Instruments and indicator lights
"O~ I I ~ .,
14
Electronic Stabilization Control
( E SC)
<=:> page 170
USA models :
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) de
fective./
c::> page 19
Canada models :
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) de
fective./
<=:> page 19
USA models :
Safety systems ./
<=:>page 19
Canada model s:
Safety systems ./
<=:>page 19
Worn brake pads
c::>page20
Electromechanical parking brake
<=:>page 16
Tire pressure monitoring
system./
c::> page 2 2 7
Tire pressure moni toring sys tem
c::> page 2 2 7
Elect ro nic power control./
c::>page20
Malfunct ion ind icator Lamp (MIL)
./
c::> page20
Engine speed limit ation
c::> page20
Engine oil level
<=:> page 17
Engine oil sensor
c::> page20
Batte ry
<=:> page 16
Ta nk sys tem
c::> page20
Warm up e ng ine*
c::> page 191
Windsh ie ld washer fluid level
<=:> page 21
Windshie ld wipers
<=:> page 21
Remote contro l key
<=:> page 75
Battery in remo te control key
<=:> page 31
Defec tive light bulb wa rning
<=:> page 21
Fog lights
<=:>page 21
Rear fog lig ht(s)*
<=:> page 21
Headlight range control*
<=:> page 21
Adaptive light*
<=>page 21
Light -/rain sensor*
<=> page 21
Adaptive dampers*
<=>pag e22
Spor t differen tial *
<=>page22
Ig nition loc k
<=>page2 2
Steering co lumn lock
<=> page 18
Electromechanica l steer ing,
dynam ic steer ing*
./ <=:> page 174
Transmission
- mu ltit ronic, tiptronic
<=> page 88
- S tronic c::> page 88
Transmission
- S tronic
<=> page 88
Other indicator light s
--------------
Turn signals
<=>page22
M N
ci u.. co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 ,....,
USA models: Cruis e control
c::> page 81
Canada models : Cruise control
c::> pag e 81
Adapt ive cruise control*
c:> page 92
Adapt ive cr uise control "
c:>page 92
High beam
c:> page 51
BRAKE /(0) Brake system
The lig ht illu minates when t he igni tion is sw it c h
e d on .
It goes ou t aft er the engine h as bee n
started . This indicates t hat the brake war ning
light is f unct ion ing proper ly .
If the brake warning light doe s not light up
when the engine i s cranking , there may be a
malfunction in the electrical system. In this
case , contact your author ized Audi dealer.
If t h e b rake system w arning/in dicat or light tu rns
on, there is a br ake system malfunc tion.
1111 (USA models )/. (Canada models) Stop
vehicle and check brake fluid level
I f the i ndicator lig ht turns on and t he message
appears, proceed as follows :
~ Pull off the road.
~ Stop the vehicle.
~ Turnoff th e e ngine .
~ Check the brake fluid level c::> page 203.
~ Contact you r neares t auth or iz ed repa ir facility if
necessary.
Warning! Fault in brake system . Contact dealer
If the ABS indicato r light rJ] (U SA mode ls)/ [i]
(Canada models) , the ESC indicator light
J;.J and
the brake system indicator light
1111 (USA mod
e ls)/ . (Canada models) turn on and the mes
sage ap pears, the A BS, ESC and bra kin g d istribu
tion ar e not wor king
c::> .&. .
Carefully d rive to your authorized Aud i dealer im
mediately to have t he malfunct io n corrected
c::> .&. .
Instruments and indicator lights
1111 (USA models )/. (Canada models) Park
ing brake system fault! See owner' s manual
- If the in dicator lig ht and the mess age appear
when stationary or after switching the igni
tion on ,
check if you can release the pa rking
brake. After releasing the park ing brake, care
fully dr ive to your author ized Audi dealer im
mediately t o have the ma lf u nct ion co rrected. If
y o u ca nnot release the parking b ra ke, seek pro
fessiona l assista nee.
- If the ind icator light and the message appear
while driving , the emergency braking function
may not be ava ilab le. It may not be possible to
set the pa rk ing brake or re lease it once it has
been set . See k professiona l assistance .
( U SA mode ls): If the warn ing light
1111 and the
warning light
liJ appear toget her, immed iately
contact your author ized Audi dealer or qua lified
workshop to have all b rake pads inspect ed
c::> page 2 0 .
When the light c omes on, an a udible warning sig
nal is also g iven .
A WARNING "---
-Always observ e th e war nings in
c::> p ag e 195, befor e ope ning the hood and
checki ng th e br ake fluid .
- D riving wit h low brake f lu id is a safe ty haz
ard. St op the car and get professio nal ass is
ta nce .
- If the
1111 (USA models) . (C ana da mod
el s) b ra ke syste m indicator li gh t tur ns on to
ge ther wi th t he A BS and ESC ind ic at or
lig hts, the AB S/ES C regulat ing fu nct ion may
have fa iled. F unctions t hat s tabilize t he ve
hicle are no longe r availa ble . Thi s could
cause the vehicle to swerve and increase the
risk of s liding. Drive carefully to the nearest
author ized Audi dealer or other qualified
wo rkshop and have the malfunct ion correct
e d .
- If th e b rake wa rni ng/ind icator lig ht does
not go ou t after a few s econds and the pa rk
i n g b ra ke is releas ed, o r lights up w hile you
a re driving, the fl uid leve l in the brake f lu id
rese rv o ir is to o low.
If yo u believe t hat i t is ~
15
Instruments and indicator lights
(0) Worn brake pads
El Brak e pads!
If th e warn ing lig ht illum ina tes, imme diately
c o ntact your authorized Aud i dealer or qualified
workshop to have a ll brake pads i nspected. On
USA models the wa rni ng light
El comes on to
gethe r with the war ning l igh t
1111 . Both sets of
b ra ke pads on an axle must a lways be rep laced at
the same time .
A WARNING
Driv ing with bad brakes can cause a collis ion
and ser ious personal in jury.
- If the warning light El and the warning
light
11111 ) w ith the message Brake pads!
comes on in the instrument cl uster display,
immediately contact your author ized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop to have all
brake pads checked o r replaced if necessary .
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator ligh t monitors the elec
tronic power control .
The~ warning/indicator light (Electronic Power
Control) illum inates when yo u sw itch the ignition
on as a function check.
(D Tips
If this wa rning/ind icator light ill uminates
while you are dr iv ing, then the re is a malfunc
tion in the eng ine electronics. Have the mal
function corrected as soon as possible by your
author ized A udi dealer or a qualified re pair fa
cility.
0 Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
T he Malfunc tion Ind ica tor Lamp (M IL) is part o f
the On-Board Diagnos tic (O BD II ) system . The
symbo l
('4 lights up when the ignition is switch
e d on and wi ll turn off afte r the engine has start
e d an d has sett le d at a constant i dle speed . This
indicates that the MIL is working p roperly.
l) - : USA mo dels o nly
20
The wa rning lig ht ill uminates when the re is a
malfunction in the engine electronic system.
Contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler and have the
malfunction corrected.
An imprope rly closed fuel fille r cap may a lso
ca use the MIL light to ill uminate
¢ page 192.
For more inform ation ¢ page 28.
!?) Engine speed limitation
Applies to vehicles: wi th engine speed limitation
(II Do not exceed max. engine speed of XXXX
rpm
The (II symbo l illu min ates when t here is an en
gine co ntro l m alfu nction . The ~ indica tor light
in the instrument clus ter also i llum ina tes . T he
engine spee d is limited to the speed displayed in
t h e d river i nfo rmation system. Keep in m ind that
the engine speed w ill not exceed the value dis
played in the driver information system, for ex
amp le w hen downshifting .
D rive to your authorized A udi dealer immediate ly
to have t he mal funct ion corrected.
~~. Engine oil sensor
• Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact yo ur autho r
i zed Audi dealer and have the oil sensor inspect
ed . Until you have this done, check t he oil level
each time you refue l just to be on the safe s ide
¢ page 199.
Bu Tank system
ID Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first time
and the message appea rs, there are about
2
.1 -2 .4 gallons (7 -9 liters) of fuel left in the
ta nk . Time to refuel
¢page 192.
ID Fuel tank system malfunction! Contact deal -
er
~
Smart Technology
The following situations are exceptions where it
may be usefu l to switch on sport mode to allow
the wheels to spin : -
Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driv ing in deep snow or on loose ground
- Dr iv ing with snow chains
Sport mode on ESC/ASR off Sport mode off or
ESC /ASRon
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabiliza- The stabilization funct ion is The full stabilization func-
tion fu nct ions are limited not
available¢ ,&.. ESC and
tion of the ESC and ASR is
¢ ,&. .
ASR are switched
off. available again.
Operation Press the I!> OF F! button Press and hold the I!> OF FI Press the I!> OF F! button
briefly . button longer than 3 sec-again.
onds .
Indicator II turns on. JI and lf'lii•li~ turn on. II turns off or II and
lights lf'lii•l~~ turn off.
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC): Stabilization control (ESC): Stabilization control
sages Sport. Warning! Re stricted off. Warning! Restricted (ESC):
On
stability stability
It is only possible to turn off the ASR up to 30
mph (SO km/h) for veh icles wi th front whee l
drive . At about
45 mph (70 km/h) it automatica l
ly turns on again. It is possible to turn
off the
ASR at any speed for vehicles with all whee l
drive.
A WARNING
-
You should only sw itch sport mode on or
switch ESC/ASR
off if your driving ab ilities and
road condit io ns perm it .
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is switched on. The dr iv ing
wheels could spin and the veh icle cou ld
swerve, especially on slick or slippery road
surfaces.
- There is no vehicle stabilization when ESC/
ASR are switched
off.
(D Tips
ESC/ASR cannot be switched off or sport
mode cannot be switched on when cruise con
trol or adaptive cru ise control* is sw itched on .
172
Braking
What affects broking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess their full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first¢,&. . You can com
pensate for this slightly reduced braking power
by pushing harder on the brake pedal. Avoid
heavy braking loads during the break-in period.
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still sub
ject to wear, depending largely on operating con
ditions and driving habits~,&. . On vehicles that
are either driven most ly in stop-and -go city traf
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Audi dealer more of
ten than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte
nance booklet .
Failure to have your brake pads
i nspected can result in reduced brake perform
ance .
On steep slopes, you should use the braking ef
fect of the engine . This way, you prevent unnec
essary wear on the brake system. If you must use
your brakes, do not hold the brakes down contin
uously. Pump the brakes at intervals.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed, braking force and outside conditions such
as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain situat ions, for example after driving
through water, in heavy ra in, after overn ight con
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads. The brakes must be
dried first with a few carefu l brake applications.
At higher speeds and with the w indshie ld w ipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake
rotors for a short amount of time. This occurs at
regular intervals without the driver noticing and
provides for better brake response time under
wet conditions.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes are not used. Likewise, you clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake discs
and pads with a few cautious applications of the
brake ¢.& .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up on
the brake pads and corros ion to form on the discs
if the car is not driven regularly or only for short
tr ips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corro
sion has formed on the discs, it is advisab le to
clean off the pads and discs by braking firmly a
few t imes from a moderately high speed¢.&.
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in brake
pedal trave l, then one of the two brake circuits
may have failed
c:> .& .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the
brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid leve l is
~ monitored e lectronically.
ci u.. co ,...., \!) ..,.,
N ..,., ,....,
Smart Technology
Brake booster
T he brake booster increases the pressure that you
generate w ith the brake pedal.
It works on ly
when the engine is running
.c:> .&
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in
spect ion of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
c:> page 230, Replacing wheels.
_8 WARNING "'---
-New brake pads don't have the best stop
pin g power and must be "broken-in" during
the initial 250 miles (400 kilometers). You
can compensate for this by press ing the
brake pedal more firmly. This also applies
later when new pads are installed.
-
- You shou ld perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system
only if road conditions permit. Other road
users must not be put at r isk -you may
cause an acciden t!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or
too often . This could cause the brakes to get
hot and diminish braking efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your foot
on the pedal when you do not intend to
brake. This may cause the brakes to over
heat, premature wear and increased stop
p in g distance.
- Under certain cl imatic and operat ing condi
tions such as passing through water, dr iv ing
in heavy rain or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re
duced. In winter, ice can accumulate on the
b rak e pads, linings, discs and drums. Care
fully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry
and ice coatings will be cleaned off after a
few careful brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt -covered roads wi thout using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
173
Smart Technolog y
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads w ith a few carefu l
brake applications .
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in
stall a d ifferent spoiler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other
wise the brake system could overheat reduc
ing the effectiveness of the entire brake sys
tem.
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair the
braking capab ility result ing in an increased
stopp ing distance. Avoid driving the veh icle
and have it towed to the nearest autho rized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle ro ll to a stop with the
engine shut off .
- If the brake booster is not work ing, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booste r as
sistance .
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electro-mechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and me ssages
• Stee ring defe cti ve! D o not dr ive vehicle!
If this indicator light tu rns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steering may
have fai led .
Do
not contin ue driving. See yo ur authorized
Aud i dealer o r a qua lified repair facility for assis
tance.
l ;r- ij Dynami c steering : S ys te m fault! You can
c on tinu e dr iving
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the steer ing may be more difficult to
move or mo re sensitive than us ual. The steer ing
wheel may also be at an ang le when dr iv ing
straight.
174
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dea ler or
qualified workshop to have the ma lf u nction cor
rected.
' -r, ij Dynamic ste ering: i nitializing
If this driver message appears and the indicator
li ght is flashing on the i nstrume nt pane l, dynam
i c steer ing* is being rein it ia lized . After sta rting
the engine, the steer ing whee l w ill move sligh tly.
Re-initialization might be necessary if the steer
ing whee l was moved hard to th e left and right
whi le the vehicle was not moving . The display
goe s out as soon as initiali zation is comp lete.
A WARNING
,-
H ave the dynamic steering* system malfunc-
tion repaired as soon as possible by an author
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop - r isk
of accid ent!
@ Tips
- If the . or 'T fl indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may cont inue driving.
- The dynamic steering* stab ility system s are
not availab le in the event of a system mal
function .
- For add itional information on dynamic
steering*, refer to<=> page 103 .
Driving with your quattro
Applies to vehicles : wit h all -w hee l drive
With all-wheel drive , all four wheels are driven .
General information
With a ll-wheel drive, power is distrib uted to a ll
fo ur wheels . This happens automatica lly depend
i ng on your driving style and the road conditions
at the t ime . See also <=> page 1 70 .
A center d ifferential distributes the driving power
variab ly to the front and rear ax le. It works to
gether w ith select ive whee l torque control , which
activates when drivi ng throug h curves
¢ page 171 . W ith the sport diffe rential*, power
distribution to the rear wheels is var iable and can
be ad justed with d rive select ¢ page 103 .
1111-
M N
ci u.. co ,...., \!) 1.1"1
N 1.1"1 ,....,
Driving and the
environment
Breaking in
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the first 600 miles (1,000 kilometers ):
"' Do not use full throttle .
"' Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than
2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1,000 to 1,500
kilometers):
"' Speeds can gradually be increased to the maxi
mum perm issible road or engine speed.
During and after break-in period
"'Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold. This applies whether the transmission is
in N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the break-in period
"'Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any circumstances.
"'U pshift into the next higher gear
before reach
ing the red area at the end of the tachometer
scale
c=> page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the engine's
internal friction is higher than later when all the
moving parts have been broken in. How well this
break-in process is done depends to a considera
ble extent on the way the vehicle is driven during
the first 1,000 miles (1,500 kilometers).
(D Note
Extremely high engine speeds are automati
cally reduced. However, these rpm limits are
p rog rammed for an engine wel l run- in, not a
new engine.
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not dr ive with unnecessarily high eng ine
speeds -upshifting early saves fuel, reduces
noise and protects the environment.
Driving and the environment
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive very
carefully for the fi rst 350 m iles (500 kilometers)
after fitting .
New tires tend to be slippery and must also
be "broken-in". Be sure to remember this dur
ing the first
350 miles (500 kilometers).
Brake gently. Avoid following closely behind
other vehicles or other situations that might
require sudden, hard brak ing .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are d riving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., ma ke certain that low
lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged.
T his is espec ially true for veh icles with low-s lung
chassis (sports chassis)* and fully loaded
vehicles.
Driving through water on
roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when
driving through water, for example on f looded
roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the bot
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than walking speed.
A WARNING
= -
After driving through water, mud, slush, etc.,
the brakes may be s low to take effect because
of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry the brakes
first by braking carefully to restore the full braking effect.
(D Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical system
can be severely damaged by driving through
water . ""
177
Checking and F ill in g
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on t he left
side ¢
page 197.
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 b ra ke fluid level fal ls considerably below
the "MIN" mark, the brake warn ing/indi cator
light (U.S. models:
1111 , Canadian models: . )
will come on ¢
page 15. Do not contin ue to oper
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an author iz ed
Aud i dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected . If the brake fluid level is too low, the
brake warning/ind icator light w ill illuminate .
Contact an authorized Audi dealer
i mmed iately .
{D) Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located under
neath the cove r.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moist ure from the a ir. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor rosion in the brake system may result after a peri
od of time . The boiling point of the brake flu id
w ill also decrease conside rably and dec rease
b rak ing perfo rmance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e ve ry
two year s.
Always use new brake fluid w hich con
forms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
1 16 DOT 4".
The brake fluid rese rvoir can be difficult to reach,
therefo re , we recommend that you have the
b rake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
dealer .
Your dealer has the correct too ls , the
right brake fluid and the know-how to do t his for
you.
A WARNING
- B rake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
on ly in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
204
- Brake fail ure can resu lt from o ld or inappro
priate brake fluid. Observe these precau
tions:
- Use only b rake fluid that meets SAE spec i
f ica tion
J 170 3 and conform s to Federa l
Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with yo ur autho rized Audi dea le r to make
su re you are using the correct brake fl uid.
The correct type of brake flu id is also ind i
cated on the brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fl uid must be new. Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake f luid is left in the system too long.
This can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an acc ident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi
cle.
@ For the sake of the env ironment
Because of the prob lem of prope r disposal of
brake fluid as well as the special tools re
qu ired and the necessary expert ise, we rec
omme nd that you have the brake flu id
changed by you r autho rized Aud i dea le r.
Battery
, General information
U nder normal operating conditions, the battery
i n your Audi does not need any maintenance.
Wi th
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that you have the e lectro
lyte level checked by an a uth orized Aud i deale r o r
qualified workshop . The electrolyte leve l should
a lso be checked each time the batte ry is c ha rged
~ page 206.
Have the battery checked when yo u take your ve
hicle in for service . You a re well adv ised to re
pla ce a battery that is older tha n 5 years.
With certain types of airbag deployment, the bat
te ry is disconnected from the veh icle elect rical
system for safety reasons
¢ & in Repair, care
and disposal of the airbags on page 1 45.