Transmission Manual transmission
Gearshift lever
App lies to vehicles: with manual transmission
The clutch pedal must be depressed all the
way before you can start the engine.
T he manual transmission in your Audi is
equipped with an
interlock-feature.
~ Depress the clutch pedal all the way.
~ Start the eng ine with the gearshift lever in
Neutral and the clutch pedal depressed.
(D Note
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when
changing gears . Do not hold the vehicle on
a hill with the clutch pedal partially de
pressed. This may cause premature clutch
wear or damage .
@ Tips
-Resting your hand on the gearshift lever
knob while driving will cause premature
wear in the transmission.
- The back-up lights go on when you shift
into Reverse w ith the ignition on.
Gearshift pattern (6-speed manual
transmission)
Applies to vehicles: with manual transmission
Fig. 102 Gearshift pattern : 6-speed manual transmis
sio n
Engaging reverse gear (R)
~ Move the shift lever all the way to the left,
press it down, then push it forward . Transmission
91
Especially after driving forward, stop the vehi
cle completely, shift into
Neutral and rest the
shift lever br iefly in Neutral before shift ing in
to
Reverse.
multitronic., S tronic.,
tiptronic
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic/S tronic/tiptronic
The automatic transmission is controlled elec
tronically. The transmission upshifts or down
shifts automatically depending on which drive
program is selected .
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most economical
driving mode. It will then change up early and
delay the downshifts to give better fuel econ
omy .
The transmission switches to a sporty mode
after a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driving style characterized by quick ac
celerator pedal movements, heavy accelera
t ion, frequent changes in speed and trave ling
at the maximum speed.
If desired, the driver can also select the gears
manually (tiptronic mode) ~ page 91.
Various automatic transmissions may be in
stalled, depending on the model:
multitronic transmission
The multitronic transmission is a continuously
variable transmission. Power is transferred us
ing a multidisk clutch. In contrast to conven
tional automatic transmissions using shifting
operations, the transmission ratio in the con
tinuously variable transmission is changed
continuously . This optimizes the comfort level
and conserves fuel.
S tronic transmission
The S tronic is a dual-clutch transmission .
Power is transferred using two clutches that
work independently from one another_ They
replace the torque converter used in conven
tiona l automatic transmissions and allow the ..,_
92 Transmission
vehicle to accelerate without a noticeable in
terruption in traction.
tiptronic transmission
I n the tiptronic transmission, power is trans
ferred by a torque converter.
Selector lever positions
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic/5 tronic/tiptronic
Fig. 103 Display in the in stru me nt duste r: selecto r
lever in position P
The selector lever position engaged appears
next to the selector lever as well as in the in
strument cluster display.
P - Park
In this selector lever position the transmis
sion is mechanically locked. Engage P only
when the vehicle is
completely stopped ¢ &
in Driving the automatic transmission on
pag e 94 .
To shift in or out of pos ition P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the release button in the selector lever handle
wh ile mov ing the se lector lever to or from P.
You can shift out of this position only with the
ignition on .
R-Reverse
Select R only when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed ¢ & in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 94 .
Before you move the selector lever to R, press
both the release button in the handle of the
selector lever
and the brake pedal at the same
time. When the
ignition is on, the backup lights illu
minate when the selector lever is moved into
R.
N -Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this position .
Shift to this position for standing with the
brakes applied ¢
& in Driving the automatic
transmission on page 94.
When the vehicle is stat ionary or at speeds
below 1 mph (2 km/h), yo u must always apply
the footbrake before and whi le moving the
lever out of N.
D/S - Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S position, the transmission can be
operated either in the normal mode D or in
the sport mode S . To select the sport mode S,
pull the selector lever back briefly. Pulling the
lever back again will se lect the normal mode
D. The instrument cluster disp lay shows the
selected driving mode.
In the
normal mode D, the transmission auto
matically selects the suitable gear ratio.
It de
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driv
ing style .
Select the
sport mode S for sporty driving .
T he vehicle makes full use of the engine's
power. Shift ing may become noticeable when
accelerating.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds
below 1 mph (2 km/h), you must always app ly
the foot brake before and while moving the lever to D/S out of N.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS ¢ & in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 94 .
(D Note
Coasting downhill with the transm ission in
N and the engine not running will result in
damage to the automatic transmission
and possibly the catalytic conve rter. .,..
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 electronic i nteraxle differential lock* /selective
wheel torque control* . ESC is switched on all
the t ime. I n certain s ituations when you need
less traction, you can switch
off ASR by press
i ng the button~~
page 188, fig. 174 or
~ page 188, fig. 175. Be sure to sw itch ASR
on again when you no longer need less trac
tion.
Anti-lock b ra king s ystem (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking. The vehicle can still be steered
even d uring hard brak ing . Apply ste ady p res
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped
a l. A pulsing in the brake peda l indicates t hat
the system is he lping you to brake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease bra king
d istance. It increases braking power when the
d river presses the brake pedal quick ly in eme r
gency situations . You must press and hold the
brake peda l until the situation is over. In
veh icles w ith adaptive cru ise contro l*, the
brake assist system is more sensit ive if the
d istance detected to the veh icle 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.
Elect ronic diffe renti al lo ck (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other drive
wheel or wheels if the vehicle is equipped with
all-wheel drive*. This function is available up
to about 60 mph (100 km/h) .
In extreme cases, EDL automatica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating. EDL w ill switch on again au-
Intellig ent technolog y 187
tomat ica lly when conditions have returned to
norma l.
Dynamic steering*
On vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC helps
stab il ize the s teer ing in crit ica l sit uat io ns.
Electronic interaxle differential lock* /
selective wheel torque control*
T he electronic i nteraxle differential lock (front
whee l dr ive) or the se lective whee l to rque
control (all-whee l dr ive) opera tes when dr iv
ing thro ugh curves. The front wheel on the in
side of the c urve or both whee ls on the inside
of the curve are braked selectively as needed .
This min imizes sliding in the front wheels and
allows for more precise driving through
cu rves . The applicable system may not acti
vate when dr iv ing in wet or snowy conditions.
A WARNING
- ESC, ABS , ASR, EDL dynam ic steering*
a nd the elect ronic interaxle differential
loc k* /se lective wheel torque control*
cannot overcome the laws of physics .
This is especially important on slippery
or wet roads. If the systems begin acting
to stabilize your veh icle, yo u should im
mediately change your speed to match
the road and traff ic 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, col lision and ser ious per
sonal injuries.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffi c
and wea ther conditions. The risk of los
ing con tro l of the vehicle increases 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 ass ist sys
tem, ASR, EDL dynam ic steering* and the
electronic interaxle differentia l lock*/se
lective whee l torque control* cannot p re-
vent co llisions . ..,.
•
•
192 Intelligent technology
(D Tips
-If the . or 'Tj indicator light only stays
on for a short time, you may continue
driving.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems
are not available in the event of a system
malfunction.
- For additional information on dynamic
steering*, refer to
c:> page 113.
Driving with your
quattro
App lies to vehicles: with a ll-wheel drive
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv
en .
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels . This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time . See also
c:> page 186.
A center differential distributes the driving
power variably to the front and rear axle .
It
works together with selective wheel torque
control , which activates when driving through
curves
c:> page 187. With the sport differen
tial*, power distribution to the rear wheels is
variable and can be adjusted with drive select
c:>page 113.
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for
high engine power . Your vehicle is exception
ally powerful and has excellent driving charac
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precautions
c:> & .
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 c:> page 246, Winter tires .
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to vehicles
with all-wheel drive
c:> page 247, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with all-wheel drive must always have tires of the same size. Also avoid tires
with different tread depths. For details see
page
c:> page 242, 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
c:> page 195.
A WARNING
-
Always adjust your driving to road and traf-
fic 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 limited 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 engine speed as with a front
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at
speeds which are suited to the road con
ditions -risk of crash.
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.53 inch
(13.5 mm), including the lock .
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
~ 0. For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail
able from authorized Audi dealers.
~ WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi
cle or installing them incorrectly can in
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different sizes. Always make sure to follow the in
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
(j) Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all wheel drive.
Tires and wheels 24 7
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of wheel bolts is ma tched to the
factory inst alled rims. If different rims are fit
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly.
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model~
page 2 77.
&_ WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of
control , a collision and serious personal in
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop
erly tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque .
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed .
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle.
-Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi
cle is moving.
If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be
come loose.
(I} Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is
90 ft lbs . (120 Nm) with a tolerance of
± 7,4 ft lbs. (± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts .,..
•
•
248 Tires and wheels
diagonally. After changing a wheel, the
torque must be checked as soon as possi
ble with a torque wrench -preferably by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road feel
and handling under a variety of driving condi
tions. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's size
designation. The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage. Conven
tional tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is
particularly sensitive to improper inflation
pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the inflation pressure is
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres
sures should be checked at least once a
month and always before a long trip
~ page 23 7, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
underinflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom
mend that you observe the following precau
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation
pressures. Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if neces
sary. -
Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged
tire as soon as possible .
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear. Damage is not al
ways easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, which could eventu
ally cause tire failure.
If you believe that a
tire may have been damaged, replace the
tire as soon as possible.
- These tires may wear more quickly than oth
ers.
- Please also remember that, while these tires
deliver responsive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold
season conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in
tended for maximum dry and wet road per
formance and handling. They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If
you drive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those conditions. We suggest you use the rec
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your vehicle , or their equivalent.
Refer to
~ page 246 for more detailed infor
mation regarding winter tires.
256 What do I do now?
also c:> page 2 5 6, Decorative wheel cov
ers
or c:> page 256, Wheels with wheel
bolt caps .
2. Loosen the wheel bolts c:> page 2 5 7.
3 . Locate the proper mount ing point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
<=> page 257.
4. Lift the car with the jack c:> pag e 257 .
5. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
the n in st all the
spare tire c:> poge 258 .
6. Tigh ten all wheel bo lts light ly .
7 .
Lower the ve hicle with the jack .
8 . Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly
tighten all whee l bolts in a crisscross pat
tern
<=> page 257.
9. Replace the decorative wheel cover* or
the
wheel bolt caps* .
A WARNING
Always read an d follow all WAR NIN GS and
inf orma tion
c:> .&. in Raising the vehicle on
p age 258
and c:> pa ge 259.
After changing a wheel
A wh eel change is no t complete without th e
doing th e following .
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*,
and the replaced ti re in the l uggage com
partment
c:> page 13 4 .
.,. Check the tire pressure o f the spa re tire as
s oo n as pos sib le .
.,. As so on as possible, have t he
tightening
torques
on a ll w heel bo lts checked wi th a
tor que wrench . The correct tightening t or
que is 90
ft l bs. (120 Nm) .
.,. Have the flat tire
replaced as soo n as poss i
ble .
(j) Tips
-If you notice t hat the whee l bolts are
corroded and difficult to t urn w hile
c hanging a t ire, they should be replaced
be fore yo u ch eck the tighte ning torqu e.
- Driv e at reduc ed s peed unt il you have the
t ig hten ing torques checked .
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to vehicles: with decorative wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts .
Fig. 200 Cha ng in g a w hee l: r em ovi ng t he w hee l cover
Removing
.,. Inse rt th e hook prov ided with the vehicle
t oo l kit in the ho le in the hub.
.,. Pull o ff the
decor ative wheel cover
<=>fig . 20 0.
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to vehicles: with wheel bolts with caps
The caps mus t be removed firs t from the
wheel bolts before the bolts can be un
screwed .
Fig. 201 Cha ng in g a w hee l: re m ovi ng t he w hee l bo lt
caps
Removing
.,. Pu sh the plastic clip provi ded with t he vehi
cle tool ki t ove r the w heel bolt ca p until it
engage s.
.,. Pull on the
plastic clip to remove the cap
r:!) fig . 201.
260 What do I do now?
-Check the tire pressure on the spare imme
diately after installation.
- Have the wheel bolt tightening torque
checked with a torque wrench as soon as possible by your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop.
- With steel and alloy wheel rims , the wheel
bolts are correctly tightened at a torque of
90 ft lbs . (120 Nm).
- If you notice that the wheel bolts are cor
roded and difficult to turn while changing
a tire, they should be replaced before you
check the tightening torque .
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and
have it installed on your vehicle as soon as
possible. Remount the wheel cover.
Until then, drive with extra care and at re
duced speeds .
A WARNING
-If you are going to equip y our veh icle
with t ires or rims w hich diffe r from t hose
w hich w ere facto ry ins talled, th en be
s ure to read the in for mati on ~
pag e 242,
N ew tir es a nd replacing tires and
wheel s.
- Always make su re the damaged w heel or
eve n a fla t tire and the ja ck and to ol kit
a re prop erly secure d in the lug gage com
par tment and are not loose in the pas
senger com partment .
- In an a cciden t or sud den m ane uver they
cou ld fly forwar d, inju ring anyone in the
vehicle.
- Always s tore d amage d w hee l, ja ck a nd
tool s secure ly in the lu g gage com part
me nt. Otherw ise, in an acc ident or sud
den maneuver they cou ld fly fo rward,
causing injury to passenge rs in the veh i
cle .
@ Note
Do not use commerc ia lly available t ire
sea lants. Othe rwise, the elect rical compo
ne nts of the tire pressure mon itor ing sys
tem* will no longer wo rk p roperly and the
sensor for th e tire p ressur e monito rin g system
* wi ll h ave to be repla ced by qu ali
fied workshop .