belt AUDI A3 2011 Owner´s Manual

Luggage compartment
Increasing the size of the luggage
compartment
To increase the size of the luggage compartment, both
parts of the seatback can be folded forward, individually
or together.
Folding the seatback forward
U')
"'
"' 0 a. ., CD
Fig. 79 Release lever
for the seatback (left
side)
Fig. 80 Rear seatback
folded forward (with
pass-through*)
- Let the backrest latch into the lowest position.
- Swing the outer rear head restraints forward=:>
page 78,
fig. 75.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
-Push the release lever=:> fig. 79 @in the direction of the
arrow.
- Tilt the seatback forward.
Raising the seatback
- Raise the seatback until it is securely latched=:>& . When
you can no longer see the red mark on the pin@, the seat
is latched.
Stowing luggage
- For safe loading and securing of items read and follow the
guidelines on=:>
page 131, "Loading the luggage
compartment" .
The rear seatback is divided into two segments-one third/two thirds.
You can fold down either or both parts of the seatback.
& WARNING
• The backrest must always be securely latched so that the safety
belt of the center seating position can work properly to help
protect the occupant.
• The backrest must be securely latched in position so that no
items contained in the luggage compartment can slide forward
upon sudden braking.
• Never allow safety belts to become damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware.
• Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and damaged belt hardware
can break in a crash. Inspect the belts periodically. Belts showing
damage to webbing, bindings, buckles, or retractors must be
replaced.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Seats and storage
& WARNING
Always read and heed WARNINGS=> & in "Loading the luggage
compartment " on
page 131.
0 Note
• If you move the front seat back when the rea r seat backrest is
folded forward, you co uld damage the head restraints o n the rear
seat.
• When fo ld in g th e backrest back into place, make s ure the safety
belt does not get c aug ht, because it can be dama ged . A damaged belt
can fail to provide safe restraint. •
Fastening eyes
The lugga ge compa rtme nt is eq uipped with four tie- down
eyele ts to secu re l ug gage and o ther it em s.
Fig. 81 L uggage
compartm ent:
fastening eyes
- Use the fas ten ing eye s to se cu re your ca rgo pro pe rly
=:> fig . 81 -arrows- .
- Adhere to a ll safety instru ctions =:>
page 131, "Stowing
lugg age".
In a co llision, the laws of phys ics mean that even sma ller items that
a re loose in the vehicle will be come he avy missile s th at ca n caus e
ser ious injury. It ems in th e vehicle possess energy which va ry with
vehicle and t he weight of the item. The veh icle s peed i s the most
significant factor .
For example, in a frontal col lision at a speed of 30 mp h (4 8 km/h),
t he forc es a ct in g on a 10 lb s (4,5 kg) obje ct are about 20 time s th e
normal weight of t he item. This means that the weig ht of t he item
wou ld su dde nly be about 200 l bs (90 kg). Yo u can ima gine the inju­
r ies that a 200 lbs (90 kg) item flying freely through the passenger
compar tment cou ld ca use in a colli sion like this .
& WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure items to
fastening eyes can fail during hard braking or in a collision and
cause serious personal injury.
• Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items
to the fastening eyes in the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shift ing or flying forward .
• When the rear seat backrest is folded down, always use suit­
able mounting straps and properly secure items to the fastening
eyes in the luggage compartment to help prevent items from
flying forward into the passenger compartment .
• Never atta ch a child safety seat tether strap to a fa stening
eye. •

Applies to veh icles : w ith ski sac k
Ski sack
The ski sack allows a maximum of 4 pairs of skis or 2
snowboards to be carried inside the vehicle.
L oading
Open the rear hatch.
Fig. 86 Sect ion of the
rear sea t from the rear:
ski sack hatch cove r
Fig. 87 Sec uring th e
ski sack at the center
r ear seat belt buc kle
- Slide the releas e button for the pass-through down (with
the center armrest)=> fig . 86 -Arrow -and tilt the pass ­
through forward .
- Remove the sack from the luggage compartment and
unfold it.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
-Place the empty sack in the hatch so that the end with the
zip fastener is in the luggage compartment.
- Load objects from the luggage compartment into the ski
sack.
Securing
- Insert the ski sack strap=> fig. 87 © into the center seat
belt buckle ®·
- With ski ing items, place the strap in the middle between
the bindings =>
&-
- Pull the loose end of the strap tight in the direction of the
arrow .
Opening the safety strap buckle
-Take the long sides of safety strap buckle between thumb
and forefinger => fig . 87
@ .
- Squeeze the buckle and pull it away from the cargo.
Stowing
- Raise the pass-through until it is securely latched. It is
secure when you can no longer see the red mark on the
latch in the luggage compartment.
- Carefully fold up the empty (dry) ski sack .
- Stow the ski sack in the luggage compartment so that it
cannot slide around .
& WARNING
• Aft er loa din g, th e sk i sac k m ust be se cu red wit h th e strap .
• The saf ety s trap must fi t tig htly a rou nd the c argo .
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Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
Th is chapter contains important information, t ips, instructions and
warnings that you need to read an d observe fo r you r own safe ty, the
safety of you r passengers and others . We have summarized here
w hat you need to know about sa fety belts, airbags, child restra ints as
we ll as child safety . You r safety is for us
priority number 1. Always
observe the information and warnings in this section -for your own
safety as well as t hat of your passengers.
The informat ion in this section applies to all mode l versions of yo ur
veh icle . Some of the fe atures des cribed in this se ctions m ay be st an­
dard equ ipment on some models, or may be optional eq uipment on
others. If you a re not sure, ask your a uth o rized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
• Always make sure that you follow the instructions and heed
the WARNINGS in th is Manual. It is in your interest and in the
intere st of your passengers.
• Always keep the complete Owner's Literatu re in your Audi
when you lend or sell your vehicle so that this important informa ­
tion will always be available to the driver and passengers .
• Always keep the Owner's literature handy so that you can find
it easily if you have questions . •
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant restraint
s y stem and wor k together to he lp reduce the ris k of injury
in a wide variety of accident situations.
Your sa fety and t he safety o f yo ur passenge rs shou ld no t be left to
chance . Adva nces in technology have made a variety of features avai l­
a b le to help re duce the risk of injury in an a cc ident . The fo llow ing is a
list of jus t a few of the safety features in your Audi:
• sophisticated safety belts for driver and a ll passenger seating
p osi tion s,
• safety belt pretensioners,
• safety belt fo rce lim iters for the fro nt sea ts,
• safety belt he igh t adju stmen t sys tems for the fro nt sea ts,
• automatic safety be lt height adjustment for the rear seats,
• head restraints fo r eac h seating position,
• front airbags,
• side airbags in the fro nt seats a nd outer rear seats*,
• side curtain air bags,
• special LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
• head restraints fo r eac h seating position,
• adjus table stee ring co lumn.
Th ese ind ividual safety features, can work together as a system to
he lp protec t you and yo ur passengers in a wide range of accidents.
Th ese featu res ca nnot work as a syst em if they are not always
correct ly adjusted and cor rect ly used.
Safety is everybody' s re sponsibility! •

Driving Safely ---------------------"~'---
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant safety
always depends on the informed and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passengers, before
driving always:
- Make sure that all lights and signals are operating
correctly.
- Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
- Make sure that all windows are clean and afford good visi-
bility to the outside.
- Secure all luggage and other items carefully::::>
page 91.
-Make sure that nothing can interfere with the pedals.
- Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors correctly for your height .
- Instruct passengers to adjust the head restraints according to their height.
- Make sure to use the right child restraint correctly to
protect children ::::,
page 167, "Child Safety".
- Sit properly in your seat and make sure that your passen­ gers do the same::::,
page 73, "General recommenda­
tions".
- Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Also instruct
your passengers to fasten their safety belts properly
=:> page 135. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of the
vehicle, the driver as well as the driver's ability to concen­
trate on the road without being distracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the vehicle and all
of its occupants. If your ability to drive is impaired, safety
risks for everybody in the vehicle increase and you also
become a hazard to everyone else on the road::::,,& . There­
fore:
Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers or by using
a cellular telephone.
NEVER drive when your driving ability is impaired (by
medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
- Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and speed limits
and plain common sense .
- ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and weather
conditions.
- Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive for more than two hours at a stretch.
- Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pressure or when
you are stressed .
& WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.•
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Proper occupant seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important for safe,
relaxed driving.
Fig. 122 Correct
seating position
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the
driver's seat to the following position:
- Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily push the
pedals all the way to the floor while keeping your knee(s)
slightly bent~& .
- Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in an upright
pos ition so that your back comes in full contact with it
when you drive.
- Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the steering wheel and
your breast bone~ fig . 122. If not possible, see your
authorized Audi dealership about adaptive equipment.
- Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and not at your face. -
Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your elbow(s)
slightly bent.
- Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is as even as
possible with the top of your head. If that is not possible,
try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to this
position as possible.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly~
page 139.
-Always keep both feet in the footwell so that you are in
control of the vehicle at all t imes.
F o r deta iled informat ion on how to adjust the d river 's seat, see
=>
page 74 , "Adjusting front seats manually " or => pag e 75,
"Adjus ting the power sea t".
& WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help reduce
the risk of serious personal injury:
• Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that
there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone and
the steering wheel.
• Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering
wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions
to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag
inflates.
• Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position or with
your hands at other positions inside the steering wheel rim or on
the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the
driver's airbag deploys.
• Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the
ability of the supplemental driver's airbag to protect you in a colli·
sion. .,

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& WARNING (continued)
• Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or
place any part of your body too close to the area where the airbags
are located.
• Before driving, always adjust the front seats and head
restraints properly and make sure that all passengers are properly
restrained.
• Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat
may move unexpectedly and you could lose control of the vehicle.
• Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The
farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of injury
due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper
seating position. • Children must always ride in child safety seats~
page 167.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat~
page 145. •
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the seat
for the front passenger to the following position:
- Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in an upright
position and your back comes in full contact with it when­
ever the vehicle is moving.
- Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is as even as
possible with the top of your head. If that is not possible,
try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to this
position as possible=>
page 128.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
-
Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the front
passenger seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly::::>
page 139.
For detailed information on how to adjust the front passenger's seat,
see ~
page 73.
& WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out of position or too
close to the airbag can be seriously injured or killed by the airbag
as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
• Passengers must always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Passengers 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.
• Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between the front passenger's breastbone and the instrument
panel.
• Each passenger must always sit on a seat of their own and
properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
• Before driving, always adjust the front passenger seat and
head restraint properly.
• Always keep your feet on the floor in front of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, instrument panel, out of the window, etc.
The airbag system and safety belt will not be able to protect you properly and can even increase the risk of injury in a crash.
• Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The
farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of injury
due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper
seating position.
II>
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& WARNING (continued)
• Children must always ride in child safety seats=> page 167.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat=>
page 145. •
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both feet on
the floor consistent with their physical size and be prop­
erly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect seating
position in the event of a sudden braking maneuver or an
accident, your passengers on the rear bench seat must
always observe the following :
- If there are passengers in the rear seat, slide the head
restraints upward at least to the next notch on the occu­
pied seats =>
page 78.
-Make sure that the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position =>
page 81.
-Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of the rear seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts properly=>
page 139.
-Make sure that children are always properly restrained in a
child restraint that is appropriate for their size and age
=>
page 167.
& WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the rear seat can be seri­
ously injured in a crash.
& WARNING (continued)
• Each passenger must always sit on a seat of their own and
properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
• Safety belts only offer maximum protection when the seatback
is securely latched in the upright position and the safety belts are
properly positioned on the body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal injury from improperly
positioned safety belts!
• Always adjust the head restraint properly so that it can give
maximum protection. •
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints ore an important part
of your vehicle 's occupant restraint system and can help
to reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations .
Fig. 123 Head
restraint: viewed from
the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to achieve the
best protection.
- Adjust the head restraints so the upper edge is as even as
possible with the top of your head. If that is not possible,
try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to this
position as possible=> fig . 123. .,

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- If there are passengers in the rear seat , slide the head
restra ints u pward at least to the next notch on the occu­
p ied seats .
Adjusting head restraints ~ page 77.
& WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with head restraint s that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of serious o r fatal neck
injury dramatic ally . To help reduce the ri sk of injury:
• Always drive with the head rest raints in place and prope rly
adju sted.
• Every person in the vehicle must have a prope rly adjusted head
restraint .
• Always make sure each per son in the vehicle properly adjusts
their head restraint. Adjust the head restraints so the upp er edge
is as even a s possible with the top of you r head . If that is not
possible, try to adjust the head re straint so that it is as close to
this position as possible.
• Never attempt to adjust head restraint while driving. If you
have driven off and mu st adjust the driver headrest for any reason,
first stop the vehicle safely before attempting to adjust th e head
restraint.
• Children must alway s be properly restrained in a child re straint
that is appropriate for their age and size~
page 167. •
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant r estraint system con only reduce th e risk o f
injury if vehicle occupants ore properly seated.
Improper seat ing positio ns can cause se rious injury o r death.
Safety belts can only work w hen t hey are properly posi tione d
on t he body . Improper seating positio ns re duce the effective-
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
ness of s
afe ty belts an d wi ll even increase the risk of injury
and deat h by moving the safety b elt to c rit ica l areas of t he
bo dy. Imp roper seating pos itions also i ncrease the risk of
serious inju ry and dea th w hen an ai rbag deploys a nd strikes
an occ upant who is not in t he proper seati ng pos ition . A
d river is respons ib le for t he safety o f all vehicle occupants
and especia lly for ch ildren. Therefore:
- Nev er a llow anyone to assume an incorrect seating pos i-
t io n whe n the vehic le is bei ng used=> &.
The follow ing b ulletins list only some samp le posi tions that will
increase the risk of se rious injury and death . O ur hope is that these
examples will ma ke you more aware o f seating positions t hat are
dange ro us.
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is moving:
• never stand up in the vehicle
• never stand on the seat s
• never knee l on t he seats
• never ride with the seatback reclined
• never lie down on the rear se at
• never lean up against the instrument panel
• never sit o n the edge of the seat
• never sit s ideways
• never lean out the w indow
• never p ut yo ur fee t out the window
• never p ut yo ur feet on the instrument panel
• never rest your feet on the seat c ush io n or back of the seat
• never ride in the footwe ll
• never ride in the cargo area
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Safety belts Ill
----------------
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are necessary, how
they work and how to adjust and wear them correctly.
- Read all the information that follows and heed all of the
instructions and WARNINGS.
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Safety belts are the single most effective means available to
reduce the risk of serious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of your passengers, always
correctly wear safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
• Pregnant women, injured, or physically impaired persons must
also use safety belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts. The
best way to protect a fetus is to protect the mother - throughout
the entire pregnancy. •
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions: two in the front and
three in the rear . Each seating position has a safety belt .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
Not wearing
safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Never strap more than one person, including small children,
into any belt. It is especially dangerous to place a safety belt over
a child sitting on your lap.
• Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are safety
belts available.
• Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is properly restrained
with a separate safety belt or child restraint. •
Safety belt warning light t
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver and front
seat passenger ( on USA models only) to remind you about
the importance of buckling-up.
Before driving off, always:
Fig. 125 Safety belt
warning light in the
instrument cluster·
enlarged
- Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are wearing it
properly .
IJ,-
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data