Automatic transmission
Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you can man
ually select gears .
Fig. 137 Center console: shifting the gears man ually
Fig. 138 Stee rin g whee l: S hift paddles •
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected eith er with
the vehicle stationary or on the
move.
• Push the selector lever to the right from D/S.
u, N
N
N
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An M appears in the instrument cluster displa y
as soon as the transmission has shifted.
• To upshift, push the selector lever forward to
the plus position
G) ¢ fig. 137 .
• To downshift, push the lever to the minus posi-
tion
0 .
Gear selection with shift paddles*
The shift paddles are activated when the selector
lever is in D/S or the tiptronic manual shift pro
gram.
• To upshift , touch the button on the right
G)
¢fig. 138.
• To downshift, touch the button on the left 0-
• If you do not press a shift paddle within a short
time while in the D/S position, the transmission
will return to automatic mode. To keep shifting
126
using the shift paddles, move the selector lever
to the right out of the D/S position .
The transmissron automatically shifts up or down
before critical engine speed is reached.
The transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is within the permit ted
range.
(D Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gear, the
t ransm ission will downshift only when there
is no possibili ty of
over-revving the engine.
- When the kick-down comes on, the trans
mission will shift down to a lower gear, de
pending on vehicle and engine speeds.
- Tiptr onic is inoperat ive when the transmis
sion is in the fail-safe mode.
- Hybrid drive*: elect ric driving is not possible
in t iptronic mode .
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration .
When you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the resistance point, the automat ic transmission
downshifts into a lower gear, depending on vehi
cle speed and engine speed. T he upsh ift into the
next higher gear takes place once the maximum
specified eng ine speed is reached.
A.::!!. ARNING
-Please note that the drive wheels can spin if
kick-down is used on a smooth slippery road -
there is a risk of skidd ing.
Transmission malfunction
ml Transmission: Press brake pedal and select
gear again.
Press the brake pedal and select the desired se
lector lever position again. You can then continue
driving.
ml Transmission overheating: Please drive con-
servatively . .,,.
Driving sa fe ty
-Always drive with the head restraints i n
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restra ints so the upper edge is as
even as possib le w ith the top of your head.
If that is not possib le, try to adjust the head
restra int so that it is as close to th is position
as possib le.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint wh ile driving.
If you have dr iven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea
son, fi rst stop the vehicle safely before at
tempting to ad just the head restr aint.
- Children must always be p roperly restrained
in a chi ld restrain t th at is appropria te fo r
their age and size~
page 171.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated.
I mp roper seating positions can cause se rious in
ju ry or deat h. Safety belts can only wo rk when
they are p roperly posi tioned o n the body . Im
p roper seating posi tions reduce t he effe ct iveness
of sa fety belts and w ill even increase the r isk o f
in jury and death by moving the safety be lt to crit
ical areas of the body . Improper seating posit ions
also increase the risk of ser ious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the prope r seat ing position. A driver
is respo nsible for the safety of all vehicle occu
pants and especially fo r children. Therefo re:
~ Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seat ing pos ition w hen the veh icle is being used
~ .&. -
The follow ing bulletins list only some sample po
sitions that will inc rease the risk of serious inju ry
and death. Ou r hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seat ing pos it io ns that
a re dangero us.
138
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is moving :
-neve r stand up in the vehicle
- neve r sta nd on the seats
- neve r kneel on the seats
- never ride w ith the seatback recl ined
- neve r lie down on the rear seat
- neve r lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out t he window
- neve r put your feet o ut the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- neve r rest your feet on the seat cushion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
'
A WARNING
Imp roper seating positions inc rease the risk
of ser ious personal injury and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all veh icle occupants
stay in a proper seating posit ion and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is be ing used .
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must alway s be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat or
any o ther object.
Mak e su re t hat all pedals move free ly w ithout in
te rfe rence and t hat nothing prevents them from
r etur ning to their orig inal positions.
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal a rea free
and can be secured wi th floor ma t faste ne rs.
If a brake circuit fails, i ncreased brake pedal trav
el is requ ired to bring the vehicle to a fu ll stop.
A WARNING
Pedals that ca nnot move freely ca n cause loss
of vehicle contro l and increase the r is k of seri
ous injury.
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-Never place any objects in the driver's foot
well. An object could get into the pedal area and interfere w ith pedal function. In case of
sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake or accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothi ng can fall or
move into the dr iver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mots that con be securely at
tached to the floor mot fasteners and do not in
terfere with the free movement of the pedals .
.. Make sure that the floor mats are properly se
cured and cannot move and interfere with the
pedals
¢ .&, .
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position. You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi
dealer .
F loor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Fl oor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Proper ly securing the floor
mats will prevent them from sliding into posi
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im pair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.
A WARNING
Peda ls that cannot move free ly can result i n a
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of
ser ious personal injury .
-Always make sure that floor mats are prop erly secured.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floo r coverings in the veh icle that ca nnot be
prope rly secured in place to prevent them
from slipp ing and in terfering with the ped
als or the abili ty to contro l the vehicle.
- Never place or insta ll floor mats or o ther
floo r coverings on top of already insta lled
floo r ma ts. Addit ional floor mats and othe r
coverings w ill reduce the size of the peda l
area and interfere with the pedals .
- Always properly reinstall and secu re floor
mats that have been taken o ut for cleaning .
Driving safety
-Always make sure that objects cannot fall
into the driver footwell while the vehicle is
mov ing. Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and accelerator pedal caus ing a loss of vehicle control.
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly stowed and secured in the luggage compart
ment.
F ig. 153 Safe load positioning: place heavy objects as low
a n d as far forward as possible .
Loose items in the luggage compar tment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling charac
teristics . Loose items can also increase the risk of
serious persona l injury in a s udden vehicle ma
neuver or in a collision.
.,. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com
partment.
.. Always place and properly secure heavy items in
the luggage compartment as low and as far for
ward as possib le
¢fig. 153.
.,. Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided
¢page 70.
.,. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING
I mproperly s to red luggage or o ther i tems can
fly through the vehicle ca us ing serious per
sona l injury in the event of hard braking or an
accident . To help reduce the risk of serio us
personal injury: .,.
139
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recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
E ve nt Dat a Record er
This vehicle is equipped wi th an Event Data Re
corder (EDR) . The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa
tions, such as an a irbag deployment or hitting a
road obstacle, data that will assist in understand
ing how a vehicle's systems performed. The EDR
is designed to record data related to vehicle dy
namics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this
ve hicle is designed to reco rd such data as:
- How various systems in your vehicle were oper
at ing;
- Whether or not the driver and passenger safety
belts were buckled/fastened;
- How far (if at all) the dr iver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
- How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can he lp provide a better understand
ing of the c ircumstances in which crashes and in
juries occur. NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your
veh icle only if a non-trivia l crash situation occurs;
no data are recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal data (e .g .,
name, gender, age, and crash location) are re
corded . H owever, other parties, such as law en
forcement, cou ld combine the EDR data w ith the
type of personally identifying data routine ly ac
quired during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, specia l equip
ment is req uired, a nd access to the ve hicle or the
E DR is needed. In add it ion to the vehicle manu
facturer, other parties, such as law enforcement,
that have the specia l equipment, can read the in
formation if they have access to the vehicle or the EDR .
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down
l oading of data stored by ED Rs insta lled in a vehi
cle for the express purpose of retrieving data af-
Intellig ent Technology
ter an accident or crash event without the own
er 's consent.
Audi will not ac cess the EDR and/or sim ilar data
o r give it to others -
- unless the vehicle owne r (or lessee if the vehi
cle has been leased) agrees; o r
- upon the official request by the police; or
- upon the order of a court of law or a govern-
ment agency; or
- for the defense of a lawsuit through the jud ic ial
discovery process.
- Aud i may a lso use the data for research about
veh icle operation and safety performance or
prov ide the data to a third party for research
purposes without identify ing the specific veh i
cle or info rmat io n about the ident ity of its own
er or lessee and only afte r the reco rded veh icle
data has been accessed.
Vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is also equ ipped w ith a number of
electronic control modules for va rious vehicle
systems, such as engine management, emiss io n
contro l, airbags , and s afety be lts .
These electronic control modules record data dur ing norma l vehicle operation that may be
needed by trained tech nicians for diagnost ic and
r epa ir purposes. The re cording capab il ity of these
modules is lim ited to data (no sound is record
ed). Only a sma ll amount of data is actua lly re
corded over a very limited period of time, or stor
ed when a system fault is detected by a control
module . Some of the data stored may relate to
vehicle speed, direction, or braking, as well as re
straint system use and performance in the event
of a crash . Stored data can also on ly be read a nd
down loaded w ith specia l equipment that is d i
rectly connected to the vehicle.
(D Tips
Your vehicle may be equipped w ith Aud i con
nect. Your use of certain Aud i connect fea
tures requi res wire less serv ices that are pro
v ided by a third party wireless telecomm uni
cations provi der. For de tails regarding how in
formation obtained through Aud i connect is
collected, processed, transmitted, used, and ..,.
189
Intelligent Technology
shared, please see your contract with the
wireless te lecommunications provider and the
"About Aud i connect" tab in your vehicle's
MMI*:
I MENU ! button > Audi connect > About
Audi connect .
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
The Electroni c Stab ili z at ion Control (ESC) re infor
ces driver safety. It reduces the r isk of slipping
and improves driving stability. ESC detects crit i
cal s ituations suc h as the vehicle overstee ring
and understeering o r the wheels sp inning. The
ve hicl e is stab ilized by applying the b rakes o r re
ducing e ngine torque . Once t he ESC is acti ve , the
i n dicator light
m bli nks in the instrument cl us
ter.
The fo llow ing sys tems a re integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock b rake system (ABS)
ABS preve nts the wheels from lock ing up when
b raking . The veh icle can sti ll be steered even dur
i n g ha rd brak ing . Apply steady press ure to the
b rake pedal. Do no t pump t he pedal. A pulsing in
the brake pedal indicates tha t the system i s help
i n g you to br ake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease brak ing dis
tance . It increases brak ing power when the d river
p resses the brake pedal q uic kl y in eme rgency si t
uations . You m ust press and hold t he b rake pedal
until the situa tion is over. In vehi cles w it h ad ap
tive cruise contro l* , the brake assist system is
mo re sensit ive if the distance detected to the ve
h icle ahead is too small.
Anti -slip regulation (ASR)
A SR re duces eng ine power when the drive w heels
begin to spin and adapts the force to the roa d
conditions. This makes it easie r to sta rt, acceler
ate and drive up hi lls.
190
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spi nning and
transfers the drive power to the other w heels .
This function is not ava ilable at higher speeds.
I n ext reme cases , ED L automat ica lly swi tches off
to help keep the b rake on the bra ke d whee l from
overheating . EDL will sw itch on again automa ti
ca lly w hen conditions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC he lps to stabilize the vehicle by cha ng ing
t h e s teer ing torque .
On vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC helps
stab il ize the steer ing in crit ica l sit uat ions .
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel torque cont rol is used when d riv
i ng o n curves. The front whee l on the inside of
the curve or both wheels on the i nside of the
curve are braked selectively as needed . Th is al
l ows mo re prec ise driving in c urves . The applica
ble sys tem may not a ctivate w hen d riv in g in we t
o r snowy cond it ions.
_8. WARNING
- The ESC and i ts integ ra ted systems cannot
overcome the laws of physics . This is espe
cially important on slippery or wet roads. If
the systems begin act ing to stab ilize your
veh icle, you should immediately change
your speed to matc h the road and traffic
conditions. Do no t let the increased safe ty
provided by t hese systems tempt yo u to
t ake risks. Doing so will i ncreas e th e risk of
a loss of vehicle con trol, collisi on and se ri
ou s person al injur ies .
- Always a dap t your spee d to road , traffic and
weather condi tions. The risk of los ing con
t rol of the vehicle in cr eases w hen driving
t oo f ast, es pecially throu gh curves and on
slippe ry or wet roads, and when driving too
close to ve hicles up ahea d. The ESC and its
integ rated systems cannot always prevent
col lisions - there is still a risk of accidents!
- Always accelerate w ith special ca re on even,
smooth surfaces s uch as those that are wet
o r covered with ice and snow. The drive .,..
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Hill descent assist
The hill descent assist makes it possible to drive
down an incline at a constant speed .
~~,·~ ('l)ofF ___ P..1 --- fl~ IIL..~
---
Fig. 187 Top of the center conso le: hill descent assist but
ton
Fig. 188 Display: hill descent assist
.. Press the~ button in the center console
¢ fig . 187 or on the shift gate . The button will
illuminate .
" Press the button again to switch it off. The di-
ode in the button will go out .
Hill descent ass ist brakes all four wheels auto
matically in order to limit speed when driving ei
ther forwa rd o r reverse on hills with a grad e up to
approximately 50%.
When the hill descent assist is on, the current
driving speed, when your vehicle entered the in
cline is maintained.
It is only possible to switch
on the assist when driving slower than 37 mph
(60 km/h). The assist works between app roxi
mately 2 and 19 mph (4 and 30 km/h) . The driver
can increase or decrease the vehicle speed within
these limits by depressing the accelerator or
brake pedal In addition, vehicle steerability is in
creased due to the braking distribution when
driving in reverse .
192
There must be however sufficient ground adhe
sion . The hill descent assist can
not do its job if
the incline is icy or if the incl ine ground is loose
¢ &.
The system does not work at speeds between 19
and 37 mph (30 and 60 km/h). The system is
then in the ready-mode. The diode in the button
will come on . The system automatically sw itched
off when you drive faster than 37 mph (60 km/ h) . The diode will go out in this case .
Active control at a specific speed up to approxi
mately 19 mph (30 km/h) will appear in the in
strument cluster display
c:> fig. 188 . Two dashes
" •• " w ill appear in the ready mode .
Hill descent assist is automatically activated un
der the following conditions:
- the diode in the button illuminates,
- veh icle speed is below approximately 19 mph
(30 km/h)
- the incline is 10%.
& WARNING
-Always adapt your speed to the weather,
road and traffic cond itions. Do not let the
increased safety provided tempt you into
taking risks.
-
-The hill descent assist system cannot over
come the laws of phys ics. Your driving style
must always be adapted to the current road
and traffic conditions.
- The hill descent assist may not be ab le to
hold your vehicle at a constant speed under
all cond itions wh ile driving on an incline (for
example if ground under the vehicle is
loose).
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
Du ring the first 2 50 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess their full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first
c:> &. ..,_
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The brakes on today 's au tomobiles a re still s ub
ject to wea r, depend ing la rgely on ope rating con
ditions and driving habits¢.&. . On vehicles that
ar e e ither driv en most ly in stop-and -go city traf
f ic or are driven ha rd, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Aud i dealer more of
ten than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte
n ance boo klet .
Failure to have your brake pads
inspected can resu lt in reduced brake perform
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the braking ef
fect of the eng ine . This way, you prevent unnec
essary wear on the brake system . If you must use
your b rakes , do not ho ld the brakes down con tin
uously. Pump t he b rakes at intervals.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depend ing on the
speed , braking force and outs ide cond itions such
as tempe rature and humidity .
Effect of water and road sa lt
In certain situations, for example a fter driving
t hrough water, in heavy ra in , after overnight con
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by moisture 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 applica tions.
At highe r speeds and with the windsh ie ld w ipers
turned on, the bra ke pads press aga inst the brake
rotors for a short amount of time . Thi s occ urs at
r egular intervals wit hout the d river noticing and
p rovides for be tter br ak e response time u nder
wet conditions.
The eff ectiv eness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehi cle is dr iven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes are not used. L ikewise, you clean
off acc umu la ted salt coat ing from b rake discs
and pads with a few ca utious applications of the
b rake ¢.&. .
Corrosion
There may be a tende ncy for d irt to b uild up on
the brake pads an d cor ros io n t o fo rm on the discs
if the ca r is not driven regular ly or only fo r sho rt
trips with little use of the brakes .
Intelligent Technology
If
the brakes are not used frequent ly, or i f co rro
sio n 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 the brake system
If you shou ld notice a sudden inc rease in brake
peda l travel, t hen one of t he two brake circ uits
may have fai led ¢
&..
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions ca n occur i n the b rake system if the
br ak e fluid level is too low . T he brake f lu id leve l
is moni tored elect ronically .
Brake booster
The brake booster increases the press ure that
yo u generate with the b rake peda l.
It only oper
ates while the eng ine is r unning or w it h t he igni
tio n sw itched on (hybr id drive*) ¢.&, .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be chec ked by visual in
spect io n of t he condition of the brake pads
t hr ough the openings in the wheel.
If necessary,
t h e wheel may be removed fo r th is i nspe ction
¢ page 259, Replacing wheels .
.&_ WARNING
--
-New brake pads don't have the bes t stop
p ing power an d m ust be " broken-in" d uring
the initial 250 miles (400 km). You can compensate for this by pressing the brake
pedal more firmly. This also applies later
when new pads are insta lled.
- You sho uld perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning t he brake system
only if road condit io n s pe rmit . O ther road
users m ust not be put at r is k - you may
cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep g rade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gea r or l ower dr iv ing ra nge. Do not r ide the
b rakes or hold the ped al down too long or
too often. This co uld cause t he b rakes to ge t
hot and dimi nish braking eff ic ien cy .
- Do no t "ride the br akes" by res ting you r foot
on the pedal when you do no t intend to ...,
193
Intelligent Technology
brake. This may cause the brakes to over
heat, premature wear and increased stop
ping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating condi
tions such as passing through water, driving
in heavy rain or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re duced . In winter, ice can accumulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums. Care
fully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry
and ice coatings will be cleaned off after a
few careful brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few carefu l
brake app lications .
-If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in
stall a different spoiler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other
wise the brake system could overheat reduc ing the effectiveness of the entire brake sys
tem .
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair the
braking capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance. Avoid driving the vehicle and have it towed to the nearest author ized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booster
assista nee.
Electromechanical power
assist, Dynamic steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defective! Do not drive vehicle!
194 If
this indicator light turns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steering may
have failed.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as pos
sible. Do
not continue driving . See your author
ized Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
for ass istance .
'-r, ij Dynamic steering: System fault! You can
continue driving
If the indicator l ight turns on and the message
appears, the steering may be more difficult to
move or more sensitive than usual. The steering
may also be at an angle when driving straight.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunct ion cor
rected.
1 :r- ij Dynamic steering: Initializing
Audi drive select* : if the indicator light blinks and
the driver message appears, the dynamic steer i ng* is reinitial ized. After start ing the engine, the
steering wheel will move slightly . Re-initial iza
tion might be necessary if the steering wheel was
moved hard to the left and right while the vehicle
was not moving. The display turns off if the initi
alization was successful.
(D Tips
- If the . or 1:r- ij in dicato r light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue driving.
- T he dynamic steering* stab ility systems
¢ page 190 are not available in the event of
a system malfunction.
- For additional information on dynamic
steering*
¢page 119.
Driving with your
quattro
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driven .
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to all
four wheels. This happens automatically depend
ing on your driving style and the road conditions
at the time. See also
c> page 190. ..,.