Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 13
misfiring and fuel could enter into the ex
haust system . The catalytic converter
could then overheat and be damaged .
Warning/indicator
lights
Description
The indicator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They indicate functions or
m alfunctions
c::> .&. .
Messages may appear with some indicator
lights. A warning signal will sound at the
same time . The messages disappear again af
ter a short t ime. To display a message again,
press the
I S ET I bu tton c::> page 11 . If several
malfunction s occur, each of the indicator/
warn ing lamps will be d isplayed in succession
for about two seconds at a time.
Some ind icators ligh ts in the display can turn
on in several colors.
A WARNING
- Failure to heed warning lights and other
important vehicle info rmation may result
in serious personal injury o r vehicle dam
age.
- Whenever sta lled or stopped for repa ir,
move the vehicle a safe dis tance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher
c::> page 45.
- T he engine compartment of any motor
vehicle is a poten tially hazardous a rea.
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down. Always exercise extreme ca u
t ion when working under the hood
c::> page 206.
@ Tips
Ma lf u nctions or faults w ill be identified e i
ther with a red symbo l (pr iority 1 -Dan
ger!) or with a yellow symbol (pr iority 2 -
Warn ing).
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on b riefly to check
the function of that system whe n you swi tch
the ignition on. These systems are marked
with a../ in the fo llowing tables. If one of
these indicator lights does not turn on, there is a ma lfunction in that system.
Red indicat or lights
Red symbo ls ind ic a te a prior ity ma lf u nct ion -
Danger!
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle .
- Turn o ff the engine.
- Check the malfunctioning system . Contact
your authori zed Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for assistance.
USA model s:
Brake system ../
c::> page 15
Canada models:
Brake system ../
c::> page 15
USA models:
Electromechanical parking brake
c::> page 16
Canada model s:
Electromechanical parking b rake
c::> page 16
Safety belts
c::> page 16
Electromechanical steering ,/
c::> page 185
Battery
c::> page 17
E ngine oil pressure
c::> page 17
Engine oil leve l
c::> page 17
Engine coo ling system
c::> page 17
Steering column loc k
c::> page 18
Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
Sport d iffer ential*
¢ page 22
Ign it io n loc k
¢pag e 22
Steering co lumn lock
¢ pag e 18
Electromec hanical steer ing, dy
nam ic steer ing* ./
¢pag e 185
Transmission
- tiptronic ¢
page 88
- S tronic ¢ page 88
Tran smissio n
- S tron ic
¢ page 88
Other indicator lights
CRUISE
T urn signals
¢ page 23
USA models: Cruise con trol
¢page 80
Canada models: Cruise contro l
¢page 80
Adaptive c ruise cont ro l*
¢pag e 93
Adaptive cruise cont ro l*
¢ page 93
High beam
¢pag e44
BRAKE /((J) ) Brake system
The ligh t ill um inates when t he igni tion is
switche d on . It goes out after the engi ne has
been started. This in dicates that the bra ke
warn ing light is functioning properly.
If the brake warning light does not light up
when the engine is cranking , there may be a
malfunction in the electrical system. In this
case, contact your author ized Audi dealer.
If th e b rake system warning/ind icator light
turns on, t here is a brake system mal function .
• (USA models)/ . (Canada models) Stop
vehicle and check brake fluid level
If t he indic ator lig ht tu rns on and the m es
s a ge a ppe ars, pro ceed as fo llows:
"' Pull off t he roa d.
"' Sto p t he vehicle.
"' Turn off t he engi ne.
"' Check t he bra ke fluid level ¢
page 216.
"'Con tact your nea rest au thorized re pair fa -
cility if necessary .
Warning! Fault in brake system. Contact
dealer
If the ABS ind icator light CD (USA mode ls)/
lG) < C anad a mo de ls), the ESC in dicato r light
If.) and the bra ke sys tem in dicat or lig ht
• (US A mo dels)/ . (Canada mode ls) turn
o n and the messa ge appears, the ABS, ESC
and brakin g distr ibution are not workin g¢ &. .
C arefu lly dr ive to your author ized Audi de aler
immedi ately to have the malf unct ion correct
ed ¢&. .
• (USA models)/ . (Canada models) Park
ing brake system fault! See owner' s manual
- If the in dicator light and the m essage ap -
pe ar
when stationary or after switching the
ignition on ,
check if yo u can re lease the
p arki ng br ake. Afte r relea sing the park ing
bra ke, ca re fully drive to your au thori zed
A udi dea le r i mmediately to have the ma l
fu nction corrected . If yo u cannot release t he
parking brake, see k professiona l assistance .
- If the in dicator light and the message ap
pea r
while driving , th e e mergency bra king
fu nction may not be available. It may not be
possible to set the par king brake or re lease
it once it has been set. Seek profess iona l as
sistance.
( U SA mode ls) : If th e warn ing lig ht. and the
warning light
fi] appear togethe r, immedi
ate ly contact yo ur aut horized Aud i dealer o r
qualified wo rks hop to have a ll brake pads in
s p ected
¢ page 20.
When the light comes on, an aud ible warning
s ignal is also g iven.
16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
A WARNING
-Always observe the warnings in
i=> page 206, before opening the hood
and checking the brake fluid.
- Driv ing with low brake fluid is a safety
hazard. Stop the car and get professional
assistance.
- If the . (USA
models) ;II (Canada
models) brake system indicator l ight
turns on together with the ABS and ESC indicator lights, the ABS/ESC regu lating
function may have failed. F unctions that
stabilize the vehicle are no longer availa
ble. This could cause the vehicle to
swerve and increase the risk of sliding .
Drive carefu lly to the nearest authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified workshop
and have the malfunction corrected.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does not go out after a few seconds and the
park ing brake is released, or lights up
wh ile you are driving, the fluid level in
the brake fluid reservoir is too low . If you
believe tha t it is safe to do so, proceed
immediately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work shop and have the bra ke system inspect
ed.
- Always keep in m ind that after several
brake applications, yo u will need greater
pressure on the b rake peda l to stop your
vehicle. Do not re ly on strained brakes to
respond w ith maximum stopp ing power
in critical situations. You must allow for
increased brak ing distances . The extra
distance used up by fad ing brakes could
lead to an acc ident.
:fil.J(® ) Electromechanical parking brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake .
If the indicator light. (USA models)/ .
(Canada models) turns on, the park ing brake
was set . If the parking brake is set when the
ignit ion is off, the indicator light turns off af
ter about 20 seconds. T
he warn ing/indicator light wi ll go out when
the parking brake is re leased.
• (USA model s) /. (Canada mod els) Cau
ti on: Vehicle parke d too steep
If the indicato r light b links and the message
appea rs, there is not enough bra king power to
k eep the vehicle from roll ing . T he brakes have
overheated. The veh icle cou ld roll away even
on a sma ll incline.
Pre ss brak e pedal to rel eas e parking brake
To re lease the park ing brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button(®) or start driving
with sta rting assist at t he same time
i=> page 77.
Pl ease r elea se parking brake
To re lease the park ing brake manually, p ress
the brake pedal and press the button®) at
the same time. The parking brake on ly releas
es automatically if the driver's safety be lt is
fastened.
Iii Parking brake!
If t he Iii ind icator light tu rns o n and this
message appears, there is a parking brake
malfunction. Drive to your authorized A udi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunct ion corrected.
~ Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
T he . warning/ indicator light illuminates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
the driver and (on USA models only) any front
passenger to put on the safety be lt. Addit ion
ally, an acoustic warning (gong) will also
sound.
For more Informat ion
c:> page 129, Safety
belt warning light.
76 On the road Shift to N or P to start engine
This message appears when attempting to
start the engine if the selector lever for the
automatic t ransmission is not in the P or N
position. The engine can on ly be started with
the selector in these posi tions.
Is the ke y in the vehicl e?
This message appears if the master key is re
moved from the vehicle with the eng ine run
n ing .
If the master key is no longer in the ve
hi cle, yo u cannot swit ch o n the ignition after
stopping the engine and you also cannot star t
the engine again. Moreover, yo u cannot lock
the vehicle from the outside with the key .
Shift to P otherwise vehicle ca n roll away .
Door s do not l ock if l ev er i s not in P.
This m essage appears for safety reasons
a long w ith a warning signa l.
It appears if the
selec tor lever for the automat ic transm iss ion
is not in the P position when switch ing
off the
i gnition . Move the selector lever to the P posi
t ion, otherwise the vehicle is not sec ured
against rolling away. You also cannot lock the
vehicle using the locking button * on the door
handle or using the remo te key.
C on ven ience key defecti ve! U se ignition loc k
This message appea rs if the engine mus t be
started or s topped using the igni tion key and
not the
I S TART ENGINE ST OP ! button.
Electromechanical
parking brake
Operation
The electromechanical parking brake replaces
the hand brake.
F ig . 78 Cen ter co nsole: Park ing b rake
.,. Pull on the switch@¢ fig. 78 to app ly the
parking brake. The indicator light in the
sw itch ill um inates.
.,. Step on the brake pedal or the accelerator
pedal and p ress the switch at the same t ime
to re lease the park ing brake. The indicator
light in the sw itch goes out.
Your vehicle is equipped with an electrome
chanical parking brake . The parking b rake is
designed to p revent the veh icle from rolling
u nintentionally and replaces the hand b rake .
I n add ition to the normal functions of a tradi
tional hand brake, the electromechanical
parking brake provides vario us convenience
and safe ty f unct io ns.
When starting from rest
- The integral start ing ass ist helps you when
driving by automat ically releasi ng the park
ing brake
~ page 77 , Starting from rest .
-When start ing on i nclines, the start ing as
sist prevents the vehicle from uni ntentional
ly ro lling back . The braking force of the
pa rk ing brake is no t released unt il suff ic ient
driving force has been bui lt up at the
wheels . ..,.
Emergency brake fun ction
An emergency brake ensures that the vehicle
can be slowed down even if the
normal b rakes
fail
c::> pag e 78 , Emergency broking .
Indicat or light s
-If the par king b rake is closed w ith the igni
t ion
s wit ched on the . (USA mode ls) /
• (Canada models) indica tor lights come
on in the instrument cluster and the switch .
-If the par king brake is closed w ith the igni
tion
s witched off the . (USA mode ls) /
• (Canada models) indicator lights come
on in the instrument cluster and the switc h
for about 20 seconds.
A WARNING
If a gear or a drive range (automat ic trans
m ission) is engaged with the vehicle s ta
tionary and the engine runn ing, you must
in no instance accelerate or release the
clutch* care lessly. Otherw ise the vehicle
w ill sta rt to move immediately- risk of an
accident.
(D Note
If the . symbol in the display or the.
(USA models) . (Canada mode ls) indica
tor light i n the instrument cluster flashes,
there is a mal function i n the brake system.
By pressing the
I SETI button, you can bring
up a driver message which explains the
malfunction in more detai l. If the driver
message
Park ing brake! appears, there is
an operating malfunct ion in the parking
brake wh ich you shou ld have repa ired im
mediately by an author ized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop
c::> poge 15.
(D} Tips
-You can apply the parking brake at any
time -even w ith the ignition switched
off . The ignit ion must be t urned on and
the brake peda l must be pressed in o rder
to release the pa rking bra ke .
On th e ro ad 77
-Occasional noises when the parking
brake is app lied and released are normal
and are not a cause for concern.
- When the vehicle is pa rked, the park ing
brake goes through a self -test cycle at
regu lar interva ls. Any associated noises
are normal.
Parking
.,. Press the brake pedal to stop the veh icle .
.. Pull the sw itch @
c::> page 76, fig . 78 to set
the parking brake .
.,. Automatic transmission : M ove the selecto r
lever to P.
.. Tu rn the engine off¢,&. .
.. Manual transmission: Shift into 1st gear.
.. When on inclines or declines, turn the steer
ing wheel so that the vehicle will roll into
the curb if i t beg ins to move.
A WARNING
--- When you leave your vehicle -even if on-
ly briefly -always remove the ignition
key . Thi s app lies pa rticula rly whe n chil
dren remain in the vehicle. Ot herwise t he
children could star t the eng ine , release
the par king brake or operate electrical
equipment (e.g. power windows). There
is the risk of an accident.
- When the veh icle is locked, no one -par
ticularly not children should remain in
the vehicle . Locked doors make it more
difficult for emergency workers to get in
to the vehicle -putting lives at risk .
Starting from rest
The starting assist function ensures that the
parking brak e is r ele ased automatically upon
star ting.
Stopping and applying park ing brake
.. Pull the switch @¢ page 76, fig. 78 to ap-
ply th e parking brake. ..,.
78 On the road
Startin g and automati cally r ele a s ing the
p ark ing b rake
.. When you start to drive as usua l, the park
ing brake is automatically re leased and your
vehicle begins to move.
When stopping at a traffic signa l or stopping
in city traffic on vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the park ing brake can be ap
plied. The vehicle does not have to be held
with the footbrake. The park ing brake elimi
nates the tendency to creep with a drive range
engaged . As soon as you dr ive off as usual,
the park ing brake is released automatically
and the veh icle starts to move .
Starting on sl opes
When starting on incline s, the start ing ass ist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally roll
ing back. The braking force of the parking
b rake is not released until sufficient dr iving
fo rce has been bu ilt up at the whee ls.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the park ing brake is re
leased automatically only when the dr iv
er 's sa fety belt is engaged in the bu ck le.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline, do the following:
.. Keep the switch@¢ page 76, fig. 78 pulled
and depress the acce le rator . The park ing
brake stays applied and prevents the vehicle
from roll ing backward.
.. You can release the switch @once you are
sure that yo u are developing enough driving
force at the wheels by depressing the accel
erator.
Depending on the weight o f the rig (vehicle
and trai ler) and the severity of the incline, you
may roll backwards as you start . Yo u can pre
vent roll ing backwards by holding the parking
brake switch @pulled out and accelerating -
just as you would when starting on a hill with a conventional hand brake . Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake sys
tem fails or locks .
.. In an emergency, pull the switch @
¢
page 76, fig. 78 and continue to pull it to
slow your vehicle down with the parking brake .
.. As soon as you re lease the switch @ or ac-
celerate, t he b ra ki ng pro cess stops.
If you pull the switch @and hold it above a
speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h), the emergen
cy bra king funct ion is initiated . Th e ve hicl e is
braked at all fou r whee ls by activating the hy
draulic brake sys tem. The brake performance
is similar to making an emergency stop¢,& .
In order not to a ct ivate the eme rgency brak
ing by mis take, an audib le warning tone (buz
zer) so unds when the switch @is pulled. As
soon as the switch @ is released, or the acce l
erator pedal is depressed, emergency braking
stops.
A WARNING ,-
Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal foot brake has fa iled or the brake pedal is obstructed .
Using the par king brake to pe rform eme r
gency b raking will s low your veh icle down
as if you had made a full brake application.
The laws of phys ics cannot be suspended
even with ESC and its associated compo
nents (ABS, ASR, EDS) . In corners and
when road or weathe r cond itions are bad,
a full brake application can ca use the vehi
cle to sk id or the rear end to break away
risking an accident.
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep
your driving speed below a set speed limit.
T he speed warn ing system warns if the driver
exceeds a previously sto red max imum speed .
A warning tone w ill sound as soon as the
Ill-
~ Press and hold the release button in these
lector lever handle, se lect the desired se lec
tor lever position such as D/S and re lease
the button.
~ Wait br iefly until the transmission has shift
ed (you will feel a slight movement).
~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
acce lerate.
Stopp ing temporaril y
~ Keep the vehicle stationary us ing the brak
ing pedal, for example at traffic lights.
~ Do not press the accelerator pedal when do
i ng this.
~ To p revent the veh icle from rolling when you
sta rt driving, set the pa rking brake whe n
stopp ing on steep inclines ¢
&-
~ The parking brake will re lease automatically
and the vehicle will start moving once yo u
press the accelerator peda l.
Stopping /pa rking
If the selecto r lever is not in the P position
when yo u ope n the dr iver's door, the vehicle
could ro ll. The message
Transmis sion: Car
m ay ro ll! Shift to pa rk!
appears.
~ Press and ho ld the brake pedal unt il the ve-
hicle has come to a comple te stop.
~ Apply the parking brake ¢ page 77, Parking.
~ Select the P selector lever position c::, & -
Stopping on an incline
~ Always press t he b rake pedal to hold the ve
hicle i n place and preven t it from " rolling
back" ¢
& -Do not try to prevent the vehi
cle from "rolling back" when a gear is en
gaged by increasing the engine speed ¢(D .
Starting on an incline
~ Activate the par kin g b rake.
~ Wi th the driving gea r se lected, press the ac
ce lerato r pedal ca re fully . The parking brake
will release a utomatically i f yo ur seat belt is
fastened.
Under certain circumstances, s uch as driv ing
in the mountains, it may be useful to switch
temporari ly to the manua l shift program in or-
Tran sm iss ion 85
der to ad just the gears to the driv ing cond i
tions by hand
c::, page 86.
On s lopes, activ ate the parki ng b rake first and
then move the selec to r l ever to the P posi tion.
T his prevents too much st ress from being
placed on the locking mechanism .
A WARNING
-The vehicle can also roll when the engine
is stopped.
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serio us injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
ru nning while in gear. If yo u must leave
your veh icle when the engine is running,
activate the parking brake and move the
selector lever to P.
- Power is still transm itted to the wheels
when the engine is runn ing at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the eng ine is ru nning and the se lector
leve r is in D/S o r R or "t ipt ron ic" mode is
selec ted .
-Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing t he se lector lever posi tion
while the veh icle is s ta tionary and the
engine is running .
- Never sh ift into R o r P wh ile d rivi ng.
- Before driving dow n a steep slope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lowe r
gear wi th "tiptronic".
- Do not ride the bra kes o r press the bra ke
pe dal too ofte n or too long whe n driving
down a hi ll. Constant braking causes the
brakes to over heat and substantially re
duces braking performance, increases
brak ing distance or causes complete fa il
ure of t he brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from ro lling back
when stopp ing o n inclines, always ho ld 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 mat ically when it becomes too hot from
the overload. An indicato r lamp
mJ
86 Transmis sion
illuminates and a driver message ap
pears
¢ page 88 when the clutch is
overloaded.
- 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
¢ page 206. Otherwise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo
tion, even with the park ing brake ap
plied.
(D 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.
@ Tips
For safety reasons, the park ing brake is re
leased automatically only when the driv
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic/tiptronic
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 transmi ssion 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 contro
l switches off once the de
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
¢ page 80, 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
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic/tiptron ic
Using the manual shift program you can
manually select gears.
Fig. 86 Center console: shift ing the gears manually
Fig. 87 Steering whee l: Shift butto ns~
Gear selection with selector lever
L'> N ... "!
"' m a,
N
--N ,;,
gi
The tiptronic mode can be selected either with
the vehicle stationary or on the move.
.,. Push the selector lever to the right from 0/
S. An M appears in the instrument cluster
display as soon as the transmission has
shifted .