Driving with your
quattro ®
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv
en .
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels . This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time. See also
t::;> page 150.
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -sea
son t ires) for improved driveability and brak
ing: these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels.
Snow chains
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain
roads, th is normally also applies to vehicles
with all-wheel drive
Q page 204 , Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Only the wheel/tire sizes specified by the
manufacturer may be used on vehicles with
all-wheel drive
<=> page 199.
A WARNING
-Always adjust your driving to road and
traffic conditions. Do not let the extra
safety afforded by all-wheel drive tempt
you into taking extra risks.
- Although a ll-wheel drive is very effect ive,
always remember that braking capacity
is limited by tire traction. You should
therefore not drive at excessive speeds
on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
cou ld beg in to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If this should occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in
crease in engine speed as with a front-
-
Intelligent technology 155
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con
ditions. -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long per iod of time, the bat
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e .g. immobi lizer). In certain circumstances it
can resu lt in the re being insufficient energy
available to start the engine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi
cle handles the distribution of e lectr ical ener
gy. Starting ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Basically, energy management consists of
battery diagnosis , idling current manage
ment
and dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery. Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and battery
temperature . This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing.
With the ign ition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrical compo
nents. Data from battery diagnosis is consid
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
individual cons umers are gradually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus maintain starting capability. .,..
•
•
~ Install the battery cover.
~ Close the luggage compartment lid
¢page 42.
When charging at low voltages (e.g. with a
trickle charger), the battery cables do not
have to be disconnected first. Before charging
at
high voltages, i.e. "fast charging", you
must disconnect both cables. In either case,
follow the instructions from the manufacturer
of the charger .
Fastcharging a battery is
dangerous ¢.&. in
Working on the battery on page 185 .
It re
quires special charging equipment and the knowledge to go with it. We recommend hav
ing your battery fast charged only by a quali
fied workshop.
A discharged battery can
freeze at tempera
tures of only 32 °F (0 °C) . Allow a frozen bat
tery to thaw completely before attempting to
charge it¢ ,&. . However, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat
tery casing can be cracked due to ice forma
tion and can leak battery acid.
Do not open the battery caps when charging
the battery.
_& WARNING
-
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
- Never charge a frozen battery .
It may ex
plode because of gas trapped in the ice.
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries which were fro
zen. The battery housing may have
cracked and weakened when the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame or elec
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explosive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion , never
connect or disconnect charger cables
while the charger is operating.
- Fast charging a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe
tent technician with the proper equip ment.
Checking and filling 187
- Battery acid that may spill during charg
ing should be washed off with a solution
of warm water and baking soda to neu
tralize the acid .
@ Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine. This will seriously dam
age sensitive electronic components, such
as control units, relays, radio, etc ., as well
as the battery charger .
(D Tips
-The vehicle battery must not be charged
with a standard small charger that plugs
into the cigarette lighter or outlet .
- Only charge the battery through the con
nections in the luggage compartment.
Replacing the battery
The new battery must have the same specifi
cations as the old one.
Your vehicle is equipped with an intelligent
energy management system for distributing
electricity ¢
page 155. The battery charges
better in vehicles with the energy manage
ment system than in vehicles without the sys
tem. To ensure that the additional power is
available after replacing the battery , replacing
with the same type of battery from the same
manufacturer (like the battery that was deliv
ered with the vehicle) is recommended. An au
thori zed dealer mus t code the battery in the
energy management control module .
T he new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12 volts), current and design and it
must be sealed with plugs. The battery must
conform to the standards TL 825 06 (from Oc
tober 2006) and VW 7 50 73 (from August 2001).
Since the vehicle battery is difficult to reach,
we recommend having the battery replaced by
an authorized Audi R8 dealer or other quali-
fied workshop . ..,. •
•
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressu re."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the
nu mber of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter
means the overa ll diameter of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated para llel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs . (2 .3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, r ide leve lers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic t ire in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Tires and wheels 191
Recommended inflation pressure
see ~ page 190, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflat ion pressures than
the corresponding standard tire. Re inforced
ti res my be ident ified as "XL" , "xl", "E XTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you w ill have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal distance between rim fla nges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 200 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
T he speed rating letter code, where applica
ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi
cates the maximum pe rm issib le road speeds
~ .&. in Winter tires on page 204.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell
tale.
•
•
220 What do I do now?
connected to the battery of another vehicle,
using a pair of jumper cables to start the en
gine.
Both batteries must be rated at 12 volts. The
capacity (Ah) of the booster battery must not
be substantially less than the capacity of the
discharged battery.
Jumper cables Use
only jumper cables of sufficiently large
cross section to safely carry the starter cur
rent. Refer to the manufacturer's specifica
tions.
Use only jumper cables which have
insulated
terminal clamps and are properly marked for
distinction :
plus(+) cable: in most cases colored red
minus(-) cable: in most cases colored black
A WARNING
Batteries contain electricity, acid, and gas .
Any of these can cause very serious or fatal
injury. Follow the instructions below for
safe handling of your vehicle's battery.
- Always shield your eyes and avoid lean
ing over the battery whenever possible.
- A discharged battery can already freeze
at temperatures just below 32 °F (0 °C).
Before connecting a jumper cable, the
frozen battery must be thawed com
pletely, otherwise it could explode.
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes
or skin. Flush any contacted area with
water immediately.
- Improper use of a booster battery to
start a vehicle may cause an explosion.
- Vehicle batteries generate explosive gas
es. Keep sparks, flame and lighted ciga
rettes away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any vehicle with
a low acid level in the battery.
- The voltage of the booster battery must
also have a 12-Volt rating. The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged bat
tery. Use of batteries of different voltage or substantially different
"Ah" rating
may cause an explosion and personal in
jury.
- Never charge a frozen battery. Gas trap
ped in the ice may cause an explosion.
- Never charge or use a battery that has
been frozen . The battery case may have
be weakened .
- Use of batteries of different voltage or
substantially different capacity (Ah) rat
ing may cause an explosion and injury.
The capacity (Ah) of the booster battery should not be lower than that of the dis
charged battery.
- Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
9 page 175, Working in the
engine comportment.
(!) Note
-Applying a higher voltage booster bat
tery will cause expensive damage to sen
sitive electronic components, such as
control units, relays, radio, etc.
- There must be no electrical contact be
tween the vehicles as otherwise current
could already start to flow as soon as the
positive(+) terminals are connected.
(D Tips
- The discharged battery must be properly
connected to the vehicle's electrical sys
tem.
- Switch off any car phone, or follow the
car phone instructions for this situation.
Energy management .... ... .. .. .. .. . 155
Battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Driver notification ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 156
E ng ine
Coolan t .......................... 181
E ng ine compartment lid ... .. .. .. .. . 175
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77, 78
Stopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
E ng ine compartmen t ................ 177
Safety ins truc tions ........ .. .. .. .. . 17 5
Eng ine compartment lid
C losing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Release lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 5
Eng ine coolant system ............... 181
Malfunct io n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
T emperature gauge ................. 11
Engine data .. .... .. .... ... .. .. .. ... 228
E ng ine oi l ... ............. .... .. ... 178
Adding .. .. ............. .. .. .. ... 180
Addit ives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Chec king the engine oi l level . ... .. .. . 180
D ry s ump lubrication ... ... .. .. .. .. . 157
Indications and cond it ions requ iring ex-
tra check ing ............. .... .. ... 180
Level ............................. 33
O il consumption ................. .. 179
O il grades .. ... .. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. . 178
Sensor defective .................... 33
Specification and viscos ity .. .. .. .. .. . 178
Tempe ra tu re d isp lay ................ 10
Eng ine oil pressure
Malfunct io n ... ........... ...... ... 33
Eng ine speed limitat ion .. ... .. .. .... .. 36
E nvi ro nment
Ca tal ytic conve rter ........ .. .. .. .. . 158
Fu el . .... .. .. .... .. .... ... .. .. ... 172
Un leaded fu el .... ..... ... .. .. .. ... 170
E PC
refer to E lectronic powe r control ( EPC) . 15
ESP
refer to Electronic Stabilizat io n Pro-
g ram .. .. .. .. ........ ..... ... ... . 150
refer to Electronic stab ilization p rogram
( E SP) ............................. 16
Event Data Recorder (EDR) . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
E xhaust tail pipes
C lea ning ... .. ... ..... ... .. .. .. ... 165
Inde x 233
Expansion tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
F
Fan ................................ 74
Fastening Boos ter seats .. .. .. . .. .... ...... . .
Co nvertib le child safety seats ....... .
Infan t seats . .. .. ................ .
Flat bed truck
Flat tire 145
144
1
4 3
222
Changi ng ... .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 216
Floor mats ...... .. .. ..... .......... 104
Fo ld ing top
Care and cleaning . .... ............. 163
Foot peda ls ... .. .... . ... ...... ... .. 104
Fo r the sake of the envi ronment
Gasoline fumes and t he env ironme nt .. 172
L etting your eng ine w arm up ......... 78
Ref ueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Front a irbags
Desc ription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
How they wor k ... .... ......... .. .. 126
Frontal coll is io ns and the laws of p hys ics 111
Fron t lid
Emergency re lease . .. .. .. ..... ... .. . 43
li ght . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Power locking system .......... .. .. . 42
Tr unk escape handle ............... 213
Front passenger
refer to Seating position . . . . . . . 100, 101
Fron t seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Child res traints in the fro nt sea t ...... 119
Front towing loop .. .. ........... .... 222
Fuel Additives . ... .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 170
B lended gaso line ... .. ... ..... ... .. 170
C ur rent fuel mileage ................ 23
Filler neck ... .. ...... ............. 171
Fuel supply too low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Gasoline add it ives .. .............. . 171
Octane rat ing .. ... ........... .... . 170
Recommendat ion . ............. .... 170
Ref ueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Rese rve ... .. .. .. ... ............ .. . 12
Tank capacity ....... .. .. ..... ... .. 228
U nl ocking the fuel fi lle r flap by hand .. 173
•
•