
....,
N
ci > co
rl I.O
"' ....,
"' rl
position longer than approximately 2 seconds
when the brake pedal is not pressed.
Interlock button
The interlock button in the selector lever han
dle prevents you from moving the selector
l eve r inadvertently while in some selecto r lev
er positions. The positions that require the in
terlock button to be pressed are marked in
color in the illustration
c::;, fig. 97.
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 following all WARNINGS. c::;, &. in
Selector lever positions on page 109.
{D) Tips
- If the selector lever does not engage,
there is a malfunction. The engine is dis
abled to prevent the vehicle from driving
off unintentionally . Press the brake pedal
briefly to allow the selector lever lock to
engage again.
- 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
sired 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 an authorized Aud i dea ler
or authorized Audi Service Facility for as
sistance to have the system checked.
Autom atic transm ission 111
Driving tips
Applies to veh icles: w it h S tronic transm iss ion
T he transmission shifts up and down auto
matically when in the driving gears.
Fig. 98 Section of the center co nsole: Selector lever
w ith interlock 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 position such as D
c::;, page 109
and re lease 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 accel
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 irement:
The driver's safety belt must fastened and
the driver's door must be closed.
IJll,,

126 Driving safety
• Make sure that all lights and signals are op
erating correctly .
• Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
• Make sure that a ll windows are clean and af
ford good visibility to the o utside.
• Secure all luggage and other items ca refully
c:::> page 64, c:::>page 62 .
• Make sure that noth ing can i nterfere with
t h e pedals.
• Adjust front seat, head rest rain t and mirro rs
correct ly for your he ight .
• Instr uct passenge rs to adjust the head re
straints according to their height.
• Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect chi ldren
c:> page 170 ,
Child Safe ty .
• Sit properly i n your seat and make sure that
you r passenge rs do the same
c:::> page 57,
Front seats .
• Fasten your safety be lt and wear it properly.
Also ins truc t your passengers to faste n their
sa fety belts proper ly
c:> pag e 13 5.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving i s direc tly rela ted to the condi
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver 's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted .
The driver is respons ib le for the safety of the
ve hicl e and a ll of its occupants . If you r ability
to drive is impaired , safety r is k s for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you a lso become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
c:> &_ .
Therefore:
• Do not let you rself be distracted by passen
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEV ER dr ive when your dr iv ing ability is im
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
• Observe all traffic laws , rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense .
• ALWAYS ad just your speed to road, t raff ic
and weathe r condit ions .
• Take frequent breaks on long t rips. Do not
dr ive for mo re th an two hours a t a str etc h .
• Do N OT drive when you are t ired, under
pressure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
-Impaired driving safety increases the r isk
of ser ious perso nal inju ry and death when
ever a vehicle is bei ng use d.
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig . 11 4 Correct seat ing pos it io n
For you r own safety and to reduce t he risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom
me nd that you adjust t he d river's seat to the
f o llow ing pos ition:
.,. Ad just the driver's seat so that you can easi
ly p ush the pedals all the way to the floo r
while keep ing you r knee(s) slightly bent
c:>& ,
.,. Adj ust t he an gle of the seatba ck so th at it is
in an uprigh t position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive.
• Adj ust the steering whee l so that t here is a
distance of at least 10 inches
(25 cm) be
tween the steering wheel and your breast bone
c:::> fig. 114 . If not possible, see your a u
thor ized Audi dealersh ip about adaptive
equ ipment .
.. Ad just t he steering whee l so that the steer
ing wheel and airbag c over poi nts at your
ches t and not a t your f ace.
• Grasp the top o f the steering whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent .
• For ad justab le head restra ints : Adjust the
head restra int so the uppe r edge is as even
as poss ible with the top of your head. If that..,_

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
M 1.1'1 ,....,
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
T his chapter explains why safety belts are nec
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly .
~ Read all the information that follows and
heed all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se
rious injury and death in automobile acci
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving .
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically
impaired persons must also use safety
belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are
more likely to be seriously injured if they
do not wear safety belts. The best way to
protect a fetus is to protect the mother -
throughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each
seating position has a safety belt .
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, in
cluding small children, into any belt. It is
especially dangerous to place a safety
belt over a child sitting on your lap.
- Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
Safety belts 13 5
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safe
ty belt or child restraint.
~ Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and front seat passenger (on USA mod
els only) to remind you abou t the importance
of buckling-up.
Fig. 117 Safety bel t warn ing light in the instr ume nt
cl uster -enla rged
Before driving off, always:
~ Fasten your safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly.
~ Make sure that your passengers also buckle
up and properly wear their safety belts.
~ Protect children with a child restraint sys-
tem appropriate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument clus
ter lights up when the ignition is on as a re
minder to fasten the safety belts . In addition,
you will hear a warning tone for a certain peri
od of time .
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that
your passengers also properly put on their
safety belts.
A WARNING
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se
rious injury and death in automobile acci
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving. •
•
•

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
M 1.1'1 ,....,
the brakes. If you need to brake addit ion
ally, bra ke in intervals and not continu
ously.
(D Tips
- If the brake boos ter is not wor king, you
must p ress the brake pedal with much
more force t hen no rma l.
- If yo u retrof it your vehicle with a front
s po ile r, wheel covers or similar items,
make sure that the air f low to the front
whee ls is not interrupted. Otherwise the
brake system can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering
The elec tromechanical steering suppor ts the
driver's s teering movements .
Powe r stee ring adapts electronically based o n
the veh icle speed.
The vehicle still has full stee ring fu nctionality
if the powe r steering fails o r whe n the eng ine
i s stopped (towi ng). To s teer, yo u must app ly
m uc h mo re fo rce than usual.
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
If th is in dicator lig ht tu rns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering may have fa iled.
Do
not co ntin u e dr iving . See an autho rize d
Aud i dea ler o r autho rized Aud i Service Fac ility
for assistance.
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
There is a malf unct io n in the electro nic steer
in g lo ck. You canno t turn the ign ition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle beca use it ca nnot be
steered. See an autho rized Aud i dea le r or au
thor ized Audi Se rv ice Facility for ass istance.
Ei:-Y Steering malfunction : you can continue
driving
I f the indicator light turns on, the steering
wheel may be more difficult to move or more
Smart Technolog y 193
sensit ive tha n usua l. The stee ring wheel may
also be at a n angle when dr iv ing stra ight .
D rive slowly to you r auth ori zed Audi de aler o r
qualifie d wo rkshop to have the ma lf u ncti on
correc ted.
II Steering lock : sy stem fault! Pl ease con
tact Service
T he re is a malfunction in the elec tronic steer
ing lock .
D rive to an author ized Audi dealer or author
ized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunc tion corrected.
A WARNING
Have the sys tem ma lf u nction co rrec ted as
soon as po ssible by an aut horiz ed Aud i
d e aler or au thoriz e d Au di Service Fa cili ty,
a s this incr eases the r is k of an acciden t.
(D Tips
If th e . or l~ij indi cator ligh t only s tays
o n for a short t ime , you may con tinue dr iv
i ng.
ALL wheel drive
(quattro)
App lies to vehicles: wi th all wheel drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are pow
ered.
General information
In all whee l dr ive, the dr iv ing power is divi ded
between all fo ur whee ls. Thi s happens auto
matically depending on yo ur driv ing behavior
as well as the current road conditions. Refer
to
¢ page 189, Electronic stabilization con
trol (ESC) .
The all wheel drive concept is designed for
high eng ine power. Your veh icle is except ion
a lly powerfu l and has excellent driving charac
te ristics both under normal driv ing cond itions
and on snow a nd ice. Always read and follow
safety precaut ions¢ .&.. ..,.
•
•
•

202 Trailer towing
Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, always fo llow the operating
and drivi ng i nstr uctions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita
b le for your veh icle and trailer and mu st be
mounted secure ly on the ve hicle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
h itch with a removab le ball mount. A lways
check with the tr ailer hitch manu fac tur er to
make sure tha t you are using t he cor rect
hitch.
Do not us e a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way t hat
it does not interfe re with t he impact-absorb
ing bumper syst em . No mod ifications should
be made to the vehi cle exhaust and brake sys
tems . From time to time, check th at a ll hit ch
mo unt ing bo lts remain secure ly fastened.
When you are not towing a trail er, remove the
tra iler hitch ba ll mount. This prevents the
hi tch from causing d amage sho uld your ve hi
cle be str uck from be hind
¢ A .
Trailer brakes
If you r tra ile r is eq uipped w ith a braking sys
tem, check to be su re that it conforms to a ll
r egulat ions . T
he trailer hyd raulic brake system mus t not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use s afety chains be tween your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra ile r li ghts must meet all regulations. Be
su re to c hec k w ith your Audi dea le r fo r cor rect
wiring, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regular o utside m irrors, then you
must insta ll ext ended mirro rs . It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis io n to the rea r.
,8. WARNING
-
Afte r removing t he trailer hit ch, d o no t
s tore it in yo ur vehicle . In case of sudden
br aking, t he h itch cou ld fly forward an d in
j ur e you or yo ur passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum traile r weight
A trai le r fo r you r vehicle is limited to a typi cal
class 1 or class 2 trai le r.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the load in the t ra ile r is held secure ly
i n p lace to p reven t it from shift ing forw ard,
backw ard or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ A in Driving instru ctions on page 203.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system 's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make su re that the coo ling system has enough
fl uid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to t he cold tire pressure listed under
ll>

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
M 1.1'1 ,....,
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer t ires to tra iler and t ire manufac
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure tra iler safety cha ins are properly con
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per
mit turning corners. When you install safety
chains, make su re they wi ll not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the tra ile r
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration.
To obtain the best poss ible handling of vehicle
and traile r, p lease note the following:
~ Do not tow a loaded tra iler when your car it
self is not loaded.
~ Be especia lly careful when passing other
vehicles.
~ Observe speed limits .
~ Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
~ Always apply brakes early.
~ Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car re
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent poss ible and permiss i
ble, wh ile keeping the trailer as light as poss i
ble under the circumstances . Whenever possi-
Trailer towing 203
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle load ing
considerations.
Speed
T he higher the speed, the mo re difficult it be
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissib le speed. Re
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
when going downhill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail
er shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trai lers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhi ll, shift into a lower gear to use the en
gine braking effect to s low the vehicle. Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperatu re gauge <=> page 12
must be observed carefu lly. The coolant tem
perature can increase if you drive on long in
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re
duce your speed immediately if the LEDs in
the top part of the display turn on.
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to .<=>
page 20.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
provided by Audi.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles d ifferently when towing
a trailer because of the additional weight and ..,.
•
•
•

206 Care and cleaning
_& WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your
self from sharp meta l components when
wash ing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef
fect may be de layed due to mo isture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter. The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applicat ions .
@ Note
- If you wash t he vehicle in an automatic
ca r wash, you must fold the exterior m ir
r o rs in to reduce the r isk of damage to
t h e m irrors. Power foldi ng exterior m ir
r o rs* must on ly be folded in and o ut us
i ng the p ower folding function.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash
t h e ve hicle in direc t sunli ght. -
To reduce the ris k of damage to the sur
face, do not use insect removing spong
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted veh icle compo
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishi ng agen ts or
h a rd wax.
- Never use protect ive wax. It can de
stroy the matte fi nish effec t.
- Do not place any stickers o r mag net ic
s igns on vehicle parts painted w ith
matte fi nish pa int. The paint cou ld be
d amaged when the sticke rs o r mag nets
ar e removed. @ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the ve hicl e in facilities spec ia lly
de signed for that purpose. This will red uce
the r is k of dirty w ater contam ina ted with
oi l from entering the sewer sys tem.
Cleaning and care information
When clea ning and ca rin g for individua l vehi
cle components, refer to the fo llow ing tab les.
The informa tion con taine d there is s imp ly rec
ommendations. Fo r quest ions or for compo -nents that ar
e not listed, refer to an author
i z ed Audi dea ler. Also follow the in format io n
f o und in¢ ,&..
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wind shield wip-
Deposi ts ¢ page 51, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
er blade s
H eadlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a m ild soap solutiona>
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with a so lvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
so lution
Snow/ ice Hand brush/solvent -free de -icing spray
Wheels Road sa lt Water
Brake d ust Acid-free special cleaning so lution
E x haust ta il Road sa lt Water, cleaning solut ion sui table fo r sta inless steel, if
pipes necessary

208 Care and cleaning
Component Situ ation Solution
Tex tile s,
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
art ifi cial l eather , the surface
Alcan ta ra Water-based depos- Absorbent cloth and m
ild soap so lution a>
its such as coffee,
tea, blood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Apply
a mild soap solut ion a>, blot away the dissolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afterward w ith water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special deposits Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material,
such as ink, nail pol-treat afterward with mild soap so lution, if necessary a)
ish, latex paint, shoe
polish, etc.
Natu ral leathe r Fresh stains Wool
cloth with a mi ld soap so lutiona >
Water-based depos- Fresh stains: absorbent cloth its such as coffee, Dr ied stains: stain remover suitable for leather
tea, blood, etc.
Oi l-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc . dried stains: Oil clean ing spray
Special deposits Spot remover suitable for leathe r
such as ink, nail po l-
ish, latex paint, shoe
polish, etc.
Ca re Regularly apply cond it io ni ng cream that protects from
light and penetrates into the mater ia l. Use spec ially-
co lored! conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carb on p art s Deposits clean th e same way as plastic parts
a) Mi ld soap solution: maximu m two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quart (l liter) of water
_& WARNING
The windsh ie ld may not be treated with
water-repelling windshield coating agents .
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in
creased glare. Wiper blade chatter is also
possible .
([) Note
-Headlight s/tail li ght s
-Never clean headlights or tail lights
w ith a dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that
conta ins alcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form.
-
- Whee ls
- Never use any pa int polish or other
abrasive materials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims s uch as stone chips or scratches
must be repaired immediately.
- Sen sors/ cam era len ses
-Never use warm or hot water to re-
move snow or ice from the camera
lens. This could cause the lens to crack.
- Never use abrasive cleaning mater ials
or alcohol to clean the camera lens.
This could cause scratches and cracks.
-Door windo ws
-Remove snow and ice on windows and
exter ior mirrors with a plastic scrape r.