
Driving
Sw it c h ing th e ig nit ion on /off
If you wou ld like to switch the ignition on with
out starting the engine, fo llow these steps :
"' Press the
!START E NGIN E STOPI button with-
out pressing the brake pedal.
"'T o sw itch the ignition off, press the button
again. The needle in the tachomete r moves into
the
O FF pos ition.
The prewarm ing runs automati cally in diese l
vehicles when the ignition is switched on .
Equipment that uses a lot of electricity is switch
ed off temporar ily when you start the engine.
If the engine should not start immediately, the
starting process is automat ically stopped after a
short time . Repeat starting procedure .
Start-Stop-System *
Note the information inc:> page 80, S tar t-S top
Sys tem.
A WARNING
- Never allow the engine to ru n in confined
spaces, because this inc reases the r isk of as
phyx iat ion.
- Never t urn off the engine before the veh icle
has come to a comp lete stop .
- The brake booster and power steer ing no
longer function whe n you stop the engine.
You must use more fo rce when bra king or
stee ring. Be cause you cannot b rake and
steer as you us ually wou ld, this could lead
to accidents and se rious i njuries. These
functions are still active if the Start-Stop
System* has stopped the engine.
([) Note
Avoid high engine speed, fu ll th rottle , and
heavy eng ine load as lon g as the engine has
not reached operating temperature yet. You
co uld damage the engi ne .
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not let the engine r un while parked to
warm up. Beg in driving immed iately . This re
duces u nnecessary emissions .
76
-
(D Tips
-After starting a cold engine, there may be a
br ief per iod of increased noise because the
oil pressure must first bui ld up in the hy
draulic valve adjusters. This is normal and
not a cause for concern .
- If you leave the veh icle with the ignition
switched on, the ign ition w ill switch off af
ter a certain amount of time . Make sure that
electrical equipment such as the exterior
l ights a re switched off.
Stopping the engine
"' Br ing your vehi cle to a complete stop.
"' Move the se lector lever to the P o r N posit ion .
"' Press the
I STA RT ENGINE STOP ! button
c:> page 75, fig . 81 .
Steering lock
The steering locks when yo u tur n the eng ine off
us ing the
I S TAR T ENGINE ST OP I button and open
the driver's doo r. The locked steering helps pre
vent vehicle theft.
Emergency off
If necessary, the engine can be switc hed off with
the se lecto r lever in the R or D/S posit ion. The en
gine stops if yo u press and hold the
I S TAR T ENGINE ST OP I button at speeds below
6 mph (10 km/h) and press the brake peda l.
A WARNING
-Never turn off the engine until the vehicle
has come to a complete stop.
- The brake booster and power steering only
work when the engine is running . If the en
gine is off , you have to use more force when
steering or braking. Because you cannot
steer and brake as you usually wou ld, this
could lead to crashes and serio us in ju ries.
- For safety reasons, you should always pa rk
your veh icle with the selector lever in P. Oth
erw ise, the vehicle could inadve rtently ro ll
away.

Intelligent Technology
ESC lev els
Sport mode on Sport mode off
Beha vior
The ESC and ASR stabilization f unctions are The full stabilization function of t he ESC
limited
c> ,& . and ASR is avai lab le again .
Operation Press the 1.$ OFF I button. Press the 1.$ OFF I button agai n.
In dicato r II turns on. II turns off.
light s
Driv er m es- S ta bi liz at ion contr ol (ESC ): sport. Warn -Stabiliz ati on c ontr ol (ESC ): on
s age s ing! Res tricted stabilit y
A WARNING
Only switch sport mode on when yo ur driving
abilities and the traffic situation permit, be
cause there is a risk of sliding.
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is switched on. The dr iv ing
wheels could spin and the vehicle could
swerve, especially on slick or slippery road
s u rfaces .
(D Tips
-Sport mode cannot be switched on if the
cruise control system* or adaptive cruise
control* is switched on.
- If the rear spoiler system malfunctions,
sport mode may not switch on or it may
switch off again automat ically.
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the f irst 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first
c> ,& . You can com
pensate for this sl ightly reduced brak ing power
by pushing ha rder on the brake pedal. Avoid
heavy brak ing loads dur ing the b reak-in per iod.
Operat ing condit ions and d riving hab its
The brakes on today's automobi les are st ill sub
ject to wear, depending largely on operating con
d itions and dr iving habits
c> ,& . On veh icles that
are either driven mostly in stop-and-go c ity t raf
fic or are dr iven hard, the b rake pads should be
checked by your author ized Audi dea ler mo re of -
190
ten than specified in the Warrant y & Mainte
nan ce b ookl et.
F ail ure to have your brake pads
inspected can resu lt in reduced brake perform
ance.
On steep slopes, you sho uld use the braking ef
f ect of the engine. This way, you prevent unnec
essary wear on the brake system. If yo u must use
you r brakes, do not hold the brakes down contin
u ously. Pump the brakes at intervals .
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depend ing on the
speed, braking force and ou tside cond itions su ch
as temperature and hum idity .
Effect of wat er and road salt
In certa in situations, for examp le after driv ing
t hr ough water, in heavy rain, after overnight con
densa tion or after washing yo ur ca r, the bra king
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
dried fi rst with a few careful brake applications .
At higher speeds and with the winds hield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake rotors for a short amount of time . This occurs at
r egular intervals without the driver noticing and
provides for better brake response time under
wet cond itions .
The effect iveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is d riven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes are not used. Likewise, you clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake discs
and pads wi th a few caut ious applications of the
brake
c> ,& . IJI>

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Corro sion
There may be a tendency fo r dirt to bui ld up on
the brake pads and corrosion to fo rm on the discs
if the car is not driven regularly or only for short
trips with little use of the brakes.
If the b rakes are not used frequently, or if corro
sion has formed on the discs, it is advisab le to
clean
off the pads and discs by braking firmly a
few times from a moderately high speed
c=> .&, .
Faults in the brake sy stem
If you should not ice a sudden increase in brake
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circuits
may have fai led
c=> .&, .
Low brake flu id level
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if the
brake fluid level is too low. The brake flu id leve l is
monitored e lectronically.
Br ake boo ste r
The brake booster works w ith vacuum pressure
which is created only when the engine is running
~ ,& .
Brake lining wear sta tu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
c=> page 2 55, Replacing wheels.
.8, WARNING -
- New brake pads don't have the best stop
ping power and must be "broken-in" during
the initial 250 mi les ( 400 km) . You can com
pensate for this by pressing the brake peda l
more firmly. This a lso applies later when
new pads are installed.
- You should perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of clean ing the brake system
only if road conditions perm it. Other road
users must not be put at risk -you may
cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
In te llig ent T echnolog y
brakes or hold the peda l down too long o r
too often. This could cause the brakes to get
hot and dimin ish braking effic iency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your foot
on the pedal when you do not intend to
brake. This may cause the brakes to over
heat, premature wear and increased stop
ping distance .
- Under certain cl imatic and operat ing condi
tions such as passing through water , dr iv ing
in heavy rain or afte r washing the veh icle,
the effect iveness of the brakes can be re
duced. In winter, ice c an accumulate on the
b rake pads, lin ings, discs and drums. Care
fu lly apply brakes for a test . Brakes will dry
and ice coatings will be cleaned
off after a
few ca reful brake app lications.
- Driving for an extended period of t ime on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency.
Clean
off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in
stall a different spoiler, be su re the air f low
to the front brakes is not obstructed . Other
wise the brake system could overheat reduc ing the effect iveness of the entire brake sys
tem.
- Fai lure of one brake circuit will impa ir th e
b rak ing capability res ulting in an increased
s topping distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
a nd have it towed to the nearest Aud i dea ler
or qualified workshop .
- Never let the vehi cle roll to a s top with the
engine shut
off .
- If the b rake booste r is no t working, the
b rake peda l must be pressed cons iderably
harder to make up for the lack of booster as
sistance.
191

M N <( I.J "". rl I.O
"' N I.O rl
Offroad vehicle?
Your Aud i is not an off road vehicle -there is not
enough ground clea rance . For this reason, avo id
difficu lt terrain .
A WARNING
-Also, in vehicles with all whee l dr ive, adapt
your dr iving style to the current road and
traffic conditions. Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into taking risks, because t his increases the risk of an acci
dent .
- The brak ing ability of yo ur vehicle is lim ited
to the traction of the wheels . In this way, it
is not different from a two wh eel drive veh i
cl e. Do not be tempted to ac celerate to a
high speed when t he ro ad is s lippery th is in
cr eases the r is k of an accident .
- Note t hat on wet streets, t he front w heels
c an "hyd rop lane" if d riving at speeds that
are too high. Unli ke front whee l drive
vehicles, the engi ne does not rev higher sud
den ly when the vehicle begins hydrop laning.
For this reaso n, pay attent ion to the r oad
condit ions regardless of your speed to re
duce t he risk of an accident .
Rear spoiler
The extendable rear spoiler increases driving sta
bility.
Fi g. 179 Cente r con sole : re ar s poil e r b utto n
The rear spoiler retrac ts and extends. Var ious op
erat ing modes (automatic or manual mode) can
be activated .
Intelligent Technology
Automatic mode (normal operation)
-Au tomatic deployment : At a s peed of about 80
mph (130 km/h) , the rear spo ile r deploys auto
matically .
- Au tomatic retra ction: When speed drops below
abou t SO mph (80 km/h), the rea r spoi ler re
tracts automatically.
Manual mode
- Man ual deployment: Tapp ing br iefly on the
sw itch ~
fig. 179 deploys the rea r spo ile r.
- Manual retraction : At speeds up to about
10 mph ( 20 km/h), re tract the rear spoiler by
pressi ng and hold ing t he sw itch. At speeds be
tween 10 mph (20 km/h) and 80 mph ( 130
km/h), retract the rear spoi ler by tapping on
the switch.
Indicator lights
rJ /. Rear spoiler : S ys tem fault
The rea r spoi le r may not have exte nded due to a
malfunction . Th is could change the vehicle's driv
i ng charac teristics at high speeds . Do not exceed
8 5 mp h (140 km/h). Dr ive to you r authorized
A udi dealer immed iate ly to have the malfu nction
corrected. The color of the indicator light de
pends on the vehicle speed .
A WARNING
-
Driving at higher speeds witho ut the rear
spoi ler deployed ca n impair handling charac
terist ics, making the vehicle harder to control.
- Always make sure that the spo iler is de-
p loyed w hen d riving at speeds over 85 mph
(140 km/h). If the rea r spo ile r warning/ind i
cato r light i n the instrument cluster comes
on, the rear spoile r may not have deploye d.
- Never drive at speeds h igher than 85 mph
(140 km/h) if the spo iler is not deployed.
Have the spoiler i nspected as soon as possi
b le by an au tho riz e d Aud i deale r o r q ualified
w orkshop.
- Always obey speed li mits and othe r traff ic
laws.
193

Intelligent Technology
& WARNING
Improp er operat ion of the rear spoiler can
cause crushing injuries.
- Always make sure that nobody, espec ially
children , is in the way when the rea r spo ile r
i s deployed or retracted.
@ Note
- Neve r push on the vehicle on the rear spoi l
er. Th is co uld cause damage .
- To prevent damage to the rear spoiler do
not lean or p lace anyth ing on it.
- Only ope rate the rear spoi ler manually when
the luggage compartment lid is close and
the rear spo iler moving parts are not
blocked . Ot herwise, damage could occur.
(D Tips
Clean the rear spoiler compartment every 2 to
3 mont hs. To function correct ly, the rear
sp oiler must be free of ice, sn ow and leav es.
Energy management
The starting ability is optimized
The energy management system manages the
ele ctrical energy distribu tion and op timi zes the
availability of elec trical energy for starting the
engine .
Whe n a ve hicle wit h a co nven tional e nergy sys
tem is not dr iven for a long time, the ba tte ry is
d rained by equipmen t (fo r example the immobil
izer). In certa in circ umstances, there cou ld may
not be eno ugh energy to start the engine .
Your veh icle i s equ ipped w ith an intellige nt ener
gy managemen t system for distr ibuting electr ic i
ty . Th is significantly improves the starti ng ability
a nd increases the battery life .
T he energy m anagemen t sys tem Is made up of
battery diagno sis, idling current management
and dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
T he batte ry diagnos is determines the ba tte ry
ch arge leve l. The sen sors de te ct the ba tte ry, the
194
batte ry current, an d the batte ry tempera ture.
The c urrent charge leve l and the perfo rmance of
t h e battery are determined based on th is.
Idling current management
The idling cur ren t management decr eases the
energy used wh ile pa rke d. Wi th the eng ine
switched off, it manages the energy dis trib ution
to t he d ifferent e lectr ica l components . Date from
battery diagnos is is ta ken into acco unt for this .
Depend ing on the batte ry charge leve l, elec trical
equipmen t is switched off one item afte r th e o th
e r, to prevent the battery from dra ining and to
r etain the starting ability.
Dynamic energy management
While driv ing , d ynam ic ene rgy man agement dis
t ribu tes the ap propri ate amount of energy to the
e lectrica l equ ipment. It controls the battery
c h arge level so t hat more ene rgy is not use d then
i s be ing generated in order to maintain an opti
mal battery charge level.
(D Tips
- Energy management can not overcome the
laws of p hys ics. Note that the charge level
and length of the battery life a re limited.
- W he n the sta rting ability is endange red, the
(•j indicator light t urns on¢ page 16 .
What you should know
Maintaining the starting ability is the highest
priority .
A lot of st ress is placed on the ba ttery when dr iv
i ng sho rt distances, in t raff ic, and at cold t imes
of the year . A lot of ene rgy is used but little is
generated .
It is also critical when the engine is
not ru nning but e lectr ica l equipment is sw itched
o n. In th is case, energy is used but none is gener
ated.
In sit uat ions like this, energy ma nagement w ill
active ly regu lated the distribution of energy.
Long periods without use
If you do not drive yo ur vehicle for several days or
weeks, e lectr ica l equipment is grad ually scaled ..,.

Driving and the environment
Driving and the
environment
Breaking in
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the first 600 miles (1,000 kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle .
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the maximum permitted RPM .
.,. Avoid high engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1,000 to 1,500
kilometers ):
.,. Speeds can gradually be increased to the maxi
mum perm issible road or eng ine speed.
During and after break-in period
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold . This applies whether the transmission is
i n N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the break-in period
.,. Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before reach
i ng the red area at the end of the tachometer
scale~
page 10 .
During the first few hours of driving, the engine's
internal friction is higher than later when all the
mov ing parts have been broken in. How well th is
break-in process is done depends to a cons idera
b le extent on the way the vehicle is driven during
the first 1,000 miles (1,500 kilometers).
(D Note
Extremely high engine speeds are automati
cally reduced. However, these rpm limits are
programmed for an engine wel l run-in, not a
new engine.
196
® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high engine
speeds -upshifting early saves fuel, reduces
noise and protects the environment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive par
ticularly careful for the first 350 miles (500 kilo
meters) after f itting .
.8, WARNING
New tires tend to be slippery and must also
be "broken- in". Be sure to remember this dur
ing the first 350 mi les (500 kilometers).
Brake gently. Avoid following closely behind
other ve hicles or other situations that might
require sudden, hard braking.
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 damaged .
This is especially true for vehicles with low-slung chass is (sports chassis)* and fully loaded
vehicles .
-
Driving through water on
roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage whe n
driving through water, for example on flooded
roads:
- The water must not be any highe r than the bot
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not dr ive faster than walk ing speed .
.8, WARNING
After driv ing through water or mud, the brak
ing effect can be reduced due to moisture on
the brake discs and brake pads. A few careful
brake applications shou ld dry off the brakes.

M N <( (.J
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CD Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine ,
transmission, suspension or e lectr ical sys
tem can be severe ly damaged by driving
through water .
- Always switch the Start-Stop -System* off
when driving through water
c> page 80.
@ T ips
- Determine the depth before driving through
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the eng ine off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
- Avoid driving through sa lt water (corrosion).
Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very impor tan t tha t your emission control
system (catalyti c converter) is functioning prop
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline c> page 210,
F uel supply .
... Never run the tank down all the way to empty .
.,. Never put too much motor oil in your engine
c> page 222, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean-up"
dev ice bu ilt into the exhaust system of the vehi
cle . T he catalytic converter burns many of the
pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re
l eased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is cr itically im
portant for the life of the catalyt ic converte r and
proper functioning o f the eng ine .
A WARNING
The temperature o f the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine .
Driving and th e en vir onm ent
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. Th is could resu lt in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exhaust system may come in contact w ith dry grass, brush, fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields . During dr iving, the substance
used for undercoat ing could overheat and
cause a fire .
CD Note
-Be aware that just one tank filling with lead
ed
fuel w ill already ser iously degrade the
performance of the catalyt ic converter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 222.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine cou ld misfire .
Unburned fuel could also get into the ex
haust system and this cou ld cause the cata
lyt ic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignit io n while the veh i
cle is movi ng.
- Do not continue to ope rate your veh icle un
der these conditions, as othe rwise f uel can
reach the catalytic converter . This could re
sult in overheating of the co nve rter , requ ir
ing its replacement .
- T o assu re eff icient operation of the Emission
Contro l System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance w ith the serv ice recommen
dat ions in your Warranty
& Maintena nce
booklet .
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as im
p roper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is op
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
su lfu r-like exhaus t gas sme ll unde r some op
erating states. Th is depends on the s ulf ur
197

M N <( (.J
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Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
~ Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
~ Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
The idling phase is automatically reduced for
veh icles with the Start-Stop-System . It is effi
cient to switch off the engine in vehicles without
the Start-Stop-System when stopped at railroad
crossings and long red lights. Turning the engine
off for just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is
burned by starting the engine again.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high when
the engine is warm ing up. So you shou ld drive
away as soon as you start the engine and avoid
running at high rpms while the engine is still
warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling a lso produces
heat, wh ich could resu lt in overheating or oth
er damage to the vehicle or other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
~ Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Aud i dea ler helps to ensure that it runs properly
and economica lly. The condition of your vehicle
not only affects its safety and ability to hold its
value, it a lso affects fuel consumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load
and speed.
Driving and the environment
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile
age has been driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 miles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly as
sess oil consumption .
T h is also applies to fuel consumption and engine
o ut put .
CD Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda
tions in your Warranty
& Maintenance book
let . Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the em ission contro l system and
cou ld lead to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, sw itches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle components .
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips .
~ Try to avoid dr iv ing short distances w ith a co ld
eng ine .
The engine and cata lytic converter have to reach
their optimal operating temperature to reduce
fuel consumpt ion and nox ious em issions effec
t ively.
Just after starting, a co ld engine in a mid-size car
only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les 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 miles (4 km), the eng ine is
at its proper operating temperature and fuel
economy has reached a norma l level. So you can
see that you should avoid short trips whenever
poss ible. .,.
199