84 Transmi ssion
Driving Notes
Appl ies to vehicles: with S tron ic
The forward gears are shifted up or down au
tomatically.
--
-
-
-
-
-
--Fig. 92 Section from ce nter console: Se lector leve r
wit h release b utto n
Starting the engin e
• The selector lever must be in the P or the N
posit ion. At low temperatures (be low -10
0
(), the engine can only be started when the
selector lever is in the P position .
Starting f rom sto p
.. Step on and hold the brake pedal.
• Hold the re lease button (button in se lector
lever) down, move the selector lever to the
desired position, for example Do
page 82,
and release the button.
• Re lease the brake pedal and acce lerate
o .&_ .
Stopp ing tem pora rily
• Bring the vehicle to a full stop with the
brake, e.g . at traffic signals .
• Do not accelerate .
Pa rkin g
.. Step on and hold the brake peda l o A .
• Apply the parking brake firmly .
• Hold the release button down, move these
lector lever to P and release the button .
Stopping on an incline
• Always hold the vehicle with the footbrake
or parking brake in order to prevent "roll
back" o
,&. Do not try to prevent the vehi
cle from rolling back by revving the engine
while it is in gear .
Starting on a hill
• Apply the hand brake firmly .
• With the engine in gear, gradually acceler-
ate and release the hand brake.
T he eng ine can only be
s tar ted w ith the selec
tor leve r in P or No
page 74 . At low amb ient
temperatures (14
° F /-10 °C), it is only possi
ble to start the engine with the selector lever
in P.
When parking o n level ground, it is s ufficient
to place the selector lever in P . On a steeply
s loping road, you shou ld first apply the park
ing brake f irmly and then place the selector
lever in P. Th is way, you do not overload the
pawl mechanism and it is easier to move the
selector lever out of P .
A WARNING
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear . If you must leave
your veh icle w ith the engine r unning, set
the park ing brake and engage the park
lock .
- When the engine is running and the transmiss ion is in gear (D, Sor R) or in
"t iptronic" mode, it is essential that you
stop the vehicle with the footbrake.
When idling, the transmission of power does not stop comp letely -the vehicle
"creeps".
- Do not accelerate when you change the
selector lever position w it h the vehicle
stationary and the engine runn ing -risk
of an acc ident!
- Never p lace the selector lever in the R or
N pos ition wh ile the vehicle is mov ing -
risk of an acc ident!
- If you have to bring your vehicle to a stop
while on an incline, keep the foot brake depressed all the way down so that the
veh icle does not start to rol l backward.
You shou ld never ho ld the vehicle using
the clutch if you are going to be s topped
on an incline. If you do, the cl utch w ill
start to slip when it overheats ca used by
the constant overload. This is dangerous
~
because if the vehicle starts to roll
backward, you could cause an accident. If
the clutch should start to slip, you will
feel the vehicle "jerk" and the selector lever display will start blink ing.
- Before driving down a steep slope, re
duce your speed and shift into a lower gear with "tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or apply the brake
pedal too often or too long . Constant
braking causes the brakes to overheat
and substantially reduces braking per
formance, increases braking distance or
causes complete failure of the brake sys
tem.
Hill Descent Assist
Applies to vehicles: with S tro nic
Hill Descent Assist helps the driver when driv
ing down inclines .
Hill Descent Ass ist is activated by pressing the
b rake wh ile descending when the selector lev
er is in D/S. The S tronic transmission auto
mat ically shifts down to a gear suitab le for
the incline. Hill Descent Assist attempts to
maintain the current vehicle speed when the
brak ing occurs, as far as phys ical and techni
cal limits allow. It may be necessary to adjust
the speed using the brakes.
Hill Descent Assist switches off when the in
cline levels out or when the gas pedal is press
ed.
On vehicles w ith cruise control*~
page 78,
Hill Descent Assist is also activated when the
speed is set.
_&. WARNING
Hill Descent Assist cannot overcome phys i
cal limitations, so it may not be possible to
ma intain a constant vehicle speed under
all circumstances . Always be ready to ap
ply the brakes .
Transmission 85
tiptronic operation
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
Tiptronic allows the driver to shift gears man
ually.
Fig. 93 Center console: Ma nua l sh ift in g (t iptronic)
Fig . 94 D isplay : Manual sh ift ing (t iptron ic)
Switching to manual
"' Move the selector lever to the right out of
the D position . Th e display changes once the
transmission has switched to manual mode.
For examp le,
M4 indicates that 4th gear is
engaged.
Upshifting
"' Tap the selector lever forward (in the tip
tronic setting)
~ fig. 93 0 -
Downshifting
"'Tap the selector lever backward (in the tip-
tronic setting)
0 -
Switching to manual can be carried out with
the vehicle stationary as well as moving .
When accelerating, the transmission shifts in
to the next gear in gears 1, 2, 3, 4 and S
shortly before the maximum permissible en- gine speed is reached . ..,.
86 Transmis sion
If you have selected a lower gear than the cur
rent one, the transmission w ill only shift down
when the engine cannot be overspeeded.
I f kick-down is actuated, the transmiss ion
shifts into a lower gear independently of
speed and engine rpm .
Steering wheel with Tiptronic controls
Applies to vehicles: with S tro nic
The selector paddles allow the driver to keep
both hands on the steering wheel when shift
ing gears.
Fig. 95 Spo rt stee ring wheel w ith selecto r paddle s
Shifting up
.,. Pull the right paddle, marked 0 ¢ fig. 95
briefly towards you .
Shifting down
.,. Pull the left paddle, marked O ¢ fig. 95
briefly towards you .
The selector paddles on the steering wheel
are activated when the selector lever on the
center console is in D, 5 or in the manual posi
tion ( Tiptronic mode).
You can also shift gears in the Tiptronic mode
using the selector lever on the center console.
(D Tips
With the gear selector lever in either Dor
5 the transmission will switch back to the
automatic mode if you do not use the pad
dles within approx . 30 seconds.
Kick-down feature
Applies to vehicles: w it h S tronic
The kick-down feature allows maximum ac
celeration.
If you depress the accelerator pedal fully be
yond the full-throttle position, the transmis·
sion automatically downshifts one gear, de·
pending on vehicle speed and eng ine rpm. The
upshift into the next higher gear takes place
as soon as the maximum specified engine
speed is reached.
.&_ WARNING i-==
Please note that the drive wheels can spin
if the kick-down is used on a smooth slip·
pery road -risk of skidding!
Launch Control Program
Applies to veh icles: w it h S t ronic
The Launch Control Program permits maxi
mum acceleration.
In order to use Launch Control, the ASR (Anti
S lip Regulation) must be disabled . When ASR
is disabled , the ESC warning/indicator light
fl
in the instrument cluster illuminates. So that
Launch Control can be used, the engine must
be at operating temperature and the steering
wheel must not be turned.
.,. With the engine running, briefly press the
ESC button . The message "Stabilization pro
gram off" or "Sport control Warning! Re
stricted stability" in the driver information
system display .
.,. Shift the gear lever to "5" or the tiptronic
position .
.,. Step on the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep the brake pedal fully depressed for
at least one second.
.,. With yo ur right foot, step on the accelerator
to the wide-open throttle position or Kick·
down. The eng ine speed settles at about
3,200 rpm .
.,. Take your left foot off the brake. ..,.
_& WARNING
-Always adapt your driving to the traffic
flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and
traffic conditions allow it and other driv
ers will not be endangered or annoyed by
your driving and the acceleration of the
vehicle .
- Make sure that ESC remains enabled .
With the ESC disabled, the veh icle could
brake away, particularly on a slick and
slippery road -risk of skidding!
- Once acce lerat ion is finished, switch ASR
on again by briefly pushing the ESC but
ton.
@ Tips
- The transm ission temperature may in
crease significantly after using the
Launch Control Program. If that hap
pens, the program may not be available
for a few minutes. I t will be availab le
again after a coo l-down period.
- When accelerating using the Launch
Control program, all vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads . This can result in
increased wear.
Back-up program
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
In the event of a system malfunction, there is
a back-up program.
I n the event of system mal func tion, the auto
matic transmission switches to the fail-safe
mode. A ll of the selector lever position dis
plays for the automatic transmission are high
lighted with a light background in the instru
ment cluster display . In some cases you can
not use reverse gear any more .
If the transmission switches to fail-safe mode, you should take the vehicle to an au
thorized Audi dealership as soon as possible
to have the condition corrected.
Transmission 87
Clutch is overheating
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
• Clutch is overheating! Please stop vehi
cle!
If the symbols are illuminated, the clutch is
overheating and could be damaged if you con
tinue to drive. Stop the vehicle and a llow the
transmission to cool with the se lector lever in
the P posit ion while the engine runs at idle.
If
the warning does not turn off, do not continue
driving. See your authorized A udi dealer or
qualified repair facility for assistance. Other
wise serious transmission damage could re
sult. Once the indicator light has turned off,
drive to your authorized Audi dealer or quali
fied repa ir facility immed iately to have the
malfunction corrected.
Selector lever emergency release
Applies to vehicles: wi th S tronic
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selec
tor lever can be released in an emergency.
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---Fig. 96 Se lector lever : Removing the selector lever
boot
.. ~
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Fig. 97 Selector lever : Using the em erge ncy release to
move out of the Park pos it ion
T he emergency release mechanism is located
in the right front area under the selector lever ..,.
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.
.
Homelink
Universal remote
control
General information
The HomeLink universal remote control can
be programmed with hand-held transmitters
from existing equipment.
You must first program the Homelink trans
mitter before you can use the system
~ page 89, Programming the HomeLink
transmitter.
In order to program the Homelink transmit
ter for devices utilizing rolling code, a second
person on a ladder who can safely reach the
garage door opener motor is recommended.
It is also necessary to locate the "learn" but
ton on your garage door opener motor . Refer
to the operating instructions for the opener, as the location and color of this button may
vary by manufacturer .
You can still use the origina l remote control
for the device at any time.
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. 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.
- 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-
Homelink 89
tivated, this can overstrain motor and
damage its electrical components -an
overheated motor is a fire hazard!
- To avoid possible injuries or property
damage, please always make absolutely
certain that no persons or objects are lo
cated in the range of motion of any
equipment being operated.
(!) Tips
- If you would like more information on
Homelink, where to purchase the Home
Link compat ible products, or would like
to purchase the Homelink Home Light
ing Package, please call toll-free:
1-800-355-3515.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regu la
tions
~page 229.
Programming the Homelink transmitter
The transmitter is programmed in two phas
es. For rolling code transmitters, a third
phase is also necessary.
Fig. 98 Overhead co nsole: Homelink keypad
Fig. 99 Fro nt bumper, d river side: locatio n of tra nsm it-
ter unit
IJ-
92 Driving Safel y
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, a irbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori
ty number 1.
Always observe the info rmat ion
and warn ings in th is sect ion -fo r yo ur own
safety as well as for that of your passengers.
The information in this se ction app lies to all
model ve rsions of your veh icle . Some of the
feat ures desc ribed in this sec tions may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others . If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Aud i dealer.
A WARNING
- Make certain that you follow the instruc
t ions 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
yo ur vehicle so that this important info r
mation will a lways be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find i t eas ily if you have
ques tions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a varie ty o f fea tures
avai la bl e to he lp re duce the risk of injury in an accident
. The following is a lis ting o f just a
few of the safety features in your Audi:
- sophis tic ated s afety be lts fo r drive r and a ll
passenger sea ting pos it ions,
- safety belt pre-tensione rs,
- fro nt airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
- ad justab le steering column .
T hese ind iv idual safety features can wor k to
ge ther as a sys tem to he lp p rotec t you and
you r passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot wo rk as a system if
they are not always p roper ly adjusted and
properly used!
Safet y is everyb ody's re spon sibilit y!
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 yo ur safety and the safety of you r passen
gers,
befor e driving alwa ys:
"' Make s ure that all lights and signa ls are op
erati ng correctly .
"' Ma ke su re t hat the t ire p ressu re is co rrec t.
"' Mak e su re that all windows are clean and a f
ford good vis ibility to the outs ide.
"' Sec ure all luggage and other items caref ully
I:!) page 66.
"'Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
"' Adjust front seat, head res traint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
"' Inst ruct passe ngers to adjust the head re
st raints accord ing to the ir height .
"' Ma ke sur e to use the r igh t chi ld restraint
correc tly to protect c hild ren
¢ page 130,
Child Safety .
"'Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
I:!) page 60,
General recommendations. .,_
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly ¢
page 101.
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 responsible for the safety of the
veh icle and a ll of its occupants . If your ability
to drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road ¢
,&..
Therefore:
.,. Do not let yourself be distracted by passen
gers or by us ing a cellular telephone.
.. NEVER drive when your driv ing ability is im
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc.) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, ru les of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic
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 tired, 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.
Drivin g Sa fely 93
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 101 The correct d istance between driver an d
steer ing wheel
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
f o ll ow ing pos ition:
.,. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi
ly push the pedals all the way to the floo r
while keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
q&_ ,
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be
tween the steering wheel and your breast
bone¢
fig. 101. If not possible, see your au
thorized Audi dealership about adaptive
equ ipment .
.. 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 whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head . If that is not poss ible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this pos ition as possib le .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
qpage 104.