2000 AUDI ALLROAD Owners Manual

VE
HICL E OPER ATION
Driving on slopes
• If you find that you cannot climb a grade,
never try to turn. Back down the hill in re­
verse gear. If you don't. the vehicle may
tip or roll over!
• To reduce the danger of rolling the ve­
hicle, drive the vehicle as close as possible
to the "fall line" (direction of maximum
slope) -not at an angle to the fall line.
If it feels like the vehicle is about to
roll over when you are trav eling at
an angle to the fall line, turn into the
fall line immediately.
• Never park your vehicle on extreme
uphill or down hill slopes.
Deep snow
• You should promptly install wheels
equipped with winter or all-season tires
when you expect winter road conditions -
see page 260.
• Install snow chains before attempting to
drive through deep, unplowed snow - see
page 261.
200 Driving
through water
• Always make certain that the ride level
system is in the highest level before cross­
ing streams and similar water obstacles.
• You should always determine how deep
the water is before you drive through it.
• When crossing through water, travel only
at a walking speed. If possible, do not
stop and do not shut off the engine.
• Avo id driving through salt water
(beaches, for example).
After you have traveled through wa­
ter, mud or slush, your brakes may
be slow to respond due to wet brake
rotors and pads. To get back the full
braking effectiveness, apply the
brakes cautiously to dry them out­
The brakes must be dry before you
can get full brake performance. Sand,
quicksand and similar unsta­
ble soils
Cross sandy or other unstable terrain briskly
and, if possible, do not stop.

Braking
General notes
• The brakes on today's automobiles are
still subject to wear, depending largely on
operating conditions and driving habits. On
vehicles which are driven mostly in stop­
an d-go city traffic or which are driven hard,
the brake pads should be checked by your
authorized Audi Dealer more often than
specified in the Maintenance booklet.
• On steep slopes, you should use the
braking effect of the engine. This way, you
prevent unnecessary wear to the brake sys­
tem. If you must use your brakes, do not
hold the brakes down continu ously. Pump
the brakes at interv als.
• Under certain conditions, for example,
when driving through water or very heavy
rain, or even after washing your vehicle, the
braking effect can be reduced due to the
wet brake pads or pads which are iced-up in
the winter. A few cautious brake applica­
tions should dry off the brake pads or re­
move ice coati ngs. The
effect iveness of the brakes can be re­
duced when the vehicle is driven on a salt­
covered road and the brakes are not used.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious
brake applications.
�W ARNING
• If you damage the front spoiler,
or if you install a different spoiler,
be sure the air flow to the front
brakes is not obstructed, other­
wise the brake system could over­
heat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake aystem.
• Failure of one brake circuit will
impair the braking capability re­
sulting in an increased stopping
distance.
Avo id driving the vehicle and have
it towed to the nearest authorized
Audi Dealer or qualified work­
shop. VEH
ICLE OPERATION
Brake booster
�W ARNING
• The brake booster works with
vacuum pressure which is created
only when the engine is running.
Never let the vehicle roll to a stop
with the angina shut off.
• If the brake booster is not work­
ing, for example when towing your
vehicle, or because the brake boo­
ster has somehow been damaged,
the brake pedal must be pressed
harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
201

VE
HICL E OPER ATION------------------------
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS)
The ABS contributes effectively to vehicle
control since it prevents the wheels from
locking when the brakes are applied. This
means that the vehicle remains steerable
and is less likely to skid.
Nota
Yo u don't have to "pump" the brake.
Just hold the brake pedal down.
However, do not expect that the ABS short­
ens braking distance under all circum­
stances. When driving on gravel or on newly
fallen snow on top of icy surfaces, braking
distance may be even longer , therefore, un­
der these circumstances, it is especially im­
portant that you drive slowly and with great
care.
202 How the
ABS system works
An automatic check is made when a speed
of about 4 mph (6 km/h) is reached.
When this happens a pumping noise can be
heard.
If an individual wheel begins to rotate too
slowly in relation to vehicle speed and tends
to lock, the ABS automatically reduces
brake pressure to prevent that wheel from
locking.
This automatic adjustment process
will cause a slight vibration of the
brake pedal and soma noises to alert
you that vehicle speed must be
adapted to existing road and traffic
conditions. Enhanced
ABS function {Offroad­
Mode)
To improve braking on loose terrain (for ex­
ample: gravel, scree, mud, slush, snow),
turn off the ESP (see page 205), which will
switch the ABS to a special mode designed
for off-road requirements.
In this mode, the ABS control system is
changed to allow a "wedge" of loose rock
or soil to form in the front of the wheels.
This improves braking performance.
The ESP indicator light in the instrument
cluster will come on when you have
switched to this special ABS mode (see
page 124).
This special ABS mode will remain active up
to about 40 mph (60 km/h). ABS operation
is not affected at speeds over 40 mph
(60 km/h).
To turn his special ABS mode off, press the
ESP button (To activate ESP, see page 152).
The ABS off-road mode will also be deacti­
vated when vou turn off the engine.

�W
ARNING
Although the ABS is very effec­
tive, always remember that brak­
ing capability is lim ited by tire
tracti on.
Always adjust your driving speed
accor ding to the road and traffic
conditions. Do not let the extra
safety afforded by the ABS tempt
you into taking extra risks. The
ABS cannot overcome the laws of
physics.
If ABS is not functioning properly, a warning
light will come on. See page 125 for addi­
tional details. Conditions
affecting
braking efficiency
Moisture or road salt
�W ARNING
• Under certain climatic and oper­
ating conditions such as passing
through water, driving in heavy
rain or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes
can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, lin­
ings, discs and drums. Cautiously
apply brakes for a test. Brakes will
dry and ice coatings will be
cleaned off after a few cautious
brake applications. VE
HICLE OPERATION
� WARNING continued
• Driving for an extended period
of time on salt-covered roads with­
out using your brakes can also af­
fect braking efficiency. Clean off
accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few
cautious brake applications.
Overhea ting the brakes
�W ARNIN G
• Do not "ride the brakes" by rest­
ing your foot on the pedal when
you do not intend to brake. This
may cause the brakes to overheat,
premature wear and Increased
stopping distance.
Always heed all WAR NINGS
on next page.
203

VE
HICL E OPERA TION-----------------------
'4 WARN ING continued
• Before descending a steep
grade, reduce speed and shift
transmission into a lower gear or
lower driving position. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down
too long or too often. This could
cause the brakes to get hot and di­
minish braking efficiency.
• If you damage the front spoiler,
or if you install a different spoiler,
be sure the air flow to the front
brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could over­
heat reducing the effective ness of
the entire brake system.
• Failure of one brake circuit will
impair the braking capability re­
sulting in an increased stopping
distance.
Avoid driving the vehicle and have
it towed to the nearest Audi Dealer
or qualified workshop.
204 Electronic differential lock
(EDL)
The EDL operates in conjunction with the
ABS. The EDL acts automatically, i.e. with­
out the driver's intervention.
With the aid of the ABS sensors, this sy­
stem monitors the speed of the driven
wheels up to about 50 mph, 80 km/h .
Within the speed range at which this sy­
stem operates, if the wheels spin (e.g. on
slippery surfaces) they are braked in a con­
trolled manner , and more of the engine's
power is directed to whiche ver wheels
achieve greater traction.
Please note:
• When driving off, always be sure to keep
road conditions in mind as you accelerate.
If a drive wheel spins because it's on a slip­
perier surface, gradually increase the pres­
sure on the accelerator pedal until the car
starts to move. •
When accelerating on slippery surfaces,
such as on ice or snow, always be careful
when depressing the accelerator pedal.
Even with the EDL working, the drive
wheels can spin and reduce your ability to
control your car.
• To prevent the disc brake of the braked
wheel from overheating, if subjected to ex­
cessive loads the EDL cuts out temporarily.
The vehicle remains operational and be­
haves in the same way as a vehicle without
EDL
If a fault occurs in the ABS the EDL is also
not functioning. This is ind icated by the ABS
warning light-see page 125.
ftl WARNING
The increased safety afforded by
EDL does not mean that you can
take safety risks. Always adapt
your driving style to the road con­
ditions and traffic situation.

Electronic
Stability Program (ESP)
The Electronic Stability Program helps to
control the vehicle in critical maneuvers like
curves.
When the vehicle starts up and accelerates,
the wheels are prevented from spinning by
adjusting the engine power to conform to all
road conditions. This improves vehicle sta­
bil ity.
The system operates across the entire
speed range in combination with the ABS
syst em. If the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP will also shut
down.
When you turn on the engine, the ESP will
automatically be activated and will perform
a self-test. The
system can be activated or deactivated
by press ing the button.
The warning light comes on when the sys­
tem is switch ed off. See page 124.
If you deactivate the ESP, a special ABS
mode designed mainly for all-road condi­
tions will be activated - see page 202.
It may be advantageous to turn off the sys­
tem in certain special cases when wheel
slippage is desired such as:
- when driving on difficult terrain VE
HICL E OPER ATION
- when driving in deep snow or on a loose
surface
- when trying to "rock" out the vehicle
when it has become stuck.
After this, you should switch the system
back on.
The ABS and EDS are still functioning even
if the ESP is switched off.
205

VEHICLE
OPER ATION----------------------
Operation
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) and the
Electronic Differential Lock (EDU are inte­
grat _ed in the Electronic Stability Progr am. In
a _ddrtron to the data provided by these func­
tions, the ESP control unit requires addition­
al measurement data provided by hig h-per­
forman ?e sensors. The rotat ional speed of
the veh1cle about its vertical axis, vehicle lat­
eral acceleration, brake pressure and the
steering angle are measured.
The direction in which the driverwishes to
travel is determined with the aid of the
stee �ing angle and the vehicle speed and is
contmually compared with the actual be­
havior of the vehicle.
If the data do not match - for example when
a vehrcle is beginning to spin out of control
- the ESP applies the brakes to the appropri­
ate wheels for the given situation and, if
necessar y, changes the vehicle traction
forces so as to reduce the slipping of individ­
ual wheels (ASR anti-slip regulation).
206 The
vehicle is then stabilized by the forces
a ?tin � on the wheel during braking. If the ve­
hicle IS overstee ring (rear tends to skid out
of the turn), the brakes are mainly applied on
the wheel that is on the outside ofthe curve.
In the case of a vehicle that is und ersteering
(tendency to slide out of the curve). the
brakes are applied at the rear wheel that is
on the inside of the curve. An audible signal
�rll accompany the brake application func­
tion.
All �SP senso rs a�e monitored continuously
wh1le the vehicle IS being driven. However,
when the vehicle is driven at low speed on
ex tremely rugged terrain, it is not always
possrble to monrtor the ESP sensors contin­
uously. Thus, in rare and exceptional cases
the ESP itself can deactivate (ESP and ABS
ind icator lights will be lit continuously).
In this case. the ride level adjustment sys­
tem lowers the vehicle to the normal level
If this happens, you may need to select th�
ride level again (see page 153).
Operation of the ESP and ABS is restored
whenever you restart the engine. m
WAR NING
! he Electronic Stability Program
•• nevertheless subject to the laws
of physics. It is particularly impor­
tant to pay attention to this fact on
wet and slippery roads.
It is therefore important that you
always adapt your driving to the
condition of the road and traffic
conditions. Do not allow the in­
creased safety provided by the
Electro nic Stability Program sys­
tem to lull you into accepting addi­
tional safety risks.

Driving
with your quattro ®
The All Wheel Drive system has no operat­
ing controls that require attention.
The engine power is distributed automati­
cally to all four wheels for optimum effi­
ciency in all situations and road conditions.
The All Wheel Drive concept is perfectly
matched to the engine power of your
Audi all road. This combination gives the ve­
hicle excep tional handling and performance
capabilities, both on normal roads and in ex­
treme conditions of ice and snow.
However, it is vital to observe the following
safety notes:
�W ARNIN G
Always adjust your driving to road
and traffic conditions. Do not let
the extra safety afforded by All
Wheel Drive tempt you into taking
extra risks.
Although the All Wheel Drive is
very effective, always remember
that braking capacity is limited by
tire traction. You should therefore
not drive at excessive speeds on
icy or slippery road surfaces. ftl
WARNING continued
On wet road surfaces, be careful
not to drive too fast because the
front wheels could begin to slide
on top of the water (hydroplaning).
If this should occur, you will have
no warning from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a
front-wheel drive vehicle. Always
drive at speeds which are suitable
to the road conditions.
Replacing wheels I tires
All four wheels must always have the same
rol ling radius. Different tires on the front and
rear wheels may impair vehicle control and
will damage the All Wheel Drive because of
the constantly different wheel speeds. The
proper function of the system is not af­
fected by unevenly worn tires.
For more information, see page 255. VEH
ICLE OPER ATION
Using winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle
with All Wheel Drive has an advantage,
even with regular tires.
You should promptly install wheels
equipped with winter or all-season tires to
better handling and braking characteristics.
See also "Winter tires", page 260.
207