sensor AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2013 Owner's Guide

158 Airbag system
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 156 Side a irbag locat io n in the dr iver 's seat
The s ide airbags are located in the sides of the
front sea t bac krests
~ fig. 156. They are iden­
tified by the word "AIRBAG" .
The sid e airbag system basicall y consis ts of :
-the electronic control module and external
side impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the sides of
t h e front backrests
- the a irbag warn ing light in the instrument
cluster.
The airbag system is monitored electronica lly
to make certain that it is functioning properly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will
come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The s ide airbag system supplements the safe­
ty belts and can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury to the drive r's and front passenger's up­
pe r torso on the side of the vehicle that is
struck in a side col lision . The airbag deploys
on ly in side impacts and on ly when the veh icle
acceleration registered by the control unit is h igh eno ugh . If this rate is below the refer­
ence va lue programmed into the control un it,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
though the car may be badly damaged as a re­ sult of the collision. It is not possible to de ­
f ine an a irbag tr igger ing range that will
cover
every
possible angle of impact, since the cir­
cumstances w ill
vary considerably between one collision and another.
Important factors
incl ude, for example, the nature (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the angle of impact,
vehicle speed, etc .
Q page 159, Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system .
Aside from their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to help keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a side
collision so that the side airbags can provide
protection .
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overa ll oc­
cupant restraint system in your vehicle. Al­
ways remember that the side airbag system
can only help to protect you if you are wea ring
your safety belt and wea ring it p roperly . This
is anothe r reason why you should always wear
yo ur safe ty be lts, no t ju st because the law re­
quires yo u to do so~
page 132, General
notes .
It is impo rtant to remembe r th at w hile the
s u pplementa l side airbag system is designed
to reduce the likelihood of ser ious inju ries,
othe r injuries, for example, swelling, br uising,
and minor abrasions ca n also be associated
with deployed side airbags. Remember too,
s ide airbags will deploy only once and only in
certain kinds of accidents -your safety belts
are always there to offer protection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or
even the lack
of ve hicle damage are not necessarily an ind i­
cation of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
t io n. In some coll is ions, both front and side
airbags may inflate . Remembe r too, t hat air­
bags will deploy only once and on ly in ce rtain
ki nds of col lisions -yo ur safety belts a re a l­
ways there to offer pro tection in those acc i­
den ts in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have a lready deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when t he ignit ion is tu rned off
- in side co llisions when the acceleration
measured by the sensor is too low
- in front -end collisions
- in rear-end collisions

160 Airbag system
-Never install seat covers or replace­
ment upholstery over the front seat­
backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
deploy.
- Damage to the original seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air­ bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer .
- Objects between you and the airbag can
increase the risk of injury in an accident
by interfering with the way the airbag
unfolds or by being pushed into you as
the airbag inflates.
- Never place or attach accessories or
other objects (such as cupholders, tele­ phone brackets, or even large, bulky
objects) on the doors, over or near the
area marked "AIRBAG" on the seat backrests.
- Such objects and accessories can be­
come dangerous projectiles and cause
injury when the supplemental side air­
bag deploys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the
deployment space between them and
the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position.
- Always prevent the side airbags from be­
ing damaged by heavy objects knocking
against or hitting the sides of the seat­
backs.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once.
If the airbag has been triggered,
the system must be replaced by an au­
thorized Audi dealership.
- Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to
the original seat covers or to the seam in
the area of the side airbag module must always be repaired immediately by an au­
thorized Audi dealer .
- If children are seated improperly, their
risk of injury increases in the case of an
accident ~
page 161, Child Safety.
-Never attempt to modify any compo­
nents of the airbag system in any way .
- In a side collision, side airbags will not
function properly if sensors cannot cor­
rectly measure increasing air pressure in­
side the doors when air escapes through larger, unclosed openings in the door
panel.
- Never drive with interior door trim pan­
els removed.
- Never drive when parts have been re­
moved from the inside door panel and
the openings they leave have not been properly closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly
closed.
- Always make certain that openings are
covered or filled if additional speakers
or other equipment is installed in the
inside door panels.
- Always have work on the doors done by
an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.

162 Child Safety
-If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat in exceptional circumstances and
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately
install the rearward-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer.
.&, WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's in­
structions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position .
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays
on all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were
installed in a vehicle during a crash. Dam­
age to a child restraint that is not visible
could cause it to fail in another collision
situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Ad­
vanced Airbag System" in compliance with
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the
time your vehicle was manufactured . The
Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle
has been certified to meet the "low-risk" re­
quirements for 3- and 6-year old children on
the passenger side and small adults on the driver side. The low risk deployment criteria
are intended to reduce the risk of injury
through interaction with the airbag that can
occur, for example, by being too close to the
steering wheel and instrument panel when
the airbag inflates . In addition, the system
has been certified to comply with the "sup­
pression" requirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up
to 12 months who are restrained on the front
passenger seat in child restraints that are list­
ed in the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, espe­
cially those 12 years and younger, should al­
ways ride in the back seat properly restrained
for their age and size. The airbag on the pas ­
senger side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a child to ride . The front
seat is not the safest place for a child in a for­
ward-facing child safety seat.
It can be a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child
in a rearward-facing seat.
Advanced Airbags and the weight­
sensing mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle detects the presence of an infant or child in a
child restraint on the front passenger seat us­
ing the weight-sensing mat in the seat cush­
ion and the sensor below the safety belt latch
on the front passenger seat that measures the
tension on the safety belt.
The weight-sensing mat measures total
weight of the child and the child safety seat
and a child blanket on the front passenger
seat. The weight on the front passenger seat
is related to the design of the child restraint
and its "footprint", the size and shape of the
bottom of the child restraint as it sits on the
seat. The weight of a child restraint and its "footprint" vary for different kinds of child re -
straints and for the different models of the .,.

same kind of child restrain t offered by child
restraint manufacturers.
T he weight ranges for the ind iv idual types,
makes and models o f ch ild restra ints tha t the
NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typical in­
fants and typical 1 year-o ld child have been
stored in the control unit of the Advanced A ir­
bag System. When a child restraint is being
used on the front passenger seat with a typi­
cal 1 year-old ch ild, the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem compares the we ight measured by the
weight sens ing mat with the info rmat ion s to r­
ed i n the electron ic cont rol unit.
The electron ic control unit a lso registers the
tension on the front passenger safety be lt.
The te nsio n on the safety be lt fo r the front
p assenger seat will be d iffe ren t fo r an ad ult
who is properly using the safety belt as com­
pared to the tension on the be lt when it is
used to attach a child restraint to the seat.
The sensor below the latch for the safety be lt
for the front seat passenger measures the
tension on the be lt. The input from this sen­
sor is then used with the we ight to "decide",
whether there is a ch ild restrai nt with a typ ical
1 year-o ld child on the front passenge r seat
and whether or no t the airbag must be turned
off.
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regard less o f the child res traint that you use,
make sure that it has been ce rtified to meet
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manu-
facturer for use with an airbag. Always be sure
that the child restraint is properly insta lled at
one of the rea r seat ing pos itions .
If in excep-
tional c ircumstances you must use it on the
fr ont passenge r seat, caref ully read all of the
i n formation on c hild safety and Adv ance d Air-
b ags an d heed a ll of the app licable WAR N-
I NGS . Ma ke certai n that the child restraint is
correctly recognized by the weig ht-sensing
mat inside the front passenger seat, that the
fro nt passenger airbag is turned off and that
Child Sa fet y 163
the a irbag s tat us is always cor rect ly signaled
by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
Many types and models of child res traints
have been available over t he years, new mod ­
els are introduced regu larly incorporating new
and improved designs and o lde r models are
ta ken o ut of product ion . Ch ild restraints are
not standard ized. Child restraints of the same
type typically have d ifferent weights and sizes
and different 'footpr ints,' the size and shape
of the bottom of the ch ild restra int that sits
on the seat, when they a re insta lled on a vehi­
cl e sea t. T hese d iffe rences make i t vir tually
i mpossible to certify compl iance wi th t he re­
quiremen ts for advanced airbags with each
and every ch ild restraint that has eve r been
sold in the past or wi ll be sold over the course
of the useful life of your veh icle.
For t his reason, the United S tates Na tional
Hig hway T raffic Safety Administration has
published a list of specific type, makes and
models of child restraints that must be used
to certify comp liance of the Advanced Airbag
System in your veh icle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208. These child res traints are:
Subpart A - Car bed child restraints
Model
Angel Guard A ngel
Ride AA2403FOF
Manufactured on or
after
September 25, 2007
Subpart B -Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Ce ntury SmartF it December 1, 1 999
4 54 3
Cosco Arriva September 25, 2007
22-013PAW and base
22-999W HO
Evenflo Discove ry Ad -December 1, 1999
just Right 212
Evenflo First Choice December
1, 1999
20 4
Graco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999
I
•
•

Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long period of time , the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e.g. immobilizer). In ce rtain c ircumstances it
can result in there being insuff icient ene rgy
avai lab le to start the engine .
Intell igent energy management in your vehi­
cle hand les the d istribution of electrical ener­
gy. Starting ab il ity is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy management consists of
batt ery di agno sis, idlin g current man ag e­
m ent
and dyn ami c en ergy m anage ment .
Batter y diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery . Sensors determ ine
battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This dete rm ines the current
state of charge and the powe r of the battery.
Idling curr ent man agement
Idling current management reduces ene rgy
consumption while the vehicle is stand ing .
W ith the ignition switched off, it cont ro ls the
energy supply to the va rious electr ical compo ­
nents . Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
i nd ividua l consumers are gradual ly t urned off
to prevent excess ive d ischarge of the bat tery
and thus maintain starting capability .
Dynamic en ergy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en­
e rgy management dist ributes the energy gen­
e rated according to the needs of the individu­
a l components.
It reg ulates cons umption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
Int ellig ent technolog y 185
than is being generated and ensures an opti ­
mal state of charge for the battery.
(0 Tips
- But even energy management canno t
negate the limits of physics . Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited .
- If starting ability is threatened, the indi­
cator light (•) appears~
page 17.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
T he bat tery is severe ly taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Ab undant electrical energy is re­
quired, but on ly a little is generated .
It is also
critica l if the engine is not running and electri­
ca l components are turned on . In this in­
stance energy is be ing consumed but none is
being generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you will
notice energy management active ly regulat­
ing the d istribution of energy.
V ehicle stand s for an ex tend ed peri od
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, e lectrica l compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and ma in­
ta ins start ing capability over a longer period .
Some of the convenience functions may not
operate, such as the interior l ights or the
power seat adjustme nt. The convenience
funct ions w ill be available again when you
swi tch on the ignition and sta rt the eng ine .
With the eng in e turn ed off
If you listen to the radio, for example, w ith
the engine tu rned off or use other MMI func­
tions, the battery is be ing d ischarged.
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en ­
ergy consumption, the following warning ap- pears in the MM I display: ..,.
•
•

196 Cleaning and protection
-Never use sponges designed to remove
insects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
your paint finish .
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights. Only use wet cloths or
sponges to prevent scratches .
It is best
to use soapy water.
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Never use a dry cloth or
sponge to clean the headlights . Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent
scratches.
It is best to use soapy water.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilities specially
designed for that purpose. This will reduce
the risk of dirty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system. In
some areas, washing vehicles outside of
these facilities is prohibited.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you
observe a few simple rules.
.. Before using the power washer, make sure
you have read and understood the WARN­
INGS¢
A in General information on
page 194 .
• Always follow the operating instructions for
the power washer .
• Make sure that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray".
• Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materials.
Never use a power washer to clean the power
top itself.
Keep a distance from soft materials such as
rubber hoses or insulating material as well as
sensors and camera lenses. When cleaning the vehicle with a power wash­
er
always follow the operating instructions.
This applies particularly to the operating pres­
sure and the spraying distance. Do not point
the spr ay directly at the seals around the side
windows, around the doors, on the rear lid or on the power top . Likewise, do not point it di­
rectly at tires, rubber hoses, insulation mate­
rial or sensors
¢page 198. Hold the spray
nozzle at least 1.3 ft (0 .4 m) away from the
vehicle.
Do not use a high-pressure power washer to
remove snow and ice .
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a direct
stream or one that has a rotating jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
A WARNING "'--
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays wa -
ter in a direct stream . This could cause in­
visible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relatively
long distance and for a short time. Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
- Never use a power washer to clean the
power top itself.
- To avoid damaging your vehicle, always
make sure that there is sufficient dis­
tance between the spray head and soft
materials like rubber hoses, plastic parts
and sound-deadening materials as well
as sensors and camera lenses. Never aim
the spray head at the same point for a
long time . This also applies to cleaning
headlights and painted bumpers. Re­
member: the closer the nozzle is to the
surface of the material , the greater the
stress on the material.

198 Cleaning and protection
Chamois are not suitable for drying the top .
Neve r use gasoline, spot remover, benzene,
pa int thinner o r so lvents to remove spots. We
recommend that you only use cleaners espe­
cially formu lated for use on convertible tops,
and that you follow the produce use directions
caref ully. Authorized Audi deals can provide
deta iled information.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information on
¢ page 194.
@ Note
Never use a high-pressure power washer to
clean the power top.
Wind deflector
App lies to vehicles: with wind def lector
Clear the wind deflector with water or, if it is
heav ily soiled, a chemically neutral cleaning
solut ion .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
the information on¢
page 194.
Sensors and camera lenses
-Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de-icing spray that does not con­
tain solvents .
- Clean the sensors (adapt ive cruise control*,
parking system*) with a cleaning solution
that does not conta in solvents and a soft
cloth .
@ Note
- If you wash you r vehicle with a pressu re
washer,
- make sure there is enough distance to
sensors in the rear bumper .
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer . - Never use warm or hot wate
r to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . This
cou ld cause the lens to crack.
- Never clean the camera lens with abra­
sive products.
Waxing and Polishing
W axin g
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under¢
page 194, Washing and
even against slight scratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your
paint as soon as one week after your vehicle
has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
w axin g process in
automatic car washes, we recommend that
you manually apply a coat of wax to give the
paint extra protection, part icularly if water no
longer beads on the clean paint .
Protect plastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle
body.
During warm weather dead insects tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area of the hood . They are much easier
to remove from pa int that is waxed
often.
Polishing
Polish yo ur vehicle only if the paint has lost its
shine and the gloss cannot be brought back
with wax .
If the polish used does not conta in preserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 194.
(D Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte o r anodized meta l trim
- rubber or rubber-like t rim .

220 Check ing and filling
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration ¢
page 214 .
To obtain an accurate read ing, the eng ine
must be switched off .
The expans io n tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an e lectr ic cool ant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the A uto-Check System ¢
page 18 will
b link until you add coo lant and the level has
been restored to no rm al. Even though the re is
an e lec tric coolant level sensor, we s till rec ­
ommend you check the coolant leve l from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolan t loss, the cool ­
i ng system should be inspected immedia tely
by your authorized A udi dealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
I n a
s e aled system, losses can occur only if
the boiling poin t of the coolant is excee ded as
a result of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is unde r pressure and
can get ve ry hot. Reduce the risk of sca ld­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect yo ur face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and ve ry carefu lly in
a counter-clockwise direction wh ile ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap .
- To avoid being b urned, do not spill ant i­
freeze or coolant on t he exhaust system
or hot eng ine parts. Unde r certain condi­
tions, t he ethy lene g lycol in engine cool­
an t can ca tch fire.
(D Note
Do not ad d any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your veh icle's engine coo lant. Add­
i ng radiator repa ir fluid may adverse ly af­
fect the funct ion and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage not cove red by your New Veh icle L imited
War ran ty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS c> &. in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 212.
.. Turn off the engine.
.. Let the engine cool down.
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
fig. 178 and carefully turn the cap
co unter-clo ckwise ¢,&. .
.,. Add coo lant.
.. Twis t the cap on aga in
t ightly.
Replacement engine coo lant must confo rm to
exact spec ificat ions
¢ page 219, Coolant. We
re commend using on ly coo la nt additive G 12+
+ , G 13 or in an eme rgen cy G12+. Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain
water until yo u can get the correct additive
and can restore the correct ratio . This shou ld
be done as soon as possible .
If you have los t a cons iderab le amount o f
coolant , then you sho uld ad d cold antifreeze
and cold wate r on ly w hen the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coo lant when refilling.
Do not f ill coo lant abov e the "MAX" mark . Ex­
cess coo la nt w ill be fo rced o ut thro ugh the
pressure relief valve in t he cap w hen the en­
gine becomes hot.
A WARNING
-= -
-The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of ..,.

246 Tires and wheels
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the re­
p lacement or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 187 Display: underinflation warning
N :;:; 9 a:
l:l
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni ­
tor ing system compares the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
dividual tires.
If the pressure decreases in one
or mo re tires, this is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster with a
[I] warning symbol and a
message
r:!> fig. 187 . The driver message in the
display goes out after S seconds. The driver
message can be displayed again by pressing
the
! SET ! button. If only one tire is affected,
the display will indicate its position.
The tire press ure monitoring system must be
reset via radio or MMI* each time the pres­
sures are adjusted (e. g . when switching be­
tween partial and full load pressure) or after
changing or replacing a tire on your veh icle
r:!> page 247 . The TPMS indicator only moni­
tors the tire pressure that you have prev iously
stored . You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on driv­
er's side 8-pillar
¢page 231.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
ter istics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low, - the
tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
c;, page 247.
Warning symbols
[I] Loss of pressure in at least one tire c;, .&,..
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary. The
[I] indicator light in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
¢page 13.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via radio or MMI*.
11Nl~1 (Tir e Pressure Mon itor ing System) Tire
pressure: System malfunction!.
IfllilB appears after switching the ignition
on or while driving and the
[I] indicator light
in the instrument cluster blinks for approx i­
mately one minute and then stays on, there is
a system malfunction .
Attempt to store the correct tire pressu re
c;, page 247. If the indicator light does not
turn off or if it turns on shortly thereafter, im­
mediate ly driv e your vehicle to an author ized
Audi dealer or authorized repair facility to
have the malfunct ion corrected.
A WARNING
-
- If the tire pressure ind icator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your t ires is sign ificantly under­
inflated . Reduce yo ur speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
f la te the tire pressure to the prope r pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label
r:!> page 231. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the t ire to overheat and can lead to tire
fa ilure . Under -inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop­ ping ability.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining
the co rrect tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly.

254 What do I do now? Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in the right direction .
Using a spare tire w ith a tread pattern
intended for use in a specific direction
When using a spa re tire w ith a t read patte rn
i n tended fo r use in a specific direction, please
n ote t he followi ng:
- The direction of rotation is marked by a n
ar­
row on the side of the tire .
-If the spare t ire has to be installed in the in­
correct direction, use the spare tire only
tempora rily si nce the t ire will not be able to
achi eve its optimum perfo rma nce cha racter­
i st ics w ith reg ard t o aquaplani ng, noise and
we ar.
- W e reco mmend t hat you pay pa rticular at­
ten tion t o this fact during wet we ather and
t h at you a dju st you r spee d to m atc h ro ad
con ditions.
- R epl ace the fla t tire w ith a n ew one an d
have it ins talled o n your ve hicle as soon as
p oss ible to restore the handlin g ad vantages
of a uni direct io na l tire .
Notes on wheel changing
Please rea d the information c> page 238 , New
t ires and replacing tires and wheels
if you are
go ing t o use a spare tire which is d ifferent
from the tires on your ve hicle.
Afte r you chan ge a t ire :
-Check the tire pressure on the spare imme­
diately after installation.
- Have the wheel bolt tightening torque
checked with a torque wrench as soon as possible by your authorized Audi dealer or
a qualified workshop .
- With steel and alloy wheel rims , the wheel
bolts are correctly tightened at a torque of
90 ft lbs . (120 Nm) .
- If you notice that the wheel bolts are cor­
roded and difficult to turn while changing
a tire, they should be replaced before you
check the tightening torque . -
Replace the flat tire with a new one and
have it installed on your vehicle as soon as
possible. Remount the wheel cover .
Until then , drive with extra care and at re­
duced speeds.
_& WARNING
-
- If yo u are going to e quip your ve hicl e
with tires o r rims which differ from those
which were facto ry installed, then be
sure to read the informati on
¢ page 238,
New tir es and replacing tires and
w he els .
- Always ma ke sure the damaged wheel o r
even a flat tire a nd the jack a nd tool kit
a re pro pe rly s ecu red in the luggage co m­
p artm ent and are not lo ose in the pas ­
s en ger c ompa rtm en t.
- I n an acci dent or sudde n man euve r they
co uld fly forwa rd, inju ring anyone in the
ve hicl e.
- Always s to re damaged wh ee l, j ack and
t oo ls se cur ely in the l uggage co mpa rt­
ment. Otherwise, in an accident or su d­
de n maneuve r they co uld fly forwa rd,
causing inj ury to passe ngers in the ve hi­
cle.
(D Note
Do not use comm erc ia lly availabl e tire
sea lants. O therwise, t he e lectr ical co mpo ­
n ents of t he ti re pressu re mo nitoring sys­
tem * w ill no longe r work proper ly an d the
sensor fo r the tire pressure mo nitor ing
system* will have t o be replaced by a
q ualified wor ks ho p.