76 Driving
removed from the vehicle when the engine
was running.
If the convenience key is no lon
ger in the veh icle, you cannot switch the igni
tion on or start the engine once you stop it.
You also cannot lock the vehicle from the out
side .
Press brake pedal
This message appears if you do not press t he
brake peda l to start the engine in a vehicle
with an automatic transmission .
Please engage N or P
This message appears whe n starting or stop
p ing the engine if t he selecto r lever is not in
the Nor P pos ition. The eng ine will not star t/
stop.
Shift to P, otherwis e vehicle can roll away.
Door s do not lock if lev er i s not in P
This message appears for safety reasons
along w ith a warning tone . It appears if the
selecto r lever for the automat ic transm iss io n
is not in the P position when switch ing the ig
ni tion off with the
!S TAR T ENGINE STOPI*
button . Sh ift the sele ctor leve r to t he P posi
tion. Otherwise, the vehicle could ro ll. You al
so cannot lock the vehicle using the locking
sensor on the door handle o r using the con
venience key .
Electromechanical
parking brake
Operation
The electromechanical parking brake replaces
the hand brake .
Fig. 68 Center conso le: Park ing brake
.,. Pull the switch @¢ fig. 68 to set the pa rk
ing brake. The. (USA models) . (Cana
da mode ls) indicator light in the button and
in the instrument cluster display turns on .
.,. To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal or the acce lerator pedal and press the
button @. The . (USA models) /. (Cana
da mode ls) indicato r light in th e button and
ins trument clus ter tur ns off.
Your vehicle is equipped with an electrome
chanical pa rking brak e. The parking bra ke is
designed to p revent the veh icle from rolling
u ninte ntionally and repla ce s the hand b rake.
In add ition to the normal functions of a tradi
tio na l ha nd b rake, the electromechanical
parki ng b rake provides va rious conven ien ce
and safe ty f unct ions .
When starting
-The integral hill start assist helps you when
d riving by au tomatical ly re leasi ng the park
ing bra ke ¢
page 77, Starting from a
stop.
- W hen start ing on i nclines, t he h ill sta rt as
si st preven ts the v ehicl e from unintentiona l
ly ro lling back . T he b raking force of the
p ar king br ake is no t released unt il su ffi cien t
driving force has been bui lt up at the
wheels .
Emergency brake function
An emergency b rak ing functions ensu res that
t h e vehi cle can be s lowed down even if the
n ormal brakes f ail¢ page 78, Emergen cy
braking fun ction.
Indicator lights
- I f the pa rk ing brake is set when the ignition
is
switched on , the. (USA models) /.
(Canad a models) indica to r li ght turns on in
t he display and b utton .
- If the pa rk ing brake is se t when the ignition
is
switched off , the. (USA models) /.
(Canada mo dels) indica tor ligh t turns on in
the display and button for about 20 sec
onds.
& WARNING
-Do not press the accelerator pedal inad
vertently when the vehicle is stationary and the engine is running and a gear is
selected. Otherwise the vehicle will start
to move immediately and could result in
a crash.
- If the power supply fails, the released
parking brake can no longer engage. In
this case, park the vehicle on level ground and secure it by placing these
lector lever in the P position (automatic
transmission). See your authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility.
(D Note
If the symbol . in the display or the indi
cator light. (USA models)/ . (Canada
models) in the instrument cluster flashes,
there is a malfunction in the brake system.
Please refer to the detailed description of
the indicator lights¢
page 18.
-If the indicator light . (USA models)/
• (Canada models) or
Ill turns on,
there may be a malfunction in the park
ing brake ¢
page 19.
(D Tips
-You can set the parking brake at any time
-even with the ignition turned
off. To re-
lease the parking brake, the ignition
must be turned on and the brake pedal
must be pressed.
- If driver 's door is opened while the igni
tion is switched on, the parking brake
sets automatically. This prevents unin
tended rolling of the vehicle .
- Occasional noises when the parking
brake is set and released are normal and
are not a cause for concern.
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking
brake goes through a self -test cycle at
regular intervals. Any noises associated
with this are normal.
- If there is a power failure, the parking
brake will not set if it is released, and it
will not release if it is set ¢,&. . See your
Driving 77
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility.
· Parking
.. Press the brake ped al to stop the vehicle .
.. Pull the switch @ ¢
page 76 , fig . 68 to set
the parking brake.
.. Place the selector lever in the P position .
.. Turn the engine off¢.&_ .
.,. Turn the steering wheel when parking on in
clines so that the wheels will roll into the
curb if the vehicle starts moving.
& WARNING ~ -
-Always take the vehicle key with you
when leaving the vehicle, even for a short period of time. This applies partic
ularly when children remain in the vehi
cle. Otherwise children could start the
engine, release the parking brake or op
erate electrical equipment such as power
windows, which increases the risk of an
accident .
- No one should remain in the vehicle
when it is locked, especially children.
Locked doors make it more difficult for
emergency workers to get into the vehi
cle, which puts lives at risk.
Starting from a stop
The start assist function ensures that the
parking brake is released automatically upon starting.
Stopping and applying the parking brake
.. Pull the switch@¢ page 76, fig . 68 to set
the parking brake.
Starting and automatically releasing the
parking brake
Requirement: The driver's door must be
locked and the driver's safety belt must be
fastened.
.. When you press the accelerator pedal , the
parking brake is automatically released and
your vehicle begins to move.
•
78 Driving
When stopping at a traffic signal or stopping in city traffic, the parking brake can be ap
plied. The vehicle does not have to be held
with the brake pedal. The parking brake elimi nates the tendency to creep when a selector
lever position is engaged . As soon as you
press the accelerator pedal, the parking brake
releases automatically and the vehicle starts
to move.
Starting on slopes
When starting on inclines, the hill start assist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally roll
ing back. The braking force of the parking
brake is not released until sufficient driving
force has been built up at the wheels.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the park ing brake is re
leased automatically only when the driv
er 's safety belt is fastened and the driver 's
door is locked.
Emergency braking function
This is used if the convention brake system
fails or locks up.
~ To brake your vehicle in an emergency, pull
the @switch
¢ page 76, fig. 68 and hold it
pulled.
~ As soon as you release the@ switch or ac-
celerate, the braking process stops.
Pulling and holding the @switch while driv
ing at a speed of about 2 mph (3 km/h) or
higher initiates the emergency braking func
tion. The vehicle is braked at all four wheels by activating the braking hydraulics. The brake
performance is similar to heavy braking.¢.&
To help prevent activating the emergency braking by mistake, an audible warning tone
(buzzer) sounds when the @switch is pulled.
E mergency braking stops as soon as the@
switch is released or the accelerator pedal is pressed.
A WARNING
Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal brake
pedal has failed or the brake pedal is ob
structed . During emergency braking, your
vehicle will brake similar to heavy braking .
ESC and the associated components (ABS,
ASR, EDL) cannot overcome the laws of
physics. In corners and when road or
weather conditions are bad, a full brake
application can cause the vehicle to skid or
the rear end to break away, which increas
es the risk of an accident.
Hill hold
Applies to vehicles: wit h Hill Hold
Hill hold makes it easier to start on hills.
Requirement: The driver door must be closed
and the engine must be running.
The system is activated when the brake pedal
is pressed while the vehicle is stationary.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling back when
starting, the brake power is held for a brief
moment after releasing the brake pedal. Dur
ing this time, you can easily begin to move
your vehicle.
A WARNING ......_
- The intelligent technology of Hill Hold
cannot overcome the limitations im
posed by natural physical laws. The in
creased comfort offered by Hill Hold
should not cause you to take safety risks .
- Hill Hold cannot hold the vehicle in all
hill start situations (for example, if the
ground is slippery or icy).
- If you do not begin moving immediately
after releasing the brake pedal, the vehi
cle could begin to roll backward under
certain circumstances. Press the brake
pedal or set the parking brake immedi
ately.
- If the engine "stalls", press the brake
pedal or set the parking brake immedi
ately.
-
lock engages if the lever stays in the N posi
tion longer than approximately 2 seconds
when the brake pedal is not pressed.
Interlock button
The interlock button in the selector lever han
d le prevents you from moving the selector
l ever inadvertently while in some selector lev
er positions. The positions that require the in
ter lock button to be pressed are marked in
color in the illustration
c;, fig. 92.
Ignition key safety interlock*
You can only remove the key from the ignition
after switching the ignition off if the se lector
lever is in the P position. The selector lever
will be locked in the P position as long as the key is not in the ignition .
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS c> .&. in Se
lector lever positions on page 105 .
@ Tips
-If the se lector lever does not engage,
there is a malfunction . The engine is dis
abled to prevent the vehicle from driving
off unintentionally . To allow the selector
le ver to engage again, proceed as fol
l ows: Press the brake pedal b riefly.
- If the vehicle does not move forward or
i n reverse even though a drive position is
se lected, proceed as follows:
- >If the veh icle does not move in the de
s ire d direction, the system may not have
engaged the dr ive position correctly.
Press the brake pedal and select the
drive position again.
- > If the vehicle still does not move in the
desired direction, there is a system mal
function. See your authorized Aud i dea l
er or qualified repair facility for assis
tance to have the system checked.
Autom atic transm ission 107
Driving tips
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmission
The transmission shifts up and down auto
matically when in the driving gears.
Fig. 93 Section of the center co nsole: selector leve r
w ith inte rlock b utto n
The engine will only be able start when these
lector lever is in the P or N positions. At low
temperatures (below 14 °F (-10 °C)), the en
gine can only be started when the selector
lever is in the P position.
Starting from a stop
.,. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.,. Press and hold the interlock button in the
selector lever handle, select the desired se
lector lever pos ition such as D
c;, page 105
and release the lock button.
.,. Wait a moment until the transmission
shifts . Yo u will notice a slight movement
when the gear engages.
... Release the brake peda l and press the acce l
erator pedal
c;, .&_ .
Stopping temporarily
.,. Keep the vehicle stationary using the brak
ing pedal, for example at traffic lights.
.,. Do not press the accelerator peda l when do
ing this .
.,. To prevent the vehicle from ro lling when you
start driving, set the parking brake when
stopping on steep inclines
c;, .&. -
.,. The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start moving once you
press the acce lerator pedal. Requ irements :
The driver's safety belt must fastened and
the driver's door must be closed.
IJll,-
108 Automatic transmi ssion
Stopp ing /p ar kin g
If the selec tor lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
could ro ll. In vehicles with a convenience key*,
the message:
Shift to P , other wise vehi cle
c a n roll away . Doo rs do not lo ck if le ver not
in
P appears. You will also hear a warning
tone .
"' Press and ho ld the brake pedal¢.&_ .
"' Set the parking brake.
"'Se lect the P selector lever pos ition.
St opp ing on an incline
• Always press the brake pedal to hold the ve
hicle in p lace and prevent it from "rolling
back" ¢ .&_ . Do
n ot try to prevent the vehi
cle from "roll ing back" when a gear is en
gaged by increasing the eng ine speed ¢(D.
Starting on an inclin e in vehicl es wi th out
Hill Hold*
"' Set the parking brake.
"' With the driving gear selected, press the ac
celerator pedal carefully . The parking brake
will release automat ically if your safety belt
is fastened.
St arting on an incl ine i n vehicle s with Hill
Hold*
"' With the driving gear selected, remove your
foot from the brake pedal and press the ac cele rato r pedal ¢
page 78, Hill hold.
Under certain circumstances, (such as driving
in the mountains or towing a tra iler), it may
be usefu l to sw itch temporarily to the manual
shift p rogram in o rder to adjust the gears to
the dr iving condit ions by ha nd
¢ page 110.
When parking on a level surface, simply place
the selector lever in the P pos ition. On in
clines , activate the parking bra ke first and
then move the selector lever to the P pos it ion
¢ page 76 . This prevents the locking mecha
nism from being loaded too heavi ly and will
make it easier to move the selector lever out
of the P position.
A WARNING
- The vehicle can also roll when the engine
is stopped.
- 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,
set the parking brake and move these
lector lever to the P position .
- Power is still transferred to the wheels
when the engine is runn ing at idle. To
p revent the vehicle from "c reeping", you
must keep you r foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector lever is in the D, So r R position or "tip
tronic" mode is selected .
- Do not inadvertently press the ac celera
tor peda l when the vehicle is stationary.
Otherwise the vehicle wi ll start to move
immediate ly, even if the parking brake is
set. Th is could result in a crash.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the se lector lever position
while the veh icle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never engage the se lector level positions
R or P while dr iv ing. It could cause a
crash .
- 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 brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
downhill . Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re
duces braking pe rformance, increases
b rak ing distan ce or c auses complete fa il
ure of the brake system.
- I f you must stop on an in cl ine, always
hold the vehicle i n place with the foot
brake or park ing brake to p revent it from
rolling back .
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch . The clutch opens auto
matica lly when it becomes too hot from
the overload. The ml indicator light
turns on and a message appears
Q page 111 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 set
Q page 210. Otherwise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo
tion, even with the parking brake set.
(y Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator pedal while a driving gear
is selected. This can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat and can dam
age it. Set the parking brake or press the
brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from
rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en
gine is stopped and th@ selector lever is
in the N position will damage the auto
matic transmission because it is not lu
bricated under those circumstances .
- The transmission can overheat and be
damaged under certain driving and traf
fic conditions such as frequent starts,
creeping for a long time , or stop-and-go
traffic. When the
ml or . indicator
light turns on, stop the vehicle at the
next opportunity and let the transmis
sion cool
r::!> page 111.
-Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en
gine is stopped will damage the S tronic
transmission because it is not lubricated
<=> page 261, Emergency towing with
commercial tow truck .
For safety reasons, the parking brake re
leases automatically only when the driver's
door is closed and driver's safety belt is
fastened.
Automatic transmission 109
Hill descent control
App lies to vehicles : wi th S tronic tra nsmi ssio n
Hill descent control assists the driver when
driving down inclines .
Hill descent control is activated when these
lector lever is in the D or S position and you
press the brake pedal. The transmission auto
matically selects a gear that is suitable for the
incline. Hill descent control tries to maintain
the speed achieved at the time of braking,
within physical and technical limitations. If
may still be necessary to adjust the speed
with the brakes . Because hill descent control
cannot sh ift down farther than 3rd gear, it
may be necessary to shift into tiptronic mode
in very steep areas. In this case, shift into 1st
or 2nd gear in tiptronic mode to use the en gine's braking force to relieve the brakes .
Hill descent control switches off once the in
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with a cruise control system*
Q page 79, hill descent control is also activat
ed when the speed is set.
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 .
•
128 Driving safety
-Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently .
- Please observe information on safe driv
ing
~ page 121.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always
keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof",
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win
dows, the power roof* and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended, es
pecially with the luggage compartment
lid left open. A child could crawl into the
vehicle through the luggage compart
ment and close the rear lid becoming
trapped and unable to get out. Being
trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious
personal injury.
-
'
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions .
(D Tips
-Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor
mal load conditions, please see chapter
~ page 229.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop
erly ~
page 12 7, Loading th e luggage com
par tment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4 .S kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying ..,_
detailed information about airbags, safety
belts and child safety in this and the other
chapters that make up the owner's literature.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they
are ex tremely important for your safety and
the safety of your passengers, especially in
fants and small children .
A WARNING
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
- Even when they deploy, airbags provide only supplemental protection .
- Airbag work most effectively when used
with properly worn safety belts .
- Therefore, always wear your safety belts
and make sure that everybody in your ve
hicle is properly restrained .
- Always hold the steering wheel with both
hands on the outside of the steering
wheel rim at the 9:00 o'clock and 3:00
o'clock positions to help reduce the risk
of personal injury if the driver's airbag in
flates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands any
where inside the steering wheel or on the
steering wheel hub. Holding the steering
wheel the wrong way increases the risk of severe injury to the arms, hands, and
head if the driver airbag deploys .
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will
increase the risk of injury in a crash by in
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds
and/or by being pushed into you as the air
bag inflates.
- Always make sure nothing is in the front
airbag deployment zone that could be
struck by the airbag when it inflates.
- Objects in the zone of a deploying airbag
can become projectiles when the airbag
deploys and cause serious personal in
jury.
- Never hold things in your hands or on
your lap when the vehicle is in use .
-
Airbag system 145
-Never place accessories or other objects
(such as cup holders, telephone brackets,
note pads, navigation systems, or things
that are large, heavy, or bulky) on the
doors; never attach then to the doors or
the windshield; never place them over or
near or attach them to the area marked
,,AIRBAG " on the steering wheel, instru
ment panel or the seat backrests; never
place them between these areas and you
or any other person in the vehicle.
- Never attach objects to the windshield
above the passenger front airbag, such
as accessory GPS navigation units or mu
sic players. Such objects could cause seri
ous injury in a collision, especially when
the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger seat to transport objects. Items can also move
into the deployment area of the side air
bags or the front airbag during breaking
or in a sudden maneuver . Objects near
the airbags can fly dangerously through
the passenger compartment and cause
injury, particularly when the seat is re
clined and the airbags inflate.
A WARNING
-=
A person on the front passenger seat , es-
pecially infants and small children, will re
ceive serious injuries and can even be kil
led by being too close to the airbag when
it inflates.
- Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is designed to turn
off the
front passenger airbag if an infant or a
small child is on the front passenger
seat, nobody can absolutely guarantee
that deployment under these special conditions is impossible in all conceiva
ble situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle.
- The Advanced Airbag System can deploy
in accordance with the ,,low risk" option
for 3-and 6-year-old children under the
•
•
•