turned off, the warning/indicator light illuminates for about 30
se conds.
Th e warn ing/ind icator light will go out when the parking brake is
re leased .
If the war ning/indi cator lig ht flashes cont inuo usly
aft er applying th e
park ing brake, braking force is not sufficient to prevent the ve hicle
from roll ing unin ten tio na lly. Please note the following:
• If the s lope of the g round is too steep to park the ve hicle, the addi
tional drive message appears
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep .
• In the eve nt of a pa rking brake malfunction, the yellow ~ symbol
appears in the instrument cl uster disp lay and the drive r message
Parking brake ma lfunction! is displayed. H ave t he malfunction
repaire d as soon as possible by an authorized A udi dea le r or any other
qualified wo rkshop .•
Brake system BRAKE (USA
models)
/ {CD) (Canada models)
The warning/indica tor li ght flashes if brake fluid level is
l ow , if there i s an AB S system malf unctio n or a p arki ng
b rake malfuncti on.
The light illum inates whe n the ignition is turned on. It goes out after
th e engine ha s been sta rted . Thi s indi cates tha t the brake war ning
light is functioning properly .
If the brake warning light doe s not light up when the engine is
cranking, there may be a malfunction in the electrical system. In
this case, contact an authorized Audi dealer.
If the brake system wa rning/ind icator light flashes, there is a brake
system malfunction . By press ing the
[SET ] button, you can bring up a
driver message w hich expla ins the m alfu nct io n in more det ail
=>page 28.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
If the ABS fa ils, the ABS war ning/ indicator light sc-(USA
mode ls)/ (C anada models) fl ashes toge ther w it h th e bra ke system
warning/indicator light=>
&-
(USA mo dels): If the warning light BRAKE and the warning lig ht illu
m inate toge ther, imme dia te ly contac t you r autho rized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have all brake pads inspected=>
page 33.
When the ligh t comes on, an audi ble war ning signa l is al so give n.
& WARNING
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light and the warning
light come on together, the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause lo ss of vehicle control
and an accident . Have your vehicle repaired immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work shop . Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• Canada model s: If the brake warning light (CD) and the ABS
warning light :: come on together, the rear wheels could lock up
fir st under hard braking . R ear wheel lock -up can cause lo ss of
vehicle control and an accident. Have your veh icle repaired imme
diately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop.
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications .
• If the brake warning /indicator light doe s not go out after a few
seconds and the parking brake released, or lights up while you are
driving , the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir is too low. If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed immediately at low speed
to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility
and have the brake sy stem inspected .
• Always keep in mind that after several brake applications, you
will need greater pressure on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle .
Do not rely on strained brakes to re spond with maximum stopping
power in critical situations. You must allow for increased braking
distances. The extra distance used up by fading brakes could lead
to an accident . •
Vehicle care Technical data
Driver information display
When a yellow warning symbol appears, one warning tone sounds. A
dr iver message appears as well to explain the ma lfunction in more
detail. The driver warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can
be brought up at any time by pressing the !SET] button again.
Check the function displayed as soon as possible. The yellow symbol
will not go out again until the reason for the malfunction has been
corrected.
If several priority 2 malfunctions are present, the symbols appear in
succession and remain for about 2 seconds .
Dynamic steer ing*
=:>page 32
'O' I I , Worn brake pads =:>page33
Battery vo ltage => page34
Defective light bulb* =>page34
Check engine oil level => page 35 or
=>page 35
Engine oil sensor malfunction =:>page35
--
Low fuel leve l =>page34
Windshield washer fluid =>page34
level low
Convenience key*
=>page 33
Key not in vehicle
Light/rain sensor defective
=:>page33
--
Dynamic headlight range => page 35
control defective
[{] Tips
Battery in remote control key
Electromechanical
parking brake
Engine speed limitation*
adaptive light defective
Ignition lock malfunction
Adaptive dampers*
Windshield wiper defective
T ire pressure monitoring sys
tem*
Loss of tire pressure
Tire pressure monitoring sys
tem* System not available
=>page 38
-
=> page 112
-
=>page 35
=> page 35
=> page 35
=>page 35
=>page 36
-
=> page 315
=> page 315
The speed warnings warning threshold 1 and warning threshold 2
are also yellow symbols in some models. The warning is a lways
shown as a small symbol in the uppe r area of the display
=>page 25. •
Appli es to vehicles : wit h Au di dr iv e se lec t
Dynamic steering r
Dynamic steering: System malfunction
This driver message and the symbol,;;:;,. appear when a system
malfunction occurs during travel. You can continue to drive carefully
at a reduced speed to a qualified workshop. Steering can be more
difficult or sensitive than usual. The steering whee l can also be at an
angle when driving straight .
Dynamic steering: initialization
If this driver message appears and the indicator lightl, is flash ing on
the instrument panel, dynamic steering is being reinitialized . Once
you start the engine after this is finished, the steering wheel wi ll be
easy to move. Re -initializat ion might be necessary if the steering
wheel was moved hard to the left and right while the vehicle was not
moving. The display goes out as soon as initial izat io n is complete.
& WARNING
Have the dynamic steering system malfunction repaired as soon
as possible by an authorized Audi dealer or any qualified workshop
- risk of accident!
[I) Tips
The dynamic steer ing stability systems are not ava ilab le in the event
of a system ma lfunct ion .•
Ap plies to ve hicles : w it h c onven ien ce key
Key not in vehicle
Key not in vehicle
This reminder appears along with the symbol if the master key is
removed from the vehicle with the engine running. It is int ended to
remind you (e.g. when chang ing drivers) not to continue the journey
without the master key.
If the master key is no longer in the veh icle, you cannot sw itch off the
ignition after stopping the engine and you a lso cannot start the
engine again. You also cannot lock the veh icle from the outs ide .•
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Driver information display
Light/rain sensor defective
·)
Automatic headlights/automatic wipers defective
If the symbol ill um inates , the light sensor has failed. For safety
reasons the low beams are turned o n permanently with the switch in
AUTO . However, you can continue to turn the lights on and off using
the light switch . In the case of a defect in the ra in sensor, the wind
shield wiper lever functions are still avai lable . Have the light/rain
sensor checked as soon as possib le by an autho rized Audi dealer. •
Worn brake pads ~
Brake pads!
If the warning light illuminates, immediately contact your authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop to have all brake pads inspected .
On USA mode ls the warning light comes on together with the
war ning light BRAKE . Both sets of b rake 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
BRAKE1> 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. •
ll BRAKE : USA mode ls on ly
Vehicle care Technical data
Intelligent technology
--------------------------------------------------' "---.L==--
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
'-------------------------------------------------
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. •
Driving and environment
----------------------------------------------'
New brake pads
- -
Remem ber th at new brake pads do not have a full braking
e ffe ct du ring the first 250 mi les (400 ki lo mete rs) afte r they
are in sta lle d .
N ew br ake pads have to be " burnishe d in" before they have op tim al
grab~ &-
Dur ing the break-in period, you sho uld avoid putting severe loads on
the brakes . Severe loads include, for example, sudden ha rd bra king,
in part icu lar at very high s peeds o r, for example, on mountain passes .
& WARNING
New brake pads don't have the best stopping power and must be
" broken-in " during the in itial 100 to 150 miles (150 to 200 kilo
meters) of normal city driving. You can compensate for this by
pressing the brake pedal mor e firmly . This also applies later when
new pads are installed. n
Avoid damaging the vehicle
When yo u are driving on poor roads, or over c urbs, steep ramps, etc.,
ma ke ce rtain that low-lying pa rts su ch as spoilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
This is es peciall y tr ue for veh icle s wi th low-slung chass is (sports
chassis)" and fully loaded vehicles. •
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage w hen drivi ng through
water, fo r examp le on floode d roa ds:
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
The wate r must not be any higher than the bottom of the vehicle
body .
• Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
& WARNING
After driving through water , mud , slush , etc ., the brakes may be
slow to take effect because of wet brake rotors and pads . Dry the
brakes first by braking carefully to resto re the full braking effect.
0 Note
Vehicle components such as the engine, transmiss ion, suspension or
ele ct ric al sy stem can be severe ly d amaged by driv ing thro ugh wa ter.
[ i ] Tips
• C heck the de pth o f th e wate r before driving thr oug h it.
• Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or switch the engine off
w he n dr iving throug h wate r.
• Keep in m ind that oncoming vehicles may c reate waves t hat raise
t he water leve l and make it too deep fo r yo ur vehicle t o drive thr oug h
safely.
• Avoid drivi ng through sal t wa ter because it can cause corros io n.
Catalytic converter
It is very important th at your emission control s ystem
( c a ta lytic co n verter) is functionin g proper ly to e nsure
th at y our ve hicl e is ru nn in g in an en vir onm entally sound
m ann er.
- Alwa ys use lead- free g asoline=> p ag e 274, "Fuel sup ply".
- Never ru n the tan k down a ll the way to empty . .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
___________________________________________ A_ l::.. p _h _a_ b_ e_t _ic _a_ l_ in_ d _ e_x __ _
Auto Lock .. .. ... ..... ... ... ... .. .. .. 41
Auto Safety Hotline ... ... ... . .. ..... 185
Auto-Check Control .. ..... ... .... ... .. 26
Automatic belt retractor .......... ... 195
Automatic car wash See Washing ......... .... .. .... . 261
Automatic climate control . . . . . . . . . 88, 9S
Automatic driving light control ......... 62
Automatic power top ..... .. .. .. .... .. SO
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) ... .. .. 150, 158
Automatic transmission 6-speed automatic transmission ... . 148
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) .... 150, 158
Driving ...... ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. . 148
Dynamic shift program ... .... .. ... 151
Emergency release ............. .. . 154
Emergency release for selector lever
(mu ltitron ic®) ............... .. . 161
Fail-safe mode .............. 153, 161
Kick-down ...................... 151
Manual shift program ............. 152
multitronic ® ..................... 155
Selector lever ........... .. .. 149, 157
Shift buttons ....... .. .. .... 153, 160
Steering wheel with tiptronic ® . 153, 160
Automatic wipe/wash system .......... 69
Average speed .. ....... .... .. .. .. .. .. 22
Avoid damaging the vehicle .. .. .. .. .. . 251
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
B
Battery
... .. ... ... ................. 291
Charging . .. .. .. .... .. .. ... ... .. . 293
Important warnings when work ing on the
battery ..... ........... ...... .. 292
Jump starting . ........... ........ 333
Low ... .. .. .. .... .... .. ......... 247
Replacing the battery .. .. .. .... ... 294
State of charge ..... .. ... ...... .. 247
Winter operation ..... ..... ....... 291
Working on the battery .... .... .... 292
Battery voltage .. ........... ...... .. . 34
Before driving .. ... .... .. .. .. .. ..... 177
Belt positioner .. .. .... .. ... ... ..... 194
Blended gasoline ................ ... 27 4
Body cavity sealing . ................. 267
Booster seats ... .. ...... .. ......... 230
Brake assist ..................... ... 245
Brake booster . ........ ... .......... 244
Brake fluid
Changing the brake fluid ........... 290
Checking the brake fluid level ..... .. 290
Reservoir .. .. .. .... .... ......... 290
What is the correct brake fluid level? . 290
What should I do if the brake fluid warning light comes on? . ... ... .......... 290
Brake system .. .. .. ..... .... ........ 290
Anti-lock brake system . .. .......... 16
Brake fluid ... .... ............... 290
Brake fluid specifications for refill and
replacement ................... 290
Brake light defective ....... .... ... . 34 Brake pads
.. .. .... ..... .... .... . 251
Electromechanical parking brake .... 110
General information .............. 243
How does moisture or road salt affect the
brakes? ... .... .............. .. 243
Malfunction .............. .... .. .. 28
Warning/indicator lights ....... .. .. 17
Worn brake pads symbol ........... 33
Braking guard
See Audi braking guard ............ 129
Break-in period ... .. .. .............. 250
Brake pads .. ...... ........... .. . 251
Tir es ... .. .. ................. .. . 250
Bulbs ................ .. .... .... .. . 331
C
California Proposition 65 Warning .. ... 281
Battery specific .................. 293
Capacities ......................... 342
Car care .. .... .............. ...... . 260
Interior ............ .. .. .. .. .. .. . 268
Plastic and vinyl .... ............. . 264
Weatherstrips ............ .. .. .. . 266
Care of exterior ... .... .. . .. .. .. .. .. . 260
Cargo area
See Loading the luggage compartment ..
183
Catalytic converter .. ..... ........... 251
Certification ......... .............. 346
Changing a flat tire .. ................ 320
Changing a wheel ...... ...... .... .. . 320
Changing engine oil ... .. .. ......... . 285
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data