sensor AUDI A6 2015 Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2015, Model line: A6, Model: AUDI A6 2015Pages: 314, PDF Size: 77.57 MB
Page 155 of 314

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0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,...., 
-Always make  sure  that  there  is nothing 
on the  front  passenger  seat  that  will 
cause  the  capacitive  passenger  detection 
system  in the  seat  to  s ignal  to  the  A irbag 
System  that  the  seat  is occupied  by a  person  when  it  is not,  or to  signal  that  it 
is occupied  by someone  who  is  heavier 
than  the  person  actu ally s itting  on  t he 
sea t.  The  presence  of  additiona l objects 
cou ld  cause  the  passenger  front  airbag 
to  be  t urned  on  when  it sho uld  be  off,  or 
cou ld  cause  the  airbag  to  work  in a way 
that  is different  from  the  way  it  wou ld 
have  worked  without  the  object  on  the 
seat . 
- Make sure  that  the 
PASSENGER  AIR  BAG 
OFF 
light  comes  o n and  stays  on  all  the 
t ime  whenever  the  ignition  is switc hed 
on. 
Advanced Airbag  System  components 
The front  passenger  seat  in your  vehicle  has  a 
l ot  of very  important  parts  of  the  Advanced 
Ai rbag  System  in  it.  These  parts  incl ude  the 
capacitive  passenger  detect ion  system,  wir 
i n g,  brackets,  and  more . The  control  unit 
monitors  the  system  o n the  front  passenger 
seat  when  the  ign ition  is switched  on  and 
turns  the  airbag  indicator  light  on  when  a 
malfunct ion  in the  one  of  the  system  compo
nents  is  detected ¢ 
page  158 . Because  the 
fro nt  passenger  seat  contains  important  pa rts 
of the  Advanced  Airbag  System,  you  must 
t ake  care  to  p reven t  it  from  being  damaged. 
D amage  to  the  seat  may  preven t  the  Ad
vanced  A irbag  System  for the  front  passenger 
seat  from  doing  its job  in a crash . 
The front  Advanced Airbag  System 
consists of the  following: 
-Crash  sensors  in the  fro nt  o f the  veh icle  that 
measure  vehicle  acceleration/dece leration 
to  provide  information  to  the  Advanced  Air
bag  System  about  the  severity  of  the  crash . 
- An electronic  co ntrol  unit,  with  integrated 
c rash  sensors  for  front  and  side  impacts . 
The  cont ro l unit  "decides"  whether  to  fire 
A irbag  system  153 
the  front  a irbags  based  on  the  in format ion 
received  from  the  crash  sensors.  The  contro l 
un it  also  "decides"  whether  the  sa fety  be lt 
pretens ioners  sho uld  be  activated . 
- An Advanced  Airbag  with  gas  generator  and 
contro l valve  for  the  driver  ins ide  the  steer
ing wheel  hub. 
- An Advanced  A irbag  w ith  gas  gene rator  and 
cont ro l valve  inside  the  instrument  pane l for 
the  front  passenger. 
- A capacitive  passenger  detection  system  un
derneath  the  front  passenger  seat  cover. 
This system  measures  the  electrical  capac i
tance  of  the  perso n in the  seat.  The  informa
tion  registered  is se nt  cont inuous ly to  the 
el ectr onic  contro l un it  to  regu late  d eploy
m ent  of  the  front  Advan ced  A irbag  on  the 
p assenger  side . 
- An airbag  monitoring  system  and  ind icator 
light  in the  instr ument  cluster ¢ 
page  157 . 
-A sensor  in each  front  seat  registers  the  dis
t ance  be twee n the  respec tive seat  a nd  the 
s teer ing  whee l or  inst rumen t pa nel.  The  i n
forma tion  regis tered  is sent  cont inuo usly  to 
the  electronic  cont ro l unit  to  regulate  de
p loyment  of the  front  Adv a need  Airbags. 
- The 
PASSENGER  AIR  BAG OFF light  comes 
on  and  stays  on  in the  center  of the  instr u
ment  panel  ¢ 
page 158,  fig . 160 and  tells 
you  when  the  front  Advanced  Airbag  on  the  passenger  side  has  been  turned  off. 
- A sensor  in the  safety  be lt  latch  for  the  driv
e r and  for  the  front  seat  passenger  that 
senses  whether  that  safe ty belt  is  latched  or 
not  and  transmits  this  information  to  the 
elect ronic  control  un it . 
.&_ WARNING 
D amage  to  the  front  passe ng er seat  ca n 
p revent  the  front  air bag  from  wor king 
p roperly. 
- I mp roper  repa ir or  d isassembly  of  the 
fro nt passenge r and  dr iver  sea t will pre
vent  the  Advanced  Airbag  System  from 
functioning  p roperly. 
- Repair s to  t he fron t passenge r seat  m ust 
be  pe rformed  by qualified  an d properly 
-
trained  workshop  person ne l. 111> 
• 
•  
Page 164 of 314

162  Airbag system 
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per 
chlorate.  When  the  vehicle  or  parts  of  the 
restraint  system  including  airbag  modules 
and safety  belts  wit h pretens ioners are 
scrapped,  all  applicable  laws and  regula
tions  must  be observed. Your authorized 
Aud i dea ler  is familiar  wit h these  requ ire
ments  and we  recommend  that  you  have 
your  dea le r  perfo rm this  se rv ice for  you. 
Other  things  that  can affect  Advanced 
Airbag  performance 
Changing the  vehicle's  suspension system  can 
change the  way that  the  Advanced Airbag  Sys
tem  performs  in a crash. For example,  using 
tire-r im  combinations  not  approved  by Aud i, 
lowering  the  vehicle,  changing  the  stiffness  of 
the  suspension,  including  the  springs,  suspen
sion  st ruts,  shock absorbers  etc.  can change 
the  forces  that  are measured  by the  a irbag 
sensors and se nt  to  the  electron ic control 
un it.  Some suspension  changes can, for  exam
p le,  increase  the  force  levels meas ured by the 
sensors and  make the  airbag  system  deploy  in 
crashes in which  it  would  not  deploy  if  the 
changes had not  been made.  Other  kinds of 
changes may reduce the  force  levels  meas ured  by the  sensors and  prevent  the  a irbag 
from  deploying  when  it  should. 
A WARNING 
Changing the  vehicle's  suspension  includ
ing  use of  unapproved  tire -rim  combina
tions  can change Advan ced A irbag  per
formance  and increase  the risk of  serio us 
personal  in jury in  a crash. 
- Never install  suspension  components 
that  do not  have the  same performance  character istics  as the  components  origi
nally  installed  on your  vehicle. 
- Never use tire-rim  combinatio ns that 
have not  been approved  by A udi. 
Knee  airbags 
Description  of  knee airbags 
Applies  to  vehicles: with  knee  airbags 
The knee  airbag  system  can provide  supple
mental  protection  to  properly  restrained 
front  seat  occupants. 
F ig . 1 61  Driver's  knee airbag 
The driver  knee airbag  is  in  the ins trumen t 
pane l underneath  t he steering  wheel 
¢ fig.  161, the  airbag  for  the  passenger  is at 
about  the  same height  in the  instrument  pan
el underneat h the  glove compartment. 
T he knee airbag  offe rs additional  p rotection 
to  the  driver 's and passenger's  knees and up
per and  lower  th igh areas and supplements 
the  protection  provided  by the  safety  belts. 
If t he front  airbags  dep loy , the  knee ai rbags 
also dep loy in frontal  coll isions when  the  de
ployment  threshold  stored  in the  contro l unit 
is met 
<=> page  155,  More important  things  to 
know  about  front  airbags. 
In  addition  to  their  norma l safety  function, 
safety  belts  help  keep the  dr iver or  front  pas
senger  in position  in a fronta l collision  so that 
the  a irbags can provide  supplemental  protec
t ion . 
The airbag  system  is not  a substit ute  for  your 
safety  belt.  Rather,  it  is part  of  the overa ll oc
cupant  restra int  system  in your  vehicle.  Al
ways remember  that  the  a irbag  system  can 
o nly help  to  protect  you  if you  are weari ng 
your  safety  belt  and wea ring  i t properly.  This 
is why you  should  always wear your  safety 
belt,  not just  beca use the  law  requi res you to 
do so 
r::!;>page  136,  General  notes . ..,.  
Page 167 of 314

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caused  by airbags  when  they  inflate,  particu
l arly  when  the  occupant  sitting  next  to  it  is 
not  seated  properly.  The s ide  a irbag  for  the 
front  passenger  seat  can  be  used  with  proper 
ly installed  chi ld  res traints.  Please  be  sure  to 
read  the  important  information  and  warnings 
whenever  us ing  a  child  restraint  in a  veh icle : 
Safety  belts 
c::;, page  136, A irbag  system 
c::;, page  14 5, Child  safety ~ page  171. 
The side  airbag  system  basically con sists  of: 
- the  e lectronic  control  module  and  external 
s ide  impact  sensors 
- the  two  airbags  located  in the  sides  of the 
front  backrests  and  the  two  airbags*  located 
in the  rear  backrest 
- the  airbag  warning  light  in  the  instrument 
cluster. 
The  airbag  system  is  monito red  elect ron ica lly 
to  make  certain  that  it  is functioning  properly 
at  all times.  Each  time  you  switch  on  the  igni
tion,  the  airbag  system  indicator  light  will 
come  on  for  a few  seconds  (self  diagnostics) . 
T he  side  airbag  system  supplements  the  safe
ty  belts  and  can  help  to  reduce  the  risk of  in 
jury  to  the  driver's,  front  and  rear  passenger's  upper  torso  on  t he side  of  the  vehicle  that  is 
struck  in a  side  collision . The  airbag  deploys 
only  in  s ide  impac ts and  on ly when  the  veh icle 
acceleration  registered  by the  control  u nit  is 
hi gh  enough . If  this  rate  is below  the  refer
e nce va lue  progr ammed  i nto  the  con trol  un it, 
the  side  airbags  will  not  be  triggered,  even 
though  the  ca r may  be  badly  damaged  as  a  re
sult  of the  collision . It  is not  possible  to  de
f ine  an  a irbag  trigger ing  range  that  will  cover 
eve ry  possible  angle  of  impact,  since  the  cir
cumstances  will vary  considerably  between 
one  co llision  and  another . Important  facto rs 
in clude,  for  examp le,  the  natu re  (hard  o r soft) 
of the  impacting  objec t, the  ang le  of  impact , 
ve hicl e  speed,  etc. ~ 
page  1 66, Impor tan t 
safety  instructions  on the  side airbag sy stem. 
Aside  from  the ir no rmal  safety  function,  safe
ty  belts  wor k to  he lp keep  the  d river or  front 
passenger  in  posi tion  in the  event  of  a  side 
Airbag  system  165 
collision  so that  the  side  airbags  can  provide 
protection. 
T he  airbag  system  is 
not a  substi tute  fo r your 
s af ety belt . Ra ther,  it  is  part  o f the  over all oc
cupant  restra int  system  in you r vehicle . A l
ways  remember  that  the  side  airbag  system 
can  on ly help  to  protect  yo u  if you  are  wearing 
your  safety  be lt  and  wearing  it  proper ly. This 
is another  reason  why you  should  always  wear 
your  safety  be lts,  not  just  because  the  law  re
quires  you to  do  so c::;, 
page  136,  General 
notes. 
It  is  important  to  remember  that  wh ile  the 
suppleme nta l side  airbag  system  is  desig ned 
to  r educe  the  likelihood  of  ser ious  injuries, 
othe r injur ies,  for  exampl e, swelling,  bru is ing , 
friction  bur ns  and  m ino r abrasions  can  a lso  be 
associ ated  w ith dep loye d side  airbags.  Re
member  too,  si de a irbags  w ill dep loy o nly 
once  an d only  in ce rtain  kinds  of accidents  -
yo ur safety  be lts  a re a lways  there  to  offer  p ro 
tection . 
Vehicle  damage,  repair  costs  o r even  the  lack 
of  ve hicle  damage  are  not  necessarily  a n indi 
cation  of ove r-sensitive  or failed  airbag  activa
tion.  In  some  coll is ions,  both  front  and  side 
a irbags  may  inflate.  Remember  too,  that  air
bags  will deploy  only  once  a nd  only  in  certain 
ki nds  of  col lisions  - you r safety  belts  a re a l
ways  t he re to  offe r protection  in those  acc i
dents  i n which  a irbags  are  not  supposed  to 
deploy  or  when  they  have  a lready  deployed . 
The side  airbag  system  will  not  deploy: 
-when  the  ignit io n  is switched  off 
- in  side  co llisions  whe n the  acceleration 
meas ured  by t he  sensor  is too  low 
- in front-end  collisions 
- in  rear -end  co llisions 
- in  rollove rs . 
In  some  types  of  accidents  the  front  airbags, 
s ide  cu rtain  airbags  and  s ide  a irbags  may  be 
t rigge red  together.  .,,. • 
•  
Page 169 of 314

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"' rl 
"' rl 
-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 acc ident 
by  interfering  with  the  way the  airbag 
unfolds  or  by be ing pushed  into  you  as 
the  airbag  inflates. 
- Never p lace or  attach  accessories or 
other  objects  (such as cup  holders., tel
ephone  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  s ide 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  use the  built-in  coat  hooks only 
for  lightwe ight  clothing.  Never leave any 
heavy or sharp-edged  objects  in the 
pockets  that  may interfere  with  side  air 
bag dep loyment  and can cause personal 
injury  in an accident. 
- 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  Aud i 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. 
Airbag  system  167 
-If  children  are seated  improperly, their 
risk of  injury  increases in  the  case of  an 
accident 
Q page  171,  Child Safety. 
- Never attempt  to  modify  any compo
nents of  the  airbag  system  in any way . 
- In  a side coll ision,  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 . 
Side  curtain  airbags 
Description  of  side curtain  a irbags 
The  side  curtain  airbag system  can provide 
supplemental  protection  to properly  restrain
ed  occupants . 
Fig. 165 Side curta in  air bags, driver's  s ide: s ide curta in 
airbag  location  ....  
Page 170 of 314

168  Airbag  sys tem 
The  side  curtain  airbags  are  located  on  both 
sides  of  the  interior  above  the  front  and  rear 
side  windows ¢ 
fig.  165. They  are  ident ified 
by the  word  "AIRBAG" on  the  windshie ld 
frame  and  the  center  roof  p illar. 
The  side  curtain  airbags  contain  features  that  provide  e jection  m itigat ion  to  he lp prevent  ve
h icle  occupants  or  parts  of  their  bodies  from 
be ing  completely  or  partially  ejected  from  the 
ve hicle  interior  in certain  side  impacts  and  ve 
h icle  rollovers. 
The  s ide  curtain  airbag  system  supp lements 
the  safety  belts  and  can  help  to  reduce  the  risk  of  injury  for  occupants'  heads  and  upper 
torso.  The  s ide  curtain  airbag  inflates  in side 
impacts  and  only  when  the  vehicle  acce lera
tion  registered  by the  control  u nit  is  high 
enough.  If t his  rate  is  below  the  reference  val
ue  programmed  into  the  control  unit,  the  s ide 
curtain  ai rbag  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  wi ll vary  considerably  between 
one  coll ision  and  another.  Important  factors 
include,  for  examp le,  the  natu re  (hard  o r soft) 
of  the  impacting  object,  the  ang le  of  impact , 
ve hicl e  speed,  etc.  ¢ 
page  169,  How side  cur
tain  airbags  work . 
Aside  from  their normal  safety  function,  safe
ty  belts  wor k to  he lp keep  t he d river  or  front 
passenger  in posi tion  in the  event  of  a  co ll i
sion  so  tha t the  side  curta in ai rbags  can  pro
vide  protection. 
The  airbag  system  is not  a  s ubst itute  for  your 
safety  be lt. R athe r,  it  is  p art  of  the  overall  oc 
cupant  restraint  system  in your  ve hicle . Al
ways  remember  that  the  airbag  system  can 
on  Ly help  to  protect  you  if you  are  wearing 
your  safety  belt  and  wear ing  it  properly.  Th is 
is another  reason  w hy you  should  always  wear 
your  safety  belts,  not  just  because  the  law  re qu ires  you  to  do  so¢ 
page  136,  General 
notes . 
It is  important  to  remembe r that  wh ile  the 
side  curtain  airbag  system  is designed  to  help 
reduce  the  likelihood  of  ser ious  injuries,  other 
injur ies,  for  example,  swelling,  br uising,  fric
t ion  burns  and  minor  abras ions  can  also  be  as
sociated  w ith  these  airbags  upo n deployment . 
Remember  too,  these  airbags  will  deploy  only 
once  a nd  on ly in  ce rtain  kinds  of  accide nts  -
yo ur  safety  belts  a re always  the re  to  offer  p ro
tection . 
The  side curtain  airbag  system  basic ally 
consists of: 
- The  e lectro nic co ntrol  module  and  external 
side  impa ct  sensors 
- The  side  curtain  a irbags  above  the  front  and 
rea r side  windows  wit h ejection  mitigation 
fe atu res 
- The  a irbag  i ndicator  lig ht  in the  inst rument 
pa nel 
The  airbag  system  is  mon itored  electronically 
to  make  ce rtain  it  is functioning  prope rly at  all 
t imes.  Each  time  you  sw itch  on  the  ign ition, 
t h e  airbag  system  ind icator  light  will  come  on 
f o r  a few  seconds  (sel f  diagnos tics) . 
The  side curtain  airbag  is not  activated: 
-if the  ignition  is  sw itched  off, 
- in  side  co llisions  whe n the  acceleration 
measu red  by the  sensor  is too  low, 
- in rear-end  collisions. 
A WARNING 
-Safety  belts  and  the  airbag  system  will 
only  provide  protection  when  occupants 
are  in the  proper  seating  posi tion 
¢ page  52,  General re commendations. 
- If  the  ai rbag  ind icator  light ¢ page  19 
comes  when  the  veh icle  is  being  used, 
have  the  system  inspe cted  immedia tely 
by your  au thori zed  A udi  deale r. 
It is  pos
sible  tha t the  airbag  will  infla te when  it 
is not  supposed  to,  or  will  not  inflate 
when  it  should.  
Page 192 of 314

190  Audi pre  sense 
Audi  pre  sense 
Preventative  passenger 
protection 
A pp lies  to  veh icles: with  Audi  pre se nse 
Audi  pre sense can initiate  steps  to  help  pro
tect  vehicle  occupants  in certain  situations. 
The  functions  described  depend  on  equ ipment 
installed  in your  vehicle: 
Audi  pre  sense basic* 
The following  functions  can be triggered in 
certain  driving  situations: 
- Tightening  of  the safety  belts  (for  example, 
during  heavy braking) : the  front  safety  belts 
have  reversible  belt  pretensioners.  If  a colli
sion does not  occur, the  safety  belts  loosen 
slightly  and are ready to  be tightened  again. 
- Closing the  windows  and the  sunroof*:  the 
windows  and the  sunroof*  close  leaving a 
small  open  gap. 
Audi  pre sense basic  functions can be trig
gered at speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h). 
Vehicles with  Aud i drive  select*:  the  deploy
ment  time  is adapted  in 
Dynamic mode. 
Audi  pre  sense front (vehicles  with 
adaptive  cruise control*) 
Audi  pre sense front  includes  the  functions  in 
Audi  pre sense basic. In  addition,  within  the 
limits  of  the  system,  the  likelihood of  a colli 
sion with  the  vehicle  immediately ahead is al
so calculated . If  the  system  senses an  immi
nent  collision  the  following functions  can be 
tr iggered : 
- Braking  guard  c::>poge 
90 
-Tightening  the  safety  be lts 
- Closing  the  windows  and  the sunroof*  (leav -
ing  a small  open  gap) 
Audi  pre  sense rear (vehicles  with  Audi 
side  assist*) 
Audi  pre sense rear  includes the  functions  in 
Audi  pre sense basic. In  addition,  the  likeli
hood  of  a rear-end  collision  with  the  vehicle 
coming  from  behind  is also calcu lated. 
If the  risk 
of  a co llision  is  detected,  the  following 
functions  can be triggered: 
- Tig htening  the  safety  belts 
- Closing  the windows  and the  sunroof*  (leav-
ing  a  small  open  gap) 
Audi  pre  sense plus* 
Audi  pre sense plus  includes  the  functions  in 
Audi  pre sense front  and Audi  pre sense rear. 
Error  message 
Audi pre  sense: not available 
Preventative  passenger protection  is not  avail
able.  See your  authorized  Audi  dealer immedi
ately  to  have the  malfunction  corrected. 
_& WARNING 
-= 
Audi  pre sense cannot  overcome  the  laws 
of  physics. It  cannot  prevent a collision.  Do 
not  let  the  increased  safety provided 
tempt  you to  take  risks. This will  increase 
the  r isk of  a collis ion  and serious  personal 
in juries . 
- The sensors cannot  always detect  all  ob
jects.  This increases  the  risk of  a colli
s10n. 
-Aud i pre sense does not  detect  people  or 
an im als or  objects  that  are  crossing the 
veh icle's  path  c::> page 
84. 
-The radar  sensor's vis ion can be reduced 
by heavy rain,  ice, snow,  heavy road sp ray 
and  reflections  from  guard  rails,  tunnel 
entrances,  etc.  These and similar  condi
tions  can prevent  vehicles from  being  ac 
curately  detected  and  in some  cases they 
may  not  be detected  at  all. 
(D Note 
The sensors can be displaced  by  impacts  or 
damage  to  the  bumper,  wheel  housing  and 
underbody.  This can affect  the  function  of 
the  Audi  pre sense system.  Have your  au
thorized  Audi  dealer  check to  make sure 
that  the  system  is working  properly.  
Page 200 of 314

198  Intelligent  technology 
Winter  tires 
When  dr iv ing  in the  w inter,  your  ve hicl e w ith 
a ll-whee l drive  has  an  advantage, 
even with 
regular  ti res . In  winter  road  conditions  it may 
be  advisable  to  mount  winter  tires  (o r all-sea
son  t ires)  for  improved  driveability  and  brak
ing:  these  tires  must  be  mounted  on 
all four 
whe els . 
See  also c:> page  264,  Winter  tires. 
Tire  chains 
Where  tire  cha ins  are  mandatory  on  certa in 
roads,  th is  normally  a lso  applies  to  vehicles 
with  a ll-wheel  drive 
c:> page  265,  Snow 
chains. 
Replacing  wheel s/tir es 
Vehicles  w ith  all-wheel  drive  must  a lways 
have  tires  of  the  same  size . Also  avoid  tires 
with  d ifferent  tread  depths.  For details  see 
page 
c:> page  257,  New  tires  and replacing 
tires  and  wheels. 
Off-Road  driv ing? 
Your Audi  does  not  have  enough  ground  clear 
ance  to  be  used  as  an  off-road  ve hicle . It  is 
therefore  best  to  avoid  rough  tracks  and  un 
even terrain as  much  as  possible.  Also  refer to 
c:> page  201. 
A WARNING 
Always  adjust  your  driving  to  road  and  traf
fic conditions . Do not  let  the  ext ra safety 
afforded  by all-wheel  dr ive tempt  you  into 
taking  extra  risks. 
- Alt hough  the  all-whee l dr ive  is 
very ef
fec tive, a lways  remember  that  b raking 
c ap aci ty  is limited  by  tire  traction.  Yo u 
sho uld  the re fo re  not  dr ive at  excessive 
speeds  on  icy or  slippery  road  su rfaces. 
- O n wet  road  s urfa ces,  be  c areful  not  to 
drive  too  fast  because  the  front  wheels 
cou ld  begin  to  sli de on  top  of  the  water 
(aq uaplaning) . If  this  sho uld  occ ur, you 
will  have  no warn ing  from  a  sudden  in
crease  in engine  speed  as  with  a front
w heel  d rive vehicle.  A lways  drive  at 
speeds  w hich  are  suited  to  the  road  con
ditions  -risk  of  c rash. 
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  conventiona l energy  system 
is  not  driven  for  a  long period  of  t ime,  t he  bat
te ry is discharged  by idling  current  consume rs 
(e .g.  immobili ze r).  In  certa in circumstan ces  it 
ca n res ult in the re  be ing  insu ffic ien t energy 
available  to  start  the  eng ine. 
Intelligent  energy  management  in your  vehi
cl e  ha ndles  the  dist rib ution  o f electr ica l ene r
gy.  Start ing  abili ty is m arke dly improved  and 
the  life  of  the  battery  is extended . 
Bas ica lly, energy  management  consists  of 
battery diagnosis , idling current manage
ment 
and dynamic energy management . 
Battery  diagnosis 
Battery  diagnosis  continuously  determines 
the  state  of  the  batte ry. Sensors  determine 
batte ry voltage,  batt ery cu rr e nt  and  battery 
tempe ratu re.  This  de termines  the  cur ren t 
sta te  o f cha rge  and  t he  power  o f th e  battery. 
Idling  current  management 
Idli ng  cur rent  management  reduces  energy 
consumpt ion  while  the  vehicle  is standing . 
With  the  ig nition  sw itched  off,  it  controls  the 
energy  supp ly to  the  variou s ele ctri ca l  compo 
nen ts.  Da ta from  ba ttery d iagnos is  is  co nsid
ered. 
Depend ing  on  the  batte ry's  state  of  cha rge, 
i ndivid ual  con sume rs are g radually  turned  off 
to  prevent  excessive  discharge  o f the  battery 
and  th us  main tain  starting  capabi lity. 
Dynamic  energy  management 
While  the  vehicle  is being  d riven,  dynamic  en
ergy  ma nagement  distr ib utes  the  energy  ge n
era ted  a ccord ing  to  t he  needs  of  the  indivi du-
al  components . 
It regula tes  consumption,  so 
t h at  more  electrical  energy is not  being  used  ..,.  
Page 212 of 314

210  Vehicle care and cleaning 
A WARNING 
-Only wash  the  vehicle  when  the  ignition 
is off  and  follow  the  instructions  from 
the  car  wash  operator  to  reduce  the  risk 
of  accidents . 
- To  reduce  the  risk  of  cuts,  protect  your
self  from  sharp  metal  components  when 
washing  the  underbody  or  the  inside of 
the  wheel  housings. 
- After  washing  the  vehicle,  the  braking  ef
fect  may  be  delayed  due  to  moisture  on 
the  brake  rotors  or  ice in the  winter.  The 
brakes  must  be  dried  first  with  a few 
careful  brake  applications. 
(!;) Note 
- If you  wash  the  vehicle  in an  automatic 
car  wash,  you  must  retract  the  rear  spoil
er  if necessary,  and  fold  the exterior  mir
rors  in  to reduce  the  risk  of  damage. 
Power  folding  exterior  mirrors*  must  on
ly  be  folded  in  and  out  using  the  power 
folding  function. 
- To prevent  paint  damage,  do  not  wash 
the  vehicle  in  direct  sunlight.  -
To reduce  the  risk  of  damage  to  the  sur
face,  do  not  use insect  removing  spong
es,  kitchen  sponges  or  similar  items. 
- Matte  finish  painted  vehicle  compo
nents: 
- To reduce  the  risk of  damage  to  the 
surface,  do  not  use polishing  agents  or 
hard  wax. 
- Never  use  car  wash  cycles  that  apply 
protective  wax. 
It can  destroy  the 
matte  finish  effect. 
- Do not  place  any  stickers  or  magnetic 
signs  on  vehicle  parts  painted  with  matte  finish  paint.  The paint  could  be 
damaged  when the stickers  or  magnets 
are  removed. 
@ 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. 
Cleaning  and  care  information 
When  cleaning  and  caring  for  individual  vehi
cle  components,  refer to  the  following  table. 
The  information  contained  there  is simply rec
ommendations . For  questions  or  for  compo- nents  that  are  not  listed,  refer  to  an  author
ized 
Audi  dealer  or  a  qualified  workshop.  Also 
follow  the  information  found in¢,& . 
Cleaning  exterior 
Component  Situation  Solution 
Wiper blades 
Dirty  ¢ page 49, Cleaning  windshield  wiper  blades 
Headlights/ Dirty  Soft  sponge  with  a  mild  soap  solutiona> 
tail  lights 
Sensors/ 
Dirty  Sensors:  soft  cloth  with  a  solvent-free  cleaning  product 
camera  lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth  with  an  alcohol-free  cleaning 
solution 
Snow/ice  Hand  brush/solvent-free  de-icing  spray 
Wheels Road  salt Water 
Brake  dust  Acid-free  special  cleaning  solution 
Exhaust tail Road  salt Water,  cleaning  solution  suitable  for  stainless  steel, 
if 
pipes necessary  
Page 214 of 314

212  Vehicle care  and  cleaning 
Component  Situation  Solution 
T ex tile s, 
Stains  adhering  to  Vacuum cleaner 
Vin yl, the  surface 
A lcan ta ra Water -based  stains  Absorbent  cloth  and  mild soap  solutiona> 
such  as coffee,  tea, 
blood, etc. 
O il-based  stains  Apply a  mild  soap solutiona>,  blot  away the  d issolved  oil 
such as  oil, make- or dye, treat  afterward  w ith  water,  if necessary 
up,  etc. 
Special  stains  such  Special stain  remover,  blot  with  absorbent  material, 
as  ballpoint  pen,  treat  afterward  with  mild soap  solutiona>,  if necessary 
na il polish,  latex 
pa int,  shoe  po lish, 
etc. 
N atu ral  leather Fresh  stains  Cotton  cloth  with a  mild soap  solutiona> 
Water-based  stains  Fresh stains:  absorbent  cloth 
such  as coffee,  tea,  Dr ied stains:  sta in remover suitable  for  leather 
blood,  etc. 
Oi l-based  stains  Fresh  stains: absorbent  cloth and  sta in remover suitable 
such as  oil, make- for  leather 
up, etc.  dried stains:  Oil cleaning  spray 
Special stains  such  Stain  remover suitable  for  leather 
as  ballpo int  pen, 
na il polish,  latex 
pa int,  shoe  polish, 
etc. 
Care  Regular
ly apply condit ioning  c ream  that  protec ts from 
light  a nd penetrates  into  the  materia l. Use specially-col-
ored  conditioning  cream,  if necessary. 
Carbon part s Dirty  Clean tlhe same  way as  plastic  parts 
a) Mi ld  soap  so lut ion : maximum  two tablespoons  neut ra l soap  in  1 quart  (I  lite r) of water 
& WARNING 
The windshie ld  may not  be treated  with 
water -repe lling windshield  coating  agents . 
Unfavorab le conditions  such  as wetness, 
darkness,  or low  sun can result  in in
creased  glare.  W iper  blade  chatter  is a lso 
possible . 
(V Note 
-Headlights /tail  lights 
- Never clean  headlights  or tail  lights 
w it h  a dry cloth  or sponge.  -
Do not  use any cleaning  product  that 
contains  alcohol,  because  they  could 
cause  cracks to  form. 
-Wheels 
- Never use any paint  polish or other 
abrasive  mater ials. 
- Damage to  the  protective  layer on the 
rims such  as  stone  chips or scratc hes 
must  be repa ired immediately. 
- Sensor s/camera  len ses 
- Never use warm  or  hot water  to  re-
move snow or  ice from  the  camera 
le ns. This could cause  th e lens to  crack . ""  
Page 231 of 314

M N 
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,...., 
Before you check anything  in the engine com
partment, 
al ways  r ead  and heed  all  W ARN
ING S r=;, A in Working  in the  engine compart
ment  on page  222. 
..  Park your vehicle on a  level surface. 
..  Switch 
off the  ignition . 
..  Read the  eng ine coolant  leve l from  the cool
ant  expansion  tank¢ 
fig.  191, ¢ page  224, 
fig.  188. 
With  a cold  engine,  the coolant 
level should  be between  the  "min" and 
"max"  markings. When the  engine  is warm, 
the  leve l may be slightly above the  "max" 
mark ing . 
The location  of the  coolant  expans ion tank 
can be seen  in the  engine  compartment  illus
tration ¢ 
page  224. 
To obta in an accurate  read ing,  the  engine 
must  be  switched 
off. 
The  expansion  tank  in your vehicle is equipped 
with an electric  coolant level sensor. 
When the  coo lant  level is too  low, the  warning 
light  in the  Auto-Check System 
¢ page  16 will 
illum inate  until yo u add  coolant  and  the  level 
has been  restored  to  normal.  Even though 
there  is  an electric  coo lant  level  sensor, we 
still  recommend  you check the  coolant  leve l 
from  time  to  time . 
Coolant  loss 
Coolant  loss  may indicate  a lea k in the  cooling 
system.  In the  event  of coolant  loss,  the  cool
ing system  should  be  inspected  immediately 
by your authorized  Audi dealer . It  is not 
enough  merely to  add  coola nt. 
In  a 
sealed system,  losses  can occur only  if 
the  boiling point  of the  coolant is  exceeded  as 
a result  of overheat ing . 
A WARNING 
The coo ling system  is unde r pressure  and 
c an get  ve ry ho t. Reduce the  risk of s cald
ing from  h ot coolan t by followi ng these 
steps . 
- T urn 
off the engine  and  allow it  to coo l 
down. 
Checkin g and  fillin g 229 
-Protect  your face,  hands  and  arms  from 
escaping  flu id and  steam  by covering the 
cap with  a large,  th ick rag. 
- Turn the  cap slowly and very carefully  in 
a counter-clockwise  d irect ion while ap
plying lig ht,  downward  pressure  on the 
top  of the  cap  . 
- To avo id  being  burned,  do not  sp ill anti
freeze  or coolant  on the  exhaust  system 
or hot  engine  parts.  Under certa in cond i
tions,  th e ethylene  glycol in engine  coo l
ant  can catch  fire. 
(D Note 
Do not  add  any type  of radiator  leak sea l
ant  to your ve hicle's  engine  coolant.  Add-
i ng  radiator  repa ir flui d may adverse ly af
fe ct  the funct ion a nd  pe rfo rma nce of you r 
co oling system  and  could re sult  in  damage 
not  covered  by your  New Vehicle  Limi ted 
War ranty. 
Adding  coolant 
Be very careful  when adding  engine  coolant. 
Before you ch eck anyth ing  in the  eng ine com
partment, 
alway s re ad  and  heed  all  WARN
INGS ¢ A in  Working  in the  engine  compar t
ment  on page  222. 
..  Requirement:  The re must  be a residua l 
amount  of coolan t  in the  expansion  ta nk 
¢(D . 
.. Tu rn off the engine. 
..  Let the  engine  cool down. 
..  Place a thick rag ove r th e  coo lant  expansion 
tank 
¢ page  228,  fig . 191 and carefully 
twist  the cap  counte r-clockwise ¢.&, . 
..  Add coo lant  m ixed  in  the  correct  ratio 
¢ 
page  228,  Coolant up to the  MAX mark 
ing . 
.. Make s ure that  the  flu id  leve l remains  sta-
b le. Add more  coo lant  if ne cessary. 
..  Twis t the  cap o n again 
t ightly. 
Replacement  engine  coo lant  must  confo rm to 
exact spec ificat ions 
r=;, page  228,  Coolant.  ..,. 
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