Transmission Manual transmission
Gearshift lever
App lies to vehicles: with manual transmission
The clutch pedal must be depressed all the
way before you can start the engine.
T he manual transmission in your Audi is
equipped with an
interlock-feature.
~ Depress the clutch pedal all the way.
~ Start the engine with the gearshift lever in
Neutral and the clutch pedal depressed.
(D Note
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when
changing gears . Do not hold the vehicle on
a hill with the clutch pedal partially de
pressed. This may cause premature clutch
wear or damage .
@ Tips
-Resting your hand on the gearshift lever
knob while driving will cause premature
wear in the transmission.
- The back-up lights go on when you shift
into Reverse w ith the ignition on.
Gearshift pattern (6-speed manual
transmission)
Applies to vehicles: with manual transmission
Fig. 102 Gearshift pattern : 6-speed manual transmis
sio n
Engaging reverse gear (R)
~ Move the shift lever all the way to the left,
press it down, then push it forward .
Transmission 91
Especially after driving forward, stop the vehi
cle completely, shift into
Neutral and rest the
shift lever br iefly in Neutral before shift ing in
to
Reverse.
multitronic ®, S tronic ®,
tiptronic
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with mult itronic/5 tronic/tiptronic
The automatic transmission is controlled elec
tronically. The transmission upshifts or down
shifts automatically depending on which drive
program is selected .
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most economical
driving mode. It will then change up early and
delay the downshifts to give better fuel econ
omy .
The transmission switches to a sporty mode
after a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driving style characterized by quick ac
celerator pedal movements, heavy accelera
t ion, frequent changes in speed and trave ling
at the maximum speed.
If desired, the driver can also select the gears
manually (tiptronic mode) ~ page 91.
Various automatic transmissions may be in
stalled, depending on the model:
multitronic ® transmission
The multitronic ® transmission is a continuous
ly variable transmission. Power is transferred
using a multidisk clutch. In contrast to con
ventional automatic transmissions using shift ing operations, the transmission ratio in the
continuously variable transmiss ion is changed
continuously . This optimizes the comfort level
and conserves fuel.
S tronic® transmission
The S tronic ® is a dual-clutch transmission .
Power is transferred using two clutches that
work independently from one another_ They
replace the torque converter used in conven
tiona l automatic transmissions and allow the ..,_
92 Transmission
vehicle to accelerate without a noticeable in
terruption in traction.
tiptronic transmission
I n the tiptronic transmission, power is trans
ferred by a torque converter.
Selector lever positions
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic/5 tronic/tiptronic
Fig. 103 Display in the in stru me nt duste r: selecto r
lever in position P
The selector lever position engaged appears
next to the selector lever as well as in the in
strument cluster display.
P - Park
In this selector lever position the transmis
sion is mechanically locked. Engage P only
when the vehicle is
completely stopped ¢ &
in Driving the automatic transmission on
pag e 94 .
To shift in or out of pos ition P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the release button in the selector lever handle
wh ile mov ing the se lector lever to or from P.
You can shift out of this position only with the
ignition on .
R-Reverse
Select R only when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed ¢ & in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 94 .
Before you move the selector lever to R, press
both the release button in the handle of the
selector lever
and the brake pedal at the same
time. When the
ignition is on, the backup lights illu
minate when the selector lever is moved into
R.
N -Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this position .
Shift to this position for standing with the
brakes applied ¢
& in Driving the automatic
transmission on page 94.
When the vehicle is stat ionary or at speeds
below 1 mph (2 km/h), yo u must always apply
the footbrake before and whi le moving the
lever out of N.
D/S - Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S position, the transmission can be
operated either in the normal mode D or in
the sport mode S . To select the sport mode S,
pull the selector lever back briefly. Pulling the
lever back again will se lect the normal mode
D. The instrument cluster disp lay shows the
selected driving mode.
In the
normal mode D, the transmission auto
matically selects the suitable gear ratio.
It de
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driv
ing style .
Select the
sport mode S for sporty driving .
T he vehicle makes full use of the engine's
power. Shift ing may become noticeable when
accelerating.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds
below 1 mph (2 km/h), you must always app ly
the foot brake before and while moving the lever to D/S out of N.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS ¢ & in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 94 .
(D Note
Coasting downhill with the transm ission in
N and the engine not running will result in
damage to the automatic transmission
and possibly the catalytic conve rter. .,..
186 Intelligent technology
ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock brake system (ABS), brake assist sys
tem, anti-slip regulation (ASR) , e lectronic dif
ferential lock (EDL), dynamic steering" and
e lectronic interaxle differentia l lock* /selective
wheel torque control* . ESC is switched on all
the t ime. I n certa in s ituations whe n you need
l ess t raction, you can switch
off ASR by p ress
i ng the bu tto n
[ru ¢ page 188, fig. 176 or
¢ page 188, fig. 177. Be sure to sw itch ASR
on aga in when yo u no longer need less t rac
tion .
Anti -lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braki ng. The veh icle can still be steered
even d uring h ard br aking. Apply ste ady p res
sure to the brake pedal. Do no t pump the ped
a l. A pulsing in the brake peda l indicates t hat
the system is he lping yo u to b rake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assis t system can decrease b ra ki ng
d ista nce. It increases braking power w hen the
d river p resses the brake pedal quic kly in eme r
gency situations . You must p ress and hold the
brake peda l until the situation is over. In
vehicles w ith adapt ive cru ise contro l", the
brake assist system is more sensit ive if the
d ista nce detected to t he vehicle a head is too
small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the fo rce to
the road condit ions. This makes it eas ier to
start , accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic differenti al lock (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive power to the other drive
wheel or whee ls if t he vehicle is equipped with
all-w heel drive*. This function is available up
to about 60 mph (100 km/h).
In extreme cases, EDL automat ica lly switches
off to help keep the bra ke on the braked whee l
from overheating. EDL wi ll switch on again au-tomat
ica lly when conditions have ret urned to
no rma l.
Dynamic steering*
On vehicles wi th dynam ic steering*, ESC he lps
st abi liz e the steer ing in cr itical situ ations.
Electronic interaxle differential lock* /
selective wheel torque control*
T he elec troni c int eraxle differentia l lock (front
whee l dr ive) o r th e se lec tive whee l torque
control (all-whee l dr ive) oper ates when dr iv
ing t hro ugh curves. The front wheel on the in
side of the c urve or both whee ls on the inside
of the c urve are b raked se lectively as needed.
This m inimizes sliding in the front wheels and
allows for more precise driving through
curves . The applicable system may not acti
vate when dr iving in wet o r snowy cond itions.
A WARNING
- ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL dynam ic steering*
a nd the ele ct roni c interaxle d ifferential
lo ck* /se lective whee l torque con trol *
cannot ove rcome the laws of physics .
This is especially important on sli ppery
or wet roads.
If the systems beg in acting
to stabilize your veh icle, yo u should im
mediately change your speed to match
the road and traffic conditions . Do not
let the increased safety prov ided by
these systems tempt you to take r isks.
Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle cont ro l, col lision and ser ious pe r
sonal injur ies.
- Always ada pt your speed to road, traffi c
a nd wea ther conditions. The r isk of los-
ing con trol of the vehicle i ncreases when
d riving too fast, es pec ia lly through
curves and o n slippe ry or wet roads, an d
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead. ESC, ABS, the brake ass ist sys
tem, ASR, EDL dynam ic steer ing* and the
e lectronic inte raxle differentia l lock*/se
lec tive whee l to rque control* cannot p re-
-
vent co llisi ons. ~
@ Tips
- If the . or
fT j indicator light on ly stays
on for a short t ime, you may continue
driving.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems
are not available in the event of a system
malfunction.
- For additional information on dynamic
steering*, refer to
c:> page 113.
Driving with your
quattro ®
Applies to vehicles: with a ll-wheel drive
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv
en.
Gener al inform ati on
W ith all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels . This happens automatically
depending on your dr iving style and the road
conditions at the t ime. See also
c:> page 185.
A center different ial distr ibutes the dr iv ing
power var iably to the front and rear axle . It
works together with selective wheel torque
control, which activates when driving throug h
curves
c:> page 186. With the spo rt d ifferen
tial*, power dist ribution to the rear wheels is
variable and can be adjusted with drive select
c:> page 113.
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for
h igh engine power. Yo ur vehicle is exception
ally powerful and has exce llent driving charac
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and fo llow
safety precautions
c:> A .
Winter t ir e s
When driv ing in the w inter, your veh icle w ith
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
a ll four
w heels . See also c:> page 250, Winter tires .
Intellig ent technolog y 191
Tire chain s
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain roads, this no rma lly also applies to veh icles
with all-wheel drive
c:> page 251, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels /tires
Vehicles with a ll-wheel drive must always
have tires of t he same s ize. A lso avoid tires
with different tread depths . For detai ls see
page
c:> page 246, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Off-Road driving?
You r A udi does no t have enough ground clear
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle .
It is
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un
even terrain as much as possib le . Also refer to
c:> page 194.
A WARNING
Always adjust your dr iving to road and traf
f ic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks .
- Although the all-wheel drive is very ef
fective, always remember that braking
capacity is lim ited by tire traction. You
should therefore not d rive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippe ry road surfa ces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
co uld begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning) . If this should occur, yo u
will have no warning from a s udden in
crease in engine speed as w ith a front
wheel drive veh icle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con
ditions -risk of crash.
•
•
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.53 inch
(13.5 mm), including the lock .
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
~ 0. For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail
able from authorized Audi dealers.
~ WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi
cle or installing them incorrectly can in
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different sizes. Always make sure to follow the in
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
(j) Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all wheel drive.
Tires and wheels 251
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of wheel bolts is ma tched to the
factory inst alled rims. If diffe ren t rims are fit
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly.
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model~
page 282 .
&_ WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of
control , a collision and serious personal in
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop
erly tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque .
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed .
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle.
-Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi
cle is moving.
If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be
come loose.
(I} Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is
90 ft lbs. (120 Nm) with a tolerance of
± 7,4 ft lbs. (± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts .,.. •
•
252 Tire s and wheel s
diagonally . After changing a whee l, the
torque must be checked as soon as possi
ble with a torque wrench -preferably by an
author ized Audi dealer or qualif ied work
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio t ires . These t ires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected spec ifica lly for your
model for the ir superb pe rformance, road feel
and handling under a va riety of driving condi
tions . Ask your a utho rized Aud i dea le r for
more detai ls.
The low aspect ratio of these ti res is indicated
by a numeral of
55 or l ess in the tire's size
des ignation. The numera l represents the rat io
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage. Conven
tional tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or more.
The performance of low-a spe ct-ratio ti re s is
p articu lar ly sensi tive to imprope r inflat ion
pressure. It i s therefore impo rt a nt th at low
aspect r atio tire s are inflated to th e specified
pr essure and tha t th e inflation pres sure is
regularly checked and maintain ed . Tire pr es
s ure s should be checked at l east once a
m onth and alway s befor e a long trip
~ page 241, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damag e
Low aspect ratio t ires can be damaged more
eas ily by impact with potho les, cu rbs, gu llies
or ridges on the road, part icu larly if the t ire is
underinflated .
I n o rder to m inim ize the o ccu rrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom
mend that you observe the following precau
tions:
- Always maintai n recommended i nflat io n
pressures. Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add a ir if neces
sary . - Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immed iate ly inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
author ized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged
tire as soon as possible .
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000
km) for damage and wear. Damage is not al
ways easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of
air and under inflation, which could eventu
ally cause tire failure.
If you believe that a
t ire may have been damaged, rep lace the
t ire as soon as possible.
- These tires may wear more quickly tha n oth
ers.
- Please also remember that, while these tires
de live r responsive hand ling, they may ride
less comfo rtably and make more noise than
other choices .
Reduced performance in winter /cold
season c onditions
All tires are designed for certa in p urposes.
T he low aspect ratio, ult ra h igh performance
t ir es originally insta lled on your vehicle are in
tended for maximum dry and wet road per
formance and handling. They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If
you drive under those c ircumstances, you
shou ld equ ip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offe r bette r traction unde r
those conditions. We sugges t you use the rec
ommended snow or all -se ason t ires specified
f or yo ur vehicle , or their equivalent.
Refer to~
page 250 for more detailed infor
mation regard ing winter tires.
260 What do I do now ?
also c:> page 2 60 , Decorative wheel cov
ers
or c:> page 260, Wheels with wheel
bolt caps.
2 . Loosen the wheel b olts c:> page 261.
3 . Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
<=> page 261.
4. Li ft the car with the jack c:> page 261 .
5. Remove the wh eel with th e flat tir e and
then install the
s par e tir e c:> page 262 .
6 . Tighten all wheel bolts light ly .
7 .
Lowe r the ve hicle with the jack .
8 . Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firml y
tighten all whee l bolts in a crisscross pat
tern
c:> page 261.
9 . Replace the decora tive whe el c ov er* or
the
wh eel b olt caps *.
A WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and
information
c:> .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page
262 and c:>page 263.
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the
doing the following .
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*,
and the replaced tire in the l uggage com
partment
c:> page 133 .
.,. Check the tire pre ssure of the spare tire as
soon as poss ible .
.,. As soon as possible, have the
tightening
torqu es
on all wheel bo lts checked with a
torq ue wrench . The correct tightening tor
que is 90
ft lbs. (120 Nm) .
.,. Have the flat tire
repl aced as soon as poss i
ble .
(j) Tips
-If you notice that the whee l bolts are
corroded and difficult to turn while
changing a t ire, they should be replaced
before you check the tighten ing torque.
- Drive at reduced speed unt il you have the
tightening torques checked .
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to vehicles: with decorative whee l covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts .
Fig . 202 Cha ng in g a w hee l: removing t he w heel cover
Removing
.,. Insert the hook prov ided with the vehicle
too l kit in the hole in the hub.
.,. Pull off the
dec ora ti ve wh eel cove r
<=>fig. 202.
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to vehicles: with wheel bolts with caps
The caps must be removed first from the
wheel bolts before the bolts can be un
screwed .
Fig. 203 Changing a wheel: removing t he wheel bolt
caps
Removing
.,. Push the plast ic clip provided with the ve hi
cle tool ki t over the wheel bo lt cap until it
engages.
.,. Pull on the
plastic clip to remove the cap
r:!) fig. 203.
264 What do I do now?
-Check the tire pressure on the spare imme
diately after installation.
- Have the wheel bolt tightening torque
checked with a torque wrench as soon as possible by your authorized Audi dealer or
a qualified workshop.
- With steel and alloy wheel rims , the wheel
bolts are correctly tightened at a torque of
90 ft lbs . (120 Nm).
- If you notice that the wheel bolts are cor
roded and difficult to turn while changing
a tire, they should be replaced before you
check the tightening torque .
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and
have it installed on your vehicle as soon as
possible. Remount the wheel cover.
Until then, drive with extra care and at re
duced speeds .
A WARNING
-If you are going to equip y our veh icle
with t ires or rims w hich diffe r from t hose
w hich wer e facto ry ins talled, th en be
su re to read t he in forma tion ~
pag e 24 6,
N ew tir es and replacing tires and
wheel s.
- Always make su re the damaged w heel or
eve n a fla t tire and the ja ck and to ol kit
a re prop erly secure d in the lug gage com
par tment and are not loose in the pas
senger com partment .
- In an a cciden t or sud den m ane uver they
cou ld fly forwar d, inju ring anyone in the
vehicle.
- Always s tore d amage d w hee l, ja ck a nd
tool s secure ly in the lu g gage com part
me nt. Otherw ise, in an acc ident or sud
den maneuver they cou ld fly fo rward,
causing injury to passenge rs in the veh i
cle .
@ Note
Do not use commerc ia lly available t ire
sea lants. Othe rwise, the elect rical compo
ne nts of the tire pressure mon itor ing sys
tem* will no longer wo rk p roperly and the
sensor for th e tire p ressur e monito rin g system
* wi ll h ave to be repla ced by a
qu alified works ho p.