If the engine control unit receives fau lty vehi
cle roadspeed signa ls , the Ma lfunction Indica
tor Light (MIL)
Ill will illum inate . If th is oc
curs, contact the nearest authori zed Audi
dealer for assistance.
S mod els
Your vehicle 's top speed is e lectronically limit
ed to 155 mph (250 km/h).
If the engine control unit rece ives fa ulty vehi
cle roadspeed signa ls , the Ma lfunction Indica
tor Lamp (MIU ¢• will i lluminate. If this oc
curs, contact the nearest authorized Audi
dea ler for assistance.
A WARNING
-
Always observe the posted speed limits
and adjust your speed to suit prevailing
road, traff ic and weather conditions. Never
drive your vehicle faster than the maxi
mum speed rating of the tires insta lled.
Warnings and symbols
Red symbols
A red symbol means DANGER
" Pull of the road and stop the veh icle .
"T urn off the engine.
" Check the ma lf u nction ing system. Contact
your autho rized Audi dea le r o r a qualified
workshop for assistance.
- USA models : Malfunction in the
brake system ¢
page 30
---·--
D
Canada models : Malfunction in the
brake system ¢
page 30
Engine coolant level too low/
engine coolant temperature too
high
r:1;> page 31
Engine oil pressure too low
¢page 31
Clutch is overheat ing
c:1;> page 92
Dr iver in formati on sys tem 29
When a red symbol appears, a warning tone
will sound
three times in succession . The sym
bo l cont inues to flash unti l the malfunction
has been repaired. If there is
more than one
malfunc tion, the symbo ls appear one after
the other for about two seconds .
(D Tips
- The message for a malfunction can be
shown by pressing on the left knob.
- Dur ing route guidance on vehicles with a
navigation system, the warn ing symbol
is shown in the field above.
Yellow symbols
A yellow symbol means WARNING.
Ii
Low fuel leve l
¢page32
- -- Check engine oil level
151!1 ¢page 32
- Engine oil sensor malfunction
l:ill ¢ page 32
Worn brake pads
¢page32
USA models : Speed warning 1
c:1;> page 3 2
Canada models : Speed warning 1
¢page32
USA models: Speed warning 2
c:1;> page 3 3
Canada models: Speed warning 2
c:1;> page 33
Dynamic headlight range contro l*
defective
¢ page 33
-Engine speed limitation *
c:1;> page 33
Windshield washer fl ui d leve l low
c:1;> page 33
30 Driv e r in formation sy stem
Battery voltage too high or too low
¢page33
Defective light bu lb
Qpage 33
USA models: Defective brake light
Qpage33
Canada models: Defective brake
light
Q page 33
Light/rain sensor defective (automat
ic headlights) * defective
Q page 3 4
Adaptive Light* defective
¢page34
Tire pressure monitoring system
¢page212
When a yellow symbol appears, a warning
tone will sound
once. Check the d isp layed
f u nction as soon as possib le. If
more than one
malfunction is detected, a ll symbols will ap
pear one after the other for abou t two sec
onds.
Driver information
In addition to th e warning/indicator lights
a nd the symbols in the inst rument cluster dis
play, driver information is displayed.
F ig . 2 6 Section of instrument cluster: Set/Check b ut
ton
Driver information appea rs in the disp lay
when a defec tive l ight bu lb is reported by the
defect ive light bulb warning¢
page 33,
when the brake p ads are wo rn and before you
engage a gear. In add
ition, driver information may appear
whe n a red symbo l flashes in the driver dis
play .
To display Driver information
As an examp le, the . symbo l appears in the
display. If yo u now p ress the button¢
fig. 26,
the following driver message appears in the display:
Switch off engine and che ck oil level
The driver message in the display goes out af
te r about 5 seconds. Yo u can display t he drive r
message aga in by briefly pres sing the button.
BRAKE /(©) Brake system
The indicator light flashes if the brake fluid
level is too low, if there is a malfunction in
t he ABS sys tem o r when the parking brake is
engaged.
If the - (USA models),1111 (Canada
model s) symbo l flashes in the d isplay w it h t he
par king brake rele ase d, there is a mal func tion
in the brake system. In ad dition to the sym
bo l, one o f two messages appears in the dis
play :
STOP V ehicle and check brake fluid
ABS fault! See Owner's manual
.,. Pull off the road a nd stop the veh icle .
.,. Obtain profess iona l assistance.
USA models: if t here is a ma lf u nction in the
ABS system, the
mES warning/indicator light
illuminates along with the -system
malfu nction warning/ind icator light
Q .&. .
Canada models: if there is a mal function in
the ABS system, the
ti] warning/ indicator
light illum inates together with the . brake
system mal function warn ing/indicator light
Q .&_ .
Parking brake set
The parking brake war ning light -·
(Canada mode ls) illum inates when the park
i ng brake is set. In addition, a warn ing tone
will sound after yo u have driven for longer
32 Driver information system
Engine oil level OK
If th e . symbol st arts flashin g ag ain eve n
though the engine oil leve l checks O K on the
dip stick,
do not start driving again and do
not let the engine run at idle .
Instead, con
tact your author ized Audi dealer for assis
tance.
@ Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev
el. Do not rely on it. Instead , check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
II requires oil refill or workshop serv
ice without delay. Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning symbol.
starts to flash before you respond to
the low oil level warning
II . By then,
your engine may already have suffered
serious damage.
fl) Fuel supply too low
When the (i1 symbo l ill uminates, this means
there are about 2.6 gallons (10 liters) of fue l
left i n the fuel tank . Time to ref uel!
r::;, page 17 5 .
If the symbol lights up, even when t he re is
ample fuel in the tank, and the text
Tank sys
tem malfunction! Please contact workshop
a ppears in the d isplay, there is a fault in the
sys tem. Contact a qualified wor ksh op to have
the fau lt rectified.
'l=:11 , Checking the engine oil level
II! Please add max . 1 qt of engine oil!
If th e II sy mbo l comes o n, add 1 quart( ! li
ter) of o il at t he nex t oppor tunity
<::;,page 183.
1) - : USA mod els onl y
~ Checking the engine oil level
W hen the Ill symbol illum ina tes, check t he
engi ne oil leve l as soon as po ssibl e
r::;, page 183 . Top off t he oil at your ear liest
oppo rtunity
<::;, page 183 .
~.,., Engine oil sensor defective
If the II symbol illum inates, contact yo ur
autho rized Aud i dea le r and have the oil senso r
i nspected .
{0) Worn brake pads
&J Brake pads!
If the warning light i lluminates, immed iate ly
contact your a uthori zed Audi d ealer or quali
fied works hop to have all b rake pads i nspect
ed. On USA mode ls t he war ning ligh t
&J
comes on together w ith the warning light
1111 . Bot h set s of bra ke pads o n an ax le
mu st al ways be re place d at th e same time.
A WARNING
Driving w ith bad bra kes ca n ca use a colli
sion and ser io us perso nal in jury.
- If th e warni ng light
&J an d th e warn ing
lig ht
11111> with t he mess age Brake
pads!
comes o n in the ins trum en t cluste r
d isp lay, immediate ly co ntact you r au
th orized A udi dealer or qualif ied work
shop to have all b rake pads checked or
re placed if nec essary.
0 /8 Speed warning 1
If the [i (USA models)l [i) (Canada mode ls)
symbol illum ina tes, this m ea ns you a re d riv
i ng fas ter than t he set vehicle speed . S low
down!
r::;, page 26.
-
34 Driver information system
-Brake light bulbs
- All w iring connections
- Brake light switch
Contact your author ized Audi dealer for assis
tance if necessary .
(D Tips
The brake light switch is only inspected as
pa rt of the functional check after the en
gine is started .
@9 Light/rain sensor defective
Applies to vehicles: with a utomat ic headlights
The indicator light indicates a defect in the
automatic headlights/automatic wiper sys
tem .
If the symbol illuminates, the light sensor has
failed . For safety reasons, the low beams are
turned on permanently with the switch in
AU
TO . However, you can continue to turn the
lights on and off using the light switch. In the
case of a defect in the rain senso r, the wind
shie ld wiper lever functions are still available .
H ave the light/rain sensor checked as soon as
possible at a n authorized Audi dealer .
:sO Adaptive light defective
Applies to vehicles: wit h Adaptive Light
rlJ Adaptive light defective
When this symbo l m;J illuminates, it means
that Adaptive Light is defective. Go to a quali
fied workshop to have the headlights or the
contro l unit for the Adaptive Light repaired.
(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 . .,._
148 Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu
facturers fo r the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event . EDR's are sometimes called "crash re
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A lthough your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emis
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts .
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during normal vehicle op
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as well as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded with special equip
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Program (ESP)
General
The Electronic Stability Program increases
driving stability.
With ESP, control over the vehicle is increased
in situations when the vehicle is close to the
limits of grip, such as during acceleration and
in curves . ESP reduces the risk of skidding and
improves vehicle stability under all road con
ditions.
It operates at all speeds.
The Anti -Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic
Differential Lock (EDS) and Anti-Slip Regula
tion System (ASR) are integrated in the Elec
tronic Stability Program .
How ESP works
The ESP control unit processes the following
data from high-sensitive sensors : the rota
tional speed of the vehicle about its vertical
axis , fore-and-aft and lateral acceleration
forces, brake pressure and steering angle.
Using steering angle and vehicle speed, the
direction the driver wishes to travel is deter
mined and continuously compared with actual
vehicle behavior. If the two do not match, for
example when the vehicle begins to skid, ESP
brakes the appropriate wheel automatically.
The vehicle is stabilized again by the forces
acting on the wheel during braking. With an
oversteering vehicle (tendency for the rear end to skid out of the curve), the brake appli
cation is mainly at the front wheel on the out
side of the curve, with an understeering vehi
cle (tendency to run wide in the curve) at the
rear wheel on the inside of the curve or addi
tionally at the other wheels as needed. This
brake application is accompanied by noises.
ESP works in conjunction w ith ABS
~ page 153. If there is malfunction in the
ABS, ESP is also inoperative.
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 .