
Automatic transmission
This prevents too much stress from being placed
on the locking mechanism.
Vehicles with multitronic transmission: Your ve hicle is equipped with
hill hold assist allowing
you to start while on an incline. The system is ac
tivated when the brake pedal is pressed down
and held
for a few seconds. The brake pressure
will hold for
a moment after the brake pedal
loosens to prevent the vehicle from rolling back
wards while starting up.
A WARNING
- The vehicle can also roll when the engine is
stopped.
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause se rious injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running, ac tivate the parking brake and move the selec
tor lever to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To pre
vent the vehicle from "creeping", you must
keep your foot on the brake when the en
gine is running and the selector lever is in 0/
Sor R or "tiptronic" mode is selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when changing the selector lever position while
the vehicle is stationary and the engine is
running.
- Never shift into R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep slope, reduce
your speed and shift into a lower gear with
"tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re
duces braking performance, increases brak
ing distance or causes complete failure of
the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it in
place with the brake pedal or parking brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens automati-
84
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload. An indicator lamo
[O ] illuminates
and a driver message appears
c::;, page 86
when the clutch is overloaded.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure these
lector lever has securely engaged and is
locked in P with the parking brake set
¢page 193. Otherwise, any increase in en
gine speed may
set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
(D Note
- S tronic- and tiptronic transmission: When
stopping on an incline, do not try to hold
the vehicle in place by pressing the accelera
tor pedal while a driving gear is selected.
This can cause the transmission to overheat
and can damage it. Activate the parking
brake or press the brake pedal to prevent
the vehicle from rolling.
- S tronic- and tiptronic transmission: Allow
ing th@ vehicle to roll when th@ engine is
stopped and the selector lever is in N will
damage the transmission because it is not
lubricated under those circumstances.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re
leased automatically only when the driver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
· Hill descent control
App lies to: vehicles with mult itron ic/S tron ic/t iptronic
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down declines .
Hill descent control is activated when the selec
tor lever is in D/S and you press the brake pedal.
The transmission automatically selects a gear
that is suitable for the incline. Hill descent con
trol tries to maintain the speed achieved at the
time of braking, within physical and technical
limitations. It may still be necessary to adjust the
speed with the brakes. ..,..

a:,
a:,
...... N
" N ...... 0
0
LL co
Hill descent control switches off once the decline
levels out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles w ith the cruise control system*
¢ page 79, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
&,_ WARNING
H ill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions. Always
be ready to apply the brakes.
Manual shift program
A ppl ies to: ve hicles w ith mul titronic/S tronic/tip troni c
Using the manual shift program you can man
ually select gears.
Fig. 98 Cente r console: shifting the gea rs manua lly
Fig. 99 Steering wheel: shift paddles•
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected either with
the vehicle stationary or on the move.
• Push the selector lever to the right from D/5.
"' N N N ,.:i
~
An M appears in the instrument cluster display
as soon as the transmiss ion has shifted.
• To upshift, push the selector lever forwa rd to
the plus posit ion
0 ¢ fig . 98.
Automatic transmission
• 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/5 or the tip tronic manual shift pro
gram.
• To upshift, touch the sh ift paddle on the right
0 ¢fig. 99.
• To downshift, touch the shift paddle on the left
0-
• If you do not press a shift paddle within a short
time while in the 0/5 position, the transmission
wi ll return to automatic mode. To keep shifting
using the shift paddles, move the selector lever
to the right out of the D/S position.
The transmission automatically shifts up or down before critical engine speed is reached .
The transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is within the permitted
range.
@ Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gear, the
transmission will downshift on ly when there
is no possibility 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.
- Tiptronic is inoperative when the transmis
sion is in the fail-safe mode.
Kick-down
Applies to : vehicles wi th mult itro nic/S tro nic/t ipt ronic
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
Applies to vehicles with a multitronic
transmission
When you depress the acce lerator pedal beyond
the resistance point, the transmission downshifts
into a lower gear ratio depending on the vehicle
speed and engine speed. As long as the accelera
tor pedal is depressed, the engine speed is auto-
matically regulated for maximum acceleration.
Ill>
85

Automatic transmissio n
Appli es to vehicl es with a S troni c-/ tiptronic
t ran smissi on
When you depress the accelerator peda l beyond
the resistance point, the automatic t ransmission
downshifts into a lower gear, depending on vehi
cle s peed and engi ne speed. The upshift into the
next h igher gear takes place once the maximum
specif ied e ngine speed is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the drive whee ls can spin if
kick-down is used on a smooth s lippery road -
there is a risk of skidding.
Launch Control Program
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith S tro nic
The Launch Control Program provides the best
acceleration possible when starting from a stop.
Requirement: The engine must be at operating
temperature and the steer ing wheel must not be
turned .
"' Press the
lfl O FF ! button ¢ page 168 while the
engine is run ning . T he
II indicator light illumi
nates in the instrument cluste r and
Stabil iza
tion control (ESC ): Sp ort. Warning! R estricted
s tab ilit y
appears in the d river informat ion sys
tem display.
"' Move the selecto r lever to the D/S position to
select sport mode (S) or select the
d ynami c
driving mode in drive select * ¢page 102.
"'Press the brake pedal strongly with your left
foot and hold it down fo r at least 1 second.
"' At the same t ime, press the acce lerator pedal
down completely with your right foot until the engine reaches and maintains a high RPM .
"' Remove your foot from the b rake pedal within
S seconds ¢
&-
A WARNING
-Always adapt yo ur driv ing to the traffic flow.
- Only use the La unch Control Prog ram when
ro ad and tra ffic conditions allow it and oth
er drivers will not be endangered or an
noyed by you r driving and the vehicle 's ac
celeration.
86
- Please note that the d riving wheels can spin
and the vehicle can b reak away when sport
mode is switched on, espec ially when the
road is slippery .
- Once you have acce lerated, you should
sw itch sport mode off by pressing the
I ~ OFFI button .
(D Tips
-The transmission temperat ure may increase
significant ly after using the Launch Contro l
Program. If that happens, the program may
not be ava ilable for a few minutes . It will be
available again afte r a cool-down period .
- When accelerating using the Launch Control
program, all vehicle pa rts a re subject to
heavy loads . This ca n result in increased
wea r.
Transmission malfunction
App lies to: vehicles wi th mult itro nic/S tro nic/ tip tronic
I>] Tran smi ssion : Pres s brake ped al and select
gear again.
P ress the b rake peda l and select the desired se
l ector lever posi tion again. Yo u can then co nti nu e
driv ing.
I>] Tran smiss ion ov erheating: Plea se drive con
servativel y.
The transmission temperature has increased sig
nificantly due to t he sporty dr iving ma nner . Drive
i n a less spo rty manner unti l the temperature re
turns to t he norma l range and the i ndicator light
switches of.
I>] Tran smiss ion malfun ct ion : You can co ntinue
driv ing
There is a system malfunction in the transmis
s io n. You may continue driving. Dr ive to your au
thorized Audi dea ler or qua lified repair facility
soon to have the ma lfunction corrected .
I>] Transmission malfunct ion : Limited dri ving
functional ity
There is a system malfunction in the transmis-
s ion. The t ransmission is switch ing to emergency
mode. This mode only s hifts into certain gears or ..,_

a:,
a:,
...... N
" N ...... 0
0
LL co
will no longer shift at all. The engine may sta ll.
D rive to yo ur aut horized Audi dea le r or q ualified
repair fac ility immediately to have the malfunc
tion corrected.
rm liJ Transmission malfunction: No reverse
You can continue driving
S t roni c tra nsmissi on: The re is a s ystem m alfu nc
tion in t he tra nsmission. The transmiss io n is
switch ing to emergency mode . This mo de only
shifts into certain gears or will no longer sh ift at
all. The engine may stall. You cannot engage the
reverse gea r. D rive to your authorized A udi dealer
or qua lified repa ir facility immed iate ly to have
the ma lfunction co rrected.
rm Transmission malfunction: Stop vehicle and
sh ift to park.
Do not cont inue driving . Selec t the P se lector lev
e r p osition and see you r authorized Audi dea ler
or qua lified repa ir facility for assistance.
([) Note
If the tr ansmi ssion swi tc h es to emer gency
mo de, you s ho uld take the ve hicle to a n au
t horized A udi dealersh ip as soon as poss ible
to have the condition c orrected.
Selector lever emergency release
Applies to: vehicles with multitronic/S tron ic/tiptronic
If the vehicle 's power supply foils, the selector
lever can be released in an emergency.
F ig . 100 Front center co nsole: Removing the ashtray insert
Automatic transmission
Fig. 10 1 Selec tor leve r em erge ncy re lease
"' To access the eme rg ency re lease me chanism,
remove t he ash tra y insert @ usin g the re lease
sw itch @
¢fig. 100.
"' Loose n and r emove the c ap in the ash tray
mount .
"' You now have access to a pin. Using a screw
driver or sim ila r ob ject, press the pin down and
hold it in that positi on
¢ fig. 101.
"' Now press the release button and move these-
lector leve r to the N pos it io n.
The selector leve r can on ly be moved from the P
pos ition if the key is in t he lock and the ign ition is
switched on. If the power supply fails (fo r exam
ple, the bat tery is d ischarged) a nd the veh icle
must be p ushed or towed, move th e selector lev
er to th e N posi tion first using the e merge ncy re
lease.
87

Audi drive select Drive settings
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with Audi drive select
Drive select provides the possibility to experience
d iff erent types of vehicle settings in one veh icle.
F or instance, using the three
Comfort, Auto and
Dynamic modes, the driver can switch from a
sporty to a comfortab le driving mode with the
press of a button.
Addit ionally, in vehicles with MM I*, the vehicle
setup for
Individual* mode can be customized by
you. This makes it possible to combine settings
such as a sporty engine tuning with comfortable
steering.
A WARNING
-
Improper use of the Audi drive select can
cause collisions, other accidents and serious
personal injury .
Description
Applie s to: vehicles with Audi drive select
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on the
veh icle's features . However, the engine, auto
matic transmission and steering are always in
volved.
Engine and automatic transmission
Depending on the mode, the engine and the au
tomatic transm ission respond quicker or in a
more balanced manner to accelerator pedal
movements . In the sporty dynam ic mode, the au
tomatic transmission shifts at higher RPMs .
Steering
The steering adapts in terms of steering effort
and steering ratios. Indirect steer ing that moves
eas ily, like the steering in comfort mode, is best
suited to long drives on a highway. In contrast,
dynamic mode provides sporty, direct steering.
gi The follow ing applies to vehicles with dynam ic
;:::: steering*: the steering rat io changes based on
r--.
~ vehicle speed in order to ma inta in optim um 0
fi:' steering effort for the driver at all times. This 00
Audi drive select
sets the steering to be less sensitive at higher
speeds in order to provide improved vehicle con
tro l. At reduced speeds, however, steering is
more direct in order to keep the steering effort as
minimal as possible when the driver is maneuver
ing the vehicle. At low and average speeds, dy
nam ic steering additionally prov ides more re
sponsive steering performance .
Adaptive dampers*
The adaptive dampers* use sensors to record in
formation regarding steering movements, brak
ing and acceleration operations by the driver,
road surface, driving speed, and load . This makes
it possible to adapt damping to the driving situa
t ion virtua lly in real time. Drive select also makes
it possible to sat isfy the desire for sporty suspen
sion (Dynamic) and comfortable suspension
(Comfort) without giving up balanced tuning (Au
to).
Sport differential*
As a component of the all whee l dr ive system
(quattro)
c::> page 172, the sport different ial* dis
tributes the driving power to the rear axle de
pending on the situation. The distribution of
power varies depending on the mode selected.
The goal is a high level of ag ility and ability to ac
celerate on curves. The vehicle is very responsive
to steering.
Audi adaptive cruise control*
The behavior when accelerating can be adjusted
from comfortable to sporty, depending on the
drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control also
responds to the driving behavior of the vehicle
ahead in a more conservative or sporty manner .
Engine sound*
The sound of the engine is adapted to the select
ed mode and ranges from subtle to sporty.
(D Tips
- In some models, the maximum vehicle
speed can only be reached in the
Auto and
Dynamic modes.
- For vehicles with an automatic transmis-
sion, se lecting the
Dynamic mode resu lts in ...,
101

Audi drive select
sporty shifting characteristics . The S gear
position engages automatically.
- In vehicles that have dynamic steering*, op
erating noise is heard when starting or stop
ping the engine. This does not ind icate a
problem.
Selecting the driving mode
Applies to: vehicl es w ith Aud i dri ve select
You con choose between Comfort, Auto , Dynam
ic and Individual * modes.
N N 0
0
'l::=====:::: 1-'gi
drive I sel,.c,ct _ J -~-
Fig. 118 Center console: Control fo r Aud i dr ive select
Fig . 119 MMI*: A udi drive select
Adjusting the Individual mode
Applies to : ve hicles w ith MMI and Audi drive select
.,. To set the mode, press the ~:i:a button
r::!) fig. 118 multiple times until the desired
mode is displayed in the instrument cluster. Or
.,. In the MMI* , select: ICARlfunction button>
Comfort, Auto, Dynamic or Individual".
In vehicles without the MMI*, the ~:/:a button is
found underneath the shift/selector lever.
You can change the driving mode when the vehi
cle is stationary or while driving. If traff ic per
mits, after changing modes, briefly take your
foot off the accelerator pedal so that the recently
selected mode is also activated for the engine
and transm iss ion.
Comfort -provides a comfort-oriented vehicle
setup and is suited for long drives on highways.
Auto -provides an overall comfortable yet dy
namic driving feel and is suited for every day use.
Dynamic -gives the drive r a sporty driving fee l
and is suited to a sporty driving style .
Individual* -c>page 102.
&_ WARNING
Pay attention to traffic when operating drive
select to prevent potential risk of an accident.
You can personally specify the vehicle setup in the MMI* .
.,. Select the ICAR I function button > Set individu
al
control button. Once you select the menu,
you w ill automatically drive in the
individual
mode.
Systems Comfort
Engine/Transmission
ba lanced
Steering comfortable
Dynamic steering* comfortab le/indi rect
102
The equipment in you r vehicle will determine
which settings you can adjust. The following ta
ble provides an overview of the characteristics of
each driving mode.
Auto Dynamic
balanced
sporty
balanced sporty
ba lanced/d irec t sporty/direct

a:,
a:,
...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
LL 00
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 kilometer s):
"' Do not use full throttle .
"' Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than
2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to 1 ,500
kilometers):
"' Speeds can gradually be increased to the maxi
mum pe rm issib le road or engine speed .
During and after break-in pe riod
"' Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold. This applies whether the transmission is
in N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the break-in period
"'Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any c ircumstances.
"'U pshift into the next higher gear
before reach
ing the red area at the end of the tachometer
sca le
c=>page 8.
During the first few hours of driving, the eng ine's
internal friction is higher than later when all the
mov ing parts have been broken in . How well this
b reak-in process is done depends to a considera
b le exte nt on the way the veh icle is d rive n during
t he first 1,000 miles (1,500 kilometers).
(D Note
Extremely high eng ine speeds a re au toma ti
cally reduced. However, these rpm limits are
programme d for a n engine well run-in, not a
new engine.
@) For the sake of the environment
D o not dr ive with u nnecessari ly high eng in e
spee ds -ups hifting ea rly saves fuel, reduces
noise and pro tec ts the envi ronme nt .
Driving and the envir onment
New tires
If your vehicle is runn ing on new tires, d rive very
car efu lly fo r the firs t 35 0 miles (500 kilometers)
a ft er fit ting.
New tires tend to be slippe ry and must a lso
be "bro ken-in". Be sure to remembe r th is dur
i ng the fi rst 350 m iles (500 kilometers).
Brake gent ly. Avoid following closely behind
other vehicles or other s ituations that m ight
r equire sudden, hard b raking.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When yo u are dr iv ing o n poor roa ds, or over
cur bs, stee p ramps, e tc., ma ke cert ain that low
ly ing parts s uch a s spo ile rs a nd exh aust sy stem
parts do no t bottom o ut and get dama ged.
T his is espec ially true for ve hicles with low-s lung
c h ass is (sports c hass is) * and fully loaded
vehicles.
Driving through water on
roads
Note t he following to avoi d ve hicle damage w hen
driv ing through water, for examp le on flooded
roads:
- The water must not be any hig her t han the bot
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not dr ive faste r than walk ing speed.
A WARNING
= -
Afte r driv ing th ro ugh water, m ud, slush, etc .,
the brakes may be slow to take effect beca use
of wet brake rotors and pa ds. Dry the brakes
f irst by braking carefully to restore the full
b raking effect.
(D Note
Ve hicle compone nts such as the engine,
transmission, suspension o r electrica l system
can be severely damaged by driving throug h
water.
Iii>
175

Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer
ing action oppos ite 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 wi ll need more
room to stop. To compensate for the tra iler, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember 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 trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
@ Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex
tra load
~ page 246.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on o slope with o trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
" Apply the foot brake.
"Have someone place chocks under both the ve
hicle and the trailer wheels.
" With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
" Turn the wheels towards the curb.
" Apply the parking brake.
" Move the selector lever to P .
When restarting after parking:
" Apply the foot brake.
" Start the engine .
" Move the selector lever to D/S.
" Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
a:,
~ " Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
~ chocks . N .... 0
0
LL 00
Trailer towing
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat
ic transmission to P before applying the park
ing brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
lever out of the P posit ion .
181