steering AUDI A5 COUPE 2010 Owner's Guide

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;:::;_ s--:.. y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (con tinued )
• Improper in stallation of child re straints can reduce their effec­
tiveness or even prevent them from p roviding any protection .
• An improperly installed child re straint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child -
even with a n Advanced Airbag System .
• Always carefully follow the manufa cturer's instruction s
provided with the child safety seat or carrier .
• Never pl ace additional items on the seat that can in crease the
total weight regi stered by the weight -sensing mat and can cause
injury in a crash .
u
Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The air bag system c an pr ovi de su ppleme ntal pr otecti on
t o prop erl y re stra ined fr ont se at occu pant s.
Fig . 194 Location of
driver airbag: in
s teering wheel F
ig . 195 Locat ion of
front pa ssenger' s
airbag : in the in stru ­
ment pa nel
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced Airbag System" in
complia nce with United States Federal M oto r Ve hicle Sa fe ty Stan ­
dard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manu ­
f actured. The sys tem senses the posi tion o f the front sea ts a nd
co ntrols front airbag i nflat io n with a va lve, depending on the
distance between the respective seat and the steering whee l or
i nstru ment pane l. The sa fety be lts for t he seats have "pr eten­
sioners" that help to take slac k out of the belt system. The preten ­
s io n ers are als o ac tiva ted by the electronic con trol unit fo r t he
a irbag system.
T he front safe ty be lts als o have load limite rs t o h elp reduce the
fo rces applied to the body in a crash.
T he airbag for the driver is in the steering wheel hub~ fig. 194 and
t h e air bag for the fr ont passeng er is in th e in stru men t pa nel
~ fig. 195. The genera l location of the airbags is marked " AIRBAG".
T here is a lot you nee d to know ab out the airbags in y our ve hicle. We
ur ge you to read the deta iled information about airbags, safety belts
and child safety in this and the other chapters that make up the
owner's literature . P lease be sur e to heed the WARNINGS - th ey are
e xtremely important for your safety and the safety of your passen ­
gers, espec ia lly in fants a nd sma ll ch ildr en.
& WARNING
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ lffllll
& WA RN ING (co ntinued)
• Th e inflating airb ag will hit th e child safety sea t o r inf ant
ca rrier with g re at f orc e and will sm ash th e child safety sea t a nd
c hild again st t he backre st, c enter armre st, doo r, or roof .
• Alway s in sta ll re arwa rd-f acing child re str aints i n the ba ck seat.
• If you mu st in stall a rearw ard facing child safety seat on the
fro nt pa ssenger seat be cau se of e xceptional cir cumstance s and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not come on and stay on ,
imm edi ately in sta ll the re ar- fa cing child safe ty s eat in a rea r
seating p osition and h ave th e airbag system in spected by your
autho riz e d Audi de aler.
& WARNING
If, in e xceptional circum sta n ce s, y ou mu st in stall a forw ard -f aci ng
c hild restraint on the front pa ssenger' s seat:
• Alway s make sure the forw ard -fa cing seat has b een de signed
and cert ified by it s manufa cturer for use on a front seat with a
pa ssenge r fr ont and side airb ag .
• Never put the forward -facing child re straint up again st or very
near the instrum ent p anel .
• Alway s move the p assenger seat into it s rearmo st po sition in
the seat's fore and aft adju stme nt r ange , as far aw ay from the
a irb ag as pos sible , before in stalling the forward -fac ing child
r e stra int . The b ackrest must be adjusted to an upright po sition .
• Make sure that the PASSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light come s on
a nd stay s on all the time whe never the ign it ion i s sw itch ed on . •
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very important
parts of the Advanced A irbag System in it. These parts inc lude the
weight -sensing mat, sensors, wiring, brackets, and more. The func -
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation tion of the system in the front passenger seat is checked by
the elec­
tronic contro l unit when the ignition is on . The control unit monitors
the Advanced Airbag System and turns the a irbag indicator light on
when a malfunction in the system components is detected . The
function of the airbag indicator light is described in greater detail below. Because the front passenger seat conta ins important parts
of the Advanced Airbag System, you must take care to prevent it
from being damaged. Damage to the seat may prevent the
Advanced Airbag for the front passenger seat from doing its job in
a crash.
T he front Ad van ced Airbag System consi sts of th e
following:
• Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that measure vehicle
acce leration/deceleration to provide information to the Advanced
A irbag System about the sever ity of the crash .
• An electronic control unit, with integrated crash sensors for front
and side impac ts. The control unit "decides" whether to fire the
front airbags based on the information received from the crash sensors . The control unit also "decides" whether the safety belt
pretensioners should be activated.
• An Advanced Airbag w ith gas generator and contro l valve for the
driver inside the steering wheel hub.
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator and contro l valve inside
the instrument panel for the front passenger .
• A weight -sensing mat under the upholstery padding of the front
passenger seat cushion that measures the total weight on the seat .
The information registered is sent continuously to the e lectronic
control unit to regu late dep loyment of the front Advanced Airbag on
the passenger s ide.
• An airbag monito ring system and indicator light in the instru ­
ment cluster=> page
199.
• A sensor in each front sea t registers t he distance between the
respective seat and the steering wheel or instrument panel. The
information registered is sen t continuously to the electronic control
unit to regulate dep loyment of the front Advanced Airbags. ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

crash situations. Be sure to read the important information about
safety and heed the WARNINGS in this chapter.
Dep loyment of the Advanced Airbag System and the activation of
the safety be lt pretensioners depend on the deceleration measured
by the crash sensors and registered by the electronic control un it.
The amount of inflation of the front airbags can also be adapted to
the front seat position, depending on the distance between the respective front seat and the steering whee l or instrument panel as
registered by sensors in the seats . Crash severity depends on speed
and deceleration as well as the mass and stiffness of the vehicle or
object involved in the crash.
On the passenger s ide, regardless of safety belt use, the airbag w ill
be turned off if the weight on the passenger seat is less than the
amount programmed in the elec tronic control unit. The front airbag
on the passenger side wi ll also be turned off if one of the child
safety seats that has been certified under Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 has been recognized on the seat. The
PASSENGER A IR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on to tel l you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
t urned off=>
page 190, "Child rest raints on the front seat-some
important things to know".
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injur y when an airbag infl ate s, a lways wear
safety belt s properly.
• If you are unr estr ained , leaning forward , sitting sideways or out
of po sition in any way , your ri sk of injury is much hig her.
• You will al so rece ive seriou s injuries and could even be killed if
you are up ag ainst the airbag or too clo se to it when it infl ate s -
even wi th an Advan ced Airb ag =>
page 188. •
Safety first
Airbag sy ste m
More important things to know about front
airbags
F ig . 196 I nfl at ed front
airba gs
Safety belts are important to help keep front seat occupants in the
proper seated position so tha t airbags can unfold proper ly and
provide supplementa l protection in a fronta l collision.
The fron t airbags are designed to provide addit ional p rotection for
the chest and face of the driver and the front seat passenger when:
• safety belts are worn properly,
• the seats have been positioned so that the occupant is properly
seated as far as p ossi ble from the a irbag,
• and the head restraints have been properly adjusted .
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye with grea t force , things
you have on your lap or have p laced on the seat cou ld become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the airbag inflates .
When a n airbag deploys, fine d ust is released . This is norma l and is
not caused by a fire in the vehicle. This dust is made up mostly of a
powder used to lubrica te the airbags as they d eploy . It could irri tate
skin.
I t is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likel ihood of serious injuries, othe r
injuries, for example swelling, bruising and minor abrasions, can
a lso happen when airbags inflate . Airbags do no t pro tect the arms •
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

-L~A:::..:,: ir:....: b:!..::: a~g L.:: s:1y :...:s::..: t~ e:.: m:...:...:.. ________________________________________________ _
or the lower parts of the body. Front airbags only supp lement the
th ree p oint safe ty belts in som e front al co llis ions in which the
vehic le dece leration is h igh enou gh to deploy the a irba gs.
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,
• i n sid e collis io ns,
• i n rea r- e nd collisi ons ,
• in ro llovers,
• when th e c ras h de celerat io n measur ed by the a irba g system is
less than the minimum threshold needed for a irbag deployment as
r egi stere d by th e ele ctro nic con trol uni t.
The front passenger airbag will also not deploy :
• when th e fr ont pass enger seat is no t occupi ed,
• when the weight on the front passenger seat a s sensed by the
A dvanced A irbag Syste m indica tes tha t the fr ont air bag o n the
passenger side has to be turned off by the e lectronic cont rol unit
(t he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li gh t comes o n and s tays o nl.
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the risk of serious injury
in crashes .
• To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags inflate , the driver
and passengers must always sit in an upright position , must not
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Occupants who are unbelted , out of position or too close to the
airbag can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye=> page 190.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest , door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on, i mmediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer .
& WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will increase the risk of injury
in a crash by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by
being pushed into you as the a irbag inflates .
• Never hold things in your hands or on your lap when the vehicle
is in use.
• Never transport items on or in the area of the front passenger
seat. Objects could move into the area of the front airbags during
braking or other sudden maneuver and become dangerous projec ­
tiles that can cause serious personal injury if the airbags inflate .
• Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as
cupholders, telephone brackets , large, heavy or bulky objects) on
the doors , over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steering
wheel , instrument panel , seat backrests or between those areas
and yourself . These objects could cause injury in a crash , espe­
cially when the airbags inflate .
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport object s.
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front ..,

lffl) __ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
seating posit ion and have the airb ag system inspe cted by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• A t ight tether or other strap on a rearward-fa cing child restr aint
att ached to the front pas senger se at can put too much pres sure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and reg ister more weight
than is actually on the seat. The heavier weight registered can
m ake the system work as though an adult were on the seat and
deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed cau sing
ser ious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If, in exceptional circumstance s, you mu st in stall a forward ­
f a cing child restraint on the front passenger seat , always move the
seat into its rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft adjust ­
ment range , as far away from the airbag as po ssible . The ba ckrest
must be adjusted to an upright position. Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stay s on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on .
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after tak ing the step s
described above, make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating posit ions .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer before transport ing anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
If the weight -sensing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
e m pty seat , the front a irbag on the passenge r side wil l be tur ned
off, and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF will stay on.•
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
P arts of the airbag system are installed at many different p laces on
you r Aud i. Insta ll ing, r emoving, servic ing or repa iring a pa rt in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system and
p revent that sys tem from working pr operly in a c ollisi on.
There are some important things you have to know to ma ke sure
t h at the effective ness of the system will not be impai red and that
discarded co mponents do not cause injury or po llute the env iro n­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by pre venting an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover , obstruct , or change the steering wheel horn pad
or airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way .
• Never attach any objects such as cupholders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units .
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel , use only a soft,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change the stiffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop ­
erly .
• Never repair , adju st, or change any parts of the airbag sy stem .
• All work on the steering wheel , instrument panel , front seats or
electrical system (including the installation of audio equipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios , etc .I must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training and special equipment
necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your author ized Audi dealer or qual ified workshop .
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .

-Airbag system -----~~---------------------------------------------------------
If the front airbags dep loy, the knee airbags also dep loy in frontal
c ollis ions ab ove a cer tai n se ver ity.
When the system is deployed, the airbags start to f ill with a prope l­
lant gas, and inf late between the lower part of the instrument pane l
and t he dr ive r and the lowe r pa rt o f the instrument pane l and t he
front passenger ~
page 197, fig. 196.
Althoug h they are no t a so ft pi llow, t hey can "cushion" th e impac t
and in this way they can he lp to reduce the risk of injury to the lower
e xtr em it ies .
A ll t his takes p lace instantaneously, so fast t hat many people do n't
even realize that the ai rbags have deployed. The airbags a lso inflate
w it h a great deal o f force and it is impor tant for occupan t sa fety t hat
nothing shou ld be in their way when they dep loy.
F u lly infla ted ai rbags i n co mb ination with p roperly worn safety bel ts
s low down and limit the occupant's forward movement and he lp to
r educe the ris k.•
A pplies to veh icles: with knee airbags
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
A irbags are only supplemental rest rain ts . A lways wear
s a fet y be lts c orr e ctl y and r id e i n a pr oper sea tin g po sition.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must know and do to
h e lp the safe ty belts an d airb ags to p rovide sup plemental protec ­
tion .
& WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious injury. Wearing safety
belts incorrectly and improper seating po sitions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle is being
used.
& WARNING (continued)
• The airbag system cannot protect you properly if you are
seated too close to any of the airbag locations. When adjusting
their seat positions , it is important that both the driver and the
front passenger keep their upper bodies and knees at the
follow ing minimum safe distances :
- 10 inche s (25 cm) between the chest and the steering
wheel/instrument panel .
- 4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the lower part of the
instrument panel.
• The risk of personal injury increases if you lean forward or to
the side , or if the seat is improperly positioned and you are not
wearing your safety belt . The risk increases even more should the
airbag deploy .
• Always make sure that the knee airbag can inflate without
interference . Objects between yourself and the airbag can
increase the risk of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the airbag deploys or by being pushed into you as the airbag
deploys.
-No persons (children) or animals should ride in the footwell
in front of the passenger seat . If the airbag deploys , this can
result in serious or fatal injuries .
- No objects of any k ind should be carried in the footwell area
in front of the driver's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shop ­
ping bags , for example) can hamper or prevent p rope r deploy ­
ment of the airbag. Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you or your passengers .
• Make sure there are no cracks, deep scratches or other damage
in the area of the instrument panel where the knee airbags are
located.
• If children are in correctly seated , their risk of injury increases in
the case of an accident~
page 213, "Child Safety". •

-Child Safety ------=---------------------------------
& WAR NIN G (co ntinued )
• Alw ays inst all r ear ward-f acing child safet y sea ts on the r ear
s eat.
• If you must in stall a r earward facing child saf ety seat on the
front p assenger seat in e xcept ion al circum sta nce s and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not come on and stay on ,
imm edi atel y ins ta ll the re arw ard -fa cin g child safety seat in a re ar
s eating po sit ion and have the airb ag s ystem inspe cted immedi­
a tely by your autho rized Audi dealer .
& WARNING
If, in e xce ptional cir cum sta nces, you mu st in stall a fo rward-fa cing
c hild restraint on the front p asseng er's seat :
• Alway s m ake s ure the forw ard -fa cing seat h as been de signed
and cert ified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
• Alway s follow the m anufacturer's instructi on s provided with
the child s afety seat or carrier .
• Alway s move the p assenger seat into it s rearmo st position in
the seat's fo re and aft adju stment range , as far a way from the
airbag a s po ssible b efore in stalling the child restraint. The ba ck­
rest must be adjusted t o an up rig ht position .
• Alway s m ake sure that the PA SSENG ER AIR BAG OFF light
c ome s on and stays on all the time whenever the ign iti on is
switched on. •
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Advanced Airbag System" in
compliance with United States Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Stan ­
dard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was manu ­
factured . T
he Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the " low -risk" requiremen ts for 3 -and 6 -year o ld children on
the passenger side and smal l adults on the driver side . The low risk
deployment criteria are intended to reduce the risk of injury through
interaction with the airbag that can occur , for example, by being too
close to the steering wheel and instrument panel when the airbag
inflates. In addition, the system has been certified to comply with
the "suppression" requirements of the Safety Standard, to turn off
the front airbag for infants up to 12 months who are restrained on
the front passenger seat in child restraints that are listed in the
S tandard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system, all ch ildren, especially those 12 years and younge r, should
always ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and
size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten ­
tially dangerous p lace for a child to ride. The front seat is not the
safest p lace for a child in a forward -facing child safety seat . It can be
a very dangerous p lace for an infant or a larger ch ild in a rearward­
facing seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle detects the presence
of an infant or child in a chi ld restraint on the front passenger seat
using the weight -sensing mat in the seat cushion and the sensor
below the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat that
measures the tension on the safety belt.
The weight -sensing mat measures total weight of the chi ld and the
child safety seat and a child blanket on the front passenger seat . The
weight on the front passenger seat is related to the design of the
child restraint and its "footprint", the size and shape of the bottom
of the child restraint as it sits on the seat . The weight of a child
restraint and its "footprint" vary for different kinds of child ..,.

The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Anti -Lock Brake System (ABS) ma lfunc­
tions, the ESP wil l also shut down .
How the system works
The Anti -Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDU
and the Anti -Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the elec­
tronic stabilization program. In addition to the data provided by
th ese functions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure ­
ment data provided by high performance sensors . The rotational
speed of the vehicle about its vertica l axis, vehicle acceleration in
the fore-and-aft and lateral directions , the brake pressure, and the
steering angle are all measured.
The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continua lly
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehicle starts hydrop laning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the prob lem.
The vehicle is then stabi lized by the forces acting on the whee l
during braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (the vehicle turns too
sharply and the rear wheels slide toward th e ou tside of a curve), the
brakes are main ly app lied on the wheel that is on the outside of the
curve . In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering (the vehicle does
not turn sharply enough and pushes out of a curve), the brakes are
applied as needed on the wheel that is on the inside of the curve or
additional ly on the other wheels. An acoustic signal indicates when
ESP brake app lication cuts in=>&.
T he system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system =>
page 238. If the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP will be out of action as well.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP will automatica lly be activated
and will perform a se lf-test. As soon as the test is comp leted, the
system is in norma l operating mode.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
You
can activate a deactivated ESP or deactivated ESP/ASR if
required by pressing the::::>
page 234, fig. 215 ::::> page 234, fig. 214
button . When they are activated, the message
ESP /ASR on appears
briefly in the display .
Deactivating
The ESP should normally be activated al l the time. If necessary, you
can deactivate Anti -Slip Regu lation (ASR) or the Electronic Stabiliza­
tion Program (ESP) by pressing the button=>
page 234, fig. 215.
• Deactivating ASR: Tap the button . In certain exceptional situa­
tions (e .g. driving with tire chains), the Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR)
can be deactivated =>
page 236. The message ASR off appears in the
display as we ll.
• Deact ivating ESP/ASR Press the button for more than 3 seconds.
With the ESP/ASR deactivated, the indicator light comes on, see
=>
page 13. The message ESP switched off appears in the disp lay as
we ll.
& WARNING
The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subject to the
laws of physics . It is particularly important to pay attention to this
fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that you
always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and traffic
conditions. Do not allow the increased safety provided by the Elec­
tronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into accepting
additional safety risks. •
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
---------
The electronic differential lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
General notes
The electronic differential lock (EDU helps the car to start moving,
acc elerate and c limb a gradient on surfaces providing poor or
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

How the ABS system works
An au tomatic check is made when a speed of about 12 mph (20
km/h) is reached. When this happens, a pumping no ise can be
heard .
I f an individua l wheel begins to ro tate too s low ly in relation to
vehic le speed and tends to lock, the ABS automatical ly reduces
b rake pressure t o preven t tha t whee l from locking.
This automatic adjustment process wil l cause a
slight vibration of
t he brake peda l and some noises to ale rt you tha t veh ic le sp eed
must be adapted to existing road and traffic conditions.
in. WARNING
Although the ABS is very effe ctive , always remember that braking
c apability is limited by tire traction. Always adjust your driving
speed a ccording to the road and traffi c conditions. Do not let the
extra safety afforded by the ABS tempt you into taking extra risks.
The ABS c annot overcome the laws of physics .
[ i J Tips
• I f ABS is not functioning properly, a warning l ight wil l come on .
See
~ page 15.
• I f a fau lt occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also not funct ioning. This
is indicated by the ABS warning light .
Brake assist
Brake assist is designed to achieve the optimum brakin g
effect.
B rake a ssist hel ps to in crease the eff ective b raking powe r an d t hus
to achieve a shorter stopping distance. If the driver presses the
br ake pe dal ve ry q uickl y, br ake a ss is t auto matically boo sts t he
braking force to the maximum lev el, up to the point where the anti ­
lock b ra ke function (ABS) intervenes to stop the wheels from
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
locking
. You shou ld then keep the brake pedal pressed until the
ve hic le has braked to the required spee d. Brake assist swi tches itse lf
off as soon as you release the brake pedal.
in. WARNING
Please remember that the accident r isk always increases if you
drive too fast , espe cially in corners or on a slippery road , or if you
follow the vehicle ahead of you too closely. Increa sed risk of an
accident cannot be compensated for even by brake as sist , so
always maintain a safe speed .•
Servotronic® -advanced power
steering system
The pow er st eer in g systems uses th e po we r of t he
run nin g eng ine to a llow prec ise s tee ring with lit tle eff ort.
The advanced S ervotronic ® power steering system senses the road
s p eed and electr onically a djusts power assis tance t o provide
comfortab le and safe steering response exactly matched to the
ve hicle speed .
Power steering wi ll n ot work if the eng ine is off. As a result, the
steering whee l wil l be hard to turn.
Th e power s teering flu id leve l is check ed during the sc hed uled
maintenance services .
0 Note
If there is an electronic ma lfunction, servotronic wi ll still function
like a conventi onal power s teer ing sys te m , pr ovi ding a constan t
steering support force that is no longer proportionate to the vehicle
speed. This is mo st noticeable when tu rning t he steering whee l at
low speeds {for examp le when parking), -more effort wi ll be
r equired than usual.
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Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
• Be aware of the different than usual steering response and
adjust your steering force accordingly.
• Have the problem checked and set right by an Audi dealer as
soon as possible.
[ i] Tips
• When the engine is running, never hold the steering wheel
turned all the way to the right or to the left for longer than 15
seconds. The power steering pump will overheat the hydraulic fluid
if you keep holding the steering wheel turned all the way. This is
likely to damage the power steering system.
• If the power steering system should fail en tirely, or if the engine
is not running (for example, while being towed), you will still be able
to steer the vehicle . However,
considerably more effort will be
required to do so.
• If the power steering system should have a leak, or is not func­
tioning properly, contact your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
• The power steering system requires a specially formulated
hydraulic fluid. The power steering reservoir is the one located
farthest to the rear on the left side of the engine compartment
=>
page 272. The correct fluid level in the reservoir is important for
proper functioning of the power steering .•
Driving with your quattro®
With all wheel drive, all four wheels are driven.
General information
With all wheel drive, power is distributed to all four wheels. This
happens automatically depending on your driving style and the
road conditions at the time. See also=>
page 235, "Electronic differ­
ential lock (EDU".
The all wheel drive concept is designed for high engine power. Your
vehicle is exceptionally powerful and has excellent driving charac -teristics both under normal driving conditions and on snow and ice.
Always read and
follow safety precautions =>& .
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with all wheel drive has an
advantage, even with regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-season tires) for improved
driveability and braking : these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels.
See also => page 304, "Winter tires".
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
also applies to vehicles with all wheel drive =>
page 305, "Snow
chains".
Replacing vvheels/tires
Vehicles with all wheel drive must always have tires of the same
si ze . Also avoid tires with different tread depths. For details see
page =>
page 299, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels".
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clearance to be used as an
off-road vehicle. It is therefore best to avoid rough tracks and
uneven terrain as much as possible. Also refer to=>
page 244.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic conditions. Do not
let the extra safety afforded by all wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
• Although the all wheel drive is very effective, always remember
that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You should there ­
fore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
• On wet road surfaces, be careful not to drive too fast because
the front wheels could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua­
planing). If this should occur, you will have no warning from a
sudden increase in engine speed as with a front-wheel drive
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