instrument panel AUDI A4 2013 User Guide

152 Airbag sys te m
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the a irbag as poss ible, before insta lling
the forward-facing child restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upr ight
posit ion.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
t ime w henever the ignition is switched
on.
Advanced Airbag System components
The fron t passenger sea t in your vehicle h as a
lot of very important par ts of the Advanced
Airbag System in it. These parts include t he
weight -sensing mat, sensors, wiring, brack­
ets, and more. The function of the system in
the front passenger seat is checked by the
e lectronic control un it when the ignit ion is on.
The control unit mon itors the Advanced Air­
bag System and turns the airbag indicator
l ight on when a ma lfunction in t he system
components is detected. The func tion of the
a ir bag ind icator light is described in greater
detai l be low . Because the front passenger
seat contains important parts of the Ad­
vanced A irbag System, you m ust take care to
prevent it from be ing damaged. Damage to
the seat may prevent the Advanced Airbag for
the front passenger seat from doing its job in
a crash .
The front Advanced Airb ag Sy stem
consists of the following:
- Crash sensors in the front of the veh icle that
measure veh icle acceleration/deceleration
to provide information to the Advanced Air­
bag System abou t the seve rity of the crash.
- An electron ic co ntrol unit, with integ rated
crash sensors for front and side impacts .
T he cont ro l unit "dec ides " w het her to fire
the front airbags based on the information
received from the crash senso rs . The contro l
unit a lso "decides" whethe r the safety be lt
pretensioners should be activated . -
An Advanced A irbag w ith gas generator and
cont ro l valve for the d river inside the steer­
ing wheel h ub.
- An Advanced A irbag with gas ge nerator and
contro l valve inside the instrument pane l for
the front passenger.
- A weight-sensing mat under the up ho lstery
pad ding of the front passenger seat cushion
that measures the total weight on the seat.
The informat ion registered is sent continu­
ously to the electronic contro l unit to regu­
late deployment of the front Advanced Air­ bag on the passenger side .
- An airbag monitor ing system and i ndicator
light in the i nstr ument cluster ~
page 156 .
-A sensor in each front seat registers the dis­
tance between the respective seat a nd the
steer ing whee l o r i ns trument panel. The i n­
formation registered is sent cont inuously to
t he ele ctr onic cont ro l uni t to regula te de­
p loyment o f the front Advance d Airbags .
- The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t comes
on and st ays on in the cen ter o f the instr u­
ment panel
~ page 156, fig . 156 and tells
you whe n the front Advanced Airbag on the
passenger side has been tu rned off .
- A sensor below the safety be lt latch for the
front seat passenger to measure the tension on the safety be lt . The tension on the safety
be lt and the weight registered by the
weight-sensing mat he lp the control unit
"decide" whether the front airbag for the
front passenger seat should be turned off or
not ~
page 146, Child restraints on the
front seat -some important things to
know.
- A senso r in the safety belt latch fo r th e d riv­
er and fo r the front sea t passenger tha t
senses w het he r th at safety bel t is latched or
not and transmi ts this information to the
electronic control unit.
A WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can
p revent the front airbag from work ing
properly.
-

-Improper repair or disassembly of the
front passenger and driver seat will pre­
vent the Advanced Airbag System from
functioning properly .
- Repairs to the front passenger seat must
be performed by qualified and properly
trained workshop personnel.
- Never remove the front passenger or
driver seat from the vehicle .
- Never remove the upholstery from the
front passenger seat .
- Never disassemble or remove parts from
the seat or disconnect wires from it.
- Never carry sharp objects in your pockets
or place them on the seat. If the weight­
sensing mat in the passenger seat is
punctured it cannot work properly.
- Never carry things on your lap or carry
objects on the passenger seat . Such
items can increase the weight registered
by the weight-sensing mat and send the
wrong information to the airbag control
unit.
- Never store items under the front pas­
senger seat. Parts of the Advanced Air­
bag System under the passenger seat
could be damaged, preventing them and
the airbag system from working proper ­
ly.
- Never place seat covers or replacement
upholstery that have not been specifical­
ly approved by Audi on the front seats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from recognizing child re­
straints or occupants on the front pas­
senger seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from deploying prop­
erly.
- Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or
similar items on the front passenger
seat . The additional padding will prevent
the weight-sensing mat in the seat from
accurately registering the child restraint
or person on the seat and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from function­
ing properly.
- If you must use a child restraint on the
front passenger seat and the child re-
Airbag system 153
straint manufacturer's instructions re­
quire the use of a towel, foam cushion or
something else to properly position the
child restraint, make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on whenever the child re­
straint is installed on the front passen­
ger seat.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install child restraint in a rear seat­
ing position and have the airbag system
inspected by your authorized Audi dealer .
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the
side airbags supplement the protection of­
fered by the front three-point safety belts
with pretensioners and load limiters and the
adjustable head restraints to help reduce the
risk of injury in a wide range of accident and
crash situations. Be sure to read the impor­
tant information about safety and heed the
WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Adv a need Airbag System
and the activation of the safety belt preten­
sioners depend on the deceleration measured
by the crash sensors and registered by the
electronic control unit. The amount of infla­
tion of the front airbags can also be adapted
to the front sea t position, depending on the
distance between the respective front seat
and the steering wheel or instrument panel as registered by sensors in the seats . Crash se­
verity depends on speed and deceleration as
well as the mass and stiffness of the vehicle
or object involved in the crash.
On the passenger side, regardless of safety
belt use, the airbag will be turned off if the
weight on the passenger seat is less than the
amount programmed in the electronic control
unit. The front airbag on the passenger side
will also be turned off if one of the child safe-
ty seats that has been certified under Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 has been
recogni zed on the seat . The
PASSENGER AIR .,,.
•
•

must always sit in an upright position,
must not lean against or place any part
of the ir body too close to the area where
the a irbags are located .
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi­
t ion or too close to the airbag can be se­
riously injured by an airbag as it unfolds
with great force in the blink of an eye
~ page 146.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat insta lled on the front passenger seat
w ill be seriously injured and can be k illed if
the front a irbag inflates -even with an Ad ­
vanced Airbag System .
- T he inflating a irbag w ill hit the child
sa fety seat or infant carrier with great
force and wi ll smash the ch ild 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 circ umstan­
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 t he a irbag system inspected by you r
authori zed Audi dealer .
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will
increase the risk of inj ury in a c rash by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the a irbag
inf lates.
- Never hold things in your hands or on
yo ur lap when the vehicle is in use.
- Never transport i tems on or in the area
of the front passenge r seat . Objects
cou ld move into the area of the front air­
bags dur ing braking or other s udden ma­
neuver and become dangerous projec-
A irbag system 15 5
tiles that can cause ser ious personal in­
jury if the a irbags inf late.
- Never p lace or attach accessories o r oth­
er objects (such as cupholders, tele­ phone brackets, large, heavy or bulky ob­
jects) on the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, seat backrests o r be­
tween those areas and yo urself. These
objects could cause in ju ry in a crash, es­
peci ally when the airbags infl ate.
- Never re cline the front passenger 's seat
to transpor t objects. Items can a ls o
move into the area of the s ide a irbag or
the front airbag during braking or in a
sudden maneuve r. Objects near the air­
bags can become projectiles and cause
in jury, partic ularly when the seat is re­
clined.
A WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy
can cause breathing prob lems for people
with a history of as thma or other breath­
ing cond itions.
- To reduce the risk of breath ing problems,
those with asthma or other respiratory
conditions s hou ld get fresh air r ight
away by get ting o ut of the veh icle or
open ing windows or doors.
- If you are in a collision in which airbags
deploy, wash your hands and face with mild soap and wate r before ea ting.
- Be careful not to get the dust into your
eyes, o r into any c uts or sc ratches .
- If the resid ue should get into your eyes,
f lush them w ith wate r. •
•

156 Airbag system
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function
of the Advanced Airbag System: the airbag
monitoring indicator light and the
P AS SEN ­
GER AIR B AG
OFF light.
The Advanced Airbag System (including the
electronic control unit, sensor circuits and sys­
tem wiring) is monitored continuously to
make sure that it is functioning properly
whenever the ignit ion is on. Each t ime you
turn on the ignition, the
rl airbag monitoring
indicator light w ill come on for a few seconds
(self diagnostics) .
The system mu st be inspected when the
(I indicator light :
-does not come on when the ignit ion is
switched on,
- does not go out a few seconds after you
have switched on the ignition, or
- comes on wh ile d riving .
If an airbag system malfunction is detected,
the indicator light will first start flashing to
catch the driver's attention and then stay on
continuously to se rve as a constant reminder
to have the system inspected immediately .
If a malfunction occurs that turns the front
a irbag on the passenger side off, the
PAS SEN­
GER AIR BAG
OFF light will come on and stay
on whenever the ignition is on.
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not func tioning
properly cannot provide supplemen tal pro­
tect ion in a frontal crash .
-If the airbag indica tor light¢ page 20
comes when the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immediate ly
by you r aut horized Aud i dea le r. It is pos­
sible that the a irbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or w ill not inflate
when it should.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
F ig. 156 Sect io n fro m the instrument panel: PASSEN ­
GER AIR BAG OFF lig ht
T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located
in the center of the instrument pane l
¢fig. 156.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light wi ll come
o n and stay on to tell you w hen the front Ad­
vanced Airbag o n the passenge r side has been
tu rned off by the electronic contro l unit. Each
t ime you turn on the ignition, the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light will flash for a few
seconds and:
- wi ll stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
- wil l stay on if there is a small ch ild or child
restraint on the front passenger seat,
-w il l go out if t he front passenge r seat is oc­
cupied by an adult as registered by the
weight -sensing mat .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight mu st
com e on and sta y o n
if the igni tion is on and
- a car bed has been installed on the front
seat, or
- a rearward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front passenger seat, o r
- a forward-fac ing ch ild restra int has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight reg istered on the front passen­
ger seat is equal to or less than the com­
b ined weight of a typical 1 year-old restra in­
ed in one of the rear-facing or forwa rd-fac­
ing infant restra ints listed in Federal Motor
Veh icle Safety Standard 208 wi th which the
Advanced A irbag System in you r vehicle was
cert ified.
II>-

There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system will not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or pol­
lute the environment.
A WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce ­
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing 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 cu­
pholders 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 de­
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system .
- All work on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, front seats or electrical sys­
tem (including the installation of audio
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc.) 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
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts
of the vehicle body .
- Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replace­
ment upholstery over the front seat­
backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi .
Airbag system 159
-Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air­
bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer .
- The airbag system can be activated only
once . After an airbag has inflated , it
must be replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified technician who has
the technical information, training and
special equipment necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once . After an airbag has been deployed,
it must be replaced with new replace­
ment parts designed and approved espe­
cially for your Audi model version. Re­ placement of complete airbag systems
or airbag components must be per­
formed by qualified workshops only.
Make sure that any airbag service action
is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet under
AIRBAG REPLACE­
MENT RECORD.
- In accidents when an airbag is deployed,
the vehicle battery separates the alterna­
tor and the starter from the vehicle elec­
trical system for safety reasons with a
pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit inter­
rupter must only be performed by a
qualified dealer - risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter
is scrapped, all applicable safety pre ­
cautions must be followed.
{® For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per-
ch lorate. When the vehicle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
safety belts with pretensioners are scrap­ ped, all applicable laws and regulations
must be observed. Your authorized Audi .,..
•
•

164 Airbag system
in a side collision. The side curtain airbag in­
f lates in side impacts and on ly when the vehi­
cle acce lerat ion reg istered by the contro l unit
is high enough. If this rate is below the refer­
ence value programmed into the control unit,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
though the car may be badly damaged as a re­
sult of the collision .
It is not possible to de­
fine an a irbag tr igger ing range that will cover
every possible angle of impact , since the c ir­
cumstances w ill vary considerably between
one co llision and another . Important factors
include, for examp le, the nat ure (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the ang le of impact,
vehicle speed, etc.
c:> page 164, How side cur­
tain airbags work.
Aside from their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a co lli­
sion so that the side curtain airbags can pro­
vide p rotection .
The airbag system is not a subst itute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your veh icle. Al­
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wea ring
your safety be lt and wear ing it prope rly . T his
i s ano ther reason why you shou ld always wear
your safety be lts, not jus t beca use the law re­
qu ires you to do soc;,
page 13 7, General
notes.
It
is important to remember that while the
side curtain a irbag sys tem is designed to he lp
reduce the like lihood o f serious injuries, other
inj uries, for example, swelling, bruising, and
minor abrasions can also be associated with
these airbags. Remember too, these airbags
will dep loy only once and only in certain k inds
of acc idents - your safety belts are always
there to offer protection .
The side curtain airbag system b asic all y
consists of:
- The electronic control module and externa l
s ide impact sensors
- The side curtai n airbags above the front and
rear side w indows - The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
T he airbag system is mo nitored elec tronically
to make certain i t is func tioning properly at all
times . Each time you turn on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for
a few seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
- if the ignition is tur ned off,
- in side co llisions whe n the accele ration
measured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end col lisions,
- in rollove rs .
A WARNING
-- Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide protect ion when occupants
are in the proper seating posi tion
c:> page 58, Seats and s torage .
- If the ai rbag ind icator light c:> page 20
comes when the veh icle is being used,
have the system inspecte d immedia tely
by your author ized A udi dealer .
It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should.
· How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head
and upper torso injuries for occupants who
are properly restrained.
F ig . 1 60 Illustrat ion of p rin ciple: Inflated si de curtain
a irbags o n the left side
The side c urtain airbags inflate between the
occupant and the windows on the s ide of the
lill>-

-If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat in exceptional circumstances and
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately
install the rearward-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected immediately by your authorized Audi dealer.
,& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's in­
structions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
- 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 child restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position .
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays
on all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
@ Tips
Always replace child restraints that were
installed in a vehicle during a crash. Dam­
age to a child restraint that is not visible
could cause it to fail in another collision
situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Ad­
vanced Airbag System" in compliance with
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the
time your vehicle was manufactured .
Child Safety 167
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle
has been certified to meet the "low-risk" re­
quirements for 3- and 6-year old children on
the passenger side and small 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 "sup­
pression" requirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, 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 list­
ed in the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, espe­
cially those 12 years and younger, should al­
ways ride in the back seat properly restrained
for their age and size . The airbag on the pas ­
senger side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a child to ride . The front
seat is not the safest place for a child in a for­
ward-facing child safety seat. It can be a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child
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
child restraint on the front passenger seat us­
ing the weight-sensing mat in the seat cush­
ion 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 child 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 re -
straints and for the different models of the ..,. •
•

190 Intelligent technology
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopp ing distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy ra in or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced . In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully apply brakes
f or a test . B rakes will dry a nd ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few ca re ­
ful brake applications.
- Driv ing for an extended pe riod of time on
salt -covered roads without using you r
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads w ith a few careful
brake applicat ions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed . O therwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system.
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­ creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to t he near­
est author ized Audi dealer or qualif ied
workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop w ith
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your ve hicle, or
because the b rake booste r has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerab ly harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering.
Power steer ing adapts electronically based on
the veh icle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Ste ering d efe ct ive ! Do not d rive vehicle!
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
a nd this message appears, the power steering
may have failed .
Do
not continue driving. See your authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
for assistance.
'Tij D ynamic steer ing: Sy stem f au lt! You c an
cont inue d riving
If the indicator l ight turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the stee ring may be more diffi­
c ul t to move o r more sensitive than usua l. The
steering wheel may a lso be at an ang le when
driv ing straight.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dea ler or
qualified workshop to have the ma lf u nction
corrected.
'Tij Dynamic stee rin g: initializing
If this driver message appears and the indica­
tor light is flashing on the instrument panel, dynamic steer ing* is being re initia lized . On ce
you start the engine after t his is finished, the
steering wheel will be easy to move . Re-initi­
alizat ion might be necessary if the steering
whee l was moved hard to the left and right
whi le the vehicle was not moving. The display
goes out as soon as initiali zation is complete.
A WARNING
-Have the dynamic steering* system mal­
function repa ired as soon as possible by an
authorized Audi dealer or any qualified
workshop - r is k of accident!
-

210 Cleaning and protec tio n
grease or dye must be patted off using ab ­
sorbent materia l. It may be necessary to re­
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa­
te r.
I n the case of general soi ling of the uphols ­
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a specialist that has the equ ipment to clean
the seat cove rs and other fabric surfaces by
shampooing and spray ex traction.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
~ page 202.
(D Tips
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For pers istent dirt
use an Audi approved
s ol ve nt-fr ee plastic
cleane r/protectant.
A WARNING
So lvents can change the properties of
some plastics and make it harder for the
airbag to dep loy.
- Never clean the instr ument pane l or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents .
- Products containing solvents wi ll make
the surface of th is part porous.
- Serious injuries can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information ~
page 202.
0 Note
Cleaning agents con taining solvents will
at tac k the mater ial and can change the
way it behaves .
Natural leather
Applies to vehicles: wit h natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather .
General
We offer many d ifferent types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are d ifferent types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors .
The intensity of the co lo r determines the visu­
al characterist ics and appearance . If the sur­
face of the leather has a typ ica l natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relat ive ly natura l condit ion. This
leather offe rs particularly good comfort and
breathes we ll. Fine veins, closed grai ns, insect
bites, skin fo lds, and s ubt le va ria tions in color
remain visible . These characteristics demon­
strate that the material is natura l.
Natura l na ppa le ather is not covered by a co l­
o r finish. It is therefore mo re sensit ive to soil­
ing and wea r, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
might prove to be part icu larly hard on the
leather.
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colo red finish layer are more durable . This
has a positive effect on the leather's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu­
ral leather are barely or not apparent . Howev ­
er, th is does not mean that the leathe r itself
is of infe rior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Aud i uses and their unique prop­
erties (such as sens it ivity to oils, grease, soil ­
i ng, etc.), you will need to be somewhat ca re­
ful with these leathers, and a ce rtain type of
ca re is req uired. For example, dark clo thing
ma ter ials can disco lor le athe r seats (especia l­
ly if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly). Dust and dirt particles in pores ,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect ..,..

Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing and opening the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig . 182 Dr iver's side footwell: eng ine hood release
lever
... ~ - ---
F ig . 183 Re lease lever un der the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure
that the windshield w ipers are flat against the
windshield. Otherwise, they could damage the
paint on the hood.
.. Pull the release lever on the left under the
instrument panel in the direction of the ar­
row
Q fig. 182.
.. Raise the hood slightly QA
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood up­
ward
c::> fig . 183 . This re leases the catch .
.,. Open the hood.
& WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you.
- To redu ce the r isk of being burned, never
open the hood if yo u see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or Checkin
g and fillin g 219
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down until the pressure from
the struts is reduced .
.. Let the hood
drop down and latch in place.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage
c::> .&, .
_&. WARNING
-
A hood that is not comple tely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv­
ing.
- When you close the engine hood, chec k it
to make sure the safety catch has p ro pe r­
ly engaged . The hood sho uld be flush
with the surrounding vehicle body parts .
-If you notice while driv ing that the hood
is not secured prope rly, stop at once and
close it.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine compartment .
Whenever yo u mu st p erform an y w or k in th e
eng in e compa rtment, for example checking
and filling differ ent fluid s, there i s a ri sk of
injury , burns and accidents. To prevent per­
sonal injury always obser ve the following
WARNINGS . The eng ine compa rtment of any
v ehicle is a hazardous are a
QA .
_&. WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key.
- Apply the parking brake .
- Move selector lever of automatic trans -
mission to "P" (Park); p ut manual trans­
miss ion in Neutral.
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components w ill burn skin on contact .