Intelligent technology
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The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If a malfunction should
occur in the ABS, the ASR w ill also be out of action.
Activating
The ESP is automatically activated when the engine is started and it
performs a self-test. You can activate a deactivated ASR if required by
pressing the=>
page 240, fig. 214 button. When it is activated, the
message
ESP/ASR on appears briefly in the display .
Deactivating
You can deactivate the ASR if required by pressing the button (for less
than 3 seconds) =>
page 240, fig. 214. With the ASR deactivated , the
ESP check light comes on, see=>
page 14 . The message ASR off
appears in the display as well. The ASR can be deactivated at any
speed .
The ASR should normally be activated a ll the time. Only in certain
exceptional situations when some slip is desirable does it make sense
to deactivate the ASR. Examples:
• when driving with tire chains
• when driving in deep snow or on loose ground and
• when rocking the vehicle loose after it has become stuck .
When the abnormal situation is over, you should activate the ASR again.
& WARNING
The increased safety afforded by ASR does not mean that you can
take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
[I] Tips
To ensu re that the ASR works properly, all four whee ls must be fitted
with ident ical t ires. Any differences in rolling radius of the t ires can
cause the system to reduce eng ine power when this is not desired.
See also=>
page 307, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels". •
Safety first
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still subject to wear,
depending la rgely on ope rating conditions and driving habits=>& .
On vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traffic or
are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your authorized
Audi dealer more often than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte
nance booklet.
Failure to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you should use the braking effect of the engine. This
way, you prevent unnecessary wear on the brake system. If you must
use your brakes, do not hold the brakes down continuously. Pump the
brakes at intervals.
Noises may occur when brak ing depending on the speed, braking
force and outside cond itions such as temperatu re and humid ity.
Moisture or road salt
If you are driving faster than 31 mph (50 km/h) and the windshield
wipers are on, the brake pads will briefly touch the brake discs in
regula r interva ls so as to improve reaction time when braking on wet
surfaces. You, the driver, will not not ice anything.
Under certain condit ions, for example, when driving through water or
very heavy rai n, or even after washing your vehicle, the braking effect
can be reduced due to moisture (or in free zing conditions ice) on the
bra ke pads. A few careful brake applications should dry off the brake
pads or remove any ice coatings.
Th e effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced when the vehicle is
dr iven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used. H ere too,
you should clean off accumu lated salt coating from brake discs and
pads with a few careful applications of the brake=>&,.
Vehicle care Technical data
Intelligent technology
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Corrosion
T he re may be a te ndency fo r d irt to build u p on the bra ke pads and
co rrosion to form on the d iscs if the car is not dr iven reg ularly o r only
for short trips with litt le use of the bra kes .
If the brakes a re not used freq uen tly, or if co rrosion has formed o n
the discs, it is advisable to clean off the pads and discs by braking
fir mly a few times from a mode rat ely h igh spee d~ & .
Faults in the brake system
If yo u sh ou ld noti ce a sudden increase in b rake peda l trave l, then one
of the two brake circu its may have failed~& .
Low brake fluid level
Ma lfunctions can occ ur in t he brake system if the brake fluid level is
t oo low. The bra ke f lu id level is moni tore d elec tron ically.
Brake lin ing wear status
Brake lin ing wear may be checked by v isua l inspect ion of the condi
tion of the brake pads throu gh the open ings in the whee l.
If neces
sary, the whe el may be removed fo r thi s insp ection~
page 320,
"Changing a w hee l".
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit. Other
road users must not be put at risk - you may cau se an accident!
• Before descending a steep grade, reduce speed and shift trans
mission into a lower gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This could
cause the brakes to get hot and diminish braking efficiency.
• Do not "ride the brakes " by resting 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.
• Under certain climatic and operating condition s such as
passing through water , driving in heavy rain or after washing the
& WARNING (co ntinued )
vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winter,
ice can ac cumulate on the brake pads, linings, dis cs and drums.
Carefully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few careful brake appli cations.
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt-covered roads
without u sing your brakes can also affect braking efficiency . Clean
off accumulated salt coating from b rake discs and pads with a few
careful brake applic ations.
• If you damage the front spoiler, or if you install a different
spoiler, be sure the air flow to the front brakes i s not obstructed .
Otherwise the brake system could overheat reducing the effective
ness of the entire brake system.
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increased stopping di stance. Avoid driving the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop.
n
Brake booster
The b roke boost er odds extra broking po wer.
The bra ke boos ter wor ks wi th v acuum pressure whi ch is crea ted o nly
when the eng ine is ru nning~ &.
& WARNING
• Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine shut off.
• If the brake booster is not working, for example when towing
your vehicle , or because the brake booster has somehow been
damaged, the brake pedal mu st be pressed considerably harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistance. •
Intelligent t echnology
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Servotronic® - advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of the
running engine to allow precise steering with little effort .
The advanced Servotronic® power steering system senses the road
speed and ele ct ronically adjusts power assistance to provide
comfortable and safe steering response exactly matched to the
veh icle speed.
Power steering will not work if the engine is off. As a resu lt, the
steeri ng wheel will be hard to turn.
T he power steeri ng fluid level is checked du ring the sched uled main
tenance services .
0 Note
If there is an electronic malfunction, servotronic will still function
like a conventional power s teer ing system, provid ing a cons tant
steering support force that is no longer proportionate to the vehicle
speed. This is most noticeable when t urning the s teer ing wheel at low
speeds (for example when park ing), -more effort will be required
than us ua l.
• Be aware of the d ifferent than usual steering response and adjust
your stee ring force accord ingly .
• Have the prob lem checked and set right by an Audi dealer as soon
as possib le.
[ i ] Tips
• When the e ngine is running, neve r hold the stee ring whee l turned
all the way to the right or to the left for longer than 15 seconds. The
powe r steering pump wi ll overheat the hydra ulic fluid if yo u keep
holding the steering wheel turned all the way . This is likely to damage
t he power s teer ing system . •
If the power steering system s hou ld fa il entirely, or if the engine
is no t ru nning (fo r examp le, while be ing towed), you will st ill be able
to steer the vehicle. However,
considerably more effort will be
req uired to do so .
• If the power steering system should have a leak, or is not func
tioning prope rly, con tact your au thor ized A udi dealer immedia tely.
• The power steer ing system requires a specia lly formulated
hyd raulic fluid. The power steer ing rese rvoir is the one loc ated
farthest to the rear on the left s ide of the eng ine compartme nt
=>
page 281. The correct fluid leve l in the reservo ir is im port an t fo r
proper functioning of the power steeri ng .•
Applies to veh icles: with A ll Whee l D rive
Driving with your quattro ®
With all wheel drive, all four wheels are driven.
CieneraL information
Wi th all wheel drive, power is d istribu ted to all fou r whee ls. This
happens automatically depending on your dr iv ing style and the road
condi tions a t the t ime. See also=>
page 242, "Ele ct ronic differen tial
lock (EDL)".
W inter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with a ll whee l dr ive has an
adv anta ge, eve n w it h regula r tir es. In w inte r road co nditio ns i t may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-season tires) for improved
dr iveabili ty and b raking: t hese tires m ust be moun ted on all four
wheels . See also=> page 311, "Winter t ires".
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certa in roads, th is normally also
app lies to veh icles with a ll w heel d rive =>
page 312, "Snow chains". ~
Intelligent technology
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Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it can limit the ability of
the engine to start, this is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
Lo w b attery charge : batt ery will be charged while driving
Th is notification rem inds you that the starting capability of the
engine may be limited . As soon as you start driving again, the batte ry
w ill be recharged and the notification w ill go out.
Dri ver notification appears and goes out again
If th is dr iver notification appears after the ignition is turned o n or
while driving a nd it goes out again afte r a w hile, the battery has been
adequate ly recharged.
Driver no tification appears and does not go out
again
If th is dr iver notifica tion appears afte r the ignition is turned o n or
while driving and does not go out again, the battery 's state of charge
is not in the optimal range . Starting ability is restricted. Have the
battery checked as soon as poss ible by an au thor ized Aud i dea le r o r
qualified workshop. •
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Trailer towing
"-------------------------------------------------
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in pla ce to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or s ideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer => & in "Driving instruc
tions" on
page 256.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the eng ine work harde r. It is important that
the cooling system's performance is up to the additional load. Make
sure that the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your vehicle to the cold tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the label located either on the
dr iver's side B-pillar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fuel
filler flap . Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' spec
ifications.
Lights
The headl ight settings should be checked w ith the trailer attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety cha ins are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough s lack in the chains to permit
turning corners. When you install safety chains, make sure they will
not drag on the road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trailer tongue to p revent it from
dropping in case of separation from the hitch.
Driving instruct!ons
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle and trailer,
please note the following:
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
- Be especially careful when passing other veh icles .
- Observe speed limits.
- Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed.
- Always apply brakes early.
- Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer w ith an empty car results in a highly unstable
distr ibution of weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very low
speeds only to avo id the r isk of losing steer ing control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control. Th is means that the
tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissible,
wh ile keeping the trailer as light as possible under the c ircumstances.
Whenever possible, trans fer some cargo to the luggage compart
ment of the tow vehicle while observing tongue load requirements
and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
Th e higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the r ig . Do not drive at the maximum permiss ible speed.
Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions are
unfavorable -part icularly when go ing downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately i f the trailer shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to stop the swaying by accelerating. _,
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Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehicle.
- Open the driver's door.
Fig. 218 Driver's side
footwell : engine hood
release lever
- Pull the release lever on the left under the instrument
panel ::::, fig . 218 in the direction of the arrow.
The hood pops up slightly under spring pressure. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 219 Release lever
under the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure that the wind
shield wipers are flat against the windshield. Otherwise, they
could damage the paint on the hood.
Pull up on the release under the hood::::, fig. 219 . This
releases the catch.
- Open the hood all the way::::,& .
& WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
-Checking and filling
-------=------=---------------------------------------------------
Closing the engine hood
-Pull the hood down until the pressure from the struts is
reduced.
- Let the hood
drop down and latch in place . Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fail to engage=> &.
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of
injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
=> & .
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood :
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Apply the parking brake.
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever of automatic transmission to "P" (Park).
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood.
• Keep children away from the engine compartment.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a
fire.
• Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out.
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:
-Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine is
running or being started, never touch: -Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running: -First, fully apply the parking brake, move selector lever of
automatic transmission to "P" (Park). ..,
_____________________________________________ C_h _ e_ c_ k_in --= g'-- a_n _d_ f_i _ll _i_n -=g ::;__ ____.1111
& WARNING (co ntinued )
-Alway s use extreme caution to prevent clothing , jewelry , or
long hair from getting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or
other moving parts, or from contacting hot parts. Tie back hair
before start ing , and do not wear clothing that will hang or
d roop into the engine.
• Minimize expo sure to emis sion and chemical hazards~& .
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Engine exhaust, some of it s constituents, and certain vehicle
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of Cali
fornia to cause can cer and birth defects and reproductive harm . In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and ce rtain products
of component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and birth defects or othe r reproduc
tive harm.
• Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms . Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
When adding fluids , a lways make sure that they are poured into the
proper co nta iner o r filler opening, otherwise serio us damage to
vehicle systems will occur.
<£> For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle floor pan from underneath
reg ula rly . If yo u see spot s from o il or o ther vehicle fluid s, have your
vehicle inspected by an authorized Aud i dea ler. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Engine compartment
These are the most i mportan t it ems that you can check.
Fig . 220 Typ ical layout for c ontainer s and engine oil filler cap
(D Jump start point( +) under a cover ........ .. .. .. .. . 293, 334
@ Brake fluid reservo ir ( ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
@ Engine oil f iller c ap
('1::r. ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
© Coolant ex pansion ta nk (-L ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 7
© Jump start point( -) w ith he x head screw ..... ... .. . 293 , 33 4
© Winds hield/head light washer container (0 ) . . . . . . . . 295
(j) Power steering reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Th e posi tion of the eng ine o il filling hole ~ fig. 220 (i tem @) can
differ depending on the eng ine des ign . ..,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data