steering AUDI A5 2008 8T / 1.G Owner's Manual

Safe driving 162Safe drivingGeneral notesSafety is the first priority
Your safety is our first priority.This chapter contains important information, tips, sugges-
tions and warnings that you should read and observe for
your own safety and the safety of your passengers.
WARNING
•
The information in this chapter is important for the driver of
the vehicle and all passengers. The other chapters in this manual
(and, where applicable, in the other literature supplied with the
vehicle) contain further important notes which you should read
and observe for your own safety and that of your passengers.
•
Ensure that the complete vehicle wallet is always in the vehicle.
This is especially important when you lend or sell the vehicle to
others.
Safety features
The safety features listed here are part of the vehicle's
occupant restraint system. They work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of accident situ-
ations.Your safety and the safety of your passengers should not be left to
chance. In the event of an accident, the safety features incorporated
in your vehicle are capable of reducing the risk of injury. These are
just a few of the safety features in your Audi:•
Optimised three-point seat belts for all seats,
•
Belt force limiters for the front seats,
•
Belt pre-tensioners for the front seats,
•
Head restraints for all seats,
•
Optimised protection against injuries of the cervical vertebrae,
•
Front airbags,
•
Side airbags in the backrests of the front seats,
•
Head-protection airbags (sideguard system),
•
“ISOFIX” mountings* for “ISOFIX” child safety seats on the rear
seats,
•
Height-adjustable head restraints on the seats,
•
Adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features are harmonised to provide you and
your passengers with the best possible protection in accident situ-
ations. However, they can only be effective if you and your passen-
gers sit in the correct position and adjust and use the safety equip-
ment properly.
For these reasons, this chapter explains why these safety features
are so important, how they can protect you, what you need to
remember when using them, and how you and your passengers can
gain the most benefit from them. There are also a number of impor-
tant safety warnings which you and your passengers should always
observe in order to minimise the risk of injury.
Safety is everyone's responsibility!
Before every trip
The driver is responsible for the safety of the passengers
and the safe operation of the vehicle at all times.For your own safety and the safety of your passengers,
always note the following points before every trip:
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Safe driving 164Correct sitting positionsCorrect sitting position for driver
The correct driving position is important for safe and
fatigue-free driving.For your own safety, and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend the following driving
position.
– Adjust the steering wheel so there is a distance of at least
25 cm between the steering wheel and your breastbone
⇒fig. 173.– Move the driver's seat forwards or backwards so that you
can press the accelerator, brake and clutch pedals all the
way to the floor with your knees slightly bent ⇒.
– Make sure that you can comfortably reach the top of the
steering wheel.
– Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the head
restraint is level with the top of your head ⇒fig. 174.
– Adjust the backrest to an upright position so that your
back remains in contact with the upholstery.
– Fasten your seat belt correctly ⇒page 170.
– Keep both feet in the footwell so that you are in full
control of the vehicle at all times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the driver's seat, see
⇒page 70, “Seats and storage”.
WARNING
•
A driver who is not sitting in the correct position or who is not
wearing a seat belt can be fatally injured if the airbag is triggered.
•
Adjust the driver's seat so there is a distance of at least 25 cm
between your breastbone and the centre of the steering wheel
⇒fig. 173.
•
While driving, always hold the steering wheel with both hands
on the outside of the rim at about the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi-
tion. This reduces the risk of injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
•
Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position, or
with your hands inside the rim or on the steering wheel hub. This
could result in serious injuries to the arms, hands and head if the
driver's airbag inflates.
•
To reduce any risk of injury to the driver during a sudden brake
application or in an accident, never drive with the backrest tilted
Fig. 173 Minimum
distance between
driver and steering
wheelFig. 174 Correct head
restraint position for
the driver
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Seat belts 172The physical principles involved in a frontal collision are relatively
simple:
Both the moving vehicle and the passengers possess energy, which
is known as “kinetic energy” ⇒page 171, fig. 178. The amount of
“kinetic energy” depends on the speed of the vehicle and the weight
of the vehicle and passengers. The higher the speed and the greater
the weight, the more energy there is to be absorbed in an accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the speed of the vehicle. If
the speed doubles from 25 km/h to 50 km/h, for example, the kinetic
energy increases by a factor of four. Because these passengers are
not restrained by seat belts, the entire amount of kinetic energy has
to be absorbed at the point of impact ⇒fig. 179. This would result
in serious or potentially fatal injury.
Even at urban speeds of 30 km/h to 50 km/h, the forces acting on the
occupants in a collision can reach the equivalent of 1 ton (1000 kg)
or more. At greater speed these forces are even higher. A rule of
thumb: if the speed doubles, the forces increase by a factor of four.
Passengers who do not wear seat belts are not “attached” to the
vehicle. In a frontal collision they will continue to move forward at
the speed their car was travelling just before the impact.
What happens to passengers not wearing seat belts?
Passengers not wearing seat belts risk fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.In a frontal collision, unbelted passengers will be thrown forwards
and make violent contact with the steering wheel, dashboard, wind-
screen, etc ⇒fig. 180. Passengers not wearing their belts risk being
thrown out of the car, resulting in potentially fatal injuries.
The common belief that occupants can brace their weight with their
hands in a minor collision is false. Even at low speeds the forces
acting on the body in a collision are so great that it is not possible
to hold yourself in the seat.
Fig. 179 The vehicle
crashes against the
wall
Fig. 180 A driver not
wearing a seat belt can
be thrown forwardsFig. 181 A rear
passenger not wearing
a seat belt can be
thrown forwards
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Airbag system 178Front airbagsDescription of front airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts.The front airbag for the driver is located in the padded hub of the
steering wheel ⇒page 178, fig. 187. The front airbag for the front
passenger is in the dashboard above the glove box ⇒fig. 188. The
locations of the airbags are marked with the word “AIRBAG”.
In conjunction with the three-point seat belts, the front airbags give
additional head and chest protection for the driver and front
passenger in the event of a severe frontal collision ⇒ in “Impor-
tant safety notes on the front airbag system” on page 179.
How the front airbags work
When fully inflated, the airbags reduce the risk of head or
chest injury.The airbag system is designed so that the airbags for the driver and
front passenger are triggered in a severe frontal collision.
In certain types of accident the front airbags, side airbags and one
of the head-protection airbags may be triggered together.
When the system is triggered, the airbags fill with a propellant gas
and open out in front of the driver and front passenger ⇒fig. 189.
In order to provide the desired extra protection in an accident, the
airbags have to inflate extremely rapidly (within fractions of a
second). The fully deployed airbags cushion the forwards move-
ment of the front occupants and help to reduce the risk of injury to
the head and the upper part of the body.
Special openings in the airbag allow the gas to escape at a
controlled rate to restrain the forward movement of the occupant's
head and torso. Once the impact has been absorbed, the airbag
deflates sufficiently for the front occupants to see forward.
Fig. 187 Driver's
airbag in steering
wheelFig. 188 Front
passenger's airbag in
dashboard
Fig. 189 Front airbags
in inflated condition
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Airbag system179
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
Important safety notes on the front airbag system
There are a number of safety points concerning the airbag
system which you should remember. This will help to
reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
WARNING
•
It is important for the driver and front passenger to maintain a
distance of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dashboard
⇒page 179, fig. 190. The airbag system will not be able to give the
required protection if you sit too close to the steering wheel or
dashboard. There is also a risk of injury if the airbags are inflated.
The front seats and head restraints must always be positioned
correctly for the height of the occupant.
•
If you do not wear a seat belt, if you lean forward or to the side,
or are not seated correctly while the vehicle is in motion, you are
at greater risk of injury. Should the airbag system be triggered in
an accident there is an even greater risk of injury.
•
Never let a child travel on the front seat without an appropriate
restraint system. If the airbag is triggered in an accident, the child
could sustain serious or fatal injuries ⇒page 185, “Child safety”.
•
Never install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat unless the front passenger's airbag has been deactivated. However, if you have no alternative but to use a rear-
ward-facing child seat on the front passenger's seat, the front
passenger's airbag must be deactivated beforehand by means of
the key-operated switch* ⇒page 183. Failure to observe this
precaution could result in serious or potentially fatal injury.
•
Occupants sitting in the front of the car must never carry any
objects or pets in the space between them and the airbags, or
allow children or other passengers to travel in this position.
•
Do not cover or stick anything on the steering wheel hub or the
soft plastic surface of the airbag unit on the passenger's side of
the dashboard, and do not obstruct or modify them in any way.
These parts should only be cleaned with a dry cloth (or with a
cloth moistened with plain water). It is also important not to
attach any objects such as cup holders or telephone mountings to
the surfaces covering the airbag units.
•
Any work on the airbag system or removal and installation of
the airbag components for other repairs (such as repairs to the
steering wheel) must be performed by a qualified workshop.Note
If necessary, you can deactivate the front passenger's airbag by
means of the key-operated switch* ⇒page 183.
Fig. 190 Minimum
distance from steering
wheel
WARNING (continued)
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Intelligent technology 196Intelligent technologyElectronic stabilisation program (ESP)General notes
The electronic stabilisation program increases the car's
stability on the road.The ESP is designed to enhance the control over the vehicle in crit-
ical handling situations, such as when accelerating and cornering.
It reduces the tendency to skid under all road conditions and
improves the stability and roadholding of the vehicle. The system
works at all speeds.The anti-lock brake system (ABS), the electronic differential lock
(EDL) and the traction control system (ASR) are all integrated into
the electronic stabilisation program.
How the system works
The ESP control unit processes data from the three integrated
systems. It also processes additional inputs provided by other high-
precision sensors. These register the vehicle's rotation about the
vertical axis (yaw rate), lateral acceleration, brake pressure and
steering wheel angle.
The system uses the steering wheel angle and road speed to calcu-
late the changes of direction intended by the driver, and constantly
compares them with the actual behaviour of the vehicle. If the
desired course is not being maintained (for instance, if the car is
starting to skid), then the ESP compensates automatically by
braking the appropriate wheel.
The forces acting on the braked wheel effectively bring the car back
to a stable condition. If the car is oversteering (rear wheels losing
grip first) the brake application is concentrated on the outside front
wheel; if the car is understeering (front wheels losing grip first), ESP
brakes the inside rear wheel. This automatic brake application is
accompanied by characteristic noises.
The ESP works in conjunction with the ABS ⇒page 197. If a
malfunction should occur in the ABS, the ESP will also be out of
action.
Switching on
The ESP is switched on automatically when the engine is started
and performs a self-test routine. As soon as this routine is complete,
the system switches back to normal operating mode. You can press
the button ⇒fig. 203 or ⇒fig. 204 to switch on the ESP or traction
control system (ASR) if they have been switched off. The message
ESP/ASR on will appear briefly in the display.
Fig. 203 Without MMI:
Centre console with
ESP switchFig. 204 Centre
console with ESP
switch
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Intelligent technology201
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
Power steering (servotronic)The power steering assists the driver when turning the
steering wheel (with the engine running).The power steering assists the driver by reducing the force needed
to turn the steering wheel. The degree of power assistance is
adapted electronically, depending on the speed.
If a fault should occur in the servotronic system the power steering
will still operate. The degree of power assistance will, however, no
longer adapt to different speeds. If the electronic regulating system
is not working properly, this is most noticeable when turning the
steering wheel at low speeds (for instance when parking) – more
effort will be required than usual. The fault should be corrected by
a qualified workshop as soon as possible.
The power steering does not function when the engine is switched
off. In this case the steering wheel is very hard to turn.
If the steering is held at its turning limit when the car is stationary,
this will place an excessive load on the power steering system. In
this case, the power steering system will make noises. It will also
reduce the idling speed of the engine.
Caution
Do not keep the steering in the full-lock position for longer than
15 seconds when the engine is running – this could cause damage
to the power steering system.
Note
•
If the power steering should fail at any time or the engine is
switched off (for instance when being towed), the car can still be
steered. However, more effort will be required to turn the steering
wheel.
•
If the system is leaking or malfunctioning, please take the car to
a qualified workshop as soon as possible.
•
The power steering requires a special hydraulic fluid. The fluid
reservoir is located at the front of the engine compartment on the
left ⇒page 232. The correct fluid level in the reservoir is important
for the power steering to function properly. The hydraulic fluid level
is checked at the Inspection Service.
Applies to vehicles: with four-wheel driveFour-wheel drive (quattro
®)
On quattro models the engine power is distributed to all
four wheelsGeneral notes
On four-wheel drive vehicles, the engine power is distributed to all
four wheels. The distribution of power is controlled automatically
according to your driving style and the road conditions. Also refer
to ⇒page 199, “Electronic differential lock (EDL)”.
The four-wheel drive is specially designed to complement the supe-
rior engine power of your Audi. This combination gives the car
exceptional handling and performance capabilities – both on
normal roads and in more difficult conditions, such as snow and ice.
Even so (or perhaps especially for this reason), it is important to
observe certain safety points ⇒.
Winter tyres
Thanks to its four-wheel drive, your car will have plenty of traction
in winter conditions, even with the standard tyres. Nevertheless, we
still recommend that winter tyres or all-season tyres should be fitted
on all four wheels when winter road conditions are expected, mainly
because this will give a better braking response.
Snow chains
On roads where snow chains are mandatory, this also applies to cars
with four-wheel drive ⇒page 248, “Snow chains”.
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Towing a trailer209
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data additional mirrors fitted. Both exterior mirrors should be mounted
on hinged extension brackets. Adjust the mirrors to give sufficient
vision to the rear.
Headlights
Before starting a journey, check the headlight beam settings with
the trailer hitched up. If necessary, alter the height of the headlight
beams by means of the headlight range control ⇒page 56.
Power supply
When you remove the ignition key the power supply to the trailer is
interrupted.
Removable ball joint coupling
Vehicles with a factory-fitted towing bracket are equipped with a
removable ball joint coupling. It is carried under the floor panel on
the left-hand side of the luggage compartment.
Note
We recommend having the car serviced between the normal inspec-
tion intervals if it used frequently for towing a trailer.Applies to vehicles: with towing bracketTrailer stabilisation system
Trailer stabilisation helps to reduce the risk of the vehicle
skidding when towing a trailer.When is the trailer stabilisation system activated?
Trailer stabilisation is active when the following requirements are
met:•
The ESP must NOT be switched off ⇒page 196,
•
The trailer connector must be properly secured in the vehicle
socket.
•
Vehicle speed must be higher than approx. 60 km/h.How trailer stabilisation works:
In many cases, the driver can stabilise a swaying trailer by manually
braking the vehicle.
However, if the ESP detects that the trailer is swaying and this is
affecting the towing vehicle, it will automatically brake the vehicle
to stabilise the trailer by slowing it down. The warning lamp
 will
light up in the instrument cluster. If possible, do not turn the
steering wheel at this stage.
In order to warn traffic behind you, the brake lights will come on
during this automatic braking operation.
A trailer weighing less than 70% of the kerb weight of the towing
vehicle may sway quite considerably without the trailer stabilisation
system intervening. This can happen when the swaying movements
of the light-weight trailer are not or hardly passed on to the towing
vehicle and are therefore not detected by the ESP.
If the system for activating the trailer brake lights is defective, this
will be indicated in the instrument cluster display ⇒page 36, “Bulb
monitor ”.
Requirements for correct functioning of the trailer
stabilisation system
If these conditions are not met in full, the trailer stabilisation system
will only intervene to a limited extent or not at all ⇒.
•
The electrical connection between the towing vehicle and the
trailer must be functioning correctly, without any defects.
•
The load on the trailer must be properly secured.
•
The tyre pressures on both the vehicle and the trailer must be
adapted to the load that is being carried.
•
Where possible, operate the trailer with the maximum permitted
draw bar weight.
•
The trailer overrun brake must be set correctly. This is important
to ensure that the trailer can be braked correctly, to avoid the vehicle
and trailer “jack-knifing” and to prevent excess braking of the trailer.
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Checking and topping up fluids 232Closing the bonnet– To close the bonnet, pull it down to overcome the spring
pressure.
– Then let it drop into the catches; do not press down ⇒.
WARNING
•
For safety reasons the bonnet must always be completely
closed when the vehicle is moving. After closing it always check
that it is properly secured. The bonnet must be flush with the adja-
cent body panels.
•
Should you notice that the bonnet is not safely secured when
the vehicle is moving, stop the vehicle immediately and close the
bonnet properly, otherwise it could cause an accident.
Engine compartment layoutEngine compartment layout
Main components for checking and refillingFig. 223 Typical locations of fluid containers, engine oil dipstick and engine oil
filler cap
Jump-start terminal (+) under a cover . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake fluid reservoir (
) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil filler cap (

) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil dipstick (orange) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Radiator expansion tank () . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windscreen washer container (
) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jump-start terminal (-) with hexagon head . . . . . . . . .
Hydraulic fluid reservoir for power steering . . . . . . . .
A1
241, 266
A2
238
A3
234
A4
234
A5
236
A6
242
A7
241, 266
A8
201
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Wheels and tyres 244
– The tyre pressures should only be checked when the
tyres are cold. The slightly raised pressures of warm tyres
must not be reduced.
– The pressures must be altered to suit major changes in
the load being carried.
– Avoid fast cornering and hard acceleration.
– Inspect the tyres for irregular wear from time to time.Tyre pressure and vehicle loading
The tyre pressure must be adjusted according to the load the vehicle
is carrying. We recommend adhering to the tyre pressure specifica-
tions for a maximum load. The tyre inflation pressures are listed on
a sticker on the end face of the driver's door ⇒page 243, fig. 231.
However, if you prefer an extra-smooth ride and the vehicle is not
fully loaded, you can select the tyre pressure for a normal load (no
more than three people travelling in the vehicle). However, should
you wish to drive with a full load you must increase the tyre pressure
to the specified maximum.
Under-inflation or over-inflation will reduce the life of the tyres
considerably and also impair the car's handling. Correct inflation
pressures are very important, especially at high speeds. The pres-
sures should therefore be checked at least once a month and before
starting a journey.
Do not forget the spare wheel* when checking the tyre pressures.
Keep the spare tyre inflated to the highest pressure required for the
road wheels.
Driving habits
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard braking (squealing
tyres) all increase tyre wear.Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various factors
encountered in normal driving can cause them to become unbal-
anced, which results in steering vibration.
Unbalanced wheels should be rebalanced, as they otherwise cause
excessive wear on steering, suspension and tyres. A wheel must
also be rebalanced when a new tyre is fitted or if a tyre is repaired.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment causes excessive tyre wear, impairing the
safety of the vehicle. If you notice excessive tyre wear, contact your
Audi dealer.
WARNING
•
Always adapt the tyre pressure accordingly when the vehicle
load changes.
•
Under-inflated tyres flex more and can overheat at continuous
high speeds. This can cause tread separation and tyre blow-out,
which could result in an accident.For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase the fuel consumption.
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