
98 Hybrid -Do not transport fluids in open contain
ers in the luggage compartment. Spilled
fluids can seep underneath the cargo
floor. This can damage the high voltage
system.
Starting the vehicle
App lies to vehicles: with hybrid drive
The vehicle is started and turned off either
with the ignition key~
page 83 or with the
I START ENGIN E STOP ! button* ~ page 86 in
the same way as a conventional vehicle .
When starting the vehicle, the needles in the instrument cluster move upward briefly .
When the vehicle enters drive ready mode,
the status message
hybrid ready appears
briefly in the instrument cluster display and
the needle in the power meter points to
READY ~ page 98.
Depending on the operation mode of the hy
brid system, there are two possible drive
ready modes after the vehicle has been start
ed:
Power meter overview
Applies to vehicles: with hybrid dr ive
Drive ready mode with combustion engine
If the operating requirements~ page 100 for
electric drive mode are
not met, the combus
tion engine starts the vehicle as usual. You can start driving as usual.
Drive ready mode with the electric motor
If the operating requirements~ page 100 for
the electric drive mode are met, the combus
tion engine remains off after starting the ve
hicle.
(0 Tips
To prevent the 12 volt battery from dis
charging, never leave the vehicle parked in
the drive ready mode. Remove the key
from the ignition or press the
I START ENGINE STOP! button* . When
leaving the vehicle always take the key
with you.
The power meter shows the hybrid drive condition and the availability of the hybrid system.
Fig. 108 Power meter overv iew
An economical driving and recuperation range
is shown in green. A driving range that is not
economical is shown in orange. In addition, the battery status
provides information about
the high voltage battery charge status.
lill-

Fa u lts in th e brake sy stem
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, then one of the two brake
circuits may have failed~.&. .
Low brak e flu id level
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fl uid leve l is too low . T he b rake fluid
l eve l is monito red electronically .
Brake booster
The brake booster increases the pressure that
you generate w ith the brake pedal.
It only op
e rates while the eng ine is running or with the
i gnit ion sw itched on (hybr id dr ive*) ~.&, .
Brake lining wear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces
sa ry, the wheel may be removed for this in
spection
~ page 2 74, Changing a wheel.
.&_ WARNING
=
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of clean ing the brake
system on ly if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an acc ident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range . Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This could cause the
brakes to get hot and dimin ish b raking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . Th is may cause the b rakes to
overheat, premat ure wear and increased
stopping distance .
- Under certain climat ic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa
ter , driving in heavy rain or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums . Carefully apply brakes
Int ellig ent technolog y 201
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat
ings w ill be cleaned off after a few care
ful brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you install a different spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obst ruct
ed. Otherw ise the brake system could
overhea t reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system .
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near
est a uthori zed Audi dea ler or qualified
workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off .
- 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 considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance .
Electromechanical
power assist, Dynamic
steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when s teering.
Power ste ering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights an d m ess age s
• Steeri ng defe ctive ! D o n ot dr ive vehi cle!
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steer ing
may have failed .
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as poss ible . Do
no t continue driving . See your ..,.
•
•

Driving off road
Driving in difficult road
conditions and offroad
General information
The operation of the E lectronic Stabilization
Control (ESC) is expanded fo r operation away
from paved roads. In situations where slip or a
differential lock ing funct ion is required, the
ESC offroad mode can be act ivated
c> page 197 . Your Audi also has permanent
all-wheel drive in addition .
However, your Aud i is not a pure offroad ve hi
cle . It was not built for driving under extreme
conditions, e .g . for trips that are in the nature
of an expedition .
D riv e only on roads and offro ad sections
which match the des ign of your vehicle and
your abil it ie s as a driver . Ne ver take ri sks!
Before dri ving offroad
- Check the engine oi l level, tire pressure,
coolant leve l, and the fluid level in the w ind
shield washer reservo ir.
- Stow luggage items and other objects in the
lu ggage compartment, and secure them
against slid ing around .
After driv ing offroad
- After trips offroad, remove any twigs and other foreign objects from the grill, the un
derbody and the wheels. Pay specia l atten
t ion to fore ign objects (stones) which have
become lodged in the tire tread.
- Clean the body and the vehicle unders ide,
and inspect the veh icle for possible damage.
- Clean dirty windows, headlamp lenses, rear
lights, and license plates.
- Perform a brake check (particu larly after
trave lling through water) .
A WARNING
- Drive especially attentive ly and plan
ahead in difficult road conditions and
w hen offroad . Excess ive speed or incor-
-
Driving off road 209
rect maneuvers can cause injuries and
damage to the vehicle.
- Always adapt your speed and driving
style to road, offroad, traff ic, and weath
er conditions. Drive especially slowly off
road when your v iew is restricted.
- Please be aware that in ESC offroad
mode, particularly on a smooth and slip
pery road, the wheels may have an in
creased tendency to spin and the vehicle
may break away - danger of skidding!
- Stability is limited in the ESC offroad mode.
@) For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to the environment and re
spect nature .
(D Tips
Only drive where it is permitted and stay
on marked roads and paths.
Explanation of some technical terms
The following data refer to ideal cond itions .
Depend ing on veh icle load and ground condi
tions and the environment, the numbers may
vary. It is the d rive r's responsibi lity to decide
whethe r a veh icle can overcome a specific s it
u at ion
c::> .&. .
Gradient angle
The number of meters in alt itude ga ined over
a d istance of 109 .4 yards or 100 meters
(grade) a re given as a pe rcentage o r degrees .
Info rmation abou t the gr ad ient the veh icle
can climb under i ts own power (depends in
part on the road surface and engine power).
Max imum permitted grade : 3 1
°
Late ral angle (slope of vehicle )
Ind icates the angle up to which the vehicle
can be d riven diagona lly or across the fall line
on a slope wi tho ut the vehicle tipping over
sideways (depends o n center of gravity) . Maxi-
mum permitted lateral angle: 25 ° .,.
•
•

Operating instructions
6"
~ ~
I 1,2 ..
-{ }
l::_
-
2
Fig. 190 Permit ted ball position of the trailer hitch
Trailer towing weights
With a factory-installed or an aftermarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permissible trailer
weight is 4,400 lbs (2,000 kg). The maximum permissible unbraked trailer weight is 1,650
lbs (750 kg) . These specifications apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these
changed conditions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al
lowable or slightly lower . You can get an ap
proximation of the tongue load with a bath
room scale or you can measure the load at a
trucking company or weighing station.
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permissible load
on the ball hitch may not exceed 440 lbs
(200 kg).
It is recommended to use the maxi
mum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢.&. in Driving instructions on page 214.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suita
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 190. Installa
tion of the hitch ball must be carried out in ac-
Trailer towing 213
cordance with the manufacturer's instruc
tions.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard
er .
It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B
pillar. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire
manufacturers' specifications.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per
mit turning corners. When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following :
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it
self is not loaded .
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
•
•

216 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industr ial
fumes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
p ur chase . Reg ular and correct care w ill con
tr ibute to maintain ing the beauty and valu e of
your Aud i.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your auth orized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicle-care products and can ad
v ise wh ich ones to use for cleaning the ext eri
or a nd inte rior o f you r vehi cle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agen ts, pleas e make sure you apply t hem cor
r ectly .
A WARNING
-Cleani ng agen ts m ay be poi sonous. Kee p
them o ut of t he rea ch of childre n.
- H eed a ll ca ution labels.
- Always read directions on th e co ntai ner
b efore using a ny produc t. Follow the di
rec tions caref ully.
- Most chemical cleaners a re concentrat ed
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing flui ds only i n well
ventila ted areas.
- Do not use gasoline, ke rosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol is h remov er or ot her volati le
fluid s. T hey may be to xic, flammab le or
h azar dou s in other w ays. D o not was h,
w ax or dry the vehicle wi th the ig nit ion
on or the eng ine running .
- D o not cl ean t he under sides of ch assis,
f en ders, wheel cove rs , etc. without pro
tectin g your hands and a rms. You may
c u t yourself on s harp-ed ged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on b rakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 200 , Broke sys
tem .
Test the brakes carefully each t ime
you was h the vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally frien dly clean
i ng products. Leftover cleaning pr oducts
s hou ld not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protec ts the vehicle .
The best p rotection against environmen tal i n
fluences is
frequ ent wash ing and waxing . H ow
often t his is requ ire d d epends o n:
- How much t he ve hicle is used
- W he re the veh icle is parked (garage, i n the
open under trees, etc .)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird d roppings, inse cts, tree res in,
r oad and indus trial grime, t ar, soo t, ro ad salt
and other mater ials remain on the veh icle
body, the mo re lasting their destr uctive ef
f ects w ill be . Hig h temperatures ca used by ex
pos ure to intense su nlight i ntens ify the c orro
s ive effect, particular ly when hum id ity is high
as wel l.
U nder certa in circumstances,
weekly washing
may be necessary. Unde r other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxi ng may be ade
quate .
After the winter, the unders ide of the vehicle
sho uld be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional ca r wash.
Vehicles with matte finish paint*
¢ page 219.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other in fo rmation¢
page 216.

226 Cleaning and protec tio n
• Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint
pen, felt marker, fingernai l polish, water
based paint, shoe polish, etc .) with a spot
remover specifically formulated for leather .
Leath er care
• Every ha lf year use an approved leather care
product (available from your authorized
Audi dealer) to care for the leather.
• Apply the product very sparing ly.
• Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
If you have any questions about cleaning and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your author ized Audi dealer, who
will be glad to help you and tell you about our
full range of leather care products, such as:
- Leather cleaning and care
kit
- Creams to care for colored leather
- Spot removers fo r ballpo int pens, shoe po l-
ish , etc.
- Oil/grease dissolving spray
- New and upcoming products.
_& WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
r::!v page 216.
(D Note
- Neve r use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on the leather surfaces
i n you r A ud i.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
r emoved by a commer cial cleani ng spe
cia list .
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia
bly when needed.
• Keep be lts clean .
• Fo r cl eaning, use a m ild soap and wate r sol
u tio n. Let be lts dry thoro ughly and away
from direct sunlight .
• Do not a llow inertia reel safety be lts to re
tract before they are completely dry . •
Check the condition of your safety be lts
reg
ularly .
Heavi ly so iled s afety bel ts may not ret ract
proper ly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash .
- Anyth ing that might damage your sa fety
be lts could mean that you and your pas
sengers would not be adequate ly pro
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents,
bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop
erties which weaken the webb ing.
- When cleaning you r safety be lts, inspect
them for damage. If you discover dam
age, see your authorized Audi dealer .
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
r::!v page 216.
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en
gine compartment.
Alway s swit ch off th e ignition before cle an
ing the engine
r::!v .&. .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the w indshield under the eng ine hood. This
preve nts the wa ter dr ain holes from becomi ng
blocked, and it prevents debris from entering
the ve hicle interior t hrough the heating and
ventilat ion ducts .
Corrosion protection
T he eng ine compartmen t and transmission
have been co rrosion-protected a t the f actory.
Good anti-corrosion treatment is very impor
tant, particu larly in the w inte r.
If the vehicle
is frequently d riven on salt t rea ted roads, the
en tire engine compar tment and p lenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage. ...

Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 19 4 Driver's s ide footwell: engine hood release
lever
"' Open the driver's door .
"' Pull the release lever on the left under the
instrument panel
i=:> fig. 194 in the d irection
of the arrow.
The hood pops up slightly under spring pres
sure.
Opening the engine hood
F ig . 195 Re lease lever under the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure
that the windshield wipers are flat against the
windshie ld. Otherwise, they could damage the
paint on the hood.
"' Pull up on the release under the hood
c;, fig. 195 . This releases the catch.
"' Open the hood all the way
c::> &,.
Checkin g and fillin g 233
A WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the eng ine
compartment. Wait unt il no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care
fu lly opening the hood.
Closing the engine hood
"' Pull the hood down un til the pressure from
the struts is reduced.
"' Let the hood
drop down and latch in p lace.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en
gage
c;, &, .
A WARNING
--
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and block your view while dr iv
ing.
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has proper
ly engaged. The hood should be flush
with the surround ing vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood
is not secured properly, stop at once and
close it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Whenever yo u must pe rform any w ork in the
e n g ine com pa rt ment, for e xample ch e cki ng
and filling differ ent fluids, th ere is a risk of
injury , burn s and accid ent s. T o pr eve nt per
so nal injury alwa ys obs erve the foll owing
WARNINGS . Th e en gine co mpa rtm ent of an y
v e hicl e is a hazardou s ar ea
c;, Lh, .
A WARNING ~
To help avoid injury, be fo re you check any
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key.

234 Checking and filling
-Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of automatic trans- mission to P (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool
ant system is pressurized and hot cool ant could spray out .
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running: -
First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of automatic trans
mission to P (Park).
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards
c:> &, .
&_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac
cessories contain lead and lead com
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu
ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au
thorized Audi dealer.