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 . .,..
140 Automatic transmission
-Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch. The clutch opens auto
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload. An indicator lamp
[O] illu
minates and a driver message appears
c!;> page 141 when the clutch is overload
ed.
- 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
firmly set¢
page 257. Otherwise, any
increase in engine speed may set the ve
hicle in motion, even with the parking
brake applied.
(D Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator peda l while a driving gear
is selected. This can cause the transmis
sion to overheat and can damage it. Acti
vate the park ing 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 transmiss ion be
cause it is not lubricated under those cir
cumstances.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines.
H ill descent control is activated when these
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmission automatically selects
a gear that is suitab le 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 control switches off once the de
cline levels out or you press the accelerator pedal. When the speed
is set in the cruise control
system
c!;>page 111, hill descent control is al
so activated.
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
Using the manual shift program you can
manually select gears.
Fig. 160 Center console: shift ing the gears manually
Fig. 161 Steering wheel: Sh ift buttons•
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected either with
the vehicle stationary or on the move.
.,. Push the selector lever to the right from D.
An
M appears in the instrument cluster dis
play as soon as the transmission has shifted .
.,. To upshift, push the se lecto r lever forward
to the plus position
0 c!;> fig. 160 .
.,. To downshift, push the lever to the minus
position
Q . 1J>-
Gear selection with paddle levers*
The shift buttons are activated when these
lector lever is in D, Sor the tiptronic manual
shift program .
.,. To upsh ift, touch the button on the right
0
¢fig. 161.
.,. To downshift, touch the button on the left
0-
... If you do not press a shift button within a
short time while in the Dor S position, the
transmission will return to automatic mode .
To keep shifting using the shift buttons, move the selector lever to the right out of
the D position.
The transmission automatically shifts up or
down before critical engine speed is reached.
The transmission only allows manua l shifting
when the engine speed is within the permit
ted range.
(D Tips
- When you sh ift into the next lower gear,
the transmiss ion will downshift only
when there is no possibility of over-rev
ving the engine .
- When the kick-down comes on, the
transmission will sh ift down to a lower
gear, depending on vehicle and engine
speeds.
- Tiptronic is inoperat ive when the trans
mission is in the fail-safe mode .
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you depress the accelerator pedal be
yond the resistance point, the automatic
transmission downshifts into a lower gear, de pending on vehicle speed and engine speed.
The upshift into the next higher gear takes
p lace once the maximum spec ified eng ine
speed is reached.
Autom atic transm ission 141
A WARNING
Please note that the drive wheels can spin
if kick-dow n is used on a smooth slippery
road -there is a risk of skidding .
Transmission malfunction
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can con
tinue driving
There is a system malfunction in the transmis
sion. You may continue driving . Drive to your
authorized Aud i dea ler or qualified repair fa
cility soon to have the malfunction corrected.
[O] Transmission malfunction: limited driv
ing functionality
There is a system malfunction in the transmis
sion. The transmission is switching to emer gency mode . This mode only shifts into cer
ta in gears or will no longer shift at all. The en
gine may sta ll. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the malfunction cor rected.
(D Note
If the transmission switches to emergency
mode, you should take the vehicle to an
a utho rized Aud i dealership as soon as pos
sible to have the condition corrected.
Selector lever emergency release
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selec
tor lever can be released in an emergency.
Fig. 162 Selector lever emergency release
The emergency release is located under a rub-
ber mat. ..,.
156 Adapti ve Air Susp en sion
possible to raise the suspension to a h igh level
above certain speeds .
When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h) is
exceeded for more than 30 seconds, the vehi
cle is automatically lowered to
low level when
in comfort and automatic mode. Ground
clearance is about 0.6 inch (15 mm) less,
compared to the
normal level.
When a speed of about 100 mph (160 km/h)
is exceeded for more than 20 seconds, the ve
h icle is automat ica lly lowered to
highway lev
el
when in automatic and dynamic mode.
Ground clearance is about 1.4 inches (35 mm)
less, compared to the
normal level. Road
hold ing is optimized as a result of the lower
center of gravity, and fuel consumption is re
duced as a result of reduced wind resistance.
Level adjustment Ground clearance
high level 2 about 9.4 inches
(2 40 mm)
high level 1 about 8 inches
(205 mm)
normal leve l about 7 inches
(180 mm)
low level about 6.5 inches
(165 mm)
highway level about 5 .7 inches
(145 mm)
The segment disp lay @ in the MMI Display
c:::> page 157 or in the instr ument cluster dis
p lay
c:::> page 158 shows the current veh icle
level.
Automatic
Select the automatic mode if you prefer a bal
anced, comfortable suspension setting . The
damping characteristics are adjusted accord ingly.
- Autom atic lowe rin g: When a speed of
about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded for
more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is auto
matically lowered by about 0.6 inch (15
mm) to the
low level, wh ich is more suitable
for highway speeds. Road hold ing is opti
mized as a result of the lower ce nter of grav- ity and fuel consumption is reduced as a re
sult of reduced wind resistance . When a
speed of about 100 mph (160 km/h) is ex
ceeded for more than 20 seconds, the veh i
cle is automatically lowered by an addit ional
0.8 inch (20 mm) to
highway level .
-Automat ic raising: When the vehicle is at
highway level and the speed falls below
about 80 mph (130 km/h) for more than 20
seconds, the vehicle is automatically raised
to
low level. Th e vehicle is automatically
raised aga in to
normal level if the speed
fa lls below about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a
pe riod of 2 minutes . The vehicle is raised im
mediately when speed fa lls below about 22
mph (35 km/h).
Dynamic
Se lect the dynam ic mode if yo u pre fer a spor
ty suspension se tti ng. In t his mode, the veh i
cle is lowered to
low level while it is still sta
t ionary and sporty damping characteristics
are selected . The warning light
Ill in the in
strument cluster will come on for a few sec
onds just to rem ind you of the reduced ground
clearance.
If you switch off the engine whi le the vehicle
is in the dynamic mode and then switch on the
ignition once aga in, the
Ill warn ing light will
also come on again for a few seconds as a re minder .
-Automat ic lowe ring: When a speed of
about 100 mph (160 km/h) is exceeded for
more than 20 seconds, the veh icle is auto
mat ically lowered by 0.8 inch (20 mm) to
highway level .
-Automa tic raising: The vehicle is automati
cally ra ised to
low level again, if the speed
fa lls below about 80 mph (130 km/h) for a
pe riod of 20 seconds. The ve hicle i s raised
immed iate ly when speed falls be low about
22 mph (35 km/h).
Comfort
Select the comfort mode if you desire a s us
pension setti ng w ith a special emp hasis on
comfort. Damp ing cha racte ris tics w ith a clear .,.
158 Adapti ve Air Suspens ion
fi lled out, the vehicle is at high level 2 and has
the greatest amount of ground clearance pos
sib le.
While the vehicle is being raised or lowered,
the target level is indicated by an arrow@
c::> fig. 186 or a white border @ c::> fig. 187 . The
arrow/border disappears aga in when the vehi
cle is at the target level.
Limitations to MMI s etting s
Please note that not eve ry dr iving mode can
be selected in every d riving situation . For ex
ample, it is not possible to switch to "lift"
mode at speeds above 12 mph (20 km/h) .
This mode is then shown
greyed out in the
MMI Display.
The vehicle can only be lowered when
all of
the vehicle's doors are closed. If one door is
open, all driving modes whose level sett ing is
belo w the current vehicle level appear
greyed
out
i n the MMI Display. If a door is opened
while the veh icle is being lowered, the lower
ing p rocess is interrupted u ntil all doors are
closed again .
If the system is temporar ily unava ilable due
to, for instance, an empty compressed air
tank, the driving modes that cannot be set ap pear
greyed out in the MM I Disp lay. As soon
as the system is available again, the driv ing
modes can once more be selected in the dis
p lay .
(D} Tips
- Fo r addition al in forma tion on the driv ing
modes
c:;> page 155, Chassis controls.
- When the compressed air tank is empty,
the compressor c an be switched on by
starting the engine . The Adaptive Air
Suspension is once again available, after
waiting a few minutes .
- To prevent over load, the system switches
off tempera rily if seve ral adj ustments
are made in a row. The Adaptive Air Sus
pension is once again available, after
waiting a few minutes. Appearance in the instrument cluster
display
Applies to veh
icles: w ith Adapt ive A ir Suspens ion
You can view th e current vehicle l evel in the
instrument cluster display.
Fi g. 1 88 Display: Adaptive Air Suspension
F ig . 1 89 Display: Adaptive Air Suspension
Repeated, brief tapping of the I RESET ! button
on the windshield wiper lever allows you to
se lect whether information concerning the
trip computer, digital tachometer, nav igat ion*
or "Adapt ive A ir Suspension" is to appear in
t h e instrument cluster d isp lay .
Display of the Adaptive A ir S uspension is auto
matic when the offroad or lift mode is select
ed, or when the vehicle is automatically low
ered in lift mode.
Rai sing and lowe ring
If arrow
(J) is white c::> fig. 188 or c::> fig . 189,
the vehicle is raised.
If arrow @is
white, the vehicle is lowered .
The respective arrow stays on until the level ch ange is complete. The time requ ired fo r a
level change can vary, depending on the cur-
ren t drivi ng conditions . ..,_
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.
162 Homelink
• To open the garage door, press the p rogram
med button . The LED @will light up or
flash.
• To close the garage door, pre ss the button
again.
@ Tips
To open the garage door, press the button,
but do not press it for longer ten seconds
or the Homelink module will switch to
programming mode.
Programming the transmitter
Applies to vehicles: with Home link
F ig . 192 Dis ta n ce between t he b umper an d th e hand
t ransm itter
Programming: phase 1 on th e control unit
1. Sw itch on the ignit ion (do not start the
engine) .
2. Pr ess and hold both of the outer Home
L ink bu ttons
~ page 161, fig. 191 unt il
the L ED @ turns off comple tely (abo ut
20
seconds). Th is procedure clears the stand
ard codes that were set at the facto ry a nd
does
not need to be repeated again to
program the other buttons .
3. Briefly press the Homelink bu tton th at
you would like to program .
4. Wait unti l the LED @beg ins to blink
q ui ck ly. The Homelink modu le w ill now
r emai n in learning mode for
5 minu tes.
5 . Now s tand in fron t of yo ur vehicle wi th
the orig inal hand t ransmit ter for the ga
r age door opener or for the device that
you would l ike to allocate to the Home
Link button.
Programming: phase 2 on the bumper
6. Hold t he or iginal hand transm itter to
war ds the left headlight and the radiator
gr ille ~
fig. 192 .
7. Now activate (press) the hand transmit
ter.
8. Pay attention to the turn signa ls for your
vehicle when activating the hand trans mitter . If the eme rgency flashers blink
three t imes, the programmi ng was suc
cessf ul. If the e mergency flashe r on ly
b links one time, the
5 m in ute time lim it
f or the adap tation has expired or the pro
gramming was unsuccessful. Repeat the
programming from step
3 on the controls
o r select another distance from the
bumpe r.
9. If the garage door or other dev ices st ill
fail to be activated w it h the Home Link
control buttons after prog ramming is
comple ted, it is possib le that these sys
tems might be wor king wi th a rolling code
i ns tead of the n ormal fixed code.
A Roll
ing code programming m ust be per
f ormed
~ page 163 .
Progra m the remaining two buttons ac cord ing
to t he inst ructions ment io ned a bove. Beg in
s imilarly w ith the 3rd step if the program
ming connec tion was successful for the firs t
button.
Remote con tro l units for garage do or ope ners
in Canada are set to stop transmi tting radio
frequency signa ls after two seconds. This time
may not be suffic ie nt for the Homelink sys
tem to learn the radio frequency signa l. Per
form all other steps as desc ribed above.
Erasing the buttons
• Switch on the ignition (do not s tart the en
gine).
• Press and hold both of the outer buttons un
til the LED @turns off completely (abo ut
20 seconds) to erase a ll of the buttons si
mu lt aneously .
• Prog rammed buttons ca nnot be erased ind i
vidually . Reprogram the buttons if necessa-
ry .
II>
,&_ WARNING
-Sa fety belts are the sing le most effective
means availab le to reduce the risk of se
rious injury and death in automobile acci
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear safety belts when the vehicle is mov ing .
- Failure to pay attention to the warning
light that come on, could lead to person
al injury.
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles.
F ig . 197 Unbe lted occupants in a ve hicle heading for a
wall
Fig. 198 The vehicle cras hes into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the
veh icle and the passengers possess energy
which varies with vehicle speed and body weight . Engineers call this energy "kinetic en
e rgy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
g reate r the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Safety belts 175
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor . If
the speed doub les from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Beca use the passenge rs of this vehicle are not
using safety belts¢
fig. 197, they will keep
moving at the same speed the vehicle was
moving just before the crash, until someth ing
stops them -here, the wall¢
fig. 198.
The same principles apply to people sitting in
a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision.
Even at c ity speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50
km/h), the forces acting on the body can
reach one ton (2,000 lbs. or 1,000 kg) or
more . At greater speeds, these fo rces are even
higher.
Peop le who do not use safety belts are also
not attached to their vehicle . In a frontal colli
s ion they will also keep moving forward at the
speed their vehicle was travelling just before
the crash . Of co urse, the laws of physics don't
just app ly to frontal collisions, they determine
what happens in all kinds of acc idents and col
lisions.