The instrument cluster illuminates whenever you switch on the igni
tion with the
vehicle headlights off. The instrument cluster illumina
tion dims automatically as the daylight begins to fade away. It goes
out completely when the outside light is very dim. The reason for
this is to remind you to turn on the headlights when the light condi
tions become poor. •
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge~ page 12, fig. 2 G) only works when the
ignition is on . To prevent damage to your engine, please note the
following important points:
Engine cold
As long as the needle remains at the left end of the gauge, the
engine still has not reached its operating temperature . Avoid high
engine speeds, heavy engine loads and heavy throttle.
Normal temperature
When the engine has reached its operating temperature, the needle
will move into the middle of the gauge and remain there. If the
engine is working hard at high outside temperatures, the needle
may turn further to the right . This is no cause for concern as long as
the
- F-warning light in the instrument cluster does not illuminate.
When the
-L warning light starts to flash, this can mean one of two
things: either the coolant
temperature is too high, or the coolant
level is too low~ page 31.
_& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in ~ page 242, "Engine compart
ment" before opening the engine hood and checking the engine
coolant level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
see engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
Controls and equip
ment
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
& WARNING (continued)
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant.
0 Note
• Mounting additional lights or accessories in front of the air inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator. At high outside tempera
tures or high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spoiler has been designed to properly distribute the
cooling air when the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is damaged,
this could reduce the cooling effect and the engine could then over
heat. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for assistance. •
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM (revolutions per
minutes).
The tachometer ®~ page 12, fig. 2 is the left one of the two large
clock -type displays.
The engine turns at a speed
1,000 times the single digit in the
display, e.g. if the needle points at the "2", the engine turns at
2,000 RPM.
If the engine RPMs drop below 1,500, you should downshift to the
next lower gear. The red area at the end of the scale indicates
maximum permissible engine RPMs after the break-in period.
Before reaching this area, you should either shift into the next
higher gear or ease your foot off the accelerator pedal.
0 Note
The tachometer needle should not move into the red range. If it
does, then only for a very short period of time. You could damage
your engine by driving at high RPM! _.
Driver information display
If the warning light illuminates, immediately contact your autho
rized Audi dealer or qualified workshop to have all brake pads
inspected. On USA models the warning light
O comes on together
with the warning light
BRAKE. Both sets of brake pads on an axle must
always be replaced at the same time .
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal
injury.
• If the warning light , and the warning light
BRAKE11 with the
message Brake pads! comes on in the instrument cluster display,
immediately contact your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if necessary .•
Speed warning 1 ~ (USA models)/
models) (Canada
If
the symbol illuminates, this means you are driving faster than
the set vehicle speed . Slow down! =>
page 35. •
Applies to vehicles : wit h dynami c h ea d light ran ge ad ju stment
Headlight range control defective C.1
If the symbol illuminates, the dynamic headlight range control is
no longer working properly. Have the system checked and repaired
a t your Audi dealer. •
11 BRAKE : USA models only
App lies to vehicles: w it h ada ptive li gh t
Adaptive Light defective ~ ,
When this symbol I illuminates, it means that Adaptive Light is
defective . Go to an authorized dealership to have the headlights or
the control unit for the Adaptive Light repaired. •
Windshield washer fluid level too low ¢;>
If the-;... symbol illuminates, add windshield washer fluid to the
washer system and also for the headlight washer
system *=>
page 266. •
Speed warning 2
models) (USA models)
/
(Canada
If the symbol illuminates, this means you have driven faster than
the second set vehicle speed. Slow down! =>
page 35. •
Battery voltage low ....J
If the C:::-symbol illuminates, contact your authorized Audi dealer
and have the following components inspected:
• drive belt
• generator
• battery charge
Also see if the generator warning/indicator light illuminates
=>
page 22. •
Clear vision
Clear vision
Lights
Switching the headlights on and off ·'t!-·
Fi g. 85 Ins tru ment
pan el: lig ht sw itc h
Fi g.
86 Turn sig nal
lev er: high beam
ON /OFF
All switch pos itions refer to the indentation on the switc h
aligned with the spec if ied symbol. The light switch m ust not
be overt urned past the stops in either direction .
Switching on the side marker lights
- Turn t he light switch light to=> fig. 85
;oo:: .
Switching on the headlights and high beam
- T urn the light switch to ~D.
- Push the turn signa l lever forward towa rds the ins tru -
ment panel => fig. 86, to turn on the high beam, pu ll the
lever back to turn it off=>
page 83.
Swit ching off th e lights
- T urn the light switch to
0 .
The headlights only work when the ignition is switched on . While
starting the engine or when sw itching off the ignition , the head
lights wi ll go of f and only the side marker lights wil l remain lit .
& WARNING
Crashe s can happen when you cannot se e t he ro ad ah ead and
whe n you c annot b e seen by othe r motori sts.
• Alway s turn on the headlights so that you can see ahead and
s o that other s can see y our car fr om the b ack.
[ i ] Tip s
• If you remove the ignition from the ign ition lock whi le the head
lights are still on, a bu zzer will sound as long as the driver 's door is
open to remind you to switch off the lights .
• Always observe the specific local regulations for your area when
to use your lights .•
Applies 10 vehic les: with light senso r package
Sensor activated head -and tail light control
In the "AUTO" position, light sensors monitor outside light
conditions and s witch the head- and t ail lights on and off
as required.
Activating
F ig . 87 Instru men t
p an el: li ght sw itch at
A UTO pos ition
- Tur n the light switch ~ fig. 87 to positi on AUTO.
Deactivating
- Turn the light switch to posit ion 0.
In the switch position AUTO the automati c head -a nd ta il light
contr ol
is activated . The corresponding symbol on the light switch
is lit.
Light sensors located in the ins ide mirror housing and stem
constantly check the light conditions surrounding the vehicle . If
ambient brightness falls below a factory set value (e .g. when driving
into a tunnel), the head -and tai llights including the license plate
illumination are automatically turned on. When ambient brightness
increases again, the external lights are turned off again
=> & -
Contro ls and eq uip
ment
Cle ar v ision
& WARNING
• Autom ati c head - and tailli ght control is only int ended to a ss is t
the driver . Th is feature does not reli ev e th e driver of h is res pon si
bilit y to che ck the headl ights and to turn them on m anuall y
according to the current light and vi sibilit y condition s. For
e xa mple , fo g and r ain cannot be dete cted by the light s en sor s.
Consequently , alw ay s swit ch th e headlights
fD on under the se
we ather condition s and when driving in th e da rk .
• Crashe s can happen when you cannot s ee the road ahead and
w hen you cannot be seen by oth er m otori sts .
• Alway s turn on the headlight s so that you can see ahead and
s o that others ca n s ee your car fr om th e back.
[ i ] Tip s
• In the AUTO mode , the low beams are turned off when the igni
tion is turned off. The remaining lights are turned off when the key is taken out of the ignition lock.
• Do not at tach stickers to the windshield in front of the sensors as
this can disable the automatic head- and taillight contro l and the
automatic glare -dimming of the rearview mirror(s).
• Always observe the specific local regulations for your area when
to use your lights .
• In the event of a light sensor malfunction, the driver information
display wi ll show the sy mbol -.
If a light sensor malfu nction is indi
cated, you must use the light switch to turn the low beams on and
off. a
~ehicle care irechnical data
0 Note
• With the light switch at the O or :oo:: position , only your front fog
lights remain turned on when it turns dark outside . Even though
your instrument s appear well lit, the road ahead of you is not. The
light pattern provided by fog lights alone is not sufficient fo r safe
driving in poor light or darkness. Therefore:
• Always be aware of changes in outside light conditions while
you are driving. Respond in time to fading daylight by turning the
light switch to pos ition
io (or "AUTO" if your ca r is equipped with
t h is feature)
to turn on your headlights .•
A pplies to vehicles : w ith adap tive light
Adaptive light
Wh en dr ivi ng aroun d bends , the rele vant are a of t he road
is bette r ill uminate d.
Fig. 89 adapti ve light
when driving
T he benefit of adaptive l ight is that the curve and the edg e of the
r oa d are be tter illu min ate d~ fig. 89 . Dy na mic ada ptive ligh t is
controlled automatical ly, depending on vehicle speed and st eering
w hee l a ng le .
W hen driv ing ar oun d bends, the head lig hts are c ontro lled
according to steering whee l angle. So that there is no black hole
ahea d of th e ve hicle, t he two main beams pivot a t diff ere nt angl es.
Contro ls and eq uip
ment
Clear vision
[ i ] Tips
The system wor ks above a speed of about 1 2 mph (20 km/ h). •
Front fog lights }0
Us e the light sw itch to switch o n th e fr o n t fo g light.
Fig . 90 Fog ligh t acti
vation : light switch
p os itio n
Switching on the front fog lights io
Turn th e light switc h to ~oo:: o r to ~D.
Pull the lig ht s wit c h to the
first sto p G).
When the front fog l ights are on , the symbol iD next to the light
switch will illuminate .•
~ehicle care irechnical data
[ i J Tip s
• Do not attach any stickers to the windshield in front of the two
light sensors, as this would interfere with both the automatic oper
ation of the head ligh ts and the automatic dimming of the inside
mirror(s).
• If the veh icle is remotely un locked and locked
three times in
succession,
leaving home will not turn on the lights a fourth time to
safeguard the battery and lights.
• If you wish to use the coming home/leaving home function regu
larly, you can leave it activated at all times wi thout risking perma
nent strain on the electrical system. As the system is contro lled by
light sensors, i t wi ll only b e energi zed in darkness.
• Frequent use of the coming home/leaving home function for
approac hin g and departing a vehicle parked in the dark wi ll strain
the batte ry. This applies particularly if only short distances are
driven between stops . Occasiona lly drive longer distances to make
sure the battery is recharged sufficient ly.
• If the fo g lights have been switched on by the coming
home/leaving home function, they will always be switched off when
you switch on the ig nition. •
Contro ls and eq uip
ment
Cle ar v ision
Instrument panel illumination
The ill umina tion of the ins trume nts, dis pla ys and the
cente r consol e can be adjusted.
9:3 6
02.11.2008
Fig . 9 2 Instru men t
pane l illum in a ti on
Press the"+" button to increase the brigh tness .
Press the" -" b utton to reduce the br ig htness.
Igniti on ON , light swit ch at @ .
With the ignition switched ON, the glow of instrument needles can
be adjusted to appear brighter or dimmer.
Ignition ON , light switch at :oo: or gD.
With the lights switched on, the brightness of instrument cluster
(i .e. needles, gauges and displays) and center c onsole il luminat io n
can be adjusted .
0 Note
The instrument c luster and center console i llumination ( gauges and
needles) comes on when you swi tch on the ignition and the
vehicle
headlights are off .
Be aware of the following difference between
models built to US or Canadian specifications:
• USA model s: illumination of the in strument cluster (gauge s and
needles ), dash and center conso le around the gearshift lever is
controlled
by a light sen sor located in the instrument panel. The .,
~ehicle care Technical data
Clear vision
inst rument panel ill umination will automaticall y become dimmer
a s the daylight fades away and eventually will go out completely
when out side l ight i s very low . Thi s is to remind you , the dri ver , to
s witch on the headlights befor e it g ets too dark.
• Canada model s: instrument panel illumination will stay bright
re gardles s of the intensity of ambient light . Alway s be aware of
c hange s in outside light cond itions while you are d riv ing . Resp ond
in time to f ading dayl ight by turning the ligh t switch to po sit ion
io
(or "AUTO" if your car is equipped with this feature) to turn on your
he adl ights . •
Ap plie s to vehic le s: wi th x eno n hea dlig ht s
Xenon headlights
After s tarting the engine, the xenon headligh ts are automatically
adjusted to the load and angle of the vehicle (for example, during
acce leration and brak ing) . This prevents oncoming tra ffic from
experienc ing unnecessa ry glare from your head lights .
If the system is not operating properly, a warning sy mbol in the
Auto -Check Contro l is displayed:::::,
page 34. •
Emergency flasher &.
The emergency flasher makes other mot orists aw are that
y o u or your vehicle are in an emergency situation.
1Jia---------------...,i ij ::c .,
"'
-
Fig. 9 3 Ce nter
cons ole: e mergen cy
fla sher swit ch
Press the sw itch ~~fig . 93, to sw itch the emergency
fl ash er o n or o ff.
When the emergency flasher is on, al l four turn signa l blink at the
same time . The turn signal indicator lights¢¢ in the instrument
cluster, as we ll as the light in the emergency flasher sw itch
t!:;,,. b link
likewise .
The emergency flasher will automatica lly switch on if you are in an
accident where the airbag has deployed .
[ i ] Tips
You should switch on the emergency flasher when :
• you are the last vehicle stand ing in a t raffic jam so that any other
veh ic les coming can see you , or when
• your vehic le has broken down or you are in an emergency situa
tion, or when
• your veh ic le is being towed by a tow truck or if you are towing
another vehicle behind you .•
Turn signals -¢ Q and high beam ~D lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column is used to
operate the turn signals and the high beam as well as the
headlight flasher.
Fig . 94 Turn signal and
high beam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the following func
tions:
Turn signals ¢ ¢
- To indicate a right turn, move the lever up until it
engages.
- To indicate a
left turn, move the lever down until it
engages.
Auto-blink
- Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resis
tance to use the turn signals for as long as you need
them, for example when changing lanes.
- Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resis
tance and then release it
immediately to make the turn
signals flash
three times. You can use this feature when
changing lanes on highways.
Contro ls and eq uip
ment
Clear vision
High beam
[D
- Press the lever forward to switch on the high beam.
- Pull the lever back toward you to switch off the high
beam .
Headlight flasher [D
-Pull the lever toward the steering wheel to use the head
light flasher.
Notes on these features
• The turn signals only work with the ignition switched on. The
indicator lights¢ or¢ in the instrument cluster~ page 18 also
blink.
• After you have turned a corner, the turn signal switches off auto
matically.
• The high beam works only when the headlights are on. The indi
cator light ~Din the instrument cluster illuminates when the high
beams are on.
• The headlight flasher works only as long as you hold the lever -
even if there are no lights switched on. The indicator light ~D in the
instrument cluster illuminates when you use the headlight flasher.
0 Note
Do not use the high beam or headlight flasher if you know that these
could be blinding oncoming traffic.•
~ehicle care irechnical data