88 Transmission
Emergency release of the selector lever
App lies to vehicles: with tiptronic
If the vehicle's power supply foils, the selec
tor lever con be released in on emergency.
Fig. 88 Removing ashtray insert
Fig. 89 Emergency release for selector lever
The emergency release is located under the in
sert for the ashtray.
.. Slide open the cover for the ashtray.
.. Release the ashtray by push ing the switch
@¢fig. 88 to the right.
.. Remove the ashtray insert@.
.. Now you can see a small cover in the ash
tray holder on the front of the ashtray re
cess.
.. Re lease and remove this cover .
.. You now have access to a bolt. Using a
screwdriver or similar, press the bolt down
and hold it down ¢
fig. 89.
.. Now press the interlock and move the selec-
tor lever to the N pos ition .
The selector lever can only be moved from the
P position if the ignition key is in the lock and
the ignition is turned on. If the vehicle has to
be pushed or towed if the power supply fa ils
(e.g. battery is discharged), the selector lever
must first be moved to the N position using
the emergency locking device.
S tronic ®
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transm ission
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronical
ly-controlled manual transmission called S
tronic ®. Two independent clutches transfer
the power between the engine and transmis
sion . They rep lace the torque converter used
in conventional automatic transmissions and
allow the vehicle to accelerate without a no
ticeable interruption in traction.
You can also shift the gears
manually using
tiptronic , if you like ¢ page 92.
Selector lever positions
Applies to vehicles: wit h S t ronic tra nsmi ssio n
Fig. 90 Display: Se lector lever posit ions
The instrument cluster display shows the cur
rent se lector lever position and current gear .
P -Park
The wheels are mechanically locked in this po
sition. You can only shift into Park when the
vehicle is
stationary ¢ /1. .
To shift in and out of P, press the interlock
button in the selector lever
while press ing the
brake pedal.
R - Reverse
Only shift into reverse gear when the vehicle is
stationary and the engine is running at idle
speed ¢
/1..
To select R, press the interlock button while
pressing the brake pedal. The back-up lights
switch on in the R position if the ignition is
switched on .
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 for 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 retr ieval 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.
Although 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 examp le, engine function, emis
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l 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 we ll 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
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidding and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESC detects
Intelligent technology 185
certain difficult driving situations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering ass istance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in
dicator light
JjJ in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations .
It is important to remem
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics.
It will not always be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it would on the dry surface. If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
A lways adjust your speed and driving style to
road, traffic; and weather conditions. ESC can
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in
crease the available traction, or keep a vehicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
driver inattention. Instead, ESC improves the
poss ibility of keeping the vehicle under con
trol and on the road dur ing extreme maneu
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di
rection. If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi
ence the benefits of ESC.
•
•
206 Cleaning and protection
Your authorized Audi dealer can provide clean
ing prod ucts that have been tested and ap
proved for your vehicle .
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The Radio/MM !* display may be cleaned with
a soft cloth and commerc ially-avai lable "LCD
cleaner" . The cloth should be coated lightly
when the cleaning solution when cleaning the
display.
The
MM I* controls must be cleaned first with
a brush so that dirt does not enter the unit or
enter between the buttons and the housing.
Then wiping the controls with a cloth damp
ened with dish detergent and water is recommended.
(D Note
- To avoid scratching the disp lay, you
shou ld never clean it dry.
- To prevent damage, make sure fluids do
not enter the controls.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral -pH products to remove spots
and depos its from alum inum surfaces.
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack alum inum surfaces and can dam
age them over time.
..&, WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 200.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fab rics and fabric coverings (e.g. seats, doo r
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at regular
interva ls with a vacuum cleaner. This removes
surface dirt particles which could become em
bedded in the fabr ic through use. Steam
cleaners should not be used, because the
steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the
fabr ic and lock it there.
Normal cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab
ric. Brushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Normal surface stains can be cleaned using a
commercially availab le foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the surface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu
rate the fabric. Then pat the foam dry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. m icrofiber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cleaning stains
Stains caused by beverages (e.g. coffee, fruit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter
gent solution. Apply the detergent solution
with a sponge. In the case of stubborn stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric. After
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to
remove the remaining detergent. Apply the
water with a damp doth or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry cloth .
Stains from chocolate or makeup should have
detergent paste rubbed into them . After
wards, remove the soap with water (damp
sponge).
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from
grease, o il, lipstick or a ballpoint pen. Melted
grease or dye must be patted off using ab
sorbent material.
It may be necessary to re
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa
ter.
In the case of general soiling of the upho ls
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a specia list that has the equipment to clean
the seat covers and other fabr ic surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction.
..&, WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
i:> page 200.
242 Tires and wheels
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con
trol, a crash and serious persona l injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo
ry." Old used tires may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 180 Tir e specificat ion codes on the s idewall of a
t ire
No. Description
(!) Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in millimeters
@ Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
@ Load index and speed rating
(J) U.S. DOT tire identification number
@ Audi Orig inal tire
@ Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials
used
Maximum load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
Maximum permissible inflation pres
sure
T he tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle 's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,..
24 4 T ire s and wheel s
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)1l
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)ll
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)ll
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)
1 l
Your veh icle is no rma lly factory equipped with
tires, which possess excellent driving cha rac
terist ics and give yo ur Audi opt imum d riving
comfort . An e lectronic speed limiter
c::> page 31 will normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
¢ &. .
U.S. DOT Ti re Identification Numb er (TIN)
and ti re manuf actur e date
This is the tire's "serial number" . It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example, the numbers 2212 mean that
the tire was produced in the 22nd wee k of
2012. The other n umbers are mar keting co
des that may or may not be used by the tire
manufacturer . This information is used to con
tact consumers if a tire defect requires a re
call.
Audi Original tir e
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been specia lly matched with your Audi . We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly. Your authorized Audi dealer will
glad ly provide you with more information.
Tire ply compo sit ion and materi als used
The number of plies indicates the number of
l ayers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
ll For tir es w it h a m ax im um spee d ca pabil ity ove r
1 4 9 mp h (2 40 k m/h) , t ire man ufact urers somet imes
u se the letters "ZR. "
genera l, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support. Tire manufac
turers also must indicate the mate rials in the
t ire, which include steel, nylon, po lyester, and
others.
Ma ximum Load Rating
This number ind icates the maximum load in
ki lograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear ,
traction , and t emp eratu re resi stance
T read wear, t raction and temperat ure grades
c::> page
245.
Ma ximum Permi ssible Inflat ion Pressure
T h is number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder norma l driving cond itions.
.&, WARNING ~ -
- Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control ,
coll is ion and serious personal injury.
-Always use t ires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original
factory- installed tires or other combina
tions that have been specifically ap
p roved by the vehicle manufacture r.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 yea rs
old can only be used in an emergen cy
a nd then w it h specia l care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mo unt used tires on your veh icle if
you are no t sure of the ir "previo us histo
ry." O ld used tires may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fa ilure
and loss of vehicle control.
-All four wheels must be fitted with radial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir
cumference) and the same tread pattern .
Driving with different tires reduces vehi
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires -only use
the spare tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care. Refit the nor
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un
derinflated .
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air
flow to the brakes can them to overheat,
increasing stopping distances and caus
ing a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires and a
factory-installed tire pressure monitor ing system* that indicates a loss of tire
pressure. Incorrect use of run flat tires
can lead to vehicle damage or accidents.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or
tire specialist to see if your vehicle can be
equipped with run flat tires .
If run flat
tires are used, they must be installed on
all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not
permitted.
Tires and wheels 245
@ Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged.
(® For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
c:> page 242,
fig. 180 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 1S0 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
1JJ>
•
•
246 Tires and wheels
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how
ever, and may depart significantly from the norm due to variations in driving habits, serv
ice practices and differences in road character
istics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades , from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance ¢.&, .
Temperature
The tempera ture grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi
pate heat when tested under controlled condi
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure~.&, .
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand
ard No.
109. Grades Band A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law.
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded . Excessive speed, un
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
-
separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread . These tires should
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
tires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle .
Your vehicle is equipped with all wheel drive,
this will improve traction during winter driv
ing, even with the standard tires. However, we
strongly recommend that you always equip all
four wheels on your vehicle with correctly fit
ted winter tires or all-season tires, when win
ter road conditions are expected. This also im
proves the vehicle's braking performance and
reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes . Use
only radial winter tires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
O .15 7 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive with winter tires under winter con
ditions. Summer tires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °().
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
wheel
¢page 242.
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating than the tires origi-
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it .,.