technical data AUDI A4 CABRIOLET 2009 Owner's Manual

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- Make sure that all lights and signals are operating
correctly.
- Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
- Make sure that all windows are clean and afford good
visibility to the outside.
- Secure all luggage and other items carefully~
page 107.
-Make sure that nothing can interfere with the pedals.
- Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors correctly for
your height.
- Instruct passengers to adjust the head restraints
according to their height.
- Make sure to use the right child restraint correctly to
protect children~
page 190, "Child Safety".
- Sit properly in your seat and make sure that your passen­
gers do the same
~ page 92, "General recommenda­
t ions" .
- Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Also instruct
your passengers to fasten their safety belts properly
~ page 159. •
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of the
vehicle, the driver as well as the driver's ability to concen­
trate on the road without being distracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the vehicle and all
of its occupants. If your ability to drive is impaired, safety
risks for everybody in the vehicle increase and you also
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
become a
hazard to everyone else on the road ~& .There ­
fore:
- Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers or by
using a cellular telephone.
- NEVER drive when your driving ability is impaired (by
medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.I.
- Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and speed limits
and plain common sense.
- ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and weather
conditions.
- Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive for more
than two hours at a stretch.
- Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pressure or when
you are stressed.
& WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING (continued)
• Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that
there are at least 4 inches 110 cm) between the knees and the
lower part of the instrument panel.
• Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering
wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions
to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag inflates .
• Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position or with
your hands at other positions inside the steering wheel rim or on
the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the
driver's airbag inflates
• Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the
ability of the supplemental driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­
sion .
• Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or
place any part of your body too close to the area where the airbags
are located.
• Before driving, always adjust the front seats and head
restraints properly and make sure that all passengers are properly
restrained.
• Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat
may move unexpectedly and you could lose control of the vehicle.
• Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The
farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of injury
due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper
seating position.
• Children must always ride in child seats
=> page 190. Special
precautions apply when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
=> page 168. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the
seat for the front passenger to the following pos ition:
- Move the front passenger seat back as far as possible.
There must be a minimum of 10 inches (25 cm) between
the breastbone and the instrument panel =>
&.
- Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in an upright
position and your back comes in full contact with it
whenever the vehicle is moving.
- Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge is as
even with the top of your head as possible but not lower
than eye level and so that it is as close to the back of your
head as possible =>
page 151.
-Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the front
passenger seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly=>
page 163.
For detailed information on how to adjust the front passenger's
seat, see => page 92.
LJ}. WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out of position or too
close to the airbag can be seriously injured or killed by the airbag
as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury :
jll,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Driving Safely ---------------=------=~
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an important part
of your vehicle's occupant restraint system and can help
to reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations.
Fig . 156 Correctly
adjusted head restraint
viewed from the side
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to achieve
the best protection.
- Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge of the
restraint is level with the top of your head, but no lower
than eye level and so it is as close to the back of your
head as possible
=> fig . 156.
Adjusting head restraints=> page 95 and=> page 98.
The head restraints on the rear seats are fixed and cannot be
adjusted =>
page 101.
& WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with improperly adjusted head
restraints increases the risk of serious injuries in a collision . To
help reduce the risk of injury:
• Always drive with the head restraints in place and properly
adjusted .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(continued)
• Every person in the vehicle must have a properly adjusted head
restraint.
• Always make sure each person in the vehicle properly adjusts
their head restraint. Each head restraint must be adjusted
according to occupants' size so that the upper edge is as even
with the top of the person's head, but no lower than eye level and
so it is as close to the back of to the head as possible .
• Never attempt to adjust head restraint while driving. If you
have driven off and must adjust the driver headrest for any reason,
first stop the vehicle safely before attempting to adjust the head
restraint .
• Children must always be properly restrained in a child restraint
that is appropriate for their age and size=>
page 190.
[ i] Tips
In the event of a rear collision, the shape of the seat specifically
supports the upper part of the body and the head is supported at an
early stage. This increases the protective action and decreases the
risk of whiplash. •
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce the risk of
injury if vehicle occupants ore properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious injury or
death. Safety belts can only work when they are properly
positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduce
the effectiveness of safety belts and will even increase the risk of injury and death by moving the safety belt to critical
areas of the body. Improper seating positions also increase
the risk of serious injury and death when an airbag deploys ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free and can be
secured with floor mat fasteners.
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal travel is required to
bring the vehicle to a full stop.
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss of vehicle control
and increase the risk of serious injury.
• Never place any objects in the driver's footwell. An object could
get into the pedal area and interfere with pedal function . In case
of sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake
or accelerate!
• Always make sure that nothing can fall or move into the
driver's footwell. •
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely attached to
the floor mat fasteners and do not interfere with the free
movement of the pedals.
-Make sure that the floor mats are properly secured and
cannot move and interfere with the pedals~&.
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area unobstructed and that
are firmly secured so that they cannot slip out of position. You can
obtain suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi Dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached to these fasteners.
Properly securing the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into
positions that could interfere with the pedals or impair safe opera ­
tion of your vehicle in other ways .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a loss of vehicle
control and increase the risk of serious personal injury.
•
Always make sure that floor mats are properly secured .
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings in the
vehicle that cannot be properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the pedals or the ability to control the vehicle.
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings on top
of already installed floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal area and interfere with
the pedals.
• Always properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have been
taken out for cleaning .
• Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver foot­
well while the vehicle is moving. Objects can become trapped
under the brake pedal and accelerator pedal causing a loss of
vehicle control . •
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly stowed
and secured in the luggage compartment.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can shift
suddenly, changing vehicle handling characteristics. Loose
items can also increase the risk of serious personal injury in
a sudden vehicle maneuver or in a collision.
- Distribute the load evenly in the luggage compartment . ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

• The tire pressure must correspond to the load -see the tire pres ­
s ur e s tick er on d river 's s ide B-p ill ar o r insid e t he f uel fill er fla p.•
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform
the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis­
tration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA re ceives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a
safety defects exists in a group of vehicles , it
may order a recall and remedy campaign.
However , NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you , your dealer,
or Audi of America , Inc.
To contact NHTSA , you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll -free at:
Tel.: 1 -888 -327 -4236 (TTY: 1 -800 -424 -9153)
or write to:
Admini strator
NHTSA
1200 New Jersey Avenue , SE
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Driving Safely 1111
Washington
, D.C. 20590
You can also obtain other information about motor vehicle safety from:
http: //www.safercar.gov
Applicable to Canada
Canadian customers who wish to report a
safety -related defect to Tran sport Canada ,
Defect Investigations and Recall s, may tele­
phone the toll free hotline:
Tel.: 1 -800 -333 -0371
or conta ct Transport Canada by mail at:
Road Safet y and Moto r Veh icle Regulation
Directorate
Transport Canada
Tower C, Place de Ville, 330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, ON K1 A 0N5
For additional road safety information , please
vi sit the Road Safety web site at:
http:/ /www.tc.gc.ca /roadsafety /menu.htm •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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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

Because the passengers of this vehicle are not using safety belts
~ page 160, fig. 162, they will keep moving at the same speed the
vehicle was moving just before the crash, until something stops
them -here, the wall
~ page 160, fig. 163.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision. Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph
(30 to 50 km/h), the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs, or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater speeds, these forces are
even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also not attached to their
vehicle. In a frontal collision they will also keep moving forward at
the speed their vehicle was travelling just before the crash. Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to frontal collisions, they
determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions. •
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop themselves
from flying forward and being injured or killed. Always
wear your safety belts!
Safety first
Fig . 164 A driver not
wearing a safety belt is
violently thrown
forward
Safety belts
Fig. 165 A rear
passenger not wearing
a safety belt will fly
forward and strike the
driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tremendous forces of
impact by holding tight or bracing themselves. Without the benefit
of safety restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant will slam
violently into the steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or
whatever else is in the way~ fig. 164 . This impact with the vehicle
interior has all the energy they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even when they deploy,
airbags provide only additional protection. Airbags are not
supposed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, including the driver,
must wear safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of
severe injury or death in a crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and that your
safety belts are always there to offer protection in those accidents
in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have
already deployed. Unbelted occupants can also be thrown out of the
vehicle where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear safety belts
correctly . Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only
themselves but also the driver and other passengers~ fig. 165. In a
frontal collision they will be thrown forward violently, where they can hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger. •
~ehicle care Technical data

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Service and disposal of safety belt
pretension er
The safety belt pretensioners are parts of the safety belts on your
Aud i. Installing, re mov ing, servicing or repairing of belt preten ­
sioners can damage the safety belt system and prevent it from
wo rk ing correct ly in a coll ision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure
t ha t th e effectiveness of the system w ill not be impai red and that
discarded components do not cause injury or pollute the environ ­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , servicing and repair procedure s can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing a safety belt
preten sioner from activating when needed or activating it unex ­
pe ctedly :
• The belt preten sioner system can be activated only once. If belt
preten sioner s have been act ivated , the sy stem mu st be repla ced.
• Never repair , adju st, or change any part s of the safety belt
system .
• Safety belt sy stem s including safety belt pretensioners cannot
be repaired . Spe cial pro cedure s are required for removal, installa­
tion and di spo sal of thi s s ystem .
• For any work on the safety belt s ystem , we strongl y re com ­
mend that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qual ified techni ­
ci an who ha s an Aud i approved repair m anu al, tr aining and spe cial
equipment nece ssary .
W For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretensioners might be classified
as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc .ca .gov/hazardouswaste/perchl ora te. When the vehicle or
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation parts of the restraint system including airbag modules safety be
lts
wi th pre te nsi oners are scrapped, a ll applicable laws and reg ula ­
tions must be observed . Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar with
these req uirements and we recommend tha t you have you r dealer
perform this service for you. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage is not necessarily an
indication of whether an airbag should inflate or not .
It is not possible to define a range of vehicle speeds that will cover
every possible kind and angle of impact that will always trigger the
airbags, since the circumstances will vary considerably between
one collision and another. Important factors include, for example,
the nature (hard or soft) of the object which the car hits, the angle of impac t, vehicle sp eed , etc . The front airbags will also not inflate
in side or rear collisions, or in roll-overs.
Always remember : Airbags will deploy only once, and only in certain
kinds of collisions. Your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those situations in which airbags are not supposed to deploy,
or when they have already deployed; for example, when your vehicle
strikes or is struck by another after the first collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is a suppl em entary
restraint and is not a substitute for a safety belt. The airbag system
works most effectively when used with the safety belts. Therefore ,
always properly wear your safety belts=>
page 159.
& WARNING
Sitting too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel will
decrease the effectiveness of the airbags and will increase the risk
of personal injury in a collision.
• Never sit closer than 10 inches (25 cm) to the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
• If you cannot sit more than 10 inches (25 cm) from the steering
wheel, investigate whether adaptive equipment may be available
to held you reach the pedals and increase your seating distance
from the steering wheel.
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sideways or out
of position in any way, your risk of injury is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
• To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, always
wear safety belts properly~
page 163, "Safety belts".
• Always make certain that children age 12 or younger always
ride in the rear seat. If children are not properly restrained, they
may be severely injured or killed when an airbag inflates.
• Never let children ride unrestrained or improperly restrained in
the vehicle. Adjust the front seats properly.
• Never ride with the backrest reclined.
• Always sit as far as possible from the steering wheel or the
instrument panel~
page 148, "Proper occupant seating posi­
tions".
• Always sit upright with your back against the backrest of your
seat.
• Never place your feet on the instrument panel or on the seat .
Always keep both feet on the floor in front of the seat to help
prevent serious injuries to the legs and hips if the airbag inflates.
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects.
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden maneuver. Objects near the
airbags can become projectiles and cause injury when an airbag
inflates.
& WARNING
Airbags that have deployed in a crash must be replaced.
• Use only original equipment airbags approved by Audi and
installed by a trained technician who has the necessary tools and
diagnostic equipment to properly replace any airbag in your
vehicle and assure system effectiveness in a crash.
• Never permit salvaged or recycled airbags to be installed in
your vehicle. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Airbag system -----------------=~-
as defined in the electronic contro l unit:::::, page 18 0, "P ASSENG ER
A IR BAG OFF lig ht".
A lways remember, a ch ild safety s eat or infant carrier insta lled on
the front seat may be struck a nd knocked out of position by the
rap id ly infl atin g p ass eng er's ai rba g in a front al co llision . The air bag
co uld greatly reduce the effectiveness of the chi ld re st raint and
e v en s erio usl y inju re the chi ld during inflati on.
F or this reason, and because the bac k seat is t he safest plac e for
c hi ldr en -w he n prop erly res train ed acc ordi ng to th eir age a nd size
- w e stro ng ly recomme nd that c hildren a lways s it in t he bac k seat
::::;, page 190, "Chil d Safe ty" .
& WARNING
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 ai rbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the ba ckrest , center arm rest , 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 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 .
• Forward-facing child safety seats installed on the front
passenger's seat may interfere with the deployment of the airbag
and cause serious personal injury to the child .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances , you must install a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat:
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
• 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.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will be displayed whenever a child restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not stay on , perform
the checks described :::::,
page 179, "Monitoring the Advanced
Airbag System" .
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer immedi ­
ately .
• Always carefully follow instructions from child restraint manu ­
facturers when installing child restraints .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward or
rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat :
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data