176 Intelligent technology
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 fo r the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event . EDR's are sometimes ca lled "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.
A lthough 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, eng ine function, em is
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic contro l modules also record
vehicle-re lated data during normal 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 pe riod 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
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidd ing and loss of vehicle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESC detects certain difficult driving situat
ions, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering assistance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in
dicator light
G) in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remem
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It wi ll not always be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of
dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it wou ld on the dry surface . If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered.
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic and weather condit ions. ESC can
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in
crease the available traction, or keep a vehicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
drive r inattention. Instead, ESC improves the
poss ibility of keeping the vehicle under con
trol and on the road during ex treme maneu
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di
rection . If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock brake system (ABS), brake assist sys
tem, anti -slip regulation (ASR) , e lectronic dif
ferential lock (EDL), dynamic steering* and se lective wheel torque control*. ESC is switched
on all the time. In certa in situations when you
need less t raction, you can sw itch off ASR by
p ress ing the button
ij] Q page 178, fig . 169
or ~ page 178, fig. 170. Be sure to sw itch
ASR on again when you no longer need less
traction.
Anti -lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking. The veh icle can still be steered
even du ring ha rd b raking . Apply steady pres
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped
al. A pulsing in the brake peda l indicates that
the system is he lping you to brake the vehicle .
Brake ass ist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking
d istance.
It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake pedal qu ic kl y in eme r
gency situations . You must p ress and ho ld the
brake peda l until the situation is over. In
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the
brake assist system is more sensit ive if the
d istance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti- slip regulati on (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to the road condit ions. This makes it eas ier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
El ectronic diffe rential lock (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other wheels .
This function is available up to about 60 mph
(100 km/h).
I n extreme cases, ED L automatically switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating.
EDL wi ll switch on again au
tomatically when conditions have returned to normal.
Int ellig ent technolog y 177
Dynamic steering *
On vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC he lps
stabilize the steering in crit ica l sit uations.
Select ive wheel torque control*
The select ive wheel torque control operates
when d riving through curves. The front wheel
on the inside of the curve o r both wheels on
the ins ide of the c urve a re bra ked select ively
as needed. This minimizes sliding in the front
whee ls and allows for more precise driv ing
through curves. The app licable system may
not act ivate when dr iving in wet or snowy con
ditions.
A WARNING -
- ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL dynam ic steering*
and the select ive wheel torque control*
cannot ove rcome the laws of physics.
This is especially important on slippery
or wet roads.
If t h e systems beg in acting
to stabilize your veh icle, yo u should im
mediately change your speed to match
the road and traffic conditions . Do not
let the increased safety provided by
these systems tempt you to take r isks.
Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle contro l, collision and ser ious per
sonal injur ies.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic
a nd weather conditions. The risk of Los-
ing contro l of the vehicle i ncreases when
driving too fast, espec ially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead. ESC, ABS, the brake assist sys
tem, ASR, ED L dynamic steering * and the
selective whee l torque control * cannot
prevent coll is ions.
- Always accelerate with spec ial care on
even, smooth surfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even with
these assistance systems that can not al
ways he lp to red uce the risk of loss of ve
hicle control.
•
•
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. .,..
';'ij Dynamic stee ring : initi alizing
If th is driver message appears and the ind ica
tor light is flash ing on the inst rument pane l,
dynamic steering* is be ing reinitialized. Once
you start the engine after this is finished, the
steering whee l wi ll be easy to move. Re-initi
alization m ight be necessary if the steering
wheel was moved hard to the left and r ight
while the veh icle was not moving. The display
goes out as soon as initialization is complete .
A WARNING
Have the dynamic steering* system mal
function repaired as soon as poss ible by an
authori zed Audi dealer or any qualified
workshop -risk of accident!
@ Tips
- If the . or 1~ ij indicator light only stays
on for a short t ime, you may continue
driving.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems
are not available in the event of a system
malfunction.
- For additional informat ion on dynamic
stee ring*, refer to
c::> page 104.
Driving with your
quattro ®
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv
en.
G ene ral inform ation
W ith all -whee l dr ive, power is distributed to
all fo ur wheels. This happens automatica lly
depending on your driving sty le and the road
conditions at the time . See also
c::> page 176.
A center diffe rent ial distr ibutes the dr iv ing
power variably to the front and rear axle.
It
works together with se lective wheel torque
control, which activates when driving through
curves
c::> page 177. W ith the sport d ifferen
tial*, power distribution to the rear wheels is
variable and can be adjusted with drive select
<=:> page 104 .
Intellig ent technolog y 181
The all -whee l drive concept is designed for
high engine power. Your vehicle is exception
ally powerfu l and has excellent driving charac
teristics both under normal driv ing cond itions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precaut ions
c::> ,&. .
Winter t ires
When driving in the winter, yo ur vehicle with
a ll-wheel drive has an advantage, even w ith
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 on
a ll fou r
wheels. See also c::> page 23 7, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to veh icles
with all -wheel drive
c::> page 238, Snow
chains .
Replacing whee ls / tires
Vehicles with a ll-wheel drive must always
have tires of the same s ize. Also avoid tires
with different tread depths. For deta ils see
page
~ page 233, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle. It is
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un
even terrain as much as possible . Also refer to
~ page 184.
A WARNING
Always ad just your dr iv ing to road and t raf
fi c condi tions. Do no t let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive temp t you into
taking extra risks.
- Al tho ugh t he all-wheel drive is very ef
fective, always remember that braking capacity is lim ited by tire traction . You
should therefore not d rive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
•
•
-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 223
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. .,..
•
•
232 Tires and wheels
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balancing, correct tire pressure and driv
ing style.
F ig. 1 87 Tire tread: tre ad wea r ind icators (TWI)
_____ __,.J)
F ig. 1 88 Rotat ing t ires for more ev en wea r
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The o rigi na l t ires on your veh icle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear indicators"
c::> fig . 187 running across the tread. Depend
i ng on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly p laced around the t ire. Marks on
the tire sidewa ll (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear ind icators . Worn t ires must be replaced .
Different fig ures may apply in o ther countries
c::> & .
Tire p ressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear
a nd can cause sudden t ire blow-out. For t his
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c::> page 228 .
Driving style
Driving fast aro und curves, heavy acce leration
and hard braking increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
F or all four tires on your ve hicl e to h ave the
same service life, we recommen d that t he
front and rear t ires are rotated according to
the tire manufact urer's suggested tire rota
tion intervals. Please remember the follow ing :
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
vehicle service inte rva ls o utlined in your
Ma intenance and Warranty Book let .
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufact urer's suggested
tire rotation intervals .
- Vehi cles w ith front-wheel dr ive experience
more tread wear on the fro nt w heels com
pa red to all wheel d rive (quattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
c::> fig. 188.
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
c::> page 250 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new ve hicles are balanced .
However, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unba l
anced, re sulting in vibrat ions you can usually
feel through the steer ing wheel.
Un balanced whee ls must be rebalanced to
avo id excessive wear on steering, suspension
and t ires. A whee l m ust also be reba lanced
when a new tire is insta lled.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incor rect w heel alig nment can cause exces
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the veh i
cle . If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment checked by an aut hori zed
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop .
All wheel drive
Vehicles with q uattro ® mus t always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type .
For details see
c::> page 181. ..,.
Fuses and bulbs
Fuses
Replacing a fuse
Fuses that have blown will have metal strips
that have burned through.
Fig . 200 Left cockp it : fuse panel cover
The fuses a re located at the front left and
r igh t of the cockpit and behi nd the trim on
the right side of the luggage compartment .
.. Turn
off the ignit ion a nd the affected electri
c a l consume rs .
.. Check the following table to see which fuse
belongs to the consumer .
.. Remove the appropriate cover
Q fig. 200 or
Q page 205, fig . 173 .
.. To remove the purple plastic clip if necessa
ry
ll, hold onto it at the small side and pull
it out of the fuse panel¢
page 251,
fig. 201 .
.. Remove the clamp from the rea r side of the
fuse cover ¢
fig. 200 .
.. Remove the fuse using the clamp and re
pla ce the blown fuse w ith an identical new
one.
& WARNING , -
Do not repair f uses and never replace a
blown fuse w ith one that has a higher amp
rating. This can cause damage to the elec
trical system a nd a fi re.
11 You can dis pos e of the plastic clip after removing it.
Fu se s and bulb s 251
(D Note
If a new fuse burns out again after short ly
have you have insta lled it, have the electri
ca l system checked by yo ur authorized
A udi dealer .
{!) Tips
-The following table does not list fuse lo
cat ions that are not used .
- Some of the equipment items listed are
opt ional or only available on certa in
mode l configurations.
Left cockpit fuse assignment
Fi g. 20 1 Left cockpit: fuse panel wit h plastic clip
No. Consumer
Amps
Fuse panel @(black)
1 Dynamic steering 5
2 ES C control module 5
A/C system pressure sensor,
electromechanical parking
3
brake, Homelink, automatic
5 dimming interior rear view
mirror, air quality/outside
ai r sensor, ESC button
252 Fuses a nd bulb s
No.
5 Sound actuator/exhaust
sound tun
ing
6 Headlight range control sys-
tern/cornering light
7 Headlight (cornering light)
Control modules (electro
-
mechanical parking brake,
8 shock absorber, quattro
I
sport, trailer hitch), DCDC
converter
9 Adaptive cru ise control
10 Shift gate
11 Side ass ist
12 Headlight range control,
parking system
13 Airbag
14 Rear wiper (allroad)
15 Auxi
liary fuse (instrument
panel)
16 Auxiliary fuse terminal 15
(engine area)
Fu
se pa nel@ (b ro w n)
2 Brake light sensor
3 Fuel pump
4
5 Left seat heating with/with-
out seat vent
ilat ion
6 E5C
7 Horn
-Front left door (window reg·
8 ulator, central locking, mir-
ror, switch, lighting)
9 Wiper moto r
1 0 ESC
Two-door models: rear left
window regu lator, Fo ur-door
11 mode
ls: rear left door (win-
dow regu lator, central lock-
ing, switch, lighting)
12 Rain and light sensor
Fu se panel © (red)
3 Lumbar support
Amps
5/ 15
5/7,5 7,5
5
5
5
5
5
5
15
10
40
5
25
5
15/30
5
15
30
30
25
30
5
10
No . Consumer
4 Dynamic steering
6
7
8
9
Interior lighting (Cabriolet)
Windshield washer system ,
headlight washer system
Vehicle electrical system
control module 1
Vehicle electrical system
control module 1 Left rear window regulator
motor (Cabriolet)/sunroof
10 Vehicle e
lectr ical system
con trol module 1
11 Right rear window regulator
(Cabriolet)/sun shade motor
12 Anti-theft alarm warning
system
Right cockpit fuse assignment
Amps
35
5
35
20
30
7,5/20
30
7,5/20
5
Fig. 202 R ight cockpi t: fuse pane l wit h plast ic cl ip
No. Con sumer Amps
F u se panel @ (black )
5 Steering column switch
5
module
7 Term
inal 15 diagnos tic con-
nector 5
•
....