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Winter tires
When driving in the w inter, your vehicle w ith 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 driveability and braking: these tires
must be mounted on
all four wheels. See also
c:> page 211, Winter tires .
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, th is normally also applies to vehicles with
all-wheel drive
c:> page 211, Snow chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles w ith all-wheel drive must a lways have
tires of the same size . Also avoid tires with differ
ent tread depths. For details see page
c:> page 203, New tires or wheels.
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle. It is there
fore best to avoid rough tracks and uneven ter
rain as much as possible . Also refer to
c:>page 177.
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 tak ing
extra risks .
- Although the all-wheel drive is very effec
tive, always remember that braking 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 surfaces, 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 .
Always drive at speeds which are suited to
the road conditions -risk of crash .
Smart Technology
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
is d ischarged by idling current consumers (e.g .
immobilizer). In certain circumstances it can re
su lt in there being insufficient energy available to
sta rt the eng ine .
Intelligent energy management in your vehicle
hand les the distribution of electrical energy .
Starting ability is markedly improved and the life
of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy management consists of
bat
tery diagnosis , idling current management
and
dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines the
state of the battery . Sensors determine battery
voltage, battery current and battery tempera
ture . T his determines the current state of charge
and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy con
sumption while the vehicle is standing . With the
ignition switched off, it controls the energy sup
ply to the various electrical components. Data
from battery d iagnosis is considered.
Depend ing on the battery's state of charge, indi
vidual consumers are gradually turned off to pre
vent excessive discha rge of the batte ry and thus
mainta in starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic energy
manageme nt distr ibutes the energy gene rated
accord ing to the needs of the individual compo
nents.
It regu lates consumption, so that more
elect rical energy is not being used than is be ing
generated and ensures an optima l state of
charge for the battery. ..,.
175
Page 178 of 254

Smart Technolog y
(D Tips
-But even energy management cannot neg
ate the limits of physics. Consider that the power and life of a battery are limited.
- If starting ability is threatened, the indica
tor light (•)appears
Qpage 16.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining start
ing capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the co ld time of
year . Ab undant electrical energy is required, but
only a little is generated. It is also critical if the
engine is not runn ing and electrical components
are turned on. In this instance energy is being
consumed but none is being generated.
It is in precisely these situat ions that you wi ll no
tice energy management actively regulating the
d istr ibut io n of energy.
Vehicle s tand s for an exte nded p eriod
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks, e lectrica l components are
gradually cut back or switched off. This reduces
energy consumption and maintains starting ca
pability over a longer period. Some of the con
ven ience funct ions may not operate, such as the
interior lights or the powe r seat adjustment. The
conven ience functions will be ava ilable again
when you sw itch on the ign it io n and start the en
g ine.
With th e engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with the
engine turned off or use other MMI funct ions,
the battery is being discha rged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to energy
consumption, a message appears in the MMI dis p lay . The message ind icates that the system will
be sw itched off automat ica lly in a moment. If
you wish to cont inue using the functions , you
have to start the engine .
176 With the en
gine running
Although elec trical energy is generated when the
vehicle is being d riven, the battery can become
discharged . This happens mostly when litt le en
ergy is being generated and a great deal con
sumed and the battery's state of charge is not
optimal.
T o bring the energy ba lance back into equilibri
u m, consumers whic h req uire especially large
amounts of energy are temporari ly cut back or
switched off. Heating systems in part icular re
quire a great deal of energy. If you notice, for ex
ample, that the heated seats* o r the heated rear
window are not heating, they have been tempo
r ari ly cut back o r switched off . Th ese systems w ill
be ava ilable again as soon as the ene rgy ba lance
has been res tored.
You w ill also notice that engine id le speed has
been increased slightly . Thi s is normal and not a
ca use for concer n. By increasing eng ine idle
speed the addi tional energy required is gene rated
and the battery is charged.
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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
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Driving and th e environment
(D Tips
-Check the depth of the water before driving
through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine
off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to dr ive
through safely.
- Avoid driving through sa lt water because it
can cause corrosion.
Warming up and cooling down
By carefully warming up and cooling down your
veh icle, you can help ensure that it is not over
stressed unnecessar ily du ring sporty dr iv ing.
When warming up, the vehicle is driven at a max imum engine speed of 6000 RPM in order to ra ise
the engine oil temperature to a m inimum of
140 °F (60 °C). T he tires also only reach their full
road holding capab ility once they have wa rmed
up.
The cooling fan can continue to run in your vehi
cle after the eng ine is switched
off. However,
d riving the vehicle to cool it dow n is part icu larly
important. During sporty d riving, the engine and
brakes , the exhaust system, and the transmission
all become extremely hot. Before you park the
vehicle, you should drive it for a few mi les/kilo
meters at light load in the low rpm range to al
low it to cool down.
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in on
environmentally sound manner .
.. Always use lead -free gasoline c::> page 183,
Fuel supply.
.. Never ru n the tank down a ll the way to empty.
.. Neve r pu t too m uch motor oil in your engine
c::> page 191, 't:::?: Adding engine oil .
178
.. Never try to push -or tow-start your vehicle .
The catalytic converte r is an effi cient "clean-up"
device b uilt into the exha ust system of the veh i
cle. The cata lytic conve rter burns many o f the
po llutants in the exhaust gas before they are re
l eased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fue l is c ritically im
po rtant for the life of the catalytic conver ter and
proper functioning of the engine .
A WARNING
-The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. Th is could resu lt in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exha ust system may come in
contact with dry grass, brush, fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or rustproof ing on or near the exhaust mani
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. During dr iving, the substance
used for unde rcoat ing could overheat and
cau se a fire.
@ Note
- Be aware that just one tank fill ing with lead
ed
fuel w ill al ready ser iously degrade the
performance of the catalytic converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
c::>poge 191.
-Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty . T he engine cou ld m isfire .
Unburned fu el could also get into the ex
haus t sys tem a nd this could cause the cata
lyt ic converte r to overheat.
- Do not turn
off the ignition while the vehicle
is
moving.
- Do not continue to operate your veh icle un
der these condi tions, as otherwise f uel can
re ach the cat aly tic converter. This could re
s u lt in ove rheat ing of the c onve rter, requ ir
ing its replacement .
- T o assure efficient oper ation of the Emission
~
Cont ro l System: ..,_
Page 181 of 254

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-Have your veh icle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
book let.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is op
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op
erating states. This depends on the sulfur
content of the fuel being used . Using a differ
ent brand of fuel may help, or filling the tank
w ith lead-free super grade gasoline.
Shutting down vehicle
If you wou ld like your vehicle to remain inopera
tive for a longer period of time, contact an Audi
or other specialized dealer. T hey can advise you
on necessary precautions e.g. corrosion preven
tion, maintenance and storage. Pay attention to
additional information concerning the battery. Refer to
c:;, page 196.
Economical and environ
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and
noise levels.
Fu el economy, environmental impact , and wear
on your engine, brakes and tires largely depend
on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fue l
consumption by 10-15 percent. This sect ion will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi
ronment and your pocketbook .
Driving and the environment
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)
and Transport Canada may not correspond to
your actual consumption on the road, which
will vary depending upon vehicle load and
speed, road and weather conditions, tr ip
l ength, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler
ating .
.. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler
ating. If you anticipate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and , thus, accel
erate less. Let the veh icle coast whenever possi
ble -for example when you see that the next traf
fic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im
proves your mileage .
.. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Acce lerating gently reduces fue l consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ
ment .
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust emiss ions and engine
noise increase disproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximate ly three quarters of
top speed, fue l consump tion will be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed l imit and weather cond itions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
.. Shut the eng ine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
.. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
ll>
179
Page 182 of 254

Driving and th e environment
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at rai lroad
crossings, or at traff ic lights that have long waits
on red. Turning the eng ine off for just 30-40 sec
onds saves more fuel than is burned starting the
engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle. However, wear
and nox ious em issions are especially h igh when
the engine is warm ing up. So you should dr ive
away as soon as you start the engine and avoid running at high rpms while the engine is still
warming up.
{[) Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended id ling a lso produces
heat, wh ich co uld resu lt in overheating or ot h
er damage to the vehicle or other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel.
~ Have you r vehicle se rv iced at regular i nte rva ls.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
author ized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
r u ns p roperly and economically. The condition of
your veh icle not only affe cts its safety and ability
to hold its va lue, i t also affects
fue l con sump
tion.
Ch eck your oil each tim e you fill your tank .
The amount of oil used is related to engine load
and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en
g ine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile
age has been driven.
You must drive yo ur vehicle about 3,000 miles
(5,000 ki lometers) before you can properly as
sess o il consumption .
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and engine
output .
180
(D Note
-Have your veh icle ma intained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda
tions in your Warranty
& Maintenance book
let. Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system and cou ld lead to damage .
- Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control System unless ap
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, sw itches, ignit ion wires,
valves, which a re des igned to p rotect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other
impo rtant vehicle components.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips.
~ Tr y to avoid dr iv ing sho rt distances w ith a co ld
eng ine .
The eng ine and cata lytic converter have to reach
their opt imal
op erat ing temperature to reduce
fuel consumpt io n and noxious em issions effec
tive ly.
Just after starting, a co ld eng ine in a mid -s ize car
o nly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 m iles per
gallon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a half a
mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg ( 20 l/100
k m). After about
2.5 mi les ( 4 km) , the eng ine is
at i ts p roper operating tempera ture and fuel
economy has reached a normal level. So you can
see that yo u should avo id short trips whenever
poss ib le.
The
outside temperature is also cr itical in th is re
gard. Your car cons umes more fuel in the winter
than in the summer.
Page 183 of 254

Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi
cle's value. It can a lso be a req uirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from your a uthorized Audi dea ler . Read and fol
l ow the instructions for use on the packaging .
A WARNING
- Using cleaning and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
- Always store cleaning and care products out of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i
soning .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when b uying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with h ousehold tras h.
Car washes
The longer that deposits remain on the vehicle ,
the more the s urface may be damaged . H igh
temperatures s uch as those caused by s unlight
increase the damaging effect.
Before washing, rinse off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water.
S tu bbor n depos its s uch a s bird dropp ings o r tree
sap are best removed w ith plenty of wa ter and a
microfiber cloth .
A lso, was h the unde rs ide of your vehi cle once
ro ad salt s tops be ing use d fo r t he season .
Pressure washers
When washing your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instructions p rov ided with t he p ress ure washer. This is espe-
"' "' cially importan t in reg ard to the p ress ure and 0::
~ sp ray ing dist ance. Do not aim the spray direc tly
~ at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the 1.1"1
~ rear lid or the sunroof * or at tires, rubber hoses, ,....,
Care and cleaning
insulat ing mater ia l, sensors * or camera lenses *.
Keep a distance of at least 16 inches (40 cm) .
D o no t remove snow and ice with a pressu re
washe r.
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz
zles.
The water temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °C) .
Automat ic car washes
Sp ray off the ve hicle before washing .
Make sure tha t the w indows and roo f* are close d
and the windshield wipers are off . Follow inst ruc
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
there are accessor ies attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes th at do not h ave
brushes.
Only use car washes whe re the vehicle rem ains
stationa ry and the w ashing eq uipmen t moves
aro und the veh icle when w ash ing and dry ing . Car
washes that move the vehicle thro ugh the car
wash using a c hain are n ot recommende d.
Washing by hand
Clean the ve hicl e s tarting fro m the top and work
i ng down using a soft sponge or cleaning b rush .
U se solven t-free cleani ng p ro du cts .
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid d amaging the paint whe n was hing, first
r emove dus t and la rge particles from yo ur vehi
cle . Insects, g rease s pots and finge rprints are
best removed with a spec ial cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply t he p rod uct us ing a micro fiber cloth . To
avoi d damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the ve hicl e thoro ughly with water. Then
clean usi ng a neutra l shampoo and a soft mic ro
fi ber cloth .
Rinse the ve hicle thoro ughly again and le t it air
dry. Remove any wate r residue using a s ham my. .,.
181
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Care and cleaning
A WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instructions from the car
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci
dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourse lf
from sharp metal components when wash
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking effect may be delayed due to moisture on the
brake rotors or ice in the winter . The brakes
must be dried first w ith a few careful brake
applications.
@ Note
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash, you must fold the exterior mirrors in
to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors.
Power folding exterior mirrors* must only
be fo lded in and out us ing the power folding
funct ion.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight .
- To reduce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitchen
sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polishing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint. The paint could be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
On ly wash the vehicle in facilities specially de
signed for that purpose. This will reduce the
risk of dirty water contaminated with oil from
entering the sewer system.
182
-
Placing your vehicle out
of service
If you would like to take your vehicle out of serv
ice for a longer time, contact your authorized
Audi dealer or qualified repair facility. They will
advise you of important measures, such as corro
s ion protec tion , maintenance and storage proce
dures. Also follow the information about the bat
tery
~ page 196.