Automatic
transmission
tiptronic
Introduction
The automatic transmission is controlled elec
tronically. The transmission upshifts or down
shifts automatically depend ing on which drive
program is selected. The power is transferred
by a torque converter .
When a
mode rate d riv in g s ty le is used, the
transmission selects the most econom ica l
driving mode. It w ill then change up early and
delay the downshifts to g ive better fuel econ
omy.
T he transmission switches to a sporty mode
after a k ick-down or when the driver uses a
spo rty driving sty le characterized by quick ac
celerator pedal movements, heavy accelera
tion, frequent changes in speed and traveling
at the maximum speed.
If desired, the driver can a lso select the gears
manually ( tiptronic mode ) c:> page 140.
Selector lever positions
Fig. 157 D isp lay in t he i nst ru m en t cluster: selecto r
l ever in pos it ion P
The selector lever position engaged appears
next to the selecto r lever as well as in the in
strument clus ter disp lay.
P- P ark
In th is selector lever pos ition the transmis
sion is mechan ically locked . Engage P only
when the vehicle is
completely stopped c:> 11::..
Automa tic tran sm iss ion 13 7
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 139.
T o shift in or out of posit io n P , yo u m ust first
press and ho ld the brake pedal and then press
the re lease button in the selector leve r handle
whi le moving the selector lever to or from P.
You can shift out of th is position only with the
ignition on.
R -Reverse
Se lect R on ly when the vehicle is at a
full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed c:> 11::.. in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 139.
Before you move the se lector lever to R, press
both the button in the hand le o f the selector
lever
and the brake pedal at the same t ime.
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illu
minate when the selecto r lever is moved into
R .
N -Neutral
T he t ransm iss ion is in neut ral in this pos ition.
S hi ft to t his position fo r standing with the
brakes appl ied
c:> 11::.. in Driving the automatic
transmission on page 139 .
The vehicle can
also roll when the engine is stopped .
When the vehicle is stat iona ry or at speeds
below 1 mph (2 km/h), yo u m ust always apply
the footbrake before and whi le mov ing the
lever o ut of
N .
D - Normal position for driving forward
In the no rma l mode D, the t ransmission auto
matically selects the s uitable gear ratio.
It de
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driv
i ng sty le.
S -Sport posit ion
Se lect the sport mode S for spo rty dr iv ing .
T he vehicle makes fu ll use of the eng ine's
power. Shift ing may become noticeable when
acce lerat ing.
When the vehicle is stat ionary or at speeds
below 1 mph (2 km/h), you must always app ly ...,
138 Automatic tr an smis sion
the foot brake before and while moving the
lever to Dor S out of N.
.&_ WARNING
Read and follow a ll WARNINGS
c::> & in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 139.
(D Note
Coasting downhi ll with the transmission in
N and the engine not running wi ll result in
damage to the automatic transmiss ion
and possibly t he catalytic converter.
(D Tips
- If you accidenta lly select N while driv ing,
take your foot off the acce lerator pedal
i mmediately and wait fo r the engine to
s low down to idle before se lecting D.
- If there is a power failure, the selector
l eve r will not move out of t he P position.
The emergency release can be used if
th is happens
c::> page 1 41.
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
The Automatic Shift Lock safeguards you
against accidentally shifting into a forward or the reverse gear and causing the vehicl e to
move unintentionally.
Fi g. 1 58 Sh ift gate: selector lever lock positions and
release button high lighted
The selector lever loc k is released as follows:
.. Turn the ignition on .
.. Step on the brake pedal.
At the same time
press and hold the release button on t he
s ide of the gear se lecto r knob
c::> fig . 158
with your thumb until yo u have moved the
selector lever to the desired position .
Automatic selector lever lock
T he selector leve r is lo cked in the P and N po
s it ions w hen the ig nition is tu rned on . Yo u
mus t press the br ake pedal and t he re lease
button to select another position. As a re
minder to the driver, the following warning
appears in the instrument cluster display
whe n the selector is in P and N:
When stationary apply brake pedal while se
lecting gear
T he Au tomatic Shift Loc k only f unct io ns when
the ve hicl e is stationa ry o r at spee ds be low
1 mph (2 km/h).
At speeds ab ove abo ut 1 mph (2 km/h) the
A ut omat ic Shift Lock is a utomatic ally deac ti
vated in the N position.
A time delay el ement p reven ts the selector
lever from loc king when i t is moved through
the N pos itio n (go ing from R to D). The lo ck
i ng eleme nt w ill lock the selecto r leve r if the
lever is left in N (Neutra l) for more than ap
proximate ly 1 second, without the brake ped
al be ing pressed .
Release button
T he re le ase bu tton on the se lec tor lever pre
ven ts the lever from being acc iden tally shifted
into certa in positions . Press ing this button de
activates the se lector lever loc k. Depending
on the direction of the shift, the se lector lever
locks at differe nt posit ions. The positions are
highlighted in the illustration
<=:> fig . 158.
Ignition key safety interlock
T he key cannot be remove d from the ignition
u nless the selector lever is in t he P park posi
tion. When the ignition key is removed, the
selector lever will be loc ked in the P position.
Driving the automatic transmission
Fig. 159 Shift g ate on the center co nso le: se lector lev
er wi th release butt on
Starting the engine
~ The selector lever must be in P or N .
Starting off
~ Press and hold the brake pedal.
~ Press and hold the release button in these
lector lever handle , select the desired selec
tor lever pos ition such as D and release the
button .
~ Wait briefly until the transmission has shift
ed (you will feel a slight movement).
~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
acce lerate .
Stopping temporarily
~ Keep the vehicle stationary us ing the brak
ing pedal, for examp le at traffic lights.
~ Do not press the accelerato r pedal when do -
ing this.
Stopping /parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
could roll. The message
Transmi ssion : Car
may roll! Shift to park!
appears.
~ Press and hold the brake pedal unt il the ve
hicle has come to a complete stop.
~ Set the parking brake firmly 9 page 110,
Parking.
~ Se lect the P selector lever position 9 &.-
Stopping on an incline
~ Always press the brake pedal to hold the ve
hicle in place and prevent it from "rolling
back"
9 ,& . Do not try to prevent the vehi-
Autom atic transm ission 139
cle from "rolling back" when a gear is en
gaged by increasing the engine speed
c::>(D.
Under certain circumstances, such as driving
in the mountains, it may be usefu l to switch
temporarily to the manual shift program in or
der to adjust the gears to the driving condi
tions by hand
c::> page 140 .
On slopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position.
This prevents too much stress from being
placed on the locking mechanism.
A WARNING
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear.
If you must leave
your veh icle when the engine is running,
apply the park ing brake firmly and move
the selector lever to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "c reeping ", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector
lever is in D, Sor R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the se lector lever position
while the vehicle is stationary and the engine is running.
- Never shift into R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep slope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the bra ke
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hi ll. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re
duces braking performance, increases braking distance or causes complete fa il·
ure of the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it
in place with the brake pedal or parking
brake . .,..
Homelink
Universal remote
control
Description
Applies to vehicles: with Home link
The HomeLink universal remote control can
be programmed with the remote control for
devices that are already present.
With Home Link, you can control devices such
as the garage door, security systems, house
lights , etc. comfortably from the inside of you
vehicle.
Homelink makes it possible for you to rep lace
three different remote controls from devices
in your home with one universal remote. This
feature works for most garage door and exte
rior door motor signals. Programming the in
dividual remote control for your remote con
trol takes place on the left side of the front bumper. There is a control module attached at
this location .
A one-time programming of the sensor must be performed before you are able to use sys
tems with Homelink. If the system does not activate after performing the one-time pro
gramming, check whether the system uses a rolling code
¢ page 163 .
A WARNING
-Never use the Homelink transmitter
with any garage door opener that does
have not the safety stop and reverse fea
ture as required by federa l safety stand
ards. This includes any garage door open
er model manufactured before April 1,
1982.
- A garage door opener which cannot de
tect an object, signaling the door to stop
and reverse does not meet current feder
al safety standards . Using a garage door
opener without these features increases
risk of serious injury or death.
Homelink 161
- For safety reasons never release the
parking brake or start the engine while
anyone is standing in front of the vehicle .
- A garage door or an estate gate may
sometimes be set in motion when the
Homelink remote control is being pro
grammed. If the device is repeatedly ac
tivated, th is can overstrain motor and
damage its electrical components - an
overheated mo to r i s a fire hazard!
- To avoid possib le injuries or property
damage, please always make abso lutely
certa in that no persons or objects are lo
cated in the range of motion of any
equipment being operated.
(0 Tips
- If you would like more information on
Homelink, where to purchase the Home
Link compat ible products, or would like
to purchase the Home Link Home Light
ing Package, please call toll-free :
1-800-355-3515.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula
tions
¢page 319.
-For security reasons, we recommend that
you clear the programmed buttons be
fore selling the vehicle.
Operation
App lies to vehicles : with Homeli nk
111111 111111
-
Fig. 191 Headl iner: controls
Req uirement: The buttons must be program
med
<:!)page 162.
224 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 . EDRs are sometimes ca lled "crash re
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down
loading of data stored by EDRs 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, engine function, emis
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts .
These electronic contro l modules also record
vehicle-related 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 period 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
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) rein
forces driver safety. It reduces the risk of slip
p ing and improves driving stability. ESC de
tects cr itical s ituations such as the vehicle oversteering and
understeering or the wheels
spinning . The vehicle is stabilized by applying
the brakes or reducing engine torque . Once
the ESC is active, the indicator light
G1 blinks
in the instrument cluster.
ESC includes the anti-lock brake system (ABS),
brake assist system, anti-slip regulation
(ASR), electronic differential lock (EDL) and
hill descent control.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking up
when braking. The vehicle can still be steered
even during hard braking. App ly steady pres
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped al. A pulsing in the brake pedal indicates that
the system is helping you to brake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking
distance. It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake pedal quickly in emer
gency situations. You must press and hold the
brake pedal until the situation is over . In
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the
brake assist system is more sensitive if the
distance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
sta rt, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL 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) .
In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked wheel
from overheat ing. EDL will switch on again au
tomat ically when conditions have returned to
normal.
226 Intelligent technology
Offroad mode on Offroad mode off
Behavio r
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The fu ll stabilization function of the ESC
are limited
c> Li::,. .
Operation Press the 1.$ OFFI button.
Indicator fl turns on.
lights
D rive r mes-
Stabilization control (ESC): Offroad.
sages Warning! Rest ricted stability
Hill descent control
The hill descent control is switched on in off
road mode. When slowly descending steep
gradients on loose ground or when the axles
are articulated, h ill descent control provides
assistance by automatically applying the
brakes to keep vehicle speed constant. The ve
h icle is also rendered easier to steer by selec
tive distribution of braking force . Hill descent
control intervenes when:
- the accelerator pedal is not pressed,
- the vehicle is trave lling less than 12 mph
(20 km/h),
- a steep gradient is detected,
-wheel behavio r indicates loose ground or
conditions with poor adhesion (e .g. also ax le
articulation) .
H ill descent control operates both driving for
ward and in reverse . Active hill descent con
trol is deactivated by pressing the accelerator
pedal until the conditions for activation al
ready listed are met again.
A WARNING
You should only switch offroad mode on if
your dr iving abilities and road cond itions
permit.
- The stabilization function is limited
when offroad mode is switched on. The
dr iv ing wheels could spin and the vehicle
cou ld swerve, especially on slick or slip
pery road surfaces.
- You should only sw itch offroad mode on
when driving offroad. and ASR
is available again.
Press the
1 .$ OF FI button again.
fl turns off.
Stabilization control (ESC): On
(D Tips
Offroad mode cannot be switched on when
adaptive cruise control* is switched on .
Brake system
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat
ing conditions and driving habits
c> Li::,. . On
vehicles that are either driven most ly in stop
and-go city traffic or are dr iven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author
ized Audi dealer more often than specified in
the Warranty & Maintenance booklet . Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you should use the braking
effect of the engine . This way, you prevent un
necessary wear on the brake system .
If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inter
vals.
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, b raking force and outs ide cond i
tions such as temperature and humidity.
Moisture or road salt
Under certain conditions, for example, when
driv ing through water or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your veh icle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the bra ke pads. A
f ew careful brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
jll,,
234 Driving and en vironm ent
,8. 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 start.
Avoid damaging the vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam
aged.
This is especia lly true for vehicles with low
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and fully load
ed vehicles.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle 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, maintenance and storage. Pay attention to additional information con
cerning the battery. Refer to
c::> page 268.
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 tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumption by 10-15 percent . This sec
tion will give you some tips on how you can help the environment and your pocketbook.
(D 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, trip length, etc.
· Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they ore ac
celerating.
., Avo id unnecessary accelerating and brak ing.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac
celerating . If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, acce lerate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next traffic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
., Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the environment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con
ditions permit.
240 Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
@ Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
c:::> page 159, Towing a trailer.
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 veh icle'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 cor rect
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The 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
trai ler hitch ball mount. This prevents the
hitch from causing damage should your vehi
cle be struck from behind
c:::> A.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brakin g sys
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
c:::> A .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the tra iler.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check with your authorized Audi dealer
for correct wiring, sw itches, 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 v is ion to the rear .
A WARNING ,-
- If a trailer has electrical brakes please
note that these brakes are not activated
by the factory-fitted control unit -risk of
accident!
- Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in yo ur 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
veh icle, found on the safety compliance
label on the driver's side B-pillar, must
never be exceeded under any c ircumstan
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 ~