
@ Tips
-Do not reset the display between oil
changes, otherwise the display will be in
correct.
- The information in the Service Reminder
remains stored even when the vehicle
battery is disconnected.
On-Board Diagnostic
system (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)¢• in
the instrument cluster is part of the On-Board
Diagnostic (OBD II) system .
The warning/indicator light illuminates when
the ignition is switched on and goes out after
the engine starts and the idle has stabilized.
This indicates that the MIL is work ing proper
ly.
If the light does not go out after the engine
is started, or illuminates while you are driv
ing, a ma lfunction may ex ist in the engine sys
tem. If the light illuminates, the catalytic con
verter could be damaged.
Continue driving
with reduced power (avoid
ing sustained high speeds and/or rapid acce l
erat ions) and have the condition corrected.
Contact your author ized Audi dealer .
If the lig ht illuminates, the electronic speed
limiter may also be malfunctioning. For more
information
~ page 29, Electronic speed
limiter .
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
~page 210.
Driver information display 29
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig. 1 6 Locat io n of Data Li nk Co nnector (DLC)
On-Board D iagnostics monitors the compo
nents of your em ission contro l system. Each
monitored component in your engine system
has been ass igned a code. In case of a mal
funct ion, the component will be identified
and the fault stored as a code in the control
module memo ry.
The MIL light may also illuminate if there is a
l eak in the on-board fuel vapor recovery sys
tem. If the light illuminates after a refueling,
stop the vehicle and make sure the fuel filler
cap is properly closed ~page 210.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the
stored data can only be disp layed using spe
cial diagnostic equipment (generic scan tool
for OBD).
In order to connect the specia l diagnostic
equipment, p ush the plug into the Data Link
Connector (DL C). The DLC is located to the
rig ht of the hood release
~ fig. 16.
Your authorized Audi dealer or qualified work
shop can interpret the code and perform the
necessary repair.
A WARNING
Do not use the diagnostic connector for
personal use . Incorrect usage can cause
malfunctions , whic h can increase the risk
of a collision!
Electronic speed limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equ ipped with
-
tires that are rated for a maximum speed of .,..

76 On the road
• Press the key¢ fig. 88 -the engine will
start.
Switching the ignition on /off
If you wou ld like to switch the ignition o n
witho ut starting the eng ine, follow these
steps:
• Insert the key into the ignition lock.
• Press the key b riefly
without p ress ing the
brake pedal.
• To switch the ignition off, press the key
again .
When starting the engine, major e lectr ica l
l oads are swit ched off temporarily.
You can only remove the key w ith the ignition
switched off.
If the engine should not start immediately,
the starting process is automatically stopped
after a short time. Repeat starting procedure.
A WARNING
- N ever allow the engine to ru n in confined
spaces - dange r of asphyxiation.
- Never remove the ign ition key from the
ignition look whi le the vehicle is mov ing.
Ot herw ise, the stee ring lo ck coul d sud
denly engage and you would not be ab le
to steer the vehicle .
- Always ta ke t he key wi th yo u wheneve r
yo u leave your vehicle. Otherwise, the
engine could be started or e lectrica l
equipment such as the power windows
cou ld be operated. This can lead to seri
ous injury.
- Never leave children or persons requiring
assistance unattended in the vehicle. The
doors can be locked using the remote
transmitter, preventing people from es
caping from the vehicle on their own in
the event of an eme rgency . Depend ing
on the time of year, people inside the ve hicle c an be exposed to very h igh or ve ry
low temperatures.
(D Note
Avoid high engine rpm, fu ll throttle and
heavy engine loads unti l the engine has
reached operating tempe rat ure - other
wise you risk eng ine damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not let the engine run w hile pa rked to
warm up. Begin dr iving immediately. Th is
reduces u nnecessary emissions.
(D Tips
- If the key cannot be removed from the
ign ition lock, you have to pull the me
chanical key out of the master key in or
der to be able to lock the vehicle
¢page 34 .
-After starting a cold engine, there may
be a brief pe riod of increased noise be
cause the oil pressure must fi rst bu ild up
in the hydraulic valve ad juste rs. This is
normal and not a cause for concer n.
- If you leave the ve hicle w ith the ignition
sw itched on, the ig nit io n w ill sw itch off
afte r a cer tain per iod of t ime. Please
no te that electri cal eq uipment such as
exterior ligh ts will sw itch off as well
w hen that happens .

78 On the road
(D Note
If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the engine
is switched off -there is a risk of damaging
the engine. Allow the engine to run at idle
for about two minutes before switching it
off.
Convenience key
Starting the engine
Appl ies to vehicles: w it h co nve nience key
The I STAR T ENGINE S TOP! button switches
the ignition on and starts the engine .
Fig. 91 Cente r conso le: S TART ENGINE S TOP butto n
Starting the engine
.. Step on the brake peda l and move the selec
tor lever to P or N
q &, .
.. Press on the ,..., 1s==T=--= A-=R ==T:-=:E~N ~G-;-,IN ;-;--;:::: E--;: S:-::;T =-::O :;-;: P:;-,I butto n
q fig. 91 -the engine w ill start .
Switch ing the ignition on /off
If yo u wou ld like to switch the ignition on
without starting the engine, follow these
steps:
.. Press the
!S TAR T ENGINE STOP! button
without pressing the brake peda l.
.. To switch the ignition off, press the button
again.
If the engine should not start immediately,
the starting process is automatically stopped after a short time . Repeat starting procedure.
When starting the engine, major e lectr ica l
loads are switched off temporarily. After a cold engine is started, there may be a
brief period of increased noise beca use oil
pressure must first bu ild up in the hydrau lic
valve adjusters. This is normal and not a cause
for concern .
A WARNING
=
-Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces -danger of asphyx iat ion.
- Never turn off the e ngine until the vehi
cle has come to a complete stop.
- Always take the key with you whenever
you leave your veh icle . Otherw ise, the
engine could be started or electrical
equ ipment such as th e power windows
could be ope rated. Th is can lead to seri
ous injury.
- Never leave children or persons req uiring
a ssis tance u nattended in t he vehi cle. The
doors can be locked usi ng the remote
transmitter, preventing people from es
caping from the veh icle on the ir own in
the event of an emergency . Depending
on the time of year, peop le inside the ve
hicle can be exposed to very high or very
low temperatures.
(D Note
- Avoid high engine rpm, full thrott le and
heavy eng ine loads unt il the eng ine has
reached operating temperature -other
w ise you risk engine damage.
® For the sake of the env ironment
Do not let the engine run wh ile parked to
warm up. Begin dr iving immediately. This
reduces unnecessary emissions .
¢j) Tips
- After starting a co ld engine, there may
be a brief period of increased noise be
cause the oil pressure must fi rst bu ild up
in the hydraulic valve ad justers. This is
normal and not a cause for concern .
- If you leave the veh icle with the ignition
switched on, the ignit ion w ill switch off
afte r a certain per iod of t ime . Please
1JJ1,

82 On the road
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline , do the following:
.,. Keep the switch@¢ fig. 92 pulled and de
press the accelerator . The parking brake
stays applied and prevents the vehicle from rolling backward .
.,. You can release the switch @once you are
sure that you a re develop ing enough dr iv ing
f orce at the wheels by dep ress ing the accel
erator.
Depending on the weight of the r ig (veh icle
and tra iler) and the seve rity of the in cli ne , you
may roll backwards as you start . You can pre
vent rolling backwards by holding the parking brake switch @ pulled out and accelerating -
just as you would when starting on a hill with
a conventional hand brake.
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake system
foils or locks.
... In an emergency, pull the switch @
¢
fig. 92 and continue to pu ll it to slow your
vehicle down with the parking brake.
.,. As soon as you release the sw itch @ or ac-
celerate, the braking process stops.
If you pu ll the switch @and ho ld it above a
speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h), the emergen
cy braking function is in iti ated. The vehicle is
braked at al l four wheels by activating the hy
d raul ic brake system . T he brake performance
is simi lar to making an eme rgency stop¢.&. .
In order not to activate the emergency brak ing by mistake, an audible warning tone (buz
zer) sounds when the switc h@ is pulled . As
soon as the switch @is released, or the accel
e rator pedal is dep ressed , emergency b ra ki ng
stops.
.&_ WARNING
Emergency braking sho uld only be used in
an emergency, when the normal foot brake
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed . Using the par
king brake to pe rform emer
gency braking will s low your veh icle down
as if you had made a full brake application.
The laws of p hysics cannot be suspended
even with ESC and i ts associated compo
nents (ABS, ASR, EDS). In corners and
when road o r weathe r cond itions are bad,
a full brake appl ication can ca use the vehi
cle to s kid or the rear end to break away -
risking an acciden t.
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep
your driving speed below a set speed limit.
T he speed warning system warns if the driver
e xc eeds a previously stored max imum speed .
A warning tone w ill sound as soon as the vehi
cle speed exceeds the set speed by abou t
3 mph (3 km/h) . At the same t ime, a warning
symbol appears in the display . T he symbol's
appea rance might be different in some mod
els .
The speed warn ing system has two warning
t hr esholds that funct io n in dependent ly of
each other and that have somewhat diffe rent
purposes:
Speed wa rning 1
You can use speed warning 1 to se t the maxi
mum speed while you are driving . T his setting
will remai n in effect unt il you turn off the ig ni
t io n, assuming that you have not changed or
r ese t the sett ing.
The . (USA mode ls)
I. (Canada mode ls)
speed warning symbol in the warning 1 dis
play appears when you exceed the maximum
speed .
It goes ou t when the speed falls be low
the stored maximum speed .
T he speed warn ing symbol will also go out if
the speed
exceeds the stored maximum speed
by more than about 25 mph (40 km/h) for at
least 10 seconds. The sto red max imum speed
is de leted . .,..

Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se
cure a child restraint .
Always heed the child safety seat manufactur
er's instructions when installing a child re
straint in your vehicle. To activate the conver
tible locking retractor :
"" Place the child restraint on a seat, prefera
bly on the rear seat.
.. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out.
.. Route it around or through the child re
straint belt path¢.&_ .
.. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight.
.. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for
that seating position .
.. Guide the sa fety belt back into the retractor
until the belt lies flat and snug on the child
safety seat .
.. You should hear a "clicking " noise as the
belt winds back into the inertia reel. Test the
convertible locking retractor by pulling on
the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The con
v ertible locking retractor is now activated.
.. Make sure that the red release button is fac
ing away from the child restraint so that it
can be unbuckled quickly .
"" Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt
is properly tight and fastened so that the
seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2.5 cm).
A WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an im
properly installed child restraint can cause
serious personal injury or death in a crash.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re-
tractor is locked when installing a child safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or in a
crash .
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
-
Child Safety 173
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a crash.
- Always make sure the seat backrest to
which the child restraint is installed is in
an upright position and securely latched
into place and cannot fold forward . Oth
erwise, the seatback with the child safety
seat attached to it could fly forward in
the event of an accident or other emer
gency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave
hicle is being used¢
page 161. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 141, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know .
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
T he convertible locking retractor for child re
straints will be deactivated automatically
when the bel t is wound oil the way bock in to
the retractor .
.. Press the red button on the safety belt
buckle. The belt tongue will pop out of the
buckle .
.,. Guide the safety belt all the way back into
its stowed position .
Always let the sa fety belt retract completely
into its stowed position . The safety belt can
now be used as an ordinary safety belt with
out the convertible locking retractor for child
restraints.
If the convertible locking retractor should be
activated inadvertently, the safety belt must be unfastened and guided completely back in
to its stowed position to deactivate this fea
ture.
If the convertible locking retractor is not
deactivated , the safety belt will gradually be-
come tighter and uncomfortable to wear.
11>
•
•

-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of clean ing the brake
system only 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 ion into a lower
gear or lower d riving range . Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often. This cou ld cause the
brakes to get hot and dimin ish braking
effi ciency.
- Do not "r ide the b rakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when yo u do not intend
to brake. This may cause the b rakes to
overheat, premat ure wear and increased
stopp ing distance .
- Under certain climatic and operating
conditions such as passing through wa
ter, driving in heavy rain or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and d rums . Carefully apply brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat ings will be cleaned off afte r a few ca re
f ul brake appl ications.
- Driv ing fo r an ex tended pe riod of time on
salt-covered ro ads w ithout using yo ur
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumu lated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few caref ul
brake applicat ions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct
ed. Otherwise the brake system co uld
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system.
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in
creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near
est author ized Audi dealer or qualified
wor kshop.
- Never let the v ehicle roll to a stop w ith
t he engine shu t off.
Int ellig ent technolog y 183
-If the brake booster is not working, for
examp le when towing your vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed conside rably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance .
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering .
Power steer ing adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defecti ve! Do not d rive vehicle!
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and t his message appears, the power steer ing
may have failed .
Do
not con tinue dr iv ing . See your author ized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
fo r ass istance.
f-r,ij Dynamic st eering: System fault! You can
continue driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes
sage appears, the steering may be more diffi
cu lt to move or more sensit ive tha n usual. The
stee ring wheel may a lso be at an angle when
driv ing straight .
Drive slowly to your a uthorized Audi dea ler or
qualified workshop to have the ma lfunction
correc ted .
fifl Dynamic steer ing: in itializing
If this drive r message appea rs and the indica
tor light is flash ing on the instrument panel,
dynamic steer ing * is being rein itia lized. Once
you start the engine after th is is finished, the
steering wheel will be easy to move. Re- init i
al ization might be necessa ry if the steering
wheel was moved ha rd to the left a nd right
wh ile the vehicle was not moving. The display
goes ou t as soon as initialization is comp lete. .,.
•
•

188 Driving and en vironm ent
8_ WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc ., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re
store the full braking effect.
CD Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through wate r.
@ Tips
- Check the depth of the water before dr iv
i ng through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switc h the engine off when driving
t hr ough water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may c reate waves that raise the water
l evel and make it too deep fo r you r vehi
cle to dr ive through safely.
-
- Avoid dr iving thro ugh salt water because
i t 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 on environmentally sound manner.
,,. Always use lead-free gasoli ne¢ page 207,
Fuel supply .
,,. Never run the tank down a ll the way to
empty.
,,. Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine ¢
page 217, "t':::r. Adding engine oil.
,,. Never t ry to push- o r tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an effic ient "clean
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns
many of the polluta nts in the exhaust gas be
fore they are released into the atmosphe re. The exclusive
use of unleaded f uel is critica lly
important for the life of the catalytic convert
er and proper funct ion ing of the eng ine .
A WARNING
= -
-Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in co ntact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire .
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
r u stp roofing on or nea r the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, cataly tic con
ver ter or heat shields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used for under coa ting co uld
overhea t and cause a fire.
CD Note
- Be aware that just o ne tank filling with
leaded fu el w ill already ser io usly de
gr ad e the per form ance o f the catalytic
c onverte r.
- Do not ex ceed t he corre ct engine oil level
r:;!) page 217.
- Do not drive until the fuel tank be co m es
completely emp ty. The engine co uld mis
fire . Unburned fuel could also get in to
the exhaust system and this co uld cause
the cata lytic converter to overheat .
- Do not turn off the igni tion whi le the ve
hicle is mov ing.
- Do not contin ue to ope rate your veh icle
unde r these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalyt ic converte r. T his
co uld resu lt in overheating of the con
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis
sion Control System:
- H ave you r vehicle maintained p rope rly
and in accordance w ith the se rvi ce rec
ommen dat ions in yo ur Warranty &
M ain tenance boo klet.
- L ack of prope r maintenan ce as we ll as
i mprope r use of t he ve hicl e wi ll impair
the func tion of the em ission cont ro l
system and could lea d to damage .
Ill>

190 Driving and en vironm ent
(0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
would go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which could 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
author ized Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ab il ity to hold its value, it also affects
fu el
con sump tion .
C heck your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine
l oad and speed.
I t is normal for the oil consumption o f a new
engine to reach its lowest val ue after a certain
mileage has been driven.
You mus t drive yo ur vehicle abo ut 3,000 miles
(5,000 kilometers) be fo re yo u can properly
assess oi l consumption.
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and en
g ine output.
(]) Note
-Have yo ur vehicle maintai ned properly
and in accordance with the service re c
ommendations in your War ran ty
& Mai n
tenance bookle t. Lack of proper mainte
nance as well as imp roper use of the
ve
hicle will impair the function of the
emission control system and could 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 shie lds, switches, ignition 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.
The engine and cata lytic converter have to
reach their opt imal
oper ating temperature to
reduce fuel consumpt ion and nox ious em is
s ions effectively.
Just after starting, a co ld engine in a mid-size
car on ly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 m iles
per gallon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km) . After about
2 .5 miles (4 km),
the engine is at its prope r operating tempera
tu re and fuel economy has reached a normal
level. So you can see that yo u should avo id
short trips whenever poss ible.
T he
outside temperatur e is also cr it ical in t his
regard. Your car consumes more fue l in the
winter tha n in the s umme r.