
192 Smart T echnol ogy
Corro sion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods o f
time, low mi leage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake ro
tors and di rty brake pads.
I f you usually avoid heavy brak ing or if there is
corrosion present, occasiona l heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the
brake rotors and pads¢,& .
Brake system malfunction
if you notice that the brake pedal t ravel has
suddenly gotten larger, then a brake circuit
may have failed. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to hav e the problem corrected . On the way
there, drive with reduced speed and keep in
mind that a long braking distance and in
creased pressure on the brake pedal will be
necessary .
Lo w brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, ma lfunc
tions in the brake system may occur. The
brake fluid level is electronically mon itored.
B rake bo ost er
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you
apply to the brake pedal. It only works when
the engine is running.
A WARNING ,~ ·
- You should only perform braking maneu
vers to clean the brakes when the road
condit ions perm it. Never put others on
the road at risk -never forget the risk of
acc idents!
- On steep slopes, reduce the speed and
select a lower gea r or lowe r selector lev
er position. Drive as litt le as poss ible
w hil e pressing the bra ke peda l and avoid
putt ing you r left foot on the brake pedal
whi le driving . This could cause the brakes
to overheat and impair the efficiency of
the brakes .
- Do not let the brakes "grind" by always
keeping yo ur foot on the brake peda l. This can cause the brakes to overheat
in-
,
crease wear and increase braking dis
tance unnecessarily.
- Certain weather and operating condi
tions such as driving through water, driv
ing in heavy rain or driving after washing
your veh icle can impa ir the effectiveness
of the brakes . In the winter, ice may
bu ild up on the bra ke pads, rotors and
d rums. Che ck these components by b rak
ing caref ully. App lyi ng the br akes care
fu lly several times dries the brakes and
removes ice bui ld-up .
- The eff ic iency of the brakes can also be
impaired by driving for long stretches on roads covered with salt without using the
brakes. Yo u can remove salt deposits
from the brake rotors and pads by care
fully applying the brakes several times.
- If the front spoiler is damaged or you in
stall another spoiler, make sure the front
wheel brakes are ventilated properly.
Otherwise , the brake system could over
heat, wh ic h red uces their effectiveness .
- Failure of a brake circuit impa irs braking
performance, wh ic h increases bra king
d istance . Avoid driving the vehicle and
have it towed it to the nearest author
i z ed A udi dealer or au thorized Aud i Serv
ice Facility .
- Do not let your ve hicle roll w it h the en
g ine switched off unde r any circumstan
ces .
- If the b rake booste r is no t working, you
will have to press much harder on the b rake peda l to compensate for the lack
of the booster.
(D Note
- N ever le t the bra kes "rub" by pressing
t he pedal ligh tly when braking is not
really necessary . This causes the brakes
to overheat and increases braking dis
tance and causes wear .
- Before dr iv ing on a long stretch with
steep s lopes, reduce your speed and shift
to the next lower gear This makes use of
the engine brak ing effect and relieves .,.

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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¢ .&.. ..,.
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194 Smart Technology
Winter tires By using all wheel drive, your vehicle has good
forward motion with standard tires in winter
cond itions. However, in winter we recommend
using winter or all season tires on
all four
wheels, because this will improve the braking
effect .
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow chains
must also be used on vehicles with all whee l
drive ¢
page 262, Snow chains .
Replacing tires
Fo r vehicles w ith all whee l dr ive , only wheels
with the same rolling circumference should be
used . Avoid whee ls with different tread
depths ¢
page 254.
Offroad vehicle?
Your Aud i is not an offroad vehicle -there is
not enough ground clearance. For this reason,
avoid difficult terrain. Refer to¢
page 287.
&_ WARNING
- Also, in vehicles with all whee l dr ive,
adapt yo ur driving style to the current
road and traffic conditions. Do not let
the increased safety provided tempt you
into taking risks.
- The braking ability of your vehicle is lim
ited to the traction of the wheels . In this
way, it is not different from a two wheel
dr ive vehicle. Do not be tempted to ac
celerate to a high speed when the road is
slippery this increases the risk of an acci
dent .
- Note that on wet streets, the front
wheels can "hydroplane" if driving at
speeds that are too high. Unlike front
wheel drive vehicles, the engine does not
rev higher suddenly when the vehicle be
gins hydroplan ing. For this reason, pay
attention to the road conditions regard
less of your speed.
Energy management
The starting ability is optimized
The energy management system manages
the electrical energy distribution and optimiz
es the availability of electrical energy for
starting the engine.
When a vehicle with a conventional energy
system is not driven for a long time , the bat
tery is drained by equ ipment (for example the
immobilizer). In certain circumstances, there
could may not be enough energy to start the
engine .
Your vehicle is equipped with an intel ligent
energy management system for d istr ibut ing
electricity. This s ignificantly improves the
sta rting ability and increases the battery life.
The energy management sy stem Is made up
of
battery diagnosis , idling current manage·
ment
and dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
The battery d iagnosis determ ines the battery
charge leve l. The sensors determine the bat
tery voltage, the battery current, and the bat
tery temperature. The curren t cha rge leve l
and the performance of the battery are deter
mined based on this.
Idling current management
The idling current management decreases the
energy used wh ile parked. With the engine
switched off, it manages the energy distribu
tion to the different elect rical componen ts.
Date from battery diagnosis is taken into ac
count for this.
Depending on the battery charge level, elec
trical equip ment is switched off one item after
the o ther, to prevent the battery from drain
ing and to retain the starting ability.
Dynamic energy management
While driving, dynamic energy management
distributes the appropriate amount of energy
to the e lectr ica l equipment.
It controls the
battery charge level so that more energy is ..,.

204 Trailer towing
different weight distribution. Safety, perform
ance and economy wi ll greatly depend on how
carefu lly you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in a n area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become comp letely fam iliar with the way
your veh icle-trailer comb ination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is d iff icult and requires practice.
Backing up with a tra iler genera lly requires
steering action opposite to that when back ing
up your veh icle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve
h icle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that yo u cannot ac
celerate as fast as you normally would be
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow
p lenty of room for your tra iler before chang
ing lanes aga in.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a tra iler dur ing the break-in
period of you r vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the ext ra load
¢ page 289.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it can
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol
lowing:
Wh en park ing:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.. Have someone place chocks under both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels. ..
With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes unti l the whee l chocks absorb the
load.
.. Turn the whee ls towards the curb.
.. App ly the parking brake.
.. Select the P selector lever posit ion.
When re starting afte r park ing :
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Start the engine.
.. Select the D/S se lector lever position.
.. Release the parking brake and s lowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
@ Tips
If you move the selector leve r of the auto
matic transmission to P befo re applying
the pa rking brake and before bloc king the
whee ls, you may h ave to use more force
la ter to move the lever out of the P posi
tion .

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

Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreci
ated and most abused parts of
a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreci
ated and most abused parts of
a motor vehicle. Tires are, how
ever, one of the most important
parts of a vehicle, particularly
considering the comparatively
small patch of rubber on each
tire that assures that all-impor
tant contact between you, your
vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire
pressure, making sure that your
vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more weight than they can safely handle, avoiding
damage from road hazards and
regularly inspecting tires for
damage including cuts, slashes
irregular wear and overall con
dition are the most important
things that you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure includ
ing tread separation and blow-
~ outs.
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Tires and wheels 233
Avoiding damage
If you have to drive over a curb
or similar obstacle, drive very
slowly and as close as possible
at a right angle to the curb.
Always keep chemicals includ ing grease, oil, gasoline and
brake fluid off the tires.
Inspect the tires regularly for
damage (cuts, cracks or blis
ters, etc.). Remove any foreign
bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires
Mark tires when you remove
them to indicate the direction
of rotation. This ensures you to be able to mount them correct
ly when you reinstall them.
When removed, the wheels or
tires should be stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark place.
Store tires in a vertical position if they are not mounted on
rims, in a horizontal position if
they are mounted on rims.
New tires
New tires have to be broken in
¢ _&. .
The tread depth of new tires
may vary , according to the type .,.
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234 Tires and wheels
and make of tire and the tread
pattern.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims is of
ten not readily visible. If you
notice unusual vibration or the
vehicle pulls to one side, this may indicate that one of the
tires has been damaged . The
tires must be checked immedi
ately by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop.
Unidirectional tires
A unidirectional tire can be identified by arrows on the
sidewall, that point in the direc
tion the tire is designed to ro
tate. You must follow the speci
fied direction of rotation. This is
necessary so that these tires
can develop their optimum
characteristics regarding grip,
road noise, wear and hydro
planing resistance. For more in
formation
¢page 274.
&_ WARNING
New tires or tires that are
old, worn or damaged cannot provide maximum control
and braking ability. -New
tires tend to be slip
pery and must also be bro
ken-in. To reduce the risk of
losing control, a collision
and serious personal inju
ries, drive with special care
for the first 350 miles (560 km).
-Driving with worn or dam aged tires can lead to loss of
control, sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and
sudden deflation, crashes
and serious personal injuries. Have worn or damaged
tires replaced immediately.
-Tires age even if they are
not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be
used in an emergency and
then with special care and at low speed.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of their "previous histo
ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
failure and loss of vehicle
control.
...

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-If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the
wheels and tires for dam age.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and winter tires are de
signed for the conditions
that are typical in those sea
sons. Audi recommends using winter tires during the
winter months. Low tem peratures significantly de
crease the elasticity of
summer tires, which affects
traction and braking ability.
Tires and wheels 235
If summer tires are used in
very cold temperatures, cracks can form on the tread bars, resulting in perma
nent tire damage that can
cause loud driving noise and unbalanced tires. Audi is not
responsible for this type of
damage.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter road condi
tions. The surface of the
rims does not have suffi
cient corrosion protection
for this and could be perma
nently damaged by road salt
or similar substances.
' •
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Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto matic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as fac
tory-installed equipment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower indi
cate a low sidewall for im proved steering response and
better overall handling on dry
pavement.
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