M N
co
a:
co
,...., \!) ..,.,
N ..,., ,....,
exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system
inspected immediately by your Audi dealer .
A WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must in
stall a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-facing seat
has been designed and certified by its man
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas
senger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's instruc
tions provided with the child safety seat or
carrier.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air
bag as possible before installing the child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to
an upright position.
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were in
stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage to
a child restraint that is not visible could cause
it to fail in another collision situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System " in compliance with United States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was
manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has
been certified to meet the "low-risk" require
ments for 3- and 6-year old children on the pas
senger side and small adults on the driver side.
The low risk deployment criteria are intended to
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
Child safety
the airbag that can occur, for example, by being
too close to the steering wheel and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been certified to comply with the "suppression" requirements of the Safety Stand
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to 12 months who are restrained on the front pas
senger seat in child restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad
vanced Airbag system, all children, especially
those 12 years and younger, should always ride in
the back seat properly restrained for their age
and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to ride. The front seat is not the safest place
for a child in a forward-facing child safety seat. It can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a
larger child in a rearward-facing seat.
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle de
tects the presence of an infant or child in a child
restraint on the front passenger seat using the
weight-sensing mat in the seat cushion and the
sensor below the safety belt latch on the front
passenger seat that measures the tension on the
safety belt .
The weight-sensing mat measures total weight of
the child and the child safety seat and a child blanket on the front passenger seat. The weight
on the front passenger seat is related to the de
sign of the child restraint and its "footprint", the
size and shape of the bottom of the child re straint as it sits on the seat . The weight of a child
restraint and its "footprint" vary for different
kinds of child restraints and for the different
models of the same kind of child restraint offered
by child restraint manufacturers.
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes
and models of child restraints that the NHTSA
has specified in the Safety Standard together
with the weight ranges of typical infants and typ
ical 1 year-old child have been stored in the con
trol unit of the Advanced Airbag System. When a
1iJ11-
173
M N
co
a:
co
,...., \!) 1.1"1
N 1.1"1 ,....,
shared, please see your contract with the
wireless telecommunications provider and the
"About Aud i connect" tab in your vehicle's
MMI*:
IMENU I button> Audi connect > About
Audi connect .
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) reinfor
ces driver safety. It reduces the risk of slipping
and improves driving stability. ESC detects criti
cal s ituations such as the vehicle oversteering
and understeering or the wheels sp inning. The
veh icle is stab ilized by applying the brakes or re
ducing engine torque. Once the ESC is act ive, the
indicator light
m blinks in the instrument clus
ter.
The fol low ing systems a re integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up when
brak ing . The vehicle can still be steered even dur
ing hard braking. Apply steady pressure to the
brake pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in
the brake pedal indicates that the system is help
ing you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking d is
tance . It increases braking power when the dr iver
presses the brake pedal quick ly in emergency s it
uations. You must press and hold the brake pedal
unti l the situation is over. In vehicles w ith adap
tive cruise control*, the brake assist system is
more sensitive if the distance detected to the ve
hicle ahead is too small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive whee ls
begin to spin and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acceler
ate and drive up hills.
Smart Technology
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes whee ls that are spinning and
trans fers the drive power to the other whee ls.
This function is not avai lable at higher speeds .
In extreme cases, EDL automatically sw itches off
to help keep the brake on the braked wheel from
overheating. EDL will switch on again automati
ca lly when conditions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by changing
the steering torque.
On vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC helps
stab ilize the steer ing in crit ical situat ions .
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when driv
ing on curves. The front wheel on the inside of
the curve or both wheels on the inside of the
curve are braked select ively as needed. This al
lows more precise driving in curves. The applica
ble system may not activate when driving in wet
o r snowy conditions .
A WARNING
-
-The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the laws of physics. This is espe
cially important on slippery or wet roads. If
the systems begin acting to stabilize your
vehicle, you should immediately change
your speed to match the road and traffic conditions . Do not let the increased safety
provided by these systems tempt you to
take risks. Doing so will increase the risk of a
loss of vehicle control, collision and serious
personal injuries.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions. The risk of los ing con
trol of the vehicle increases when driving
too fast, especially through curves and on
slippery or wet roads, and when driving too
close to vehicles up ahead . The ESC and its
integrated systems cannot a lways prevent
coll isions - there is st ill a risk of acc idents!
- Always accelerate with special care on even,
smooth surfaces such as those that are wet
or covered with ice and snow. The drive
191
Smart Technology
wheels can spin even with these assistance
systems that cannot always help to reduce
the risk of loss of vehicle control.
@ Tips
-ABS and ASR only work correctly when all
four whee ls are equipped with identical
Switching on/off
tires . Different tire sizes can lead to a reduc
tion in engine power .
- You may hear noises when the systems de
scribed are working.
- When installing a factory-supplied roof rack
system on the roof railing, the ESC will
adapt itself to a different center of gravity.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 185 Version A: Lower center console, YJ. OFF butto n
The fo llow ing situations are exceptions where it
may be useful to sw itch on offroad mode to allow
the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
Offroad mode on
Fig. 186 Ve rs ion B: Upper center co nsole, YJ. O FF button
-Driving with snow chains
- Driving downhill while braking on loose ground
- Driving on rough terrain when much of the car's
weight is lifted off the wheels (axle articula
tion)
Offroad mode off
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions are The full stabilization function of the ESC
limited
c> & .
Operation Press the l.13 OFF I button.
Indicator Ill turns on.
lights
Driver mes· Stabilization control (ESC): Offroad .
sages Warning! Restricted stability
A WARNING
- You should only switch offroad mode on if
your driving abilit ies and road conditions
permit.
- The stabilization function is limited when offroad mode is switched on. The driving
wheels cou ld spin and the vehicle could
swerve, especially on slick or slippery road
surfaces.
192
and ASR is availab le again.
Press the
1.$ OFF I button again.
II turns off.
Stabilization control (ESC): On
(D Tips
Offroad mode cannot be switched on when
adaptive cruise control" is switched on .
M N
co ~ co
Hill descent assist
The hill descent assist makes it possible to drive
down on incline at a constant speed .
~!:t'::t Cl)Of~ ........ - -~ -fi31.. ..,_e..,,. --
I: ~_c)': ~ ~ ~ ~- .·· ~ n
l ... , .. --~ . ; - - -
Fig. 187 Top of t he ce nte r con so le: h ill descen t ass ist bu t
to n
Fig. 188 D isplay: hill descent assist
~ Press the~ button in the center console
~ 1/) 9 a:
~
¢ fig. 187 or on the shift gate. The button w ill
illuminate .
~ Press the button again to switch it off. The di-
ode in the butto n w ill go out.
H ill descent assist brakes all four wheels auto
mat ica lly in o rder to lim it speed when driv ing ei
ther fo rward or reverse on hills with a grade up to
approximately 50%.
When the h ill descent assist is on, the current
d riving speed, when your vehicle entered the in
cline is maintained.
It is only possible to switch
on the ass ist when d riving slower than 37 mph
(60 km/h). The assist works between app rox i
mately 2 and 19 mp h (4 and 30 km/h). The driver
can increase or decrease the vehicle speed within
these limits by depressing the acce lerator or
brake pedal In addition , vehicle steerability is in
creased due to the braking distribution when
:0 driving in reverse .
"' N
"' ......
Smart Technology
There must be however suffic ient ground adhe
sion . The hill descent assist can
n ot do its job if
the incline is icy or if the incline ground is loose
¢ Ll:). .
The system does not work at speeds between 19
and 37 mph (30 and 60 km/h) . The system is
then in the ready-mode. The d iode in the button
will come on . The system automatically switched
off when you drive faster than 37 mph (60 km/
h) . The diode will go out in this case .
Active control at a specif ic speed up to approx i
mately 19 mph (30 km/h) will appear in the in
strument cluster display¢
fig. 188. Two das hes
"--" will appear in the ready mode.
Hill descent assist is automatically activated un
der the fo llowing conditions:
- the diode in the button i lluminates,
- veh icle speed is below approximately 19 mph
(30 km/h)
- the incline is 10% .
A WARNING
-
-Always adapt your speed to the weather,
road and traffic conditions. Do not let the in
creased safety provided tempt you into tak ing risks.
- The hill descent assist system cannot over
come the laws of physics . Your driving style
must always be adapted to the current road
and traffic conditions.
- The hill descent assist may not be ab le to
hold your vehicle at a constant speed under
all conditions w hile driving on an incl ine (for
example if ground under the vehicle is loose) .
Braking
What affects broking efficiency?
New brake p ad s
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess their full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first¢ &. .,,.
193
Smart Technolog y
Operating c ondit ion s and drivin g hab it s
The brakes on today 's automobi les are st ill sub
ject to wear, depending largely on operating con ditions and driving habits¢.&. . On vehicles that
are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traf
f ic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authori zed Audi dealer more of
ten than specified in the
Wa rra nty & Mainte
n an ce boo kle t .
Fa ilure to have your brake pads
inspected can result in reduced brake perform
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing ef
fect of the eng ine . Th is way, you prevent unnec
essary wear on the brake system. If you must use
your brakes, do not ho ld the brakes down contin
uously. Pump the brakes at inte rva ls.
Operat ing no ise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed, brak ing force and outside conditions such
as temperature and humid ity .
Effect of w ate r an d r oad sal t
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overn ight con
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by mo isture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
d ried first with a few carefu l brake applications.
At h igher speeds and with the w indshield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake rotors for a short amount of t ime . This occurs at
regular intervals without the d river noticing and
p rov ides for better brake response t ime unde r
wet conditions .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered road
a nd the brakes are not used . L ikew ise, you clean
off accumulated sa lt coating from brake discs
and pads with a few cautious applications of the brake ¢.&. .
Corros ion
There may be a tendency for dirt to bui ld up on
the brake pads and corros ion to fo rm on the discs
if the car is not driven regularly or on ly for short
trips with litt le use of the brakes.
194
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corro
sion has formed on the discs, it is advisable to clean off the pads and d iscs by braking firmly a
few times from a moderate ly high speed¢.&. .
Fault s in the brak e system
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in bra ke
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circuits
may have failed
¢ .&. .
Lo w b rake fluid l evel
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the
brake flu id leve l is too low. The brake fl uid level is
monitored electronica lly.
Brake boos ter
The brake booster increases the pressure that you
generate w ith the brake pedal. It on ly operates
whi le the engine is runn ing o r with the ig nit ion
switched on (hybrid drive*)
¢ ,& .
Brake lining we ar status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the wheel. If necessary ,
the wheel may be removed for this inspec tion
¢ page 260, Replacing wheels .
& WARNING -
- New brake pads don't have the best stop
ping power and m ust be "broken-in" during
the initial 250 miles (400 km) . You can com
pensate for this by pressing the brake pedal
more f irm ly. This also applies later when
new pads are installed.
- You should 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 accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gea r or lower dr iving range. Do not ride the
bra kes or ho ld the peda l down too long or
too often . This could cause the bra kes to get
hot and diminish braking efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your foot
on the pedal when you do not intend to
~
M N
co
a:
co
,...., \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 ,....,
brake. This may cause the brakes to over
heat, premature wear and increased stop
ping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating condi
tions such as passing through wate r, driving
in heavy rain o r after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re duced. In w inter, ice can accumulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums . Care
fully apply b rakes for a test. B rakes wi ll dry
and ice coatings wi ll be cleaned off after a
f ew caref ul bra ke applications .
- Dr iv ing for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads w ithout using you r
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads w ith a few caref ul
brake applicat ions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in
stall a different spoi ler, 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 ent ire brake sys
tem .
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair the
braking capab ility result ing in an increased
stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing the veh icle
and have it towed to the nearest authori zed
Audi dealer or qu alified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop w ith the
eng ine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not work ing, the
brake pedal must be pressed conside rably
harder to make up fo r the lack of booste r as
sist ance.
Electromechanical power
assist, Dynamic steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power stee ring adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator light s and mess age s
• Stee ring def ective! Do not drive vehicle!
Smart T echno log y
If this indicato r light turns on and stays on and
t h is message appears, the power steering may
have failed.
Stop the vehi cle in a sa fe location as soo n as pos
s ible . Do
not cont inue driving . See yo ur author
ized Audi dea ler or other qualified repair facility
for assistance .
'Iij Dynamic steering: Sy stem fault! You c an
continue dri ving
If the indicato r light turns on and the message
appea rs, the stee ring may be more d ifficult to
move o r more sensit ive th an usua l. The steering
may also be at an angle when driving straight .
Drive slowly to you r authorized Audi dea le r o r
qualified wo rkshop to have the ma lf u nct ion co r
re cted.
,~n D ynamic steering: Initializing
Audi drive select*: if the indicator light blinks and
the driver message appears, the dynamic steer
i ng* is reinitialized. After starting the engine, the
stee ring wheel will move slightly . Re-in itia liza
t ion m ight be necessa ry if the stee ring wheel was
moved h ard to the left and r ight while the veh icle
was not moving. The disp lay t urns off if the ini ti
alization was success ful.
(D Tips
- If the . or
(~fl indica tor light only stays on
for a sho rt time, you may cont inue driving.
- T he dynamic s teering* stab ility systems
<:!> page 191 are no t available in the event of
a system mal func tion .
- For add ition al information on dynamic
steer ing*
<:!> page 120.
Driving with your quattro
With all -wheel drive, all four wheels are driven.
General information
With a ll-wheel d rive, power is distr ibuted to a ll
fo ur wheels. This happens automati ca lly depend
i ng on your d riving s tyle and the road condi tions
a t t he t ime . See a lso <:!>
page 191. .,.
195
Smart Technolog y
A center differentia l distributes the driving power
variably to the front and rear axle. It works to
gether with selective wheel torque contro l, which
activates when driving through curves
c:::;,page 191.
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power . Your vehicle is exceptionally pow
erful and has excellent driving characteristics bo th under normal driv ing condit ions and on
snow and ice . Always read and follow safety pre
cautions
c:::;, .&. .
Wint er tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with all
wheel drive has an advantage, even with regular
tires. In winter road conditions it may be advisa
ble to mount winter tires (or all-season tires) for
improved dr iveability and braking: these tires
must be mounted on
a ll four wheels . See a lso
c:::;, page 250, Winter tires.
Tire chain s
Where tire chains are manda tory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to vehicles with
all-wheel drive c:::;, page 250, Snow chains.
Repl acing wheels /tire s
Vehicles with all-whee l drive must always have
tires of the same size. Also avoid tires with differ
ent tread depths . For deta ils see page
c:::;, page 242, New tires or wheels .
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic
conditions. Do not let the extra safety afford
ed by all-wheel drive tempt you into ta king
extra r is ks.
- Althoug h the all-whee l dr ive is very effec
t ive, always remember that brak ing capac ity
is limited by tire traction . You should there
fore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces .
- On wet road su rfaces, be careful not to drive
too fast because the front wheels could be
gin to slide on top of the water (aquaplan
ing). If this should occur, you will have no
warning from a sudden increase in engine
speed as with a front -whee l drive vehicle.
196
Always drive at speeds which are suited to
the road cond it ions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution of
electrical energy and thus optimizes the availa bility of electrical energy for starting the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system is
not driven for a long period of time, the battery
i s d ischarged by idling current consumers (e .g .
i mmob ili zer). I n certain c ircumstances it can re
s ul t in the re be ing insuffi cient energy available to
start the eng ine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehicle
hand les the d ist ribution of electrical energy.
Start ing ability is ma rkedly improved and the life
of the ba ttery is extended .
Bas ica lly, energy management consists of
bat
t e ry diagn osi s, idling curr ent man ag ement
and
d ynami c energy management .
Batte ry diag nosi s
Battery diagnosis continuously determines the
state of the battery. Se nsors determine battery
vo ltage, battery current and battery tempera
tu re. This determines the cu rrent state of cha rge
and the power of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy con
sumption whi le the vehicle is standing . W it h the
i gnition switched off, it cont ro ls the energy sup
ply to the various electrical components. Data
from battery d iagnosis is cons idered.
Depend ing on the battery's state of charge , indi
v idual consumers are gradua lly tu rned off to pre
vent excessive discharge of the batte ry and thus
maint ain s tarting capability.
Dynamic ener gy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic ene rgy
management distr ibutes the energy gene rated
accord ing to the needs of the individual compo-
nents. It regu lates consumption, so that more
II>
Offroad driving
Off road driving
Driving under difficult
conditions and off-road
General information
The opera tion of the E lectronic Stabilization Con
trol (ESC) is expanded for operation away from paved roads. In situat ions where s lip or a differ
ential locking function is required, the offroad mode can be activated
<=> page 191. Your Aud i al
so has permanent a ll-wheel drive in addition .
However, your Audi is not a pure offroad veh icle.
It was not bu ilt for driving under extreme condi
tions, e.g. for trips that are in the nature of an ex
pedit io n.
Dri ve o nly on roads and offro ad sections which
match the des ign of you r vehicle and your abil i
ties as a dr iver. Neve r take r isks!
B efo re driving offroad
- Check the eng ine oil level, tire p ressure, cool
ant leve l, and the fluid level i n the windshield
washer reservo ir.
- Stow luggage items and other objects in the
lu ggage compartment, and sec ure them
against slid ing aro und.
After dri ving off road
- After trips offroad, remove any twigs and othe r
f oreign objects from the grill, the unde rbody
and the wheels . Pay special attention to foreign
objects (stones) which have become lodged in
the tire tread.
- Clean the body and the vehicle unders ide, and
inspect the vehicle for poss ible damage.
- Clean dirty windows, headlamp lenses, rear
lights, and license p lates.
- Perform a brake check (particularly after t ravel
li ng through water).
A WARNING
- Drive especia lly attentive ly and plan ahead
in diffic ult road cond itions and w hen
off
road. Excessive speed or incorrect mane u
vers can cause in ju ries and damage to the
vehicle.
202
- Always adapt your speed and driving sty le to
road, off road, traffic, and weather cond i
tions. Dr ive espec ially slowly offroad w hen
your view is restricted.
- Please be aware that in offroad mode, par
ticularly on a smooth and slippery road, the
wheels may have an increased tendency to
spin and the vehicle may break away -dan
ge r of skidding!
- Stability is limited in the offroad mode .
® For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to the environment and respect
nature.
(D Tips
Only drive where it is permitte d and stay on
marked roads and paths .
Explanation of some technical terms
The following data refer to ideal cond itions. De
pend ing on veh icle load a nd gro und cond itions
and the env ironment, the numbe rs may vary.
It is
the d river 's responsibility to decide whethe r ave
h icle can overcome a specific s ituation
<=> .&, .
Gradient angle
The number of meters in alt itude ga ined over a
distance of 109 .4 yards or 100 meters (grade)
are given as a pe rcentage o r degrees . Info rma
tion about the gradient the ve hicle can climb un
der i ts own power (depends in part on the road
s ur fa ce and eng ine power). M axim um permi tted
grade: 31°
Ground clearance
The distanc e between the road s urface and the
l owest poi nt of the veh icle underbody . G round
cl ear ance 7.9 in ( 20 0 mm)
A WARNING
Exceed ing the s tated max imum figur es c an
res ult in seve re injuries or vehicle damage .
- All the info rm ation w as g athered on level,
-
fi rm and non -slip pery road s urfaces, and un-
de r dry weather conditions .
llll>