Intelligent Technology
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the firs t 25 0 miles (400 km), new b rake
pads do not possess their full braking effect , they
have to be "broken i n" first ¢& . You can com
pensate for this slight ly reduced braking power
by push ing harder on the brake pedal. Avoid
heavy braking loads during the break-in period .
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles a re still sub
ject to wear, depend ing largely on ope rating con
ditions and driving habits¢& . On vehicles that
are either dr iven most ly in stop-and-go city traf
f ic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by you r authorized Aud i dea ler more of
ten than spec ified in the
Warranty & Mainte
nance booklet .
Failu re to have your brake pads
i n spected c an resu lt in reduced bra ke pe rform
ance.
O n steep slopes, you sho uld use the braking ef
fect of the eng ine . This way, you prevent unnec
es sary wear on t he b rake system. If yo u m ust use
your b rake s, d o not hold the brakes down cont in
uously. Pum p th e b rakes at intervals.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when brak ing depend ing on the
speed, b raking force and outs ide cond it ions such
as tempe ra tu re and humidi ty.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain s ituations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy ra in, afte r ove rnig ht con
densat ion or after washing your car, the b raking
effect can be reduced by mo isture or ice on the
b rake rotors and b rake pads . T he brakes must be
d ried first w ith a few careful b rake a pplica tions.
At highe r speeds and with t he windsh ield wipers
tur ned on, the br ake pads press aga inst the brake
rotors for a sho rt amoun t of time. This occur s at
regular intervals w it h out t he dr iver noticing and
p rov ides for better bra ke response time under
wet conditions.
180
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road
and t he b rakes are not used . Likewise, yo u clean
off accum ulated salt coating from brake discs
and pads with a few caut ious app lications of the
brake ¢& .
Corrosi on
There may be a tendency fo r dirt to build up on
the b rake pads and corrosion to form on the discs
i f the car is not driven regu larly or only for short
trips with little use of the brakes .
If the bra kes are not used frequent ly, or if corro
s ion has formed on the discs, it is advisable to
clean off the pads and discs by braking firmly a
few times from a moderately high speed ¢ &.
Faults in th e brake system
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in brake
pedal travel , then one of t he two brake circu its
may have failed¢& .
Low brake fluid level
Malfu nctions can occu r in the brake system if the
br ake fluid level is too low . The brake fluid leve l
is mo nitored electronica lly .
Brake booster
The bra ke booster i ncreases the press ure t hat
yo u ge nera te with the brake ped al.
It works only
whe n the eng ine is ru nning .¢ &
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wea r may be c hecked by visua l in
spection o f the condition of the brake pads
t hr ough t he openings in t he wheel. If necessary,
t h e wheel m ay be removed fo r thi s inspe ction
¢ page 240, Replacing wheel s.
_& WARNING
- New brake pads don't have the be st sto p
ping power and m ust be " broken-in" du ring
the initial 250 miles (400 kilometers). You
can compensate for this by p ressing the
brake pedal more firmly. This also app lies
later w hen new pads are installed.
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the p urpose of clean ing the brake system
only if road conditions permit. Other road
users must not be put at risk - you may
cause an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transm iss io n into a lower
gear or lowe r d riv ing range. Do not ride the
bra kes or hold the pedal down too long or
t oo often. This could ca use the bra kes to get
hot an d diminish brak ing efficiency.
- Do not "r ide t he b rakes" by resting your foot
on the pe dal when yo u do not inten d to
br ak e. This may cause the br akes to over
heat, p remat ure wea r and increased stop
ping distance.
- Under certa in climatic and operating condi
tions such as passing thro ugh water, driving
in heavy ra in or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re
duced. In w inte r, ice can acc umulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums. Care
fully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coatings w ill be cleaned off after a
few careful b rake applica tions.
- Driv ing for an ex tended period of time on
salt-covered roads witho ut using your
bra kes can also affe ct bra king efficie ncy .
C le an off a ccumula ted s alt co ating from
bra ke discs and pads with a few caref ul
bra ke app lications.
- If you dam age the fro nt sp oiler, or if yo u in
st all a diff erent spoi le r, be sure the ai r flow
to the front brakes is not obstr ucte d. Othe r
wise the bra ke system could overheat reduc
ing the e ffectiveness of the entire b rake sys
tem.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair the
brak ing capability resulting in an increased
stopp ing distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest authorized
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop.
- Never let the veh icle roll to a stop w ith the
engi ne shut off .
-If the brake booster is not working, the
bra ke pedal m ust be pressed conside rably
harder to make up for the lac k of booster
assista nee .
Intellig ent Technology
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The ele ctro-mechanical power a ssist helps the
driver when steering .
P ower s teer ing adapts electronically based on
t h e veh icle spee d.
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defective! Do not drive vehicle!
If this indicator light turns on and stays on and
t hi s message appears, the power steering may
have failed.
Do
not continue driving. See your author ized
Audi dealer or a qualified repair facility for assis
tance.
' :r, y Dynamic steering: System fault! You can
continue d riving
If the indic ator l igh t turns on and the message
appe ars, the steering may be more diffic ult to
move o r more sensitive than usu a l. T he steering
whee l may a lso be at an angle w hen d riving
straight .
Drive slowly to you r autho rized Audi dea le r or
qualified wo rks hop to have the malfunction cor
rected .
,T u Dynamic steering: initializing
If this drive r message appea rs and t he indicator
li ght is flashing on t he instrument pane l, dynam
ic s teer ing* is being re ini tialized. After s tarting
t h e engine, t he steer ing w heel w ill move sligh tly.
Re- ini tializa tion might be necessary if the s teer
ing wheel was moved hard to the left a nd right
whi le the vehicle was not moving . The display
goes out as soon as initialization is comp lete.
A WARNING ~
Have the dynam ic steeri ng* system malfunc -
tion repaired as soon as poss ible by an au
thor ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop -
r isk of acc ident!
181
Intelligent Technology
(D Tips
- If the . or
,~ n ind icator light only stays on
fo r a short time, you may continue driving.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems are
not available in the event of a system mal
funct ion.
- Fo r additional information on dynamic
steering*, refer to¢
page 111 .
Driving with your
quattro
Applies to veh icles: w ith all-wheel drive
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driven.
General information
With all-whee l drive, power is distributed to all
four wheels . This happens automatically depend
ing on your dr iv ing style and the road condit ions
at the time . See also ¢
page 177 .
A center differentia l distrib utes the driv ing power
variably to the front and rear axle. It works to gether with selective wheel torque control, which
activates when driving through curves
¢
page 178 . With the sport differentia l*, power
d istr ibut io n to the rear wheels is variable and can
be adj usted w ith d rive select¢
page 111.
The all -wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power . Your veh icle is exceptionally pow
erful and has excellent driving characterist ics
both under normal dr iv ing condit io ns and on
snow and ice. Always read and fo llow safety pre
cautions ¢
A.
Winter tires
When d rivi ng in the winter, your vehicle with all
wheel drive has an advantage, eve n with regular
tires. In winter road conditions it may be adv isa
b le to mount w inte r ti res (or all-season tires) fo r
improved driveability and braking: these tires
must be mounted on all four wheels . See a lso
¢ page 232, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where ti re chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this norma lly also applies to vehicles w ith
all -whee l drive ¢
page 233, Snow chains .
182
Replacing wheels /tires
Vehicles with all-wheel d rive must a lways have
tires of the same size. Also avoid t ires with differ
ent tread depths. For detai ls see page
¢ page 224, New tires or wheels .
Off-Road driving?
You r A udi does not have eno ugh ground clear
an ce to be used as an off-road vehicle.
It is there
fore best to avoid ro ugh tracks and uneven ter
rain as much as possib le. Also refer to
¢ page 185.
A WARNING
A lways adjust your dr iving to road and traffic
conditions . Do not let the extra safety afford
ed by all-whee l drive tempt you into taking
extra risks .
- Although the all-wheel drive is very effec
tive, always remember that braking capacity
is limited by ti re tract ion. You s hou ld there
fore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or
slippe ry road s urfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to dr ive
too fast because the front wheels could be
gi n to slide on top of the water (aquaplan
ing) . If th is should occur, you will have no
warning from a s udden increase in engine
speed as with a front-wheel drive vehicle.
Always drive at speeds which are suited to
the road conditions -risk of crash .
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 batte ry is
discharged by id ling current consumers (e.g . im
mobilizer). In ce rtain circumstances it can resu lt
i n the re being insufficient energy avai lab le to
start the engine .
Intelligent energy management in yo ur vehicle
hand les t he d istribution of elect rical energy. .,.
Driving and th e en vironm ent
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
.,. Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regu larly serviced by an
author ized Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it
runs properly and econom ically . The condition of
your veh icle not only affects its safety and ability
to hold its value, it also affects
fu el consump
tion .
C he ck your oil e ach t ime you fill you r ta nk .
The amount of oil used is re lated to engine load
and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumpt ion of a new en
g ine to reach its lowest val ue afte r a certa in mile
age has been driven .
You must d rive you r vehicle about 3 ,000 miles
(5,000 k ilome ters) before you can p roperly as
sess o il cons umption .
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and engine
outpu t.
(D Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda
tions in you r Warranty
& Maintenance book
l et . La ck of p roper main tenance as well as
i mproper use of the vehicle will impa ir the
f u nct ion of the emission control system and
could lead to damage.
- Do not al ter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not a lter or remove any device, such as
heat shie lds, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other i mportant vehicle components.
188
· Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips .
.,. Try to avoid driving short distances with a cold
eng ine .
T he eng ine and catalytic converter have to reac h
their opt imal
operating temper atu re to reduce
fuel consumpt ion and noxious emiss ions effec
tively .
Just after start ing, a cold engine in a mid-size car
on ly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 miles per
gallon (30-40 l/100 km) . After about a half a
mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg (20 l/100
km) . After about
2 .5 m iles (4 km), the engine is
at its proper operating temperatu re and fuel
economy has reached a no rma l level. So you can
see that you should avoid sho rt tr ips wheneve r
possible .
The
out sid e temperatur e is also cr it ica l in th is re
gard. Your car cons umes more fue l in the winter
than in the summer.
allroad: Driving offroad
General information .
App lies to vehicles : allroad
When dr iving offroad, the functions for the elec
tronic stabilization co ntrol (ESC) are expanded .
The ESC-Offroad-Mode ca n be activated in d riving
s ituations in which a wheel loc k or a d iffe rential
l ock f unct ion is needed ~
page 178. In addit ion,
you r A udi p rovides cont in uo us all whee l dr ive.
You r Audi i s how ever, not an offroad vehicl e.
Nev er dri ve the vehicl e in t errain whi ch i s not
suitable for the vehicl e, or whi ch exce ed s your
driving skills . Nev er take any unnece ssary ri sk s!
Afte r driving offro ad
- After driving offroad, remove branches and
other deb ris from the rad iator g rille , under
body, and wheels. Look especially fo r objects
(s tones) that have been caught in the tire
t read.
- Clean the body and the ve hicle unde rbody and
inspect the ve hicl e for possible damages.
IJI>
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lights and the license plate .
- Perform a brake test (especially after dr iving
t h rough water) .
& WARNING
-Be espec ially aware and attentive when driv
ing under difficult conditions. Damages to
the vehicle and injuries may occur when
dr iv ing at an excessive ly high speed or w ith
incorrect dr iving maneuvers.
- Always adjust your speed and handling to
the roads, terrain, traffic and weather con
ditions. Drive especially slow if offroad wit h
low v is ibility.
- Please note that the wheels can spin and
the vehicle can break away when the ESC
Off road Mode is switched off, especia lly
w he n t he roa d is slippery.
- Driv ing stabi lity is reduced in the ESC Off
road mode.
@) For the sake of the environment
Avoid harming the environme nt and take na
ture into conside ra tion .
(D Tips
Only drive where it is allowed and always stay
on t he p rovided roads and paths.
Driver messages
App lies to vehicles: allroad
There is only one right way to drive in difficult
conditions: slowly and with caution!
When driving offroad, observe the fo llowing:
.. Never dr ive the veh icle in te rrai n which is not
s ui tab le for the vehicle, o r which exceeds your
driving skills. Never ta ke any unnecessary risks!
.. Drive slowly and ca utiously!
.. Pay attention to the
ground clearance of yo ur
vehicle! This may vary depending on the load and compos it io n of the ground and the environ
me nt. The driver is therefore responsible for
deciding whether a vehicle can handle a specif ic
s itu atio n.
Driving and the envir onment
.. Activate the ESC-Offroad-Mode ¢ page 178 as
needed .
Difficult terrain
Never dr ive in areas t hat are not fam ilia r to you
and dr ive slow ly when off road and be prepare d
and expect the unexpected (e .g. potho les, bould
ers, t ree stumps, etc.)
T o p reve nt the vehicle from bottom ing and avoid
damage to t he un derbody, you shou ld dr ive
straight ac ross seve re bumps in the ground w ith
on ly one side of the vehicle so tha t on ly two of
your whee ls cross the bumps .
Dr ive quickly th ro ugh sandy o r m ars hy off road
sections and do not stop, if at all possible .
Driving through water on roads
Read the informa tion on ¢ page 185.
189
Trailer mode
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles different ly when tow ing a
tra iler because of the additional weight and dif
ferent weight distr ibution. Safety, performance
and economy w ill great ly depend on how careful
ly you load your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actua lly tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep practicing until you have be
come completely familiar with the way your vehi
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is d ifficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You w ill need more
room to stop . To compensate for the trai ler, you
will need a larger than norma l turning radius.
When passing, remembe r that you cannot accel
erate as fast as you normally would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your trai ler before chang ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri
od of you r vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex
tra load~
page 258.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
.,. Apply t he foot brake .
.,. Have someone place chocks under both the ve
hicle and the trailer wheels.
192
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
.. Turn the whee ls towards the curb .
.. App ly the parking brake .
.. Place an automat ic transmission* in P, respec
tively a manual transmission in first or reverse
gear .
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Start the engine.
.. Move the selector lever to 0/5, respectively a
manual transmission in first gear.
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the whee l chocks.
.,. Stop and have someone ret rieve the wheel
chocks.
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat
ic transmission* to P before applying the
parking brake and before blocking the wheels,
you may have to use more force later to move
the lever out of the P position.
Care and cleaning
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci
dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when was h
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
- A fter washing the vehicle, the braking effect
may be delayed due to mo isture on the
brake rotors or ice i n the winter. The brakes
must be dried first w it h a few careful brake
applications.
{U) Note
- If you wash the ve hicle in an automatic car
wash, you must fold the exterior m irrors in
to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors.
Power folding exte rior m irrors* must on ly
be fo lded in and out us ing the power folding
f u nct io n.
- T o p revent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle in di rect sunlight. -
To red uce the risk of damage to the s urface,
do not use insect removing sponges, k itchen
sponges o r similar items .
- Matte finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the r isk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polishing agents or hard
wax.
- Neve r use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint. The paint could be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash t he veh icle in facili ties spec ially de
s igned for that pu rpose. This will reduce the
r isk of dirty wate r cont am ina ted with o il from
en te ring the sewe r system.
Cleaning and care information
W hen clean ing and ca ring for ind ividua l vehicle
com ponents, refer to the fo llow ing tables. The
i n fo rmat ion conta ined there is s imply recom
mendations. For ques tions or for components that are
not listed, cons ult an autho riz ed Aud i
dealer or au thor ized A udi Servi ce Fac ility. Also
f o llow the informa tion fo und in ¢ .&, .
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wind shield wiper
Deposits ¢ page 55, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights
/ Tail
Deposits Soft sponge with a m ild soap solutiona>
lights
Sensors /camera
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning solut ion
lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth w ith alcohol-free cleaning so lu-
tion
Snow/ice H
and br ush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dus t Acid
-free special clean ing solu tion
E x haust tail pipes Road salt Water, clean ing solution su itab le for stainless stee l, if nee -
essary
Decorative parts / Deposits Mild soap so
lution al, a cleaning so lution suitable for stain-
t rim less stee l, if necessary
194
Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Te xtil es
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
a rt ifici al le ather , the surface
Alcant ara Water-based deposits Absorben
t cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
O il-based deposits Apply a m ild soap solution a), blot away the dissolved oil or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain remover, b lot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, na il polish, la- afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary a)
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natural leather Fresh stains Wool cloth with a mild soap so
lutiona)
Water-based deposits fresh sta ins: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, d ried stains: stain remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Fresh staiins: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make-up, for leather
etc. dried stains: oil cleaning spray
Special deposits such Spot remover suitab le for leather
as ink, nai l polish, la -
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Ca re Regularly apply cond ition ing cream that protects from
light and penet rates into the materia l. Use specia lly-co l-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon parts Deposits clean the same way as plastic parts
a) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablesp oons of neutral soap in 1 quart (l liter) of water
_& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be trea ted with wa
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un
favorable conditions s uch as wetness, dark
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare .
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
(D Note
- Headlights/tail light s
-Never clean headlights or tail lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con
tains alcohol, because they could cause
cracks to form.
- Wheels
196
-
- Never use any paint polish or other abra
sive materials.
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately.
- Sensors /camera lenses
- Neve r use wa rm or ho t wa ter to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . This
could cause the lens to crack .
- N eve r use ab rasive cleaning materials or
a lcohol to clea n the camera lens . This
could cause scratches and cracks .
-Doo r window s
-Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terior mirrors with a plast ic scraper. To