88 Transmission
shift gate. Using the emergency re lease can
be complicated. We recommend contacting
your author ized Audi dealer for assistance, if
necessary.
Removing the selector lever boot
.,. Activate the parking brake .
.,. Carefully pry the selector lever boot out o f
t h e trim ® using a sma ll screwdriver .
.,. Pull both sides of the se lector lever boot up-
ward in the direction of the arrow @ .
.,. Fold the selector lever boot upward.
Selector lever eme rgency release
.,. Press the release lever down and hold it in
place
¢ fig . 97 .
.,. Press the release button in the selector lever
© and move the lever into the N pos ition .
.,. Clip the selector lever boot back into the
shift gate after using the emergency re
lease .
If the vehicle must be pushed or towed due to
a power failure (for example, the battery is
discharged), the selector lever must first be
moved to the N pos ition using the emergency
r e lease mechanism.
_& WARNING
Only move the selector lever out of the P
position when the parking brake is activat
ed. Otherwise, the vehicle could start to
move unintentiona lly when the selector
lever is moved out of the P position.
.
-Never modify the front bumper or parts
of the veh icle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replace
ment upho lstery ove r the front seat
backs that have not been spec ifically
approved by Audi.
- Never use add itiona l seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
inflate .
- Damage to the o rigina l seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air
bag module must always be repa ired
immediate ly by an authorized Audi
dealer.
- The airbag system can be activated only
once . After an airbag has inflated, it
must be replaced by an author ized Audi
dealer or qualif ied technic ian who has
the techn ica l information, tra ining and
special equipment necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once. After an a irbag has been deployed,
it must be replaced w ith new replace
ment parts designed and approved espe
c ially for your Aud i model version. Re
placeme nt of complete ai rbag systems
or airbag componen ts m ust be per
f ormed by qualified workshops only.
Make su re that any airbag service act ion
is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Main
tenance booklet under
AIRBAG REPLACE
MENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents,
the a lternator and starter are separated
from the vehicle battery with a pyrotech
nic circuit interrupter.
- Wo rk on the pyrote chnic cir cu it inter
rupter must on ly be per formed by a
qualified dealer - risk of an accident!
- If the veh icle or the ci rcuit interrupter
is sc rapped, all applicable safety pre
cautions must be followed .
Airbag system 123
@:) For the sake of the environment
Un deployed airbag modules and p reten
sione rs might be classified as Perchlorate
Materia l -special handling may apply, see
www. dtsc. ca.gov/hazard o u swa ste/ per-
ch lo rate. When the veh icle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
and safety be lts with pretensioners are
scrapped, all applicab le laws and regu la
tions mus t be obse rved. Your authori zed
A udi dealer is familia r wi th these require
ments and we recommend that you have
your dealer perform this service fo r you .
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Chang ing the veh icle's suspens io n system can
c h ange the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys
tem perfo rms in a crash. For examp le, using
tir e-rim combi nat ions not approved by A udi,
l ower ing the veh icle, chang ing the st iffness of
the suspens ion, including the spr ings, suspen
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag
sensors and sent to the electronic contro l
u nit. Some suspension changes can, for exam
ple, i ncrease the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in c rashes in which it wou ld not deploy if the
c h anges had not been made. Other kinds of
c h anges may reduce the fo rce leve ls meas
ur ed by the sensors and preven t the airbag
from dep loying when i t should.
T he sensors in the safety be lt b uck le for the
d rive r and fr on t p assenger seat te ll the e lec
tron ic cont ro l modu le if the s afety be lt is
l atche d or no t. If the safety be lt is being used,
the front airbag will deploy at a slightly high er rate of veh icle deceleration t han i f th e safe
ty belt is not be ing used. Therefore, in a par
ticular coll is ion, it is possible t hat an airbag
will not deploy at a seat ing pos ition where the
safety belt is be ing used b ut w il l inflate at the
pos ition wher e th e safety be lt is not be ing
u sed. It is impo rtant that noth ing in terfere
Ill>
•
•
-If the power steering system is not fu nc
tioni ng properly, contact your a uthorized
Audi dealer immediate ly.
Driving with your
quattro
App lies to vehicles: with a ll-wheel drive
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv
en.
Gene ral inform ati on
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your dr iving sty le and the road
conditions at the t ime. See a lso
r=;, page 142.
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for
h igh engine power. Your vehicle is exception
ally powerful and has excellent dr iving charac
ter istics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precautions
c::;, ,&. .
Winter t ire s
When drivi ng in the w inter, your ve hicle w ith
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with
regular t ires. In winter road conditions it may
be adv isable to mount winter t ires (or all-sea
son t ires) for improved driveability and brak
ing: these tires must be mounted on
a ll f our
w heel s.
See also c::;, page 196, Winter tires.
Snow chains
Where t ire cha ins are mandatory on certain
roads, th is normally a lso applies to vehicles
w ith a ll-wheel d rive
c::;, page 19 7, Snow
chains .
Replacing wheels /tire s
Vehicles w ith all-wheel drive must always
have tires of the same size. Also avoid t i res
with d iffe ren t tread depths. For details see
page
c::;, page 192 , 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 veh icle.
It is
Int ellig ent technolog y 147
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un
even terrain as much as possib le . Also refer to
r=;, page 151.
_& WARNING
Always adjust your dr iv ing 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 lim ited by tire tract ion. You
should t herefore not d rive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippe ry road s urfaces.
- 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 th is should occur, yo u
wi ll have no warning from a s udden in
crease in engine speed as with a front
wheel drive veh icle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited 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 conventiona l energy system
is not d rive n for a long per iod of t ime, the bat
te ry is discharged by idling current consumers
(e.g . immobilizer). In certain circumstances it
can res ult in there being insufficient energy
available to start the eng ine.
Intellige nt energy managemen t in your vehi
cle handles the dis tribution o f electrica l ene r
gy. Starting ability is marked ly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Bas ica lly, energy managemen t consis ts of
batt ery diagno sis, idling cur rent man age
ment
and dyn amic energ y management .
•
•
148 Intelligent technology
Battery diagnosi s
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery. Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
I dling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing.
With the ignition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrical compo
nents. Data from battery diagnosis is consid
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
individual consumers are gradually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus maintain starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en
ergy management distributes the energy gen
erated according to the needs of the individu
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 starting ability is threatened, you are informed by a warning
~page 149,
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability .
The battery is severely taxed in short -distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Abundant electrical energy is re
quired, but only a little is generated.
It is also
critical if the engine is not running and electri- cal components are turned on.
In this in
stance energy is being consumed but none is
being generated.
It is in precisely these situations that you will
notice energy management actively regulat
ing the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks , electrical compo
nents are gradually cut back or switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main
tains starting capability over a longer period.
Take into consideration that when you unlock
your vehicle, some convenience functions ,
such as the remote key or power seat adjust
ment, may not be available. The convenience
functions will be available again when you
turn on the ignition and start the engine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the engine turned off, the battery is being dis
charged.
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en
ergy consumption, a message appears in the
driver information display.
You have to start the engine to charge the
battery.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be
come discharged. This happens mostly when
little energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equili
brium, consumers which require especially
large amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off . Heating systems in par
ticular require a great deal of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or switched .,.
off. These systems will be avai lable again as
soon as the energy ba lance has bee n restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has
been increased s lightly. This is normal and not
a cause for concern. By increasing engine idle
speed the additiona l energy required is gener
ated and the battery is charged .
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can lim it the ab ility of the engine to start, th is
i s shown in the inst rument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•) Low battery charge : battery will be
charged while driving
This notification reminds you that the starting
capability of the engine may be l imited. As
soon as you start driving aga in, the battery
w ill be recharged and the notification will go
out.
Driver notification appears and goes out
again
If th is driver notification appears after the ig
nition is turned on or while driving and it goes
out again after a wh ile, the battery has been
adequately recharged.
Driver notification appears and does not
go out again
If this driver notification appears after the ig
n ition is turned on or while driving and does
not go out again, the battery's state of charge
is not in the optimal range. Starting ability is
restr icted. Have the battery checked as soon
as possible by an author ized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop.
Intelligent technology 149
•
•
166 Checking and filling
-Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to "P" (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com
partment .
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool
ant system is pressurized and hot cool
ant could spray out .
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances . This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery .
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running: -
First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to "P" (Park) .
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and wear no clothing that will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and chemical hazards~&, .
A WARNING
=
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac
cessories contain lead and lead com
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@) For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au
thorized Audi dealer.
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
always r ead and heed all WARN
ING S
~ A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 165.
.. Read the brake flu id level from the brake
fluid reservoir
9 page 167, fig. 130 . The
brake f lu id leve l must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
The brake f luid reservoir is located behind the
rear partition of the engine compartment on
the left side
9 page 167.
The fl uid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the brake pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be
l ow the "M IN" mark, the brake wa rning/indi
cator light (U .S . mode ls:
1111 , Canadian
models: .) will come on ¢
page 14 . Do not
continue to operate the vehicle. The complete
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or other quali
f ied fac ility and the cause corrected . If the
b rake fluid level is too low, the brake warn ing/
i ndicator light w ill illuminate . Co ntact an au
thor ized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi
enced technician .
Brake fluid abso rbs moistu re from the a ir . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
hi gh, cor ros ion in the b rake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of t he
b ra ke fluid w ill also decrease considerab ly and
decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e very two year s. Always use new b rake fluid
which confo rms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 1 16 DO T 4".
The brake flu id rese rvoi r ca n be difficult to
r each, therefo re , we recommend that yo u
h ave the brake fl uid changed by you r autho r
i zed
Audi dealer . Your deale r has the correct
Checkin g and fillin g 175
tools, the right brake fl uid and t he know -how
to do this for you .
A WARNING
-Brake flu id is poisonous. It must be stor
ed only in the closed or iginal container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can res ult from o ld or inap
propriate brake f lu id. Observe these pre
cautions:
- Use only b rake fluid th at mee ts SA E
spe cificat ion
J 17 03 and conforms to
Federa l Mo to r Ve hicl e Standard 1 16.
Always check with yo ur authorized Au di
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct brake fluid. The cor rect type of
brake f luid is also ind icated on the
brake f luid reservoir .
- The bra ke fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes ca n cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left i n the system too
long. This can se riously affect the effi
c iency of the b rakes as well as your
safety , T his could result in an accide nt.
(!) Note
Brake fluid will damage the pai nt of your
vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired and the nec essary expertise, we
r ecommend that yo u have th e brake flu id
c hanged by you r aut ho rized Aud i dea le r.
Battery
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with a specia l bat
tery, an
ACM battery. This battery is located
in the luggage compartment and must be re
placed with an origina l equipment batte ry .
Un der normal ope rat ing condit io ns, t he bat-
te ry is
maintenanc e-free . .,.
•
•
176 Check ing and filling
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than S years .
Disconn ect ing the battery terminals
Some veh icle functions (power w indow regu
lators, for example) are lost if the battery ter
minals are disconnected . These functions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals are
connected again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be d isconnected from the vehicle
electr ical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
V ehicles not dri ven for l ong period s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo nents are gradually cut back or switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main tains starting capab ility over a longer period
c:::>
page 147. Some of the convenience func
tions may not operate, suc h as the inte rior
l ights or power seat adjustme nt. The conven
i ence functions wi ll be ava ilable aga in whe n
you switch on the ignition and start the en
gine.
Winter operati on
During the winter months, batte ry capacity
tends to decrease as tempe ratu res d rop . This
is because more powe r is also consumed while
start ing , and the headlights, rea r window de
fogger, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par
ticularly in c ity traffic or when t rave ling on ly
short distances. Let you r authorized Aud i
dea ler check the capacity of the vehicle bat
tery before winter sets inc:::>
page 179 . A we ll
charged battery w ill not only prevent starting
prob lems when the weather is cold, but will
a lso last longer .
Replacing battery
The new battery must have the same capaci
ty, vo ltage (12 volts), amperage, construction
and p lug sealing, as the origina l battery. Spec
if ications are listed on the battery housing.
Batteries specially developed by Audi fulfill the maintenance, outp
ut, and safety require
ments .
When install ing the battery, m ake su re the ig
ni tion and a ll ele ct rical consumers are switch
ed off
c:::> (i) .
We recommend that you use maintenance
free or
cy cle-re si stant /leak -proof b atter ies
accord ing to the s tanda rds TL 825 06 (from
Apri l 2008) and VW 7 SO 73 (from April
2010) .
Rep lac ing the bat tery shou ld be car ried by a
qualified wo rkshop. Please fo llow the instruc
tions on the battery cover .
(D Note
- All wo rk on the ba tte ry req uire s techn i
c al know ledge . Please con ta ct an Aud i
dealership o r another authorized faci lity
for questions abo ut the batte ry -danger
o f ac id burns and exp losion hazard!
- The battery must not be opened! Do not
try to change the battery's liquid level,
otherwise detonating gas will escape
from the battery - explosion hazard!
- The AGM battery in the l uggage com
partment cannot leak, because the elec
tro lyte for this battery is absorbed into a
special glass mat. This leak-proof battery
must not be replace with a convent ional
battery.
- Make sure the ventilation hose on the
side of the battery is connected, other
w ise fumes or battery ac id can leak out .
- Batte ry holder and termina ls always
have to be secured correctly .
- Before all work on the battery follow the
warnings be low c:::> .&. in Working on the
battery on page 177.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author
iz ed Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfur ic acid and
l ead and must a lways be disposed o f prop-
erly in compliance wi th al l envi ronmental ..,.