Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, economy and performance.
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on the
ve hicle, it also ca lls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross tra iler weight. The hitch must be suitab le
for your veh icle and tra iler and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
locat ion . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re
movable ba ll mount . Always che ck with the t rail
er hitch man ufac tur er to make s ure t hat you are
using the co rrect hi tc h.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system. No mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and b rake systems .
Fr om t ime to t ime, che ck that all hitch mo unti ng
bol ts rem ain securely f aste ned.
W hen you are not tow ing a tra iler, remove the
tra ile r hitc h ba ll mount . This prevents the hit ch
from caus ing damage s hou ld your veh icle be
s truck from be hind ¢
,&..
Trailer brakes
If you r trailer is equipped with a brak ing system,
check to be su re that it conforms to all regula
tions .
90
The t rai ler hydraulic bra ke system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
bra ke system ¢&. .
Safety chains
Always use s afety chains be tween you r vehi cle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Traile r lights must meet all regula tions . B e s ure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor
r ec t wir ing, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see t he traffic behind you us
i ng t he regular outs ide mirrors, then yo u
must in
stall ex tended mirrors . It is impo rtant that you
al ways have clear vision to the rear.
.&_ WARNING
Afte r remov ing the tra ile r hi tc h, do not s tore
it i n y our vehicle. In case o f su dden brak ing,
the hitch could fly fo rward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra iler f or yo ur vehicle is lim ite d to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the t rai le r i s he ld se curely in
pla ce to p reve nt i t from shi fting forwar d, bac k
ward or si deways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer ¢ &.
in Driver messages on page 91.
Engine cooling system
Towi ng a tra iler makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure tha t
the coo ling system has enoug h fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire p ressure listed under "Full
load" on the t ire press ure label. The t ire pressure
1111-
-Th e system has been unable to detect the lanes
for an extended period of time due to road con
ditions . Sw itch act ive lane assist back on when
the lines are more visible .
rm Audi active lane assist: currently unavaila
ble. See owner's manual
There is a temporary active lane assist malfunc
tion . Try sw itching the active lane assist on again
later .
• Audi active lane assist: malfunction! See
owner's manual
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
rm Audi active lane assist: Please take over
steering!
This message appears if you are not steering by
yourself. Active lane assist is activated, but is not ready to give warning
Adjusting the steering time and vibration
warning
Applies to: vehicles with Audi active lane assist
You can adjust individual active lane assist set
tings in the Infotainment system .
... Select in the Infotainment system: !MENUI but
ton
>Ve hicle > left control button > Driver as
sist
> Audi active lane assist .
Steering time Early:
in this setting, the correct ive steering hap
pens continuously to help keep the vehicle in the
center of the lane.
Late: in this setting, the system provides correc
tive steering just before a vehicle whee l goes over
a detected lane marker line.
Vibration warning
You can switch the additional vibration warning
in the steering wheel on or
off.
A WARNING
-
With the vibration warning switched off,
there will also be no visual warning in the in-
Assist
strument cluster disp lay when crossing a lane
marker line.
(D Tips
In certain countries: your settings are stored
automatica lly and assigned to the remote
control key in use.
Audi side assist
Description
Applies to: vehicles with Audi side assist
Fig. 109 Sensor detection range
Fig. 110 Disp lay on th e exterio r m irror
Side assist (lane change assist) helps you mon itor
your blind spot and traffic behind your vehicle .
Within its lim its, the system warns you about
vehicles that are coming closer or that are travel
ing within your sensor range
(D <=?fig. 109. If a
lane change is classified as critical, the display@
turns on in the exterio r mirror
<=? fig. 110 .
The display in the left exterior mirror p rovides as
s istanc e when making a lane change to the left,
wh ile th e display in the rig ht exterior m irro r pro
vides ass istance when making a lane change to
the right. ..,.
115
Assist
Information stage
As long as you do not activate the turn signal,
side assist
informs you of the vehicles that are
detected and classified as critical. The display in
the mirror turns on, but is dim .
The display remains dim in the information stage
so that your view toward the front is not distur
bed.
Warning stage
I f the display in a mirror blinks br ight ly when you
ac tivate a turn signal, side assist is
warning you
about detected ve hicles that it has classified as
critical. If this happens, check traffic by glancing
in the exterior mirror and over your shoulder
q &.
in General information on page 117.
Appl ies to vehi cles w ith active lane ass ist*: the
disp lay in the mirror can also blink if you have not
activated a turn signal: if you are approaching a
detected lane marker line and it appears you will
be leaving the lane, side assist will warn you
about detected vehicles that it has classified as
cr itical.
(D Tips
You can adjust the brightness of the display in
the rearview mirror
q page 118.
116
General information
Applies to: vehicles w ith Audi side assist
®
®
©
Fig. 111 Driving s it u ations
~ AUDI
•
Fig. 112 Rear of the ve hicle: position of the se nsors
Side assist functions at speeds above approxi
mately 9 mph (15 km/h).
@ Vehicles that are approaching
0
I
In certain cases, a veh icle w ill be classified as
critical for a lane change even if it is st ill some
what far away. The faster a vehicle approaches,
the sooner the display in the exterior m irro r will
turn on.
@ Vehicles traveling with you
Vehicles traveling with you are indicated in the
exterior mirror if they are classified as cr itica l for
a lane change. A ll vehicles detected by side ass ist ..,.
<( a, .... N ..... N .... 0 0
3 a,
are indicated, at the latest, by the time they en
ter your "blind spot".
© Vehicles you are passing
If you slowly pass a vehicle that side assist has
detected (the difference in speed between the
veh icle and your vehicle is less than approximate
ly 9 mph (15 km/h)), the display in the exterior
mirror turns on as soon as the vehicle enters your
blind spot.
The display will not turn on if you quickly pass a
vehicle that side assist has detected (the differ
ence in speed is greater than approximately 9 mph (15 km/h)).
Functional limitations
The radar sensors are designed to detect the left
and right adjacent lanes when the road lanes are
the normal width. In some situations, the display
in the exterior mirror may turn on even though
there is no vehicle located in the area that is criti
cal for a lane change. For example:
- If the lanes are narrow or if your are driving on
the edge of your lane. If this is the case, the system may have detected a vehicle in another
lane that is
not adjacent to your current lane.
- If you are driving through a curve. Side assist
may react to a vehicle that is in the same lane
or one lane over from the adjacent lane.
- If side assist reacts to other objects (such as
roadside structures like guard rails).
- In poor weather conditions . The side assist
functions are limited.
Do not cover the radar sensors ¢
fig. 112 with
stickers, deposits, bicycle racks or other objects,
because this will impair their function. Do not
use side assist when towing a trailer. For infor
mation on cleaning, refer to¢
page 33 7.
A WARNING
- Always pay attention to traffic and to the
area around your vehicle. Side assist cannot
replace a driver's attention. The driver alone
is a lways responsible for lane changes and
similar driving maneuvers.
Assist
-In some situations, the system may not
function or its function may be limited. For
example:
- If vehicles are approaching or being left
behind very quickly. The display may not
turn on in time.
- In poor weather conditions such as heavy
rain, snow or heavy m ist.
- On very wide lanes, in tight curves, or if
there is a rise in the road surface. Vehicles
in the adjacent lane may not be detected
because they are outside of the sensor
range.
(D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. This can adversely affect the sys
tem. Have an authorized Audi dealer or au
thorized Audi Service Facility check their func
tion.
(D Tips
If the window glass in the driver's door or
front passenger's door has been tinted, the
display in the exterior mirror may be incor
rect.
Switching on and off
App lies to : vehicles wi th Audi sid e ass ist
The system can be switched on/off in the Info
tainment system.
If the system is activated, the displays in the ex
terior m irrors will turn on briefly when the igni
tion is switched on.
.,. Select in the Infotainment system:
I MENU ! but
ton
> Vehicle > left control button > Driver as
sist
> Audi side assist. Off switches the system
off.
(D Tips
When you switch side assist on or off, the exit
warning system activates or deactivates
¢ page 118.
117
Ass is t
Adjusting the display brightness
Applies to: ve hicles w ith Audi side assis t
The display brightness con be adjusted in the In
fotainment system.
• Se lect in the Infotainment system : I MENU I but
ton
> Ve hicle > left control button > Dr ive r as
s is t
> Audi side a ssist .
The display brightness adjusts automatically to
the brightness of the surroundings, both in the
i n formation and in the warning stage . In very
dark or very br ight surroundings, the automat ic
ad justment will set the disp lay to the min imum
or maxim um level. In s uch cases , you may notice
no change when adjust ing the b rightness, or the
change may only be noticeable once the s ur
roundings change .
Adj ust the brightness to a level where the disp lay
in the informa tion stage w il l no t dis rup t your
view ahead. If you change the brightness, the dis
p lay in the exterior mirror will briefly show the
brightness level in the information stage . The
brightness of the warning stage is linked to the
brightness in the information stage and is adjust
ed along with the information stage.
@ Tips
- Side assist is not active wh ile you are mak
i ng the adjustment.
- Your settings are automatically stored and
assigned to the remote control key being
used.
Exit warning system
A ppl ies to: ve hicles w ith exit warning system
F ig. 11 3 Examp le display
118
F ig. 11 4 Door : warn ing str ip
When the vehicle is stationary, the exit war ning
system warns the passenge rs of a poss ible coll i
s io n when opening the doo r. Wi thin the limits of
the system, the system monitors the
areas be
hind and next to the vehicle using the radar sen
sors
¢ page 116, fig . 112. Moving objects that
are approached from behind, such as cars, are
detected
¢fig. 113.
When you open the door, the warning strip on
the affected door blinks
¢ fig. 114 if anothe r
road user is detected and the situation is classi
fied as crit ical. The d isp lay in the exterior mirror
on the affected side flashes at the same time.
If
the door is already ope n and another road user is
detected and the sit uat ion is classified as cr itica l,
then the co rresponding disp lays t urn on.
A WARNING
-
- Always pay attention to traffic and to the
area around your vehicle. The ex it wa rning
sys tem does not rep lace the attention o f the
passengers. The veh icle passengers are al
ways responsible for opening the doors and
exiting the vehicle.
- The exit warning system can be ava ilab le for
up to approximately three minutes after un
lock ing the vehicle and opening the door as
well as after switching off the ignition. Then
the system switches off w ith a br ief flashing
of the d isplays.
- The exit warning system ca nnot notify you
of every app roaching object or person, such
as joggers or pe destrians.
Parking systems
Parking systems
General information
A ppl ies to: ve hicles w ith a rea r parking sys te m /pa rking sys
tem p lus/rearv iew camera/peripheral ca meras
Depending on your vehicle's equipment , various
parking aids will help you when parking and ma
neuvering.
The
rear parking system is an audible parking aid
that warns you of obstacles
behind the vehicle
¢ page 125.
Parking system plus assists you when parking by
using audio and visual signals to indicate objects
detected in
front of and behind the vehicle
¢ page 125.
The rearview camera shows the area behind the
vehicle in the Infotainment display . The lines in
the rearview camera image help you to park or
maneuver ¢
page 126. The parking system plus
functions are also available
¢page 125.
The peripheral cameras give various views to
help you when parking or maneuvering
¢ page 128 . fhe parking system plus functions
are also available
¢ page 125.
A WARNING
- Always look for traffic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it directly
as well. The parking system cannot replace
the driver 's attention. The driver is always
responsible when entering or leaving a park
ing space and during similar maneuvers.
- Please note that some surfaces, such as
clothing, are not detected by the system.
-
- Sensors and cameras have blind spots in
which people and objects cannot be detect ed . Be especially cautious of small children
and animals .
- Always keep your eyes on the vehicle's sur
roundings, using the rearview mirror as
well .
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the radiator grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody . The park
ing system may be impaired as a result.
Have an authorized Audi dealer or author-
124
ized Audi Service Facility check their func
tion .
(D Note
-Some objects are not detected or displayed
by the system under certain circumstances:
- Objects such as barrier chains, trailer draw
bars, vertical poles or fences
- Objects above the sensors such as wall ex
tensions
- Objects with certain surfaces or structures
such as chain link fences or powder snow
- If you continue driving closer to a low ob
ject, it may disappear from the sensor range. Note that you will no longer be
warned about th is obstacle .
- Keep enough distance from the curb to
avoid damage to the rims.
(D Tips
-The system may provide a warning even
though there are no obstacles in the cover
age area in some situations, such as :
- certain road surfaces or when there is tall
grass.
- external ultrasonic sources such as from
cleaning vehicles .
- in heavy rain, snow, or thick vehicle ex
haust.
- We recommend that you practice parking in
a traffic-free location or parking lot to be
come familiar with the system . When doing
this, there should be good light and weath
er conditions.
- You can change the volume of the signals
and the display ¢
page 131.
-Please refer to the instructions for trailer
towing in
¢page 132.
- What appears in the infotainment display is
somewhat time-delayed.
- Th e sensors must be kept clean and free of
snow and ice for park assist to operate.
<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
The rearview camera is located above the rear li
cense plate bracket. Mak e sure that the lens for
the rearview camera
c::> fig. 124 is not covered by
deposits or any other obstructions because this
can impair the function of the rearview camera .
For information on cleaning, refer to
c::> page 337 .
The rearview camera coverage area includes (D
c::> fig. 123. Only this a rea is shown in the Info
tainment display . Objects that are outside of this
area @are not displayed.
A WARNING
-Always read and follow the applicable warn
ings
c::> .&. in General information on
page 124.
- If the position and the installation angle of
the rearview camera was changed, for ex
ample after a collision, do not continue to
use the system for safety reasons. Have it
checked by an authorized Audi dealer or au
thorized Audi Service Facility.
- Only use the rearview camera to assist you if
it shows a good, clear picture. For example,
the image may be affected by the sun shin
ing into the lens, dirt on the lens or if there
is a malfunction.
- Use the rearview camera only if the luggage
compartment lid is completely closed. Make
sure any objects you may have mounted on
the luggage compartment lid do not block
the rearview camera .
- The camera lens enlarges and distorts the field of vision . The object appears both al
tered and inexact on the screen .
- In certain situations , people or objects in
the display appear closer or farther away:
- For objects that do not touch the ground,
such as the bumper of a parked vehicle, a
trailer hitch or the rear of a truck. Do not use the orientation lines in this case.
- If driven from a level surface onto an in
cline, or a downward slope.
- If driven toward protruding objects.
- If the vehicle is carrying too much load in
the rear.
Parking systems
(D Note
-Always read and follow the applicable warn
ings
c::> (D in General information on
page 124.
- The orange colored orientation lines in the
Infotainment display show the vehicle path
based on the steering wheel angle. The
front of the vehicle swings out more than
the rear of the vehicle . Maintain plenty of
distance so that an exterior mirror or a cor
ner of the vehicle does not collide with any
obstacles.
Switching on/off
Appl ies to: vehicles wi th rearv iew camera
Switching on
.,. Shift into reverse, or
.,. Press the
PwA button in the center console
c::> page 126, fig. 120. A short confirmation
tone sounds and the LED in the button turns
on.
Switching off
.,. Drive faster than 6 mph (10 km/h), or
.,. Press the
p,qA button , or
.,. Switch the ignition off.
@ Tips
- The visual display in the right part of the
display should help you detect the critical
vehicle area.
- You can change the volume of the signals
and the display
<=:>page 131.
127
General information
Applies to: vehicles with peripheral cameras
Fig. 128 Loca tion of peripheral c amera s
The four periphe ral cameras are located in the ra
diator grille, in the luggage compartment lid and
on both exterior mirrors
q fig . 128 . Make sure
that the lenses are not covered by deposits or any
other obstructions as this may impair the system.
For information on cleaning, refer to
¢page 337.
Black corners are shown in the vehicle silhouette
when in
Surrounding mode. Objects in these
areas are outside of the camera's field of view
and are not detected .
A WARNING
-Always read and follow the applicable warn
ings
~ &. in General information on
page 124.
- If the position or the installation angle of a
camera was changed, for example after a
collision, do not continue to use the system
for safety reasons . Have it checked by an au
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility .
- Keep in mind that the image in the display is
incorrect if the exterior mirror housing has
been manually adjusted .
- Use the
Rear mode and the corner view
(rear)
mode only when the luggage com
partment lid is fully closed. Otherwise the
image in the display will be incorrect.
- The vehicle surroundings are shown using
the camera images . The vehicle image is
shown by the system. Objects and obstacles
above the camera are not displayed.
Parking systems
-Camera lenses enlarge and distort the field
of vision. The objects appear both altered
and inexact on the screen .
(D Note
-Always read and follow the applicable warn
ings
~ CD in General information on
page 124.
- The Infotainment display shows the direc
tion in which the rear of the vehicle is travel ing based on the steering wheel angle. The
front of the vehicle swings out more than
the rear of the vehicle . Maintain plenty of
distance so that an exterior mirror or a cor
ner of the vehicle does not collide with any
obstacles.
(D Tips
If the 8/fl;!J/c::5 symbol appears in the dis
play and the respective display area is grayed
out, then the power exterior mirrors were
folded in or the driver's door/front passeng
er's door/luggage compartment lid was
opened.
Switching on/off
Applies to: vehicles with peripheral cameras
-----------
' :_~ '.!! _:-,~~
~ !i'! .. ' !J -,1~ ===:.===. ,
Fig. 129 Center console: button P.a
Fig. 130 In fo tai nment syste m: select the mode
129