2013 AUDI RS5 CABRIOLET traction control

Transmission S tronic ®
Introduction
The automat ic transm iss ion is controlled elec­
tronically. The transmiss ion ups hifts or down­
shifts automatically depend ing on which drive
program is se lected.
When a
modera te driving sty le is used, the
tra nsmission se lec ts the most econom ica l
driving mode.
It w ill then change up early and
de lay the downshifts to g ive better f uel econ ­
omy .
The transmis sion swit ches to a sporty mode
after a k ick-down o r when the driver uses a
s porty dri ving sty le characterized by quick ac­
celerator peda l movements, heavy accelera­
tion, frequent changes in speed and traveling
at the maximum speed.
I f desired, the drive r can a lso se lect the gears
manually ( tiptronic mode ) ~ page 89.
The S tronic ® is a dual-clutch transmission.
P owe r is transfe rred using two clutches that
work independently from one anothe r. They
rep lace the torq ue converter used in conven­
tional automatic transmiss ions and allow the
vehicle to accelerate without a noticeable in­
terruption in traction.
Selector lever positions
F ig. 96 Display in the instrument cluster: se lector lever
in pos itio n P
The selector lever position engaged appears
n ext to the selector leve r as well as in the in­
strument cluster display.
Tran sm iss ion 85
P -Park
In this se lector lever posi tion the transm is­
s ion is mechanica lly locked. Engage P on ly
when the vehicle is
completely stopped~&.
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 87.
T o shift in or out of pos it ion P, yo u must first
press and ho ld the brake pedal and then press
the re lease button in the selector leve r hand le
whi le moving the selector lever to or from P.
You can shift out of this position only with the ignition o n.
R - Reverse
Se lect R on ly when the veh icle is at a full stop
and t he engine is running at idle speed~.&. in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 87.
Before you move the se lector lever to R, press
both the re lease button in the hand le o f the
selector lever
and the brake pedal at the same
time.
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illu­
minate when the selecto r lever is moved into
R.
N -Neutral
The transmiss ion is in neu tral in this pos ition .
S hift to t his position fo r standing with the
brakes app lied
~ .&. in Driving the automatic
transmission on page 87.
When the vehicle is stat iona ry or a t speeds
below 1 mph (2 km/h), yo u must always app ly
the footbrake before and whi le mov ing the
l ever o ut of
N.
D/S - Normal posit ion for driving forward
In the D/S pos it ion, t he tr ansmission c an be
operated either in the norma l mode D or in
the sport mode S . To select the sport mode S,
pull the selector lever back briefly. P ulling the
l ever back again will se lect the norma l mode
D. The instr ument cluster disp lay shows the
selected driving mode. ..,_

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.
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';'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.
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dampened with dish detergent and water is recommended.
(D Note
- To avoid sc ratch ing the disp lay, yo u
shou ld never clean it dry.
- To preven t damage, ma ke s ure fl uids do
not enter the controls .
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and depos its from alum inum s urfaces.
C hrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack alum inum surfaces and can dam­
age them over time .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ~
page 189.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fab rics and fabr ic coveri ngs (e.g . seats, doo r
tr im panels, etc.) should be cleaned at reg ula r
i nte rva ls wi th a vac uum cleaner . Thi s removes
sur face dirt particles which could become em­
bedded in the fabr ic through use . Steam
cleane rs shou ld not be used, because the
steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
Normal cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab­ ric. Brushes should on ly be used for carpets
and floor mats, s ince other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Normal surface sta ins can be cleaned using a
commercia lly available foam cleaner. Spread
the foam on the surface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not sat u­
rate the fabric. Then pat the foam d ry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e .g . microfibe r cloth)
and vacuum it afte r it has dr ied comp lete ly .
Cleaning and protec tion 197
Cleaning sta ins
Stains caused by bever ages (e.g . coffee, fr uit
ju ice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter ­
gent solution. Apply the detergent so lution
with a sponge. In the case of stubborn stains, a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric . After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to
remove the rema ining deterge nt. Apply the
water wit h a damp cloth or sponge and pat
t h e fabric dry with an abso rbent, dry clot h.
Stai ns from choco late or makeup should have
detergent paste rubbed i nto them . After ­
wards, remove the soap w ith water (damp
sponge).
A lcohol can be used to treat stai ns from
grease, o il, lipstick or a ballpoint pen . M elted
grease or dye must be patted off using ab­
sorbent mater ial. It may be necessa ry to re ­
t reat the areas with de tergent pas te and wa­
te r.
In the case of gene ral soiling of the uphols­
tery a nd cover material, we recommend hir ing
a speci alist t hat h as the eq uipment to clean
t h e se at cove rs and othe r fabr ic surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
~ page 189.
(D Tips
Open Ve lcro fas teners on yo ur clothing can
damage the seat cover . Please make sure
that Ve lcro fasteners are closed .
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For persistent d irt
use a n Aud i approved
solvent-free p lastic
clea ner/protectant .
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A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from t ires.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds . Tir es that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you 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.
Tires and wheels 233
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 189 Tir e specificat ion codes on t he s idewall o f a
tire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in millimeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rat ing
(f) U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's design . The ti res and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,.
•

236 Tire s and whee ls
vehicle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the replacement tire is not the same as
the tires that are mounted on the vehicle
- for example with winter tires - only use
the replacement t ire for a short period of
t ime and dr ive with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely pos­
sible.
- Never drive faste r than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your veh icle
are rated because ti res that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
sudden ly.
- Overloading t ires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowo ut
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- T emperature grades app ly to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un­
derinflated.
- For technical reasons it is not a lways
possible to use wheels from othe r
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­ hicle whee ls, make sure that the air f low
to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat, increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing a collision .
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped w ith them
at the factory . The vehicle must have a
chassis des igned for run flat t ires and a
factory-installed t ire pressure monitor­
ing system* that indicates a loss of ti re
pressure. Incorrec t use of run flat tires
can lead to vehicle damage or accidents .
Check with an authorized Audi dea ler or
tire spec ialist to see if your vehicle can be
equipped with run flat tires . If run flat
tires are used, they must be installed on
all four wheels. M ixing tire types is not
permitted .
(D Note
-For technica l reasons, it is not genera lly
possible to use the wheel r ims from oth- er vehicles.
This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If a rep lacement tire is different from
the tires that you have mounted on your
vehicle (for example winter tires or wide profile tires), then use the rep lacement
tire for a short period of time only and dr ive with extra care. Replace the flat tire
w ith the tire match ing the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged .
® For the sake of the environment
D ispose of o ld tires in accordance with the
local requirements .
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Tempe rature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicab le
on the t ire s ide wall between tread shou ld er
and maximum section width c> page 233,
fig. 189 .
For exampl e: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car t ires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Tread wear
T he tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the t ire when tested
u nder controlled conditions on a specified
government test course .
For example, a tire graded 1S0 would wear
one and one ha lf (11/2) times as well on the
gover nment course as a t ire graded 100 .
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depa rt s ignificantly from the
norm due to va ria tions in d riving hab its, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character-
istics and climate.
ll-

Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
a re AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance¢ .&..
Temp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the tire 's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failu re ¢ .&. .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires m ust meet
u nder the Federa l Motor Ve hicle Safety Stand­
ard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher
l eve ls of pe rformance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
_& WARNING
Th e traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking t raction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering , hydrop laning or peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es ­
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separate ly or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possibl e tire fa ilu re.
-
Tire s an d wheel s 237
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true w inter o r "snow" tir es, those
with very deeply cut t read. These tires should
o nl y be used in pairs and be installed o n all
f o ur wheels . Make sure you p urchase snow
ti res that are the same size and cons truc tion
type as the other tires on yo ur vehicle .
You r vehi cle is equipped wi th a ll w heel d rive,
th is w ill imp rove trac tion duri ng win ter driv­
ing, even with the standa rd tires. However, we
strong ly recommend that you always equip all
fo ur wheels on your vehicle with correctly fit­
ted winter tires or a ll-season tires, when win ­
ter road cond itions are expected. This also im­
proves the veh icle's brak ing performance and
reduces stopping d ista nces .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
o n all fo ur whee ls .
As k your au thori zed A udi d ealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter tire size s. Use
o nl y radial winter ti res .
Win ter tires lose their effec tiveness whe n the
tread is worn down to a dep th o f 0.15 7 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w it h w inte r tir es under w inte r con­
di tions. S umme r tir es handle bette r whe n
t h e re is no s now o r ice on the ro ad s an d the
temperature is above 45 ° F (7 °C) .
I f you have a flat t ire, see notes on rep lace­
ment wheel¢
page 233 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r sp eed rating than the tires o rig i­
nally i nstalled on your veh icle at t he time it
was ma nufactu red. Please see ¢
page 234,
Speed ra ting (letter code)
for a lis ting o f th e
speed ra ting lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
111>-
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