
202 Intelligent technology
iT-ij Dynamic steering: System fault! You can
cont inue driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes
sage appears, the steer ing may be more diffi
cult to move or more sensitive than usual. The
steering may also be at an angle when driving
straight.
Drive slow ly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected .
iT-ij Dynamic steering: Initializing
Audi drive select*: if the indicator light blinks
and the driver message appears, the dynamic
steer ing* is reinitialized. Once you sta rt the
engine after this is finished, the steering
wheel will be easy to move. Re-ini tialization
might be necessary if the steering wheel was
moved hard to the left and right while the ve
h icle was not moving . The display turns off if
the initiali zation was successful.
- If the . or
tTij indicator light on ly stays
on for a short time, you may continue
driving.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems
¢
page 197 are not available in the event
of a system malfunction.
- For additional information on dynamic
steering* ¢
page 120.
Driving with your
quattro
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv
en.
General information
W ith all-wheel dr ive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your driving sty le and the road
conditions at the time . See also ¢
page 197.
A center different ial distr ibutes the dr iv ing
power var iably to the front and rear axle . It
works together with se lective wheel torque control, which activates when driving through
curves
r=:>
page 198.
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for
high eng ine power. Your veh icle is except ion
ally powerfu l and has excellent driving charac
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice . Always read and follow
safety precaut ions r=;,
,&.
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with
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
all four
wheels.
See also r=;, page 262, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this norma lly also app lies to veh icles
with all-wheel driver=;,
page 263, Snow
chains .
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with a ll-wheel drive must always
have tires of the same size. A lso avoid tires
with different tread depths. For deta ils see
page
r=;, page 2 SB, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
A WARNING
-Always adjust your dr iv ing to road and traf-
f ic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks .
- Although the all-wheel drive is very ef
fective, always remember that braking
capacity is lim ited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
could begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If this should occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in crease in eng ine speed as w ith a front
wheel drive veh icle. Always drive at

speeds which are suited to the road con
ditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting
the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long period of time , the bat
tery is discharged by idling cu rrent consumers
(e.g. immobilizer). In ce rtain c ircumstances it
can result in there being insuff icient ene rgy
avai lab le to s tart the engine .
I ntelligent energy management in your vehi
cle hand les the d ist ribution of electrical ener
gy. Starting ab ility is marked ly imp roved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Basically , energy management consists of
b atter y dia gno sis, idling curr ent manag e
m ent
and dynami c en ergy m anag emen t.
Battery diagnosis
Battery d iagnosis continuously determ ines
the state of the battery . Sensors determ ine
battery vo ltage, battery curren t and battery
temperature. This dete rm ines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy
consumpt ion wh ile the veh icle is stand ing .
W ith the ignition switched off, it cont ro ls the
energy s upply to the va rio us electr ical compo
nents. Data from battery diagnosis is consid
ered.
D epending on the batte ry's state of charge,
i nd ividual consumers are grad ua lly turned off
to p revent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus maintain starting capability .
Dynamic energy management
W hil e the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en
e rgy management dist ributes t he energy gen-
Int ellig ent technolog y 203
erated according to the needs of the individ u
al components. It regulates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti
mal state of charge for the battery.
(D Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited.
- If start ing ability is t hreatened, the indi
cator light(•] appears¢
page 34 .
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
star ting capability.
The battery is severe ly taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traff ic and during the cold time
of year. Abundant elect rical energy is re
quired, but only a lit tle is generated . It is also
crit ical if the engine is not running and electri
cal components are turned on. In this in
stance ene rgy is be ing consumed but none is
being genera ted .
It is in precisely these situations that you will
not ice energy management actively regulat
ing the d istribution of ene rgy.
Vehicle stand s for an e xtended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, e lectr ical compo
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and ma in
ta ins start ing capability over a longer pe riod .
Some of the convenience func tions may not
opera te , such as the interior ligh ts or the
power seat adjustment. The convenience
funct ions w ill be available again when you
switch on the ignition and start the engine.
With the en gine turn ed off
If you listen to the radio, for exam ple, w ith
the engine turned off or use other MMI* func-
tions, the battery is being discharged .
11>-
•
•

204 Intelligent technology
If starting capability is jeopa rdized due to en
ergy consumption, the following warning ap
pears in the radio or MMI* display:
Please start engine, otherwise system will
switch off in 3 minutes.
The warning ind icates that the system will be
turned off automatically after 3 minutes. If
you wish to continue using the functions, you
have to start the engine .
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is be ing driven, the battery can be
come discharged . Thi s happens mostly when
little ene rgy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state o f
charge is not optima l.
To bring the energy balance back into equili
brium, consumers which require especially
l arge amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off. Heating systems in par
ticular require a great dea l of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporar ily cut back or switched
off. These systems will be ava ilable again as
soon as the energy balance has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has been increased slightly. This is normal and not
a cause for concern . By increas ing engine idle
speed the add it iona l energy required is gener
ated and the battery is charged.

A WARNING ,~
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the exhaust system area or a fire could sta rt.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, o r over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make ce rtain that
l ow -lying parts such as spoi lers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and f ully load
ed vehicles.
Shutting down vehicle
I f you wou ld like your veh icle to remain inop
erative for a longer period of time, contact an
Audi or other specialized dealer. They can ad
vise you on necessary precautions e.g . corro
sion prevention, ma intenance and storage.
Pay attention to add itiona l information con
cerning the battery. Refer to
c::> page 242 .
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and t ires largely
depend on th ree factors:
- you r persona l dr iving style
- operating conditions
- technica l lim itations
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 207
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, yo u can easily cut yo ur
fuel consumpt ion by 10 -15 percent. T his sec
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
Q) Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary depending upon vehi
cle load and speed, road and weather con
dit ions, t rip leng th, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac
celerating .
.,. Avo id u nnecessary accelerating and b rak ing.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac
ce le rat ing . If you ant icipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thu s, acce le rate less. Le t the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next t raff ic light is re d.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
.,. Try and keep well below your car 's maximum
speed.
Acce le rat ing gently reduces fue l cons ump
tion, eng ine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust emiss ions and e n
gine noise inc rease disproport ionately at high
speeds . If you driv e at app rox imately th ree
quarte rs of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one ha lf. Never d rive fas ter
t han the pos ted speed limi t and weathe r con
ditions pe rmit.
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•

208 Driving and environment
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
.,. Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle .
The idling phase is automatically reduced for
vehicles with the Start-Stop -System* . It is ef
fic ient to sw itch
off the eng ine in vehicles
without the Start-Stop-System* when stopped
at railroad crossings and long red lights. Turn
ing the eng ine
off for just 30-40 seconds
saves more fuel than is burned by sta rting the
engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to wa rm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. However , wear
and nox ious emissions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter starting. If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
would go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which could resu lt in over
heat ing or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel .
.,. Have your vehicle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
author ized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically . The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ab ility to hold its value, it also affects
fuel
consumption. Check
your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been driven .
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 mi les
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fuel consumption and en
gine output .
(0 Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec
ommendations in your Warranty
& Ma in
tenance booklet. Lack of proper ma inte
nance as well as improper use of the ve
hicle will impair the function of the
em iss ion control system and could lead
t o damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat shie lds , switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System
and other important vehicle compo
nents.
' Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips.
... Try to avoid driving sho rt distances w it h a
cold engine .
T he eng ine and catalytic converter have to
reach their optimal
operating temperature to
reduce fuel consumpt ion and nox ious emis
sions effectively.
Jus t after starting, a cold engine in a mid-s ize
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les
per gallon (30 -40 l/100 km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg .,..

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
T railer towing not only places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita
ble for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically sound location. Use only a trailer
hitch with a removable ball mount. Always
check with the trailer hitch manufacturer to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
T he hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb
ing bumper system. No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys
tems . From time to time, check that all hitch
mounting bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trailer hitch ball mount. This prevents the
hitch from causing damage should your vehi
cle be struck from behind
¢ &. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking sys
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations .
Trailer towing 213
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
¢ &. .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations . Be
sure to check with your authorized Audi dealer
for correct wiring, switches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors.
It is important
that you always have clear vision to the rear .
.8, WARNING
- If a trailer has electrical brakes please
note that these brakes are not activated
by the factory-fitted control unit -risk of
accident!
- After removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and
injure you or your passengers.
- Never install a "weight distributing" or
"load equalizing" trailer hitch on your ve
hicle. The vehicle was not designed for
these kinds of trailer hitches . The hitch
attachment can fail, causing the trailer
to tear loose from the vehicle .
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
vehicle, found on the safety compliance
label on the driver's side B-pillar, must
never be exceeded under any circumstan
ces. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating of your vehicle is likely to damage
your vehicle, and such damage will not
be covered by your Limited New Vehicle
Warranty. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating will also change the per
formance and handling characteristics of
your vehicle, which could cause a crash resulting in serious injury or death.
-
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214 Trailer towing
Operating instructions
6"
i ~
I 1,2 ..
{ ~
~
,,
-
2
Fig. 189 Pe rmi tted ball posit ion of the tra iler h itch
T ra ile r tow ing weight s
With a factor y-insta lled or an afte rm arket
trailer h itch, the max imum permissib le trailer
weight is 4,400 lbs (2,000 kg). The maximum perm iss ible unbraked trailer weight is 1,650
lbs (750 kg). These spec ifications apply when
driving on roads hav ing an incl ine of less than
12%.
P erm is s ible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these
changed condit ions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al
l owable or slightly lower . You can get an ap
p rox imation of the tongue load w ith a bath
room scale or you can measure the load at a
tr ucking company or weighing sta tion.
W ith a
fact ory -in stall ed or an aftermarket
trailer h itch, the max imum pe rm issible load
on the ball hitch may not exceed 440 lbs (200 kg).
It is recommended to use the maxi
mum permissible load .
Trailer lo ad distribut ion
Be sure the load in the trai ler is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting fo rward,
backward or s ideways.
N eve r allow a p assenger to rid e in a trail er
¢ .&. in Driving instructions on page 215.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with su ita
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 189. Installa
tion of the hitch ball must be carr ied out in ac- cordance with the manufacturer's instruc
tions.
Eng ine cooling system
T owing a t railer makes the engine work hard
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressur e
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressu re listed under
" F u ll load" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B·
pillar. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire
manufacturers' spec ificat ions.
Lights
T he headlight settings shou ld be checked wi th
the trai ler attached before driving off . Check
to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con
nected from the tra iler to the hitch on the ve
hicle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of separation from the hitch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
T o obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and t railer, please note the fo llowing :
.,. Do not tow a loaded t railer when you r ca r it
self is not loaded .
.. Be especially caref ul when passing ot her
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limits.

~ Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
~ Always apply brakes early.
~ Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded tra iler with an empty ca r re
sults in a high ly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permiss i
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi
ble under the circumstances. Whenever possi
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com
partment of the tow vehicle wh ile observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -part icularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail
er shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
for veh icles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles.
Always apply brakes early . When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en
g ine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to ove rheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
T he coolant temperature gauge c:> page 10
must be observed carefully . If the needle
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re
duce speed immed iate ly and/or turn off the
air cond itioner.
Trailertowin g 215
If the coolant temperature warning light in
the instr ument cluster starts flashing., pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build -up.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
prov ided by Audi .
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing
-
a trailer because of the additional weight and
different weight distr ibut ion. Safety, perform
ance and economy will greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your tra iler, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become completely familiar w ith the way
your vehicle-tra ile r combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a trailer generally requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
u p you r vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater d ista nce between your ve
hicle and the one in front of you. You w ill need
more room to stop. To compensate fo r the
trailer, you w ill need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac
celerate as fast as you normally would be
cause of the added load. Make sure yo u have
enough room to pass. After passing, a llow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts , sharp t urns or rapid lane
changes.
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