Instruments and warning/indicator lights
For more information::::;, page 328 . •
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) >
The Ma lfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is part of the On-Board D iag
nostic (OBD II) system . T he symbol lights up when the ignition is
turned on and will turn off after the engine has started and has
sett led at a constan t idle speed. Th is indicates that the MIL is working
properly .
The warning light illuminates when there is a malfunction in the
engine electron ic system. Contact your authorized Audi dealer and
have the malfunction corrected .
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also cause the MIL light to
illuminate::::;,
page 285.
For more information ::::;, page 25. •
Safety belts~
This warning/indicator light reminds you to put on your
safety belt.
Th e 4,.. warning/ind icator light ill uminates when the igni tion is
switched on to remind the driver and any front passenger to put on
the safety belt. Additionally , an acoustic warning (gong) will a lso
sound .
For more Information ::::;,
page 197, "Safety belt warning light~"-•
Adaptive Air Suspension --1""::)
The warning/indicator light .... illuminates, when the jacking mode
has been activated::::;, page 179. This warn ing/i ndicator light has the
following functions: •
It illuminates for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on as
function check and then goes out.
• If the warning/ind icator light illuminates steadi ly, there is a
system fault in the Adaptive A ir Suspens ion. A system fault can result
in limited ride comfort and
low ground clearance. The fault should be
corrected as soon as possible by an authorized Audi dealer.
• If the warning/indicator light flashes, you should not drive the
vehicle . The flashing wa rning/ind icator light points to an extreme
H igh level. A very
pronounced lifting of the veh icle (extreme High
level) can resu lt, for examp le, when a heavy load is removed from the
vehicle . As soon as the level has returned to normal, the
warning/indicator light stops flashing, and you can drive away.
• If the warning/ind icator light flashes in conjunction with the~
wa rning/indicator light, you shou ld not drive off immediate ly in o rder
to prevent damage to the underbody . The two warning/indicator
lights flashing together points to an extreme Low level. A very
pronounced lowering of the veh icle (extreme Low level) can result,
for examp le, from a heavy load. As soon as the level has returned to
normal, the warning/indicator lights stop flash ing, and you can drive
away .
0 Note
If the warning/ind icator light flashes in conjunction with the~
warning/ind icator light, you should not drive the vehicle because low
lying vehicle parts can bottom out as you drive over uneven ground
and be damaged as a result .•
Adaptive Air Suspension~
The~ symbol illuminates fo r a few seconds after you have switched
on the ignition to indicate
reduced ground clearance when the
dynamic mode is activated and when the ignition is switched on with
a vehicle which was parked in dynamic mode::::;,
page 177, "Chassis
Controls". On vehicles which are equipped with the
sport suspension _,.,
Adaptive Air Suspension - Sport*, the check light does not come o n in
t his instance s in ce g round clea rance is ge ner ally reduced .
Thi s wa rning/indicator light has the following functions:
• It illuminates for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on as
fu nction check a nd then goe s out.
• If the wa rning/ind icator light flashes in conjunction with t he
c.:>
w ar ning/ind icator l igh t, y o u s hould not dr ive the vehicle immed iately
in order to prevent damage to the underbody. T he two wa rning/ind i
c ato r light s fl ashing together po ints to an ex tre me Lo w leve l. A ve ry
pronounced lowering of the ve hicle (extreme Low leve l) can result ,
for example, from a he avy load. A s so on a s the leve l h as r eturned to
normal, t he warning/indicator lights stop flashing, and you can drive
away .
0 Note
If the wa rni ng /ind icator light flashes in conjunction with the~ ~
warning/ind icator ligh t, you s hould not driv e the vehicle because low
lyin g vehicle pa rts can bottom out as you drive over uneven groun d
a nd be da maged as a result . •
Cruise control
CRUISE (USA models) / (?Jr) (Canada models)
The warn ing/ ind icator lig ht illuminates when the cruise contro l is
a ct ivated .•
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
A
.:> (USA models) / .... (Canada models)
This w arnin g/in dic ator light monitors the ABS and the
ele ctroni c diff ere n tial l ock (ED L).
Th e wa rning/indicator light w ill come on fo r a few second s when the
ignition is sw itche d on. The lig ht w ill go ou t after a n automat ic check
sequence is comp leted .
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
• Th e warnin g/i ndi ca tor lig ht doe s not illumin ate whe n you swit ch
on th e ig nitio n.
• Th e warn ing /indicator l ight doe s not go out aft er a f ew seconds .
• The warning/in dicator lig ht i llu minates while d riving .
Th e ESP indic at or lig ht als o illu min ates if there is a malfunctio n in the
A BS. The message
ESP / ABS fault! See owner's manual also appears
in t he i nstr ument cluster d isp lay and a war ning to ne sounds .
The brake system will still respond even without the assistance of
the ABS system. See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance.
F o r mo re inform ation
rega rding the ABS=>
page 256.
The ABS warning light and the brake warning light come on
together. The ABS will not work and you will notice a change in
braking response and performance.
Malfunction in the brake system
If t he b rake war ning ligh t=> page 20 and the A BS war ning ill umin ate
tog eth er ther e may be a malfu nction in t he A BS , a nd there may a lso
be a mal fun ction in the bra ke system itself => & .
I n t he ev en t of a
malfunction in the brake system the warn ing/ indi
cator light
BRAKE (USA models)/ {(D) (Canada models) in the instr ument
clu ster flashes. B y p res sing the [
CHECK ! button, yo u ca n brin g up a
dr ive r message w hich expla ins the malfunction in more deta il. Please
no te =>
page 28. _..
Vehicle care Technical data
Seats and storage
Load the ski sack from the luggage compartment .
Loading
-Open the luggage compartment lid and clear a space in
the center .
- Press the release button for the sk i sack hatch in the
luggage compartment and pull down the hatch
~ page 91, fig . 96.
- Fo ld out center armrest in the rear seat backrest .
- Press th e re le ase button on the lid from inside the v ehicle,
and then lower the lid .
- Pull out and unfold the ski sack.
- Load s kis or simi lar objects through t he luggage compart-
ment into the interior of the vehicle~& .
Securing
- Insert the ski sack strap © ~ page 91, fig. 97 in the
center buck le
@ .
- Pull t he sa fety belt taut on the free end of the belt@.
Securing in vehicles with power individual
rear seats*
- Loop the sk i sac k safety belt around the center armrest.
- Pu ll the safety bel t ta ut on the free end of the be lt.
Stowing
- In t he luggage compartme nt, close the ski sack hatch.
- F old the ski sack carefully and stow away.
- Close and engage the inne r hatch .
& WARNING
• The ski s ack is intended only for the transportation of skis and
other light object s. To redu ce the ri sk of serious per sonal injury ,
never transport heavy or pointed objects in the ski sack.
• When braking rapidly or during an accident, the load could be
d isplaced and cause injury to occupants .
• Sharp edg es on the load must be covered for prot ection .
Alw ays f aste n the belt t ightly a round the s ack and its contents
=> page 91 , fig . 97.
[ i ] Tips
N ever stow the ski sack aw ay when it is still we t or damp ( for ex ample ,
snow melt ing from skis). Allow it to dry completely before stow ing it
away .•
Roof rack
First things first
A roof rack can be fitted to carry additional luggage on
the roof.
- A lways read a nd follow the instruct ions provided by the
roof rack manufacturer when the roof rack system must
be ins ta lled.
If a roof rack or simila r luggage carrying equipment is to be installed,
please note the following :
• T o enh ance the vehi cle's st ream lined des ign, rain gu tters have
been molded into the roof. It is not possible to use normal roof racks.
On ly insta ll a roo f rack specifica lly designed fo r your model A 8.
Contact the nearest Audi dea ler for information on approved modular
roof rac ks for your vehicle. .,
1111....__A_ d_ a_,_ p_t _i_ v _e _ C_r_ u_ i_ s_ e_ C_ o_ n_ t_ r_ o_ l __________________________________________ _
Vehicles moving in your direction can be detected up to a distance of
about 140 yards (130 meters) but the Adaptive Cruise Control cannot
detect vehicles that are stopped or stalled, obstacles that do not
move or narrow vehicles like motorcycles and bicycles .
Open road
When the road is clear, Adaptive Cruise Contro l works like cruise
control. It maintains a constant target speed specified by the driver.
Driving in traffic
If a slower vehicle driving ahead is detected, the Adaptive Cruise
Control decelerates (within the limits of the system) =>
page 139 to
its speed and after adjusting, tries to maintain the set distance from
the vehicle ahead. The vehicle may temporarily drive slower than the
set speed while adjusting=>
& in ''Description " on page 128 .
If the vehicle in front accelerates, Adaptive Cruise Control a lso acce l
erates up to the speed that you have set.
Situations requiring driver intervention
In some situat ions you will have to use the foot brake and slow the
vehicle down in order to keep a safe distance from vehicle in front of
you or to avoid a rear-end co llision . In this situation, a symbo l
appears and a warning tone sounds =>
page 135.
Passing another vehicle
If you move into the passing lane and no vehicle is detected ahead,
Adaptive Cruise Contro l accelerates to the speed you have set and
maintains it.
Overriding ACC
You can increase your speed at any time by stepping on the acceler
ator pedal. After you release the accelerator pedal, the system
adjusts back down to the speed you previously set.
& WARNING
• Never rely on the distance control feature of ACC alone to
prevent rear-end collisions . Always be prepared to brake and take
evasive action to avoid collisions and other accident situations.
• Never allow the closing speed between you and other vehicles
to be so high that the Adaptive Cruise Control may not be able to
slow your vehicle safely. If closing speed is too high, you must
apply the brakes yourself to reduce the risk of a rear-end crash.
(I] Tips
Please note that the amount of acceleration the Adapt ive Cru ise
Control uses depends on the Distance setting selected. DISTANCE 1
gives you acceleration that is dynam ic and sporty. DISTANCE 4, on the
other hand, gives more moderate acce leration. For more information
about the time intervals =>
page 133, "Ho w is the distance set?". •
Applies t o ve hicles: w ith Ad ap tiv e Cr uise Contr ol
Switching the system on and off
Switching the system on
-Pull the lever to position (D.
"' "' M ~ w
" m
Fig. 140 Control
lever: Switching on
and off
IIIJIL_...!.A~d~a:!.!p~t!_;iv~e~A~ir~S~u~s~p~e:!n.!:s~io~n~ -----------------------------------------
Adaptive Air Suspension
Adaptive Air Suspension and
Damping
Description
Adaptive Air Suspension and damping can be regulated and they adapt automatically to a request from the
driver and the drivin g situati on at the time.
Adaptive Air Suspens ion is an e lectron ically controlled springing and
damping system. This chass is system makes it eas ie r on the d river by
adapting to the particular situation t hrough imperceptible contro l
processes.
T he
Adapt ive Air Su spen sion component regu lates ground clea rance
depending on vehicle speed, load condition and driver input. Acce le r·
a ting to a speed above a predetermined limi t will make the vehicle
lower itself. On the other hand, driving more slow ly results in the
vehicle raising aga in at spe cific speeds .
Th e
damping component provides individua l contro l of the damping
forces. For example, with damp ing characte rist ics set to provide
greater comfort, damp ing is set som ewhat harder for a br ief period
only as req uired, for example, whe n going around a curve or over
roug h road surfaces as we ll as when bra king.
Settings
Adaptive Air Suspension provides the drive r with the opportu nity to
set the chassis characte ristics also to the ir individual preference.
W ith the dr iv in g m odes
standard, automatic and dynamic the d river
has three chassis sett ings available, ranging from comfort to sporty.
In add it io n,
lift prov ides a fourth mode whi ch can be sele cti ng fo r
dr iving over poor stretches of road =:>
page 177, "Chass is Controls".
T he modes a re set in MM I
=:> page 179.
On veh icles equipped w ith the sport su spen sion Adaptive A ir Suspen
sion -Sport *, there is genera lly more emphasis on a sporty chassis
sett ing. Setti ngs ra nge from comfo rtable to fi rm=:>
page 178, "Spo rt
Chassis Cont rols" .
0 Note
• Whenever you park you r vehicle, always ma ke su re there is
adeq uate clea rance above and below t he ve hicle. The heig ht of the
parked veh icle ca n change as the res ult of temperature fluctuat ions,
c hanges in loa d cond ition and changes in the dr iv ing mode (ground
cleara nce) .
• M ount t he tie-down ch ains/ cables over the r unning s urfa ce
(circumfere nce) of the tires . Never secu re the vehicle by the axle, the
suspension st ruts or the front o r re ar tow line eye . For technical
reaso ns, the pressure in t he suspension struts may change dur ing the
transport and this will adverse ly affect vehicle handling.
• To prevent damage to the vehicle u nderbody, remembe r th at your
veh icle is no t an off- road vehicle, even in the lift mode. The ground
cleara nce is insufficient for this type of operation .
• If yo u are go ing to tow a tra il e r, you mus t act iv a te the trai le r oper
ation mode =:>
page 179 .
[I] Tips
Before you ca n ra ise your vehicle using the vehicle jack (fo r examp le ,
w hen changing a flat tire) you must activate the jacking mode
=:>
page 179 . •
____________________________________________ A_ d_a_ p ,_ t_iv _ e_ A _ i_ r _ S_ u_s_, p __ e_n _ s_ i _o_ n __ ffllll
Chassis Controls
Four different driving modes can be set by the driver .
The automatic control processes are speed- and time-dependent . For
example, it is not poss ible to raise the suspension to the lift mode
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 approximately 1
inch (25 mm) to a level suitable for highway speeds, except in the
standard mode . Road ho ldi ng is opt imized as a result of the lowe r
center of gravity and fue l consumption is reduced as a result of
reduced wind resistance.
Level adjustment
lift
automatic
dynamic
automatic Ground clearance
about 5. 7 inches (145 mm)
about
4. 7 inches (120 mm)
about 4. 7 inches (120 mm)
about 3.9 inches (100 mm)
Select the automatic mode if you prefer a suspension setting empha
sizing comfort. Damping characteristics emphasizing comfort are
selected in this mode .
• Lowering : When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded
for more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is automatically lowered by about 1 inch (25 mm).
• Raising: The vehicle is automatically ra ised aga in if the speed falls
below about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a period of 120 seconds. The
vehicle is ra ised immediately when speed falls below about 22 mph
(35 km/h).
dynamic
Select the sport mode if you prefer a sporty suspension setting . In
this mode, the vehicle is lowered wh ile it is st ill stationary and sporty
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
damping characteristics are selected
. The warning light c.::> in the
instrument cluster will 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 aga in, the
c.::> warning light will
also come on again for a few seconds.
• Lowering : When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded
for more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is automatically lowered by an
additional 0.2 in (5 mm) .
• Raising: The vehicle is automatically raised again if the speed falls
below about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a period of 120 seconds. The
vehicle is ra ised immediately when speed falls below about 22 mph
(35 km/h).
standard
Select the standard mode if you desire a suspension sett ing with a
special emphasis on comfort . In the standard mode there is
no
lower ing of the s uspens ion. Even at high speeds, the vehicle stays at
the same level. Damping characteristics with a decided emphasis on
comfort are selected in this mode.
lift
Select the lift mode when you have to travel over poor sections of
road (e .g . trails) . In the lift mode, the vehicle is raised by 1 inch (25
mm) compared to normal level while it is still stationary and damping
characterist ics are adjusted to emphasize comfort .
The lift mode can be activated only at speeds below 50 mph (80 km/h). When a speed of about 62 mph (100 km/h) is exceeded, the
system automatica lly leaves lift mode and the mode set previously
(standard, automatic, dynamic) is activated again .•
Vehicle care Technical data
lffll.___A_ d_ a_,_ p_t _i_ v _e _ A_i_ r_ S_ u_ s ... p,_ e_n_ s_ io_ n __________________________________________ _
Applies to vehicl es: w ith Adaptive Air Sus pension -Sport
Sport Chassis Controls
Four different driving modes can be set by the driver .
The automatic control processes are speed- and time-dependent. For
example, it is not poss ible to raise the suspension to the lift mode
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 approximately 0.2
inch (5 mm) to a level suitable for highway speeds, except in the stan
dard mode .
Level adjustment
lift
standard
automatic
automatic Ground clearance
about 4.9
inches (125 mm)
about 3.9 inches (100 mm)
about 3 .9 inches (100 mm)
about 3.9 inches (100 mm)
Select the automatic mode if you prefer a sporty suspension setting.
Sporty damping characteristics are selected in this mode.
• Lowering : When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded
for more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is automatically lowered by
about 0.2 inch (5 mm).
• Raising: The vehicle is automatically raised again if the speed falls
below about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a period of 120 seconds. The
vehicle is ra ised immediately when speed falls below about 22 mph
(35 km/h).
dynamic
Select the dynamic mode if you prefer a firm suspension setting and
damping characteristics.
• Lowering: When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded
for more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is automatically lowered by an
additional 0.2 in (5 mm) .
• Raising : The vehicle is automatically raised aga in if the speed falls
below about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a period of 120 seconds . T he
vehicle is raised immediately when speed falls below about 22 mph
(35 km/h).
standard
Select the standard mode if you want a comfortable suspension
sett ing. In the standard mode there is
no lowering of the suspension.
Even at high speeds, the vehicle stays at the same level. Comfortable
but firm damping characteristics are selected in this mode.
lift
Select the lift mode when yo u have to travel over poor sections of
road (e .g. trails). In the lift mode, the vehicle is raised by 1 inch (25
mm) compared to normal level and the setting goes to sporty
damping character istics .
The lift mode can be activated only at speeds below SO mph (80
km/h) . When a speed of about 62 mph (100 km/h) is exceeded, the
system automatically leaves lift mode and the mode set previously
(standard, automatic, dynamic) is activated again.•
1111....__A_ d_ a_,_ p_t _i_ v _e _ A_i_ r_ S_ u_ s ... p,_ e_n_ s_ io_ n __________________________________________ _
• Before h itching up the trailer and before adjust ing the tongue
we igh t a t the trailer, t he automat ic o r st and ard mode
must be
selected, so that the vehicle is at normal level=:>
page 1 79, "Setting
the Driving Modes".
• If dr iv ing in dynamic mode is desired, this mode
must be selected
befo re hitch ing up the trailer and before adjus ting the tongue
we ight. However, note that your veh icle is lowered and ground clear
ance is reduced.
• If you have to drive under difficult road conditions, you can select
lift mode af ter hitching up the tra iler o r af ter adjusting the tong ue
we ight.
T he following applies to vehicles wit h
sport suspension Adaptive Air
S uspens ion - Spo rt* :
• Before hitching up the trailer
and before adjust ing the tongue
we igh t at the t railer, the a utomatic, standard or dynamic mode
must
be selected, so that the vehicle is at normal level=:> page 179,
"Setting the Driving Modes" .
• If you have to drive under difficult road conditions, you can select
li ft mode a fter hitching up the tra ile r or aft er ad justing the tong ue
we ight .
Restrictions when Operating with a Trailer
When ope rating with a trailer, the lift mode can only be selected up
t o about 25 mph ( 40 km/h). The system automat ic all y goes o ut o f lift
mode when speed exceeds about 31 mph (SO km/h) .
If the ve hicle is in automatic , standard or lift mode before t he trailer
towing mode is act ivated, the dynam ic mode cannot be activated -
except on vehicles with
s po rt suspension Adaptive A ir Suspension -
Sport*.
If the veh icle is in dynamic mode before towing operation is act i
va ted, it can be dr iven in t his mode. If the suspe ns io n is shifted from
this mode to automatic mode, dynamic mode ca nnot be re -selected .
W Tips
The vehicle w ill not lower to t he dynamic leve l w he n operat ing in t he
trai ler towing mode. •