Driving
brake provides various convenience and safety
functions.
When starting from a stop
- The integral hill start assist helps you when
driving by automatically releasing the parking
brake
c:;, page 87, Starting from a stop.
- When starting on inclines, the hill start assist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally roll
ing back. The braking force of the parking brake
is not released until the wheels build up
enough driving force.
Emergency brake function
The emergency braking function ensures that the
vehicle can be slowed down even if the
standard
brakes fail c:;, page 87, Emergency braking
function.
A WARNING
- Do not press the accelerator pedal inadver
tently when the vehicle is stationary and the engine is running and a gear is selected.
Otherwise the vehicle will start to move im
mediately and could result in a crash.
- If the power supply fails, the released park
ing brake can no longer engage. In this
case, park the vehicle on level ground and
secure it by placing the selector lever in the
P position . See an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility for assis
tance.
(D Note
If the . or .. (USA models) /. (Canada
models) indicator light in the instrument
cluster blinks, there is a malfunction in the
brake system. Refer to the detailed descrip
tion of the indicator lights
c:;, page 18.
-If the - (USA models) /. (Cana-
da models) or
Ill indicator light turns on,
there is a malfunction in the parking brake
c;, page 19.
@ Tips
-If the parking brake is set while the ignition
is switched off, the
¢~jj indicator light in the
button and in the instrument cluster dis-
86
play - (USA models) /. (Canada mod
els) will turn off after a certain amount of
time.
- If driver's door is opened while the ignition
is switched on, the parking brake sets auto
matically. This prevents unintended rolling
of the vehicle.
- Occasional noises when the parking brake is
set and released are normal and are not a
cause for concern.
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking
brake goes through a self-test cycle at regu
lar intervals. Any noises associated with this
are normal.
- If there is a power failure, the parking brake
will not set if it is released, and it will not release if it is set
c:;, I!:::,. . See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa cility for assistance.
· Parking
.,. Press the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
.,. Pull the switch @
c:;, page 85, fig. 80 to set the
parking brake.
.,. Place the selector lever in the P position.
.,. Turn the engine off
c:;, & -
.,. Turn the steering wheel when parking on in
clines so that the wheels will roll into the curb
if the vehicle starts moving.
A WARNING
- Always take the vehicle key with you when
leaving the vehicle, even for a short period
of time . This applies particularly when chil
dren remain in the vehicle. Otherwise chil
dren could start the engine, release the
parking brake or operate electrical equip
ment such as power windows, which in
creases the risk of an accident.
- When the vehicle is locked, no one -particu
larly not children -should remain in the ve
hicle. Locked doors make it more difficult
for emergency workers to get into the vehi
cle, which puts lives at risk.
,....,
N
0 > co ,....,
The start assist function ensures that the park
ing brake is released automatically upon start
ing.
Stopp ing and sett ing the p arking br ake
.. Pull the switch@¢ page 85, fig. 80 to set the
parking brake.
Starting and aut omatically rele asing the
par king b rake
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed
and the driver's safety belt must be fastened.
.. When you press the accelerator pedal, the
parking brake is automatically released and
your vehicle begins to move.
When stopping at a traffic signal or stopping in
city traffic, the parking brake can be applied . The
vehicle does not have to be he ld with the brake
pedal. The parking brake eliminates the tendency
to creep when a selector lever pos ition is engag
ed. As soon as you press the accelerator pedal,
the park ing brake re leases automatically and the
vehicle starts to move.
Starting on slope s
When starting on inclines, the hill start assist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally rolling
back . T he braking force of the parking brake is
not released until the wheels bu ild up enough
d riving force.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re
leased automatically only when the dr iver's
safety belt is fastened and the dr iver's door is
loc ked.
Emergency braking function
In the event that the conventional brake system
fails or locks.
.. To brake your vehicle in an emergency, pull the
@ switch¢
page 85, fig. 80 and hold it pulled.
.,. As soon as you release the @switch or acce le r
ate, the brak ing p rocess stops.
D riv ing
Pu lling and ho lding the @switch while driving at
a speed of about 2 mph (3 km/h) or higher ini
t iates the emergency braking funct ion. The vehi
cle brakes at all four wheels by activating the
braking hydraulics. The brake performance is
s imilar to heavy braking. ¢
&
To help prevent act ivat ing the emergency braking
by mistake, an aud ible warn ing tone (buzzer)
sounds when the @switch is pulled. Emergency
braking stops as soon as the @switch is released
or the accelerator pedal is pressed.
A WARNING ,__ -Emergency braking should only be used in an
emergency, when the normal brake pedal has
failed or the brake pedal is obstructed. Du ring
emergency braking, your veh icle wi ll brake
similar to heavy braking. ESC and the associ
ated components (ABS, ASR, ED L) cannot
overcome the laws of physics. In corners and
when road or weather conditions are bad, a
fu ll brake application can cause the vehicle to
skid or the rear end to break away, which in
creases the r isk of an accident.
Hill hold
Applies to vehicles: wit h Hill Ho ld
Hill hold makes it easier to start on hills .
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed
and the engine must be running.
The system is activated when the brake pedal is pressed while the vehicle is stationary.
T o prevent the vehicle from rolling back when
starting, the brake power is held for a brief mo
ment after re leasing the brake pedal. During this
time, you can easily begin to move your vehicle .
A WARNING
--
-The intelligent technology of Hill Hold can
not overcome the limitat ions imposed by
natural phys ical laws. The increased comfort
offe red by Hill Hold shou ld not cause you to
take safety risks.
~
87
Automat ic t ra nsm iss io n
-Never select R or P while driving, because
this increases the risk of an accident.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To pre
vent the vehicle from "creeping" , you must
keep your foot on the brake in all selector
lever positions (except P) when the engine is
running. Otherwise, this increases the r isk
of an accident.
- Do not inadvertently press the accelerator
pedal when the veh icle is stopped if a gear is
engaged. Otherwise the vehicle will start to
move immediately, even if the parking brake
is set. This cou ld result in a crash.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position wh ile
the vehicle is stationary and the engine is running .
- Never leave yo ur vehicle with the engine
running whi le in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running, set
the parking brake and move the selector lev
er to the P position.
- To decrease the risk of an accident, these
lector lever must be in the P position and
the parking brake must be set before open ing the hood and working on a running en
gine . Always read and follow the applicable
warnings
q page 236, Working in the en
gine compartment.
(D Note
Never let the veh icle roll downhill with engine
off and the selector lever in the
N position,
because this could damage the automatic
transmission and catalytic converter .
(D Tips
-Audi drive select: Sporty shifting character
i stics can be selected us ing the
D ynami c
driving mode.Swill appear in the instru
ment cluster disp lay instead of D.
- Plug-in hybrid drive*: the transm iss ion
switc hes automatically to the normal D
mode if the
l a ' I butto n ¢ page 104 is p ress
ed while in spo rt mode 5 .
90
-If you accidentally select N whi le dr iving,
take your foot off the accelerator peda l im
mediately and wait for the eng ine to slow
down to idle before selecting Dor
5.
- If there is a power failure, the selector lever
will not move out of the P position. The
emergency release can be used if this hap
pens ¢
page 96.
Selector lever lock
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmiss ion
The sele ctor lever lock prevents you from select
ing a gear accidentally, causing the vehicle to
roll .
Fig. 82 Selecto r lever lock
To release the se lector lever lock :
.,. Sw itch on the ignition .
12 0
0
> Q) a)
.,. Press the brake pedal while pressing the in ter-
lock button.
Automat ic shift lock (ASL )
The selector lever is locked in the P and N posi
tions when the ign it ion is switched on. You must
press the brake peda l to select another position .
You must also press the in terlock button if you
are moving from the P posi tion . The follow ing
message appears in the d isp lay when the se lector
lever is in the P or N posit ion to rem ind the driv
er:
When stati onar y ap pl y fo otbrake while select
ing ge ar
The automatic sh ift lock only functions when the
vehicle is stationa ry or at speeds be low 1 mph
(2 km/h) . At highe r speeds, the lo ck is automati-
ca lly deactiva ted in the N pos ition . ..,.
Automatic transmission
Shifting manually (tiptronic mode)
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmission/ shift paddles
The tiptronic allow the driver to shift the gears
manually .
Fig. 84 Center conso le : manual shift in g with the selector
l ever
Fig . 85 Steer ing wheel: manual shi ftin g with the shi ft pad
dles•
Shifting with the selector lever
You can shift into tiptronic mode while stationary
and while driv ing.
• To shift into tiptronic mode, push the selector
lever from the D/S setting to the right in the
tiptronic shift gate. Once the transmission has
switched modes, the selector lever position
M
is shown in the instrument cluster display
¢ page 89, fig. 81. For example M4 , means the
fourth gear is engaged .
• To sh ift up a gear, tap the se lector lever for
ward
0 ¢ fig. 84.
• To shift down a gear, tap the selector lever to
back Q.
Shifting with the shift paddles*
You can operate the shift paddles in the D/S or M
(tiptronic shift gate) selector lever positions.
94
.,. To shift up one gear, tap the shift paddle 0
¢fig. 85 .
.,. To shift down one gear, tap the shift paddle Q.
If the shift paddles are tapped wh ile in the D/S
selector lever position, automatic mode switches
off briefly. To switch from manually shifting back
to automatic shifting immediately, tap the sh ift
paddle
0 ¢ fig. 85 for 1 second.
To keep shifting using the shift paddles, move
the selector lever to the right out of the D/S posi
tion into the tiptronic shift gate.
The transmission automatically shifts up or down
before critical engine speed is reached.
The transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is with in the permitted
range.
(j) Tips
- If you shift to the next lowest gear, the
transmission will only shift if the engine will
not be over-revved.
- With kick-down, the transmission shifts to a
lower gear, depending on vehicle speed and
engine speed.
- ti ptronic does not work if the transmission
is running in emergency mode.
. Kick-down
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmission
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal down be
yond the res istance point, the automatic trans
mission downshifts into a lower gear, depending
on veh icle speed and engine RPM. It shifts up in
to the next higher gear once the maximum speci
fied engine RPM is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the whee ls cou ld spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac
tive.
-
,....,
N
0 > co ,....,
Applies to vehicles: with launch control
The Launch Control Program enables maximum
acceleration .
Requirement: the engine must be at operating
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned .
.. With the engine running, press the
l~OFF ! but
ton briefly one time
ll .
.. Pull the selector lever back out of the D/S posi
tion briefly to select the S position, or press it
toward the right into the tiptronic pos ition or
select the
D ynami c driving mode in drive se
lect*
~page 148.
.. Press the b rake peda l firmly wi th you r left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least 1 sec
ond.
.. At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way down with your right foot until the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
.. Remove your left foot from the brake.
A WARNING
-Always adapt yo ur driv ing to the traffic flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and traf-
fic cond itions allow it and other dr ivers will
not be endangered or impacted by you r d riv
ing and the vehicle's accele ration.
- Please note that the drive whee ls can sp in
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is swit ched o n, especia lly when the
road is s lippery.
- Once t he vehicle has sta rted moving, press
the
I $? OFF ! button briefly to t urn the sport
mode off.
(D Tips
- The transmiss ion temperature may increase
s ignificantly after using the lau nch cont rol
program.
If that happe ns, the program m ay
l) In vehicles w ith a d river information system, an ESC light
in the instrument cluster stays o n continuous ly and the
message
Stabili za tion contro l (E SC ): sport . Warning! Re·
stricted st abi lity
appears temporar ily.
Autom atic tran sm iss ion
not be ava ilab le for a few minutes. It will be
avai lab le again after a cool-down period.
- Whe n accelerating using the launch contro l
program, all vehicle parts a re su bject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased
wear.
Emergency mode
Applies to vehicles: wit h S tronic transmiss ion
In the event of o system mo/function, there is on
emergency program.
If all of the selector lever positions are hig hlight
ed with a light background in the instrument
cluster disp lay, there is a system malfunction and
the S tronic transmission is running in the emer
gency program. The vehicle can still be driven in
emergency mode, but only with reduced speed
and not in all gears . In some cases, the vehicle
cannot drive in rever se .
(D Note
If the transm ission runs in emergency mode,
drive to an authorized A udi dealer or author
iz ed Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have
the malfunc tion corrected.
Transmission malfunction
• Tran smi ssion malfunction ! Pl ea se stop the
vehicle and select P
The re is a ma lfunction in the transmission. Park
the vehi cle secure ly and do not cont in u e driv ing.
See a n author ized Audi dealer or au thori zed A udi
Service Facility for assis tance.
• Tran smission overheating! Plea se stop the
vehicle!
The transmiss ion is too hot and can become dam
aged. Stop and let the transmiss ion cool w ith the
engi ne r unning (at idle) in the P se lector lever po
s it ion. Then the ind icator lig ht and the message .,.
95
Automatic transmission
turn off, drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or au
thorized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the malfunction corrected . If the ind icator light
and the driver message do not turn off, do not
continue driving. See an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
rm Transmission malfunction: you can continue
driving
Drive to an autho rized Audi dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
rm Transmission malfunction: no reverse gear
(you can continue driving)
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can continue
driving in D until engine off
Drive the vehicle away from moving traffic and
park. See an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility for assistance .
rm Transmission overheating! Please adapt
driving style
Continue driving moderately. When the indicator
light turns off, you can continue driving normal
ly .
rm Transmission: Press brake pedal and select
gear again.
If the transmission malfunctions because the
temperature is too high, a message appears
when the transmission is cooled.
96
Selector lever emergency release
App lies to vehicles: wit h S tronic transmission
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector
lever can be released in an emergency.
Fig. 86 Se lector leve r: remov ing the cover
Fig. 87 Selector lever: us ing the emergency release to
move out of the Pa rk posit ion
The emergency release mechanism is located in
the right area under the selector lever shift gate.
Using the emergency release can be complicated.
We recommend contacting an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as
sistance, if necessary .
The screwdr iver from the vehicle tool kit located
i n the luggage compartment is needed to for the
eme rgency release¢
page 280 . Use the flat side
of the reversible screwdriver blade.
Removing the selector lever cover
.,. Set the parking brake(®)¢,& to secure your
vehicle from rolling .
.,. Insert the flat side of the screwdriver s ideways
in the slot near the s hift cover and pry the shift
cover up
¢ fig. 86 .
.,. Pull up the corners of the shift cover carefully
with your hands and fo ld it over the shifter
knob
¢ fig . 87. ..,.
,....,
N
0 > co ,....,
"' Press and hold the yellow re le a se button wi th
the screwdriver ~
fig. 87.
"' Press the release button in the se lector lever @
and move the leve r into the N position.
"' Clip the shift cove r back into the shift gate a fter
us ing the emergency release.
If t he vehicle m ust be pushed or towed due to a
power fai lure (fo r example, the battery is dead),
the selector lever must f irst be moved to the N
position using the emergency release mecha
ni sm.
A WARNING
On Ly m ove the se lector lever ou t of the P posi
tion when the par king b rake is set.
If that
does not work, se cure the vehicle wi th the
bra ke ped al. Ot herw ise, the vehicle coul d
sta rt to move unintention ally whe n the sele c
to r lever is moved out of the P pos ition .
Automatic transm ission
97
e-tron
e-tron Plug-in hybrid drive
Introduction
A pp lies to veh icles: w ith plug -in hybrid drive
General information
The plug- in hybrid drive is a drive concept that al
lows yo u to choose between driving w ith the elec
tr ic moto r, with the gaso lin e engine o r using a
comb inat io n of both.
All work done on the high-voltage system must
only be performed by certified high-voltage tech n icians at autho rized Aud i dea le rs or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facilities in accordance with Audi
gu idelines.
The high-voltage system is composed of the fol low ing h igh-vo ltage components: the high-volt
age battery, the powe r electron ics, the e lectr ic
motor, the high-voltage A/C compressor, the
high-vo ltage heater, the charging system and
charging port as well as the orange high-voltage
wiring.
The pedal referred to in this sect ion of the Own
er's Manua l is the equivalent of the acce lerator
pedal (gas pedal) in a standard veh icle.
High-voltage battery
The high-voltage battery is located under the
rear bench seat in the veh icle and does not re
qu ire any maintenance from the driver. Addition
a l information about the high-voltage battery can
be found under
Q page 112 .
A WARNING
The voltage in the high-vo ltage system is life
threatening. Touching a damaged high-volt
age component can result in a fatal e lectr ic
shock. The components in the high-voltage
system are ma rked with a warning label which
wa rns against the h igh-vo ltage.
- The voltage level in the high-voltage system
is still dangerous and potentially life-threat
ening when the ignition is switched off.
- Never perform work on orange high-voltage
cables or on high-voltage components. Only
98
authorized repair facilities that are certified
may perform work on the high-voltage sys
tem.
- Never damage, alter or remove the orange
high-voltage cable or disconnect it from the
high-voltage system.
- Never perform any work using c utting, shap
ing or sharp-edged too ls or heat sources
near the h igh-vo ltage system and high-volt
age cables.
- Aud i regulat ions must be followed during
all work performed on the high-voltage sys
tem and h igh-vo ltage components.
- When working on the h igh-vo ltage system
and h igh-voltage compone nts, make sure
the remote cont rol key is kept far enough
away from the vehicle so that there is no
ris k of the ignit ion be ing inadve rten tly
sw itched on.
- Gases that escape from the high-vol tage
b attery can be poisono us or flammable.
- Damage to the high-voltage battery could
cause the h igh-vo ltage battery to leak im
media tely or in the fu ture, and poisonous or
flammab le gases cou ld escape . Do not in
ha le the gases!
- Do not expose yourse lf to any leaking fluids
and do not come into contact with them .
- The high-volt age battery e lectroly te fl uid is
caustic. I f electrolyte fluid comes into con
tact with the sk in, f lush the affected area
for at least 15 minutes with clean water.
Then wash the affected area with soap.
Have the affected area examined by a med i
cal professional.
- In the event of a technical emergency, in
form the responders that the vehicle is
equ ipped with a high-voltage battery.
A WARNING
Never leave the vehicle unattended when in
drive ready mode
~ page 100 with a gear en
gaged . The veh icle can start moving ("creep
ing") even if the gaso line engine is switched
off, since the e lectr ic motor is still operating.
This may cause collis ions and severe or fatal
-