Instrument s and warning /indicator lights 11
too high, or the coolant level is too low
¢ page 32.
If the needle is well in the upper area of the
ga uge , the coolant temperature is too high.
Stop the vehicle , switch the eng ine off and
allow the engine to cool.
If the warning light
comes on again after driving a short distance,
contact an authorized dealer.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in
¢ page 255, Engine compartment, be
fore opening the hood and checking the
engine coolant level.
- Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dripping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yo urself. Let the engine
cool off first un til you can no longer see
or hear steam or coo lant escaping .
(D Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories
i n front of the air inlets reduces the cool
in g effect of the rad iato r. At high outside
temperatures or high engine load, the
engine could overheat.
- The front spoi ler has been designed to
properly distribute the cooling air when
the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, this cou ld red uce the cooling
effect and the engine could then over
heat. Ask your authorized Aud i dealer for
assistance .
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes) .
The tachometer @¢ page 10, fig. 3 is the left
of the two large clock-type displays.
The engine turns at a speed
1,000 times the
single digit in the display, e.g . if the needle is
pointing at the "2" the engine is turning at
2,000 RPM. If
eng ine RPM drops below 1,500, you should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red area
at the end of the scale indicates maximum
permissible engine RPM after the break -in pe
riod. Before reaching this area, move these
lector lever to position "D (Drive)" or ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Q) Note
The tachometer needle should not move
i nto the red range. If it does, then only for
a very short per iod of t i me. You could
damage your engine by driving at high
RPM .
@ For the sake of the environment
Upsh ifting early saves fuel and reduces en
gine noise .
Digital clock with date display
Fig. 4 In st rum en t cluster : time and date
The date, time of day, and time and date for
mat can be set in the MMI. You can learn more
about this in the MMI manual.
{!) Tips
- When open the driver door, the time,
date and odometer are displayed for an
add itional 30 seconds.
- You can also call up the display with the
!CHECK I button c:> page 12 while the ig
nition is sw itched off.
30 Driver in formation d ispl ay
(30 km/h to 240 km/h) . Settings can each be
adj usted in intervals of S mph (10 km/h) .
Auto Check Control
Introduction
The Auto-Check control monitors the function
of certain veh icle featu res and components . It
simply makes sure these features and compo nents are work ing proper ly . The Auto -Check
contro l wo rks as long as the ignition is on, as
well as whenever the vehicle is driven.
If a componen t is ma lf u nctioning or if the
n eed for an urgent repair has been detected,
this will appear in the instrument cluster dis
p lay . You w ill a lso hear an audible warn ing
tone . The displays are co lor coded in e ither
red or yellow depending on their level of prior
ity .
A red symbo l means
Dange r, a yellow symbo l
indic ates
Warning . In certain s ituations, in
formation message for the dr iver appear in
addit ion to the red and yellow symbols.
Function te st : automat ic transmi ssion
The Auto -Check Control will automat ica lly
perform a test each time you switch on the ig
n ition. With the selector lever in
P or N , the
following message appears in the display :
When station ary apply foot br ake while s e
lecting gear .
When you select a different gear (for exam
p le :
R , D , etc.), the message wi ll disappear
and the Auto-Check function is d isplayed .
I f there is a m alfu nction, then the malfunc
tion message w ill appear about 15 seconds af
ter the yo u start the vehicle. At t he same time
you will hear a warning tone .
Driver information messages
Driver information messages are shown in the
instrument cluster display in addition to the
red and yellow symbols .
Fig. 24 Ins trume nt cl ust er: CHECK b utto n
For example, if the transmiss ion selec to r l ever
is not in the P position when the engine is
turned off, the following message appears :
Shift to P otherwise vehicle can roll away.
Door s do not l ock if you are not in P .
The ig nition key can only be removed with the
selector in this position . Th is and other mes
sages are bro ugh t up if a func tion cannot be
carr ied out.
Driver messages and red symbols
If a red symbol appea rs in the display, a d river
message can be shown by pressing the
I CH ECK I button.
For example, the symbo l for a problem w ith
engine oil p ressure . appears in the d isp lay .
If you then p ress the
I CHECK I button , the fol
lowing dr iver mess age appears in the display:
Switch off engine ! Oil pr essure too low
The driver message in the display goes out af
ter about 5 seconds . The driver message can
be displayed again by briefly press ing the
I CH ECKi button.
Driver messages and yellow symbols
If a yellow symbol appears in the display, a
driver message is also displayed automatical-
~ ~
-Prior to using a car wash, the windshield
wiper system must be switched
off (lever
i n position 0) . This helps to prevent unin
tentiona l switching on and damage to
the windshie ld w iper system .
@ Tips
-The windshield wipers are switched off
when the ignition is turned off. Activate
the w indshield w ipers after the ignit ion
i s switched back on by moving the wind
sh ield wiper lever to any pos ition.
- Worn or dirty windshield wiper blades
cause smearing which can affect the op
eration of the rain sensor . Check the con
dit ion of yo ur windshield wipe r blades
regularly.
- The rain sensor is part of the interval
wiping system. Turning
off the ignition
will a lso deact ivate the rain sensor. To re
activate the sensor, sw itch
off the inter
va l w iping function, then switch it back
on again.
- Make sure the washer fluid reservoir in
the engine compartment is topped
off
before going on a long trip . Look up
c:> page 2 79 for checking and fi lling the
washer container.
Rear window wiper
The wiper lever is also used to operate the
rear window wiper and the automatic wiper/
washer function.
Fig. 66 Wiper lever: activati ng th e rear window w iper
and washer
The rear window wiper and the automatic wip
er/washer functions are activated as follows:
Clear vision 65
Intermittent wiping
.,. Push the wiper lever forward to the first po
sition @<=:> fig. 66 . Th e rear window wiper
w ill wipe the window approx. every four sec
onds.
Automatic wiper /washer function
.,. Push the wiper lever fo rward to the second
stop, position
(J), and hold it there for as
long as you want the rear wiper/washer to
operate.
.,. Release the lever again. the wiper will keep
running for approx. four seconds.
Switching intermittent wiper action off
.,. Pull the lever all the way back to the origi-
nal position .
As soon as the reverse gear is engaged and
the front w ipers are turned on and operating
at the same time, the rear w iper also turns on
automatically.
A WARNING
Wiper blades are crucial for safe driving!
Only in good condit ion are they able to
clear the w indows properly to provide un
restricted visib ility. Worn or frayed w iper
blades are a safety hazard! <=:>page 66,
Replacing windshield wiper blades
(D Note
In freezing or near freezing conditions:
- Always check that the w iper b lades are
not frozen to the g lass before you turn
the wiper on. Loosen a wiper blade which
is frozen in place before operat ing the
w iper to prevent damage to the wiper
blade or the wiper motor.
- Do not use the w iper to clear a frosted
w indow . Us ing the wipers as a conven
ient ice scrape r will destroy the wiper
blades.
-
68 Clear vision
Mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
Fig. 70 Fo rwa rd sect ion of driver's armrest: powe r mir
ror controls
Adjusting exterior mirrors
.,. Rotate the knob to the© posit ion (driver's
exterio r mirror) or to the ® position (pas
senger's exterior mir ror)
9 fig. 70.
.,. Rotate the knob and the mirror so that you
have a clear view to the rear.
Heated mirrors
.,. Rotate the knob to pos it ion @.
Folding both exterior mi rrors flat*
.,. Rotate the knob to position @.
Depending on the outside temperature, the
mirror surfaces are heated until the ignition is
switched off -even if the knob is no longer in
position @.
You are well-advised to fold the exterior m ir
rors in when maneuvering in tight spaces or
when leaving the car parked close to other
vehicles .
Memory setting for the exterior mirrors*
When the seat position is saved in the memo
ry, the position of the exterior mirrors is saved
at the same time
9 page 73.
If the position of the passenger mirror is
changed when the vehicle is in reverse gear
and the switch is in the ® position, this new
tilted position will be automat ically saved to
the remote key when the vehicle is taken out
of reverse gear. To save, the rotary knob for
mirror adjustment must be in the ® position, the selector lever must
be in the P pos ition
and the ignition must be off. This will now be
come the stored setting when the vehicle is
put in reverse gear again.
Tilt ing the passenger's side exterior
mirror (only with seat memory)
When you move the selector lever into R (Re
verse), the mirror on the front passenger's door (knob turned to® ¢
fig. 70) will tilt
s light ly downward . This make is easier for you
to see the curb when you are backing into a
parking space .
The mirror returns to its initial position as
soon as reverse gear is d isengaged and veh icle
speed is above about 9 mph (15 km/h). The
mirror also returns to its initial position if the
switch is moved to the driver's ex ter ior mirror
© or the ignition is switched off .
(D Note
-Curved (i .e . convex) mirror surfaces in
crease your field of view. Remember that
vehicles or other objects will appear
smaller and farther away than when
seen in a flat mirror. If you use this mir
ror to estimate distances of following
vehicles when changing lanes, you could estimate incorrectly and cause an acci
dent.
- If the mirror housing is moved uninten
tionally (for example, while parking your
vehicle), then you must first fold the mir
ror electrically. Do not readjust the mir
ror housing manually. You could damage
the motor which controls the mirror.
-If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, you must fold the exter ior mir
rors in to reduce the risk of damage to
the mirrors. Never fold power folding ex
terior mirrors* by hand. Only fold them
in and out using the power controls.
(D Tips
If there should be a malfunction in the
electr ical system, you can still adjust the
exterior mirrors by pressing the edge of
the mirror .
Dimming the mirrors
Fig. 71 Automatic d imm ing rearv iew mir ror*
Manu al ant i-glar e adjustment
.. Move the small lever (located on the bot
tom edge of the mirror) to the rear.
Automatically dimming mirror s*
.. To d im the rearview mirror and both ex teri
o r mirro rs*, press the @button . The diode
@ turns on. The rearview and exterior mir
rors* dim a utomatically when light shines
on them, for example from headlights on a
vehicle to the rear .
&_ WARNING
Electrolyte flu id can leak from automatic
dimming mirrors if the glass is broken.
Electrolyte flu id can irritate s kin, eyes and
respi ratory system.
- Repeated or prolonged exposure to elec
tr olyte can cause ir ritation to the resp ira
tory system, espec ially among people
with asthma or other respiratory cond i
tions. Get fres h air immedia tely by leav
ing the vehicle or, if that is not possible,
open windows and doors a ll the way.
- If electrolyte gets into the eyes, flush
them thoroughly with large amounts of
clean water for at least 15 m inutes;
med ica l attent ion is recommended.
- If electrolyte contacts skin , flush affect
ed area with clean water for at least 15
minutes and then wash affected area
w ith soap and water; medical attention
is recommended. T ho roughly wash af
fected clothing and sho es before reuse.
Clear vi sion 69
- If swallowed and perso n is conscious,
rinse mouth with water for at least 15
m inutes. Do not induce vomiting unless
instructed to do so by med ica l professio·
nal. Get medical attention immediately .
(D Note
Liquid e lectrolyte leaking from broken m ir
ror glass w ill damage any plastic surfaces
i t comes in contact wit h. Clea n up spilled
electrolyte immediately w it h clean water
and a sponge.
@ Tips
- Switching off the dimming function of
the inside rear view mir ro r also deacti·
vates the automatic dimming function of t he exter ior mirro rs*.
- T he automatic dimming m irrors do not
dim when the inte rior lighting is tu rned
on or the reve rse gear is sele cted.
- Automatic d imm ing fo r the mirror only
operates proper ly if the sun shade* for
t he re ar w indow is not in use or the ligh t
st riking the inside mirror is not hindered
by othe r objects.
Digital compass
Activating or deactivating the compass
App lies to vehicles: with digital compass
The direction is displayed on the interior rear
view mirror .
Fig. 72 Inside rear view mirror: digita l compass act i·
vated
.. To activate or deactivate, hold the @but
ton down unt il the red display appears or
disappears .
110 On the road
The parking brake warning light. (USA)/ .
(CON) illuminates when the parking brake is
set and you switch on the ignition.
A WARNING
-
Always release the parking brake com
pletely. A partially engaged brake will
overheat the rear brakes, reduce their ef
fectiveness and cause excessive wear. This could lead to brake failure and an accident .
(D Note
Only after the vehicle has come to com
plete stop, should you firmly set the park
ing brake and
move the selector lever into
"P".
Parking
When you park your vehicle, do the
following
• Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
• Apply the parking brake firmly.
• Move the selector lever into the P position
c:>A .
• Switch off the engine and remove the igni-
t ion key from the ignition lock.
When you park your vehicle on hills, do
the following
• Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
• Apply the parking brake firmly.
• If you are parking headed
downhill, turn
the front wheels
toward the curb.
• If you are parking headed uphill, turn the
front wheels
away from the curb.
• Move the selector lever into the
P position.
• Switch off the engine and remove the igni
tion key from the ignition lock.
A WARNING
This is how you can reduce the risk of in
jury when leaving your vehicle.
- Never park the vehicle where it can come
in contact with dry grass, spilled fuel or
any other flammable materials. -
When parking on hills, always turn the
wheels so that the front wheels will first roll into the curb, if the vehicle should
start to roll.
- Never allow anyone - especially small
children - to remain in the vehicle when
it is locked. Locked doors make it more
difficult for rescuers to access the pas
senger compartment in the event of an
emergency. Danger to life!
- Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Children could release the park
ing brake or
move the gearshift lever out
of gear. The vehicle could start to roll
away and cause an accident.
- No matter what the season is, the tem
perature in a parked vehicle can reach
dangerous levels.
(D Note
- Please exercise care when you park your
vehicle in parking areas with parking bar riers or curbs. Parking barriers and curbs
vary in height and could damage your
bumper and related components as the
front of your vehicle moves
over a barrier
or curb that is too high, as you park or as
you back out of a parking spot. In order
to be sure that no such damage can oc
cur, you may wish to stop short of having
the front tires of your car touch the park
ing barrier or curb.
- Please also exercise exceptional care
when you drive up or down steep ramps
or drive over curbs or other obstacles, for
which the vehicle is not designed, be
cause components of the vehicle close to
the ground, such as bumper covers, spoilers and suspension and exhaust sys
tem components, may become dam
aged.
Starting on hills
Hill Hold makes it easier to start on hills.
The system is activated when the brake pedal is depressed
for a few seconds. For this, the ll-
112 On the road
The cruise control cannot maintain a con
stant speed when driving downhill. The ve
hicle will accelerate under its own weight.
Downshift to a lower gear or use the
brakes to slow down.
Changing speed
.. To increase/decrease the speed in incre
ments , tap the lever in the
010 direction
~p age 111, fig. 124.
.. To increase/decrease the speed qu ickly,
hold the lever in the
010 direction until
the desired speed is displayed.
You can also press the accelerator pedal down
to increase your speed, e .g. if you want to
pass someone . The speed yo u saved earlier
will resume as soon as you release the acceler
ator peda l.
If , however, you exceed your saved speed by
5 mph (10 km/h) for longer than 5 minutes,
the cruise contro l will turn off temporarily.
The symbol will go out but the saved speed
will be retained.
Presetting your speed
You con preset your desired speed while the
vehicle is not moving .
.. Turn on the ignition .
.. Pu ll lever into position
(D ¢ page 111,
fig.
124 .
.. Press the lever in the
0 or 0 direction to
increase or decrease your speed .
.. Releasethelevertosavethatspeed.
This funct ion makes it possible, for example,
to save the speed you want before driving on
the highway . Once on the highway, activate
the cruise contro l by pull ing the lever toward
(D .
Switching the system off
Temporary deactivation
.. Press the brake pedal, or ..
Press the leve r into position @(not clicked
into place)
¢ page 111, fig. 124, or
.. Drive for longer than 5 minutes at more
than 5 mph (10 km/h) above the stored
speed.
Switching off completely
.. Press lever into position @(clicked into
p lace), or
.. Switch the ignition off .
The system retains the saved speed if you de
activate the cruise control temporarily . To re
sume the saved speed, re lease the brake ped
al and pull the lever to pos it ion
(D .
Switching the ignition off erases the saved
speed.
A WARNING
You sho uld only return to the saved speed
if it is not too fast for the c urrent traffic
conditions -risk of an accident!
Automatic transmission
tiptronic ®
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronically
controlled automatic transmission. Upshifting
and downshifting takes p lace
automatically.
The transmission is also equipped with tip
tronic ®. It allows the driver to shift gears
manually if desired ¢ page 140.
Driving the automatic transmission
Fig. 157 Shift gate o n the center console : se lector lev
er with release button
Starting the engine
.. The selector lever must be in Nor P.
Starting off
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Press and hold the release button in these
lector lever handle and move the selector
lever from
P or N to D and release the but
ton ¢.&,. .
.. Wait briefly until the transmission has shift
ed (you will feet a slight movement).
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
accelerate.
Rocking back and forth to become
unstuck
.. Shift only between D and R when the vehi
cle is at a full stop and the engine is running
at id le speed.
Autom atic transm ission 13 7
Stopping
.. Press and hold the brake pedal until the ve
hicle has come to a complete stop.
.. Keep the brake pedal depressed so that the
vehicle cannot roll forward or backward
while it is idling
c> .&,. .
.. Once stopped,
do not depress the accelera
tor pedal to rev up the engine
c> .&, .
Parking
.. Press and hold the brake peda l until the ve
hicle has come to a comp lete stop.
.. Set the parking brake firmly
¢page 110,
Parking .
.. Press and hold the release button in these
lector lever handle, move the selector lever
into
P and then let go of the release button
¢ .&,.
The selector lever must be in Nor P. If one of
the driving positions is engaged a safety
switch will p revent the eng ine from being
started . See also
<=>page 106.
Before you move the selector lever from the P
position, you must always apply the brake
pedal before and while depressing the button
in the handle of the selector lever.
A WARNING
-Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury .
- When the se lector lever is in a driving
pos ition, the vehicle may creep, even at
i dle speed . Therefore do not release
the parking brake o r foot brake until
you are ready to move, because power
i s transmitted to the wheels as soon as
a driving position is engaged .
- Do not accelerate while selecting a
driving position. At this time the en
gine must be at idle speed so that un
due stress is not placed on the clutches
in the transmission .
- Remember: -even when stopped brief-
l y with the automatic transmission in
"D", "S" or "R", engine power is being
transmitted to the wheels. Your vehicle
~