
locked or when the ignition is turned on, the
interior lights are turned off.
When a door is open, the interior l igh ts are
turned off afte r abo ut 10 m inu tes to p reven t
battery draining.
The brightness of the lights is controlled au
t om atically by a dimmer when they are
sw itched on and off.
Instrument panel illumination
The illumination of the instruments, displays
and the cen ter console can be adjusted .
Fig . 64 Instr ument pane l illu min at io n
i a:. .. a,
You regulate the brightness of the instru
ments with the left thumbwheel
Co/¢ fig. 64 .
Ign ition ON, light switch at @.
Wit h t he igni tion swi tched ON, the glow o f in
strument needles
can be adjusted to a ppear
b righter or dimmer.
Ignition ON , light switch at ~oQ: or ~D .
With the l igh ts sw itched on, the brightness of
i nstr ument cluster (i.e. needles, gauges and
d isp lays) and center console i llumination can
be ad justed .
(D Note
The instrument cluster and cente r console
illumination (ga uges and needles) comes
on when you switch on the ignition and the
vehicle headlights are off. Be aware of t he
following difference between mode ls built
to US or Ca nadian specifications:
- USA models: illumination of the instru
ment cluster (gauge s and needles),
dash and cente r console around the
Clear vi sion 5 7
gearshift lever is controlled by a light
sensor located in the in strument panel.
The in strument panel illumination will
automatically become dimmer as the
daylight fades away and eventuall y will
go out completely when outside light is
very low . This i s to remind you, the driv
er, to switch on the headlights before it
get s too dark.
- Canada models: in strument pan el illu
min ation w ill stay bright r egardless of
the intensit y of ambient light . Alwa ys
be aware of changes in out side light
conditions while you are dri ving. Re·
s pond in time to fading daylight by
turning the light switch to position
~D
(or "AUTO" if your car is equipped with
this feature)
to turn on you r headlights.
luggage compartment light
The light is located on the right side of the
luggage compartment.
These lights come on automatically when t he
rear lid is opened . The lights turn off automat
ical ly if the lid is left open for more then 10
minutes .
Vision
Sun visors
Using the sun visors make s driving safer .
Fig. 65 Sun visor
- ~ ---------.ttr -···---=-=---------~=--·-·----- -·-==:. - · =-~-----
The vanity mirrors in the sun visors are equip
ped with lids. Push lid in direct ion of arrow to
open.

70 Seats and st o ra ge
Head restraints
Adjusting head restraints, front seats
The head restraints must be adjusted proper
ly to provide protection .
Fig. 78 Dr iver "s seat hea d restra int: ad justing the
height
The head restraints on the front seats can be
adjusted to prov ide safe support to head and
neck at the optimum he ight. When optimally
adjusted, the top of the restra int should be
leve l with the top of the head
qpage 101,
Proper adjustment of head restraints.
Raising head rest raint
• Grasp the side of the head restraint with
bot h hands.
• Adjust the head restra ints so that the top of
the head rest raint is
at l east level with you r
eyes or higher
qfig. 78.
Lowe ring head restraint
• Grasp the sides of the head restra int with
both hands.
• Press the button
q fig . 78 and adjust the
head restraint.
• Adjust the head restra ints so that the top of
t h e head restrain t is
at least level wi th you r
eyes or higher
q fig . 78 .
Refe r to q page 101, Proper adjus tment of
head restraints
for gu idelines o n how to ad
just the heigh t of the front head rest raints to
f it the occupa nt's body size.
&_ WARNING
- Driv ing witho ut head restra ints or with
head restraints that are not properly ad-
-
justed increases the risk of ser ious or fa
tal neck injury dramatica lly.
- Read and heed all WARNI NGS
qpage 101.
(D Tips
Correct ly adjusted head restraints and
safety be lts are an extreme ly effect ive
com bination of safety features.
Luggage compartment
Pass-through with Ski Bag
Using the pass-through and the removable
ski bag, you can transport long objects (e.g.
skis) neatly and without damaging the interi
or.
F ig. 79 Open sto rage compartment between the seat
backs
Fi g. 80 Reta iner fo r th e sk i bag betwee n the seatbacks
Loading
• Open the flip cover to the storage compart
ment between th e seatbacks
q page 7 4.
• To unlock it, pull the handle and fo ld the
cover of the pass-through to the t runk
qfig. 79.
"" Flip the cover upward in the direction of the
ar row.
• Open the tru nk lid.

Before you purchase any accessories, always
read and follow the information in
c::> page 243, Additional accessories and parts
replacement.
A WARNING
The outlet plus any appliances plugged in
to it remain functional even if the ignition
is switched off or the ignition key is re
moved. Never leave children inside the ve
hicle without supervision.
(D Note
To avo id damag ing the socket, only use
plugs that fit properly.
@ Tips
When the engine is off and accessories are still plugged in and are on, the vehicle bat
tery can still be dra ined.
Storage
General
A WARNING
- Always remove objects from the instru
ment panel. Any items not put away
cou ld slide around inside the vehicle
wh ile driving or when accelerating or
when applying the brakes or when driv ing around a corner.
-
- When you are driving make sure that
anything you may have placed in the cen
ter console or other storage locations cannot fall out into the footwells . In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to brake or accelerate.
S ea ts a nd s to rage 73
Glove compartment
The glove compartment is illuminated and
can be locked .
i
----------- i
•
Fig . 85 Glove compartment
To open glo ve com partment
.,. Pull the handle c::> fig. 85 in the direct ion of
t he arrow pus h down lid to the fully open
position.
To clo se glove compartment
.,. Push the glove compartment lid upward un-
til the lock engages .
CD ch anger*
The CD changer for the Sound System is locat
ed in the glove compartment .
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury in an
accident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartment closed wh ile driving.
Storage compartment in the front seats
Applies to vehicles: with storage compartment in the
front seats
There is a fold-out storage compartment in
the front of the seats.
O pen ing
.,. Lift the handle and pull the drawer o ut.
Closin g
.. Push the drawer in completely until it latch
es.

80 On the road
On the road
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel column
The steering wheel position can be continu
ously adjusted in height and distance .
Fig. 89 Lever under the steer ing co lu m n
First, adjust the driver's seat correctly .
• Push the lever
c::> fig . 89 -Arrow -c::> ,&.
• Move the steer ing wheel to the desired posi
t ion.
• Push the lever against the steering column
until it locks.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be
tween your chest and the center of the steer
i ng wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 in
ches (25 cm) from the steering whee l, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steering whee l.
F or detai led information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c::> page 68.
A WARNING
Improper use of steeri ng wheel adjust
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury.
- Adjust the steer ing whee l co lumn on ly
when the vehicle is not moving to pre
vent loss of veh icle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that there is a minimum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel
¢ page 99 , fig. 107. If
yo u cannot maintain this min imum dis- tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you proper ly.
- If physical limitations prevent you from
sitting 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
the steering wheel, check with your au
thorized Audi dealer to see if adaptive equ ipment is ava ilable .
- If the steer ing wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplementa l driver's a irbag
cannot provide as much protection in an
accident . Always make sure that the
steer ing wheel is aligned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel w ith your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi
tions to reduce the risk of persona l injury
if the driver's airbag dep loys .
- Never hold the stee ring wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands inside
the steeri ng wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub . Holding the steering wheel
the wrong way can cause serious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv
er's airbag deploys.
Ignition lock and
ignition switch
Ignition lock
The ignition key starts or stops the engine.
Fig . 90 Ign iti on lock pos it ions
Igniti on off ©
In pos ition c::> fig . 90 @ both the ignition and
engine are off , and the steering is locked .
T o
loc k th e steering after you have removed
the ignition key, turn the steering whee l in ei
ther direction until you hear it lock into place .
1)),-

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 . .,..

(D Note
Only after the vehi cle has come to com
plete stop, should you f irm ly set the park
ing brake and either move the selector lev
er into "P".
Parking
To prevent a parked vehicle from rolling
away, there are a few things you should do.
When you park your vehicle, do the following:
.,. Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
... Set the parking b ra ke firmly .
... Switch
off the engine.
... Move the selector lever into the P position
¢ A .
... Remove the ign it ion key from the ignit ion
lock.
What else you should do when pa rking
your vehicle on an incline or decline
Turn the steering wheel so that if the vehicle
should start to roll, it will roll into the curb.
If you are parking on a decl ine (the front of
your vehicle facing downhill), turn the front
wheels to the right so that they point
toward
the curb.
If you are parking on an incline (the font of
your vehicle facing uph ill), turn the front
wheels to the left so that they po int
away
from the curb.
A WARNING
Th is is how you can reduce the risk of in
jury when leaving your veh icle.
- Never park the vehicle where it can come
in contact with d ry grass, sp illed fuel or
any othe r flammable mater ials .
- Never allow anyone -especially small
children -to remain in the vehicle whe n
it is locked . Locked doors ma ke it more
difficult for rescuers to access the pas
senge r compartmen t in the event of an
eme rgency. Danger to life!
- Never leave c hildren unsupervised in the
vehicle. Children co uld re lease the par k-
-
On th e ro ad 83
ing brake or move the gearsh ift leve r out
of gear. The vehicle could start to ro ll
away and cause an acc ident.
- No matter what the season is, the tem
perature in a parked ve hicle can reach
dangerous leve ls.
Acoustic parking
system
' Rear acoustic park assist
Applies to vehicles: with 4-channel acoust ic park assist
Acoustic park assist gives a warning about
obstacles behind the vehicle .
Description
The rea r acoustic pa rk ass ist (4-channel
a coustic park ass ist) de termines the dista nce
of the vehicle from an obstacle using ult ra
son ic sensors. The sensors are in the rear
bumper. The volume and the pitch of the
c hi mes can be adjusted throug h the men u dis
play¢
page 21.
T he range at wh ich the sensors start to meas
u re is
about :
To the side
Activation
2 feet (0.60 m)
5 feet (1.60 m)
T he park ing ass ist is activated when
rever se
g ear
is engaged. A br ief tone confirms th at
the sys tem is activated .
Backing up
Distance warning whe n backing up sta rts
whe n an obstacle is detected in the range of
t he pa rk ass ist system. As the distance de
c reases, the t ime inte rva l between the audible
tones becomes shorte r.
When the distance is less than 1 foot (0.30
m), the tone becomes continuous. At this
po in t you sho uld s top bac king up .
Please note that low objects already signalled
by a war ning ca n disappear from the system's
de te ction range and will not continue to be
s ignalled . .,._

Transmission S tronic transmission
Introduction
Your vehicle is equipped with a S tronic trans miss ion, also called a double-clutch system/
transmission.
Power is transferred between the engine and
the transm ission by means of two i ndepend
ent clutches. They replace the to rque convert
e r of conventional automat ic transm iss ions
and a llow the vehicle to acce lerate without a
noticeable break in the power flow .
W it h the aid
of tiptroni c, the gears can op
tionally be sh ifted
manually¢ page 90.
Selector lever positions
All the selector lever positions are explained
in this section.
F ig . 96 Display: Selector lever position
The instrument cluster display shows these
l ector lever position.
P -Park lock
In th is posi tion the gea rs are mechan ically
l ocked .
The park lock must on ly be engaged with the
ve hicl e
stationary¢ /1..
To engage P and to remove the lever from th is
position, you must depress the release button
(button in the selector lever handle)
and si
multaneously yo u must step on the brake
pedal.
Tran sm iss ion 87
R -re ver se
In this position, reverse is eng aged.
Reverse gear must only be engaged w ith the
vehicle
stationary and the engine ru nning at
idle speed ¢
/1..
To engage R, you have to depress the release
button
and simultaneously step on the brake
pedal. I n the R pos ition, the bac k-up lights il
luminate w ith the ignition on.
N -Neutral
The transm iss ion is in neutral in this pos ition.
D -Normal po sition fo r dri ving forward
In this position, the forward gears are auto
matically shifted up and down, depending on
engine load and vehicle speed.
T o engage D from
N, the brake pedal must be
depressed at speeds below S km/h or when
the vehicle is stationary¢&. .
In certa in circ umstances (driving in the moun
tains for examp le) it can be beneficia l to
switch temporari ly to the man ual shift pro
gram ¢
page 90 in order to adjust the gear
ratios to driving conditions
manually .
S -Sport s etting
T he S set ting should be se lected for sporting
driving. The power reserves of the engine ca n
be fully explo ited through later upshifts.
T o e ngage S from N, the b ra ke peda l must be
depressed at speeds below 5 km/h or when
the ve hicle is stationary ¢&. .
A WARNING
-Never p lace the selector lever i n the R or
P posit ion while the veh icle is moving -
risk of an accident!
- With the engine r unning, it is necessary
to hold the vehicle with the foot brake in
all se lector lever positions (except P and
N), because even at idle speed the trans
fe r of power is never completely inter
r u pted -the vehicle "creeps". If t he vehi
cle is stat ionary and the t ransm ission is

88 Transmi ssion
engaged, the engine shou ld never be
speeded up unintentionally (e.g. manual ly from under the hood). Otherwise the
vehicle will immediately start to move -
sometimes even if the parking brake is
firmly applied -risk of an accident!
- Before yo u or other persons open the
hood and work on a running eng ine, the
selector lever must be move d to P and
t h e parking bra ke applie d firm ly -ris k of
an a cciden t! Fo llow the w arning stickers
¢ page 17 2, Engine compartment.
@ Tips
If you have inadvertently shifting into N
while the veh icle is moving, yo u should re
move your foo t from the accelerato r and
wait until t he engine speed has dropped to
id le before shifting back to Dor S.
Selector lever lock
The selec tor lever lo ck prevent s a gear from
being engaged accidentally and unintention
ally setting the vehicle in motion .
Fig . 97 Se lecto r leve r locks
The selector lever lock is released as follows:
• Switch the ignition on.
• Step on the brake pedal
and simultaneous ly
hold down the re lease button .
Automatic selector lever lock
The selector lever is locked in the P and N po
sitions when the ignition is on. To move the
l ever from t hese positions the driver m ust de
press the brake pedal. As a reminder to the
driver, the follow ing warning appears in t he inst
rument cluste r display when the se lector
is in P and N:
To start engine or select gear apply foot brake when stationary
The selector leve r lock is eff ective o nly when
t h e vehi cle is stationary and at speeds be low
5 km/h . At hig he r sp eeds, the lock in the N
pos ition is a utomat ica lly switched off.
The selector leve r is not locked when rap id
sh ifts are made through the N posi tion (e.g.
from R to D) . This a llows you to "ro ck" the ve
hi cle if it becomes stuck. If the leve r is i n the
N position fo r more than 1 second with the
brake pedal not depressed, the selector lock
engages automatically.
Release button
T he re lease bu tton in t he sele ctor lever han
dle p revents acci dent al shifts into cer tain se
lector lever positions . When yo u press the re
l ease b utton , the selector lever lock is cancel
led. In the illustration , the posit ions in which
the re lease button has to be p ressed are high
li ghted in color
¢ fig . 97 .
Ignition key removal lock
The ign ition key can only be remove after the
ignit ion is switched off if the selector lever is
i n P. As long as the ignition key is removed,
the selector lever is locked i n P.
(D Tips
If t he se lector lever does not engage,
the re is a malfuncti on. The engine is disa
bled to prevent the vehicle from driving off
unintentionally. To allow the se lector lever
to engage aga in, p roceed as follows: P ress
and release the b ra ke pedal.