belt AUDI A3 2012 Owner´s Manual

is locked so that the child and child safety
seat will stay in place.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
children , especially those 12 years and young­
er, should always ride in the back seat proper­
ly restrained for their age and size.
A WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in a collision.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat
in place during normal driving or in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always make sure that the rear seat
backrest to which the center rear safety
belt is attached is securely latched when­
ever the rear center safety belt is being
used to secure a child restraint.
- If the backrest is not securely latched,
the child and the child restraint will be
thrown forward together with the back­
rest and will strike parts of the vehicle
interior. The child can be seriously in­
jured or killed.
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat . A child will be seriously in­
jured and can be killed when the passen­
ger airbag inflates.
- 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 or infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Forward-facing child safety seats or in­
fant carriers installed on the front pas-
Child Safety 153
senger's seat may interfere with the de­
ployment of the airbag and cause serious
injury to the child.
- It is safer to install a forward-facing
child safety seat on the rear seat.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c=> page 143. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
c=> page 12 3, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
A WARNING
Always take special precautions if you
must install a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's
seat in exceptional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front
passenger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described
c=> page 133, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- Take the child restraint off the front pas­ senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on .
- Improper installation of child restraints
can reduce their effectiveness or even
prevent them from providing any protec­
tion.
-An improperly installed child restraint
can interfere with the airbag as it de­ ploys and seriously injure or even kill the
child.
-Always carefully follow the manufactur­
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier.
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight regis­
tered by the weight-sensing mat and can
cause injury in a crash.
~
•
•

154 Child Safety
A WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
w ith a passenger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forward-facing child re­
straint up, against or
very near the in­
strument panel.
-Always
move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the forward-facing child restraint . The
backrest must be adjusted to an upright
position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
-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 be especially careful if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception­
al circumstances.
- A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front pas­
senger seat can put too much pressure on the weight-mat in the seat and regis­
ter a heavier weight in the Advanced Air­
bag System . The heavier weight regis­
tered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and de­
ploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing serious or even
fatal injury to the child.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer.
Activating the convertible locking
retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se­
cure a child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufactur­
er's instructions when installing a child re­
straint in your vehicle . To activate the conver­
tible Lacking retractor:
.,. Place the child restraint on a seat , prefera­
bly on the rear seat.
.,. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out.
.,. Route it around or through the child re­
straint belt path
~ _&..
.,. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight.
.,. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for
that seating position .
.,. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor
until the belt lies flat and snug on the child
safety seat.
.,. You should hear a "clicking " noise as the
belt winds back into the inertia reel. Test the
convertible locking retractor by pulling on
the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The con­
vertible locking retractor is now activat ed.
.,. Make sure that the red release button is fac­
ing away from the child restraint so th at i t
can be unbuckled quickly .
.,. Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt
is properly tight and fastened so that the
seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2.5 cm). .,.

A WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an im ­
properly installed child restraint can cause
ser ious personal injury or death in a crash .
- Always make sure that the safety belt re-
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat
in place during normal driving or in a
crash .
- Always buck le the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not s itting in it .
A loose ch ild safety seat can fly around
dur ing a sudden stop or in a crash.
- Always make sure the seat backrest to
wh ich the child restra int is installed is in
an upr ight position and secu rely latched
in to place and cannot fold forwa rd. Oth­
erwise, the seatback w ith the ch ild s afety
seat attached to it could fly forward in
the event of an accident or other emer­
gency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS
whenever using a child rest rained in ave­
hicle is being used
,::!) page 143. Special
precautions apply when installing a ch ild
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 123, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all the way ba ck into
the retractor.
~ Press the red button on the safety be lt
buc kle. The belt tongue will pop out of the
bu ck le.
~ G ui de the safety belt all the way back in to
it s stowed posit ion .
A lways le t the safety belt retract comp lete ly
in to its stowed posit ion. The sa fety belt can
now be used as an o rdinary sa fety belt with­
out the convert ib le lock ing ret ractor for chi ld
restra ints.
-
Child Sa fet y 155
If the convertib le locking retractor should be
activated inadvertently, the safety be lt must
be unfastened and guided comp lete ly back in­
to its stowed posit ion to deactivate this fea­
ture. If the convert ible locking retractor is not
deact ivated, the safety belt w ill grad ua lly be­
come tig hte r and uncomfortable to wear.
A WARNING
Im prop erly installed chi ld safety seats in­
crease the r isk of serio us pe rsonal injury
a nd death in a c ollision.
- Never unfasten the safety belt to deacti­
vate the conver tible locking retrac to r for
child res traints while the vehicle is mov ­
ing . You would not be restrained and
could be seriously injured in an accide nt.
- Always read and heed al l WAR NIN GS
wheneve r using a child restraine d in ave ­
hicle is being used
r::!) page 143 . Special
preca utions apply when insta lling a child
safety seat on the front passe nger seat
¢ page 123, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know .
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
T o p rov ide a simple r and more prac ticable way
to attach the c hild restraint on the vehi cle
seat, Federal regulat ions req uire spec ia l lower
anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
c hi ld restra ints to attach to the veh icle ancho­
rages.
The combination of the tether anchorages and
the lower anchorages is now genera lly ca lled
the
LATCH system for " Lower Anchorages and
T ethers for Chil dren."
Fo rward-faci ng chi ld restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are requ ired by U.S.
federa l regu lations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements. .,.. •
•

Attachment locator markers for lower
anchorages
Circular locator buttons on the rear seatback indicate the lower anchorage locations on the
rear seating positions ¢
fig. 144.
Lower anchorages
The lower anchorage attachment points are
l ocated between the rear seatback and rear
seat cushion ¢
fig. 145.
Lower anchorages secure the child restraint in
the seat witho ut using the vehicle 's safety
be lts . Anchorages provide a secure and easy­
to-use attachment and minimize the possibili­
ty of improper child restraint installation.
A ll child restraints manufactured after Sep­
tember 1, 2002, must have lower anchorage
attachments for the
LATCH system.
Remember that the lower anchorage points
are only intended for installation and attach­
ment of child restraints specifically certif ied
for use with
LATCH l ower anchorages . Child
restraints that are not equipped with the low­
er anchorage attachments can still be instal­ led in compliance with the ch ild restra int
manufacturer's instruct ions on using vehicle
safety belts .
.&, WARNING
Improper use of LATCH lower anchorages
can cause serious persona l injury in an ac­
cident .
- Always carefully fo llow the child re­
straints manufacturer's instructions for
proper installation of the child restraint
and proper use of the lower anchorages
or safety belts in your vehicle.
- Never secure or attach any l uggage or
other items to the
LATCH lower ancho­
rages.
-Always read and heed the important in­
formation about child restraints in this
chapter and WARNINGS ¢
page 143,
Child Safety .
Child Safety 15 7
Installing a child restra int with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenever you install a child restraint always
follow the child restraint manufacturer's in­
structions.
Fig. 146 Rear bench seat: insta llin g the mount fo r
LATCH child seats
Fig. 147 Lower anchorages: proper mount ing
Mounting
.,. Place the child seat mount@on the ancho­
rages @ between the back rests and the
seat surface ¢
fig. 146 .
.,. Remove the cover* to access the lower an­
chorage attachment points.
.,. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in the upright position and secure ly
latched in place.
.,. Attach both hook-on connectors with the
spring catch release on the child safety seat
onto the LATCH lower anchorage so that the
connectors lock into place ¢
fig. 147.
.,. Pull on the connector attachments to make
sure they are properly attached to the LATCH
lower anchorage .
.,. Pull straps tight fo llowing the child re-
straint manufacturer's instructions . .,..

158 Child S afet y
Relea sin g
.,. Loosen the tension on the straps following
the chi ld restraint manufacturer 's instruc­
tions .
.,. Depr ess th e spr ing catch es to re lease the
a nchorage hooks from the lowe r anchorag ­
es.
Rem emb er: Use tether straps to help keep the
child restraint fi rmly in p lace.
A WARNING
Improper use of the LATCH system can in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in an acc ident.
- These anchors were developed only for
child safety seats us ing the "LATCH" sys­
tem .
- Never attach other child safety seats,
belts or other objects to these anchors .
- Always make sure that you hear a click
when latching the seat in place . If you do
not hear a click the seat is not secure and
could fly forward and h it the interior of
the vehicle, or be ejected from the vehi­
cl e.
&_ WARNING
Imprope r insta llation of chi ld restrai nts
w ill increase the risk of inju ry in an acc i­
dent.
- Always fo llow the child restraint system
man ufa cturer's instr uctions for proper
installation of the child restraint system
and proper use of tether straps as we ll as
the lower anchorages or sa fety belts in
your vehicle .
- Always read and heed the important in­
format ion and WARNINGS about child
safety and the installation of child re­
straint systems
c:> page 143, Child Safe­
ty.
Tether anchors and tether straps
F ig. 148 Tet her an ch ors : attachment hook loca tions
b ehi nd the rea r se atba cks
T he tether anchors for the rear seating posi­
tions are located on the backside of the rear
seatbacks
c:> fig. 148.
A tether is a stra ight or V-shaped st rap that
attaches the top par t of a ch ild restra int to
spe cial ancho rage po in ts in the vehicle.
The purpose of the tether is to reduce the for­
ward movement of the child rest raint in a
cr ash , in orde r to help reduce the risk of head
injury that cou ld be caused by str ik ing the ve­
hicle interior.
Forward facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are requ ired by U.S.
federa l reg ulations to comply wi th new child
head movemen t perfo rmance req uirements.
T hese new performa nce req uirements make a
tether necessary on most new child safety seats .
&_ WARNING
-Improper installat ion of child restra ints
will increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash .
- Always follow the instructions provided
by the manufacturer of the child re­
straint you intend to install in your Audi .
- Improper use of child restraint anchors
(including tether anchors) can lead to in ­
jury in a collis ion. The anchors are de­
s igned to withstand only thos e loads im­
posed by co rrec tly fitted child rest rain ts.
- Never mo unt two child restra int sys tems
-
on one LATC H lower anchor point. .,_

-Never attach two child restraint systems
to one tether strap or tether anchorage.
- Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment.
- Never use child restraint tether ancho­
rages to secure safety belts or other
kinds of occupant restraints.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other items to the LATCH lower ancho­
rages or to the tether anchors.
-If a tether or other strap is used to at­
tach a child restraint to the front passen­ ger seat, make sure that it is not so
t ight , that it causes the weight-sensi ng
mat to measure more weight than is ac ­
tually on the seat .
- The heav ier weight reg istered can make
the Advanced Airbag System work as
though an adult were on the seat and de­
ploy the Advanced Ai rbag when it must
be s uppressed causing serious o r even
f atal injury to the child.
- If you mus t install a rearward facing
child safe ty seat o n the fron t passenger
seat beca use of exceptional circ ums tan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on , im­
med iately install the rear -facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the a irbag system inspected by you r
Audi dealer.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
F ig. 1 49 Tether strap : prope r ro utin g and mountin g
Child S afety 159
Fig. 1 50 Tet her st rap: prope r routing an d mounti ng
Installing the tether str ap
.. Release or deploy the te ther s trap on the
child restraint according to the child re ­
straint manufacture r's instructions .
.. Guide the upper tether st rap
und er the rear
head restra int and into the rea r cargo a rea
r=;, fig . 150 (ra ise the head restraint if neces ­
sary) .
.. Slide the tether strap hook over the anchor
bracket.
.. Pull on the tether st rap hook so th at the
spring cat ch of the hook engages .
.. Tighten the tether strap firmly follow ing
the child restra int manufacturer's inst ruc ­
tions.
Relea sing the tether strap
.. Loosen the tension following the ch ild re­
strain t manufac turer 's ins truc tions .
.. Depress the spring catch on the hook and
release it from the anchorage .
(D Note
If you leave the child restraint w ith the
tether strap firm ly installed for several
days, this could leave a ma rk on the up­
ho lstery on the seat cushion and backrest
i n the area where the tether strap was in­
stalled. The upholstery would also be per ­
mane ntly stretched a round the tether
strap. T his app lies especia lly to leather
seats.
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Cu rrently, few rear-facing child restraint sys-
tems come with a tether . Please read and ...,

Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDR's are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Program (ESP)
Description
ESP helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidding and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESP detects
Intelligent technology 161
certain difficult driving situations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering ass istance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
G] in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESP is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESP has limitations. It is important to remem­
ber that ESP cannot overcome the laws of
physics.
It will not always be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESP may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESP cannot perform the same
way it would on the dry surface . If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESP will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESP cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations as at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESP is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
A lways adjust your speed and driving style to
road, traffic; and weather conditions. ESP can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the available traction, or keep a vehicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
driver inattention. Instead, ESP improves the
poss ibility of keeping the vehicle under con­
trol and on the road dur ing extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection. If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESP can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESP .
•
•

Natural leather
Appl ies to vehicles: with nat ura l leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties , natural look and feel of interior
leather .
General
We offer many different types of leather on
our veh icles. Most are different types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in var ious colors .
The intensity of the color determines the v isu­
al characteristics and appearance. If the sur­
face of the leather has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has been left in a relatively nat ural condition . This
l eather offers pa rticularly good comfo rt and
breathes well. Fine ve ins, closed g rains, i nsect
b ites, skin folds, and subtle variations in color
remain visib le. These characteristics demon­
strate that the materia l is natural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col­
or finish .
It is therefore more sensitive to soil­
ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if chi ldren, animals or other factors
might prove to be particularly hard on the
leather.
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a co lored finish layer are more durable. This
has a positive effect on the leather's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in daily use. On the
other hand, the typical characterist ics of natu­
ral leather a re barely or not apparent . Howev ­
er, this does not mean that the leather itself
i s of infer ior quality.
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Audi uses and the ir unique prop­
erties (such as sensitivity to o ils, grease, so il­
in g, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care­
fu l w ith these leathers, and a certain type of
care is required. For examp le, da rk cloth ing
materials can d iscolor leather seats (especial­
l y i f such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correctly) . Dust and dirt particles in pores,
fo lds, and seams can have an abrasive effect
Cleaning and protec tion 185
and can damage the leather surface as we ll as
weaken seams.
T he lea ther should be cleaned regularly as
needed. After hav ing been used for a relat ive ly
long time, your leather seats will acq uir e a
rich aged finish . This is a characteristic of nat­
ural leather and a sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the val ue of this natural
product over the li fe of your vehicle, you
sho uld follow the recommendations below:
(D Note
- T o keep your lea ther from b leach ing out,
do not allow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time . If you
have to leave the ve hicle parked outside
for long per iods, cover the leather to
protect it from direct exposure to sun­
light.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on belts can
leave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather.
(D Tips
-After each time you clean the leather and
at regular intervals, use a leather preser­
vative creme that contains UV-blockers and that works into the leathe r. T his
c reme w ill nour is h and mo istu rize the
lea ther, helping it to breathe and stay
supple.
It also helps to build up a protec ­
tive coating on the surface.
- C lean the leather every 2 - 3 mon ths,
and clean any areas that get soi led .
- Remove fresh m arks made by ballpo int
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, etc. as
soon as possible .
- Preserve the color o f the leather as need ­
ed by using a specia l co lored leathe r care
creme to touch up areas of uneven color . •
•

(D Note
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
flu id, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on Alcantara ® surfaces.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by a commercia l cleaning spe­
cialist.
- Do not use brushes, stiff sponges or sim­
ilarly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia­
bly when needed.
.. Keep belts clean .
.. For cleaning, use a mi ld soap and water sol­
ution . Let be lts dry thoroughly and away
from direct sunlight.
.,. Do not allow inertia reel safety belts to re­
tract before they are completely dry.
.,. Check the condition of your safety belts
reg­
ularly .
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
- Anything that might damage your safety
belts could mean that you and your pas­
sengers wou ld not be adequately pro­
tected in an acc ident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor­
rect installation. Never remove belts
from the vehicle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents,
bleach o r dyes. They have corros ive prop­
erties whi ch weaken the webbing.
- When cleaning your safety belts, inspect
them for damage.
If you discover dam­
age, see your a uthorized Audi dea ler.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information
Q page 178.
l ) Use o nly the correct cleaning sol utions. Neve r use gas­
oline or d iese l fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compartment.
A lw ays switch o ff the ign it ion before cle an ­
i ng the eng ine
c> ,& .
Plenum pan el
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the windshield under the engine hood. This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the vehicle interior through the heating and
vent ilat ion ducts.
Co rro sio n protect ion
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory.
Good anti -corrosion treatment is very impor­
tant, partic ularly in the winter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and p lenum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
shou ld be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease remov ing solutions
1> , or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro­
s ion treatment is almost always removed as
well.
It i s therefo re essentia l to have a long­
lasti ng cor rosion pro tect ion reapplied to all
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before work ing in the engine compart­
ment, be sure to read the information
c>page 194.
- Before reaching into the front plenum
panel, a lways remove the ignit ion key.
187
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-Set the parking brake fully.
- Move selector lever of automatic trans-
mission to "P" (Park); put manual trans­
mission in Neutral.
- Always let the engine cool down . Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood .
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­ ant could spray out!
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
-Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of automatic trans-
Checking and filling 195
mission to "P" (Park); put manual
transmission in Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­
ing hot parts . Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine .
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards~&. .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
Q) Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur .
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly . If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­ ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer. •
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