
156 Adapti ve Air Susp en sion
possible to raise the suspension to a h igh level
above certain speeds .
When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h) is
exceeded for more than 30 seconds, the vehi
cle is automatically lowered to
low level when
in comfort and automatic mode. Ground
clearance is about 0.6 inch (15 mm) less,
compared to the
normal level .
When a speed of about 100 mph (160 km/h)
is exceeded for more than 20 seconds, the ve
h icle is automat ica lly lowered to
highway l ev
el
when in automatic and dynamic mode.
G round clearance is about 1.4 inches (35 mm)
less, compared to the
normal level. Road
hold ing is optimized as a result of the lower
center of gravity, and fuel consumption is re
duced as a result of reduced wind resistance .
I
Level adjustment
high level 2
high level 1
normal level
low level
highway level
Ground clearance
about 9.4 inches
(240 mm)
about
8 inches
(205 mm)
about 7 inches (180 mm)
about 6 .5 inches
(165 mm)
about 5 .7 inches
(145 mm)
The segment disp lay @ in the MMI Display
c:::> page 157 or in the instr ument cluste r dis
p lay
c:::> page 158 shows the current veh icle
level.
Automatic
Select the automatic mode if you prefer a bal
anced, comfortable suspension setting . The
damping characteristics are adjusted accord ingly.
- Automatic lowe rin g: When a speed of
about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded for
more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is auto
matically lowered by about 0.6 inch (15
mm) to the
low level, wh ich is more suitable
for highway speeds . Road hold ing is opti
mized as a result of the lower ce nter of grav- ity and fuel consumption is reduced as a re
sult of r educed wind resistance . When a
speed of about 100 mph (160 km/h) is ex
ceeded for more than 20 seconds, the veh i
cle is automa tically lowered by an addi tional
0 .8 inch (20 mm) to
highway level .
-Automat ic raising: When the vehicle is at
highway level and the speed falls below
about 80 mph (130 km/h) for more than 20
seconds , the vehicle is automatically raised
to
low level. Th e vehicle is automatica lly
raised aga in to
normal level if the speed
fa lls below about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a
pe riod of 2 minutes . The vehicle is raised im
mediately when speed fa lls below about 22
mph (35 km/h) .
Dynamic
Select the dynam ic mode if yo u pre fer a spor
ty suspension se tti ng. In t his mode , the veh i
cle is lowered to
low level while it is still sta
t ionary and sporty damping characteristics
are selected . The warning light
Ill in the in
strument cluster will come on for a few sec
onds just to rem ind you of the reduced ground
clearance .
If you switch off the engine whi le the vehicle
is in the dynamic mode and then switch on the
igni tion once aga in, the
Ill warn ing light will
also come on again for a few seconds as a re minder .
-Automat ic lowe ring: When a speed of
about 100 mph (160 km/h) is exceeded for
more than 20 seconds , the veh icle is auto
mat ically lowered by 0 .8 inch (20 mm) to
highway level .
-Automa tic raising: The vehicle is automati
cally ra ised to
low level again , if the speed
fa lls below about 80 mph (130 km/h) for a
pe riod of 20 seconds. The ve hicle i s raised
immed iate ly when speed falls be low about
22 mph (35 km/h).
Comfort
Select the comfort mode if you desire a s us
pension setti ng w ith a special emp hasis on
comfort . Damp ing cha racte ris tics w ith a clear .,.

234 Driving and environment
Driving and
environment
The first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the fir st 600 miles (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
... Do not drive 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 can gradually be increased to the
max imum pe rm iss ible road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
... Do not rev the eng ine up to h igh speeds
when it is cold. Th is app lies whether the
transmission is in N (Neutral) or in gear.
After the brea k-in period
... Do not exceed max imum 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¢
page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en
g ine's inter na l friction is higher tha n later
when alt the moving parts have been broken
i n. How welt this break- in process is done de
pends to a conside rable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven du ring the first 1,000 miles
(1, 500 kilome ters).
(D Note
E xtremely high engi ne speeds are auto
mat ica lly re duced. However, these rpm
lim its are programmed for a n engine welt
r u n- in, not a new eng ine.
{® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en
g ine speeds - upshifting ear ly saves fuel,
reduces no ise and protects the environ
ment.
, New tires
If your vehicle is runni ng on new tires, drive
part icularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
A WARNING
N ew tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al
so be "broken -in" . Be s ure to remember
this dur ing the fi rst 350 mi les (500 kilo
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
braking.
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full bra king effect dur ing the fi rst 250 m iles
(400 kilomete rs) afte r they a re insta lled.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be
fo re t hey have optima l grab¢
A .
During the break- in period, you should avoid
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include, for example, sudden hard brak
i ng, in particular at very high speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
A WARNING
New b rake pa ds don't have t he bes t stop
pi ng power and mus t be "broke n-in " dur
i ng the in iti al 1 00 to 150 mi les (150 to
20 0 kilometers) of no rma l city driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing the
br ake peda l mo re f irm ly . This also applies
l ater when new pads are installed.

Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission control 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 256,
Gasoline .
... Never run the tank down all the way to
empty .
... Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine
¢ page 270, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns
many of the poll utants in the exhaust gas be
fore they are released into the atmosphe re.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is cr it ically
i mportant for the life of the cata lytic convert
e r and proper fu nctioning of the engine.
A WARNING ,~
- Do not park or operate the veh icle 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 shie lds . During driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
{[) Note
-Be aware that just one tank fi lling with
le aded fuel will already seriously de
grade the performance of the catalytic
conve rter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 270.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis
fire . U nburned fuel could a lso get into
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 235
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat .
- Do not turn off the igni tion while the ve
hicle is moving.
- Do not con tinue to ope rate your veh icle
unde r these conditions, as othe rwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
co uld result in overheating o f the con
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis
sion Control System:
- H ave your vehicle maintained prope rly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec
ommendat ions in you r Warranty &
M aintenance boo klet.
- L ack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehi cle w il l impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage .
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is
operat ing properly, 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 illing the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to vehicles : with diese l eng ine
The diesel part iculate filter filters nearly all of
the soot particles out of the exhaust . The fil
ter cleans itself automat ica lly under normal
driv ing cond itions . If the filter ca nnot clean it
self (for example, because you a re o nly dr iving
short distances), the fi lter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbo l for the diesel
particu late filter ill uminates ¢
page 3 7.
A WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammab le
materia ls such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par-
ticulate f ilter could start a fire. ..,. •
•

236 Driving and en vir onm ent
- Do not a pply an under body p rotec tant in
the exhaust system area or a fire co uld
start.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that l ow-lying pa rts such as spoi lers and exhaust
system parts do not bo ttom out and get dam
aged.
This is especially true fo r vehicles with low
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and fully load
ed ve hicles .
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.
F ue l economy, envi ronmental impact, and
wear on you r engine, br akes and t ires large ly
depend on th ree factors:
- you r persona l dr iv ing sty le
- operating conditions
- technical lim itations
I f you anticipate what you need to do next and
d rive 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 .
(D Tips
The consumption 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 depe nding 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.
.,. Avo id u nnecessary accelerating and bra king.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac ce lerat ing . If you ant icipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, acce le rate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible - for examp le when you see
t h at the next t raff 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 lerat ing gently reduces fue l cons ump
t ion, eng ine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust emissions and e n
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarte rs of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one ha lf. Never drive faster
t h an the pos ted speed limit and weathe r con
di tions pe rm it.
Reducing unnecessary idling
E ven when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
.,. Shut the eng ine off when you are not d riv
ing the v ehicl e .
.,. Do not wa rm up t he veh icle by le tti ng the
eng ine run a t idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when wa it ing fo r tra ins to pass at rail
road c rossings, o r at traffi c lights that have
l ong wai ts on red. T urning the eng ine
off f or
just 30 -40 seconds saves more f uel than is
burned start ing t he engine again .
IJII>

It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. However , wear
and nox ious em issions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
p roduces heat, which cou ld resu lt i n 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 helps to ensure that it
r uns p roper ly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ab ility to hold its value, it also affects
fuel
c on sumption.
Ch eck your oil each time you fill your tank .
The amount of oil used is related to engine
load and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest v alue after a certain
mileage has been dr iven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 ki lometers) before you can properly
assess o il consumption .
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and en
gin e output.
0 Note
- Have yo ur vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance wit h the service rec
ommendations in your War ranty
& Main-
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 237
tenance book let. Lack of p roper mainte
nance as well as improper use of the ve
hicle will impair the function of the
em ission contro l system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control System unless approved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as heat shie lds, switches, ign ition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other impo rtant 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 eng ine and cataly tic converter have to
reach their opt imal
operat ing temperature t o
reduce fuel consumpt ion and nox ious em is
s ions effect ively .
Just after starting, a co ld eng ine in a mid-s iz e
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les
per gallon (30 -40 l/l00km). After about a
half a mile , fuel economy cl imbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km) . After about
2.5 miles (4 km),
t he engine is at i ts p rope r opera ting tempe ra
tu re and f uel economy has reached a normal
l evel. So you can see that yo u should avo id
short trips whenever possible.
T he
out sid e t emperature is also cr itica l in th is
regard. Your car consumes more fue l in the
winter than in the s ummer.
•
•

Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after purchase . Regu lar and correct care w ill con
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
F u rth ermor e, good c are may be a conditi on
for subs tantiati ng a w arrant y claim sho uld
c orrosion d amag e or paint d efects oc cur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedic ated veh icle-car e products and can ad
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor
rectly .
.&, WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ign it ion
on or the engine running .
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. w ithout pro
tecting your hands and arms. You may c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
Cleaning and protec tion 245
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 228, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often t his is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle body, the more lasting their destructive ef
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
.&, WARNING ,_
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 245.
•
•

directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings -they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges designed to remove
insects , or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
your paint finish .
- You should remove debris (such as in
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel
ing your vehicle. Never use a dry cloth or
sponge to clean the headlights . Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent
scratches . It is best to use soapy water .
@) For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the ve
hicle should only be washed in special
wash bays .
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high
pressure power washer is safe as long as you observ e a few simple rules.
" Before using the power washer , make sure
you have read and understood the WARN
INGS ~.&.
in General information on
page 245.
" Always follow the operating instructions for
the pow er wash er.
" Make su re that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spr ay" .
" Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materials .
When cleaning the vehicle with a power wash
er
always follow the operating ins truc tions.
T his applies particularly to the
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance. Maintain
a sufficient distance to soft materials such as
rubber hoses and sound/vibration deadening
materials (particularly on the underside of the
engine hood). Do not use a jet which sprays
water in a
direct stream or one that has a ro
tating
jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
Cleaning and protection 247
A WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays wa
ter in a direct stream . This could cause in
visible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relatively
long distance and for a short time . Dam
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always make sure that there is sufficient distance
between the spray head and soft materials
like rubber hoses, plastic parts and sound
deadening materials. Never aim the spray
head at the same point for a long time.
This also applies to cleaning headlights
and painted bumpers. Remember : the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
material, the greater the stress on the ma
terial.
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de-icing spray that does not con
tain solvents.
- Clean the sensors (adaptive cruise control*,
parking system*) with a cleaning solution
that does not contain solvents and a soft
cloth.
- Dampen the camera lens with a household
alcohol-based glass cleaner, and then wipe
the lens clean with a dry cloth.
(D Note
- If you wash your vehicle with a pressure
washer,
- make sure there is enough distance to
sensors in the rear bumper .
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer .
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. This
could cause the lens to crack .
•
•

Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en
gine compartment.
Al ways s witch off the ign ition befor e clean
ing the eng in e
c:> & .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum pane l in front
of the windshield under the engine hood. This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from entering
the vehicle interior through the heating and
ventilation ducts .
Corrosion protecti on
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory.
Good anti-corrosion treatment is very impor
tant, particular ly in the winter . If the vehicle
is frequent ly driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent sa lt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as we ll.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solut ions
1>, or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro
sion treatment is a lmost always removed as
well.
It is therefore essential to have a long
lasting co rrosion protection reapp lied to a ll
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment.
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine compa rtment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before working in the engine compart
ment, be s ure to read the in format ion
c:> page 264.
- Before reaching into the front plenum
pane l, always remove the ignition key.
l) Use only the correct cleaning sol utions. Never use gas
oline or diesel fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion 255
Otherwise, the windshield wiper system
could un intentionally be switched on,
possibly caus ing personal injury from the
mov ing wiper linkage.
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The aux iliary fan
is temperature controlled and can sw itch
on suddenly - even when the ignition is
off.
- Do not wash, wax or dry the eng ine with
the engine running. Moving or hot parts could injure you.
- Do not clean the underside of the chas
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other ha rd
to reach pa rts without protect ing your
hands and arms. You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
o ther info rmation
c:> page 245.
•
•