child seat AUDI R8 SPYDER 2012 Owners Manual

Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System .... .... .. .... ... .. .. .. . .
Knee airbags . ... ...... ... .. .. .. . .
Side airbags ............. .... .. . .
Child Safety ... ..... ... .. .. .. . .
120
124
127
130
Important things to know . . . . . . . . . . 130
C hi ld safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Instal ling a child safety seat . . . . . . . . 138
Addit io nal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Vehicle operation ....... .. .. . .
Intelligent technology .. .. ... .
Not ice about data recorded by veh icle
con trol modules . .... ... .. .. .. .. . .
E lect ron ic Stability Con trol ( ESC) .. . .
Rear spoiler ............. .. .. .. . .
Braking .... .. .. ... . .... ... .. .. . .
Powe r stee ring . .. ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Driving with your quattro ® ... .. .. . .
E nergy management ...... .. .. .. . .
Dry s ump lubr ication ...... .. .. .. . . 142
142
142
1
42
1 4 4
1 4 5
146
147
147
149
Driving and environment . . . . . 150
Break- in period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Driving through water on roads . . . . . 150
Cata lytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Sporty driving ............... .... . 151
Operation and maintenance . . . . . . . . 15 1
T railer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Cleaning and protection . . . . . . 153
Gene ral inf ormatio n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 53
Ca re of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Ca re of interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
164
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
F ue l tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Engine compartment lid . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Eng ine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Eng ine cooling system..... .. .. .. .. 175
Brake fluid . ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. .. 178
Table of contents 3
Battery ... .. .... ... .. .. ..... ... .
Windshie ld washer container
Tires and wheels .... .... ... .. .
Tires ... .. .. .... ... .. .. ..... ... .
Tire pressure monitoring system 178
182
183
183
200
Do-it-yourself service . . . . . . . . . 203
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Tr unk escape handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Breakdown k it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Tire repair . .. .. .. ............... .
What should I be aware of when
h . t· 7 c
anging a rre. . .. .............. .
Jump-starting .. .. ... .. .. ... ..... .
E mergency towing wit h commercia l
tow tr uck . .... .. .. . ............ .
Fu se s and bulbs ... ........... .
Electr ica l fuses . .. ............... .
B ul bs ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ... . 203
206
209
212
213
2
13
214
Technical da ta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
General information . . . . . . . . . . 215
Explanation of techn ica l da ta . . . . . . . 215
Vehicle identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Dimens ions.. .. ...... ............ 216
Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
R8 Spyder 4.2 quattro . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
R8Spyder5.2quattro ............. 217
Dimens ions .. .... .... .... ... .... . 218
Capacities (approx .) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Consumer Information . . . . . . . 219
Warranty coverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Operating your ve hicle outs ide the
U .S.A. or Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Audi Se rv ice Repair Manuals and
Li te ratu re . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Maintenance ... .. .. . ... ...... ... . 219
Additional accessories, modifications and parts rep lacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Inde x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
•
•

Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger. Adjust
your seat properly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
- your body is properly supported thus reduc­ ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offe r
maximum protection
¢ page 109.
In the following sections, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for installing a child safety seat on the front passenger's seat. Always heed the informa­
tion regard ing child safety provided in
¢ page 130, Child Safety.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury.
- Always keep your feet on the f loor when
the vehicle is in motion -never p ut your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion! This applies espec ially to the passen­
gers . If your seating position is incorrect
you increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident. If the
airbag inflates and the seating position
is incorrect this could result in personal
injury or even death.
- It is important for bo th the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of a t
Seat s an d sto rage 59
least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the airbag system can­
not protect you properly. In addition to
this, the front seats and head restra ints
must be adjusted to yo ur body height so
that they can give you max imum prote c­
tion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible be tween yourself and the s teer­
ing wheel o r instrument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your seat may move unexpected ly, caus ­
ing sudden loss of vehicle control and
personal injury . If you ad just yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, you are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend that you adjust the driver's
seat in the fo llowing manner:
.,. Adjust the seat in fo re and aft direction so
t ha t you can easily push the peda ls to the
floor whi le keeping your knee sligh tly bent
c::> A in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page
59 .
.,. Adjust the seatback so that when you sit
w ith your back against the seatback, you can
still grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.,. Pos it ion the head restraint accord ing to the
occupant 's height
c::> page 61 . For maxi­
mum protection, the top of the head re­
straint shou ld be at least at eye level, pref­
erably higher and idea lly level with the top
of the head
¢ page 94, fig. 105 .
A WARNING
Never place any objects in the dr iver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal
area and interfere with pedal funct ion. In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate!

you do this while the vehicle is moving,
you will be out of position. Always adjust the driver's or front passenger seat when
the vehicle is not moving .
- Be careful when adjusting the seat
height. Check to see that no one is in the
way, or serious injury could result!
- Because the seats can be electrically ad­
justed with the ignition key removed,
never leave children unattended in the
vehicle . Unsupervised use of the e lectr ic
seat adjustments may cause serious in­
jury .
- To reduce the risk of injury in the case of
sudden braking or accident, front pas­
sengers must neve r ride in a moving ve­
hicle with the seatback reclined. Safety
belts and the airbag system offer maxi ­
mum protection on ly when the seatback
is upright and the safety belts are prop­
erly posit ioned on the body. The more
the seatback is reclined, the greater the risk of personal injury from an incorrect
seating posit ion and improperly posi­
tioned safety belts!
- Always make sure the front seatbacks are
in the upright position when dr iv ing .
Head restraints
Adjusting head restraints
Fig. 7 4 Adjusting head restra ints
The head restraints can be adjusted to provide
safe support to head and neck at the optimum
h e ight. When optimally adjusted, the top of
the restraint shou ld be level with the top of
the head . If that is not possible, try to adjust
S ea ts a nd s to rage 61
the head restraint so that it is as close to this
position as possible¢
page 94.
1-Grasp the sides of the head restraint with
both hands and slide it upward/downward
until you fee l it click into place
¢ fig . 74.
& WARNING ~ -
-Driving without head restraints or with
head restra ints that are not properly ad­
justed increases the risk of ser ious or fa­
tal neck injury dramat ically.
- Read and heed all WARNINGS
¢page 94.
@ Tips
Correct ly adjusted head restraints and
safety be lts are an extreme ly effective
combination of safety features.
Cup holder
F ig. 75 Cup holder
A WARNING
0 U)
~ ., a,
-
Spilled hot liquid can cause an accident
and personal injury.
- Never carry any beverage containers with
hot liq uids, such as hot coffee or hot tea,
in the vehicle while it is moving. In case
of an acc ident, sudden braking or other
veh icle movement, hot liquid could spill,
causing scalding burns. Spilled hot liquid
can also cause an accident and personal
lnJU ry.
- Use only soft cups in the cupholder . Hard
cups and glasses can cause injury in an
accident.

Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, child restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this section - for your own
safety as well as for that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the
features described in this sections may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others. If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Make certain that you follow the instruc­
tions and heed the WARNINGS in this
Manual. It is in your interest and in the
interest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete owner's litera­
ture in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important infor­
mation will always be available to the
driver and passengers.
- Always keep the owner's literature handy
so that you can find it easily if you have
questions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations .
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an
Driving Safely 91
accident. The following is a listing of just a
few of the safety features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- safety belt pretensioners ,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags,
- side airbags in the seats
- adjustable head restraints,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features can work to­
gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always properly adjusted and
properly used!
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
~ Make sure that all lights and signals are op­
erating correctly .
~ Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
~ Make sure that all windows are clean and
afford good visibility to the outside.
~ Secure all luggage and other items carefully
c::>page 62.
~ Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
~ Adjust front seat, head restraint and mir­
rors correctly for your height .
~ Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height .
~ Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children¢
page 130,
Child Safety.
~ Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same¢
page 59,
Seats and storage. .,..
•
•

For detailed information on how to adjust the
dr iver's seat, see
¢ page 59, Seats and stor­
age.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it deploys. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in­
flates
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple ­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision .
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving. Your seat may move unexpect­
edly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
Driving Safely 93
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion .
- Children must always ride in child seats
¢ page 130. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
¢ page 109.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
"' Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
"' Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
¢ page 94.
"' Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢ page 104.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 59, Seats
and storage.
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it deploys. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright
position and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
•
•

94 Driving Safely
-Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it de­
ploys with great force in the blink of an
eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger's breastbone and the instru­
ment panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lower part of the
instrument panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat and head restraint prop­
erly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in
front of the seat. Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win­
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt will not be able to protect you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child seats
r:::;, page 130. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
r:::;, page 109.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Fig. 105 Head restra int: v iewed from the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust­
ed to achieve the best protection.
.,. For adjustable head restraints : adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possible with the top of your head. If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
r:::;, fig. 1 OS .
Adjusting head restraints<=> page 61.
A WARNING ~
Driving without head restraints or with im-
properly adjusted head restraints increases
the risk of serious injuries in a collision . To
help reduce the risk of injury:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the ve­
hicle properly adjusts their head re­
straint . Adjust the head restraints so the
upper edge is as even as possible with
the top of your head.
If that is not possi­
ble, try to adjust the head restraint so
that it is as close to this position as pos­
sible,
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safely be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
straint .

-Children must always be properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their age and size
c:> page 130.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious
injury or death. Safety belts can only work
when they are properly positioned on the
body. Improper seating positions reduce the
effectiveness of safety belts and will even in­
crease the risk of injury and death by moving
the safety belt to critical areas of the body .
Improper seating positions also increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an air­
bag deploys and strikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating position. A driver is
responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especially for children. Therefore:
.,. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
c:> ,&. .
The following bullets list only some sample
positions that wi ll increase the risk of serious
injury and death . Our hope is that these exam ­
ples will make you more aware of seating po­
sitions that are dangerous.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
Driving Safely 95
-never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Sitting incorrectly places occupants at
risk of being critically injured if the air­
bags deploy and strike them.
- Before you start driving, seat yourself
properly and always maintain this seat­
ing position during the trip. Before each
trip, instruct your passengers to seat
themselves properly and to maintain this
seating position during the trip
c:> page 59, Seats and storage.
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
A WARNING
A lways make sure that the knee airbag can
inflate without interference. Objects be­
tween yourself and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by interfer­
ing with the way the airbag deploys or by
being pushed into you as the airbag de­
ploys .
- No persons (children) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat . If the airbag deploys, this
can result in serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried
in the footwell area in front of the driv­
er 's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects
(shopping bags, for example) can ham­
per or prevent proper deployment of the
airbag. Small objects can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys
and injure you or your passengers .
•
•
-

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
t he we ight of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs . (90 kg). You can imagine the
in juries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flyi ng
freely through the passenge r compartment
could cause in a collision like t his.
_& WARNING
Imprope rly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle ca us ing se rious
personal inj ury in the event of hard b rak ­
ing or an acc ident. To help reduce the r is k
of serious personal injury :
- Always put objects, for examp le, luggage
o r othe r heavy items in the luggage com­
partment .
_& WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve­
hicle handles. To help reduce the r isk of a
loss of control leading to ser ious personal
injury:
- Always keep in m ind whe n transporting
heavy objects, t hat a change in t he cen ­
ter of g ravity can also cause changes in
vehicl e handling.
- Never exceed the G ross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing or t he Gross Veh icle We ight Rating
spe cified on t he safety compliance stic k­
er on the left door jamb. Exc eeding pe r­
missib le we igh t standa rds can cause the
vehicle to s lide and handle differently.
- Please observe info rm ation on s afe driv­
ing
~ page 91.
_& WARNING ,~ ~
Always make su re that the doors, all win ­
dows and the front lid are securely closed
an d locked to red uce the risk of in jury
when the veh icle is not being used .
- After closing the front lid, a lways make
s u re that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave you r vehicle unatten ded es­
pecially with the front lid left open . A
Dr iving S afel y 97
child cou ld craw l into the luggage com­
pa rtment and close the front lid becom­
ing trapped and unable to get out. Be ing
trapped in a veh icle can lead to serious
pe rsonal injury .
- Never let ch ildren play i n or around the
veh icle .
- Never let passengers ride in t he luggage
compartment . Vehicle occupants must
always be prope rly restra ined in one of
the vehicle 's seating pos it ions .
(D Tips
The t ire pressure must correspond to the
l oad . The t ire press ure is shown on the tire
p ressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the d river 's s ide B-pillar. The t ire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at
it s m aximum c apac ity we igh t a nd the tires
that we re on your vehicle at the t ime it
was manufacture d. For recommended tire
pressures fo r normal load cond it ions,
pleas@ s@@ chapter c::> page 187.
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehi cle
ha s a defect which could cau se
a crash or could caus e injury or
death, you should immediately inform the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notify­
ing Audi of Amer ica , Inc .
If NHTSA recei ves similar com­
plaints, it may open an investi­
gation , and if it finds that a
s afet y defect s exists in a group .,.
•
•

Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapte r exp lains why safety be lts a re nec ­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly.
~ Read all the information that fo llows and
heed all of the inst ruct ions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of ser ious
personal in jury and death .
- Safety belts are the sing le most effective
means availab le to red uce the r isk of se­
rious injury and death in a utomob ile acci­
de nts . For your prot ecti on and that of
yo ur passenge rs, always co rrec tly wear
sa fe ty bel ts when the ve hicle is mov ing.
- P re g nant women, injured, or physically
imp aired perso ns must also use safe ty
belts. L ike a ll vehicle occup ants, they are
more like ly to be ser ious ly injure d if they
do not wea r safety be lts . The best way to
protect a fet us is to protect the mother -
thro ughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi R8 has two seating posit ions in the
front. Each seating position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
im proper ly increases the risk of ser ious
personal in ju ry and death.
- Never st rap more than one person, in­
clu ding small ch ild ren, into any belt. It is
especially dangerous to place a safety
belt over a child s itting on yo ur lap.
- Never let mo re people ride in t he ve hicle
t h an t he re are safety be lts ava ilable.
Sa fety belts 1 O 1
- Be s ure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained w ith a separate sa fe­
ty belt or child restra int.
4 Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and front seat passenger to remind you
about the importance of buckling up .
Fig. 1 10 Safety be lt warn ing lig ht in the instr ume nt
cl uster -enla rged
Before driv ing off, always :
~ Fasten your safe ty be lt and make su re you
wear it p roperly.
~ Ma ke s ure that yo ur passengers a lso buck le
up and wear their safety belts properly.
~ Protect children w it h a child restraint sys-
tem app ropriate for the size and age .
The wa rning light . in the instrument cluster
li ghts up w hen t he ig nit ion is switched on as a
rem inder to fasten the safety belts. In addi­
tion , you will hear a warning tone for a certa in
per iod of t ime .
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that
your passengers also put on the ir safety
belts properly .
A WARNING
-Safety belts are the s ingle most effect ive
means ava ilable to reduce t he risk of se­
rio us i nju ry and death in au tomobile a cci­
dents. Fo r yo ur pro tection and tha t of
your passen gers, a lways wear safety
be lts cor rectly when the vehicle is mov­
ing . •
•

102 Safety belts
-Failure to pay attention to the warning
light that comes on could lead to person­
al injury.
Why safety belts?
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!
Fig. 111 Driver is properly restrained in a sudden brak ­
i ng maneuve r.
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif­
ference. Safety belts help to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
applied to the body in an accident, and help prevent the uncontrolled movement that can
cause serious injuries. In addition, safety belts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle .
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and
give them the benefit of being slowed down more gently or "softly " through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety
features engineered into today's vehicles. By
"absorbing " the kinetic energy over a longer
period of time, the safety belts make the
forces on the body more "tolerable" and less likely to cause injury.
Although these examples are based on a fron ­
tal collision, safety belts can also substantial­
ly reduce the risk of injury in other kinds of
crashes. So, whether you're on a long trip or
just going to the corner store, always buckle up and make sure others do, too. Accident sta­
tistics show that vehicle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of being injured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident. Properly using safety belts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen­
tal airbags to do their job in a collision . For
this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in most countries including much of
the United States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags,
you still have to wear the safety belts provid­ ed . Front airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions . The front a ir­
bags are not activated in all frontal collisions,
in side and rear collisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is not enough deceleration
through impact to the front of the vehicle.
The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt
and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!
Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be properly posi­ tioned across the strongest bones of your
body .
.,. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and
described in this chapter .
.,. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
_&. WARNING
Not wear ing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the r isk of serious
personal injury and death. Safety belts can
work only when used correctly.
-Always fasten your safety belts correctly
before driving off and make sure all pas­
sengers are properly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on
the body.
- Never strap more than one person, in­ cluding small children, into any single
safety belt.
- Never place a safety belt over a chi ld sit­
ting on your lap.