
You should always lock the steering whenever
you leave your vehicle . This makes a vehicle
theft even more difficu lt ¢ & .
Ignition ke y safe ty lock
After switching off the ignition, the ig nit ion
key can only be removed from the ign ition
l ock when the selector lever is in the "P"
(Park) position . After you have removed the
key, the selector lever is locked and cannot be
moved.
Ignition on @
If it is difficult to turn the key after you have
inse rted it into the ignition lock, turn the
steering whee l back and forth. This will take
the load
off the steering lock mechan ism and
you will be able to turn the key freely and start the engine.
Starting the engin e@
In this position the engine starts . While the
engine is starting, the power supply to the headlights and other e lectr ica l consumers is
tempo rarily interrupted to conserve battery
power . After the engine has started, release
the key and it will return to posit io n @ .
Before the starter can be operated again the
key must be turned back to position@. The
non-r epeat lock prevents you from damag ing
the sta rter when the engine is runn ing .
A WARNING
-Never remove the key from the ign ition
lock whi le the vehicle is moving. The
steering wheel will lock causing loss of
control.
- If you have to leave your ve hicle -even
f or just a m in ute -always remove the ig
ni tion key and take it with you. This is es
pecially important if yo u a re going to
leave chi ldren behind in the vehicle. The
children cou ld start the engine or use
other vehicle controls. Unsupervised use
of vehicle controls (for example, power
windows) can cause serious personal in
jur ies .
-
On th e ro ad 81
(D Tips
If the vehicle battery has been disconnect
ed and then reconnected, then yo u must
l eave the key in posit ion @ for about 5
seconds before you can start the engine.
Starting and stopping
the engine
' Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with an origi
nal Audi key .
.,. Se t the par king brake.
.,. Move the selector lever in P or
N q ,& .
.,. Tu rn the ignition key to position ®
~ page 80, fig. 90 -do not depress the gas
peda l when starting the engine!
.,. Let go of the key as soon as the engine
starts.
A cold engine may at first be loud after it has
been started. This is due to the hydraulic
valves bu ild ing up the oil pressure. Th is nor
mal and no need for concern .
If the engine does not start immediately, stop
trying after 10 seconds and then try to restart
the engine about 30 seconds later.
A WARNING
-Never start or let the eng ine run in a con-
fined o r enclosed area . Exhaust fumes
from the engine contain carbon monoxide,
a colorless and odo rless gas. Ca rbon mon
oxide can be f atal if inhaled.
- Never leave the engine id ling unattend
ed. An una ttended veh icle with a runn ing
engine poses a danger o f personal injury
or theft .
(D Note
-Avo id high engine speeds, fast accelera
tion or heavy engine loads while the en
gine is still cold. This could damage the
engine.
- The engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle . .,..

86 On the road
Audi magnetic ride
Applies to vehicles: wit h magnet ic ride
Damping can be adjusted to the driver's pref
erence and it adapts automatically to the cur
rent driving situation.
Fig. 94 Cente r console: Switch for Audi magnetic r ide
" Press the sw itch r=) fig. 94 to tu rn spo rt set-
t ing o n or off.
Aud i magnetic ride is an electron ically con
trolled damp ing system . Th is chassis system
assists the driver by adapti ng to the par ticular
situatio n th rough imper cep tible con trol p roc
esses. The
damping provides individual mod u
l ation of damping forces. For example, with
dampi ng characterist ics set to p rovide greater
comfort, damping is set somewhat harder for
a brief period only as required, when rounding
a curve and when braking.
Standard setting
Select the standard sett ing if you prefer a sus
pension setting emphasizing comfort.
Sport setting
Select the sport setti ng if you prefe r a sporty
suspe nsio n setting . The LED in the sw itch
E
comes on to indicate spo rt setting .
@ Tips
The warning/indicator light E in the instru
men t clus ter comes on in the even t of a
malf unction . Drive to the closest au thor
ized Audi dealer as soon as possible and
have the malfunction repaired.
Sport mode
Applies to veh icles: w ith Sport bu tton
Fig . 95 Button in t he ce nter console
.,. To switch sport mode on, press the button
in the center console. The indicator light
t ur ns on .
" To swit ch spor t mode off, press the but ton
in the center console again. The indicator
light turns on .
A mo re agile and spo rty d riv ing style is possi
ble when driving the vehicle in "sport mode".
T his mode affec ts thrott le response and the
sound of the engine, the steering characteris
t ics for a more direct power steering response
and the damping characteristics of the Audi
magnetic ride for dynam ic suspension tu ning.
(D Tips
If there is a malfunction in the retractable
rear spoiler* or the Aud i magnetic ride *, it
may not be poss ible to activate sport
mode.

A WARNING
- The limits of physics cannot be suspended by ESP. Even in vehicles w ith ESP, you
should always adapt your driving to road
and traffic conditions. This is particular ly
t rue on a slippery and wet road. Do not
be tempted by the inc reased safety pro
vided to take ris ks - danger of an acci
dent!
- Please note tha t when ESP/ASR is deacti
vated, the drive whee ls can spin on icy
and slippery roads and the veh icle can
break away - danger of skidding!
Switching on and off
Fi g. 130 Center co nsole wit h ESP switch
The ES P is a utomatically activated when the
engine is star ted, and it performs a self-test.
As soon as the test is completed, the system
is in normal operating mode.
Deactivating
ESP should normally be activated at all times
because this ensures optimum vehicle stabil i
ty. Only in some cases it does make sense to
deactivate the Electronic Stability P rogram
(ESP) by press ing the button
~fig . 130. Deac
tivation is ind icated by the ESP lamp
I in the
instr ument cluster f lashes. The message
ESP
OFF
appears in the instrument cluster. Ant i
Slip Regulation is completely deactivated and
the stabilization effects from the ESP system are lim ited. Th is makes a mo re agile and spor
ty driv ing style poss ible, but the fu ll exte nt of
t he s tabiliza tion f unct ion is not available .
Intelligent technolog y 149
Activating
Press the@] button again~ fig. 130. T he ind i
cator light
I goes out . The message ESP ON
appears brief ly in the instrument cluster dis
play.
&_ WARNING
i=
You shou ld only switch the ESP off if your
driving ab ility and the traff ic situat ion al
low. Please note that when ESP/ASR is de
activated, the d rive wheels can spin on icy
a nd slippery roads and th e vehicle can
b reak away- dange r of skidd ing!
a) Tips
- If Aud i magnetic ride* is malfunct io ni ng,
the ESP may not sw itch off or it may
switch off automatically.
- In the event of a defect in the rear spoil er sys tem or in Audi magnet ic ride, it can
happen that ASR and ASR/ESP cannot be
deactivated, o r they are ac tiva ted au to
matically in the deactiva ted st ate.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the
rotational speed of the drive wheels.
General notes
The electronic d ifferential lock (EDL) helps the
ca r to start moving, accele rate and climb a
gradient on su rfaces provid ing poor or a lmost
no g rip. Withou t EDL, this would be d iff icul t ,
i f not impossib le.
How the system works
The EDL operates automatica lly. It mon itors
the rotational speed of the dr ive wheels on an
axle with the help of the ABS sensors
c;:> page 153. If a noticeable difference in ro
tational speed
between the drive wheels on
o ne axle is detected (e.g. on s lippery ground
on one side), the s pinning wheel is braked,
thereby t ransferring power to the other drive
whee l or wheels (a ll-wheel drive). This is done
up to a speed of about 60 mph (100 km/h). ..,_

150 Intelligent te chn olog y
Noises from the b rake system signal that
wheel spin is being controlled.
Driving off
When drivi ng off, a lways be sure to keep road
conditions in mind as you accelerate. If one
d rive wheel spi ns because it is on a surface
with less grip, gradua lly increase the press ure
on the accelerator pedal until the car starts to
move. The wheel less able to transfer power
spins.
O verheating of bra kes
To prevent the disc brake of the braked wheel
from overheating if subjected to excessive
loads, the EDL cuts out temporarily. The vehi
cle rema ins operationa l and behaves in the
same way as a vehicle without EDL.
As soon as the brake has cooled down, EDL
switches on again automatically .
A WARNING
-When accelerating on slippery surfaces,
such as on ice or snow, always be careful
when depressing the acce lerator pedal.
Even with the EDL working, the drive
wheels can spin and reduce yo ur ability
to contro l your car. -Risk of crash!
- The increased safety afforded by EDL
does not mean that you can ta ke safety
risks. Always adapt your dr iving sty le to
the road conditions and traff ic situa tion.
@ Tips
If a fa ult occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also
not f unct ion ing. This is indicated by the
ABS warning light ¢
page 17.
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulation System prevents the
driven wheels from spinning wh en the car is
accelerating.
General notes
The Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) is inte
grated in the electronic stabilization program
(ESP). When th e vehicle starts up and acceler- ates, the whee
ls are prevented from spinning
by adjusting the engine power to match the
amount of grip available from the road sur
face.
How the system works
ASR pe rforms a utomat ica lly, i.e . w ithout t he
driver's intervention. With the aid of the ABS
sensors ¢
page 153, ASR monitors t he speed
of the dr iven whee ls . If the whee ls start to
spin, the engine torq ue is reduced automati
cally until the tires find enough gr ip to lock
onto the road surface . The system is active
across the ent ire speed range .
The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If
a malfunction should occur in the ABS, the
ASR w ill also be out of act io n.
@ Tips
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all
four whee ls must be fitted wit h ident ica l
tires . Any differences in ro lling radius of
the tires can cause the system to reduce
engine power wh en this is not desired. See
a lso
¢ page 205, New tires and repla cing
tires and wheels.
Rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling
and enhances driver control .
Fig. 131 Switc h fo r rear spo iler
The rear spoiler deploys and retracts. Spoiler
operation can be set for automat ic or manual
operation .

Automatic mod e (normal operat ion)
- Automatic deployment: At a speed of about
75 mph (120 km/h), the rear spoiler deploys
automatically .
- Automatic retraction: When speed drops be
low abo ut SO mph (80 km/h), the rear spoil
er retracts automatically.
Manual mode
- Manua l dep loyment: Tapping briefly on the
switch
¢ fig. 131 dep loys the rear spo iler .
- Manual retraction: At speeds up to about 10
mph (20 km/h), retract the rear spoiler by
pressing and holding the switch ¢
fig. 131.
At speeds between 10 mph (20 km/h) and
75 mph (120 km/h), retract the rear spoi ler
by tapping on the switch
¢ fig. 131 .
A WARNING
Driv ing at higher speeds w ithout the rear
spoiler dep loyed can impair handling char
acteristics, making the vehicle harder to
control.
- Always make sure that the spoiler is de·
ployed whe n driving at speeds over 85
mp h (140 km/h) . If the rea r spo ile r
wa rning/ind icator light in the instru
ment cluster comes on, the rear spo iler
may not have dep loyed.
- Never drive at speeds hig her than 85
mp h (1 40 km/h) if the spoiler is not de
ployed. Have the spoi ler inspected as
soon as possible by an authorized A udi
dealer or qualified workshop .
- Always obey speed limits and other traf
fic laws.
A WARNING
Improper operation of the rear spoiler can
cause crushing injuries .
- Always make sure that nobody, especia lly
children, is in the way when the rear
spoiler is deployed or retracted.
Q) Note
Never push the vehicle o r apply fo rce to
the rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
Int ellig ent technolog y 151
(D Tips
Clean the spoiler compa rtment every 2 to
3 months. The spoiler compartment must
a lways be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debr is .
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Ope rating condition s and driving h abits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat
ing condit ions and driving habits ¢.&, . On ve
hicles that a re either dr iven mostly in stop
and-go city t raff ic or are dr iven hard, the
brake pads should be chec ked by yo ur author
ized Audi dea ler mo re often than specified in
the
W arranty & Maintenanc e boo klet. Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you should use the braking
effect o f the engine . This way, you prevent un
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down cont in uous ly. Pump the brakes at inter
vals.
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and o utside condi
tions such as temperature and humid ity.
Moisture o r ro ad s alt
U nder certa in conditions, for examp le, when
driving through water or very heavy rain , or
even after washing your vehicle, the b raking
effect can be reduced due to moist ure (or in
freezing cond itions ice) on the brake pads. A
few cautious brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road and t he brakes are not used. L ikewise,
you clean off accumulated salt coating from brake d iscs and pads with a few cautious ap-
plications of the b rake ¢ .&, .
IJJ,
•
•

152 Intelligent technology
Corrosion
There may be a tendency fo r dirt to bu ild up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the brakes .
I f the b rakes are not used frequen tly, or if cor
rosion has fo rmed on the discs, it is advisab le
to clean
off the pads and discs by b raking
firm ly a few times from a moderate ly high
speed
c> .& .
Fault s in the bra ke sy ste m
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢.& .
Low brake fluid level
Malf unc tions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fl uid level is too low. The b rake fluid
l eve l is monitored electronica lly .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lin ing wea r may be c hecked by visual i n
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces
sary, the whee l may be removed for this in
spection ¢
page 222, What should I be
aware of when changing a tire?.
Brake power assist unit
The brake power assist un it increases the
p ress ure th at yo u genera te with the b rake
pedal. It works on ly when the engine is run
ning.
& WARNING
- Yo u should perform braking maneuve rs
for the purpose of clean ing the brake
system on ly if road condit ions permit.
Other road users must not be put at r isk -
you may cause an acc ident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss io n into a lowe r
gear or lowe r driving position . Do not
ride the brak es or ho ld the pedal down
too long or too ofte n. This cou ld cause the brakes to get hot and dimin
ish b rak
ing efficiency.
- Do not " ride the brakes" by rest ing you r
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 cl imatic and ope rat ing
conditions such as passing through wa
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
b rakes can be reduced . In wi nte r, ice can
a ccumu late on the br ake pads , lin ings,
d iscs and drums. Cautiously app ly bra kes
for a test . Brakes wi ll dry and ice coat
ings wi ll be cleaned
off after a few cau
tious b rake app lications .
- Driving for an exten ded period of t ime on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect bra king efficiency.
Clean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a diffe rent spoiler, be sure the a ir
f low to the front b rakes is not obs truc t
ed. Otherwise the bra ke system could
overhea t redu cing t he effectiveness o f
the entire brake system.
- Fai lure of one b rake circuit will impa ir
the braking capa bility result ing in an in
cre ase d stopping dist ance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near
est A udi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never let the vehi cle roll to a s top with
the engine sh ut
off .
- If t he bra ke booste r is no t working, for
examp le when towing yo ur vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the bra ke peda l must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance .

158 Driving and en vi ro nm ent
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc ., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low
slung chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded
vehicles .
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- T he water must not be any highe r tha n the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not d rive faster than wa lking speed.
_& WARNING
After d riving through wate r, m ud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re
store the full braking effect.
(]) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Check the depth of the water before driv
ing through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine
off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid driving thro ugh salt water because
it can ca use corrosion.
-
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con
trol system (catalytic converter) is function
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
.. Always use lead-free gasoline ¢ page 17 4,
Fuel supply .
.. Never run the tank down all the way to emp
ty.
.. Never put too much motor o il in your eng ine
r::;> page 183, Adding engine oil~-
.. Never try to p ush- or tow-sta rt your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean
up" dev ice built into the exhaust system of
t h e vehicle. The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollutants in the exha ust gas be
f ore they are re leased into the atmosphere.
T he exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
impor tant for the life of the catalyt ic convert
er and prope r funct ion ing of the engine.
A WARNING
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exha ust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additiona l undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con
verter or heat sh ields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already ser iously de-
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢page 183.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine could mis-
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into ..,.

160 Driving and en vi ro nment
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel .
.,. Shut the engine off when you are not dr iving
the vehicle.
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut
off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at ra il
road crossings, or at traff ic l ights that have
l ong wa its on red . Turning the engine
off fo r
just 30-40 seconds saves more fue l than is
burned starting the eng ine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is running at idle . However , wear
and nox ious em issions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high RPMs whi le the engine
is sti ll warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate imp roper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which cou ld result in over
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel .
... Have your vehicle serv iced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi dea ler helps to ensure that it runs prop
erly and economica lly. The cond it ion of yo ur
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
hold its value, it also affects fuel consump
tion .
Check you r oil ea ch time you fill you r tank. T
he amount o f oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It i s normal fo r the oil consump tion of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been d riven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(S,000 kilometres) before yo u can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
T his also app lies to fue l consumption and en
gine o utput.
(D Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in acco rdance with the service rec
ommendations in your Wa rranty
& Main
t enance boo klet . Lack of p roper ma inte
nance as well as improper use of the ve
hicle will impair the function of the
emission contro l system and cou ld lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap
proved
by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat sh ie lds, switches, ign it ion w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle compo
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
.,. Try to avoid driv ing short distances w ith a
cold engine .
T he engine and cata lytic converter have to
reach their opt imal operat ing temperature to
reduce fuel consumption and nox ious emis
s ions effectively .
- Ju st after starting, a cold engine in a mid
size car burns the fue l at a poor rate of 6-8
m iles per gallon (30-40 l/l00km). Half a
m ile down the road , the mileage improves
to 12 MPG (20 l/100 km). It w ill take the
ll>