184 Intelligent technology
_& WARNING
Have the dynamic steering* system mal
function repaired as soon as possible by an
authorized Audi dealer or any qualified
workshop -risk of accident!
(D Tips
- If the . or
'-r,ij indicator light only stays
on for a short time, 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¢
page 107.
Driving with your
quattro®
App lies to vehicles: with all-wheel dr ive
-
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv
en.
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time . See also
¢ page 179.
A center differential distributes the driving
power variably to the front and rear axle . It
works together with selective wheel torque control, which activates when driving through
curves
c> page 180. With the sport differen
tial*, power distribution to the rear wheels is
variable and can be adjusted with drive select
c:>page 107.
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for
high engine power . Your vehicle is exception
ally powerful and has excellent driving charac
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precautions ¢
&.
Winter tires
When driving in the winter , your vehicle with
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 tires) for
improved driveability and brak
ing: these tires must be mounted on all four
wheels. See also ¢ page 242, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to vehicles
with all-wheel drive¢
page 243, Snow
chains .
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with all-wheel drive must always
have tires of the same size. Also avoid tires
with different tread depths. For details see
page
c> page 238, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
Off·Road driving?
Your Audi does not 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 possible. Also refer to
c:> page 187.
_& WARNING
-Always adjust your driving to road and traf-
fic 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 limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
could begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If this should occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in
crease in engine speed as with a front
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road con
ditions - risk of crash .
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long period of time , the bat
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e.g. immobilizer). In ce rtain c ircumstances it
can result in there being insuff icient ene rgy
avai lab le to start the engine .
Intell igent energy management in your vehi
cle hand les the d istribution of electrical ener
gy. Starting ab il ity is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy management consists of
batt ery di agno sis, idlin g current man ag e
m ent
and dyn ami c en ergy m anage ment .
Batter y diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery . Sensors determ ine
battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This dete rm ines the current
state of charge and the powe r of the battery.
Idling curr ent man agement
Idling current management reduces ene rgy
consumption while the vehicle is stand ing .
W ith the ignition switched off, it cont ro ls the
energy supply to the va rious electr ical compo
nents . Data from battery diagnosis is consid
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
i nd ividua l consumers are gradual ly t urned off
to prevent excess ive d ischarge of the bat tery
and thus maintain starting capability .
Dynamic en ergy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en
e rgy management dist ributes the energy gen
e rated according to the needs of the individu
a l components.
It reg ulates cons umption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
Int ellig ent technolog y 185
than is being generated and ensures an opti
mal state of charge for the battery.
(0 Tips
- But even energy management canno t
negate the limits of physics . Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited .
- If starting ability is threatened, the indi
cator light (•) appears~
page 17.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
T he bat tery is severe ly taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Ab undant electrical energy is re
quired, but on ly a little is generated .
It is also
critica l if the engine is not running and electri
ca l components are turned on . In this in
stance energy is be ing consumed but none is
being generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you will
notice energy management active ly regulat
ing the d istribution of energy.
V ehicle stand s for an ex tend ed peri od
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, e lectrica l compo
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and ma in
ta ins start ing capability over a longer period .
Some of the convenience functions may not
operate, such as the interior l ights or the
power seat adjustme nt. The convenience
funct ions w ill be available again when you
swi tch on the ignition and sta rt the eng ine .
With the eng in e turn ed off
If you listen to the radio, for example, w ith
the engine tu rned off or use other MMI func
tions, the battery is be ing d ischarged.
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en
ergy consumption, the following warning ap- pears in the MM I display: ..,.
•
•
186 Intelligent technology
Plea se start the engine soon or the system
will be tu rned off.
The warning ind icates that the system will be
turned off automa tic ally after 3 m inu tes. If
you wish to cont inue using the functions , you
have to start the engine .
With the engine running
Although ele ct ric al e nergy is generated when
the vehicle i s be ing driven , the battery can be
come d ischarged. This happens most ly w hen
little energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery 's state of
charge is not optima l.
To br ing the energy balance back into equili
brium, cons umers which require especia lly
l arge amounts of energy are temporarily c ut
back or switched off. Heating systems in par·
ticular requ ire a great deal of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they have been temporar ily cut back o r switched
off. These systems will be ava ilable again as
soon as the ene rgy ba lance h as been restored.
You will a lso notice that engine idle speed has
been inc reased slightly . This is norma l and not
a cause fo r conce rn . By increas ing engine idle
speed the add itiona l ene rgy required is gener
ated and the ba tte ry is charged.
Driving and
environment
The first 1
1000
miles
(11500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) .
For the first 600 mile s (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
.,. Do not d rive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers ):
.. Speeds ca n gradually be increased to the
maximum perm iss ible road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in period
.. Do not rev the eng ine up to h igh speeds
when it is cold. Th is applies whether the
transmission is in N (Neutral) or in gear.
After the break- in peri od
.. Do not exceed maximum eng ine speed un
der any circumstances .
.. Upshift into the next higher gear before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach
ometer scale c.>page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en
g ine's internal friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
in . How well this break -in process is done de
pends to a considerable extent on the way the
vehicle is driven du ring the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 k ilome ters).
(D Note
Extremely h igh engine speeds are auto
mat ica lly reduc ed. However , th ese rpm
lim its are programmed for a n engine well
r u n- in, not a new engine.
Driving and environment 187
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en
g ine speeds -upshifting ear ly saves f uel,
reduces noise and protects the environ
ment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive
very carefully for the first 350 miles (500 ki lo
meters) after fitting.
.&, WARNING
N ew tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al
so be "b roken -in" . Be sure to remember
this dur ing the f irst 350 m iles (500 kilo
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llowing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
b raking .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are d rivi ng on poo r roads, or over
cu rbs, steep ramps, etc., make certa in that
low- ly in g parts s uch as spo ile rs and ex ha ust
system parts do not bottom o ut and get dam
aged.
Th is is espec ially true for veh icles with low
s lung chassis (spo rts chas sis)* and fully load
ed vehicles.
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid ve hicle damage
when driving through water, for e xamp le on
flooded roads:
- The wa ter must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body .
- Do not dr ive faster than walk ing speed .
•
•
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>
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used.
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Operate your vehicle
economically and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on you r engine, bra kes and t ires largely
depend on th ree factors:
= your persona l dr iving style
- operating conditions
- technica l lim itations
I f you anticipate what yo u need to do next and
drive economically, you can easi ly cut your
fuel consumption by 10-15 percent. This sec
tion will give you some t ips on how you can
he lp the environment and your pocketbook.
@ Tips
The consumpt ion estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, wh ich will vary depending upon vehi
cle load and speed, road and weather con
ditions, tr ip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac
celerating.
" Avoid unnecessary accele rat ing and braking.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 18 9
Vehicles use the most fue l when they a re ac
ce lerating. If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
th us, acce lerate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for example when you see
that the next traff ic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
" Try and keep well below your car's maxi-
mum speed.
Acce lerating gently red uces fue l cons ump
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the environment.
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust emiss ions and en
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds . If you drive at approximately th ree
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con
ditions perm it.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel .
" Shut the eng ine off when you are not driv
ing the vehicle.
" Do not warm up the ve hicle by letting the
eng ine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when wa it ing for tra ins to pass at rail
road crossings, or at traffic lig hts t hat have
long waits on red . T ur ning the eng ine off for
just 30-40 seconds saves mo re fuel than is
bur ned star ting the e ngine again.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fully when it is run ning at idle . However, wea r
and noxious emissions are espec ia lly high
whe n the eng ine is wa rm ing up. So yo u shou ld
drive away as soon a s you start the e ngine and
avo id r unning at high rpms whi le the engine is
still warming up.
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.
Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on t he veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a t railer
h itch w ith a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with the tr ailer hitch man ufac tur er to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
T he hitc h must be installed in such a way that
it does not inte rfe re with the impac t-absorb
i ng b umper syst em. No modifica tions should
be made to the vehicle exhaus t and b rake sys
tems . From t ime to time, check that a ll hitch
mo unt ing bolt s remain securely fas tened.
W hen you are not tow ing a trailer, remove the
trai le r hi tch ball moun t. T h is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi
cle be str uck from be hind
¢ &. .
Trailer brakes
If yo ur tra iler is equ ipped w it h a braking sys
tem, check to be su re that it conforms to a ll
r eg ulat io ns.
Trailer towin g 191
The trailer hyd ra ulic bra ke system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
¢ &. .
Safety chains
Alw ays use s afety chains between your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra ile r lights m ust meet all reg ulations . Be
su re to check w ith your authorized Audi dealer
fo r c orrec t w iri ng, sw itches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regula r outside m irrors, then you
must insta ll ext ended mir ro rs. It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis io n to the rear .
.8, WARNING
- If a trailer has elec trica l br ake s plea se
no te th at t hese bra kes are not activat ed
by the fa ctory -fit ted control unit -risk of
accident!
- After removing the t railer hi tch, do no t
s to re it in yo ur vehicle . In case of sudden
brak ing, the hitch could fly fo rward and
in ju re you or yo ur passenge rs .
Operating instructions
Maximum traile r we ight
-
A trai ler for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tra iler.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the lo ad in the traile r is h eld secure ly
i n p lace to p reven t it from shifting fo rward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ &. in Driving instru ctions on page 19 2.
Engine cooling system
Towing a t railer ma kes t he engine wor k hard
er . It is impo rta nt that the cooling system's
perfo rman ce is up to the additional load.
Make sure tha t the coo ling sys tem h as enough
f lu id . .,..
•
•