2021 AUDI A4 light

Sitting correctly and safely

— Your thighs are lightly supported by the front
surface of the seat
— The backrest is in an upright position and your
back is resting against it
— You have a sufficient view of the area around
the vehicle
— You have a clear view of the instrument cluster,
indicator lights, and the head-up display*

Z\ WARNING
— If you are too close to the steering wheel or
instrument panel, the airbag system cannot
provide the optimal protection, which in-
creases the risk of injury and death.
— To reduce the risk of injury in the event of
sudden braking maneuvers or accidents,
never drive with the backrest reclined very
far. The airbag system and seat belts can on-
ly provide optimal protection when the back-
rest is in an upright position and the driver
is wearing the seat belt correctly. If the
backrest is angled back too far, the safety
belt can shift to soft areas of the body, such
as the stomach, which increases the risk of
injury.
—To reduce the risk of an accident, only adjust
the seats when the vehicle is stationary.
— Be careful when adjusting the seat. Lack of
control or attention when adjusting can re-
sult in injuries due to pinching to vehicle oc-
cupants both in the front seats and rear
seats.
— Never place objects in the driver's footwell.
Objects could shift and enter the area
around the pedals, which could prevent you
from using them. You would then be unable
to use the pedals if sudden driving or brak-
ing maneuvers were needed, which increas-
es the risk of an accident.
— Make sure that the floor mats are always se-
curely attached.
— To reduce the risk of an accident, never place
additional floor mats or other floor covers
over the installed floor mats, because this
reduces the pedal's range of motion and can
impair pedal operation.
—To reduce the risk of injury, never place your
feet on the instrument panel, out of the



64

window, or on the seat surfaces. This also
applies to passengers in the rear seats.
(@) Note
Applies to: vehicles with manually adjustable head re-
straints

To reduce the risk of damage, be very careful
when adjusting the seat to make sure the
head restraints do not come into contact with
the headliner or the sunroof*.
Power seat adjustme






Fig. 57 Front seat: adjusting the seat (version B)
The settings depend on the vehicle equipment.
Adjusting the backrests
> To move the backrest forward or backward,
press the button @) forward or backward.
Adjusting the seat position
> To move the seat forward or backward, push
the button @) forward or backward.
> To adjust the seat upward or downward, push
the rear section of the button @) upward or
downward.
> To adjust the seat surface, press the front part
of the button @) upward or downward.

Sitting correctly and safely

Depending on the vehicle equipment, the follow-
ing options may be available.
Reset seat position
You can adjust the position of the front passeng-
er’s seat to match the driver's seat.
Driver seat entry assistance
Entry assistance makes it easier to enter or exit
the vehicle.
Front passenger’s seat adjustment
You can adjust the front passenger's side with the
driver's seat buttons.
Front center armrest
Applies to: vehicles with a front center armrest
The front center armrest is located between the
front seats.
Adjusting the center armrest
The settings depend on the vehicle equipment.
> To adjust the armrest forward or backward,
move the armrest in the desired direction.
> To adjust the angle, raise the armrest in stages.
> To move the armrest back into the original posi-
tion, raise it slightly out of the top level and
fold it downward.

Z\ WARNING
In certain positions, the front center armrest
can interfere with the driver’s arm movement,
which increases the risk of injury.

Steering wheel
General information
Make sure that:
— The distance between your upper body and the
steering wheel is at least 10 inches (25 cm)
— Your arms are bent slightly at the elbows
— You have a sufficient view of the area around
the vehicle and you have a clear view of the in-
strument cluster and head-up display*.
66
— You are always holding the steering wheel with
both hands on the outer edge at the sides (9:00
and
3:00 position) when driving

Z\ WARNING
— If you are too close to the steering wheel,
the driver's airbag cannot provide optimal
protection, which increases the risk of injury
or fatality.
— Never hold the steering wheel in the 12:00
position or in any other way, such as holding
the center of the steering wheel. Otherwise,
your arms, hands, and head could be injured
in the event that the driver's airbag deploys.
Adjusting the steering wheel position
manually
Applies to: vehicles with manual steering wheel adjustment


The steering wheel position is adjustable up and
down and forward and back.



Fig. 59 Steering column: lever for adjusting the steering
wheel position
> Press the lever in the direction of the arrow.
> Bring the steering wheel into the desired posi-
tion.
> Push the lever all the way up until it engages.

ZA WARNING
—To reduce the risk of an accident, only adjust
the steering wheel before you start driving.
— Push the lever upward firmly so that the
steering wheel position does not change un-
intentionally while driving, which would in-
crease the risk of an accident.

8W1012721BC
Sitting correctly and safely

Head restraints
General information
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable head restraints

B4G-0454



Fig. 60 Correctly-adjusted head restraint
Make sure that:
— The upper edge of the head restraint is as even
as possible with the top of your head
— The head restraint is as close as possible to the
back of the head
— The head restraints in any occupied rear seats
are all the way up

Z\ WARNING
— There is one head restraint for each seat. All
vehicle occupants must adjust the head re-
straint correctly before every trip. Having
head restraints that are not adjusted cor-
rectly or not installed in the vehicle increas-
es the risk of a neck injury during sudden or
unexpected driving or braking maneuvers or
in a collision.
— Only remove the rear seat head restraints if
it is necessary to install a child safety seat
= page 76. Stow the removed head re-
straints securely, for example in the luggage
compartment. Reinstall the head restraints
immediately once the child safety seat has
been removed. Driving without head re-
straints increases the risk of serious neck in-
juries.


Front head restraints
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable head restraints

[RAZ-0683|


Fig. 61 Front seat: adjusting the head restraint
The settings depend on the vehicle equipment.
Adjusting the head restraints
> To adjust the head restraint upward or forward,
slide it until it locks into place.
> To adjust the head restraint downward or back-
ward, press the button on the side and slide the
head restraint. Release the button and slide the
head restraint farther until it locks into place.
Rear head restraints
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable head restraints

RAZ-0823

Fig. 62 Rear seat: adjusting or removing the head restraint
Adjusting the head restraints
> To adjust the head restraint upward, slide it un-
til it locks into place.
> To adjust the head restraint downward, press
the button @) and slide the head restraint. Re-
lease the button and slide the head restraint
farther until it locks into place.
Removing the headrests
Applies to: vehicles with removable head restraints
> Fold the backrest forward slightly > page 85.
67
>

Sitting correctly and safely

> Move the head restraint upward all the way.
> Insert a suitable object, such as the extended
vehicle key or mechanical key, into the release
point @ on the inside or outside of the base.
> Press the button @) and pull the head restraint
out of the backrest.
Installing the headrests
> Fold the backrest forward slightly > page 85.
>» Slide the posts on the head restraint down into
the guides until the posts click into place.
> Press the button @) and slide the head restraint
all the way down. It should not be possible to
remove the head restraint from the backrest
without pressing the button.
Safety belts
Each seat is equipped with a three-point safety
belt. Safety belts that are worn correctly are the
most effective way to reduce the risk of serious or
fatal injuries in a collision. Therefore, wear your
safety belt correctly and make sure that all vehi-
cle passengers are also wearing their safety belts
correctly when the vehicle is moving.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an air-
bag system, every vehicle passenger must still al-
ways wear the appropriate safety belt. In addi-
tion to their normal protective function, safety
belts also hold vehicle occupants in the correct
seating position in the event of a collision so that
the airbags can deploy correctly and provide addi-
tional protection. Safety belts provide protection
during collisions when the airbags do not deploy
or if they have already deployed.

ZA WARNING
The risk of serious or fatal injury increases if
the safety belt is not fastened, if it is worn in-
correctly, or if it is damaged.
— All vehicle occupants, including the driver,
must fasten their safety belts correctly be-
fore every trip and must always keep their
safety belts fastened during the trip, regard-
less of whether the seat is equipped with an
airbag or not. This also applies to children

68


that are seated in a child safety seat that is
appropriate for their weight and age and
that is secured with a safety belt.
In the event of a collision, vehicle occupants
that are not wearing safety belts could be
propelled through the vehicle interior and
collide with vehicle components, such as the
steering wheel, instrument panel, wind-
shield, or doors. In some situations, vehicle
occupants could also be ejected from the ve-
hicle. Vehicle occupants in the rear seats
who do not wear safety belts not only en-
danger themselves, but also other people in
the vehicle.
Only one person may be fastened with a
safety belt at a time. Never secure more
than one person, including children, with a
single safety belt.
Never allow children or infants to ride on an-
other person's lap and be belted into the
safety belt with them.
Insert the belt buckle only in the belt latch
belonging to the corresponding seat, so that
the protective function is not impaired.
To ensure the maximum protective function
of the safety belts, all vehicle passengers
must sit in the correct seating position
=> page 63.
Check the condition of your vehicle’s safety
belts regularly > page 256. If you find dam-
age to the belt webbing, the belt connec-
tions, the retractor, or the buckle, have the
damaged safety belt replaced by an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
The safety belts must not be removed or
modified in any way. Do not attempt to re-
pair the safety belts yourself.
Safety belts that are strained during an acci-
dent must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili-
ty.

Sitting correctly and safely

rivets on clothing in the area where the safety
belt is worn. Otherwise, the safety belt could
be damaged.
Cm cele tL mre


B4H-0462

° Rg a 2
z| x oO

Fig. 66 Releasing the belt buckle from the belt latch
Observe the safety precautions > page 68.
Fastening the safety belt
> Pull the safety belt by the belt buckle evenly
across your chest and lap.
> Insert the belt buckle in the belt latch belong-
ing to the seat until it audibly engages
> fig. 65.
> Pull on the belt to make sure that the belt is se-
curely locked in the latch.
Unfastening the safety belt
> Press the red button on the belt latch > fig. 66.
The belt buckle will pop out.
> Guide the belt back by hand so that the safety
belt can roll up more easily.
Safety belt monitoring system
eB - If the indicator light turns on or flashes, a
safety belt is not fastened or it has been unbuck-
70

led while driving. Above certain speeds, addition-
al warning tones will sound.
Ned em Maat em aL LAVAL Ae


B4G-0004|



Fig. 67 Belt height adjustment for the front seats - safety
belt relay
> To move the belt higher, slide the safety belt re-
lay @ upward.
> To move the belt lower, press the release but-
ton @ and slide the safety belt relay @) down-
ward.
> To check if the safety belt relay is securely
locked in place, pull firmly on the belt.
You can also adjust the height of the front
seats to change the position of the safety
belts.
Additional safety belt functions
Belt retractor lock

The safety belts on the rear seats and on the
front passenger seat are equipped with a belt re-
tractor lock.
> If you secure a child safety seat with a safety
belt, the belt retractor lock on the safety belt
may need to be activated. Follow the instruc-
tions from the child safety seat manufacturer.
> When a vehicle passenger has fastened a safety
belt, the belt retractor lock should not be acti-
vated. If the belt retractor lock has been acti-
vated unexpectedly, deactivate it.
Deactivating or activating the belt retractor lock
=> page 79.

Sitting correctly and safely


of whether the seat is equipped with an air-
bag or not.
— Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, out of the window, or on the seat sur-
faces. To help ensure that the airbag system
can deploy correctly, never bend forward or
lean on the door or the side window. Other-
wise, serious and possibly fatal injuries can
occur if the airbags deploy.
— People, animals, or objects between the
passengers and the airbag system can inter-
fere with the correct deployment of the air-
bag or can be thrown through the vehicle in-
terior, increasing the risk of serious or fatal
injuries. Make sure that nothing is located
between the vehicle occupants and the air-
bag system. Do not secure or transport any
objects within the deployment zone of the
airbag systems, especially on the steering
wheel, on the instrument panel, on the
doors, on the windows, or in the footwell.
— Never put stickers on the airbag system cov-
ers or cover them with any objects.
— Only lightweight clothing should be hung
from the garment hooks in the vehicle. Do
not use clothes hangers to hang clothing.
The pockets of the clothing must not con-
tain any heavy, breakable, or sharp-edged
objects. This could impair the effectiveness
of the side curtain airbags.
— You must not use seat or protective covers
that are not specifically approved for use on
Audi seats with side airbags. Since the side
airbags deploy from the seat backrest, such
covers could impair the protective function
of the side airbags.
— Damage to the original seat covers in the
side airbag deployment area must always be
repaired by an authorized Audi dealer or au-
thorized Audi Service Facility.
— Airbag system components are installed at
various locations in your vehicle. Incorrect
work or repairs on the vehicle could damage
the airbag system components or impair
their functionality. This may prevent the air-
bags from deploying or cause them to de-
ploy incorrectly in the event of an accident,
which increases the risk of serious or fatal

72
injuries. Only have an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility make re-
pairs or modifications to a vehicle.
— The airbag system can only provide protec-
tion during one collision. If there is another
collision, the airbag system will not deploy
again. If the airbag system has deployed,
have it replaced immediately by an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
— Fine dust may appear if the airbags deploy.
This is completely normal and does not indi-
cate a fire in the vehicle. The fine dust can ir-
ritate the skin and mucous membranes in
the eyes and can cause difficulty breathing,
particularly for individuals who have or have
had asthma or other health issues that af-
fect breathing. Exit the vehicle or open the
windows or doors to get access to fresh air.
(i) Tips
If you are transporting children in the vehicle,
read the information and follow the safety
precautions > page 76.
Safety systems monitoring
The ka indicator light in the instrument cluster
monitors the safety systems such as the airbags
(including the control modules, sensor, and wir-
ing) and the belt tensioners. It turns on when you
switch the ignition on and turns off after several
seconds.


If the indicator light does not turn on when the
ignition is switched on, does not turn off after
several seconds, or turns on or flashes while driv-
ing, there may be a malfunction in one of the
safety systems. Drive to an authorized Audi deal-
er or authorized Audi Service Facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.

ZA WARNING
Have the malfunction in the safety systems in-
spected immediately. Otherwise, there is a
risk that the systems may not activate during
an accident, which increases the risk of seri-
ous or fatal injury.

Sitting correctly and safely

within milliseconds. Inflated airbags reduce the
movement of passengers wearing safety belts in
the direction of the impact and thus help to re-
duce the risk of injury. They can help to protect
the head, upper body, and lap, for example. How-
ever, there is the possibility that airbag deploy-
ment can cause injuries.
The airbag system only works when the ignition
is turned on.
If you or other vehicle passengers have physical
limitations that prevent sitting in a correct posi-
tion, modifications to the vehicle may be neces-
sary. For more information, contact an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili-
ty, or call Audi customer support at
1-800-822-2834.
@) Tips
The side curtain airbags in your vehicle have
ejection mitigation functions. This reduces
the risk of being ejected from the vehicle inte-
rior during an accident, especially in the event
of a vehicle rollover.
Advanced airbag system

Fig. 69 Headliner: indicator light to display the status of
the front passenger's airbag
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has
been certified to comply with the requirements
of the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (FMVSS) 208, as well as Canada Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applica-
ble at the time your vehicle was manufactured.
According to these requirements, the front Ad-
vanced Airbag System on the passenger’s side
has been certified for “suppression” for infants
approximately 12 months old and younger, and
74
for “low risk deployment” for children aged 3 to
6 years old (as defined in the standard).
The advanced airbag system will activate or deac-
tivate the front passenger's airbag based on the
occupancy of the seat. If a front airbag deploys
during an accident, the deployment force will
adapt to the passenger.
Components
The advanced airbag system consists of the fol-
lowing components:
— Front airbags in the steering wheel and in the
instrument panel on the front passenger's side:
these can protect the front passengers during
an accident
— Passenger occupant detection sensor in the
front passenger's seat: this detects if the front
passenger's seat is occupied (for example, by a
person or asmall child in a child safety seat)
— Seat position sensors on the front seats: these
determine the distance between the seat and
the steering wheel or instrument panel
— Sensors in the front seat belt latch: these de-
tect if the safety belts are fastened
— PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ; ON ® indi-
cator light in the headliner:this indicates if the
front passenger's airbag is activated or deacti-
vated
- ka indicator light in the instrument cluster:
this monitors the function of the Advanced Air-
bag System components to ensure they are
functioning correctly
How the components function together
The passenger occupant detection sensor in the
front passenger's seat detects if the front pas-
senger's seat is occupied. The passenger occu-
pant detection sensor measures the electrical ca-
pacity on the front passenger’s seat. The pas-
senger's airbag is activated or deactivated de-
pending on the electrical capacity that is meas-
ured.
The passenger's airbag is activated if:
— The electrical capacity is higher than the
threshold stored in the control module

8W1012721BC
Sitting correctly and safely

— The electrical capacity is the same as or greater
than the electrical capacity of a typical adult
The passenger's airbag is deactivated if:
— The electrical capacity is lower than the thresh-
old stored in the control module
— The electrical capacity is the same as or less
than the electrical capacity of a typical one-
year-old child in a child safety seat that has
been used for certification in accordance with
FMVSS 208
If the front passenger's airbag is activated, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON @ indicator light
will turn on. If the front passenger's airbag is de-
activated, the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #;
indicator light will turn on.
The deployment force of the front airbags adapts
based on whether or not the safety belt is used
and the distance between the seat and the steer-
ing wheel/instrument panel. For example, if a
person is too close to the front airbag, the front
airbag will deploy with less force to help reduce
the risk of injury.
Meaning of PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3; ON
® indicator light
When the ignition is switched on, the system de-
tects whether the front passenger's seat is occu-
pied. PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; ON @
will turn on for several seconds during this proc-
ess. Then it will indicate whether the front pas-
senger's airbag is activated or deactivated.
— PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #%%;: the front
passenger's airbag is deactivated and will not
deploy in the event of an accident.
— PASSENGER AIR BAG ON ®:: the front pas-
senger's airbag is activated and could deploy in
the event of an accident.
If a change to the occupancy status of the front
passenger's seat is detected
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #, ON @ will
flash for several seconds and will then display the
status of the front passenger's airbag.
Always make sure the indicator light corresponds
to the occupancy of the front passenger's seat.
— An adult or individual of similar size in the
front passenger's seat: the front passenger's
airbag must be activated, therefore
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON @ must remain
turned on.
— An individual of smaller size (for example, an
adolescent or small adult) in the front pas-
senger's seat: the front passenger's airbag
must be activated, so
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON @ must stay on.
— Child in a child safety seat on the front pas-
senger's seat: the front passenger's airbag
must be deactivated, so
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #¥; must stay on.
— Front passenger's seat not occupied: the front
passenger's airbag must be deactivated, so
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; must stay on.

Z\ WARNING
— An adult or a person with a small stature
(such as a young person or small adult) seat-
ed on the front passenger's seat will not be
protected by the passenger's airbag in the
event of a collision if the passenger's airbag
is deactivated. This increases the risk of in-
jury and death. Always make sure that
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON @ remains on
while driving. If
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON @ does not
turn on, make sure the front passenger is
sitting correctly in the seat > page 63 and
that there is nothing covering the front pas-
senger's seat (such as blankets or pillows).
If PASSENGER AIR BAG ON ®@ still does
not turn on, the front passenger's seat must
not be used. Drive to an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
and have the airbag system inspected.
—Achild ina child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat - especially in a rear-facing
child safety seat - can receive a severe im-
pact if the front passenger's airbag deploys,
which increases the risk of serious or fatal
injury. Always secure child safety seats on
the rear seats. If special circumstances re-
quire the use of a child safety seat on the
front passenger's seat, always make sure

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