u co ..... N r-N .....
~ 0 co
Automatic saf ety belt retractor s
Every safety be lt is equ ipped with an automatic
be lt retractor on the shoulder belt. Th is feature
l ocks the belt when the belt is pull ed out fast,
during hard braking and in an accident. The be lt
may a lso lock when you drive up or down a steep
h ill or through a sharp curve. During normal driv
ing the belt lets you move freely .
Safety be lt pret en sioner s
Safety belts with pretensioners he lp to tighten
the safety belt and remove slack when the pre
tensioners are activated
c:> page 267. The func
tion of the pretensioner is monitored by a warn
i ng light
<=> page 26 .
Con vertible loc king retract or
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a convertible locking retrac
tor that
m ust be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child safety seat. Be sure to read
the important information about this feature
<=>page 302 .
A WARNING
Improperly posit ioned safety be lts ca n cause
ser ious injury in an accident
c:> page 265,
Safety belt position.
-Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is upright and belts are
prope rly pos itioned on the body.
-Always ma ke sure tha t the rear seat bac k
rest to wh ich the center rear safety be lt is
attached is secure ly latched whenever the
rear center safety belt is being used. If the
backrest is not securely latched, the passen
ger will move forward with the backrest dur
ing sudden braking, in a sudden maneuver
and especially in a cras h.
-Never attach the safety belt to the buckle
for another seat. Attaching the belt to the
wrong buckle w ill reduce safety belt effec
t iveness and can cause serious personal in
jury.
-A passenger who is not properly restrained can be seriously in jured by the safety be lt it
self when it moves from the stronger parts
Safet y bel ts
of the body into critical areas like the abdo
men .
-Always lock the convertible locking retractor
when you are securing a child safety seat in
the vehicle
c:> page 304.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maxi
mum protection from safety belts.
Fig. 229 Safety belt pos it ion
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust
the position of the safety belt to ma tch your body
s iz e.
-belt height adjustment for the front seats,
-height-adjustable front seats.
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
se rious personal injury in an acc ident.
-The shou lder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possib le and
should fit well on the body. Ho ld the belt
above the latch tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest so th at it sits as low as pos
sible on the pe lvis and there is no p ressure
on the abdomen . The belt should a lways fit
snug ly
c:> fig. 229. Pu ll on the belt to tighten
if necessary .
-The lap be lt portion of the sa fety belt must
be positioned as low as possible across pel
vis and never over the abdomen. Make sure
the belt lies flat and snug
c:> fig. 229. Pull on
the belt to tighten if necessary.
-A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious
in juries by shifting its position on your body
ll>
265
Safe ty belts
from the strong bones to more vulnerable,
soft tissue and cause ser ious injury.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
r=> page 263.
Pregnant women must also be correctly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make sure
that expectant mothers always wear safety belts
correctly -throughout the pregnancy.
Fig. 230 Safety belt pos ition duri ng pregnancy
To prov ide max imum protection, safety belts
m ust always be positioned correctly on the wear
er's body
r=> page 265 .
.,. Adjust the fro nt sea t and head restra int cor
rec tly ¢ page 56, Front sea ts .
.,. Make s ure the seatback of the rear seat bench
is in an upright position and secure ly latched in
place before using the belt .
.. Pull the safety be lt evenly across the chest so
that it sits as low as possible on the pelv is and
there is no pressure on the abdomen
¢ fig . 230, r=> .&, .
.. Inse rt the tongue into the cor rect b uckle of
you r seat until you hea r it latch secure ly .
.,. Pu ll on t he be lt to make sure tha t it is securely
latched in the buck le.
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety be lts can cause
serious persona l inju ry in an accident.
-Expec tan t mothe rs must a lways wear the
lap portion of the safety belt as low as pos
sible across the pelvis and below the round ing of the abdomen .
266
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important
i nformat ion¢ A in Fasten
ing safety belts on page 265.
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only after the vehicle has stopped .
Fig. 2 31 Releasing the to ngue from t he buckle
.,. Push the red re lease button on the buck le
¢ fig. 231. The belt tongue w ill spr ing out of
t he buck le
r=> & -
.. Let the bel t wind up o n the retra ctor as yo u
guide the bel t tongue to its stowed position.
A WARNING
N ever unfasten safety be lt wh ile the vehicle is
moving. Do ing so will increase your r isk of be
ing injured or killed.
Adjusting safety belt height
With the aid of the safety belt height adjust
ment , the three point safety belt strap routing
can be fi tted to the shoulder area, according to
body size .
Fig . 23 2 Safety belt heigh t adjus tment -loop -arou nd fit
tings
u co ..... N r--N ..... 0 <( 0 00
The shoulder belt should lie as close to the center
of the collar bone as possib le and should fit well
on the body
c> A in Safety belt position on
page 265.
~ Push the loop-around fittings up c> fig . 232 @,
or
~ squeeze together the @ button, and push the
loop-around fittings down@ .
~ Pull the belt to make sure that the upper at
tachment is properly engaged .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and oth
er important informat ion
c> page 263.
(D Tips
With the front seats, the height adjustment
of the seat can also be used to adjust the po
sition of the safety belts .
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause se
vere injuries .
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause seri
ous injury or death . Safety belts can only work
when they are correctly pos itioned on the body .
Imp roper seating positions reduce the effect ive
n ess of safety be lts and will even inc rease the
ris k of injury and death by mov ing the safety belt
to cr it ic al areas of the body. Imp roper sea ting
positions also increase the risk of serious inj ury
and death when an airbag deploys and strikes an
occupant who is not in the co rrect seating posi
tion . A driver is respons ible for the safety of all
ve hicle occupants and espec ia lly for children.
Therefore:
~ Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect
s itting position in the veh icle wh ile traveling
c> &_ .
A WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts inc rease the risk
of serious personal injury and death wheneve r
a vehicle is be ing used.
Safet y be lts
- Always make sure that all veh icle occupants
are cor rectly restrained and stay in a correct
seating position whenever the vehicle is be ing used.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important informat ion
c> page 263.
Belt tensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
Reversible safety belt pretensioners
T he following fu nctions a re availab le w hen safety
belts w it h reversib le safety bel t tensione rs ar e
fas tened:
- I n certa in driv ing s ituations, the safety belts
may tig hten w it h a reve rsib le tensioning func
t ion
c> page 112.
-The safety be lts may also t ighten with this re-
ve rs ible tens io ni ng f un ct io n in m ino r collisions.
Pyrotechnic safety belt pretensioners
Seat belts with pyrotechnic safety be lt preten
sioners are tensioned automatically i n severe col·
lis ions, depending on the circumstances . This
helps to reduce the fo rwa rd motion of the occu
pants.
A WARNING
r----
- I t is poss ible for the pretensioners to dep loy
incorrectly .
- Any wo rk on the tens ioner system or remov
al and installation o f system components
for other repairs must be performed by a
qualified wor kshop.
- The pyrotechnic system can only provide protection for one collision. If the pyrotech
n ic pretens ioners deploy, the pretensioning
system must be replaced.
(D Tips
- A fine dust is re leased when the pyrotechnic
safety belt pretensioners dep loy. This is nor
ma l and is not caused by a f ire in the veh i-
cle.
..,
267
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats can help protect
children weighing between about 40 lbs. and
80 lbs . (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4
ft.
9 in. (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall.
Fig . 245 Rea r seat: chi ld p roper ly restrained in a booster
sea t
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most
children until they are at least 4
ft. 9 in. (57 in
ches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about 80 lbs.
(36 kg). Booster seats raise these children up so
that the safety belt will pass properly over the
stronger parts of their bodies and the safety belt
can help protect them in a crash.
.,. Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when using the vehicle's safety belt to restrain
a chi ld on a booster seat .
.. The shoulder belt must lie as close to the cen
ter of the child's collar bone as possib le and
must lie fla t and snug on the upper body. It
must never lie across the throat or neck. The
lap belt must lie across the pelvis and never
across the stomach or abdomen . Make sure the
belt lies flat and snug. Pull on the belt to tight
en if necessary .
.,. If you must transport an older child in a boos
ter seat on the front passenger seat, you can
use the safety belt height adjustment to help
adjust the shoulder portion properly .
.. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢page 297.
Children up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs. or
18 kg) are best protected in chi ld safety seats de-
~ signed for their age and we ight. Experts say that .....
~ the skeletal structure, particularly the pelvis , of N
~ these children is not fully developed, and they
0 co
Child safety
must not use the vehicle safety belts without a
suitable child restraint .
It is usually best to put these children in appro
priate booster seats. Be sure the booster seat
meets all applicab le safety standards .
Booster seats raise the seating position of the
child and reposition both the lap and shoulder
parts of the safety belt so that they pass across
the chi ld's body in the right places. The routing of
the be lt over the chi ld's body is very important
for the ch ild's protection, whether or not a boos
ter seat is used. Children age 12 and under must
always ride in the rear seat.
Children who are at least 4
ft. 9 in. (57 inches/
1.45 meters) tall can generally use the vehicle 's
three point lap and shoulder belts. Never use the
lap belt portion of the vehicle 's safety belt alone
to restrain any ch ild, regard less of how big the
ch ild is. Always remember that child ren do not
have the pronounced pelvic structure required for
the proper function of lap belt portion of the ve
hicle's three point lap and shoulde r belts. The
child's safety absolutely requires that a lap belt
portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and
as low as possible around the pe lvis . Never let
the lap belt portion of the safety belt pass over
the child 's stomach or abdomen .
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink of
an eye and with considerab le force. In order to do
its job, the airbag needs room to inflate so that it
will be there to protect the occupant as the occu pan t moves forward into the airbag .
A vehicle occ upant who is out of position and too
close to the a irbag gets in the way of an inf lating
airbag. When an occupant is too close , he or she
will be struck violent ly and w ill rece ive serious or
poss ibly even fata l injury .
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is
important that all vehicle occupants, especially
any ch ildren, who must be in the front seat be
cause of exceptiona l circumstances, be properly
restrained and as far away from the airbag as
poss ible. By keeping room between the child's
..,_
301
Wheels
Tire designations
Fig. 266 Tire designations on the side
wall
(D Tires for passenger vehicles
(if applicable)
"P" indicates a tire for a passenger
vehicle. "T" indicates a tire desig
nated for temporary use.
@ Nominal width
Nominal width of the tire be
tween the sidewalls in millime
ters. In general: the larger the
number, the wider the tire.
@ Aspect ratio
Height/width ratio expressed as a
percentage.
326
@ Tire construction
"R" indicates a radial tire.
® Rim diameter
Size of the rim diameter in inches.
® Load index and speed rating
The load index indicates the tire's
load-carrying capacity.
The speed rating indicates the maximum permitted speed. Also
see
¢ A in General information
on page 325.
"EXTRA LOAD", "xl" or "RF" indi
cates that the tire is reinforced or
is an Extra Load tire.
Speed rat-
Maximum permitted speed
ing
p
up to 93 mph (150 km/h )
Q up to 99 m ph (1 60 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km /h)
5 up to 11 0 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
u up to 124 mph (200 km /h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km /h)al
z a bov e 149 mph (240 km/h) al
w up to 168 mph (270 km /h) al
y up to 186 mph (300 km /h) al
a ) For tires above 149 mph (240 km/h),
tire manufacturers sometimes use the
code "ZR" .
Wheel s
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 are available as factory-in
stalled equipment (whether in
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewall for improved steer
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
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.
328
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the t ire pressure recom
mended by the vehicle manufac
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 hour period before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve
hicle w ith standard equipment in
cluding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oil, and coolant, ai r condi
tioning and additional weight of
optional equipment.
E x tra load ti re
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in
flation pressures than the corre
sponding standard tire. Extra load
tires may be identified as "X L",
"
l" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" on X I I
the sidewall. .,.
Wheels
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/tighten
easi ly.
Rims
Rims with a bolted rim ring* or with bolted wheel
covers* consist of multiple pieces . These compo
nents were bolted together using special bolts
and a special procedure . You must not repair or
d isassemble them
C> _&. .
_& WARNING
Wheel bolts that are tight ened or repaired in
correctly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an accident. For the correct tightening specifi
cation, see
e> page 356, Finishing.
-Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hub clean and free of
grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim.
- Always have damaged rims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility . Never repair or disassemble
rims yourse lf, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
Winter tires significantly improve the vehicle's
handling when driving in winter conditions . Be
cause of their construction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summer tires provide less trac
tion on ice and snow.
"'Use winter tires on all four wheels .
"'Only use winter tires that are approved for your
vehicle .
"'Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires
e> & in
General information on page 325.
An author
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa
cility can inform you about the maximum per
mitted speed for your tires .
"'Check the tire pressure after installing wheels
¢page 335.
340
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0.16 in (4 mm) . The characteristics of winter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re
gardless of the remaining tread.
@) For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropriate
time, because they provide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consumption .
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun
tries where winter tires are required, only
winter tires with the
& symbol may be per
mitted.
Snow chains
Snow cha ins not only improve the driving in win
ter road conditions, but also the braking.
"'Only install snow chains on the rear wheels.
"' Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains after driving a few feet, if necessary. Fol
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
"'Note the maximum speed of 30 mph (SO km/
h). Note the local regulations.
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to technical reasons.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author
ized Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains.
Use
fine-mesh snow chains. They must not add
more than 0 .53 in (13.S mm) in height, including
the chain lock.
You must remove the snow chains on roads with
out snow . Otherwise, you could impair driving
ability and damage the tires .
_& WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or installing snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
9"'
u co ..... N r--N ..... 0 <( 0 00
control, which increases the risk of an
accident.
@ Note
-Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel
covers* if the chains come into direct con
tact with them . Remove the wheel covers*
first. Use coated snow chains.
-Do not install and use snow chains if there is
a malfunction in the air suspension*, be
cause the vehicle height will be very low. If
you drive with snow chains anyway, the
wheel housings and other vehicle compo
nents can be severely damaged.
(D Tips
When using snow chains, it may be useful to
switch the offroad mode on <=>
page 141.
Low-profile tires
App lies to: ve hicles with low -profile tires
Compared to other tire/rim combinat ions, low
profile tires offer a wider tread surface and a
l arger r im diameter with shorter tire sidewalls.
This results in an agile dr iv ing style. However, it
may reduce the leve l of comfort and increase
road noise when driving on roads in poor condi
tion .
L ow -profile tires can become damaged more
quickly than standard tires when driving over
l arge bumps, potholes, manhole covers, and
curbs . Therefore, it is particular ly important to
maintain the correct tire pressure<=>
page 335 .
To reduce the risk of damage to the tires and
rims, drive very carefu lly on poor roads.
Check your wheels regularly every 2,000 mi
(3,000 km) for damage. Fo r example, check for
bulges/cracks on the tires or deformations/
cracks on the rims.
After a heavy impact or damage, have the tires
and rims inspected or replaced immediate ly by
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility .
Lo w-profile tires can wear out faster than stand
ard tires.
Wheels
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
-Traction AA ABC
-Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width <=>
page 326, fig. 266.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA, Tem
perature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled cond it ions on a specified gov
ernment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one half (1 1/2) times as we ll on the govern
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual cond it ions of the ir use, however, and
may depa rt significantly from the norm due to
variations in driv ing habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA , A, Band
C. Those grades represent the tire's
ability to stop o n wet pavement as measured un
der controlled conditions on specified govern
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
c:>,& .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate
rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure
c:> ,& . ..,.
341