
Using the parking brake to perform emer
gency braking will slow your vehicle down
as if you had made a full brake applicat ion.
The laws of physics cannot be suspended
even w ith ESC and its associated compo
nents (ABS, ASR, EDS) . In corners and
when road or weather conditions are bad, a full b rake application can cause the vehi
cle to skid or the rear end to break away -
risking an accident.
Driver messages in the instrument
cluster
Caution: V ehicl e parked too steep
T his message appears when the park ing brake
is applied on an incl ine that exceeds about
30%.
In this case the braking power of the parking
brake may
not be adequate to prevent the ve
h icle from rolling unintentionally .
Press brak e pedal to rel ease par king brak e
This driver message appears when the switch
to release the parking brake was pressed. The
parking brake can on ly be released if yo u step
on the brake pedal and at the same time press
the switch or you automatically release the parking brake with the start ing ass ist
c:> page90.
fplj Parking br ake m alfuncti on!
This driver message appears together with
the yellow
JiJ symbol when there is a parking
brake ma lfunction.
Start-Stop-System
Description
Appl ies to vehicles : wit h Start -Stop-System
The Star t-S top -System can he lp inc rease f ue l
economy and red uce CO2 emissions .
I n the Start-Stop-mode, the eng ine shuts off
a utomatically when the vehicle is stopped,
such as at a traffic ligh t. T he ig nition remains
switched on during t his stop phase. The en -
On th e ro ad 91
gine wi ll be automatica lly restarted when
needed .
T he last Start-Stop-System se tting (on/off us
ing the b utton 10 ..
I) will be restored when the
ignition is turned on . The L ED in the 10 ..
I but
ton t urns on when the Start-Stop-System is
switched off manually .
Basic requirements for the Start -Stop
mod e
-The driver's doo r is closed.
- The driver 's seat be lt is la tched.
- The hood is closed.
- The vehicle must have been dr iven faster
than
2.5 mph (4 km/h) since the last stop.
- A trailer is not hitched to the vehicle.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine before the ve
hicle has come to a comp lete stop. The
full funct ion of the brake boos ter and the
power steering is not gua ranteed. You
m ust use more force to tu rn or brake if
necessary. Beca use you cannot steer and
brake as you usually wou ld, this could
lead to crashes and ser ious injuries.
- To reduce the risk of injuries, make sure
that the Start-Stop-System is turned off
when working in the eng ine compart
ment
c:> page 93 .
(D Note
Always switch off the Start-Stop -System
when driving through water
c:> page 93.

(!) Fuel efficient driv ing within the
comb ustion engine's partia l
l oad range
@ System limits fo r electric d riving
i n the EV mode
® Elect ric driving or d riving w it h
the combustion engine (EFFI -
CI ENCY)
© Vehicle d rive ready (READY)
® H igh vo ltage bat tery c ha rge sta -
tus
® Recuperation (CHARGE)
0 Dr iving w it hi n the combus tion
engine's fu ll loa d range
® 100% combust io n engine
® Boost ing -the elect ric e ngine
assists the combus tion engine
( B OOST)
@ Engaging the conventiona l
brakes w ith recuperat ion
@ Vehicle not drive ready ( OFF)
@ EV mode active
The needle rema ins at
OFF when the igni tion
is tur ned on. W hen the veh icle en ters drive
ready mode, t he stat us message
hybrid ready
ap pears briefly in the instrument cluster dis
p lay and the needle in the power meter po ints
to
READY .
Indicator lights and messages
Applies to vehicles: with hybrid drive
The indicator lights in the instrument cluste r
b link or t urn on . Th ey i ndicate fu nctions o r
malfunct ions .
W ith some ind icator lights, messages may ap
pear and a warning tone may sound. Also note
the indicator lights in c::,;,
pag e 27.
Press brake pedal to start vehicle
This message appea rs if you do not press the
brake peda l when starting the vehicle.
Hybrid 99
Shift to N or P to start vehicle
T his mess age appears if the se lector lever for
the automatic t ransmission is not in t he N or
P positions when starting the vehicle.
- Hybrid drive: System fault! Power
brakes, steering malfunction possible
I f the indica tor ligh t turns on and this mes
sage a ppears, t here is a ma lf u nction in the hy
bri d system. The brake booster and the power
steering may stop working. Stop the vehicle i n
a safe l ocat io n as soo n as poss ible.
You may cont in ue dr iving if the indicator light
turns
off afte r start ing the ve hicle severa l
times. Dr ive to an a uthorized repa ir facility
immediately to have the malfunct ion correct
ed .
EHithjj,j Hybrid drive : Sy stem fault!
Contact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and this mes
sage appears , there is a malfunct ion in the hy
br id system . Drive to a n author ized repair fa
c ili ty immediat ely to hav e th e m alfunc tion
corrected.
Ill Hybrid system: Performance
restricted. Please contact dealer
If th e i ndica to r light turns on and this mes
sag e appea rs, there is an engine contro l ma l
f unct io n .
The @B indi cator light in t he instr u
m ent cluster also tur ns on. The engine ou tput
i s re duced. Drive to yo ur autho rize d Au di dea l
er or qualifie d repair facility immediately to
have the malfunct io n corrected .
Hybrid drive deactivated. Please restart
engine manually.
Th is message ap pears if the high vo ltage bat
te ry charge leve l has fallen below a certa in
range or if the ignition key is no longer inside
the ve hicle for ve hicles with the convenience
key *.
Start the eng ine with e it h er the ignitio n key
¢page 83 or with the !STAR T EN GINE STOPI
button* c::> page 86.

-ESC offroad mode and hill descent assist
must not be turned on¢
page 198 .
The combust ion eng ine tu rns on and inter
rupts
the enhanced electric d rive mode when
the vehicle is accelerated. The gray indicator
light
l!I also turns on in the disp lay. The en
hanced electric drive mode resumes automati
cally once acceleration stops.
The enhanced e lectric drive mode is
deactivat
ed if at least one of the following conditions is
met :
- The ign ition is turned
off.
- Th e 1.:1"1 button is pressed again.
- The high voltage battery charge level is low .
- The vehicle speed is higher than approxi -
mately 62 mph (100 km/h).
- The S selector lever position or tiptronic
mode is selected .
- ESC offroad mode or hill descent assist is
switched on .
T he
ld" I button must be pressed to reactivate
it .
Start-Stop function
The combustion engine is operated on ly as
needed. Generally, the combustion engine
turns
off when the vehicle is stationary and
the high voltage battery powers the electrical
vehicle systems.
The purpose of automatica lly shutting the
combustion engine
off in hybrid drive mode is
to save fuel. All of the important veh icle sys
tems, such as steering, brakes and the A/C
system, cont inue to remain active. In some
cases , systems may require the combustion
engine to cont inue running when the vehicle
is stationary. When dr iv ing in congested traf
fic for long per iods of time, the comb ustion
engine w ill cycle on when the vehicle is sta
tionary to keep the high voltage battery
charged.
Gliding
I f the gas pedal is not pressed and the D posi
tion is selec ted, the combustion engine re-
Hybrid 101
mains turned off up to speeds of approxi
mately 99 mph (160 km/h). Driving conserva
tive ly like this can reduce fuel consumption.
Energy recovery (recuperation)
When braking, the electric motor will act as a
generator creating e lectric energy that is then
stored in the high voltage battery. This also
occurs when the ve hicle is coasting or driving
downhi ll. The combustion engine is automati
cally turned
off i n this case.
The vehicle is braked with the electric motor
by applying ear ly and even pressure to the
brakes and using short pedal movements
¢
page 98, fig. 108 @. By doing this, a large
amount of the kinetic energy is recovered and
may be stored as electric energy in the high
voltage battery . During heavy braking, the
convent ional brakes are also act ivated
¢ page 98, fig. 108 @.
The energy recovery is shown in the MMI dis
play ¢
page 104.
Automatic start of the combustion engine
Various operating conditions cause the com
bust ion engine to start automat ically :
- The high voltage battery charge leve l is low.
- The temperature of the combustion engine
is low.
- The temperature of the catalytic converter is
low .
- The power output needed for the A/C sys-
t em is high.
- The vehicle speed is high.
- The vehicle acceleration is high.
- The inclin e is steep.
- High charge level for the high voltage bat-
tery when coasting. In th is case, the h igh
voltage battery cannot absorb any more en
ergy and so the electric motor cannot slow
down the veh icle. The combustion engine
tu rns on (engine brake). In this situation the
h igh voltage battery will show a Max charge.

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
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) rein
forces driver safety. It reduces the risk of slip
ping and improves driving stability. ESC de
tects critical s ituations such as the vehicle
Intelligent technology 197
oversteering and understeering or the whee ls
spinning . The vehicle is stabilized by applying
the brakes or reducing eng ine torque . Once
the ESC is active, the indicator light
G1 blinks
in the instrument cluster.
ESC includes the anti-lock brake system (ABS),
brake assist system, anti-slip regulation
(ASR), electronic differential lock (EDL), dy
namic steering*, hill descent assist and selec
tive wheel torque control.
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking up
when braking . The vehicle can still be steered
even during hard braking. App ly steady pres
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped
al. A pulsing in the brake pedal indicates that
the system is helping you to brake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking
distance. It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake pedal quickly in emer
gency situations . You must press and hold the
brake pedal until the situation is over . In
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the
brake assist system is more sensitive if the
distance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels beg in to sp in and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and drive up hill s.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the othe r whee ls .
T his function is available up to about 78 mph
(125 km/h) .
In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked wheel
from overheat ing. EDL will switch on again au
tomatically when conditions have returned to
normal.
•
•

198 Intelligent technology
Dynamic ste ering *
On vehicles with dynamic stee ring* , ES C helps
stabilize the st eering in critical s ituations .
Selective wh eel torque c ontrol
The selective whee l torque control operates
when dr iv ing through curves . T he front wheel
on the inside of the curve or both wheels on
the inside of the curv e are braked selective ly
as needed. This m inimizes sliding in the front
wheels and allows for more pr ecise driving
through curves . T he system may not act ivate
when driving in wet or snowy cond itions .
A WARNING
-ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL dynamic steering"
and the se lective wheel torque control
cannot overcome the laws of physics .
Th is is especially important on slippery
or wet roads.
If the systems begin act ing
to stabilize yo ur vehicle , you sho uld im
med iately change your speed to ma tch
the road and traffic condit ions. Do not
let the increased safety provided by
these systems tempt you to take risks. Do ing so wi ll increase the risk of a loss of
vehicle control, collision and serious per
sonal injuries .
- Always adapt your speed to road, traff ic
and weather condit ions. The risk of Los-
-
ing cont ro l of the veh icle increases when
dr iv ing too fast, especially th rough
c u rves and on slippery o r wet roads, and
when d riving too close to vehi cles up
ahead. ESC, A BS, the brake assis t sys
tem, AS R, EDL, dynamic steering* and
the se lective wheel torque control can
not prevent collis ions.
-Always acce lerate with specia l care on
even, smooth surfaces s uch as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even with
these ass istance systems that cannot al
ways help to reduce the risk of loss of ve
hicle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only wo rk correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi
cal tires. Different tire si zes can lead to a
reduction in engine power .
- Yo u may hear noises when the systems
described are working.
- If the ind icator light
DJ or E (USA
mode ls)/ m] (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction
q page 15 ,
q page 17.
-When i nstalling a factory -supplied roof
rack system on the roof railing, the ESC
will adapt itse lf to a different center of
gravity .
Switching on/off
ESC turns on automatically when you start
the engine.
F ig. 1 86 Vers ion A: l owe r ce nte r con so le, butto n YJ
OFF
Fig. 1 87 Version B: upper cente r console, button YJ
OFF
ESC Offroad mode
The ESC Off road mode was developed espe
c ia lly for offroad driving . In o rder to maintain
max imum trac tion and optimal b raking when
driv ing offroad, the cond it ions for the ESC to
IJII,

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 ..,.
•
•

202 Intelligent technology
authorized Audi dealer or other qualified re
pair facility for assistance.
'I-ij Dynamic steering: System fault! You can
continue driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes
sage appears, the steer ing may be more diffi
cul t to move or mo re sensitive than usual. The
steer ing may also be at an angle when driving
straight.
Drive slowly to your author ized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfu nction
cor rected.
(;:r,ij Dynamic steering : Initializing
Aud i drive select": if the indicator light blinks
and the driver message appears, the dynam ic
steering* is reinitialized. Once you start the
engine after this is finished, the steering
wheel will be easy to move. Re-initialization might be necessary if the steering wheel was
moved hard to the left and right while the ve
hicle was not moving. The display turns off if
the initialization was successfu l.
(D Tips
-If the . or 'Tj indicator light only stays
on for a short time, yo u may continue
driving.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems
opoge 197 are not ava ilable in the event
of a system malfunction.
- For additional information on dynamic
steering*
o page 120 .
Driving with your
quattro ®
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv
en .
General information
With all-wheel dr ive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your dr iving style and the road
conditions at the time . See also ¢
page 197.
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 through
curves
¢ page 198.
The all-wheel drive concept is des igned for
high engine power. Your veh icle is exception
ally powerfu l and has excellent driving charac
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precaut ions¢ &.
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, yo ur 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 o n
all four
wheels .
See also¢ page 263, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also app lies to veh icles
with all-wheel drive¢
page 264, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with all -wheel drive must always
have tires of the same s ize. A lso avoid tires
with different tread depths. For deta ils see
page
o page 2 59, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
A WARNING
-Always adjust your dr iv ing to road and traf-
fic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Altho ugh the all-wheel drive is very ef
fective, always remember that braking
capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not d rive 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

-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u 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.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when d riving, al
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam
age .
(D Note
Please note that summe r and wi nte r tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic transmission, power steer ing ,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory-installed equip
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the rat io o f the height to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re
sponse and better overa ll handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the part of the t ire t hat is made o f
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead .
Cord means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Tire s an d wheel s 249
typica l in those seasons . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
dec rease the e lasticity of summer t ires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer t ires are used i n very co ld tem
peratures, cracks ca n form o n the tread
bars , res ulting in perma nen t tire damage
that can cause loud driving noise and un
bala nced ti re s. Audi i s not respon sible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the t ire p ress ure recommended by t he
vehicle manufacture r fo r a tire o f a des ignated
s ize t hat has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is m easured or adjusted.
Curb weight
me ans the we ight of a motor ve hicle with
st andard equipmen t incl ud ing the max imum
capacity of fuel, oi l, and coolant, air condi
tioning and additional weig ht of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire design to oper ate a t higher load s
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standa rd tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l", "EXTRA LOAD", o r
"RF" on the sidewal l.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
me ans the load-ca rry ing capac ity of a single
axle system , measured at the tire -ground in
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
the ve hicl e. .,..
•
•