the exteriors of the side
walls of an inflated tire, inc luding
e levations due to label ing, deco
rations, or protective bands or
ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
parallel cords .
250
Production options weight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular product ion
options weighing over 5 lbs (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not pre
viously considered in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes , ride levelers,
roof rack, heavy duty ba ttery, a nd
special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply cords that extend to the
beads are la id at substantially 90
deg rees to the centerline o f the
tread.
Recommended inflation
pressure
see ¢ page 249 , Cold tire infla
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in
flation pressures than the corre
sponding standard tire . Rein
forced tires may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF"
on the s idewall. ...
a, a, .... N
" N .... 0
" V, a:,
Rim
means a metal support for a tire
or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated.
Rim di amet er
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If you change your
wheel size, you will have to pur
chase new tires to match the new
rim diameter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between
rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire be
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code )
means the speed at wh ich a tire is
designed to be driven for extend
ed periods of time . The ratings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 247.
You may not find
this information on all tires be
cause it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates the
Wheels
maximum permissible road
speeds
¢ A in Winter tires on
page 261.
T ire pressure mon itoring
system *
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illumi
nates a low tire pressure warning
telltale.
T read
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact with the road .
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread
from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI )
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees
of wear of the tread. See
¢ page 255, Treadwear indicator
for more information on measur
ing tire wear .
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system devel
oped by the United States Nation
a l Highway Traffic Safety Admin
istration (NHTSA) that is designed
to help buyers make relative
25 1
..