1111 ...... _A_ u_ t_o _m_ a_ t_ic _ t_ r_ a_ n_s _ m __ is_s_ , _·o _ n ____________________________________________ _
The selector lever must be in Nor P. If one of the driv ing positions is
eng aged a sa fety swi tch will p reven t the eng ine fr om being s tarted.
See also=>
page 125.
Before you move t he selecto r lever from t he P position, yo u m ust
a lw ay s a pply the brake ped al befo re a nd whi le de press ing the bu tton
in the handle of the selector lever.
& WARNING
• Unintended vehicle movement can cause serious injury.
- When the selector lever is in a driving position, the vehicle
may creep , even at idle speed. Therefore do not release the
parking brake or foot brake until you are ready to move,
because power is transmitted to the wheels as soon as a driving
position i s engaged .
- Do not accelerate while selecting a driv ing position . At this
time the engine must be at idle speed so that undue stre ss is
not placed on the clutches in the transmission .
- Remember: • even when stopped briefly with the automatic
transmission in "D", "S " or "R", engine power is being trans·
mitted to the wheels . Your vehicle could "creep " forward or
backward. When stopped, keep the brake pedal fully
depre ssed and use the parking brake if necessary to keep the
vehicle from roll ing .
• If the selector lever is unintentionally moved into N while you
are driving, take your foot off the accelerator pedal and wait for
the engine to return to idle speed before selecting a driving posi
tion .
• Never shift into "R" or "P " when the vehicle is in motion.
• Never get out of the d riv er 's seat when the engine is running.
• If you must get out of the vehicle, move the selector lever
securely into the P position and apply the parking brake firmly.
• If the engine must remain running, nev er have any driving
position engaged when checking under the hood. Make sure the
s e lector lever has securely engaged and is locked in "P " with the
& WARNING (co ntinued )
parking brake firmly set=> page 286, "Engine compartment".
Otherwise, any increa se in engine speed may set the vehicle in
motion, even with the parking brake applied. •
Selector Lever positions
Thi s sec tion describes the select or le ver p osit io ns and
driving ranges.
Fig. 160 Di spl ay in
th e in strument clu ster :
s elect or lever in posi·
t ion P
The instrument cluster display shows the current se lector lever posi
t ion.
P -Park
In th is selector lever posi tion t he transmission is mecha nically
loc ked. Engage P only when th e vehicle is
completely stopped=> &
in "Driving t he automatic transm ission" o n page 161.
To shift in or out of pos ition P, yo u must first press and hold the brake
pe dal
and then press t he release button in the selector leve r handle
w hil e moving the selec to r lever to or from P. Y ou ca n shi ft out of this
position on ly w it h the ignition o n.
R -Reverse
Th e transm ission will automatica lly select the lowest gear ratio when
you s hift into reverse . _,,
1111....__A_ u_ t_o _m_ a_ t_ic _ t_ r_ a_ n_s _m_ i _s_ s_ i_ o_ n ____________________________________________ _
Automatic selector lever lock
The selector lever is locked in the P and N positions when the ignition
is turned on . To move the lever from these positions the driver must
depress the brake pedal. As a reminder to the driver, the following
warning appears in the instrument cluster display when the selector
is in
P and N:
When stationary apply foot brake while selecting gear
A time delay element prevents the selector lever from locking when
it is moved through the
N position (going from R to D). The locking
element will lock the selector lever if the lever is left in N (Neutral) for
more than approximately 1 second, without the brake pedal being
pressed .
At speeds above about 3 mph (5 km/h) the Automatic Shift Lock is
automatically deactivated in the
N position.
Interlock button
The lock button on the selector lever prevents the lever from being
accidentally shifted into ce rtain positions. Pressing this button deac
tivates the selector lever lock. Depending on the direction of the
shift, the selector lever locks at different positions . The positions are
highlighted in the illustration ~
page 163, fig. 161.
Ignition key safety interlock
The key cannot be removed from the ignition unless the selector lever
is in the
P park position . When the ignition key is removed, the
selector lever will be locked in the
P position. •
Kick-down
The kick-down feature allows the vehicle to generate
maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal beyond the resistance point
that is reached at full throttle, the transmission will select a lower
gear ratio based on vehicle speed and engine RPM. The engine RPM
will be controlled to produce maximum vehicle acceleration as long as you continue to press the accelerator pedal beyond this
resistance
point .
& WARNING
Be careful when using the kick-down feature on slippery roads.
Rapid acceleration may cause the vehicle to skid. •
Dynamic shift program (DSP)
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled.
The transmission is self adapting and will automatically select the
best shift program suited to the driving conditions and driving style.
The transmission will select one of the
economy programs when you
drive at a steady speed or a gradually changing speed without heavy
acceleration . This achieves optimum fuel efficiency, with early
upshifting and delayed downshifting.
The transmission will automatically select the
sporty shift programs
when you drive at higher speeds, or with heavy acceleration and
frequently changing speeds. Upshifts are delayed to make full use of
engine power . Downshifting takes place at higher engine speeds than
in the economy programs.
The selection of the most suitable shift program is a continuous ,
automatic process. The driver can also make the transmission switch
to a sporty program by
quickly pressing down the gas pedal.
This causes the transmission to shift down to a lower gear to achieve rapid acceleration, e .g. for quickly passing another vehicle. You do
not need to press the gas pedal into the kick -down range . After the
transmission has upshifted, the original program is selected
according to your driving style.
An additional shift program allows the automatic transmission to
select the proper gear for uphill and downhill gradients.
This keeps the transmission from shifting up and down unnecessarily
on hills. The transmission will shift down to a lower gear when the .,_
____________________________________________ A_ d_a_ p ,_ t_iv _ e_ A _ i_ r _ S_ u_s_, p __ e_n _ s_ i _o_ n __ ffllll
A pp lies to ve hicles : with A dap tive Air Su spen sion
Chassis controls
Five different driving modes can be set by the driver.
The automatic control processes are speed- and time-dependent. For
example, it is not possible to raise the suspension to a high level
above certain speeds.
When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded for more than
30 seconds, the vehicle is automatically lowered to
low level when in
comfort and automatic mode. Ground clearance is about 0.6 inch (15
mm) less, compared to the
normal level.
When a speed of about 100 mph (160 km/h) is exceeded for more
than 20 seconds, the vehicle is automatically lowered to
highway
level
when in automatic and dynamic mode . Ground clearance is
about 1.4 inches (35 mm) less, compared to the
normal level. Road
holding is optimized as a resu lt of the lower center of gravity, and fuel
consumption is reduced as a result of reduced wind resistance .
Level adjustment
high level 2
normal level
highway level
Ground clearance
about 9.4 inches (240 mm)
about 8 inches (205 mm)
about 7 inches (180 mm)
about 6.5 inches (165 mm)
about 5. 7 inches (145 mm)
The segment display @ in the MMI Display =>
page 178 or in the
instrument cluste r display =>
page 179 shows the current vehicle
level.
Automatic
Select the automatic mode if you prefer a balanced, comfortable
suspension setting. The damp ing characteristics are adjusted accord
ing ly .
Controls and equip
ment Safety first •
Automatic lowering: When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h)
is exceeded for more than 30 seconds, the veh icle is automatically
lowered by about 0 .6 inch (15 mm) to the
low level, which is more
suitable for highway speeds. Road holding is optimized as a result of
the lower center of gravity and fuel consumpt ion is reduced as a
result of reduced wind resistance . When a speed of about 100 mph
(160 km/h) is exceeded fo r more than 20 seconds, the vehicle is auto
matically lowered by an additional 0.8 inch (20 mm) to
highway level.
• Automatic raising: When the vehicle is at highway level and the
speed falls below about 80 mph (130 km/h) for more than 20
seconds, the vehicle is automat ically raised to
low level. The vehicle is
automatically raised again to
normal level if the speed falls below
about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a period of 2 minutes. The vehicle is
raised immediately when speed falls below about 22 mph (35 km/h).
Dynamic
Select the dynamic mode if you prefer a sporty suspension setting . In
this mode, the vehi cle is lowe red to
low level wh ile it is still stationary
and sporty damp ing characteristics a re selected . The warning light
c.:> in the instrument cluster wi ll come on for a few seconds just to
remind you of the reduced ground clearance.
If you switch off the engine whi le the vehicle is in the dynamic mode
and then switch on the ignition once again, the
c.:> warning light will
also come on again for a few seconds as a reminder .
• Automatic lowering : When a speed of about 100 mph (160 km/h)
is exceeded fo r more than 20 seconds, the vehicle is automatically
lowered by 0.8 inch (20 mm) to
highway level.
• Automatic raising: The vehicle is automatically raised to low level
again, if the speed falls below about 80 mph (1 30 km/h) for a per iod
of 20 seconds. The vehicle is raised immediately when speed falls
below about 22 mph (35 km/h).
Comfort
Select the comfort mode if you desire a suspension setting with a
special emphasis on comfort. Damping characteristics with a clear
emphasis on comfort are selected in this mode.
~
Vehicle care Technical data
llffl..__A_ d_a_ p,__ t_iv _ e_ A_ i_r _ S_ u_s _, p'--- e_n _ s_ i_ o _ n ___________________________________________ _
• Automatic lowering: When a speed of about 75 mph ( 120 km/h)
is exceeded for more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is automatically
lowered by 0 .6 inch (15 mm) to
low level .
• Automatic raising: The vehicle is automatically raised to normal
level
again, if the speed falls below about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a
period of 2 minutes . The vehicle is raised immediately when speed
falls below about 22 mph (35 km/h) .
Offroad
Select the offroad mode when you have to travel over poor quality
sections of road (e.g. trails) . In this mode, the vehicle is raised to
high
level 1, and damping characteristics for poor road stretches are
selected. When switching to offroad mode, the Adaptive Air Suspen
sion indicator appears automatically in the instrument cluster display
=>page 179.
The offroad mode can only be activated at speeds below 37 mph
(60 km/h). Offroad mode ends automatically and the automatic
mode is activated when a speed of approximately 50 mph (80 km/h)
is exceeded.
Lift
Select the lift mode when exceptionally high ground clearance is
needed at a reduced speed. In this mode, the vehicle is raised to
high
level 2 . When switching to lift mode , the Adaptive Air Suspension
indicator appears automatically in the instrument cluster display
=:>page 179 .
The lift mode can be activated only at speeds below 12 mph (20
km/h) . When a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h) is exceeded, the
system automatically leaves
lift mode and the offroad mode is acti
vated . The instrument cluster display automatically switches the
display to Adaptive Air Suspension to indicate reduced ground
clearance. •
Appli es to veh icles : with Adapt ive Air Su spens ion
MMI se ttings
Driving modes are adjusted in the MMI and the current
vehicle level is displayed.
Fig.176 MMI Display:
Settings
The ignition must be switched on to set the driving modes.
- Select: Function button
(CAR].
Raising and lowering
If arrow (Dis white => fig. 176, the vehicle is raised.
If arrow @ is
white, the vehicle is lowered .
The respective arrow stays on until the level change is complete. The
time used for a level change can vary, depending on the current
driving conditions.
Displaying the vehicle level
The current vehicle level is shown with segments filled out in the
segment display ®·
If only the bottom segment is filled out, the
vehicle is at highway level. If all segments are filled out, the vehicle is
at high level 2 and has the greatest amount of ground clearance
possible. .,_
____________________________________________ A_ d_a ..... p,__ t_iv _ e_ A_ i_r _ S_ u_s__, p_ e_n _ s_ i_ o _ n _ __.ffl'I
While the vehicle is being raised or lowered, the target level is indi
cated by an arrow © next to the corresponding segment. The arrow
disappears again when the vehicle is at the target level.
Limitations to MMI settings
Please note that not every driving mode can be selected in every
dr iving s ituation . For example , it is not poss ible to switch to "lift"
mode at speeds above 12 mph (20 km/h) . This mode is then shown
greyed out in the MMI Display .
The vehicle can on ly be lowered when
all of the veh icle's doors are
closed.
If one doo r is open, all driving modes whose level setting is
below the current vehicle level appear greyed out in the MMI Display.
If a door is opened whi le the vehicle is being lowered , the lowering
process is interrupted until all doo rs are closed again.
I f the system is temporarily unavailable due to, for instance, an
empty compressed air tank, the driving modes that cannot be set
appear
greyed out in the MMI Display . As soon as the system is avail
able aga in, the driv ing modes can once more be selected in the
display .
(I] Tips
• For additional information on the driving modes=> page 177,
"Chassis controls".
• When the compressed air tank is empty , the compressor can be
switched on by starting the engine. The Adaptive Air Suspension is
once again available, after waiting a few minutes. •
Contro ls a nd e quip
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Applies to vehicles : w ith Adapt ive A ir Sus pens ion
Appearance in the instrument cluster
display
You can view the current vehicle level in the instrument
cluster display.
Fig. 177 Display:
Adaptive Air Suspen sion
Fig. 178 Display:
Adaptive Air Suspen
s ion
Repeated, br ief tapping of the [ RESET] button on the windshield
wiper lever allows you to selec t whether information concerning the
trip computer, digita l tachometer, navigation* or "Adaptive Air
Suspension " is to appear in the instrument cluster display .
Display of the Adaptive Air Suspension is automatic when the offroad
or lift mode is se lected, or when the vehicle is automat ically lowered
i n lift mode.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
_____________________________________________ S_a _f _e _t _y _b_ e_lt _ s __ _
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are necessary, how
they work and how to adjust and wear them correctly.
- Read all the information that follows and heed all of the
instructions and WARNINGS.
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Safety belts are the single most effective means available to
reduce the risk of serious injury and death in automobile acci
dents. For your protection and that of your passengers, always
correctly wear safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
• Pregnant women, injured, or physically impaired persons must
also use safety belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts. The
best way to protect a fetus is to protect the mother - throughout
the entire pregnancy. •
Number of seats
Vehicles with five seats: Your vehicle has two front seats and three
rear seats. Each seating position has a safety belt.
Vehicles with six seats:* Your vehicle has two front seats, two seats
in the second row and two seats in the third row. Each seating posi
tion has a safety belt.
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation Vehicles with
seven seats:* Your vehicles has two front seats, three
seats in the second row and two seats in the third row . Each seating
position has a safety belt.
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Never strap more than one person, including small children,
into any belt. It is especially dangerous to place a safety belt over
a child sitting on your lap.
• Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are safety
belts available.
• Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is properly restrained
with a separate safety belt or child restraint. •
Safety belt warning light l
Your vehicle hos a warning system for the driver and front
seat passenger (on USA models only) to remind you about the importance of buckling-up.
Vehicle care
Fig. 187 Safety belt
warning light in the
instrument cluster·
enlarged ...
Do-it-yourself service Technical data
___ S_a_ f_ e_ t__, y,,__ b_ e _ lt_ s _______________________________________________ _
Before driving off, always:
- Fasten your safety belt and mak e sure you are wea ring i t
p roperly .
- Make sure that your passengers also buckle up and prop
erly wear their safety be lts.
- Prot ect ch ildren w ith a child rest raint system appropriate
for the size and age.
T he warning light -if. in the instrument cluster lights up when the igni
tion is sw itched on as a reminder to fasten the safety belts. In addi
tion, you will hear a warning tone .
After the ign ition is sw itched on, the wa rni ng ligh t in the in strument
cluster will always come o n for about 6 seconds and if the driver has
no t fas tened the safe ty belt, a wa rning tone will also s ound for abou t
6 seconds . As soon as t he d river has fastened the saf ety belt, the
wa rning tone will stop and the warn ing light will go out.
If the drive r or front seat passenger have not buc kled-up wi thin abo ut
10 seconds after the warn ing tone has stopped and the vehicle is
mov ing fas ter th an about 15 mph, the wa rning tone w ill sound aga in
for about 6 seconds and then stop for 24 seconds and then repeat
t his rem inder sequence for a max imum of 2 minutes. A t speed s
below 5 mph, the warning tone will not sound.
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that your passengers also
properly put on their safety belts.
& WARNING
• Safety belts are the single most effective means available to
reduce the risk of seriou s injury and death in automobile acci·
dents . For your protection and that of your passengers, always
correctly wear safety belts when the vehicle i s moving .
• Failure to pay attention to the warning light that come on,
could lead to personal injury .•
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal cr ashes c reate very stron g forc es for people
ri din g i n ve hic les.
Fig . 188 Unbelted
occupa nts in a v ehicle
heading f or a w all
Fig . 189 The vehicle
cra shes into the wall
T he p hys ica l pr inc iples are simple. Bot h the vehicle and the passen
gers possess energy wh ich var ies wit h veh icle speed and body weight.
E nginee rs cal l this ene rgy "kinetic energy."
The higher the speed of the veh icle and t he greater the vehicle's
we ight, the more energy that has to be "abso rbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most sig nifican t fa ctor. If t he speed doubles
from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times! .,
-L___:_A~ i r'....: b~ a ::::: gL:: s~y -=s ::..:t :.:e :..: m..:..:.. ______________________________________________ _
• make sure that thi ngs that may increase the weig ht o f the child
and ch ild safe ty se at are not be ing transported on t he front
passenger seat;
• make sure that the safety belt tens ion sensor is not blocked.
Shake the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat back and
fort h;
• If a strap or tether is being used to t ie the child safety seat to the
front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes
the weight -sensing mat to measure more weight than is actually on
t he seat.
If the P ASSENGER AIR BA G OFF li ght still doe s not come on and
does not stay on continuous ly (when the ignition is switched on),
• t ake the child restraint off the front passenger seat and insta ll it
properly at one of the rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspected by your a uthorized Audi dealer immediately.
• move the child to a rear seat position and make sure that the child
is p roperly rest rained in a c hild restrain t that is appropriate for its
size and age .
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light shou ld NO T come on when the
ignition is on a nd an adult is sitt ing in a proper seat ing pos ition on the
front passenger seat. If the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on o r flashes fo r abo ut 5 seconds while driving, under these
circumstances, make sure that:
• t he adult on the front passenger sea t is properly seated on the
center of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the backrest
and the backrest is not reclined=>
page 190, "Proper occupant
seating posit ions",
• the adult is not taking weig ht off the seat by holding on to the
passenger assist handle above the front passenger door or
supporting their weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is be ing properly worn and that there is not a lot of
slack in the safety be lt webb ing,
• accessory seat covers or cushions or other th ings that may cause
an inco rre ct re ad ing o r impress ion on the weight-sens ing mat under the upholstery of the seat have bee
n removed from the front
p assenge r seat,
• a safety belt extender has not been left in the safety belt latch for
the front passenge r se at.
In add it io n to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the center of the
instrument panel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON will br iefly appear in the instrument cluster
display . This is to inform the driver of the current front passenger
airbag status .•
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An a irbag system that is not fun ction ing properly cannot provide
supplemental protect ion in a frontal crash.
• If th e airbag indic ato r light comes on , it means th at there may
be someth ing wrong with the Advanc ed Airbag S ystem . It i s
poss ible that th e airbag will inflat e when it is not suppos ed to , or
will not inflate when it should.
• Hav e the a irb ag system inspected immediately by your autho
rized Audi d ealer .
& WARNING
If the fr ont airb ag inflate s, a child without a child restraint, or in
a rearwa rd -facing child safet y seat, o r in a fo rwa rd-facing child
re stra int that h as not b een properl y install ed will be seriou sly
i njured and can b e killed.
• Even though your v ehicl e is equipped with an Advan ced Airbag
S y stem , ma ke certain that all children , especi ally 1 2 yea rs and
yo unger, alway s ride on the back seat properly restra ined for their
a ge and size . .,,_