Switching ESC off (sport mod e)
I n ce rtain sit uat ions, it m ight make sense to
allow some slip. For example :
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow cha ins
Press the[!] button . The ESC ind icator light
II turns on and Stab iliz ation p rogr am off
appears in the display. ASR deactivates com
p letely and the stabilizat ion effects from the
ESC system are lim ited .
Sw itchin g on
Press the[!] button again. The message
Sta b i
liz ation p rog ram on
appears briefly in the dis
p lay.
A WARNING
Only switch ESC sport mode on when your
driving abilities and the traffic s ituation
permit . Please note that the dr iv ing
w heels can spin and the vehicle can break
away in ESC sport mode, especia lly when
t he road is slippery.
(D Tips
If the re a re faults in the rear spo iler sys
tem or in Audi magnet ic r ide, it may not be
possible to act ivate ESC sport mode o r
normal mode may act ivate aga in a utoma t
ically.
Rear spoiler
Appl ies to vehicles: with retractable rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling
and enhances driver control.
Fig. 122 Switch for rear spo ile r
Intelligen t technolog y 143
The rear spoi ler deploys and retracts . Spoiler
operation can be set for automatic or man ual
operation.
Aut omatic mode (normal ope ration )
- Automatic deployment : At a speed of about
75 mph (120 km/h), the rea r spo ile r deploys
automatically .
- Au tomatic retraction: When speed drops be
low about SO mph (80 km/h), the rear spoil
er retracts a utomatica lly.
Manual mode
- Man ual deployment : T app ing br iefly on the
sw itch
¢ fig . 122 deploys the rear spoiler.
- Manual retraction : At speeds up to about
10 mph (20 km/h), retract the rear spoiler
by pressing and holding the sw itch
¢ fig. 122. At speeds between 10 mph (20
km/h) and 75 mph (120 km/h), retract the
rear spoi ler by tapping on the switch
¢ fig. 122 .
A WARNING
-
Driving at higher speeds without the rear
spoiler deployed can impair handling char
acter istics, making the vehicle harder to
control.
- Always make su re that the spo ile r is de
ployed when driving at speeds over
85 mph (140 km/h) . If th e rear spoil er
warn ing/ indicator light in the inst ru
men t cluster comes on, the rear spoiler
may not have deployed.
- Never d rive a t speeds higher than
85 mph (140 km/h) i f th e spoiler is not
deployed . Have the spoiler inspected as
soon as possible by an authorized Audi
dea ler or qualified workshop.
- A lways obey speed limits and other traf
fic laws .
A WARNING
Improper operation of the rear spoi ler can
cause crushing injuries .
- Always make sure that nobody, especially
children, is in the way when the rear
spoiler is dep loyed or retracted.
A WARNING
-You should perform brak ing maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road cond it ions permit .
Other road users must not be put at r isk -
yo u may cause an acc ident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transm iss ion into a lowe r
gear or lowe r driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often . This cou ld cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the b rakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when yo u do not intend
to brake . Th is may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopp ing distance.
- Under certain climat ic and operating
condit ions such as passing throug h wa
ter, driving in heavy rai n or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, lini ngs,
discs and d rums. Carefully apply brakes
f or a test . B rakes wi ll dry and ice coat
ings wi ll be cleaned
off after a few ca re
ful brake applications.
- Driv ing for an ex tended pe riod of time on
salt -covered roa ds without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean
off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious
brake applicat ions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct
ed . Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the eff ectiveness of
the ent ire brake system.
- Failure of one bra ke c ircuit will impair
the brak ing capability resulting in an in
cr eased stopp ing distan ce. Avoid dr iv ing
the ve hicle and have it towed to the near
est Aud i dea le r or q ualified workshop .
- Never le t the vehicle ro ll to a stop w ith
the engine shu t off.
Int ellig ent technolog y 145
-If the brake booster is not working, the
brake peda l must be pressed considera
bly harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
Electro-mechanical
power assist
The ele ctro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering .
The degree of power assist is electronically
matched to veh icle speed.
The powe r steering system assists the driver
so that he can steer the vehicle with reduced
physical effort.
Power steer ing will not work if the engine is
off . As a result, the steering wheel will be hard
to turn .
A WARNING
If the system develops a problem, you
must seek qualified professiona l assis
tance.
(D Note
-
If there is an electronic malfunction, ser
votronic
will still function like a conven
tiona l powe r steering system, providing a
constant steering support force tha t is no
l onger proportionate to the vehicle speed.
This is most noticeable when t urning the
steering wheel at low speeds (for example
when parking), - more effort w ill be re
quired than usual.
- Be aware of the different than usual
steering response and adjust your steer
ing force accordingly.
- Have the problem checked and set right
by an authori zed Aud i dea ler as soon as
possible.
- If a steering malfunction occurs, th is is
signa led w ith the
ls4 or .• indicator
lights and a warn ing tone, see. •
•
148 Intelligent technology
To bring the energy balance back into equilibrium, consumers which require especia lly
l arge amo unts of energy are temporari ly c ut
back or switched off. Heating systems in par
ticular requ ire a great dea l of energy. If you
n otice, for example, that the heated seats * or
the heated rea r window a re not heating, they
have been temporar ily cut back o r switched
off. These sys tems will be ava ilable again as
soon as the energy ba lance has bee n restored.
You will also not ice that engine idle speed has
been inc reased slightly. This is no rma l and not
a cause fo r concern . By increas ing engine idle
spee d the add itiona l ene rgy required is gener
ated and the ba ttery is charged .
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the ability of the engine to start, th is
i s shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•) Low battery charge : battery will be
cha rged while dri ving
This notification reminds you that the starti ng
capability of the engine may be limited. As
soon as you start driving aga in, the battery
will be recharged and the notification will go
out .
Driv er notificat ion appears and goes out
again
If t his driver notification appears after the ig
ni tion is turned on or while driv ing and it goes
out again after a while, the battery has been
adequately rec harged.
Driver notification appears and does not
go out again
If t his driver notification appears after the ig
n ition is turn ed on or while driv ing and does
n ot go ou t aga in, t he battery's s tate of charge
is not i n the opt imal range. St arting ability is
restricte d. Have the bat tery checked as soon
as possible by a n authorized Audi dealer or
q ua lified workshop.
150 Driving and en vironm ent
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc ., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low
slung 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
flooded roads:
- T he water must not be any highe r tha n the
bottom of the vehi cle body.
- Do no t drive faster than wa lking speed.
_& WARNING
After d riving through water, m ud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake ro tors and pads . Dry
the brakes fi rst by braking carefully to re
store the full braking effect.
(]) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Check the depth o f the water before driv
ing through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switch the engine
off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may c reate waves that raise the water
l evel and make it too deep for your vehi
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid driving thro ugh salt water because
it can ca use corrosion.
-
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con
trol system (catalytic converter) is function
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
.. Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 160,
Fuel supply .
.. Never run the tank down all the way to emp
ty.
.. Never put too much moto r o il in yo ur eng ine
¢ page 169, Adding engine oil ~-
.. Never try to push- or tow-st art you r vehicle.
The catalytic co nverter is an efficient "clean
u p" dev ice built into the exhaust system of
t h e vehi cle. The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollutan ts in the exha ust gas be
f ore they are re leased into the atmosphere.
T he exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
impor tant for the life of the catalyt ic convert
er and prope r funct ion ing of the engi ne.
A WARNING
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exha ust system may
come in contact with dry g rass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additiona l undercoating or
r u stproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con
verter or heat sh ields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already ser iously de-
grade the performance of the catalytic
converte r.
- Do not exceed the correct engi ne oil level
¢page 169.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine co uld mis-
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into ..,.
152 Driving and en vironm ent
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage .
"'Try and keep well below your car 's maximum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment. F ue l consumption, exhaust emissions and en
gine no ise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by one half. Never dr ive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con
d itions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
"'Shut the engine off when you are not driv ing
the vehicle .
"'Do not warm up the veh icle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut
off the e ngine in traff ic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at ra il
road crossings , or at traff ic lights that have
l ong wa its on red. Turning the engine
off fo r
just
30-40 seconds saves more fue l than is
burned s tarting the eng ine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . Howeve r, wear
and nox ious em issions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high RPMs while the engine
is sti ll warming up.
([) Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which cou ld result in over- heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel.
"' Have your ve hicle serviced at reg ular in ter -
vals.
By having your veh icle regu la rly serviced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it runs p rop
erly and economically. The condition of your
vehicle not only affects its sa fety and ability to
hold its val ue, it also affects
fuel con sum p
tion .
Check your oil e ach time you fill your t ank .
The amount of o il used is related to engine
load and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometres) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l cons umption and en
gine output.
(D Note
- Have your vehicle maintained proper ly
and in accordance with the service rec
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main
tenance booklet. Lack of proper ma inte
nance as well as improper use of the ve
hicle will impair the function of the
em iss ion contro l system and cou ld lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control Sys tem unless ap
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alte r or remove any device, such
a s hea t sh ie lds, switches, ig nition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protec t
your vehicle's Emission Control System
and other impo rtant vehicle compo
nents .
154 Vehicle care and cleaning
Vehicle care and
cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your
vehicle 's value. It can also be a requirement
when subm itting warranty claims for corro
sion damage and paint defects on the body .
The required cleaning and care products can be obtained from your authorized Audi dealer
or a qualified workshop. Read and follow the instructions for use on the packaging .
A WARNING
-Us ing cleaning and care products incor
rectly can be dangerous to your hea lth .
- Always store cleaning and care products
out of reach of children to reduce the ris k
of poisoning.
@ For the sake of the environment
-Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents .
- Do not d ispose of leftover cleaning and
ca re products with household trash .
Car washes
-
The longer that deposits such as insects, bird
droppings , tree sap or road salt rema in on the
vehicle, the more the surface can be dam
aged. High temperatures such as those
caused by s unligh t increase the corrosive ef
fect.
Before washing, wet heavy deposits with plen
ty of water.
Also, wash the underside of your vehicle once
road salt stops be ing used for the season .
Pressure wa shers
When washing your vehicles with a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instruc
tions provided w ith the pressure washer. Th is
is especially important in regard to the pres
sure and spray ing distance . Do not aim the
spray directly at seals on side w indows, doors, the
hood, the rear lid or the convertible top or
at tires, rubber hoses, insulating material
orsensors* . Keep a distance of at least 16 in
ches (40 cm) .
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz
zles.
The water temperature must not be above
140
°F (60 °() .
Automatic car washes
Spray off the vehicle before washing.
Make sure that the windows are closed and
the windshie ld wipers are off. Follow instruc
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
there are accessories attached to your vehicle .
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes .
Washing by hand
Clean the vehicle starting from the top and
working down using a soft sponge or cleaning
brush . Use solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing,
first remove dust and large particles from
your vehicle. Insects, grease spots and finger
prints are best removed with a special cleaner
for matte finish paint .
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth. To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use
too much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft mi
crofiber cloth.
Rinse the vehicl e thoroughly again and let it
air dry. Remove any water residue using a sham my.
Stubbo rn deposits such as bird droppings o r
tree sap are best removed with p lenty of wa-
ter and a microfiber cloth. .,.
156 Vehicle care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wheels
Road sa lt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning so lution
E x haust tail Road sa lt Water, cleaning solut ion suitable for sta inless steel, if
pipes necessary
Power top D irty Clean w ater, powe r top cleaning p rod uct, if necessa ry.
Clean with the grain o f the fabric using a soft br ush and
allow to air dry.
Wind d eflector Dirty Water, mild soap solutiona>, if necessary
Decorative Dirty Mild soap solutiona>, a cleaning solution suitab le for
parts/t rim sta inless steel, if necessary
Paint P aint damage Refer to the paint numbe r on the veh icle data label, re-
p air wi th tou ch up pa in t
9 page 222
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Rust fi lm Rust film remover, t hen protect wi th hard wax; fo r q ues-
t ions, refe r to an a utho rized Audi dea le r or a qualif ied
wor kshop
Corrosion Have it removed by an autho rized Aud i deale r or a qual i-
fied wo rkshop
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
o f clean paint
N o sh ine even Treat w ith sui table po lish ; t hen app ly pain t pro tectan t if
t hough paint has the po
lish tha t was used does not con tain any protec -
been p rotected/
tant
pa int looks poo r
Carbon part s Dirty Clean tlhe same way as painted parts 9page 154, Car
washes
Decorat ive dee -
Dirty Soft sponge with a mild soap solutional
als
al M ild soap so lu tion : max imu m tw o tab lesp oon s ne utr al s oa p in a liter of wa ter
Cleaning interior
Component Situation Solution
Windows
Dir ty Glass cleaner, then wipe d ry
Decorat ive D irty Mild soap solutional
parts/trim
Plastic parts
D irt y Damp cloth
H eavily soi led Mild soap solutional, solvent-free plast ic cleaning
so lution, if necessary
Di splays Dir ty Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Controls D irty Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solu-
t io nal
...
Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 157
Component Situation Solution
•
Sa fe ty be lt s Dirty Mild soap solutional, allow to dry before letting
• them retract
Tex til es, Stains adhering to the sur- Vacuum cleaner
Vinyl , face
Alcanta ra Water-based stains such Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutional
as coffee, tea, blood, etc.
Oil-based stains such as Apply a mild soap solutional, blot away the dis-
oil, make-up, etc. solved oil or dye, treat afterward with water, if nee-
essary
Specia l sta ins such as ball- Special stain remover, blot with absorbent materi-
point pen, nai l polish, la- al, treat afterward w ith m ild soap solutional, if
tex paint, shoe polish, etc.
necessary
Natura l lea ther Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a m ild soap solutional
Water-based stains such Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
as coffee, tea, blood, etc. Dried stains: sta in remover suitable for leather
O il-based stains such as Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover
oi l, make-up, etc. suitable for leather
dr ied stains: Oil clean ing spray
Special stains such as ball- Stain remover suitable for leather
point pen, nail polish, la-
tex pa int, shoe pol ish, etc .
Care Regularly
apply conditioning cream that protects
from light and penetrates into the material. Use specially-colored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon part s Dirty Clean the same way as plastic parts
al Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons neut ral soap in a lit er of water
A WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with
water-repelling windshie ld coating agents.
Unfavorable conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in
creased glare. W iper blade chatter is also
possible.
(D Note
- Headl ights /ta il li ghts
- Never clean headlights or tail lights
w ith a dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning p roduct that
contains a lcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form.
-W heels
- Neve r use any pa int polish or other
abrasive mater ials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the rims such as stone chips or sc ratches
must be repa ired immediately.
- Po wer top
- Remove bird droppings immediately.
- Never use gasoline, stain remover, ben-
zene, paint thinner or other so lvents to
remove.
- W ind ow s
-Remove snow and ice on windows and
exterior mirrors with a plastic scraper.
To avoid scratches, move the scrape r
only in one d irect ion and not back and
forth.