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.
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
VEHICLE
CARE-------------------------
Tires I Wheels
Tires are important but often abused parts
of a vehicle. They not only influence comfort
and ride, but perform vital safety functio �s.
This section is intended to provide you w1th
imp ortant information regarding their prop
er use, care and replacement.
• Be sure to inspect your tires at least ev
ery 2,000 miles (3 000 kilometres) for wear
and damage.
• Damage to wheels and tires is not always
easy to see. If you believe that a tire or
wheel has been damaged, it is best to have
it replaced as soon as possible. Internal tire
damage can never get better or ': heal" it
self, it can only get worse over t1me. Tire
damage can lead to tire failure and loss of
vehicle control. See your authonzed Aud1
Dealer for advice and assistance.
• Mark tires before removing them. Re
mount tires on the same vehicle side be
cause the rotation direction must stay the
same.
252 •
Store removed tires in a cool, dry and pre
ferably dark place. Tires which are not on
wheels should be stored standing up.
• New tires may have different tread
depths due to the configuration and des!gn
by the tire manufacturers. When replacing
tires, use ones with matching tread depth.
�W ARNING
• Tires age even if they are not be
ing used. Tires which are more
than 6 years should be used only in
an emergency and then with cau
tion.
• Avoid damaging tires and wheel
rims. If you must drive over a curb
or other obstacle, drive slowly and
as nearly as possible at a right
angle. Frequently check tires for
uneven wear and damage. M
WARNIN G continued
• Remove embedded material.
• Replace worn or damaged tires
immediately.
• Replace missing valve dust
caps.
• Keep oil, fuel, brake fluid, etc.
away from tires.
• Keep tires inflated correctly.
New tires
New tires tend to be slippery and cannot of
ferfull traction until they have been properly
broken in.
�W ARNING
To help avoid loss of control, al
ways operate a vehicle with new
tires at lower speeds and with spe
cial caution for the first 300 miles
(480 kilometres).
VEHICLE CA
RE--------------------------
The manufacturing date on the tire
side wall (possibly only on the inside of the
wheel):
DOT ... 12 00 ... means that the tire was
produced in the 12th week of 2000.
Tire strength and performance decline with
age -even if the tires are not used. Tire
manufacturers caution that a tire more than
six years old cannot be expected to perform
reliably and safely even in normal use.
�W ARNING
Old tires can fail in use, causing
loss of vehicle control and person
al injury.
Replace tires after six years re
gardless of tread wear. Always re
duce speed and drive cautiously if
you must use an old tire in an emer
gency. Replace the tire as soon as
possible.
258 Uniform
Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applica
ble on the tire side wall between tread,
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200, Traction AA, Tem
perature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to
Federal Safety Requirements in addition to
these grades.
Tr eadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a spe
cified government test course. For exam
ple, a tire
Qraded 15
0 would wear one and
one half (1112) times as well on the govern
ment course as a tire graded 1 00. The rei a·
tive perfo rmance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service prac
tices and differences in road characteristics
and climate. Tra
ction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet pave ment as
measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of as
phalt and concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performa nce.
�W ARNING
The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does
not include acceleration, corner
ing, hydr oplaning or peak traction
characteristics.
VEH
ICLE CARE
Winter tires
The tires for your vehicle were selected for
optimal performance under a variety of driv
ing conditions.
If your Audi is equipped with high perfor
mance tires (identified by code letter V, W
or Z on the tire flank) and you drive frequent
ly on ice or sno w, you should consider the
installation of all season or winter tires. Let
your authorized Audi Dealer advise and as
sist you.
For winter driving, the driveability of your
vehicle can be improved by installing radial
winter tires (M+S) with or without studs1l.
The all season tires with which your ve
hicle may have been equipped at the factory
are perform ance tires advertised by the tire
manufacturer as suitable for all weather use
or with special mud and snow (M+S) capa
bility.
Winter tires, sometimes also called snow
tires, are designed for maximum traction in
mud and snow.
,, Check with your local Motor Vehicle Bu
reau for possible restrictions.
260 When
installing winter tires, please
note the following:
• Only radial ply winter tires may be
installed. Ask your authorized Audi Dealer
for the recommended tire size.
• Winter tires must be mounted on all four
wheels.
• Because of the special design character
istics of radial ply M+S tires, they must be
inflated 3 psi above the cold tire inflation
pressures required for the regular radial ply
tires. However, never exceed the maximum
tire inflation pressure listed on the tire side
wall.
• Winter tires will not do their job if the
tread depth is less than 5/32 of an inch
(4 mm). �
WARNING
• Tires with badly wom treads
and studs are very dangerous.
Make sure they are replaced imme
diately.
• Never mix tires of different de
sign such as steel belted radials
with radial bias belted or bias ply
tires, etc. Mixing tire types will ad
versely affect road holding and
can lead to loss of vehicle control
and personal inlury.