ABS AUDI A5 2015 Owner´s Manual

Instruments and indicator lights
TPMS
-~--
14
USA m odel s:
Anti-loc k braking system (ABS) de­
fective,/
¢ page 19
Canada mod els :
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) de­
fective,/
¢ page 19
USA models :
Safety systems./
¢page 19
Canada model s:
Safety systems ./
¢page 19
Worn brake pads
¢ page20
Elect romechanical parking b rake
¢page 16
Tire pressure monitoring
system,/
¢ page 223
Tire pressure monitoring system
¢page223
Electronic power control./
¢page20
Malf unct ion ind icator Lamp (MIL)
,I
c::>page 20
Engine speed limitat ion
c::> page20
Engine oil level
c::> page 17
Engine oil sensor
c::>page20
Battery
c::>page 16
Tank system
c::>page20
Warm up engine*
¢page 187
Windshield washe r flu id leve l
¢page 21
Windshield wipers
¢page 21
Remote cont ro l key
¢ page 75
Battery in remote control key
¢page 33
Defect ive light bulb wa rning
<=> page 21
Fog lights
¢page 21
Rear fog lig ht(s)*
c> page 21
Headlight range control*
c>page 21
Adaptive light*
c>page 21
Light-/rain sensor*
c>page 21
Adaptive dampers*
c>page22
Sport d ifferential *
<=>page22
Ig nition lock
c>page22
Steering co lumn lock
¢ page 18
Elec tromechanical s teer ing, dy ­
nam ic stee ring* ,/
c>page 174
Transmission
- tiptronic
c> page 87
-S tronic c::> page 87
Transmission
-5 tronic
<=> page 87
Other indicator light s
~--==------------Turn signals
<=>page22
USA mod els: Cruise cont rol
c> page80
Canada mod els : Cru ise contro l
c>page 80

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Adaptive cruise control*
c:>page 91
Adaptive cruise control*
c:>page 91
High beam
c:>page45
BRAKE /((J) ) Brake system
The light illuminates when the ignition is switch­
ed on. It goes out after the engine has been
started. This indicates that the brake warning light is functioning properly.
If the brake warning light does not light up
when the engine is cranking, there may be a
malfunction in the electrical system. In this
case, contact your authorized Audi dealer.
If the brake system warning/indicator light turns
on, there is a brake system malfunction.
1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada models) Stop
vehicle and check brake fluid level
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, proceed as follows :
.,. Pull off the road .
.. Stop the vehicle.
.,. Turn off the engine .
.,. Check the brake fluid level
c:> page 199.
.,. Contact your nearest authorized repair facility if
necessary.
Warning! Fault in brake system. Contact dealer
If the ABS indicator light fl]) (USA models)/tl]
(Canada models), the ESC indicator light Gland
the brake system indicator light 1111 (USA mod­
els)/ . (Canada models) turn on and the mes­
sage appears, the ABS, ESC and braking distribu­
tion are not working
c:> .&. .
Carefully drive to your authorized Audi dealer im­
mediately to have the malfunction corrected
¢ .&,.
1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada models) Park­
ing brake system fault! See owner's manual
- If the indicator light and the message appear
when stationary or after switching the igni-
Instruments and indicator lights
tion on, check if you can release the parking
brake. After releasing the parking brake, care­
fully drive to your authorized Audi dealer im­ mediately to have the malfunction corrected. If
you cannot release the parking brake, seek pro­
fessional assista nee.
- If the indicator light and the message appear
while driving, the emergency braking function
may not be available. It may not be possible to
set the parking brake or release it once it has
been set . Seek professional assistance .
(USA models): If the warning light
1111 and the
warning light
111 appear together, immediately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads inspected
c:>page20 .
When the light comes on, an audible warning sig­
nal is also given .
A WARNING
--Always observe the warnings in
c:> page 191, before opening the hood and
checking the brake fluid.
- Driving with low brake fluid is a safety haz­
ard. Stop the car and get professional assis­
tance .
- If the
1111 (USA models) . (Canada mod­
els) brake system indicator light turns on to­
gether with the ABS and ESC indicator
lights, the ABS/ESC regulating function may
have failed. Functions that stabilize the ve­
hicle are no longer available. This could
cause the vehicle to swerve and increase the
risk of sliding. Drive carefully to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or other qualified
workshop and have the malfunction correct­
ed.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the park­
ing brake is released, or lights up while you
are driving, the fluid level in the brake fluid
reservoir is too low. If you believe that it is
safe to do so, proceed immediately at low
speed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop and have the brake
system inspected.
15

Instruments and indicator lights
cooling system -you could damage your en­
gine .
~- Steering column lock
• Steering defecti ve! Do not dri ve vehicle!
If the indicator light t urns on and the message
appears, the re is an electronic st eering column
lock malf unction . You cannot switch th e ignition
on.
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
st eered . Seek professional assistance.
£II Steerin g loc k: Co ntact d ealer!
If t he indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the re is an elect ron ic steer ing column
lock malfunct ion.
Drive to your au th ori zed Aud i dea ler immediately
to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
Your vehicle must not be towed in the event
of a malfunct ion in the elect ron ic steer ing col­
um n lock because i t ca nn ot be stee red due to
t he locke d steering.
If it i s towed w ith the
steering locked, there is the risk of an acci ­
dent .
©-Ignition lock
• Ignition lock defecti ve. Contact dealer!
If the ind icator lig ht tur ns on and the message
appears, do
not swi tc h t he ignition off because
you may not be able to switch it on again.
-
D rive to yo ur auth orized Aud i dea le r i mmedia tely
t o have the m alfu nction co rrec ted .
On ve hicles w ith convenience key*, the engine
should not be sw itched off usi ng the
I S TAR T E NGIN E ST OP ! but ton because the engine
cannot be st arted again afte r the ignit ion h as
been switc hed off.
(D Tips
T he symbol 's appearan ce might be d ifferent
in some mode ls.
18
r;. I[/; Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the b1 ind icator light blinks while driving , the
E SC or ASR (A nti-Slip Regulat ion) is actively regu­
l ati ng .
If the
b1 ind icator light turns on, the system has
swit ched the ESC off . In this case, yo u can switch
t h e ign ition off and t hen on to sw itch the ESC on
again. The indica tor ligh t turns off when the sys­
tem is functioning fu lly.
If the . indicator light tu rns on, ESC was re­
stri cted or sw itched off using the
1.$ O FF I button
c:> page 170 .
Stabilization control (ESC /ABS ): Fault! See
owner' s manual
If the indicato r light BJ and the ABS indicator
li ght
[IlJ (USA models) ;tlJ (Canada models)
turn o n and the message appears, the ABS or
e lectronic differe ntia l lock is malfunc tioning. This
also ca us es the ESC to mal func tion. The br akes
sti ll fu nct ion with thei r no rma l powe r, b ut ABS is
not active.
D rive to your au thor ized A udi dealer immed iate ly
to h ave t he mal funct ion cor rected.
Fo r more information abo ut the ESC
c:> page 170.
A WARNING
If th e 11111 (USA models) JII (Canada mod­
e ls) brake syste m indic ator ligh t turn s on to ­
gether with the ABS and ESC ind icator lights,
the ABS/ESC regulat ing f unction may have
failed. Functions that stabilize the vehicle a re
no longer availab le. This could cause the vehi­
cle to swerve and increase the risk of sliding. Drive carefully t o the nea rest authorized Audi
dealer and have the malfunction cor rected.
(D Tips
For additional informat ion on ESC and ABS,
refer to
c:> page 170.
-

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ABS/(@) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL) .
The warning/indicator light fJ]l (USA models)/
ti] (Canada models) will come on for a few sec­
onds when the ignition is switched on. The light
will go out after an automatic check sequence is
completed.
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
-The warning/indicator light does not illuminate
when you switch the ign it ion on.
- The warning/indicator light does not go out af­
ter a few seconds.
- The warning/indicator light illuminates while driving .
The ESC indicator light also illuminates if there is
a ma lfunction in the ABS . The message
Stabiliza­
tion control (ESC): Fault! See owner's manual
also appears in the instrument cluster display
and a warning tone sounds.
The brake system will still respond even with­
out the assistance of the ABS system. See your
authorized Audi dealer as soon as possible to re­
store full braking performance.
For more infor­
mat ion regarding the ABS¢
page 170 .
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake warning light¢ page 15 and the ABS
warn ing illuminate
together there may be a mal­
function in the ABS, and there may also be a mal­
function in the brake system itself¢,& .
The ABS
will not work and you will notice a change in
braking response and performance.
In the event of a malfunction in the brake sys­
tem
the warning/indicator light 1111 (USA mod­
els)/. (Canada models) in the instrument clus­
ter f lashes ¢
page 15 .
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
The ED L works together with the ABS . The ABS
warn ing light will come on if there is a malfunc­
tion in the EDL system
c::> page 170 . See your au­
thorized Audi dealer as soon as possible.
Instruments and indicator lights
A WARNING
-If the fJ]l (USA mode ls)/ tl] (Canada mod­
els) warn ing light does not go out, or if it
comes on while dr iv ing, the ABS system is
not working prope rly . The vehicle can then
be stopped only with the standard brakes
(without ABS) . Yo u will not have the protec­
tion ABS provides. Contact your authorized
Audi dea ler as soon as possible.
- USA models: If the 1111 warning light and
the
fJ]l warning light come on together, the
rear whee ls cou ld lock up first under hard
braking. Rear whee l lock-up can cause loss
of vehicle control and an accident. Have your
veh icle repa ired immediately by your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
applications .
-Canada models: If the brake warning light
• and the ABS warning light
ti] come on
together, the rear wheels could lock up first
under hard bra king. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle contro l and an acci­
dent . Have your vehicle repai red immediate­
ly by your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop . Drive slow ly and avoid sud ­
den, hard brake applications.
tli I !i: Safety systems
The fl (USA models) ;fll (Canada models) indi­
cator light monitors the safety systems (e.g. a ir­
bags, pretensioners) and illuminates for a few
seconds each time you switch the ignition on .
-
If the II (USA models)/E,I (Canada mode ls) in­
dicator light does not go out, or if it illuminates
wh ile you are driving, or if it starts to blink, then
there is a malfunction somewhere in the system.
If the light does not illum inate when you sw itch
the ignition on, this also means there is a mal­
function.
A WARNING ~
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys-
tems, contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler im­
mediately. Otherwise the safety systems may
not work properly in an accident.
19

Driving safet y
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All Luggage and other objects mus t be properly
stowed and secured in the Luggage compart ­
ment.
F ig. 121 Saf e load pos itio ning : place heavy objec ts as low
an d a s far forwa rd as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handli ng charac­
ter istics. Loose items can also increase the risk of
serious pe rsonal i njury in a s udden vehicle ma­
neuver or in a coll is ion.
• Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com­
partment.
• Always place and p roperly secu re heavy items in
the luggage compartment as low and as far for­
ward as poss ible
c> fig . 121.
• Secure the load with the cargo net* or with
non-e lastic straps secured to the tie-downs
c>page 65.
• Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place .
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly th rough the veh icle caus ing serious per­
sonal i njury in the event of ha rd braking o r an
ac cident . To help redu ce the r is k of serious
personal inju ry:
- Always put objec ts, for examp le, l uggage or
other heavy items in the luggage compa rt­
ment.
- Always secu re objects in the luggage com­
partment using the tie-down eye lets and
s u itable straps.
118
A WARNING
H eavy loads w ill influence the way your vehi­
cle handles . To help reduce the r isk of a loss
of control leading to serious personal injury:
- Always keep in mind when transpo rting
heavy objects, that a change i n the center of
grav ity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possib le .
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Ax le Wei ght Rating
or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance sticker on the left
do or jamb. Exceeding permissible weight
standards can cause the vehicle to slide and
handle d ifferently.
- Please observe informat ion on safe driv ing
c>page 112 .
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into t he vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed wh ile 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 dr ive with the rear lid
ope n, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoni ng :
- Close all windows,
- Close the sunroof,
- Open all air outle ts in the ins trument pan-
el,
- Switch off the air rec irculat ion,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed .
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doo rs, all windows,
the sunroof and the rear lid are secu rely
closed a nd locked to reduce the ris k of injury
whe n the vehicle is no t be ing used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make sure
th at it is p rope rly closed and lo cked.

Safety belts
Why use safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for peo­
ple riding in vehicles .
Fig. 123 Unbelted occupants in a veh icle heading for a wall
Fig. 124 The vehicle crashes into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the vehi­
cle and the passengers possess energy which var­
ies w ith vehicle speed and body weight . Engi­
neers call this energy "kinetic energy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor. If the
speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50 km/
h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of this vehicle are not us­
ing safety belts
c::> fig. 123, they will keep moving
at the same speed the vehicle was moving just
before the crash, until something stops them -
here, the wa ll
c::> fig. 124.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a
vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision. Even
at c ity speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to SO km/h),
the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
122
(2,000 lbs . or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater
speeds, these forces are even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also not
attached to their vehicle. In a frontal collision
they will also keep moving forward at the speed
their vehicle was travelling just before the crash.
Of course, the laws of phys ics don't just apply to
frontal collis ions, they determine what happens
in all kinds of accidents and collisions.
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed . Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 125 A driver not wear ing a safety belt is violently
t hrown forward
Fig. 126 A rear passeng er not wearing a safety be lt will fly
forward and strike the d river
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tre­
mendous forces of impact by holding tight or
bracing themselves . Without the benefit of safe­
ty restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant
will slam violently into the steering wheel, in­
strument panel, windshie ld, or whateve r else is
in the way
c::> fig . 125 . This impact with the vehi ­
cle interior has all the energy they had just before
the crash. .,.

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Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even
when they deploy, airbags provide only additional
protection. Airbags are not supposed to deploy in
all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, in­
cluding the driver, must wear safety belts cor­
rectly in order to minimize the risk of severe in­
jury or death in a crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once
and that your safety belts are always there to of­
fer protection in those accidents in which airbags
are not supposed to deploy or when they have al­ ready deployed. Unbelted occupants can also be
thrown out of the vehicle where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only themselves
but also the driver and other passengers
¢ fig. 126. In a frontal collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit and
injure the driver and/or front seat passenger.
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision. It's simply
not true!
Fig. 127 Driver is correct ly restrained in a sudden braking
maneuver
Safety belts used properly can make a big differ­
ence. Safety belts help to keep passengers in
their seats, gradually reduce energy levels ap­ plied to the body in an accident, and help prevent
the uncontrolled movement that can cause seri­ ous injuries. In addition, safety belts reduce the
danger of being thrown out of the vehicle.
Safety belts
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give
them the benefit of being slowed down more
gently or "softly" through the "give" in the safety
belts, crush zones and other safety features engi­
neered into today's vehicles . By "absorbing" the
kinetic energy over a longer period of ti me, the
safety belts make the forces on the body more
"tolerable" and less likely to cause injury.
Although these examples are based on a frontal collision, safety belts can also substantially re­
duce the risk of injury in other kinds of crashes.
So, whether you're on a long trip or just going to
the corner store, always buckle up and make sure others do, too. Accident statistics show that vehi­
cle occupants properly wearing safety belts have
a lower risk of being injured and a much better
chance of surviving an accident. Properly using
safety belts also greatly increases the ability of
the supplemental airbags to do their job in a col­ lision. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is le­
gally required in most countries including much
of the United States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags, you
still have to wear the safety belts provided. Front
airbags, for example, are activated only in some
frontal collisions. The front airbags are not acti­
vated in all frontal collisions, in side and rear col­
lisions, in roll overs or in cases where there is not
enough deceleration through impact to the front
of the vehicle. The same goes for the other airbag
systems in your Audi. So, always wear your safety
belt and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly positioned
across the strongest bones of your body.
.,. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and de­
scribed in this chapter.
.,. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged .
123

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Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat occu­
pants.
Fig . 132 Location of driver airbag: in steering wheel
Fig . 133 Location of front passenger's airbag: in the instru­
ment panel
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Air­
bag System" in compliance with United States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your veh i­
cle was manufactured. The safety belts for the
seats have "pretensioners" that help to take slack
out of the belt system. The pretensioners are also
activated by the electronic control unit for the
airbag system .
The front safety belts also have load limiters to he lp reduce the forces applied to the body in a
crash.
The airbag for the driver is in the steer ing wheel
hub
c::> fig . 132 and the airbag for the front pas­
senger is in the instrument panel
~fig. 133. The
general location of the airbags is marked "AIR­
BAG".
Ai rb ag system
There is a lot you need to know about the airbags
in your vehicle. We urge you to read the detailed
information about airbags, safety belts and child
safety in this and the other chapters that make
up the owner's literature. Please be sure to heed
the WARNINGS -they are extremely important
for your safety and the safety of your passengers, especially infants and small children.
_&. WARNING
Neve r rely on airbags alone for protection.
- Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
supp lemental protection.
- Airbag work most effectively when used
with properly worn safety belts.
- Therefore, always wear your safety belts and
make sure that everybody in your vehicle is properly rest rained.
_&. WARNING
--A pe rson on the front passenger seat, espe­
cially infants and small ch ildren, will rece ive
se rious inj uries and can even be k illed by be­
i ng too close to the airbag when it inflates.
- Altho ugh the Advanced Airbag System in
your veh icle is designed to turn off the front
passenger airbag if an infant or a small child
is on the front passenger seat, nobody can
absolutely guarantee that deployment un­
der these special conditions is impossible in
all conceivable situations that may happen
during the useful life of your vehicle.
- The Advanced Airbag System can deploy in
accordance with the "low r isk" option under
the U.S. Federal Standard if a ch ild that is
heav ier than the typical one-year old child is
on the front passenger seat and the other
conditions for airbag deployment are met.
-Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer in the rear seat area than
in the fron t seating position.
- For their own safety, all ch ildren, especially
12 years and yo unger, should a lways ride in
the back properly restrained for their age and size .
133

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-a small adu lt or teenager is on the front pas­
senger seat
- a passenger who is not sitting upright w ith
their back against a non-reclined backrest with
their feet on the vehicle floor in front of the
seat is on the front passenger seat.
I f the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federa l
Standard requires the airbag to meet the " low
risk" deployment criteria to help reduce the risk
of injury through interact ion with the airbag .
"Low risk" deployment occurs in those crashes
that take place at lower decelerations as defined
in the electron ic control unit.
c:> page 139
Alway s remember: Even though your vehicle is
equ ipped w ith Advanced A irbags, the safest place
for children is properly restrained on the back
seat. Please be sure to read the important infor­ mat ion in the sections that follow and be sure to
h eed a ll of the WARNINGS.
.&, WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury whe n an airbag in­
flates, always wear sa fety belts proper ly.
- If you are unres trained, lean ing fo rward, sit­
t ing s ideways or out of position in any way,
yo ur risk of in jury is much higher.
- You w ill also receive serious inju ries and
cou ld even be killed if you are up against the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag
c> page 129.
.&_ WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat will be
ser iously injured and can be killed if the front
airbag inflates -even with an Advanced A irbag
System .
- Although the Advanced Airbag System in
your vehicle is designed to turn off the front
airbag when a rearward-facing child re­
straint has been installed on the front pas­ senger seat, nobody can abso lutely g uaran­
tee that deployment is impossible in a ll con­
c eivable s ituations that may happen dur ing
the useful life of you r vehicle .
- The inflating a irbag w ill hit the child safety
sea t or infan t carrier wi th grea t fo rce and
Airbag syste m
will smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the backrest, center armrest, door,
or roof.
- Always install rearward-facing ch ild re­
straints in the back seat.
- If you must install a rearward fac ing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of except iona l circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the r ear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seati ng position and have the airbag system
i n spected by yo ur authori zed Audi dealer.
.&_ WARNING
If, in except iona l circumstances, you m ust in­
stall a forwa rd-facing child rest ra in t on the
front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward- facing se at
has been des igned and certif ied by its man ­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and s ide a irbag .
- Never p ut the fo rward-facing child restraint
up against or very near the inst rument pan ·
el.
-Always move the passenger seat into its
rea rmost position in the seat's fore and aft
ad justment range, as far away from the a ir­
bag as possible, before installing the for­
ward-facing child restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upr ight position .
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays o n all the time
whenever the ignit ion is switched on.
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in you r vehicle has a lot
of ve ry impo rtant parts of the Advanced A irbag
System i n it. These parts in cl ude the we igh t­
sensing mat, sensors, w iring, b racke ts, and more.
T he function of the system in the front passenger
seat is checked by the electronic control unit
whe n the ignition is on . The control unit monitors
the Advanced Airbag System and turns the airbag indicator light on when a malfunct ion in the sys­
tem components is detected . The function of the
airbag indicator light is described in greater
II>
1 3 5

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@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Mater ial
-special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system includ ing a irbag modules safe­
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, a ll
app licable laws and regu lations must be ob­
served. Your author ized Audi dealer is fam iliar
w ith these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this service
for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced A irbag System
performs in a crash. For example, using t ire-rim
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehicle, chang ing the stiffness of the s uspension,
including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
e lectronic control un it. 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 wou ld 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 s uspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in ­
crease the risk of ser ious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspens ion components that
do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components or iginally instal­
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Ai rb ag system
A WARNING
-Items stored between the safety be lt buckle
and the center console can cause the sensors i n the buckle to send the w rong informat ion
to the electronic control module and prevent
the Advanced A irbag System from wor king
properly.
- Always ma ke sure that nothing can interfere
wit h the safety belt buckles a nd that they
are not obstr ucted.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig. 136 Dr iver 's knee ai rbag
T he driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
u nderneath the steer ing whee l~
fig. 136, the
knee airbag for the passenger is at abou t the
same height in the instrument pane l underneath
the g love compartment.
T he knee airbag offe rs additional p rotection to
the driver's and passenge r's knees and uppe r and
lower thigh areas and supp lements the protec­
tion provided by the safety belts.
If the front a irbags dep loy, the knee a irbags also
deploy in fronta l co llisions when the dep loyment
th resho ld stored in the control unit is met
~ page 13 7, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In add ition to their normal sa fety f unct ion, safe-
ty be lts he lp keep the driver or fro nt passenger in .,.
143