Automatic Transmission
multitronic, S tronic,
tiptronic
Introduction
App lies to vehicles: with multit ro nic/S tronic/t ipt ronic
The automat ic transm iss ion is controlled elec
tronically . The transmiss ion ups hifts or down
shifts automatically depend ing o n which drive
p rog ram is se lect ed.
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
tra nsmission selects the most econom ica l
d riving mode .
It will then change up early and
de lay the downshifts to g ive bette r fu el econ
omy.
The transmission switches to a sporty mode after a k ick- down or when the drive r uses a
sporty driving style ch aracte rized by quick ac
celerator peda l movements, heavy ac celera
tion, frequent ch anges in speed and traveling
at the maximum spee d.
I f desired, the drive r can a lso se lect the gears
manually ( tiptronic mode ) ¢ page 111.
Various automat ic transm issions may be in
stalled, depend ing o n the mode l:
multitronic transmi ssion
The mult itron ic transm ission is a continuously
variable transmission. Power is transferred us i n g a mu ltidisk clutch . In contrast to conven
tional automat ic transm iss ions using shift ing
ope rations, the transmiss ion ratio in the con
tinuously va riab le transm iss io n is changed
con tinuously. Th is op timi zes the com fort level
a nd co nserves fuel.
S tronic transmission
The S tronic is a dual -clutch transmission .
P owe r is transfe rred using two clutches that
wo rk ind ependen tly from one a nother. They
r e pl ace the tor qu e conve rter u sed in co nven
tional a utoma tic transm iss io ns an d allow t he
ve hicl e to accelerate without a no ticeable in
ter ruption in traction.
Automatic Transmission 107
tiptronic transmission
In the tipt ronic t ra nsm issio n, p ower is trans
f erred by a to rque converter .
Selector lever positions
Applies to vehicles: wit h mult itronic/5 tro nic/tiptro nic
Fig . 1 12 Disp lay in th e inst rume nt cluster: selector
l ever pos itio n
The selector leve r pos ition engaged appears
next to the se lector lever as well as in the in
strument cluster d isp lay.
P -Park
In this se lector lever posi tion the transm is
s io n is mechanica lly locked. Engage P on ly
whe n the vehicle is
completely stopped¢&.
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 110.
T o sh ift i n or out of posit io n P, you must first
press and ho ld the brake pedal and then press
the re lease b utton in the selector lever hand le
whi le moving the selector lever to or from P .
You can shift out of th is position only with the
ignition o n.
R -Reverse
Se lect R on ly when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed¢ A in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 110 .
Before you move the se lector lever to R, press
both the button in the hand le o f the selecto r
lever
and the brake pedal at the same t ime .
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illu
m inate when the selecto r lever is moved into
R. .,.
The Automatic Shift Lock only functions when
the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below
1 mph (2 km/h).
At speeds above about 1 mph (2 km/h) the
Automatic Shift Lock is automatically deacti
vated in the N position.
A time delay element prevents the se lector
l eve r from locking when it is moved thro ugh
the N position (going from R to 0/5). The lock
ing e lement will lock the selector lever if the
lever is left in N (Neutral) for more than ap
prox imately 2 second, without the brake ped
al being pressed.
R elease button
The release button on the selector lever pre
vents the lever from being accidenta lly shifted
into certain positions. Depending on the direc
tion of the shift, the selector lever locks at d if
ferent positions. The positions are h ighlighted
in the illustration
¢ fig . 113 .
Driving the automatic transmission
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic/S tronic/t iptronic
Fig . 114 Sh ift gate on the center conso le: selector lev
er w ith release button
Starting the engine
.., The selector lever must be in P or N .
Starting off
.., Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
.., Press and hold the release button in these
lector lever handle, se lect the desired selec
tor lever pos ition such as D/S and release
the button .
.., Wa it br iefly until the transmission has sh ift
ed (you will feel a slight movement).
Automatic Tra nsmi ssi on 109
.., Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
accelerate.
Stopping t emporarily
.., Keep the veh icle stationa ry using the brak
ing pedal , for example at traffic lights.
.., Do not press the accelerator peda l w hen do
ing this .
.., To prevent the vehicle from ro lling when you
start dr iving, set the parking brake when
stopping on steep inclines¢.&_ .
.., The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start mov ing once you
press the accelerator pedal.
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
Transm ission: Car
may roll! Shift to park !
appears.
.., Press and hold the brake peda l until the ve-
hicle has come to a complete stop .
.., Apply the parking brake¢
page 78, Parking.
.., Select the P selector lever posit ion c::> ,&. .
Stopping on a n incline
.., Always press the brake pedal to ho ld the ve
hicle in place and prevent it from "rolling
back"
c::> .&_ . Do not try to prevent the veh i
cle from "rolling back" when a gear is en
gaged by increas ing the engine speed
c:::, (D ,
Sta rting on an incline
.., Activate the parking brake .
.., With the driving gear selected, press the ac
celerator peda l carefully. The parking brake
w ill release automatically if your seat belt is
fastened .
Under certain circumstances, such as driving
in the mounta ins, it may be useful to switch
temporarily to the manual shift program in or
der to ad just the gears to the driv ing cond i
tions by han d
¢page 111.
On s lopes, 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. .,.
112 Automatic Tran sm iss ion
Kick-down
Applies to vehicles: with multitron ic/S tronic/t iptronic
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration .
Applies to ve hicle s w ith a multit ro nic
t ransmi ssion
When you depress the accelerator pedal be
yond the resistance po int, the transmission
downshifts into a lower gear ratio depend ing
on the vehicle speed and engine speed. As
l ong as the accelerator peda l is depressed, the
engine speed is automat ica lly regulated for
maximum accelera tion.
Appli es to veh icl es with a S tronic -/,
tiptronic tran smi ssion
When you depress the accelerato r pedal be
yond the resistance po int, the a utomat ic
transmission downshifts into a lower gear, de
pending on vehicle speed and engine speed.
T he upshift into the next higher gear takes
p lace once the maximum specified engine
speed is reached.
A WARNING
,-
Please note that the drive wheels can spin
if kick-down is used on a smooth slippery
road - there is a risk of skidding .
Launch Control Program
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
The Launch Control Program provides the
best acceleration possible when starting from
a stop .
Requirement : The engine must be at operat
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned .
.. Press the
I~ O FFI button c> page 196 while
the engine is running. The
1B indica tor light
illuminates in the instrument cluster and
Sta bilization contr ol (ESC ): Off Warn ing!
R educed stabi lit y
appears in the dr iver in
fo rmat io n system disp lay .
.. Move the selecto r lever to position D/S to
select sport mode (5) or select
D ynam ic
mode in Audi dr ive select <=> page 101 . ..
Press the brake pedal strongly with your left
foot and hold it down for at least 1 second .
.. At the same time, press the acce lerator ped
al down completely with your right foot un
til the eng ine reaches and maintains a high
RPM .
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal
w ith in 5 seconds <=>,&. .
_&. WARNING
-Always adapt your dr iving to the traff ic
f low.
- On ly use the Launch Contro l Program
when road and t raff ic condi tions a llow it
and other d rivers w ill not be endangered
or annoyed by your driving and the vehi
cle's acceleration.
- Please note that the driving wheels can spin and the vehicle can b reak away
when sport mode is switched on, espe
cially when the road is slippery.
- Once you have accelerated, you shou ld
sw itch sport mode off by pressing the
I~ OFF I button.
(D Tips
- The transmission temperature may in
crease signif icantly after using the
Launch Control Program. If that hap
pens, the program may not be availab le
for a few minutes. It will be ava ilable
again after a cool-down period.
- When accelerating using the Launch
Contro l Program, all vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads . Th is can result in
increased wear .
Transmission malfunction
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic/S tronic/tiptronic
[O] Tran smi ssio n: Pr ess brake pedal and se
lect ge ar again
Press the brake peda l and select the desired
selector lever position again. You can the n
continue d riving .
[O] Tran smi ssion overheating: Plea se drive
con servatively
The transmission temperature has increased
significantly due to the sporty driving manner. Drive in a less sporty manner until the tem
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can con
tinue driving
There is a system ma lfunction in the transmis
sion. You may continue driving. Drive to your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair fa
cility soon to have the malfunction corrected .
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can con
tinue driving with limited functionality
There is a system malfunction in the transmis
sion . The transmission is switching to emer
gency mode. This mode only shifts into cer
tain gears or will no longer shift at a ll. The en
gine may stall. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected .
[O] Iii Transmission malfunction: No reverse
gear. You can continue driving
S tronic transmission: There is a system mal
function in the transmission. The transmis
sion is switching to eme rgency mode. This
mode on ly shifts into certain gears or wi ll no
longer shift at all. The engine may sta ll. You
cannot engage the reverse gear. Drive to your
authorized Audi dealer or qualif ied repair fa
cility immediately to have the malfunction
corrected .
[O] Transmission malfunction: Stop vehicle
and shift to P
Do not continue driving. Select the P selector
lever position and see your authorized Audi
dea ler or qualified repair facility for assis
tance.
(D Note
If the transmission switches to emergency
mode, you shou ld take the vehicle to an
author ized Audi dealersh ip as soon as pos
sible to have the cond ition corrected.
Automatic Transmission 113
Selector lever emergency release
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic/5 tronic/t iptronic
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selec
tor lever can be released in an emergency .
Fig. 117 Front center console: se lector lever emergen ·
cy release
.,. To reach the emergency release mechanism,
remove the ashtray insert*.
.,. Loosen and remove the small cap in the ash
tray mount ~
fig. 117 .
.,. You now have access to a bolt. Using a
screwdriver or similar, press the bolt down
and hold it down .
.,. Now press the interlock and move the se lec-
tor lever to the N position.
T he selector lever can only be moved from the
P position if the ignition is turned on. If the
power supply fai ls (for example, the battery is
discharged) and the vehicle must be pushed
or towed, move the selector lever to the N po
sition first using the emergency release.
114 Parking system s
Parking systems
General information
A ppl ies to vehicles: with parkin g system plus/rear view
camera/peripheral cameras
Depending on your vehicle's equ ipment, vari
ous parking a ids wi ll help you when pa rk ing
and maneuvering.
The
p ar king sy st e m plu s assists you when
pa rking by audib ly and visually indicat ing ob
jects detected
in front of and behind the vehi
cle
~ page 115.
The rear view ca m era shows the area behind
the vehicle in the Infotainment d isp lay. This
d isplay assists you when you are c ross o r par
allel parking
q page 116. In addit ion, you are
assisted by the functions from the parking
system plus
~ page 115 .
The peripher al cam era s ass ist you with park
ing and maneuvering. You are aided by var ious
cameras depending on the vehicle equipment leve l
¢page 119. In addition, you are assist
ed by the functions from the parking system
plus ¢ page 115.
A WARNING
- Always look for traff ic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it di
rectly as well . The parking system cannot
rep lace the d river's attent ion. The dr iver
is always respons ible for safety during
p arki ng and for all other maneuvers.
- Please note that some surfaces, such as
clothing, a re not detected by the system.
- Senso rs and cameras have blind spots in
wh ich peop le and objects ca nnot be de
te cted. Be especially cau tious of children
and animals.
- T he sensors can be displaced by impacts
or damage to the radia to r grille, bumpe r,
wheel housing and the unde rbody. The
par king systems may become impaired
as a resu lt . Have your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop check their
function. -
Make s ure the sensors are not covered by
stickers, deposits or any other obstruc
tions as it may impair the sensor func
tion . For information on cleaning, refer
to
~ page 210.
(D Note
- Some objects are not detected by the
system under certain c ircumstances:
- Obje cts su ch as ba rrie r chains, trailer
draw bars, vertical po les or fences
- Objects above t he senso rs such as wall
extensions
- Objects w ith specific surfaces or struc
tures su ch as chain link fences or pow
der snow.
- If you conti nue d riving closer to a low- ly
ing object, it may disappea r from the
sensor range. Note th at yo u w ill no lon
ger be warned abo ut this obstacle.
(j) Tips
- T he system may provide a wa rni ng even
t ho ugh the re are no obs ta cl es in the cov
erage a rea in some situa tions, such as:
- certain road surfaces or for long grass.
- externa l ultrasonic sources e.g. from
clean ing vehicles.
- heavy rain, snow or thick vehicle ex
ha ust.
- We recommend that you practice park
ing in a traff ic-free location or park ing
lot to become familiar w ith the system.
When doing this, there should be good light and weather cond itions .
- You can change the volume and pitch of
the s ignals as we ll as the disp lay
¢page 124.
- Please refer to the instructions for tow
ing a t railer
¢ page 125.
- What appears in the infotainment dis
play is somewhat time-delayed.
126 Homelink
Homelink
Universal remote
control
General information
Applies to vehicles: with Homelink u nive rsal remote con
tro l
The HomeLink universal remote control can
be programmed with hand-held transmitters
from existing equipment.
With Homelink, 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 replace
three different remote controls from devices in your home with one universal remote . Th is
feature works for most garage door and exte
rior door motor signals. Programming the in
d iv idual remo te control fo r your remote con
trol takes p lace near the center of the radiator
grille. There is a control module attached at
this location .
A one-t ime programm ing of the sensor mus t
be performed before you are able to use sys
tems w ith Homelink.
A WARNING
- Never use the Homelink transmitter
with any garage door opener that does
have not the safety stop and reverse fea
ture as requ ired by federal safety stand
ards. Th is 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 . Us ing a garage doo r
opener witho ut these fea tures increases
risk of serious injury or death.
- 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, this can overstrain motor and
damage its electrical components -an
overheated motor is a fire hazard!
- To avo id possible injuries or property
damage, please always make absolutely
certa in that no persons or objects are lo
cated in the range of motion of any
equ ipment being operated.
(0 Tips
- If you would like additional information
on the Homelink Un iversal Transceiver,
Homelink compatible products, or to
purchase other accessories su ch as the
Homelink Lighting Package, please con
tact Homelink at 1 -800-355-3515 or on
the Internet at www.homelink.com.
- For Declara tion of Comp liance to United
States FCC and Ind ustry Canada reg ula
tions¢
page 286 .
-For security reasons, we recommend that
you clear the programmed b uttons be
fore selling the ve hicle .
Operation
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h Ho melink
Fig . 14 2 Headliner: controls
M 0
9 (!)
~
Requirement: The buttons must be program
med
¢page 127.
"'To open the garage door , press the program
med b utton . The LED @ will light up o r
flash.
"' To close the garage door, press the button
again .
Ill>
128 Driving Safely
Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, child restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this section - for your own
safety as well as that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the
features described in this sections may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others. If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in
structions and heed the WARNINGS in
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the interest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important infor
mation will always be available to the
driver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find it easily if you have
questions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- safety belt pretensioners ,
- safety belt force limiters for the front seats,
- safety belt height adjustment systems for
the front seats,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear
seats*,
- side curtain airbags ,
- special LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features, can work to gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents .
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor
rectly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occu
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen
gers,
before driving always:
.. Make sure that all lights and signals are op
erating correctly.
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and af
ford good visibility to the outside .
.. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
q page 63, q page 60 .
.. Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re-
straints according to their height . .,..
.. Make sure to use the right child rest raint
correct ly to protect children
Q page 173,
Child Safety .
.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same¢
page 52,
General recommendations .
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly ¢
page 138.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver 's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted.
The driver is respons ible for the safety of the
veh icle and all of its occupants.
If your ability
to drive is impai red, safety r isks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road ¢
A.
Therefore:
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passen
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
.. NEVER drive when your driving ability is im
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc .).
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense .
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traff ic
and weather conditions .
.,. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not
drive for more than two hours at a stretch.
.. Do NOT drive when you are t ired, under
pressure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when
ever a vehicle is being used.
Driving Safely 129
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor
tant for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 144 Correct seat ing pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
follow ing pos ition:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
wh ile keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
¢.&_ .
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that th ere is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be
tween the steering wheel and yo ur breast
bone
Q fig. 144. If not possible, see your au
thorized Audi dealership about adaptive
equipment .
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face.
.,. Grasp the top of the steering wheel with
your elbow(s) slightly bent.
.. App lies to veh icles with adjustable head re
s tra ints: Ad just the head restraint so the up
per edge is as even as possible with the top
of your head. If that is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this pos it ion as possible. Move the
head restra int so that it is as close to the
back of the head as poss ible. .,.