instrument cluster AUDI A4 CABRIOLET 2009 Owner's Manual

Clear vision
inst rument panel ill umination will automaticall y become dimmer
a s the daylight fades away and eventually will go out completely
when out side l ight i s very low . Thi s is to remind you , the dri ver , to
s witch on the headlights befor e it g ets too dark.
• Canada model s: instrument panel illumination will stay bright
re gardles s of the intensity of ambient light . Alway s be aware of
c hange s in outside light cond itions while you are d riv ing . Resp ond
in time to f ading dayl ight by turning the ligh t switch to po sit ion
io
(or "AUTO" if your car is equipped with this feature) to turn on your
he adl ights . •
Ap plie s to vehic le s: wi th x eno n hea dlig ht s
Xenon headlights
After s tarting the engine, the xenon headligh ts are automatically
adjusted to the load and angle of the vehicle (for example, during
acce leration and brak ing) . This prevents oncoming tra ffic from
experienc ing unnecessa ry glare from your head lights .
If the system is not operating properly, a warning sy mbol in the
Auto -Check Contro l is displayed:::::,
page 34. •
Emergency flasher &.
The emergency flasher makes other mot orists aw are that
y o u or your vehicle are in an emergency situation.
1Jia---------------...,i ij ::c .,
"'
-
Fig. 9 3 Ce nter
cons ole: e mergen cy
fla sher swit ch
Press the sw itch ~~fig . 93, to sw itch the emergency
fl ash er o n or o ff.
When the emergency flasher is on, al l four turn signa l blink at the
same time . The turn signal indicator lights¢¢ in the instrument
cluster, as we ll as the light in the emergency flasher sw itch
t!:;,,. b link
likewise .
The emergency flasher will automatica lly switch on if you are in an
accident where the airbag has deployed .
[ i ] Tips
You should switch on the emergency flasher when :
• you are the last vehicle stand ing in a t raffic jam so that any other
veh ic les coming can see you , or when
• your vehic le has broken down or you are in an emergency situa ­
tion, or when
• your veh ic le is being towed by a tow truck or if you are towing
another vehicle behind you .•

Turn signals -¢ Q and high beam ~D lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column is used to
operate the turn signals and the high beam as well as the
headlight flasher.
Fig . 94 Turn signal and
high beam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the following func ­
tions:
Turn signals ¢ ¢
- To indicate a right turn, move the lever up until it
engages.
- To indicate a
left turn, move the lever down until it
engages.
Auto-blink
- Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resis­
tance to use the turn signals for as long as you need
them, for example when changing lanes.
- Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resis­
tance and then release it
immediately to make the turn
signals flash
three times. You can use this feature when
changing lanes on highways.
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Clear vision
High beam
[D
- Press the lever forward to switch on the high beam.
- Pull the lever back toward you to switch off the high
beam .
Headlight flasher [D
-Pull the lever toward the steering wheel to use the head­
light flasher.
Notes on these features
• The turn signals only work with the ignition switched on. The
indicator lights¢ or¢ in the instrument cluster~ page 18 also
blink.
• After you have turned a corner, the turn signal switches off auto ­
matically.
• The high beam works only when the headlights are on. The indi­
cator light ~Din the instrument cluster illuminates when the high
beams are on.
• The headlight flasher works only as long as you hold the lever -
even if there are no lights switched on. The indicator light ~D in the
instrument cluster illuminates when you use the headlight flasher.
0 Note
Do not use the high beam or headlight flasher if you know that these
could be blinding oncoming traffic.•
~ehicle care irechnical data

On the road -_______________ ____,
0 Note
Do not stop the engine immediately after hard or extended driving.
Keep the engine running for approximately two minutes to prevent
excessive heat build-up. •
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parking brake is set, it prevents the vehicle from
rolling away unintentionally.
Setting the parking brake
Fig . 137 Center
console: Parking brake
set
- Pull the parking brake lever all the way up.
Releasing the parking brake
- Pull the parking brake lever up slightly
and press the
release button at the same time=:> fig. 137 -arrow-.
- Keep the release button pressed and lower the parking
brake =>
&-
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
If you should drive off with the parking brake still set, a warning tone
will sound and the following will appear in the instrument cluster to
remind you to release the parking brake:
Parking brake set
The parking brake warning comes on only after you have driven for longer than 3 seconds and faster than 5 mph (5 km/h).
The parking brake warning light Brake (Canada:
{(j))) illuminates
when the parking brake is set and you switch on the ignition .
& WARNING
Always release the parking brake completely. A partially engaged
brake will overheat the rear brakes, reduce their effectiveness and
cause excessive wear. This could lead to brake failure and an acci­
dent.
0 Note
Only after the vehicle has come to complete stop, should you firmly
set the parking brake and either move the gearshift lever into 1st.
gear (manual transmission) or move the selector lever into P (Auto ­
matic transmission). •
Parking
To prevent a parked vehicle from rolling away, there are a
few things you should do.
When you park your vehicle, do the following:
- Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
- Set the parking brake firmly.
- Move the selector lever into the
P position =:> &.
~ehicle care Technical data

On the road ------------------------------.J
Keep the sensors in the rear bumper clean and free from ice so that
the acoustic park assist system can function properly.
& WARNING
• Sensors have dead spaces in which objects cannot be
detected . Be especially alert for small children and animals, since
they are not always detected by the sensors.
• The acoustic park assist system is not a substitute for the
driver's own caution and alertness. Ultimate responsibility always
remains with the driver during parking and similar maneuvers .
Always watch where you are driving.
0 Note
• Remember that low obstacles for which a warning has already
been issued may "dive" below the system's sensing zone if the
vehicle is being backed up closer. In this case, the warning sound
shutting off does
not indicate that you have cleared the obstacle .
Instead, impact is imminent.
• Objects such as trailer hitches, barrier chains, narrow posts or
fences covered by a thin layer of paint may not always be detected
by the system . They can still damage your vehicle without a
warning.
[ i] Tips
Keep the sensors in the rear bumper clean and free of snow and ice
so that the acoustic parking assist system can function properly. •
Controls and equip ­
ment
Cruise control
General information
The cruise control system allows you to maintain a
constant speed.
The cruise control system allows you to maintain a constant driving
speed when driving faster than 18 mph (30 km/h) -to the extent this
is possible with the given engine power and braking characteristics .
This allows you to take your foot off the "gas" and rest it, especially
on long trips.
The indicator light (U.S. models :
CRUISE , Canadian models:•(') ) in the
instrument cluster illuminates when the system is on.
& WARNING
• To help keep the vehicle under control, do not use the cruise
control system when driving on winding or slippery roads (as
caused by heavy rain or loose gravel on the road surface), or in
heavy or varying traffic.
• Only use the cruise control when traffic, road and weather
conditions allow you to drive at a steady speed.
[ i] Tips
The cruise control cannot maintain a constant speed when driving
downhill. The vehicle will accelerate under its own weight. Down­
shift to a lower gear or use the brakes to slow down .•

_______________________________________________________ T_ ra_ n_s_ m __ is_s_ io_ n ____ !II
The se lector lever must be in Nor P. If one of the driving positions
is engaged a safety switch w ill preven t the eng ine from being
started. See also=> page 120 .
Before you move the selector lever from the P position, you must
a lways apply the brake peda l before and wh ile de press ing the
button in the hand le of the selector lever.
& WARNING
• Unintended vehicle movement can cause serious injury .
- When the selector lever is in a driving position , the vehicle
may creep , even at idle speed . Therefore do not release the
parking brake or foot brake until you are ready to move,
because power is transmitted to the wheels as soon as a
driving position is engaged.
- Do not accelerate while selecting a driving position . At this
time the engine must be at idle speed so that undue stress is
not placed on the clutches in the transmission .
- Remember: -even when stopped briefly with the automatic
transmission in "D ", "S " or "R ", engine power is being trans­
mitted to the wheels. Your vehicle could "creep" forward or
ba ckward . When stopped , keep the brake pedal fully depressed
and use the parking brake if necessary to keep the vehicle from
rolling .
• If the selector lever is unintentionally moved into N while you
are driving , take your foot off the accelerator pedal and wait for
the engine to return to idle speed before selecting a driving posi ­
tion .
• Never shift into "R " or "P " when the vehicle is in motion .
• Never get out of the driver 's seat when the engine is running .
• If you must get out of the vehicle , move the selector lever
securely into the P pos ition and apply the parking brake firmly .
• If the engine must remain running , never have any dr iving posi ­
tion engaged when checking under the hood . Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and is locked in "P " with the
Controls and equip ­
ment
& W ARNING (continued )
park ing brake firmly set=> page 242, "Engine compartment ".
Otherwi se , any increase in engine speed may set the vehi cle in
motion , even w ith the parking brake appl ied . •
App lies to veh icles: wi th 6-speed automatic transm ission
Selector lever positions
T his sec tion d escri be s th e sel ector le ver po sitio ns an d
d ri vin g rang es.
Fig. 140 D ispl ay in the
in strument c luster:
se lector lever in posi­
tion D
The se lecto r lev er p ositi on engage d ap pears next to t he se lec to r
leve r as well as in the instrument cluster display .
P -Park
In this selecto r lever position the transmission is mechanica lly
l oc ked. Engage P only whe n th e ve hicle is completely stopped=>
&
in "Dr iving the automatic transmission" on page 126.
To shift in or out o f po sition P, yo u m ust firs t pr ess an d hol d th e
brake pedal and then press the re lease button in the se lector lever
handle w hile mov ing the se lector leve r to or from P. Yo u can shif t
out o f this pos it io n onl y wit h th e i gn it ion on. _..,

Transmission -
----------------
Applies to vehi cles : wit h m ultit r o ni c® Con tin uous ly Variab le Tra nsmi ssion (CVTl
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
The Automatic Shift Lock safeguards you against acciden­
tally shifting into a forward or the reverse gear and
causing the vehicle to move unintentionally.
Fig. 147 Shift gate:
selector lever lock
positions and interlock
button highlighted
The selector lever lock is released as follows:
-Turn the ignition on.
- Step on the brake pedal.
At the same time press and hold
the interlock button on the side of the gear selector knob
=> page 128, fig. 141 with your thumb until you have
moved the selector lever to the desired position.
Automatic selector lever lock CS,
The selector lever is lock ed in the P and N positions when the igni­
tion is turned on. To move the lever from these positions the driver
must depress the brake pedal. As a reminder to the driver, the
following warning appears in the instrument cluster display when
the selec tor is in
P and N :
When stationary apply footbrake while selecting gear
In addition, the symbol~ will light up on the shift gate at the base
of the selector l ever.
Controls and equip ­
ment
A time delay element prevents the selector lever from locking when
it is moved through the
N position (going from R to D). The locking
element will lock the selector lever if the lever is left in N (Neutral)
for more than approximately 1 second, without the brake pedal
being p ressed .
At speeds above about 3 mph (5 km/h) the Automatic Shift Lock is
automatically deactivated in the
N position.
Interlock button
The lock button on the selecto r lever prevents the lever from being
acc identally sh ifted into certain positions. Pressing this button
deactivates the selector lever lock. Depending on the direction of
the shift, the sel ector lever locks at different positions . Th e positions
are highlighted in the illustration=> fig. 147.
Ignition key safety interlock
The key cannot be removed from the ignition unless the selector
lever is in the
P park posit ion . Wh en the ignition key is removed , th e
selector lever will be locked in the P position. •
Applies to vehicl es : wit h mu lt itro nic® Co nti nuous ly V ariab le Tra nsmi ssion ( CVTl
Kick-down
The kick-down feature allows the vehicle to generate
maximum acceleration.
Wh en you press the accel erator pedal beyond the res istance point
that is reached at full throttle , the transmission will select a lower
gear ra tio based on veh icle speed and engin e RPM . The eng ine RPM
will be controlled to produce maximum vehicle acceleration as long as you cont inu e to press the accelerator pedal beyond this resis ­
tance point.
& WARNING
Be careful when using the kick-down feature on slippery roads.
Rapid acceleration may cause the vehicle to skid . •

_______________________________________________ S_a _f _e _t -=-y _ b_ e_lt _s ______ lffllll
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are necessary, how
they work and how to adjust and wear them correctly.
- Read all the information that follows and heed all of the
instructions and WARNINGS.
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Safety belts are the single most effective means available to
reduce the risk of serious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of your passengers, always
correctly wear safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
• Pregnant women, injured, or physically impaired persons must
also use safety belts . Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts. The
best way to protect a fetus is to protect the mother -throughout
the entire pregnancy. •
Number of seats
Your vehicle has a total of four seating positions : two in the front
and two in the rear. Each seating posi tion has a safety belt .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Never strap more than one person, including small children,
into any belt. It is especially dangerous to place a safety belt over
a child sitting on your lap.
• Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are safety
belts available.
• Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is properly restrained
with a separate safety belt or child restraint. •
Safety belt warning light ~
Your vehicle has a warning system to remind you about
the importance of buckling-up.
Before driving off, always:
Fig. 161 Safety belt
warning light in the
instrument cluster ·
enlarged
- Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are wearing it
properly. .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ S_a_ f_ e_ t-= y_ b_e_ l_ t _s _______________________________________________ _
- Make sure that your passengers also buckle up and prop­
er ly wea r th eir sa fe ty be lts.
Protect your children with a child restraint system appro ­
pria te for t he size and age o f the children.
The warning light~ in the instrument cluster lights up when the
ignition is switched on as a reminder to fasten the safety belts. In
addition, you will hear a warning sound.
After the ignition is switched on, the warning tone will come on for about 6 seconds a long w ith a-~ warning light in the instru ment
cluster if the driver has not fastened his safety belt . As soon as the
driver has fastened his safety belt, the warning tone will stop and
the warning light will go out .
I f the driver has not buckled -up within about 24 seconds after the
warn ing tone has stopped, the warn ing tone will sound again for
about 6 seconds. The warning tone will sound repeated ly for about
6 seconds at 24 second intervals unti l the driver has buckled-up . The
safety belt warning system is active for about 5 minutes and during
this time the wa rning light in the instrument c luster will stay on.
Fa sten you r safety belt no w and make sure that your pa ssengers
also properl y put on the ir saf ety belts. •
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create ve ry strong forces for pe ople ri ding
in vehicles.
Fig . 16 2 Unbel ted
occ upants in a ve hicle
h ead in g fo r a wall
F ig . 16 3 T he vehi cle
c ras he s in to t he wa ll
The physica l principles are simple. Both the vehicle and the passen­
gers possess energy which varies with vehicle speed and body
we ight . Engineers call this energy "kinetic energy ."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater the vehicle's
we ight, the mo re energy that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor. If the speed doub les
from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
~

___ A_ ir_b _ a_ g~ s_ y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
- Be sure to read the important information and head the
WARNINGS for important details about children and
Advanced Airbags~
page 190.
Even though your vehic le is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that a ll children, especia lly those 12 years and
younger, a lways ride in the back seat properly restrained for their
age and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat
a potentia lly dangerous place for a child to ride. The front seat is not
the safest p lace for a chi ld in a forward -facing child safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a child in a rearward ­
facing seat.
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has been certified to
comply with the Requirements of United States Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 as applicab le at the time your vehicle
was manufactured.
Th e Standard requires the front airbag on the passenger side to be
turned off ("suppressed") if a chi ld up to about one year of age
restrained in one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant
restraints listed in Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with
which the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certified has been instal led on the front passenger seat. For a listing of the child
restraints that were used to certify compliance with the US Safety
Standard =>
page 192.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the instrument panel tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
t urned off by the electronic control unit.
Each time you turn on the ignition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will come on for a few seconds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied, •
will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front
passenger seat,
• will go off if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight-sensing mat=>
page 179, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when the control unit
detects a tota l weight on the front passenger seat that requires the
front airbag to be turned off.
If the total weight on the front passenger seat is more than that of
a typical 1 year -old child but less than the weight of a small adult,
the fron t airbag on the passenger side can deploy (the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on). If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger s ide
has not been turned off by the electronic contro l unit and can
deploy if the control unit senses an impact that meets the condi ­
tions stored in its memory.
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
• a small ch ild that is heavier than a typical 1 year-o ld child is on
the front passenger seat (regardless of whether the child is in one
of the child safety seats listed =>
page 192), or
• a child who has outgrown chi ld restraints is on the front
passenger seat .
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on in the instrument cluster and stays on.
The front airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not illuminate and stay lit) even
if a small adult or teenager, or a passenger who is not sitting upright
with their back against a non -reclined backrest with their feet on the
vehicle floor in front of the seat is on the front passenger seat
=>
page 148, "Proper seating position for the driver".
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal Standard requires
the airbag to meet the "low risk" deployment criteria to reduce the
risk of injury through interaction with the airbag. "Low risk" deploy­
ment occurs in those crashes that take p lace at lower decelerations .,.

Airbag system -----------------=~-
& WARNING (continued)
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
immediately install the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
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 .
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up against or very
near the instrument 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. •
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very important
parts of the Advanced Airbag System in it. These parts include the
weight-sensing mat, sensors, wiring, brackets, and more. The func­
tion of the system in the front passenger seat is checked by the elec­
tronic control unit when the ignition is on. The control unit monitors
the Advanced Airbag System and turns the airbag indicator light on
when a malfunction in the system components is detected. The
function of the airbag indicator light is described in greater detail
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
below.
Because the front passenger seat contains important parts
of the Advanced Airbag System, you must take care to prevent it
from being damaged. Damage to the seat may prevent the
Advanced Airbag for the front passenger seat from doing its job in
a crash.
The front Advanced Airbag System consists of the
following:
• Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that measure vehicle
acceleration/deceleration to provide information to the Advanced
Airbag System about the severity of the crash.
• An electronic control unit, with integrated crash sensors for front
and side impacts. The control unit "decides" whether to fire the
front airbags based on the information received from the crash sensors. The control unit also "decides" whether the safety belt
pretensioners should be activated.
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator for the driver inside the
steering wheel hub.
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator inside the instrument
panel for the front passenger .
• A weight-sensing mat under the upholstery padding of the front
passenger seat cushion that measures the total weight on the seat.
The information registered is sent continuously to the electronic
control unit to regulate deployment of the front Advanced Airbag on
the passenger side.
• An airbag monitoring system and indicator light in the instru ­
ment cluster ~
page 179.
• The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on in the
center of the instrument panel~
page 180, fig. 174 and tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned off .
• A sensor below the safety belt latch for the front seat passenger
to measure the tension on the safety belt. The tension on the safety
belt and the weight registered by the weight -sensing mat help the
control unit "decide" whether the front airbag for the front _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data