
Automatic transmission multitronic, S tronic,
tiptronic
Introduction
Applies to: vehicle s with multitronic/S tronic/tiptronic
The automatic transmission is cont rolled e lec
tronica lly. The transmission upshifts or down
shifts automatically depending on which drive program is selected.
When a
moderate drivi ng style is used, the
transmission selects the most economical driving
mode. It will then change up early and delay the
downshifts to give better fuel economy.
The transm ission switches to a sporty mode afte r
a kick -down or when the driver uses a
s po rt y
d riv ing sty le
characterized by quick accelerator
pedal movements, heavy acce leration, frequent
changes in speed and traveling at the maximum
speed.
If desired, the driver can also select the gears
manually { tip tron ic mode) 9 page 81.
Various automatic transmissions may be instal
led, depending on the model :
multitronic transmission
The multitronic transmission is a cont inuous ly
va riable t ransmiss ion. Power is transferred using
a mu ltidisk clutch. In contrast to conventiona l
automatic transmissions using shifting opera
tions, the transmission ratio in the continuous ly
variable transmiss ion is changed continuously.
This optimizes the comfort level and conserves
fuel.
S tr onic transmi ssion
The S tronic is a dua l-clutch transmiss ion . Power
is transferred using two clutches that work inde
pendently from one another. They replace the
torque converter used in conventional automatic
transmissions and allow the vehicle to accelerate
without a noticeable interruption in tract ion.
a:,
a:,
...... tip tron ic tran smis sion N r--.
~ In the tiptron ic transmission, power is transfer-
fi:' red by a torque converter. 00
Autom atic tran sm iss ion
Selector lever positions
Applies to: vehicles wit h mult itron ic/S tro nic/t iptronic
F ig. 95 Display in the instrument cl uste r: se lector lever in
posit ion P
T he selector leve r pos ition engaged appea rs next
to the se lector lever as well as in the instrument
cluster disp lay .
P -Park
In this se lector lever position the transmission is
mechan ica lly locked. Engage P only when the ve
hicle is
completely stopped~.&. in Driving the
automatic transmission on page 84.
T o s hift i n or out of pos it ion P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
t h e release button in the se lec tor lever ha ndle
whi le mov ing the selector lever to o r from P. Yo u
can shift out of this position on ly with the igni
tion on.
R -Reverse
Se lect R on ly when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is runn ing at idle speed C? .&. in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 84 .
Before yo u move the selector leve r to R, p ress
both the release b utton in the handle of these
l ector lever
and the brake pedal at the same
time.
When the ignition is on, t he backup lights illumi
na te when the selector lever is moved into R.
N -Neutral
The transmiss ion is in neutral in this position .
S hi ft to this posit io n for standing with the brakes
applied
~ .&. in Driving the automatic transmis-
sion on page 84. ..,
81

At speeds above about 1 mph (2 km/h) the Auto
matic Shift Lock is automatically deactivated in
the N position.
A time delay element prevents the selector lever
from locking when it is moved through the N po
sition (going from R to D/S). The locking e lement
will lock the se lector lever if the lever is left in N
(Neutral) for more than approx imately 2 sec
onds, without the brake pedal being pressed.
Release button
The release button on the se lector lever prevents
the lever from being accidentally sh ifted into cer
tain positions. Depending on the d irection of the
shift, the selector lever locks at d ifferent posi
tions . The positions are highlighted in the illus
tration ¢
fig. 96 .
Ignition key safety interlock
The key cannot be removed from the ignition un
less the selector lever is in the P park posit ion.
When the ignit ion key is removed, the selector
lever will be locked in the P pos ition .
Driving the automatic transmission
App lies to: ve hicles with multitro nic/S tronic/tiptronic
Fig . 97 S hift gate o n the ce nte r conso le: selecto r leve r w ith
release button
Starting the engine
~ The selector lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
~ Press and hold the brake pedal.
~ Press and hold the release button in the selec-
a:,
a:, tor lever handle, select the des ired selector lev-......
~ er position such as D/S and release the button. N ...... 0
0
LL 00
Automatic transm ission
~ Wait briefly unti l the transmission has shi fted
(you will feel a slight movement).
~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal and ac
celerate.
Stopping temporarily
~ Keep the vehicle stationary using the braking
pedal, for examp le at traffic lights.
~ Do not press the acce lerator pedal when doing
this .
~ To prevent the veh icle from rolling when you
start driv ing, set the parking brake when stop
p in g on steep incl ines ¢.&_ .
~ The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start moving once you press
the acce le rator pedal.
Stopping/parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position when
you open the driver's door, the vehicle could roll.
The message
Transmission: Car may roll! Shift
to park!
appea rs.
~ Press and hold the brake pedal until the vehicle
has come to a complete stop .
~ Apply the parking brake ¢ page 76, Parking.
~ Select the P selector lever position ¢ .&_ .
Stopping on an incline
~ Always press the brake pedal to hold the vehi
cle in place and prevent it from "rolling back"
¢ .&_ . Do
not try to prevent the vehicle from
"rolling back" when a gear is engaged by in
creas ing the engine speed
¢0.
Starting on an incline
~ Activate the parking brake.
~ With the driving gear selected, press the accel
erator pedal carefully . The park ing brake will
release automatically if your seat belt is fas
t ened.
Under certain circumstances, such as driving in
the mountains , it may be useful to switch tempo
rarily to the manual shift program in order to ad
just the gears to the driv in g conditions by hand
¢page 85.
On slopes, act ivate the park ing brake first and
then move the selecto r lever to the P position.
83

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
Audi ada pti ve c ruise contr ol and br akin g gu ard
tachometer @and is also shown briefly in the
display @¢
fig. 10 7.
Switching Audi adapti ve c ru is e control off
~ Push the lever away from you into position @
un til it clicks into place. The message
AC C off
appea rs.
@ Indic ator lights
II -Adapt ive cru ise control is switched on . No
vehicles are detected up ahead . T he stored speed
is ma inta ined .
• -A moving vehicle is detected up ahead . T he
adapt ive cruise control system regulates the
speed and distance to the moving vehicle ahead
and accelerates/brakes automatically.
• -When automatic braking is not able to keep
enough d ista nce to a previo usly detected moving
vehicle up ahead, you must take contro l and
brake ¢
page 93, Request for driver interven
tion .
© Displa y
If adaptive cruise control is not shown in the dis
play, you can call it up with the
I RES ET I button
¢ page 21.
Based on the symbols in the display, you can de
termine if the system is ma inta ining a distance to
the vehicle ahead and what that distance is .
N o v ehicl e -No vehicle ahead was detected.
W hite vehi cle -A veh icle ahead was detected .
Red vehi cle -Prompt for the driver to take action
¢ page 93.
Both arr ow s on the sc ale © indicate the distance
to the veh icle ahead. No arrow appears when the
vehicle is on an open road and there is no object
ahead .
If an object is detected ahead, the arrow
moves on the scale.
The green zone on the scale shows the stored dis
tance . For informa tion on changing the stored
d ista nce, refer to ¢
page 92. If the distance se
lected is too close or may soon become too close,
the arrows move into the red zone on th e scale .
A WARNING
Improper use of the adaptive cruise control
can cause collisions, other accidents and seri
ous personal injuries .
- Press ing the
ISETI button when driving at
speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h) , will auto
matica lly acce lerate the veh icle to 20 mph
(30 km/h), wh ic h is the minimum speed
that c an be set.
a) Tips
- If you switch the ignition or the adaptive
cruise control off, the set speed is erased
from the system memory .
- The electronic stabilization control (ESC)
and the anti-slip-regulation (ASR) are auto
matically turned on when the adaptive
cruise control is t urned on . Both systems
cannot be turned off if the adaptive cru ise
control is turned on.
Changing the speed
Appl ies to: vehicles wi th Audi ada ptive c ruise con trol
0
f
•
0
Fi g. 108 Se lector leve r: c han gin g the speed
~ To increase or reduce the speed in increments,
ta p the lever up or down.
~ To increase or reduce the speed q uickly, h o ld
the lev er up or down until the red LED @ reach
es the des ir e d speed
¢ pag e 90, fig. 107.
Following any changes , the new stored speed will
be displayed briefly in the display@¢
page 90,
fig. 107 .
91

Audi adaptive cruise control and braking guard
Audi braking guard
Description
Applies to: vehicles w ith Audi adaptive cruise co ntro l
Fig. 112 Instrument cluster : approac h warning
Braking guard uses a radar sensor. It also func
tions within the limits of the system when adap
tive cruise control is switched off.
What can Audi braking guard do?
When detected in time, the system can assess
situations when a vehicle ahead brakes suddenly
or if your own vehicle is traveling at a high speed
and approaching a vehicle up ahead that is mov
ing more slowly. Braking guard does not react if
it cannot detect the situat ion.
The system advises you of various situations:
- The
distance warning is given if you are too
close to the vehicle ahead for a long time. If the
vehicle ahead brakes sharply, you will not be
able to avoid a collision. The indicator light .
in the display comes on.
- The
approach warning is given when a detected
vehicle up ahead in your lane is moving much
more slowly than you are or if it brakes sharply.
When this warning is given, it may only be pos
s ible to avoid a collision by swerving or braking
sharply. The indicator light . will warn yo u
about the danger¢
fig. 112. You will also hear
an acoustic signal.
If you do not react fast enough or do not react at
a ll to the situation, Braking guard will intervene
by braking and the message
braking guard inter
vention
will appear.
l) This is not ava ilab le in some countries.
94
- If a collision is imminent, the system will first
provide an
acute warning by briefly and sharply
app lying the brakes.
- If you do not react to the acute warning, brak
ing guard can brake within the limits of the sys
tem. This reduces the vehicle speed in the event
of a collis ion.
- At speeds under 20 mph (30 km/h), the system
can initiate a complete deceleration shortly be
fore a collision ll.
- If the braking guard senses that you are not
braking hard enough when a collision is immi
nent, it can increase the braking force.
Which functions can be controlled?
You can switch braking guard and the distance/
approach warning on or off in the radio or MMI
¢ page 95, Settings in the radio/MM!.
A WARNING
Lack of attent ion can cause collisions, other
accidents and ser ious personal injuries. The
braking guard is an assist system and cannot
prevent a collision by itself . The driver must
always intervene. The driver is always respon
sible for braking at the correct time .
- Always pay close attention to traffic, even
when the braking guard is switched on. Be
ready to intervene and be ready to take
complete control whenever necessary. Al
ways keep the safe and legal distance be
tween your vehicle and vehicles up ahead .
- Braking guard works within limits and will
not respond outside the system limits, for
examp le when approach ing a stopped vehi
cle or stationary obstacle (end of a traffic
jam or vehicle that has broken down in traf
fic).
- Always remember that the radar sensor for
the braking guard works only within defined
detection and range limits that may prevent
the proper detection of other vehicles.
- The radar sensor's function and range can
be reduced by rain, snow and heavy spray.
Moving vehicles up ahead may not be
-

Intelligent Technology Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road ho lding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of skid
ding and loss of vehicle control. It works only
when the engine is runn ing . ESC detects certain
d ifficult driving situat ions, including when the
vehicle is beginn ing to spin (yaw) out of control
and helps you to get the veh icle back under con
tro l by selectively braking the wheels , and/or re
ducing engine powe r and provid ing steering as
sistance to help ho ld the veh icle on the driver 's
intended course. The indicator light
bJ in the in
strument cluster blinks when ESC is taking action
to help you contro l th e vehicl e.
The follow ing systems a re integr ated in the ESC:
Anti -lock braking system (ABS )
ABS preve nts the wheels from lock ing up when
b raking . The ve hicle can still be stee red even dur
in g ha rd brak ing . Apply steady pressure to the
b rake pedal. Do not p ump the pedal. A pu lsing in
the brake pedal indicates tha t the system is help
ing you to brake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist sys tem can dec rease braking dis
tance .
It increases brak ing power when the d rive r
pr esses the brake pedal q uickly in eme rge ncy sit
uations . You m ust press and hold the b rake pedal
unti l the situation is over . In vehicles with adap
tive cruise control* , the brake assist system is
mo re sensitive if the distance det ected to the ve
h icle ahead is too small.
Anti -slip regulation (ASR)
ASR red uces eng ine power when the drive wheels
begin to spin and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acceler
ate and dr ive up h ills.
gi Electronic differential lock (EDL ) ...... N
~ The ED L br ak es w heels that a re spi nnin g and
8 trans fers the drive power to the othe r drive LL 00
Intellig ent Technology
whee l or wheels if the vehicle is equ ipped with
all-wheel drive*. This function is not avai lable at
highe r speeds.
In extreme cases , EDL automat ic all y swi tches off
to help keep t he b rake on the braked wheel from
overheating . EDL will switch on again automati
ca lly when cond itions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
T he ES C helps to s tabilize the vehicle by changing
the s teering torque.
In veh icles with dynamic steer ing*, ESC a lso
helps to stab ilize the steer ing in crit ica l sit ua
tions.
Electronic interaxle differenti al lock */
selective wheel torque control*
T he elect ronic inte raxle d iffere ntial lo ck (front
whee l dr ive) o r the sele ct ive whee l torque co ntro l
(a ll w heel d rive) operates when driving thro ugh
cu rves. The front wheel on the inside of the curve
o r both wheels on the inside of the curve are
braked selectively as needed. This allows more
precise driving in curves . The applicab le system
may not activate when driving in wet or snowy
condit ions .
A WARNING
--The ESC and i ts integrated systems ca nnot
overcome the laws of physics. This is espe
cially importa nt on slippery or wet roads. If
the systems begin act ing to sta biliz e your
veh icle, you shou ld immedi ate ly change
your speed to match the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the increased safety
provided by these systems tempt yo u to
take risks. Doing so will increase the risk of
a loss of vehicle control, collision and seri
ous personal injur ies .
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions . The risk of losing con
trol of the vehicle increases when driv ing
too fast, especially through curves and o n
slippe ry o r wet roads , and whe n driving too
close to ve hicl es up ahea d. The ESC and its
integ ra t ed systems cannot always preven t
collis ions -the re is s till a risk o f accidents!
167

Intelligent Technology
These electronic control modules record data
dur ing normal vehicle operation that may be
needed by trained technicians for diagnostic and
repair purposes. The recording capability of these
modules is l imited to data (no sound is record
ed). Only a small amount of data is actually re
corded over a very limited per iod of time, or stor
ed when a system fau lt is detected by a control
mod ule. Some of the data stored may re late to
ve hicl e speed, dire ct ion, or brak ing, as well as re
stra int system use and performance in the event
of a crash. Stored data can also only be read and
downloaded with special equipment that is di rectly connected to the veh icle.
@ Tips
Your vehicle may be equipped with Audi con
nect. Your use of certain Audi connect fea
tures requires wireless services that are pro
vided by a third party wire less te lecommuni
cations provider. For detai ls regarding how in
formation obtained through Audi connect is collected, processed, t ransmitted, used, and
shared, please see your contract with the
w ireless te lecommunica tions p rovider and the
"About Aud i connec t" tab in your vehi cle's
M M I:
!MENUI b utton> Audi connect > About
Audi conne ct.
Braking
What affects broking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the fi rs t 250 miles (400 km), new b rake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first ¢.& . You can com
pensate for this s light ly reduced bra king power
by pushing harde r on the brake pedal. Avoid
heavy braking loads during the break-in period .
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles a re st ill s ub
ject to wea r, depending la rgely on ope rating con
ditions and driving habits¢.&, . On vehicles that
are either dr iven most ly in stop-and-go city traf
f ic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Aud i dea ler more of
ten than specified in the
War ranty & Mainte-
170
nance booklet . Failure to have your brake pads
inspected can result in reduced brake perform
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the bra king ef
fect o f the engine. This way, you prevent unnec
essary wear on the brake system. If you must use
your brakes, do not ho ld the brakes down contin
uously. Pump the brakes at intervals.
Ope rating nois e
Noises may occu r when braking depen ding on the
speed, braking force and outside conditions such
as temperature and h umidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain si tuations, for examp le after d riving
t hr ough water, in heavy rain, after over nigh t con
densa tion or after washing your car, the brak ing
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
dried f irst with a few careful brake app lications.
At higher speeds and w ith the windshield wipe rs
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake rotors for a short amount of time . This occurs at
regu lar intervals without the dr iver not icing and
provides for better brake response t ime under
wet cond itions .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes are not used. Likewise, you clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake discs
and pads with a few caut ious applications of the
brake ¢.& .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up on
the brake pads and corrosion to form on the discs
i f the car is not driven regularly or only for short
trips with little use of the brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corro
s io 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 ¢ .& .

a:,
a:,
...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
LL 00
Fa ults in the brake system
If yo u should notice a sudden increase i n brake
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circuits
may have failed
¢ .&. .
Low brake fluid level
Malf unct ions can occur in the bra ke system if the
b rake fl uid leve l is too low. The brake fluid level
i s monitored e lectronica lly .
Bra ke booste r
The brake booster increases the pressure that
you generate with the brake pedal.
It works on ly
when the engine is run ning
.¢ .&.
Bra ke lining we ar status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
¢ page 228, Replacing wheels.
A WARNING
- New bra ke pads don't have the best stop
ping power and must be "bro ken- in" dur ing
the init ia l 250 m iles (400 kilometers). Yo u
can compensate for th is by press ing the
brake pedal more firmly. This a lso applies
later when new pads are installed.
- Yo u should perfo rm braking maneuvers for
the p urpose of clean ing the brake system
only if road conditions permit. Other road
users must not be put at risk -you may
cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift t ransm iss ion into a lower
gear or lowe r driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or
too often. This could ca use the brakes to get
hot and diminish brak ing efficie ncy.
- Do not "r ide t he b rakes" by resting your foot
on the pe dal when yo u do not inten d to
bra ke. This may cause the bra kes to over
heat, premat ure wear and increased stop
ping distance.
- Under certa in climatic and operating condi
tio ns such as passing thro ugh water, driving
in heavy rain or after washing the vehicle,
Intellig ent Technology
the effectiveness o f the brakes can be re
duced. In winter, ice can accum ulate on the
brake pads, lin ings, d iscs and drums . Care
fu lly apply brakes for a test . Brakes will dry
and ice coat ings will be cleaned off after a
few ca refu l brake applications .
- Driving for an extended period of t ime on
salt-covered roads without usi ng your
b rakes can also affect braking eff iciency.
Clea n off acc umul ated salt coat ing from
b rake discs an d pa ds w ith a few careful
b rake appli cat ions .
- I f you d amage the front spoile r, or if you in
s t all a different spoiler, be s ure the a ir flow
to the front brakes is not obstruc ted. Other
wise the brake system could overheat reduc ing the effectiveness of t he ent ire bra ke sys
tem.
- Fai lure of one brake circuit w ill impa ir the
braking capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance . Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest authorized
Aud i 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 cons iderab ly
ha rder to make up fo r the lack of booste r
assis tance .
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electro-mechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power steer ing adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defe ctive! Do not drive vehicle!
If this indicato r light turns on and stays on and
t hi s message appears, the powe r steering may
have failed.
171