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Automatic transmission
S tronic
Introduction
The automatic transmission is controlled elec
tronically. The transmission upshifts or down
shifts automatically depending on which drive
program is selected.
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most economical driving
mode.
It will then change up early and delay the
downshifts to give better fuel economy.
The transmission switches to a sporty mode after
a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driv
ing style
characterized by quick accelerator pedal
movements, heavy acceleration, frequent
changes in speed and traveling at the maximum
speed.
If desired, the driver can also select the gears
manually (tiptronic mode) ~ page 85.
The S tronic is a dual-clutch transmission . Power
is transferred using two clutches that work inde
pendently from one another. They replace the
torque converter used in conventional automatic
transmissions and allow the vehicle to accelerate
without a noticeable interruption in traction.
Selector lever positions
Fig. 83 Display in the instru ment cluster: selector lever in
pos it ion P
The selector lever position engaged appears next
to the selector lever as well as in the instrument
cluster display .
Automatic transmission
P - Park
In this selector lever position the transmission is
mechanically locked. Engage P only when the ve
hicle is
completely stopped¢.& in Driving the
automatic transmission on page 83.
To shift in or out of position P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the release button in the selector lever handle
while moving the selector lever to or from P. You
can shift out of this position only with the igni
tion on.
R- Reverse
Select R only when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed¢.& in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 83.
Before you move the selector lever to R, press
both the release button in the hand le of the se
lector lever
and the brake pedal at the same
time .
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illumi
nate when the selector lever is moved into R.
N - Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this position.
Shift to this position for standing with the brakes
applied
~ .& in Driving the automatic transmis
sion on page 83.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below
1 mph (2 km/h), you must always apply the foot
brake before and while moving the lever out of N.
D/S - Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S position, the transmission can be oper
ated either in the normal mode Dor in the sport
mode S. To select the sport mode S, pull these
lector lever back briefly. Pulling the lever back
again will select the normal mode D. The instru
ment cluster display shows the selected driving
mode.
In the
normal mode D, the transmission auto
matically selects the suitable gear ratio. It de
pends on engine load , vehicle speed and driving
style.
11o-
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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
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of skid
ding and loss of vehicle control. It works only
when the engine is running. ESC detects certain
d ifficu lt driving situations, including when the ve
hicle is beginn ing to spin (yaw) out of control and
helps you to get the vehicle back under control by
selectively braking the whee ls, and/or reducing
engine power and prov iding steer ing ass istance
to help hold the vehicle on the driver's intended
course. The indicator light
Bl in the instrument
cluster blinks when ESC is taking action to help
you control the veh icle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remember
that ESC cannot overcome the laws of physics. It
will not always be able to help out under all con
ditions you may come up against. For example, ESC may not always be able to help you master
situations where there is a sudden change in the
coefficient of frict ion of the road surface . Whe n
there is a section of dry road that is suddenly cov
ered with water, slush or snow, ESC cannot per
form the same way it wou ld on the dry surface. If
the vehicle hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of wa
ter instead of the road surface), ESC will not be
ab le to he lp you steer the vehicle because contact
with the pavement has been interrupted and the
vehicle cannot be braked or steered . During fast
cornering, particularly on winding roads, ESC
cannot always deal as effectively with difficult
driving situations than at lower speeds. Whe n
tow ing a trailer, ESC is not able to help you regain
con trol as it wou ld if you were no t towing a trail
er .
A lways adjust your speed and dr iving sty le to
road, traffic and weather conditions. ESC cannot
override the vehicle's physical limits, increase the
Smart Technology
available traction, or keep a vehicle on the road i f
road departure is a result of driver inattention.
Instead, ESC improves the possibility of keeping
the vehicle under control and on the road dur ing
extreme maneuvers by using the driver's steering
inputs to help keep the vehicle go ing in the in
tended direction. If you are traveling at a speed
that causes you to run off the road before ESC
can prov ide any assistance, you may not expe ri
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC is switched on all the time . In certain situa
t ions when you need less traction, you can switch
off ASR by pressing the button
[ru ~ page 170,
fig. 152 or ~page 170, fig . 153. Be sure to
switch ASR on again when you no longer need
less traction.
T he following systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up when braking. The vehicle can still be steered even dur
i ng hard braki ng. Apply steady pressure to the
brake pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in
the brake pedal indicates that the system is he lp
ing you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake ass ist system can decrease braking dis
tance . It increases braking power when the driver
presses the brake peda l quickly in emergency sit
u at ions. You must press and hold the brake pedal
until t he situat ion is over. In vehicles with adap
tive cruise control*, the brake assist system is
more sensitive if the distance detected to the ve
hicle ahead is too sma ll.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR red uces eng ine power when the drive wheels
begin to spin and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acce le r
ate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
T he EDL brakes whee ls that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other wheels.
T his function is available up to about 60 mph
(100 km/h).
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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. ..,.
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yourself, because this increases the risk of
an acc ident.
Winter tires
W inter tires sign ificantly improve t he vehicle's
h andling when drivi ng in winter condit ions. Be
cause of the ir construction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summer t ires p rov ide less t ract ion
on ice and snow.
.. Use w in ter t ires on all four wheels.
.. Only use winter tires that are approved for your
vehicle .
" Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower w it h w inter tir es ~,&. .
You r authorized Audi dea le r or a uthorized re
pair facility can in form you about the maximum
permitted speed fo r yo ur tires.
.. Check the tire pressure after insta lling wheels
~ page 206.
The effectiveness of winte r tires is reduced great
l y when the tread is worn dow n to a depth of
0 .157 inch (4 mm). The characteristics of w inter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re
gardless of the remai ning tread .
A WARNING
-Never drive faster than the maximum per
mitted speed for your t ires. This could cause
the tires to heat up too much . This increases
the risk of an ac cident be cause it can cause
the tire to b urst.
- Always adapt you r driv ing to the road and
t raff ic conditions. Dr ive ca refully and re duce
yo ur speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
w inter tires can lose tract ion on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the approp riate
t ime, because they prov ide be tter h and ling
when roads a re free of snow and ice. S ummer
tires ca use less road no ise, tire wea r and fuel
consumption.
Wheels
{!) Tips
You can also use a ll season tires instead of
winter tires. P lease note that in some coun
tries where w inter tires are required, only win
ter tires w ith the
& symbol may be permit
ted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
.. On ly install snow chains on the front wheels .
T his applies a lso to vehicles with a ll whee l
drive .
.. Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet . Fol
low the instructions from the manufactu rer .
.. Note the maximum permitted speed when dr iv
ing wit h snow chains . Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h).
Snow c ha ins not only improve the
driving in w in
te r road cond itions , but also the
braking .
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to technical reasons .
Check with an authorized Audi dea ler or author
ized repa ir fac ility to see if you may use snow
chains.
Use
fine-mesh snow chains. They must not add
more than 0 .41 inch (10 .5 mm) in he ight, includ
i ng the cha in lock.
You must remove the chains when driving on roads that are
free of snow . When roads are free
of snow, snow cha ins can impair handl ing and
damage the tires, and the chains wi ll quickly be
dest royed.
A WARNING
Using incor re ct snow chains o r insta lli ng snow
cha ins incorrect ly can result in loss of ve hicle
control, which increases the risk of an acci
dent .
(D Note
Snow ch ains can damage the rims/wheel cov
ers * if the chains come into direct contact
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under controlled conditions on a specified gov
ernment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one ha lf (11/2) times as well on the govern
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un
der controlled conditions on specified govern ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete . A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
¢ .&. .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure
¢ .&. .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law .
A WARNING
-
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on stra ight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor
nering, hydroplan ing or peak traction charac
teristics.
Wheels
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in comb ination , can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
A WARNING
-
-
Temperature grades apply to tir es that are
properly inflated and not over or underinflat
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
ill General notes
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla
tion pressure for those tires) .
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell
tale when one or more of your tires is significant
ly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you shou ld stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure . Driving on a signifi
cant ly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over
heat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop
ping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re
sponsibility to maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres-
sure telltale. .,.
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