ABS AUDI A5 COUPE 2014 Owners Manual

14 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Ignit ion loc k
¢ page 18
USA models:
Speed warning sys tem
¢ page 78
Canada models:
Speed warning system
¢page 78
Adaptive cruise cont ro l./
¢ page 93
Yellow indicator lights
Yellow symbols indicate a priority 2 ma lf u nc­
tion -Warning!
Electronic Stab ili zat ion Con trol
( E SC) ./
¢page 18
E lectronic Stab ili zat ion Contro l
(ESC) ./
¢ page 18
E lectronic Stab ilization Con trol
(ESC)
¢ page 180
USA models:
Anti- lock braking sy stem (A BS)
d efec tive ./
¢ page 19
Canada models:
Anti-lock b raking system (ABS)
defe ctive ./
¢page 19
USA models:
Safety systems ./
¢ pag e20
Canada models:
Safety systems ./
¢ page2 0
W orn brake pa ds
¢page 20
E lectromech anical pa rking bra ke
¢ page
76
T ire pressure mon itoring
system./
¢ page 241 T
ir e pressur e monitori ng sys tem
¢ page 241
E lectron ic powe r control ./
¢page20
Ma lf u nction ind icator Lamp
(MIL) ./
¢page20
E ng ine speed limi tat ion
¢page 21
E ng ine oil level
¢ page 17
E ng ine oil senso r
¢ pag e 21
Batte ry
¢ page 17
Ta nk system
¢page21
Warm up eng ine*
¢page202
Windshield washe r fl uid leve l
¢ page 21
Win dshield wipers
¢ page 21
Remote control key
¢page 74
B atte ry in remote cont ro l key
¢ page3 4
Defective light b ulb warn ing
¢ pag e 21
Fog lights
¢page21
Rear fog light(s)*
¢page21
Headlight range cont ro l*
¢page22
Adapt ive lig ht*
¢poge22
L ight -/r ain sensor *
¢ page22
Ada ptive dampe rs*
¢page22

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
Sport d iffer ential*
¢ page 22
Ign it io n loc k
¢pag e 22
Steering co lumn lock
¢ pag e 18
Electromec hanical steer ing, dy­
nam ic steer ing* ./
¢pag e 185
Transmission
- tiptronic ¢
page 88
- S tronic ¢ page 88
Tran smissio n
- S tron ic
¢ page 88
Other indicator lights
CRUISE
T urn signals
¢ page 23
USA models: Cruise con trol
¢page 80
Canada models: Cruise contro l
¢page 80
Adaptive c ruise cont ro l*
¢pag e 93
Adaptive cruise cont ro l*
¢ page 93
High beam
¢pag e44
BRAKE /((J) ) Brake system
The ligh t ill um inates when t he igni tion is
switche d on . It goes out after the engi ne has
been started. This in dicates that the bra ke
warn ing light is functioning properly.
If the brake warning light does not light up
when the engine is cranking , there may be a
malfunction in the electrical system. In this
case, contact your author ized Audi dealer.
If th e b rake system warning/ind icator light
turns on, t here is a brake system mal function .
• (USA models)/ . (Canada models) Stop
vehicle and check brake fluid level
If t he indic ator lig ht tu rns on and the m es­
s a ge a ppe ars, pro ceed as fo llows:
"' Pull off t he roa d.
"' Sto p t he vehicle.
"' Turn off t he engi ne.
"' Check t he bra ke fluid level ¢
page 216.
"'Con tact your nea rest au thorized re pair fa -
cility if necessary .
Warning! Fault in brake system. Contact
dealer
If the ABS ind icator light CD (USA mode ls)/
lG) < C anad a mo de ls), the ESC in dicato r light
If.) and the bra ke sys tem in dicat or lig ht
• (US A mo dels)/ . (Canada mode ls) turn
o n and the messa ge appears, the ABS, ESC
and brakin g distr ibution are not workin g¢ &. .
C arefu lly dr ive to your author ized Audi de aler
immedi ately to have the malf unct ion correct ­
ed ¢&. .
• (USA models)/ . (Canada models) Park­
ing brake system fault! See owner' s manual
- If the in dicator light and the m essage ap -
pe ar
when stationary or after switching the
ignition on ,
check if yo u can re lease the
p arki ng br ake. Afte r relea sing the park ing
bra ke, ca re fully drive to your au thori zed
A udi dea le r i mmediately to have the ma l­
fu nction corrected . If yo u cannot release t he
parking brake, see k professiona l assistance .
- If the in dicator light and the message ap ­
pea r
while driving , th e e mergency bra king
fu nction may not be available. It may not be
possible to set the par king brake or re lease
it once it has been set. Seek profess iona l as­
sistance.
( U SA mode ls) : If th e warn ing lig ht. and the
warning light
fi] appear togethe r, immedi­
ate ly contact yo ur aut horized Aud i dealer o r
qualified wo rks hop to have a ll brake pads in­
s p ected
¢ page 20.
When the light comes on, an aud ible warning
s ignal is also g iven.

16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
A WARNING
-Always observe the warnings in
i=> page 206, before opening the hood
and checking the brake fluid.
- Driv ing with low brake fluid is a safety
hazard. Stop the car and get professional
assistance.
- If the . (USA
models) ;II (Canada
models) brake system indicator l ight
turns on together with the ABS and ESC indicator lights, the ABS/ESC regu lating
function may have failed. F unctions that
stabilize the vehicle are no longer availa­
ble. This could cause the vehicle to
swerve and increase the risk of sliding .
Drive carefu lly to the nearest authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified workshop
and have the malfunction corrected.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does not go out after a few seconds and the
park ing brake is released, or lights up
wh ile you are driving, the fluid level in
the brake fluid reservoir is too low . If you
believe tha t it is safe to do so, proceed
immediately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­ shop and have the bra ke system inspect­
ed.
- Always keep in m ind that after several
brake applications, yo u will need greater
pressure on the b rake peda l to stop your
vehicle. Do not re ly on strained brakes to
respond w ith maximum stopp ing power
in critical situations. You must allow for
increased brak ing distances . The extra
distance used up by fad ing brakes could
lead to an acc ident.
:fil.J(® ) Electromechanical parking brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake .
If the indicator light. (USA models)/ .
(Canada models) turns on, the park ing brake
was set . If the parking brake is set when the
ignit ion is off, the indicator light turns off af­
ter about 20 seconds. T
he warn ing/indicator light wi ll go out when
the parking brake is re leased.
• (USA model s) /. (Canada mod els) Cau­
ti on: Vehicle parke d too steep
If the indicato r light b links and the message
appea rs, there is not enough bra king power to
k eep the vehicle from roll ing . T he brakes have
overheated. The veh icle cou ld roll away even
on a sma ll incline.
Pre ss brak e pedal to rel eas e parking brake
To re lease the park ing brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button(®) or start driving
with sta rting assist at t he same time
i=> page 77.
Pl ease r elea se parking brake
To re lease the park ing brake manually, p ress
the brake pedal and press the button®) at
the same time. The parking brake on ly releas­
es automatically if the driver's safety be lt is
fastened.
Iii Parking brake!
If t he Iii ind icator light tu rns o n and this
message appears, there is a parking brake
malfunction. Drive to your authorized A udi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunct ion corrected.
~ Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
T he . warning/ indicator light illuminates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
the driver and (on USA models only) any front
passenger to put on the safety be lt. Addit ion­
ally, an acoustic warning (gong) will also
sound.
For more Informat ion
c:> page 129, Safety
belt warning light.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 19
If the fl indica to r lig ht turns on, ESC was re­
stricted or switched
off using the I ~ O FF I but ­
ton
¢ page 180.
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS ): Fault! See
owner 's manual
If the i ndi cato r lig ht Ji) a n d the A BS ind ic ator
ligh t
ml (USA model s) /II] (C anad a mode ls)
turn on and the message appears, the AB S or
e lec tronic differential lock is ma lf u nction ing.
This a lso ca uses the ESC to ma lf u nct ion . The
b rakes st ill function with the ir no rma l power,
b ut ABS is not act ive.
D rive to yo ur authori zed Audi deale r immedi ­
ately to have the mal function cor recte d.
F or mo re in fo rma tion a bout the ES C
¢page 180.
A WARNING
If the . (USA model s). (C an ada mod ­
els) bra ke syste m indicato r light turns on
t oget her w ith the ABS and ESC indicator
lights, the ABS/ESC re gulating f unction
may have failed. Functions that stabilize
the vehicle a re no longer ava ilab le. This
co uld cause t he vehicle to swerve and in­
c re ase the r isk of sliding. Dr ive caref ully to
t he ne are st author iz ed Aud i de aler and
h ave the ma lf u nctio n co rre ct ed.
(D Tips
For a dditio nal i nfor mation on ESC and
ABS, refer to ¢
pag e 18 0.
ABS /( 8) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL).
The warning/ind icator light ml (USA mode ls)/
II] (Ca nada m odels) w ill come on for a few
seconds when the ig nition is swi tched on . The
light w ill go out aft er an automati c check se­
q ue nc e is comple ted.
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
- The warn ing/ indicator lig ht d oes not ill umi ­
na te when you swi tc h the ign ition on . -
The wa rning/indica to r li ght d oes no t go o ut
after a few seconds.
- The wa rning/ indica tor lig ht il lum ina tes
w hile drivin g.
T he ESC i ndic ator lig ht also illu minates if
th ere is a mal funct ion in t he A BS. The mes ­
sage
Stabilization control (ESC): Fault! See
owner 's manual
a ls o appea rs in the instru ­
ment cluster d isp lay and a warning to ne
sounds.
The brake system will still respond even
without the assistance of the ABS system.
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance.
Fo r more information regard ing t he ABS
¢ pag e 180.
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake war ning li ght ¢page 15 an d the
ABS wa rning illum inate
together t h e re m ay be
a mal function i n the ABS, and the re may a lso
be a malfunct ion i n the bra ke system itself
¢ .&. .The ABS will not work and you will no­
tice a change in braking response and per­
formance.
In the event of a malfunction in the brake
system
the warning/ind icator light . (USA
models) . (Canada models) in the inst ru ­
ment clust er fl ashes
¢ page 15 .
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
The EDL works togeth er w it h the ABS . T he
ABS wa rning lig ht w ill come on if there is a
m alfu nction in th e EDL sys tem ¢
page 180 .
See your author ized A udi de aler as so on as
poss ible.
A WARNING
-
- If the ml (U SA mode ls )tli] (Canada
mo dels) warning light d oes not go out,
o r if i t co mes on whi le dr iving, t he AB S
system is not wor king prop er ly. The vehi­
cle ca n then b e sto pped o nly w it h th e
standard b ra kes (with out ABS) . You w ill
not hav e th e pro tection ABS pro vid es.
...

20 Instrum ent s a nd w arn in g/i ndic ato r light s
Contact your authorized Audi dealer as
soon as possible.
- USA models: If the . warning light and
the
rJl1 warning light come on together,
the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­
dent . Have your vehicle repaired immed i­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop. Dr ive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ions.
- Canada models: If the brake warn ing
light . and the ABS warning light
[IJ
come on together, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking. Rear
wheel lock-up can cause loss of vehicle
control and an acc ident. Have your vehi­
cle repaired immediately by your author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard
brake applicat ions.
~ /!J.' Safety systems
The fl (USA models)/ E,I (Canada models) in­
d icator light monitors the safety systems (e .g.
a ir bags, pretensioners) and ill uminates for a
few seconds each time you switch the ignition
on.
I f the
fl (USA mode ls)/ E,I (Canada models)
i ndi cato r light does not go out, or if it illumi­
nates wh ile you are driv ing, or if it sta rts to
blink, then there is a ma lfunction somewhere
in the system.
If the light does not illuminate
when you switch the ignition on, this also means there is a malfunction.
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your author ized Audi dealer
immediately. Otherw ise the safety sys­
tems may not work properly in an acci­
dent.
l) .: USA mode ls on ly
(0) Worn brake pads
llJ Br ake pad s!
If the warning light illuminates, immed iately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­ ed . On USA models the warn ing light
llJ
comes on together with the warning light •.
Both sets of brake pads on an axle must al­
ways be replaced at the same time.
A WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and serious personal injury.
- If the warning light
llJ and the warning
light
. 1) with the message Brake pads!
comes on in the instrument cluster dis­
play, immediately contact your author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop to
have all brake pads checked or replaced if
necessary.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The l3i warn ing/ indicator light (Electron ic
Power Control) illuminates when you sw itch
the ignit ion on as a function check.
(D Tips
If this warning/ indicator light illum inates
while you are driving, then there is a mal­
funct ion in the engine electronics. Have
the malfunct ion corrected as soon as pos­
s ible by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified repa ir facility.
Ci Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
T he Ma lfun ction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is par t
of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
-
The symbo l ('4 lights up when the ignition is
switched on and will turn off after the engine
has started and has settled at a constant idle
IJ>,

78 On the road
Startin g and automati cally r ele a s ing the
p ark ing b rake
.. When you start to drive as usua l, the park ­
ing brake is automatically re leased and your
vehicle begins to move.
When stopping at a traffic signa l or stopping
in city traffic on vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the park ing brake can be ap­
plied. The vehicle does not have to be held
with the footbrake. The park ing brake elimi­
nates the tendency to creep with a drive range
engaged . As soon as you dr ive off as usual,
the park ing brake is released automatically
and the veh icle starts to move .
Starting on sl opes
When starting on incline s, the start ing ass ist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally roll­
ing back. The braking force of the parking
b rake is not released until sufficient dr iving
fo rce has been bu ilt up at the whee ls.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the park ing brake is re­
leased automatically only when the dr iv­
er 's sa fety belt is engaged in the bu ck le.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline, do the following:
.. Keep the switch@¢ page 76, fig. 78 pulled
and depress the acce le rator . The park ing
brake stays applied and prevents the vehicle
from roll ing backward.
.. You can release the switch @once you are
sure that yo u are developing enough driving
force at the wheels by depressing the accel ­
erator.
Depending on the weight o f the rig (vehicle
and trai ler) and the severity of the incline, you
may roll backwards as you start . Yo u can pre­
vent roll ing backwards by holding the parking
brake switch @pulled out and accelerating -
just as you would when starting on a hill with a conventional hand brake . Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake sys­
tem fails or locks .
.. In an emergency, pull the switch @
¢
page 76, fig. 78 and continue to pull it to
slow your vehicle down with the parking brake .
.. As soon as you re lease the switch @ or ac-
celerate, t he b ra ki ng pro cess stops.
If you pull the switch @and hold it above a
speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h), the emergen­
cy bra king funct ion is initiated . Th e ve hicl e is
braked at all fou r whee ls by activating the hy­
draulic brake sys tem. The brake performance
is similar to making an emergency stop¢,& .
In order not to a ct ivate the eme rgency brak­
ing by mis take, an audib le warning tone (buz­
zer) so unds when the switch @is pulled. As
soon as the switch @ is released, or the acce l­
erator pedal is depressed, emergency braking
stops.
A WARNING ,-
Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal foot brake has fa iled or the brake pedal is obstructed .
Using the par king brake to pe rform eme r­
gency b raking will s low your veh icle down
as if you had made a full brake application.
The laws of phys ics cannot be suspended
even with ESC and its associated compo ­
nents (ABS, ASR, EDS) . In corners and
when road or weathe r cond itions are bad,
a full brake application can ca use the vehi ­
cle to sk id or the rear end to break away­
risking an accident.
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep
your driving speed below a set speed limit.
T he speed warn ing system warns if the driver
exceeds a previously sto red max imum speed .
A warning tone w ill sound as soon as the
Ill-

Homelink
Universal remote
control
Description
Applies to vehicles: with Home link
The HomeLink universal remote control can
be programmed with the remote control for
devices that are already present.
With Home Link, you can control devices such
as the garage door, security systems, house
lights , etc. comfortably from the inside of you
vehicle.
Homelink makes it possible for you to rep lace
three different remote controls from dev ices
in your home with one universal remote. This
feature works for most garage door and exte­
rior door motor signals. Programming the in­
dividual remote control for your remote con ­
trol takes place near the center of the radiator
grille. There is a control module attached at
this location .
A one-time programming of the sensor must be performed before you are able to use sys­
tems with Homelink. If the system does not activate after performing the one-time pro­
gramming, check whether the system uses a rolling coder:!.>
page 118 for vehicles without
the
MMI*.
,& WARNING
-
- Never use the Homelink transmitter
with any garage door opener that does
have not the safety stop and reverse fea­
ture as requ ired by federa l safety stand­
ards. This includes any garage door open­
er model manufactured before April 1,
1982.
-A garage door opener which cannot de­
tect an object, signaling the door to stop
and reverse does not meet current feder­
al safety standards . Using a garage door
opener without these features increases
risk of serious injury or death.
Homelink 115
- For safety reasons never release the
parking brake or start the engine while
anyone is standing in front of the vehicle .
- A garage door or an estate gate may
sometimes be set in motion when the
Homelink remote control is being pro­
grammed. If the device is repeatedly ac­
tivated, th is can overstrain motor and
damage its electrical components - an
overheated mo tor is a fire hazard!
- To avoid possib le injuries or property
damage, please always make abso lutely
certa in that no persons or objects are lo­
cated in the range of motion of any
equipment being operated.
(0 Tips
- If you would like more information on
Homelink, where to purchase the Home­
Link compat ible products, or would like
to purchase the Home Link Home Light­
ing Package, please call toll-free :
1-800-355-3515.
-For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions
¢ page 267.
-For security reasons, we recommend that
you clear the programmed buttons be­
fore selling the vehicle.
Operation
App lies to vehicles : with Homeli nk
,~
1~
1 r ·O : O ·) 1111 ~
®
Fig.
116 Headl iner: controls
Req uirement: The buttons must be program-
med
¢page 116 or ¢page 117. ..,_

126 Driving Safely
-Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the sunroof,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­ dows, the sunroof and the rear lid are se­
curely closed and locked to reduce the risk
of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Nev er let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
@ Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom-
-
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
r=>poge 226 .
. Tie-downs
App lies to veh icles : w ith tie -downs
The luggage comportment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the t ie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
c> page 12 5, Loading the luggage com­
portment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
A WARNING
-Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­ ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the

130 Safety belts
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles .
Fig. 123 Unbelted occupants in a ve hicle heading for a
wall
Fig. 124 The vehicle c ras hes into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the
vehicle and the passengers possess energy
which varies with vehicle speed and body
weight . Engineers call this energy ''kinetic en­
ergy ."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor . If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of this vehicle are not
using safety belts¢
fig. 123, they will keep
moving at the same speed the vehicle was
moving just before the crash, until something
stops them -here, the wall¢
fig. 124 .
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 colli­
sion they wi ll also keep moving forward at the
speed their vehicle was travell ing 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 col ­
lisions .
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed . Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 12S A driver not wea ring a safety belt is vio len tly
t hrown forward
Fig. 126 A re ar passe nger not wearing a safety belt
w ill fl y forw ard and strike t he drive r
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 oc­
cupant will slam violently into the steering
whee l, instr ument panel, windshield, or what­
ever else is in the way r:!>fig . 125 . This impact II>-

with the vehicle interior has all the energy
they had just before the crash.
Never rely on air bags a lone for protec tion.
E ven when they deploy, airbags provide only
additional protection . Ai rbags are not sup­
posed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Al­
though your Audi is equipped with a irbags, all
veh icle occupants, including the driver , must
wear safety belts correctly in order to min i­
mize t he risk of severe injury or death in a
crash .
Remember too, that airbags wi ll deploy on ly
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 a lready deployed . U nbelted
occupants ca n also be thrown out of the vehi ­
cle whe re even mo re severe o r fa tal in ju ries
can occur .
It is also impo rtant fo r the rear passenge rs to
wear safety belts co rrec tly. Unbe lted passen­
ge rs i n the rea r seats endanger no t on ly them­
se lves bu t also the driver a nd o ther passen­
gers
¢ fig. 126 . In a frontal collision they will
be thrown forward vio lent ly, where they can
h it and injure the dr iver and/or front seat pas­
senger .
Safety belts protect
People think it 's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision. It 's simply
not true!
F ig . 127 D river is correctly restra ined in a sud den bral<·
ing maneuve r
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif­
ference . Safety be lts he lp to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
Safety belts 131
applied to the body in an accident, and he lp
prevent the uncontrolled movement that can
ca use serio us injuries . In addition, safety be lts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle.
Safety be lts attach passengers to the car and
give t hem the benefit of being s lowed down
more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety
features enginee red into today's vehicles. By
"absorbing" t he kinetic energy over a longer
per iod of t ime, the safety be lts make the
fo rces on the body more "tolerable" and less
li kely to ca use inju ry.
Althoug h these examples a re based o n a fron­
ta l co llision, safety belts can a lso substantia l­
l y red uce the risk of in jur y in other kinds of
cr ashes. So, whethe r you're on a long trip o r
just going to the co rner store, a lways buckle
u p and make sure others do, too . Accident sta ­
tistics show that vehicle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of be ing
i njured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident. Properly using safety belts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen ­
ta l airbags to do the ir job in a collision . Fo r
th is reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in mos t coun tries including much of
t he United States and Canada.
Althoug h your Aud i is equipped wi th a irbags,
you st ill have to wear the safety be lts p rov id­
ed . Front airbags, fo r example, a re activa ted
o nly in some frontal collisions. The fron t air­
bags are not act ivated in a ll fron tal coll isions,
in s ide and rear co llisions, in roll ove rs or in
cases where t here is not eno ugh deceleration
through impact to the front of the veh icle.
The same goes for the other a irbag systems in
your Audi . So, always wear your safety belt
and make su re everybody in your veh icle is
properly restrai ned!