ESP AUDI S4 2014 Owner's Guide

not affect the continuous signal tone). Ap­
proaching another obstacle will cause the dis­
tance signa l to sound again at the normal
volume.
R ear view came ra co verage area
The MM I d isplay shows the area covered by
the rear view camera¢
fig . 130 (i) . Objects
that are not in the area covered @are not
shown on the MMI display.
We recommend that you p ractice parking with
the rear view camera in a traffic -free location
or parking lot to become familiar with the sys ­
tem, the orientation lines, and their function.
When doing th is, there shou ld be good light
and weather conditions.
In t he MMI disp lay, objects or vehicles appear
closer or further away if:
- yo u are driving in reverse gear from a level
surface onto an incline, or a downward
s lope,
- you are driving in reverse gear toward pro ­
truding objects,
- the vehicle is carrying too much load in the
rear .
The accuracy of the or ientat ion lines and blue
surfaces d imin ishes if:
- the rear view camera does not prov ide a reli­
able image, for examp le, in poor visibility
condit ions or if the lens is dirty,
- the image on the screen is not visible due to
sun g lare and reflect ion.
Caring for the rear view came ra lens
The rear view camera is located above the rear
license plate bracket . Fo r the parking assist to
operate, the lens
¢ fig. 131 must be kept
clean:
- Dampen the lens with a household alcoho l­
based glass cleaner, and clean the lens with
a dry cloth ¢
CD.
- Remove snow with a hand brush and ice
preferably with a de -icing spray ¢(D .
Park a ssis t 119
A WARNING
- The parking aid cannot replace the driv­
er's attent ion. The dr iver alone is respon­
sible for park ing and similar driving ma­
neuvers .
-Always keep your eyes on the vehicle 's
surroundings, us ing the rea r view m irror
as well.
- Do not allow yourself to be dist racted
from traffic by the rear view camera p ic­
tures.
- If the position and the installation angle
of the camera has changed, for examp le,
after a rear end collision, do not conti nue
to use the system for s afety re asons .
H ave it checked by a qualified dea le rship.
CJ) Note
- Low obstacles a lready s ignaled by a
wa rning can disappear from the system's
detect ion range as they are app ro ached
and w ill not continue to be signaled. Ob­
jects such as barrier chains, trailer d raw
bars, thin painted vertica l poles or fen­
ces may not be detected by the system,
posing risk of damage.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the rear view camera
lens -danger of crack format ion on the
lens!
- When cleaning the lens, never use prod­
ucts that are abrasive.
Switching on/off
App lies to vehicles: wit h parking system (rear, wit h rear
v iew camera)
The rear view camera switches on automati­
cally together with the acoustic pork assist when you put the vehicle in reverse.
Switching on
.,. Put the ve hicle in reverse gear, the acoust ic
parking system wi th rear view camera is ac ­
tivated a utomatica lly. Activation of the
acoust ic parking system is confirmed by a
brief acknowledgement sound . ..,_

120 Park ass is t
Sw it c hing off
.,. Drive faster than 9 mph (15 km/h), or
.,. take the vehicle out of reverse gear. The
acoustic parking system is immediately de ­
activated, and the rear view camera picture
is deactivated automatically after a per iod
of about 15 seconds, or
.,. switch off the ignition.
The delay in deactivating the camera provides an uninterrupted view behind the vehicle es­
pec ially when maneuvering in tight parking
spaces and prevents the picture from turning
off the every time you sh ift out of reverse .
If the warning message appears in the display but not the rear view camera picture, read and
confirm the warning message. The acoustic
d istance signal is always active .
If you press a function button on the MMI
control console, the rear view camera picture
d isappears. The rear view camera picture reap­
pears the next time you park.
Further information on the warn ing message
and the MMI control console can be found in
the MMI instruction booklet .
A WARNING
-Only use the rearview camera to assist
you if it shows a good, clea r picture. For
example, the image may be affected by
the sun sh in ing into the lens, dir t on the
lens or if there is a defect .
- Use the rearview camera only with the
rear lid completely closed. Make sure any
objects you may have mounted on the
rear lid do not block the rearview cam­
era .
(D Tips
-The rear v iew camera picture is ava ila b le
as soon as the MM I Display or the MM I is
switched on, or the start-up phase is
completed.
- The sensors must be kept clean and free
of snow and ice for the park assist to op­
erate. -
Yo u can change the vo lume and pitch of
the s ignals as we ll as the disp lay
¢ page 122 .
-What appea rs in the disp lay is time-de­
layed.
· Reverse Parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system (rear, with rear
v iew camera}
Parking mode 1 can be used when parking in
a garage or parking space.
F ig . 1 32 MMI Disp lay : A im ing a t a park ing spo t
Fig. 133 MMr Disp lay : A lig nin g the ve hicle
.,. Switch the MMI on and select the reverse
gea r.
.,. Turn the stee ring wheel u ntil the ora nge ori ­
entation lines(!) appea r in the pa rking spot
q fig . 13 2. Use the markings @to help you
estimate the distance from an obstacle. E ach marking corresponds to 3 ft (1 m). The
blue area represents an extens ion of the ve­
hicle's outline by approximately 16 ft (5 m)
to the rear.
.,. Wh ile driving in reverse gear, adjust the
steer ing whee l angle to fit the parking spac e
w ith the aid of the orange or ien tat ion lines
q (D .@ marks the rear b umpe r. You should
stop driving in reve rse as soon as and no .,.

later than when the red orientation line©
abuts an object¢,&.!
A WARNING
- The rear view camera does not show the
entire area behind the vehicle
¢
page 118, fig. 130. Watch out espe­
c ially for small children and animals. The
rear view camera cannot always detect
them, posing risk of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touch ing the
ground can appear to be further away
than they really are (for example, the
bumper of a parked vehicle, a trailer
hitch, or the rear of a truck). In this case,
yo u should not use the help lines to he lp
with parking, which poses danger of an
accident!
{[) Note
-Low obstacles already signaled by a
warning can disappear from the system's
detection range as they are approached
and will not continue to be signaled. Ob­
j ects such as barrier chains, trailer draw
bars, thin pa inted vertical poles or fen­
ces may not be detected by the system, posing risk of damage.
- In the MMI display, the direction of trav­
el of the vehicle rear is represented de­
pending on the steering wheel angle.
The vehicle front swings out more than
the vehicle rear. Maintain plenty of dis­
tance from an obstacle so that your out­
s ide mirror or a corner of your vehicle
does not collide with any obstacles -dan­
ger of accident!
Park assist 121
Parallel Parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system (rear, with rear
v iew camera)
Use parking mode 2 to help you park on the
edge of a street.
Fig. 134 MMI Display: blue surface in the parking spot
Fig. 135 MMI Display: Blue curve on the curb
The following steps apply only when there is
no obstacle (such as a wall) near the parking
spot. Otherwise, please read the "Tips on Parking Next to Obstacles"¢
page 122.
.,.. Activate the t urn signa l.
.,.. Position your vehicle parallel to the edge of
the street, approximately 3
ft (1 m) from a
parked vehicle.
.,.. Switch the MMI on and select the reverse
gear. The parking aid turns on and parking
mode 1 appears on the display .
.,.. Press the
Mode ¢ fig. 134 (!) control button
on the MMI contro l conso le. Parking mode 2
appears .
.,.. Back up in reverse gear and align your vehi­
cle so that the blue area @borders on the
rear end of the vehicle or on the parking
spot line. The blue area represents an exten­
sion of the vehicle's outline by approximate-
ly 16
ft (5 m) to the rear. The long side of liJJ,

122 Park assis t
the b lue area should be on the curb. The en ­
ti re b lue area must fit into the parking spot.
• While the vehicle is stationary, turn the
steering wheel to the right as far as it will
go.
• Back into the park ing spot . Stop the vehicle
as soon as the blue curve touches the curb
¢ fig . 135.
• While the vehicle is stationa ry, turn the
steering wheel to t he left as far as i t wi ll go.
• Conti nue to bac k up into the park ing spot
unti l the vehicle is pa rked parallel to the
c ur b.® marks the rear bumper . You sho uld
stop dr iving in reverse as soon as and no lat­
er than when the red orientation line@
abuts an object¢,&! Keep an eye on the
front of your veh icle wh ile doing this
c> (D .
Pa rking ne xt to obstacle s
When there is an obstacle (such as a wall)
next to the parking spot, choose a spot w ith
more space on the sides. Pos ition the long
side of the blue area so that there is sufficient
space from the curb . T he area must not be on
the curb . Yo u will also need to start turn ing
the steer ing whee l much ear lie r. T he re s hou ld
be a suff ic ient amoun t of sp ace between the
curb and the b lue curve, and the blue c urve
¢
fig . 135 must not touch the curb .
8_ WARNING
-The rea r view came ra does not show the
entire area beh ind the veh icle
¢
page 118, fig. 130. Watch o ut espe­
cially for small children and an imals. The
rear view camera cannot a lways detect
them, pos ing risk of a n accide nt!
- Please note that objects not touch ing the
ground can appear to be further away
than they really are (for examp le, the
bumper of a pa rked vehicle, a t railer
hit ch, or the rear of a t ru ck ). In this case,
yo u shoul d no t use the help li nes to he lp
with par king, which poses danger of an
acc ident!
(D Note
In the M MI dis p lay, the direction of travel
of the vehicle rear is represented depend­
i ng on the steering wheel angle . The vehi­
cle front swings out more than the vehicle
rear. Mainta in plenty of dista nce from an
obstacle so that your outs ide mir ro r or a
corner of you r vehicle does not coll ide with
any obstacles - dange r of accide nt!
(D Tips
The left o r right orie ntation lines and su r­
faces will be disp layed, depending on t he
t u rn s ignal being used .
Adjusting the display and warning tones
Applies to vehicles: with parking system (rear, with rear
view camera)
The display and warning tones are adjus ted in
the radio or MMI*.
.. Select: !CAR I function button> Parking sys­
tem .
Or
--.. Select: !C AR I func tion but ton> Car systems "
control butto n> Driver assist > Parking aid .
Di splay
- Off -when the parking system is switched
off, only a udible s ignals a re given .
-On -when the par king system is switched
on, the picture from the rear view camera is
disp layed.
Warning tones
- Rear volum e -
rear sensor vo lume
- Rear frequency -rear senso r frequency
- Music volume whil e parking -when the
parking system is sw itched on, the volume
of the active audio sour ce is lowered.
The newly ad justed value is briefly heard from
the sig nal generato r. The sett ings are auto­
matically stored and assigned to the remote
control key. ..,

128 Driving Safely
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 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
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions 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 Liter­
ature 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 accident.
The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- belt force limiters for the front seats,
- belt pretensioners for the seats,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- side curtain airbags,
- special LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- 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 correctly adjusted and cor­
rectly 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 af­
ford good visibility to the outside.
.,. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
qpage 64 .
.,. Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
.,. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.,. Instruct rear seat passengers to adjust the
head restraints according to their height.
.,. Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children¢
page 167,
Child Safety. "'

.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
¢ page 58,
Seats and storage.
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly¢
page 138 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle , the driver as well as the
driver's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the
vehicle and all of its occupants. If your ability
to drive is impaired, safety r isks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you a lso become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
~ .&_.
Therefo re:
.. Do not let yourself be dist racted by passen­
gers or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVER drive when yo ur driving ability is im­
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense .
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions .
.,. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not
drive for more than two hours at a stretch.
.. Do NOT drive when you are t ired, under
pressure or when you are stressed .
& WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a vehicle is being used.
Driving Safely 129
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 139 Co rrect seat ing pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
follow ing position:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi ­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
wh ile keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
¢&_ .
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact w ith it when you drive.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that th ere is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and yo ur breast
bone
~ fig. 139. If not possible, see your au ­
thorized Audi dealer about adaptive equip­
ment.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
.,. Grasp the top of the steer ing whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. App lies to veh icles with adjustable head re­
straints: Ad just the head restraint so the up­
per 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 posit ion as possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢ page 141 . .,._

132 Driving Safel y
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to vehicles: with a djustable head restra ints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im­
portant part of your vehicle's occupant re­
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations.
F ig . 14 0 Head restrain t: viewed from the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust­
ed to achieve the best protection.
• Adjust the head restrai nts so the uppe r edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possib le, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
c:> fig. 140.
• If there is a passenger on the rear center
seat ing pos ition, slide the center head re­
stra int upward at least to the next notch .
Ad justing head restraints
c:> page 61.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re­
straints. Dr iv ing without head restraints or
w ith head restra ints that are not properly
adjusted increases the risk of ser ious or fa­
t al nec k injury dramat ica lly. To help reduce
t he risk of inju ry:
- Always drive with the head restra ints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every pe rson in the veh icle must have a
properly adj usted head restra int.
- Always make sure each pe rson in the ve­
hicle properly adjusts the ir head re­
stra int. Adj ust the head rest raints so the
upper edge is as even as possib le with
the top of your head. If that is not possi ­
ble, try to adjust the head restra int so that
it is as close to this posit ion as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to ad just head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
m ust adjust the driver headrest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safely be­
fore at tempting to adjust the head re­
straint.
- Chil dren must a lways be prope rly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appro­
p ria te fo r their age and size
c:> page 167.
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
effect iveness of safety belts and w ill even in­
c rease the r is k of i njury and dea th by mov ing
the safety be lt to cr itical are as of the body.
Improper seating posi tions a lso increase the
risk of serio us injury and death when an air­
bag deploys and str ikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating posit ion. A dr iver is
responsible for the safety of all veh icle occu­
pants and espec ially for children. Therefore :
• Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
c:> ,& .
The following bulletins list on ly some samp le
pos itions that will increase the risk of serious
injury and death. Our hope is that these exam­
ples will make you more aware of seat ing po­
s itions that are dangerous .
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- neve r stand up i n the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride wit h the sea tback reclined
- neve r lie down o n the rear seat
- neve r lean up against the instrument panel ..,.

A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­dows, 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.
- Never 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.
(D 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
c:>poge234.
Driving Safely 135
Tie-downs
App lies to veh icles : w ith tie -d owns
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
c:> page 134, Loading the luggage com ­
partment .
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller i tems 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
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help prevent items from flying for­
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas­
senger compartment .
- Never attach a child safety seat tether
strap to a tie-down . •
•

144 Safet y belt s
• Let the belt wind up on the ret ractor as you
guide the belt tongue to its stowed position .
A WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the veh i­
cle is moving. Doing so will increase your
r isk of being injured or killed .
Adjusting safety belt height
-
With the aid of the safety belt height adjust­
ment, the three point safety belt strap rout­
ing can be fitted to the shoulder area, accord­
ing to body size .
~ 0 0 6
Fig. 152 Safety belt heig ht adj ustme nt for th e fro nt
seats -loop -around fittings
.. (0
The shoulder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possib le and
should fit well on the body
c:> .&. in Safety belt
position on page 143 .
• Push
the loop-around fittings up c:> fig. 152
@, or
• squeeze together the(!) button, and push
the loop-around fitt ings down @.
• Pull the belt to make sur e that the upper at­
tachment is properly engaged.
.&, WARNING
Alw ays read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other impo rtant informat ion ¢
page 141.
(D Tips
With the front seats, the height adjust­
ment of the seat can also be used to a djus t
the posit ion of the safety be lts.
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause
severe injuries .
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause se­
rious injury or deat h. Safety belts can o nly
work when they are correctly positioned on
the body . Improper seat ing pos itions reduce
the effectiveness of safety be lts and will even
i ncrea se t he risk of inju ry and death by mov­
ing the safety be lt to crit ica l areas o f the
body. Improper seating positions also in­
crease the risk of serious injury and death
when an a irbag dep loys and strikes an occu­
pant who is not in the correct seating posi ­
tion. A driver is respons ible for the safety of
all veh icle occupants and especially for chil­
dren . Therefore:
• Never perm it anyone to assume an incorrect
sitting position in the vehicle while traveling
c:> ,&. .
.&, WARNING
Improperly worn safety be lts increase the
r isk of ser ious p ersona l injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Always ma ke sur e that all vehicle occ u­
pants are co rrectly restra ined and stay in
a co rrec t seating position whe never the
veh icle is being used .
- Always read and heed all WAR NINGS a nd
o ther impo rtant inform ation
¢page 141.
Safety belt preten­
sioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear-end collisions above a
particular severity, safety belts are tensioned
automatically .
The safety belts are equipped with safety belt
pretensioners . The system is act ivated by sen­
sors in front, side and rear-end collisions of
grea t severity. This tightens the belt and takes
u p belt slac k
c:> .&. in Service and disposal of .,._

146 Airbag system
Airbag system
Important things to know
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For
airbags to do their job , occupants must al­
ways properly wear their safety belts and be
in a proper seating position.
F or your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers, before driving off, always:
• Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel
properly ¢
page 129,
• Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
¢ page 59,
• Wear safety be lts properly ¢ page 141,
• Always properly use the proper child re-
straint to protect children¢
page 167.
In a collision airbags must inflate within the
blink of an eye and with considerable force.
The supplemental airbags can cause injuries if
the driver or the front seat passenger is not
seated properly . Therefore in order to help the
a ir bag to do its job, it is important, both as a
d river and as a passenger to sit prope rly at all
times.
By keeping room between your body and the
steering wheel and the front of the passenger
compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and
comp letely and provide supplemental protec­
tion in ce rtain frontal collisions
¢page 129,
Proper occupant seating positions.
F or details
on the operation of the seat adjustment con­
t rols ¢
page 60.
It's especially important that children are
properly restrained ¢
page 167.
There is a lot that the driver and the passen­
ge rs can and must do to help the individual
safety features installed in your A udi work to­
gether as a system.
Proper seating pos ition is important so that
the front airbag on the driver side can do its
job. If you have a physical impairment or con- dition that
prevents you from sitting properly
on the driver seat with the safety belt properly
fastened and reaching the pedals , spec ial
modifications to your vehicle may be necessa­
ry.
Contact your authorized Audi dea ler, or call
Audi C ustomer Re lations at 1-800-822-2834.
When the airbag system dep loys , a gas gener­
ator will f ill the airbags, break open the pad­
ded covers, and inflate between the steering
whee l and the dr iver and between the instru­
ment panel and the front passenger. The air­
bags will deflate immediately after deploy­
ment so that the front occupants can see
th rough the windshield aga in without inter­
ruption .
All of th is takes place in the blink of an eye , so
fast that many people don't even realize that
the a irbags have deployed . The airbags also
inflate with a great deal of force and nothing
shou ld be in their way when they deploy.
Front airbags in combination with properly
worn safety belts slow down and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement. Together they
help to prevent the driver and front seat pas­
senger from hitting parts of the inside the ve­
hicle while reducing the forces acting on the
occupant dur ing the crash. In this way they
help to reduce the risk of injury to the head
and upper body in the crash . A irbags do not
protect the arms or the lower parts of the
body.
Both front a irbags w ill not inflate in all fronta l
collisions . The triggering of the airbag system
depends on the vehicle dece lerat ion rate
caused by the collision and registered by the
electron ic control unit. If this rate is below
the reference value programmed into the con­
trol unit, the airbags will not be trigge red ,
even though the car may be bad ly damaged as
a resu lt of the co llision . Vehicle damage, re­
pair costs or even the lack of veh icle damage
is no t necessarily an indication of whether an
airbag should inflate or not .
It is not possib le to define a range of vehicle
speeds that w ill cover every possib le kind and .,.