200 Intelligent technology
job if the incline is icy or if the incline ground
is loose ¢&. .
The system does not work at speeds between
19 and 37 mph (30 and 60 km/h) . Th e system
is then in the ready-mode. The diode in the
button will come on. The system automatical
l y switched off when you drive faster than 3 7
mph (60 km/h). The diode will go out in this
case.
Active control at a specific speed up to approx
imately 19 mph (30 km/h) w ill appear in the
instrument cluster disp lay ¢
fig. 189. Two
dashes" •• " will appear in the ready mode.
Hill descent assist is automatica lly activated
under the fo llow ing cond itions:
- the diode in the button illuminates,
- vehicle speed is be low approximately
19 mph (30 km/h)
- the inclin e is 10%.
.&_ WARNING
-Always adapt your speed to the weather,
road and traffic conditions. Do not let
the increased safety provided tempt you
into taking risks.
- T he hill descent assist system cannot
overcome the laws of physics. Your driv
ing sty le m ust always be adapted to the
c u rrent road and traffic conditions.
- The hill descent assist may not be able to
hold your vehicle at a constant speed un
der all cond it ions wh ile driving on an in
cl ine (for example if ground under the
vehicle is loose) .
Brake system
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobi les are sti ll
subject to wear, depending largely on operat
ing conditions and dr iv ing habits ¢&. . On
vehicles that are e ither driven mostly in stop
and -go city traffic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author
ized Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet . Failure to have you
r brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes , you should use the braking
effect of the engine . This way, you prevent un
necessary wear on the b rake system . If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down cont inuous ly. Pump the brakes at inter
vals.
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and outside condi
t ions such as temperature and humidity .
Moisture or road salt
Under certain conditions, for example, when
driv ing through water or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads. A
few careful brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
When you are driving at higher speeds with
the windshie ld wipers on, the brake pads will
briefly touch the brake discs in regu lar inter
vals so as to improve reaction time when brak
ing on wet surfaces . You, the driver, will not
notice anything .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and pads w ith a few careful
applications of the brake ¢.& .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corros ion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regularly or
o n Ly for short trips with little use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor
r os ion has formed on the d iscs, it is adv isable
to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed¢ ,&. .,..
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 ..,.
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•
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
will have no warning from a sudden in
crease in engine speed as with a front
wheel drive vehicle. A lways drive at
speeds wh ic h 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
i s not driven for a long pe riod o f time, the bat
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e .g. immobilizer) . In certain circumstances it
can result in there being insufficient energy
avai lab le to start the engine.
I ntelligen t energy management in your vehi
cle hand les the distribution of electrical ener
gy . Starting ability is marked ly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Basically, energy management consists o f
batter y diagno sis, idling cur rent man age
m ent
and dyn amic en e rg y m anagement.
Battery diagnosis
B attery d iagnosis continuously dete rmines
the state of the battery. Sensors determ ine
battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling curr ent management
Idling current management redu ces energy
consumption while the vehicle is stand ing.
With the ignition switched off, it contro ls the
energy supply to the various electrica l compo
nents . Data from battery diagnosis is consid
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
individual consumers are grad ually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus mainta in start ing capability.
Int ellig ent technolog y 203
Dynamic energy management
While the vehi cle is being driven, dynamic en
ergy management distrib utes the energy gen
erated according to the needs of the individ u
al components. It regulates consumption, so
that more e lectrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti
mal state of charge fo r the battery .
{!) Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited .
- If start ing ability is threatened, the indi
cator light(•] appears ¢
page 34.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severe ly taxed in short -distance
driv ing, in city traff ic and during the cold time
of year. Abundant electrical energy is re
quired, but on ly a little is generated . It is also
c rit ical if the engine is not running and electri
ca l components are turned on . In this in
stance ene rgy is be ing consumed but none is
being genera ted .
It is in precisely these situations t hat you will
notice ene rgy management active ly regu lat
i ng the d istribu tion of ene rgy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electr ical compo
nents are gradually cut back or switched off .
T h is reduces energy consumption and ma in
ta ins start ing capability over a longer pe riod .
Some of the convenience functions may not
operate, such as the interior ligh ts or the
power seat adjustment. The convenience
functions wi ll be available again when you
switch on the ignition and start the engine.
•
•
204 Intelligent technology
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the engine turned off or use othe r MMI* func
tions, the battery is being discharged .
If sta rting capability is jeopardized due to en
e rgy consumption, the following warning ap
pears in the radio or MMI* display:
Please start engine, otherwise system will
switch off in 3 minute s.
The warning ind icates that the system will be
turned off automatically after 3 m inutes .
If
you wish to continue using the functions , you
have to start the engi ne.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be
come discharged . This happens most ly when
l ittle energy is be ing generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
cha rge is not optimal.
To br ing the energy balance back into equili
brium, consumers which require especially
l arge amounts of energy are tempo rari ly cut
back or switched off. Heating sys tems in par
ticular requi re a great dea l 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 or switched
off. These systems will be ava ilable again as
soon as the energy balance has bee n restored.
You will a lso notice that engine idle speed has
been increased slightly. This is norma l and not
a cause for concern . By increasing engine idle
speed the add itional energy required is gener
ated and the battery 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 205
@) 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 .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full brak ing effect dur ing the first 250 m iles
(400 ki lomete rs) afte r they are installed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be
fore they have optima l grab
c.> .&. .
During the brea k-in period, yo u should avo id
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include , for example, sudden hard brak
i ng, in particular at very h igh speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
.&, WARNING
New b rake pads don 't have the best stop
p ing power and must be "broken-i n" dur
ing the initi al 100 to 150 miles (150 to
2 00 kilometers) o f no rma l ci ty driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing the b rake peda l more fi rm ly . This also applies
later when new pads are installed.
•
•
206 Driving and en vir onm ent
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 an environmentally sound manner .
• Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 228,
Fuel supply.
• Never run the tank down all the way to
empty .
• Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine ¢
page 238, Adding engine oil~-
., Never try to push- or tow -start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff ic ient "clean
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
important for the life of the cata lytic conve rt
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
& WARNING
-
- Do not park o r operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con
verter or heat shields . During driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire .
@ Note
-Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously de
grade the performance of the catalytic
conve rter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 238.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis
fire . U nburned f uel could a lso get into the exhaust system and this co
uld cause
the cata lytic converter to overheat .
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve
hicle is moving.
- Do not continue to ope rate your veh icle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
cou ld result in overheating of the con
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis
sion Control System:
- H ave your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance w it h the service rec
ommendat ions in your Warranty &
M ain tenance book let.
- L ack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehi cle will impair
the function of the em iss ion contro l
system and could lead to damage .
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is
operat ing proper ly, the exha ust gas can
have a sul fur -li ke exhaust gas smell under
some operating states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or f il li ng the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are d rivi ng on poor roads, or over
c u rbs, steep ramps, etc., ma ke certai n that
low- ly ing parts s uch as spoilers and exha ust
system parts do not bottom o ut and get dam
aged.
T his is espe cially true for ve hicles with low
s lung chassis (spor ts chassis)* and fully load
ed vehicles .
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 .
Fue l economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your persona l driving style
- opera ting conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily 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.
(D Tips
The consumpt io n estimates as published
by ENVIRONMEN TAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Ca nada may not corre
spond to your act ual consumption on the
road, wh ich will vary depending upon vehi
cle load and speed, road and weather con
ditions, trip length, etc .
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac
celerating.
" Avoid unnecessary acce lerating and braking .
Vehicles use the most fue l when they are ac
celerating . If you anticipate what is go ing to
h appen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever poss ible -for example when you see
that the next traffic light is red.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 207
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 lerat ing gently reduces fue l consump
tion, eng ine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en
gine noise increase disproportionately at h igh
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed l imit 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 id le.
The idling phase is automatically reduced for
vehicles with the Start -Stop-System* . It is ef
ficient to switch off the engine in vehicles
without the Sta rt-Stop-System * when stopped
at rai lroad cross ings and long red lig hts . T urn
ing the engine off for jus t 30-40 seconds
saves more fuel than is b urned by s tarting the
engine again.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
f ully when i t is runn ing a t id le. However, wea r
and noxious emissions are especia lly high
when the engi ne is warming up. So you shou ld
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avo id running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter start ing . If warning lights sho uld come
on to indicate improper operation, they ..,.
•
•