AUDI A4 2020 Repair Manual

8W1012721BB
Sitting correctly and safely

Sitting correctly and
safely
Correct passenger
seating position
General information
As the driver, you are responsible for making sure
every passenger is sitting correctly in their seat
and maintaining this seating position while driv-
ing. Make sure that:
— Every passenger in the vehicle has adjusted his
or her seat correctly > page 59
— The steering wheel is adjusted correctly
=> page 62
— The mirrors are adjusted so that there is a suffi-
cient view of the area around the vehicle
=> page 52
— Every passenger in the vehicle has his or her
head restraint adjusted correctly > page 63
— Every passenger in the vehicle has his or her
safety belt fastened correctly > page 64
—The activation status of the front passenger's
airbag is suitable for the passenger in the front
passenger's seat > page 70
— Children are secured in suitable child safety
seats that are secured to appropriate vehicle
seats > page 72. Read and observe the impor-
tant safety information pertaining to the use of
child safety seats on the front passenger's seat
=> A\ in General information on page 72.
Examples of incorrect seating positions
Safety belts can only provide its optimal protec-
tion when they are routed correctly. Incorrect
seating positions significantly reduce the protec-
tive functions of the safety belts and increase the
risk of injury due to incorrect belt routing.
The following list includes examples of seating
positions that could be dangerous for all vehicle
occupants. This is not a complete list. The pur-
pose is to provide examples to increase your
awareness of the topic. The following points ap-
ply when the vehicle is in motion:
— Never stand inside the vehicle.
— Never stand on the seats.
— Never kneel on the seats.
— Never tilt your backrest too far back.
— Never lean against the instrument panel.
— Never lie down on the rear bench seat.
— Never sit only on the front section of the seat.
— Never sit sideways on the seat.
— Never lean against the window.
— Never place your feet out of the window.
— Never place your feet on the instrument panel.
— Never place your feet on the seat cushion.
— Never ride in the footwell.
— Never sit on the armrests.
— Never drive or ride in a seat without fastening
your safety belt.
— Never ride in the luggage compartment.

ZA WARNING
Incorrect seating positions, failure to wear a
safety belt, or being too close to an airbag in-
crease the risk of serious or fatal injury to ve-
hicle occupants, especially if the airbags de-
ploy and come into contact with occupants
who are not seated correctly. Note the impor-
tant information and warnings in the chapters
for the topics given above.
Gi) Tips
If you or other vehicle passengers have physi-
cal limitations that prevent sitting in a correct
position, modifications to the vehicle may be
necessary. For more information, contact an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility, or call Audi customer support
at 1-800-822-2834.

Front seats
General information
Make sure that:
— You can press the pedals down completely
while your legs are slightly bent
— The distance between your upper body and the
steering wheel or instrument panel is at least
10 inches (25 cm)
— The distance between your knees and the in-
strument panel is at least 4 inches (10 cm)
59
>

Sitting correctly and safely

— Your thighs are lightly supported by the front
surface of the seat
— The backrest is in an upright position and your
back is resting against it
— You have a sufficient view of the area around
the vehicle
— You have a clear view of the instrument cluster,
indicator lights, and the head-up display*

ZA WARNING
— If you are too close to the steering wheel or
instrument panel, the airbag system cannot
provide the optimal protection, which in-
creases the risk of injury and death.
— To reduce the risk of injury in the event of
sudden braking maneuvers or accidents,
never drive with the backrest reclined very
far. The airbag system and seat belts can on-
ly provide optimal protection when the back-
rest is in an upright position and the driver
is wearing the seat belt correctly. If the
backrest is angled back too far, the safety
belt can shift to soft areas of the body, such
as the stomach, which increases the risk of
injury.
—To reduce the risk of an accident, only adjust
the seats when the vehicle is stationary.
— Be careful when adjusting the seat. Lack of
control or attention when adjusting can re-
sult in injuries due to pinching to vehicle oc-
cupants both in the front seats and rear
seats.
— Never place objects in the driver's footwell.
Objects could shift and enter the area
around the pedals, which could prevent you
from using them. You would then be unable
to use the pedals if sudden driving or brak-
ing maneuvers were needed, which increas-
es the risk of an accident.
— Make sure that the floor mats are always se-
curely attached.
— To reduce the risk of an accident, never place
additional floor mats or other floor covers
over the installed floor mats, because this
reduces the pedal's range of motion and can
impair pedal operation.
—To reduce the risk of injury, never place your
feet on the instrument panel, out of the

60

window, or on the seat surfaces. This also
applies to passengers in the rear seats.
@) Note
Applies to: vehicles with manually adjustable head re-
straints

To reduce the risk of damage, be very careful
when adjusting the seat to make sure the
head restraints do not hit the headliner or the
panorama glass roof*.
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Fig. 57 Front seat: adjusting the seat (version B)
The settings depend on the vehicle equipment.
Adjusting the seat position
> To adjust the seat forward or backward, push
the button @) forward or backward.
> To adjust the seat upward or downward, push
the rear section of the button @) upward or
downward.
> To adjust the seat surface, press the front part
of the button @) upward or downward.
Adjusting the backrests
> To adjust the backrest forward or backward,
press the button @ forward or backward. >

8W1012721BB
Sitting correctly and safely

Adjusting the upper thigh support
> To increase or decrease the upper thigh sup-
port, lift the handle @) and move the upper
thigh support.
Massage function
> To switch the massage function on or off, press
the button © ° fig. 57.
Adjusting the lumbar support
> To adjust the lumbar support, press the button
@ at the applicable location.
Adjusting the side supports
You can adjust the side bolsters using the multi-
function button @) > fig. 57.

Z\ WARNING
—To reduce the risk of an accident, only adjust
the driver's seat when the vehicle is station-
ary.
— The power front seats can also be adjusted
when the ignition is switched off. To reduce
the risk of injury, children should never be
left unattended in the vehicle for this rea-
son.
— Exercise caution when adjusting the seat
height. Unsupervised or careless seat adjust-
ment could cause parts of the body to get
pinched, which increases the risk of injury.
— The front seat backrests must not be re-
clined too far back when driving, because
this impairs the effectiveness of the safety
belts and airbag system, which increases the

risk of injury.

Adjusting the front seats in the MMI

Applies to: vehicles with seat settings in the MMI
You can adjust additional settings in the MMI.

Fig. 58 Center display: seat settings
The settings and the number of menus and but-
tons depend on the vehicle equipment.
Operating
Applies to: MMI
> Select on the home screen: VEHICLE > Seats.
> To access the various menus (4), swipe to the
left or right.
> To display the various seats, press ) or ( @.
The red coloring of the symbol @) indicates which
seat is selected.
Massage
See > page 61
Additional seat settings
See > page 62
eae emia (ola)
Applies to: vehicles with massage function
Selecting the massage function
Applies to: MMI
> To open the Massage menu, press the button
© > page 60, fig. 57.
Switching the massage function on or off
Applies to: MMI
> To switch the massage function on or off, press
the button G) > page 60, fig. 57.
> Press Start/Stop on the MMI.
Setting the massage type and intensity
Applies to: MMI
> To adjust the massage type, press the desired
button on the MMI, such as Pulse.
> To adjust the intensity of the massage, press
Intensity on the MMI repeatedly until the de-
sired level is reached.
@) Tips
The massage function switches off automati-
cally after approximately 10 minutes.
61

Sitting correctly and safely

Neer t Cela eae iale MU ME
You can adjust additional settings and switch
functions on or off in the MMI.
» Applies to: MMI: Select on the home screen:
VEHICLE > Seats.
> Swipe to the left if necessary.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the follow-
ing options may be available.
Reset seat position
You can adjust the position of the front passeng-
er’s seat to match the driver's seat.
Driver's seat entry assistance
Entry assistance makes it easier to enter or exit
the vehicle.
Front passenger’s seat adjustment
You can adjust the front passenger's side with the
driver's seat buttons.
Front center armrest
Applies to: vehicles with a front center armrest

The front center armrest is located between the
front seats.
Adjusting the center armrest
The settings depend on the vehicle equipment.
> To adjust the armrest forward or backward,
move the armrest in the desired direction.
> To adjust the angle, raise the armrest in stages.
> To move the armrest back into the original posi-
tion, raise it slightly out of the top level and
fold it downward.

ZA WARNING
In certain positions, the front center armrest
can interfere with the driver’s arm movement,
which increases the risk of injury.

Steering wheel
General information
Make sure that:
62
— The distance between your upper body and the
steering wheel is at least 10 in (25 cm)
— Your arms are bent slightly at the elbows
— You have a sufficient view of the area around
the vehicle and you have a clear view of the in-
strument cluster
— You are always holding the steering wheel with
both hands on the outer edge at the sides (9:00
and
3:00 position) when driving

A WARNING
— If you are too close to the steering wheel,
the driver's airbag cannot provide optimal
protection, which increases the risk of injury
or fatality.
— Never hold the steering wheel in the 12:00
position or in any other way, such as holding
the center of the steering wheel. Otherwise,
your arms, hands, and head could be injured
in the event that the driver's airbag deploys.
Adjusting the steering wheel position
manually
Applies to: vehicles with manual steering wheel adjustment

The steering wheel position is adjustable up and
down and forward and back.



Fig. 59 Steering column: lever for adjusting the steering
wheel position
> Press the lever in the direction of the arrow.
> Bring the steering wheel into the desired posi-
tion.
> Push the lever all the way up until it engages.

ZA WARNING
—To reduce the risk of an accident, only adjust
the steering wheel before you start driving. |>

8W1012721BB
Sitting correctly and safely


— Push the lever upward firmly so that the
steering wheel position does not change un-
intentionally while driving, which would in-

crease the risk of an accident.

Head restraints
General information
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable head restraints

B4G-0454



Fig. 60 Correctly adjusted head restraints
Make sure that:
— The upper edge of the head restraint is as even
as possible with the top of your head
— The head restraint is as close as possible to the
back of the head
— The head restraints in any occupied rear seats
are all the way up

Z\ WARNING
— There is one head restraint for each seating
position. All vehicle occupants must adjust
the head restraint correctly before every
trip. Having head restraints that are not ad-
justed correctly or not installed in the vehi-
cle increases the risk of a neck injury during
sudden or unexpected driving or braking
maneuvers or in a collision.
— Only remove the rear seat head restraints if
it is necessary to install a child safety seat
=> page 72. Stow the removed head re-
straints securely, for example in the luggage
compartment. Reinstall the head restraints
immediately once the child safety seat has
been removed. Driving without head re-
straints increases the risk of serious neck in-
juries.

Front head restraints
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable head restraints

[RAZ-0683]


Fig. 61 Front seat: adjusting the head restraint
Adjusting the head restraints
Applies to: vehicles with manually adjustable head restraints
> To adjust the head restraint upward or forward,
slide it until it locks into place.
> To adjust the head restraint downward or back-
ward, press the button on the side and slide the
head restraint. Release the button and slide the
head restraint farther until it locks into place.
Rear head restraints
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable head restraints



Fig. 62 Rear seat: adjusting or removing the head restraint
Adjusting the head restraints
> To adjust the head restraint upward, slide it un-
til it locks into place.
> To adjust the head restraint downward, press
the button @) and slide the head restraint. Re-
lease the button and slide the head restraint
farther until it locks into place.
Removing the headrests
Applies to: vehicles with removable head restraints
> Fold the backrest forward slightly > page 82.
> Move the head restraint upward all the way. >
63

Sitting correctly and safely

> Insert a suitable object, such as the the extend-
ed vehicle key or mechanical key, into the re-
lease point @ on the inside or outside of the
base.
> Press the button @) and pull the head restraint
out of the backrest.
Installing the headrests
> Fold the backrest forward slightly > page 82.
>» Slide the posts on the head restraint down into
the guides until the posts click into place.
> Press the button @) and slide the head restraint
all the way down. It should not be possible to
remove the head restraint from the backrest
without pressing the button.
Safety belts
Each seat is equipped with a three-point safety
belt. Safety belts that are worn correctly are the
most effective way to reduce the risk of serious or
fatal injuries in a collision. Therefore, wear your
safety belt correctly and make sure that all vehi-
cle passengers are also wearing their safety belts
correctly when the vehicle is moving.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an air-
bag system, every vehicle passenger must still al-
ways wear the appropriate safety belt. In addi-
tion to their normal protective function, safety
belts also hold vehicle occupants in the correct
seating position in the event of a collision so that
the airbags can deploy correctly and provide addi-
tional protection. Safety belts provide protection
during collisions when the airbags do not deploy
or if they have already deployed.

Z\ WARNING
The risk of serious or fatal injury increases if
the safety belt is not fastened, if it is worn in-
correctly, or if it is damaged.
— All vehicle occupants, including the driver,
must fasten their safety belts correctly be-
fore every trip and must always keep their
safety belts fastened during the trip, regard-
less of whether the seat is equipped with an
airbag or not. This also applies to children

64


that are seated in a child safety seat that is
appropriate for their weight and age and
that is secured with a safety belt.
In the event of a collision, vehicle occupants
that are not wearing safety belts could be
propelled through the vehicle interior and
collide with vehicle components, such as the
steering wheel, instrument panel, wind-
shield, or doors. In some situations, vehicle
occupants could also be ejected from the ve-
hicle. Vehicle occupants in the rear seats
who do not wear safety belts not only en-
danger themselves, but also other people in
the vehicle.
Only one person may be fastened with a
safety belt at a time. Never secure more
than one person, including children, with a
single safety belt.
Never allow children or infants to ride on an-
other person's lap and be belted into the
safety belt with them.
Insert the belt buckle only in the belt latch
belonging to the corresponding seat, so that
the protective function is not impaired.
To ensure the maximum protective function
of the safety belts, all vehicle passengers
must sit in the correct seating position
=> page 59.
Check the condition of your vehicle’s safety
belts regularly > page 248. If you find dam-
age to the belt webbing, the belt connec-
tions, the retractor, or the buckle, have the
damaged safety belt replaced by an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
The safety belts must not be removed or
modified in any way. Do not attempt to re-
pair the safety belts yourself.
Safety belts that are strained during an acci-
dent, and thus stretched, must be replaced
by an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility.

8W1012721BB
Sitting correctly and safely

Correct safety belt positioning

B4H-0751


RAZ-0696


Fastened safety belts only offer optimal protec-
tion during an accident and reduce the risk of se-
rious injury or death when they are positioned
correctly. Furthermore, the correct safety belt
position holds the vehicle occupant in place so
that a deployed airbag can provide maximum
protection. Therefore, always fasten the safety
belt and make sure it is positioned correctly
> fig. 63.
To ensure the safety belt is positioned correctly,
make sure of the following points:
—The lap portion of the safety belt must be locat-
ed across the lap.
—The shoulder portion of the safety belt must
rest over the center of the shoulder.
— The safety belt must always rest flat and se-
curely on the body.
For pregnant women, the safety belt must rest
evenly across the chest and as low and flat as
possible on the lap, so that no pressure is applied
to the lower abdomen. This should be done
throughout the entire pregnancy > fig. 64.


ZA WARNING
Incorrect safety belt positioning can cause se-
rious injury in the event of an accident or dur-
ing sudden braking or driving maneuvers.
— Never drive with the backrest reclined ex-
tremely far. The more the backrest is tilted
back, the greater the risk of injury due to the
safety belt being routed incorrectly.
— The safety belt itself or a loose safety belt
can cause serious injuries if it shifts onto
soft areas of the body, such as the stomach.
— The shoulder portion of the safety belt must
lie over the center of the shoulder and
chest, and never under the arm, behind the
back, or across the neck or face.
— The lap portion of the safety belt must lie
across the lap and never over the stomach.
—The safety belt must lie flat and securely on
the upper part of the body and the lap.
— The belt webbing must not be pinched or
twisted, or rub against sharp edges.
— If the safety belt height is set incorrectly
and/or the safety belt is routed incorrectly,
then the safety belt's protective function
will be impaired in the event of an accident.
Make sure the safety belt is at the right
height and is routed correctly for the pas-
senger using it.
— A safety belt that is too loose may lead to in-
juries during an accident, because your body
will move farther forward due to kinetic en-
ergy and will be stopped abruptly by the
belt.
— Heavily bulky, loose clothing (for example, a
coat over a sports jacket) may prevent the
seat and safety belts from functioning cor-
rectly.
— Do not position the safety belt over hard or
breakable objects (such as glasses, pens,
etc.).
— The lap belt portion of the safety belt must
sit as low as possible on the lap of pregnant

women and lie flat under the belly.

@) Note
Make sure that there are no hook-and-loop
fasteners or sharp objects such as zippers or
65
>

Sitting correctly and safely

rivets on clothing in the area where the safety
belt is worn. Otherwise, the safety belt could
be damaged.
aC mice ate mt Lime


B4H-0462

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Fig. 66 Releasing the belt buckle from the belt latch
Follow the safety precautions > page 64.
Fastening the safety belt
> Pull the safety belt by the belt buckle evenly
across your chest and lap.
> Insert the belt buckle in the belt latch belong-
ing to the seat until it audibly engages
> fig. 65.
> Pull on the belt to make sure that the belt is se-
curely locked in the latch.
Unfastening the safety belt
> Press the red button on the belt latch > fig. 66.
The belt buckle will pop out.
> Guide the belt back by hand so that the safety
belt can roll up more easily.
Safety belt monitoring system
B- If the indicator light turns on or flashes, a
safety belt is not fastened or it has been unfas-
66

tened while the vehicle is in motion. Above cer-
tain speeds, additional warning tones will sound.
Belt retractor lock
The safety belts on the rear seats and on the
front passenger seat are equipped with a belt re-
tractor lock.
— If you secure a child safety seat with a safety
belt, the belt retractor lock on the safety belt
may need to be activated. Follow the instruc-
tions from the child safety seat manufacturer.
— When a vehicle passenger has fastened a safety
belt, the belt retractor lock should not be acti-
vated. If the belt retractor lock has been acti-
vated unexpectedly, deactivate it.
Deactivating or activating the belt retractor lock
=> page 75.
Adjusting the height of the safety belt


B4G-0004


Fig. 67 Belt height adjustment for the front seats - safety
belt relay
> To move the belt higher, slide the safety belt re-
lay @ upward.
> To move the belt lower, press the release but-
ton @ and slide the safety belt relay @) down-
ward.
> To check if the safety belt relay is securely
locked in place, pull firmly on the belt.
@ Tips
You can also adjust the height of the front
seats to change the position of the safety
belts.

8W1012721BB
Sitting correctly and safely

Additional safety belt functions
Safety belt retractor
The safety belts are equipped with an automatic
belt retractor. This automatic retractor allows the
safety belt to be pulled all the way out when the
belt is pulled slowly. However, the automatic re-
tractor locks during sudden braking maneuvers.
It also locks the belts when accelerating, driving
uphill, and driving around curves.
Belt force limiter
Safety belts with belt force limiters reduce the
force placed on the body by the safety belts dur-
ing a collision.
Safety belt pretensioners
In certain driving situations, safety belts may be
tightened with reversible belt tensioners when
you start driving. If the safety belt is too loose, it
will be tightened so that the belt will rest closer
to the body.
In some collisions, pyrotechnic belt tensioners
may secure the safety belts so that they cannot
loosen. This reduces forward movement by the
vehicle passengers.

ZA WARNING
The pyrotechnic system can only provide pro-
tection during one collision. If the pyrotechnic
belt tensioners deploy, the pretensioning sys-
tem must be replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
@ Tips
Smoke may be released when pyrotechnic belt
tensioners deploy. This is not a sign of a vehi-
cle fire.

Memory function
ere eel ela)
Applies to: vehicles with memory function
With the memory function, you can save and call
up seat profiles using the memory buttons in the
door trim panel.
Depending on the equipment, it may be possible
to store the following settings:
— Driver's seat: seat, exterior mirror*
Storing and recalling a seat profile
Applies to: vehicles with memory function
The memory function buttons are located in the
door trim panel.
Storing a seat profile

> Press the [SET] button. If the LED in the button
turns on, a seat profile can be stored.
> Push one of the numbered memory buttons. A
tone confirms that the settings were stored.

Recalling a seat profile
> When the a door is open and the ignition is
switched off, press the memory button once
briefly. The seat will be fully adjusted to the
settings in the seat profile.
> If the door is closed or the ignition is switched
on, press and hold the memory button until the
seat is fully adjusted to the settings in the seat
profile.

Z\ WARNING
—To reduce the risk of an accident, the seat
setting can only be recalled when the vehicle
is stationary.
— In an emergency, the recall process can be
canceled by pressing the seat adjustment
button on that seat.
@ Tips
Certain settings are automatically stored and
assigned to the active user.

Airbag system
ZA WARNING
— If you have not fastened your safety belt,
you are in an incorrect seating position, or
you are too close to the airbag system, the
airbag system will not be able to protect >



67

Sitting correctly and safely


you. This increases the risk of serious or fa-
tal injuries. Make sure that every vehicle
passenger has their safety belt correctly fas-
tened and is sitting in a correct seating posi-
tion > page 59. This is necessary regardless
of whether the seat is equipped with an air-
bag or not.
— Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, out of the window, or on the seat sur-
faces. To help ensure that the airbag system
can deploy correctly, never bend forward or
lean on the door or the side window. Other-
wise, serious and possibly fatal injuries can
occur if the airbags deploy.
— People, animals, or objects between the
Passengers and the airbag system can inter-
fere with the correct deployment of the air-
bag or can be thrown through the vehicle in-
terior, increasing the risk of serious or fatal
injuries. Make sure that nothing is located
between the vehicle occupants and the air-
bag system. Do not secure or transport any
objects within the deployment zone of the
airbag systems, especially on the steering
wheel, on the instrument panel, on the
doors, on the windows, or in the footwell.
— Never put stickers on the airbag system cov-
ers or cover them with any objects.
— Only lightweight clothing should be hung
from the garment hooks in the vehicle. Do
not use clothes hangers to hang clothing.
The pockets of the clothing must not con-
tain any heavy, breakable, or sharp-edged
objects. This could impair the effectiveness
of the side curtain airbags.
— You must not use seat or protective covers
that are not specifically approved for use on
Audi seats with side airbags. Since the side
airbags deploy from the seat backrest, such
covers could impair the protective function
of the side airbags.
— Damage to the original seat covers in the
side airbag deployment area must always be
repaired by an authorized Audi dealer or au-
thorized Audi Service Facility.
— Airbag system components are installed at
various locations in your vehicle. Incorrect
work or repairs on the vehicle could damage

68
the airbag system components or impair
their functionality. This may prevent the air-
bags from deploying or cause them to de-
ploy incorrectly in the event of an accident,
which increases the risk of serious or fatal
injuries. Only have an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility make re-
pairs or modifications to a vehicle.
— The airbag system can only provide protec-
tion during one collision. If there is another
collision, the airbag system will not deploy
again. If the airbag system has deployed,
have it replaced immediately by an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
— Fine dust may appear if the airbags deploy.
This is completely normal and does not indi-
cate a fire in the vehicle. The fine dust can ir-
ritate the skin and mucous membranes in
the eyes and can cause difficulty breathing,
particularly for individuals who have or have
had asthma or other health issues that af-
fect breathing. Exit the vehicle or open the
windows or doors to get access to fresh air.
G) Tips
If you are transporting children in the vehicle,
read the information and follow the safety
precautions > page 72.
Safety systems monitoring
The ka indicator light in the instrument cluster
monitors the safety systems such as the airbags
(including the control modules, sensors, and wir-
ing) and the belt tensioners. It turns on when you
switch the ignition on and turns off after several
seconds.

If the ka indicator light does not turn on when
the ignition is switched on, does not turn off af-
ter several seconds, or turns on or flashes while
driving, there may be a malfunction in one of the
safety systems. Drive to an authorized Audi deal-
er or authorized Audi Service Facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.