lever is left in N (Neutral) for more than ap
prox imately 2 seconds, without the brake ped
a l being pressed .
Release button
The release button on the selector lever pre
ve nts the leve r from being accide ntally s hifted
into certain positions. Depending on the direc
tion of the shift, the se lector lever locks at d if
ferent positions. The positions are h ighlighted
in the ill ustration
c!> fig . 97.
Ignition key safety interlock
The key cannot be removed from the ignition
un less the se lector lever is in the P park posi
tion . When the ignition key is removed, the
se lector lever wi ll be locked in the P pos ition.
Driving the automatic transmission
Fi g. 98 Shift gate on t he cente r conso le: selector lever
wit h release butto n
Starting the engine
.. The selector lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
.. Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
.. Press and ho ld the release button in these
lector lever handle, se lect the desi red se lec
tor lever pos ition such as D/S and release
the b utton.
.. Wait br iefly until the transmission has shift
ed (you will feel a slight movement).
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
acce le rate.
Stopping temporarily
.. Keep the vehicle stationary us ing the brak
ing pedal, for examp le at traffic lights.
Transm ission 87
.. Do not press the accelerator peda l when do
ing this .
.. To prevent the vehicle from ro lling when yo u
start driv ing, set the parking brake when
stopping on steep inclines
c!> _&. .
.. The parking brake will release automat ica lly
and the vehicle will start mov ing once you
p ress the acce lerator pedal.
Stopping /parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door , the veh icle
could roll . The message
Transmis sion: Car
may roll! Shift to park! appears .
.. Press and hold the brake peda l until the ve-
hicle has come to a complete stop .
.. App ly the parking brake co
page 80 .
.. Select the P selector lever posit ion co_&. .
Stopping on an incline
.. Always press the brake pedal to ho ld the ve
hicle in place and prevent it from "rolling
back" co_&. . Do
not try to prevent the vehi
cle from "rolling back" when a gear is en
gaged by increas ing the engine speed co(!).
Starting on an incline
.. Activate the parking brake .
.. With the driving gear selected, press the ac
celerato r pedal carefully . The parking brake
w ill release automatically if your seat belt is
fastened .
U nder certa in circumstances, such as driving
in the mounta ins, it may be usefu l to sw itch
temporarily to the manual sh ift p rogram in or
d er to ad just the gears to the driv ing cond i
ti ons by hand co
page 89.
On slopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector leve r to the P position .
T his prevents too much st ress from being
placed on the locking me chanism .
&_ WARNING
- T he vehicle can also roll when the engine
is s topped.
~
88 Transmission
-Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury .
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running,
activate the parking brake and move the
selector lever to P .
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector
lever is in D/S or R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position
while the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never shift into
R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep slope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re
duces braking performance, increases
braking distance or causes complete fail
ure of the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it
in place with the brake pedal or parking
brake .
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch . The clutch opens auto
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload . An indicator lamp
[O] illu
minates and a driver message appears
Q page 90 when the clutch is overload
ed.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake set
Q page 200, Engine compartment . Oth
erwise, any increase in engine speed may set the vehicle in motion, even with the
parking brake applied.
@ Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator pedal while a driving gear is selected. This can cause the transmis
sion to overheat and can damage it. Acti
vate the parking brake or press the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling .
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en
gine is stopped and the selector lever is
in N will damage the transmission be
cause it is not lubricated under those cir
cumstances.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re
leased automatically only when the driv
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines.
Hill descent control is activated when these
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmission automatically selects
a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill de
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach
ieved at the time of braking, within physical
and technical limitations. It may st ill be nec
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the de
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
Q page 82 , hill descent control is also activat
ed when the speed is set.
A WARNING -
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain a constant speed under all
conditions. Always be ready to apply the
brakes.
Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you can
manually select gears.
Fig. 99 Ce nter console: shift ing t he gea rs manually
Fig. 100 Stee ring wheel: S hift b uttons
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected either with
the vehicle stationary or on the move.
.. Push the selector lever to the right from 0/
5. An M appears in the instrument cluster
display as soon as the transmission has
shifted.
.. To upshift, push the selector lever forward
to the plus position
0 c:> fig. 99 .
.. To downshift, push the lever to the minus
position
0 -
Gear selection with paddle levers*
The shift buttons are activated when these
lector lever is in 0/5 or the t iptronic manual
shift program .
.. To upshift, touch the button on the right
0
c> fig . 100. Transmission 89
.. To downshift, touch the button on the left
0.
.. If you do not press a sh ift button within a
short time while in the 0/5 position, the
transmission will return to automatic mode.
To keep shifting using the shift buttons,
move the selector lever to the r ight out of
the 0/5 position .
When accelerating, the transmission does
not
automatically shift to the next gear shortly
before the maximum permitted engine RPM is
reached.
If you have selected a lower gear than the cur
rent one, the automatic transmission will shift
down only when the engine will not be over
revved.
With kick-down, the transmission shifts into a lower gear depend ing on speed and engine
RPM .
(D Tips
Tiptronic is inoperative when the transmis
sion is in the fail-safe mode .
, Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you depress the accelerator pedal be
yond the resistance point, the automatic
transmission downshifts into a lower gear, de
pending on vehicle speed and engine speed .
The upshift into the next higher gear takes
place once the maximum specified engine
speed is reached .
.&_ WARNING
Please note that the whee ls can spin if
kick-down is used on a smooth s lippery
road -there is a risk of skidding.
-
90 Transmi ssion
Launch Control Program
Th e Launch Cont rol Program provides the
best accel eration possible when starting from
a st op .
R equirement : The engine must be at operat
i n g t emp eratur e and the steering wheel must
not be turned .
.,. Press the
I~ O FFI button c:> page 178 while
the engine is running. The
I) indicator light
i lluminates in the instrument cluster and
Stabilization contro l (ESC ): Sport . Warn
ing! Re stricted stability
appea rs in the dr iv
er information system d isplay.
.,. Move the selec tor lever to the D/S pos ition
to select sport mode (S) or select the
dy
nami c
driving mode in drive select*
c:> page 105.
... Press the brake peda l strongly with your left
foot and hold it down for at least 1 second.
.,. At the same t ime, press the accelerator ped
al down complete ly w ith your r ight foot un
t il t he engine reaches and maintains a h igh
RPM .
• Remove you r foot from the brake pedal
withi n S seconds
c:> &, .
&_ WARNING
-Always adapt you r driving to the traffic
flow .
- O nly use the Launch Control Program
when road and traffic con dit ions allow it
and other dr ivers will not be endangered
o r annoyed by yo ur dr iv ing and t he vehi
cle's acce lerat ion.
- Please note that the driving wheels can spin and the vehicle can break away
w hen ASR and ESC are in sport mode, es
p ecially when the road is slippe ry.
- Once yo u have accelerated, yo u should
switch the ESC back on by pressing the
1.$ O FF I button .
(D Tips
- The transm ission temperat ure may in
crease significantly after using the Launch Control Program . If that hap- pens, the p
rog ram may not be availab le
for a few minutes . It will be available
again after a cool-down period .
- When accelerating using the La unch
Cont ro l program, a ll vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads. Th is can result in
increased wear.
Transmission malfunction
[O] Transmission: Press brake pedal and se
lect gear again .
Press the brake peda l and select the desired
selector lever position again. You ca n then
co nti nue driving .
[O] Transmission overheating: Please drive
conservatively.
T he transmiss ion temperat ure has inc reased
significantly due to the sporty d riving manner .
Drive in a less sporty manner until the tem
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can con
tinue driving
T he re is a system mal func tion in the transm is
sion . You may cont inue driving .
Drive to yo ur
autho rize d Aud i dea le r or qualified repair fa
c ili ty soon to have the ma lfunction corrected.
[O] Transmis sion malfunction : Limited driv
ing functionality
T he re is a system malfunction in the t ransm is
s io n. The transm ission is swi tching to emer
gency mode. This mo de on ly shifts in to cer
tain gears or will no longer shift at all. The en
gine may sta ll. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualif ied repair facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.
[O] Ii] T ran smission malfunction : No re verse
You can continue driving
T he re is a sys tem mal func tion in the transm is
s io n. The transm iss ion is swi tch ing to eme r
gency mode. This mode on ly shifts into cer -
tain gears o r will no longer shift at all . The en
gine may sta ll. You cannot engage the
reverse liJJ,
104 Audi drive select
Audi drive select
Driving settings
Introduction
App lies to vehicles: w it h Au di dr ive select
Drive select provides the possibility to experi
ence diffe rent types of vehicle settings in one
vehicle. For instance, us ing the three
Com
fort, Auto
and Dynamic modes, the driver can
switch from a sporty to a comfortab le driving
mode with the press of a button.
Addit ionally, in vehicles with MM I*, the vehi
cle setup for
Individual* mode can be cus
tomized by you. This makes it possib le to
combine settings such as a sporty engine tun
ing with comfortable steering.
A WARNING
Improper use of the Audi drive select can
cause collisions, other acc idents and seri
ous personal injury.
Description
App lies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on
the veh icle's features . However, the engine,
automatic transmission and steering are a l
ways involved.
-
Engine and automatic transmission
Depending on the mode, the engine and the
automatic transmission respond quicker or in
a more ba lanced manner to acce lerator pedal
movements. In the sporty dynamic mode, the
automatic transmission shifts at higher RPMs .
The engine sound is adjusted by opening or
closing the exhaust doors for the respective
mode.
Steering
The steering adapts in terms of steering effort
and steer ing ratios. Indirect steer ing that
moves easi ly, like the steering in comfort
mode, is best suited to long dr ives on a high
way. In contrast, dynamic mode provides
sporty, direct steering. The
following applies to vehicles with dynamic
steering*: the steering ratio changes based on
vehicle speed in order to ma inta in optimum
steering effort for the driver at all times. This
sets the steering to be less sensitive at higher
speeds in order to provide improved vehicle
control. At reduced speeds, however, steering
is more d irect in order to keep the steering ef
fort as minimal as poss ible when the driver is
maneuvering the veh icle. At low and average
speeds, dynamic steering additionally pro
vides more responsive steering performance.
Sport differential*
As a component of the all wheel dr ive system
(quattro ®)
~ page 181, the sport different ial*
distributes the driving power to the rear axle
depending on the situation . The distribution
of power varies depending on the mode se
l ected. The goal is a high level of agility and
ability to accelerate on curves. The vehicle is
very responsive to steering.
Audi adaptive cruise control*
The behavior when accelerating can be adjust
ed from comfortab le to sporty, depending on
the drive select mode . Adaptive cruise control
also responds to the driving behavior of the
vehicle ahead in a more conservative or sporty manner .
(D Tips
- In some models, the maximum vehicle
speed can only be reached in the
Auto
and Dynamic modes.
- Selecting the
Dynamic mode resu lts in
sporty shifting characteristics. The S
gear position engages automatically.
- In vehicles that have dynamic steering*,
operating noise is heard when start ing or
stopping the engine. This does not indi
cate a problem.
180 Intelligent technology
8_ WARNING
-New brake pads don't have the best stop
ping power and must be "broken -in" dur
ing the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to
200 kilometers) of normal city driving .
The break-in period can be considerably
longer for vehicles with ceramic brake ro
tors*. You can compensate for this by pressing the brake pedal more firmly.
This also applies later when new pads are
installed.
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission 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 diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
conditions such as passing through wa
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
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
for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat
ings will be cleaned
off after a few care
ful brake applications.
- 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
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct- ed
. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat 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 authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example 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.
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering .
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defective! Do not drive vehicle!
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering
may have failed.
Do
not continue driving . See your authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
for assistance .
''!'Y Dynamic steering: System fault! You can
continue driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes
sage appears, the steering may be more diffi
cult to
move or more sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when
driving straight .
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected. .,..
184 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 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 kilomete rs):
.,. 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 high speeds
when it is cold. Th is app lies whether the
transmission is in N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the break- in period
... Do not exceed max imum engine 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 than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
i n. How well 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 r educed. However, t hese rpm
lim its are programme d for a n engine well
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
very carefully for the first 350 miles (500 kilo meters) after fitting.
_& WARNING
N ew tires tend to be slip pery a nd mus t al
so be "b roken -in" . Be s ure to remembe r
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.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you a re d rivi ng on poo r roads, or over
cu rbs, ste ep ramps, etc., ma ke certai n that
low- ly ing parts s uch as spoile rs and ex ha ust
s ystem parts do not bot tom o ut and get dam
aged.
T his is espec ially true for veh icles with low
s lu ng chassis (s por ts chassis)* and fully load
ed vehicles.
Driving through water
on roads
Note th e following to avoid ve hicle damage
whe n driving through water, for examp le on
flooded roads:
- The wa ter must not be any hig he r th an the
bottom of the vehicle body .
- Do not dr ive faste r than walk ing speed.
200 Cleaning and protec tio n
• Dab at the stain . Start at the outside and
work inwards .
• Once the stain is no longer visib le, use a soft
dry cloth or tissue to soak up the moisture.
Do not use leather cleaning products on Al
cantara ®.
You may use a suitable shampoo for remov ing
dust and dirt .
Dust and grit in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the car is
l eft stand ing in the sun for long periods, the
A lcantara ® should be protected against direct
sunlight to prevent it from fading. Slight color
variations will develop in normal use and are
not an indication of material deterioration .
@ Note
-Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
fl uid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
similar products on Alcantara ® surfaces .
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by a commercial cleaning spe
cia list.
- Do not use brushes, stiff sponges or sim
ilarly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia
bly when needed .
• Keep be lts clean .
• For cleaning, use a mild soap and water sol
ution . Let be lts dry thoroughly and away
from direct sunlight.
• Do not allow inertia reel safety belts to re
tract before they are completely dry.
• Check the condition of your safety belts
reg
ularly .
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
-Anything that might damage your safety belts 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 clean ing agents,
bleach or dyes. T hey have corrosive prop
erties which weaken the webb ing .
- When clean ing your safety belts, inspect
them for damage. If you discover dam
age, see your authorized Audi dealer .
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
Q page 189 .
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en
gine compartment.
Al ways s witch off the ign it ion befo re clea n
ing the engine ¢ Li:::,..
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the windshield under the engine hood . This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the vehicle interior through the heating and
ventilat ion ducts.
Corro sio n p rot ection
T he engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory .
Good anti- co rrosion treatmen t is very impor
tant, particu larly in the w inte r.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as well. .,..