child restraint AUDI S4 2018 Owners Manual

Table of contents
About this Owner's Manual . .. .. .
Cockpit ... .. ............... .... .. .
Cockpit overview ................ .
Controls at a glance ... .......... .. .. .
Instrument cluster .. .......... .. .. .. .
Multifunction steering wheel plus ... .. .
Multifunction steering wheel ......... .
Driver information system ...... .. .. .. .
H ead-up display .... .. .. ..... ... .. .. .
On-Board Diagnostic System (OBD) .. .. .
I ndicator lights .................... . 6
8
8
8
10
13
16
17
24
24
25
Starting and driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
L uggage compartment lid . . . . . . . . . . . . .
43
Child safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Sliding/tilting sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Panorama glass roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SO
Valet parking function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
51
Garage door opener (Homelink) . . . . . . . . 52
L ights and Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Exterior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Interior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
V1s1on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Windshield wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
60
Digital compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Seats and storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
H ead restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Memory function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
67
Sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Luggage compartment ........ .... .. .
Roof rack .. .. ... ............ .... .. .
Warm and cold ................ .. .
Climate control system .............. .
3 zone deluxe automatic climate control .
Steer ing wheel heating .. ........ .. .. .
2
70
74
76
76
77
79
Driving ... .. .. .. .. .. ... .......... . .
General information . ... ........... . .
Steering .......... .. .. . .......... . .
Start ing and stopping the eng ine ..... . .
Start/Stop system .. .. ............. . .
E le ctromechanical parking brake ...... .
Start ing to drive .. .. .. ........ ..... . .
D rivi ng offroad . .. ... ...... ....... .. .
Automatic transmission
Trailer towing ..... .............. .
Driving with a trailer .. ............. . .
8 0
80
82
83
85
88
89
90
91
99
99
T raile r towing information . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Driver assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Electronic speed limiter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Speed warning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Camera-based traffic sign recognition . . . 104
Lap timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Pred ictive efficiency assist. . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Audi adaptive cruise contro l . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Pred ictive control (eff ic ie ncy assist) . . . . . 115
Traffic jam assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Distance indicat or and distance warnin g 118
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Audi pre sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Audi pre sense basic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Audi pre sense front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Audi pre sense rea r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Audi pre sense city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Settings in the Infotainment system . . . . 124
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Audi active lane assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Audi s ide assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Audi drive select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Parking systems
General information .. ... .......... . .
Rear parking system .. .. ........... . .
Parking aid plus .. .. .. ............. . .
Rearview camera ... .. .. ........... . .
Periphera l cameras ... ... .......... . .
Adjusting th e parking aid . ........... .
136
136
137
137
138
140
143

Rear head restraints
Fig. 68 Re ar seat : adjus ting the head re stra in t
Fig. 69 Re ar seat: remov ing the head rest ra in t
If passenge rs are s itting in the outer rear seats ,
ad just the head restraints so that t he upper edge
of the head restraint is as level as possib le with
the upper part of their head . If that is not possi­
ble, try to adjust as close to this posit ion as pos­
sible . If your ve hicle has a midd le seat, adjust
that head restraint all the way up
c:> A_
Mo ving the head rest raint s
.. To move the head restraint upward, hold it at
the sides w it h both hands and slide it upward
until it clicks into place
c:> fig . 68 .
.. To move the head restraint down, press the
button -arrow-
c:> fig . 68 and slide the head re­
straint downwa rd.
Remo ving the head restraints
.. Move the head restraint upward as far as it can
go .
.. Press the release point c:> fig. 69 using the me­
chanical key
c:> page 38, Key set and press the
bu tton -arrow-
c:> fig. 68. Pull the head rest raint
out of the backrest a t the same time
c:> &_ .
Seats and storag e
Installing the head restraints
.. Slide the pos ts on the head restrain t down into
the guides until the posts click into p lace .
.. Press the button -arrow-c:> fig. 68 and slide the
head rest raint all the way down . You shou ld not
be able to remove the head restraint from the
back rest without pressing the button.
_& WARNING ~
-Always read and follow the applicable warn­
ings
c:> page 257, Proper adjustment of
h ead restraints .
-Only remove the head restra ints from the
rear seats when it is necessary for installing
a child safety seat
c:> page 295 , Child safe­
ty .
Install the head restraint again immedi­
ately once the child safety seat is removed. D riving with the head restra ints removed or
not in the upright position increases the risk
of serious injury .
Memory function
Description
Applies to: vehicles with memory function
Using the memory function, you can quickly and
easily store a persona l seat p rofile for the d river
and recall the set tings late r. The memo ry func­
t ion is controlled by the remote contro l key and
the memory buttons in the driver 's door .
T he driver's se at profile is stored again and as­
s igned to the remote con trol key each t ime the
vehicle is locked . W hen you open the door, the
seat profile is automatically recalled . If two peo ­
ple use the v ehicle , it is recommended that each
person always uses the ir
"own" remote control
key.
T wo seat p rofiles can be stored each using the
memory buttons . Once they are stored, these
seat p rofiles can be selected at any t ime .
T he following se tt ings a re stored :
67

Driving sa fe ty
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safe ty first!
The individua l safety features of your vehicle can
work together 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 correctly
used .
This chapter contains important informat ion,
tips, instruct ions and warn ings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others . We have summar­
ized here what you need to know about safety
be lts , a ir bags, child restra ints as well as child
safety. Yo ur sa fe ty is for us
priority number 1 . Al ­
ways observe the information and wa rnings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The informa tion in this section applies to all
model ve rsions of your vehicle . Some of the fea­
tures described in th is sections may be standard
equipment on some models, or may be optional
equ ipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your author ized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in th is
manual. It is in your inte rest and i n the in­
te res t of your passengers .
- Always keep all of the Owner 's L iterature
man uals in yo ur Audi when you lend o r sell
yo ur vehicle so that this importan t info rma­
t ion w ill always be availab le to the dr iver
and passenge rs.
- Alw ays keep t he Owner 's L ite ra tu re han dy
so that you can find i t easi ly if yo u have
questions .
254
· Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.. Make sure that a ll lights and signals are operat­
ing correctly .
.. Make sure tha t the tire pressure is correct .
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good vis ibility to the outs ide .
.,. Sec ure all luggage and othe r items ca refully
¢ page 259 .
.,. Mak e sure tha t noth ing ca n interfere with the
pedals .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Applies to: adjustable head restraints: Instruct
passengers to adjust the head restraints ac­
cording to the ir height .
.. Make sure to use the rig ht child restraint cor­
rectly to protect
chi ldren ~ page 295 , Child
safety.
.,. Si t properly in yo ur seat a nd make su re t hat
your passengers do the same ¢
page 65, Front
seats.
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly . Al­
so instruct your passenge rs to fasten thei r sa fe­
ty belts properly ¢
page 263.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle , the driver as well as the driver's abili ­
ty to concentra te on the road withou t being dis­
tracted.
The driver is responsib le for the sa fety of the ve­
hicle and a ll of its occupants . If your ability to
drive is impa ired, safety risks for everybody in the
vehicle increase and you a lso become a hazard to
everyone else on the road ¢
,&.. There fore:
.. Do not let yourse lf be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVER dr ive whe n your driving ab ility is im -
paired (by med ications, alcohol, drugs, e tc.) .
..,.

Driving safety
-Always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are located .
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
and head restraints properly and make sure
that all passengers are properly restrained .
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving . Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating position .
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
c::> page 295 . Special precautions ap­
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat
c::> page 2 71 .
Proper seating position for the f ront
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
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.
.. Applies to: adjustable head restraints: Adjust
the head restraint so the upper edge is as even
a s 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
c::> page 66 .
.. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correct­
ly <=:> page 266.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c::> page 65.
256
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 airbag as it
unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean aga inst or place any
part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri­
ously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front pas­
senger's breastbone and the instrument
panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­
ger's knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment 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 pas­
senger seat and head restraint properly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument panel, out of the window, etc . The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in ­
crease the risk of injury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the r isk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety be lt
and improper seat ing position.
- Ch ildren must always ride in child safety
seats
c::> page 295. Special precautions ap­
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat
c::> page 2 71.

Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the ve­
hicle is in use.
To reduce the r isk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden b raking
maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must a lways obse rve the follow ­
ing:
• Applies to: adjustable head restraints: If there
are passengers on the outer rear seats, adjust
the head restraints 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. If
there is a passenger in the center rear seat,
slide the head restraint upward
r=> page 67 .
• Make sure that the seatback is sec urely latched
in the upright position
r=> page 71.
• Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
• Fasten and wear safety be lts properly
r=> page 266 .
• Make sure that children are always properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and
ager=> page 295 .
_&. WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rea r seat can be ser iously injured in a crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their ow n and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt be long ing to that seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum p rotection
when the seatback is securely latched in the
upr ight position and the safety be lts a re
prope rly positioned on the body. By not sit­
t ing upright, a re ar sea t passenger increases
the risk of personal inj ury from improperly
posit ioned safety be lts !
- Always adjust the head rest raint properly so
that it ca n give max imum protection.
Dr iving safety
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
F ig . 225 Head restra int: v iewed from t he front
The head rest raints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection.
• Applies to: adjustable head restraints: Adjust
the head restraints so the upper 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 pos ition as poss ible.
Position* the head restra int as close as possible
to the back of your head .
• If the re is a passenger in the center rear seat,
slide the head restra int upward.
Adjusting head restraints
r=> page 66.
_&. WARNING
-A ll seats are eq uipped with head restraints .
Driving w ithout head restraints or w it h head
r est raints t hat are not prope rly adjusted in­
creases the r is k of se rious or fata l neck injury
dramat ically. To help reduce the risk of injury:
- Always d rive with the head restra ints in
p la ce and pro perly adjus ted.
- E very pe rson in the veh icle must have a
p roper ly adjusted hea d restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the veh icle
p roperly adjusts the ir he ad restrain t. Adj ust
the hea d restrain ts so the upper edge is as
even as possible wi th the top of your head .
If that is not poss ible, try to ad just the head
restraint so that it is as close to this position
as poss ible.
-
257

Driving sa fe ty
-Never attempt to adjust head restraint
wh ile driving. If you have dr iven
off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to adjust the head restra int.
- Children must always be properly restrained
in a child restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
¢ page 295.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated .
Improper seating positions can cause serious in­
jury or deat h. Safety belts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body . Im­
proper seating positions reduce the effect iveness
of safety belts and w ill even increase the r isk of
i njur y and dea th by moving the safety be lt to crit­
ical areas of the body. Impro per sea ting posit ions
a lso increase the risk of ser ious injury and dea th
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seat ing position. A driver
is responsib le for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especially for children. Therefore :
~ Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seat ing pos ition when the vehicle is being used
c> .&, .
The fo llowing bulletins list only some sample po ­
sitions that will increase the risk of serio us inj ury
and death. Our hope is that these examp les will
make you more aware of seating posit ions that
are dangerous.
The ref ore, when ever th e vehicle i s moving:
- never stand up in the ve hicle
- never s tand on the seats
- never knee l on the seats
- never r ide with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on t he seats
- never lean up against the instrument pane l
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit s ideways
- never le an out the w indow
- never put yo ur feet out the window
258
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- neve r rest your feet on the seat c ushion or back
o f the seat
- neve r ride in the footwell
- neve r ride in the ca rgo area
A WARNING
I mp roper seating positions inc re ase the risk
of ser iou s personal inju ry and de ath whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all veh icle occupants
s tay in a proper sea ting posit ion and are
pro perly restrained whenever the vehicle is
be ing used .
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
A WARNING
A lways make sure that the knee airbag can in­
flate w ithout interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can inc rease the risk
of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the ai rbag dep loys o r by being pushed in­
to you as the airbag dep loys.
- No persons (ch ild ren) or animals should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat . If the airbag deploys, this can res ult in
serio us or fat al injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried i n
the footwell area in front of the dr iver's or
passenger's seat. Bu lky objects (shopping
bags, for examp le) can hamper or prevent
proper dep loyment of the airbag . Sma ll ob­
jects can be thrown thro ugh the vehicle if
the airbag deploys and injure you or your passengers.

Safety belts
General information
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are neces­
sary, how they work and how to adjust and wear
them correctly.
.. Read all the information that follows and heed
all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, always correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, o r physically
im­
paired persons must also use safety belts.
Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts. The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mother
-throughout
the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each seat­
ing position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, includ­
ing small children, into any belt.
It is espe­
cially dangerous to place a safety belt over a
~ child sitting on your lap.
~ -Never let mo re people ride in the vehicle
:::l than there are safety belts available. 0 0
3 Safety belts
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safety
belt or child restraint.
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.
Fi g. 227 Safety belt warn ing light in the instrument clus ·
te r
-enlarged
Before driving off, always:
.. Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly.
"' 0 N ... m
.,. Make sure that your passengers also buckle up
and properly wear their safety belts.
.,. Protect children with a child restraint system
appropr iate for the size and age.
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignit ion is switched on as a re­
minder to fasten the safety belts . In addition,
you w ill hear a warn ing tone for a certain period
of time.
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that your
passengers also properly put on their safety
belts.
A WARNING
-
- Safety belts are the sing le most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, a lways correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving .
- Failure to pay attention to the warning light
that comes on could lead to personal injury.
263

Safety belts
_& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death . Safety belts can work only
when used correctly.
-Always fasten your safety belts correctly be­ fore driving off and make sure all passen­
gers are correctly restrained.
-For maximum protection, safety belts must
always be positioned properly on the body.
-Never strap more than one person, includ­
ing small children, into any belt.
-Never place a safety belt over a child sitting
on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front of
the seat while the vehicle is being driven.
-Never let any person ride with their feet on
the instrument panel or sticking out the
window or on the seat.
-Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle
is moving . Doing so will increase your risk of
being injured or killed .
- Never wear belts twisted.
-Never wear belts over rigid or breakable ob-
jects in or on your clothing, such as eye
glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause
injury.
-Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in door or seat hard­
ware .
-Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of position.
-Several layers of heavy clothing may inter­
fere with correct positioning of belts and re­ duce the overall effectiveness of the system.
-Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latching
securely .
-Never use comfort clips or devices that cre­
ate slack in the shoulder belt. However, spe­
cial clips may be required for the proper use
of some child restraint systems.
-Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt hardware can break in an acci­
dent . Inspect belts regularly.
If webbing,
bindings, buckles, or retractors are dam-
266
aged, have belts replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
-Safety belts that have been worn and loaded
in an accident must be replaced with the
correct replacement safety belt by an au­
thorized Audi dealer. Replacement may be
necessary
even if damage cannot be clearly
seen . Anchorages that were loaded must al­
so be inspected.
-Never remove, modify , disassemble, or try
to repair the safety belts yourself .
-Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work properly and can impair the func­
tion of the inertia reel¢
table Interior
cleaning on page 356.
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 233 Belt buckle and tongue on the driver's seat
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the wear­
er's body .
.. Adjust the front seat and head restraint proper­
ly¢
page 65, Front seats.
.. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench
is in an upright position and securely latched in
place before using the belt
q ,&. .
.. Pull the safety belt evenly across the chest and
pelvis ¢
fig. 233, ¢ _&. .
.. Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely.
.. Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buckle .
.,,_

a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
Airbag system
Important information
Importance of wearing safety belts and
sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For
airbags to do their job, occupants must always
properly wear their safety belts and be in a prop­ er seating position.
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers, before driving off, always :
.,. Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel
properly
9 page 255,
.,. Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
¢page 256,
.,. Wear safety belts properly¢ page 265,
.,. Always properly use the proper child restraint
to protect children ¢
page 295.
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 airbag to
do its job, it is important, both as a driver and as
a passenger to sit properly 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
completely and provide supplemental protection in certain frontal
collisions ¢ page 255, Correct
passenger seating positions .
For details on the
operation of the seat adjustment controls
¢page 65.
It's especially important that children are proper­
ly restrained
¢page 295.
There is a lot that the driver and the passengers
can and must do to help the individual safety fea­
tures installed in your Audi work together as a
system.
Proper seating position is important so that the
front airbag on the driver side can do its job. If
you have a physical impairment or condition that prevents you from sitting properly on the driver
seat with the safety belt properly fastened and
Airbag system
reaching the pedals, or if you have concerns with
regard to the function or operation of the Ad­
vanced Airbag System, please contact your au­
thori zed Audi dealer or qualified workshop, or
call Audi Customer Relations at 1-800-822-2834
for possible modifications to your vehicle.
When the airbag system deploys, a gas generator
will fill the airbags, break open the padded cov­ ers, and inflate between the steering wheel and
the driver and between the instrument panel and
the front passenger. The airbags will deflate im­
mediately after deployment so that the front oc­
cupants can see through the windshield again
without interruption.
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the airbags have deployed. The airbags also inflate
with a great deal of force and nothing should be
in their way when they deploy. Front airbags in
combination with properly worn safety belts slow
down and limit the occupant's forward move­
ment . Together they help to prevent the driver
and front seat passenger from hitting parts of
the inside of the vehicle while reducing the forces
acting on the occupant during the crash . In this
way they help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and upper body in the crash. Airbags do not
protect the arms or the lower parts of the body.
Both front airbags will not inflate in all frontal
collisions . The triggering of the airbag system de­
pends on the vehicle deceleration rate caused by
the collision and registered by the electronic con­
trol unit . If this rate is below the reference value
programmed into the control unit, the airbags
will not be triggered, even though the car may be badly damaged as a result of the collision. Vehi­
cle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehi­
cle damage is not necessarily an indication of
whether an airbag should inflate or not.
Since the circumstances will vary considerably between one collision and another, it is not possi­
ble to define a range of vehicle speeds that will
cover every possible kind and angle of impact
that will always trigger the airbags . Important
factors include, for example, the nature (hard or
soft) of the object which the car hits, the angle of
impact, vehicle speed , etc. The front airbags will
II>
271

Airbag syste m
also not inflate in s ide or rear collisions, or in
ro llovers.
Al wa ys rememb er: Airbags will deploy only once,
and on ly in ce rtain k inds of coll is ions. Yo ur safety
be lts are always there to offer protection in those
situations in which airbags are not supposed to
dep loy, or when they have already deployed; for
examp le, when your vehicle str ikes or is struck by
another vehicle after the first coll is ion.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is a
supp lementary restraint and is not a substitute
for a safety belt. The a irbag system works most
effect ively when used with the safety belts.
Therefore, always properly wear your safety belts
c::>page 263.
A WARNING
Sitting too close to the steering wheel o r in­
st rument panel will decrease the effective­
ness of the airbags and will inc rease the risk
of personal injury in a co llision.
- Never sit closer than 10 inches (25 cm) to
the steering wheel or instrument panel.
- If you cannot si t mo re than 10 inches
(25 cm) from the steering wheel, invest i­
gate whether adaptive equipment may be
available to help you reach the pedals and
increase your seating distance from the
steering wheel.
- All vehicle occupants and especially children
must be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly
restra ined child could be injured by striking
the interior or by being ejected from the ve­
hicle during a sudden maneuver or impact.
An unrestrained or imp roperly restrained
child is also at greate r risk of inju ry or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
- If you are unrestrained, leaning fo rwa rd, s it­
t ing s ideways or o ut o f pos ition in any way,
yo ur risk of in ju ry is much h igher.
- Yo u will also receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if you are up aga inst the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag.
272
-
- To reduce the risk o f injury when an a irbag
inflates, always wear safety belts properly
c::> page 266, Safety belts.
- Always make certa in that children age 12 or
younger always ride in the rear seat. If chil­
dren are not properly restrained, they may be severely injured or killed when an airbag
inflates.
- Never let ch ildren ride unrestra ined or im­
properly restrained in the vehicle. Ad just the
front seats properly.
- Never ride with the backrest recl ined .
- Always sit as far as possible from the steer-
ing wheel or the instrument panel
c::> page 255.
- Always sit upright w ith your back against
the backrest of your seat .
- Never p lace your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both feet
on the floor in front of the seat to help pre­
vent serious injur ies to the legs and hips if
the airbag inflates.
- Never recl ine the front passenger's seat to
transpo rt objects . Items can also move in to
the area of the s ide a irbag or the front air­
bag du ring brak ing o r in a sudden maneu­
ver. Obje cts nea r the airbags can become
pro jecti les and cause injury when an airbag
inflates.
A WARNING
A irbags that have deployed in a crash must be
replaced.
- Use on ly original equipment airbags ap­
proved by Audi and installed by a trained
technician who has the necessary tools and
diagnostic equipment to properly replace
any airbag in yo ur vehicle and assure system
effectiveness in a crash.
- Never perm it salvaged or recycled airbags to
be installed in your vehicle.
Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
.,. Be s ure to read the impo rtan t in format ion and
heed the WARN INGS for impor tant deta ils
.,..